Tuesday 7 January 2014

Hair loss and young women - two things you wouldn't think go together but do.

As aforementioned in my last post, for the past year and a half or so I've been suffering from hair loss. I want to share with you my story as well as ways to stop hair loss and encourage healthy regrowth. A couple of months into my hair loss I started to feel -as my friends like to put it -rather sloth-like; exhausted to the point that simply getting up and doing my make-up was exhausting. Of course that in itself rang alarm bells! I had a blood test which confirmed that I was both anaemic and deficient in folic acid. I didn't understand how this could have happened, because in general I have a balanced, healthy diet, and a stress-free lifestyle. After doing rigorous research it dawned on me that simply being on the pill long-term was accountable for my state of lifelessness and low self-esteem. I was shocked by this information because it was completely new to me. Of course I started taking iron prescribed by my doctor and folic acid supplements, and within a month my hair loss had subsided. If you've been on the pill for a while, I would strongly encourage you to take iron and folic acid supplements, or simply a multivit. 

Even though I had found out the reason behind my hair loss, I wanted to get my hair to grow back as quickly as possible, as thickly as possible. I explored other products I could use to stimulate hair regrowth, and actually came across some really successful ones. 

1) Boar Bristle brush - £9.90 on Amazon


Unsurprisingly, when I started to suffer from hair loss I stopped brushing my hair because I was scared of losing yet more hair! How wrong I was! The natural boar bristle brush is fantastic because it actually stimulates the scalp, thus encouraging regrowth. I've been using one for the past few months for about 5-10 minutes every day, and I've definitely noticed a difference in the quality of my hair. The new hair that is growing through feels stronger and thicker. Because the bristles are so soft they wont pull or rip out the hair and unlike standard brushes, they distribute the natural oils from your scalp throughout the hair, nourishing it even more. 

2) Hair Stimulant for Growth & Strength - With Essential Oils - Bergamont, Ylang Ylang, Lavender - £2.11 on Amazon. 


Oooh my, this product is sweet! Like the boar bristle brush, this hair stimulant encourages hair regrowth, and really works. I massage this into my scalp before I shower, leaving it on for around twenty minutes. When I rinse it out, I find that even before shampooing and conditioning, my hair feels so soft and luxurious. After about three weeks of using this, I found that my hair started to feel thicker. For such an affordable price and such a yummy smell, this is an absolute must! 

3) Palmers Coconut Oil Formula conditioning shampoo and repairing conditioner - £3.99 each


Coconut oil is another oil that is amazing for your hair and scalp, the reason being because of its strengthening properties. Because of its protein, it helps to build up the hair strand, making hair thicker. It is also another hair stimulant, encouraging yet more regrowth. I've found that together with the other products, it's definitely helped to transform my hair and stop hair loss. For such a decent price, this is another product that you just can't go wrong with.

Since I began using all of these products along with my supplements, my hair loss has stopped. Hooray! My hair is finally back enroute to fuller, thicker hair. If you're experiencing hair loss, I would strongly encourage a blood test. Even if you're not anaemic, you may have a vitamin defiency, your hormone levels may be off, or you could have Polycystsic Ovary Syndrome, which majorly affects hormones. Once you have this information, you can finally begin your journey back to a healthy head of hair.

I hope this has been helpful, and if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask! Hair loss in young women is something that isn't really discussed, but it does exist, and should therefore be addressed openly without embarressment. 

Thanks,
Sibley x