Balding Faster Than A Body Builder On Steroids
Editor’s note: Reading this back, I seemed to have gone off the deep end a little on this post so reader beware.
We have had a couple of heavy posts the past few weeks so hopefully this week is a bit of a reprieve- or at least a laugh at my expense. It seems with each week comes a new health ailment. This time, it’s hair loss. Looking back, I took my hair for granted. At times, and this pains me to say now, I used to wish my hair was thinner because of the cost it took to color and the time it took to style it. What a fucking idiot.
At this rate, I’ll be lucky if I’m not bald by summer. While that might be a bit of an exaggeration (hopefully), if you’ve ever experienced hair loss, you understand how concerning the entire process can be.
Back in early November of 2021, I noticed strands of hair coming out of my scalp each time I would run my hands through it. Like a lot of things in my life, I ignored it in hopes that it would go away. Spoiler alert: it didn’t. The average person loses between 50-100 hairs each day, so I thought my hair loss was normal. It wasn’t until Thanksgiving that I noticed strands of hair all over my black-colored sweater. This was when my anxiety kicked into overdrive and I knew I could no longer ignore this obvious issue. I needed to figure out what the hell was going on and fast.
The following week, my primary care doctor suggested I get an iron and thyroid blood test to check for deficiencies and imbalances. Apparently, one of the main signs of an iron deficiency or a thyroid imbalance is hair loss. Both tests came back normal and I was back to square one. Fuck. I must have suffered temporary amnesia since I had never received a quick fix or obvious answer before so I’m not sure why I thought this time would be different. However, he did suggest I consider increasing my antidepressants in case stress was a factor.
That was obviously not the quick fix I was looking for. After a heated and disappointed one-way exchange from yours truly, he recommended I seek out a dermatologist since he had no answer of his own.
While the dermatologist did seem a BIT more knowledgeable on hair loss, you’ll never believe what happened next. I must have been fucking hypnotized in the doctor’s chair because I allowed him to inject my scalp with steroids. After all the natural stuff I preach, I WILLINGLY injected corticosteroids into my skull. I know, my vainness is showing.
A few weeks after my injections, I noticed hair breakage in the front of my head. All this time, I thought I was losing hair from the root, when in reality, it was breaking which resulted in my strands becoming shorter.
In a sense, this gave me a little bit of comfort since losing hair from the root seemed a tad more serious than breakage. But, what the hell do I know. It might be worse.
The Elimination Game
At this point, after a few blood tests, we ruled out anemia, an iron deficiency and a thyroid disorder. From my limited research, this is what we have left:
Stress
While all obvious signs point to stress, I am not sure why hair breakage would happen to me now. I have experienced anxiety my entire life so if hair loss was a cause of stress, I would literally be bald by this point. The science around stress-induced hair loss is due to the stress hormone, cortisol. High cortisol affects the growth of the hair follicle which , in turn, increases the deterioration of important skin cells. This would align with my high cortisol levels, but again, I have not noticed my stress being any higher than it has been in the past. While this COULD be the culprit, I’m not entirely convinced.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
I have been CONVINCED that I have PCOS, or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, for the better part of a year because of several red flags. Along with hair loss, I have not had a period in over a year, I experience hormonal acne around the chin/neck and I get occasional hot flashes (a recent development) which are all symptoms of this metabolic disorder. This could be my hypochondria talking, but one thing I know for certain is that my body is clearly telling me something is very wrong. It’s a shot in the dark at this point, but I am starting to run out of answers.
Up A Creek Without Paddle
Since I have, discouragingly, not been given much direction on how to improve my hair loss situation, I took it upon myself to revert back to my trusted friend, Google.
Time For A Second Opinion
Through deductive reasoning, since I am 99.9% sure this is hormone-related, the next obvious choice is to seek out an endocrinologist, someone who specializes in hormone imbalances.
A shock to practically NO ONE, this turned out to be a more difficult feat than expected.
I called 13 doctors in Connecticut and New York. Not many specialists take my insurance so I was even willing to pay out-of-pocket. Out of these 13 doctors, only TWO were taking new patients with hour-long consultation fees ranging from $300-$575. Also, the earliest appointment I can get is in June. I guess I should consider myself lucky that I don’t have a life-threatening illness like diabetes or thyroid cancer. Again, I will probably be bald by the time I’m seen but at least I’ll have more content for the blog.
A Broken (But Accurate) Record
Even when you think you’re doing everything right, there is always room for improvement. Kill me. I know I’ve mentioned this in almost every freaking post, but a healthy diet is not only essential to your internal health, but it also plays a large role in your outer appearance (even your hair).
Since a diet consisting of omega-3 fatty acids is shown to improve hair growth, I will be increasing my sardine intake from two cans a week to four. Sclafani, feel free to sponsor me at any time. Chia, flax and hemp seeds are also very high in omega-3s and super easy to implement into your daily routine.
One way to ensure I start my day off on the right foot is with Dr. Darryl Gioffre’s Omega Morning Blast Smoothie (with some of my own alterations).
1 cup of coconut milk (I use filtered water for more hydration.)
1 handful of spinach/kale
1 tablespoon of raw almond butter (I use raw sunflower butter since I found almonds are tough on my digestion.)
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
1 tablespoon of chia, flax and hemp seeds
A handful of blueberries
My additions
½ banana or ½ avocado- While both ingredients add thickness to the smoothie, I personally think the banana tastes better. On the other hand, avocados are very high in omega-3s so it truly depends on your preference.
1 teaspoon of spirulina- Spirulina is LOADED with health benefits, one of which is antioxidants, which help lower your oxidative stress levels and regulate your blood sugar.
1 date- This adds some natural sweetness with a side of fiber.
Another great benefit of this smoothie is it typically keeps me full for about 3-4 hours. It also holds well overnight, so if you are in a pinch for time in the morning, make it the night before!
A Potential Natural Remedy
I was looking for a natural hair serum that promotes hair growth and came across a highly-rated clean and safe brand called Vegamour. It’s a vegan hair care product that reportedly reduces signs of shedding by 76%. Their website says that it takes between 2-3 months to notice a significant change, so I have no current personal reports on its effectiveness.
However, my hair doesn’t seem to be getting noticeably worse, so that has to count for something. I will be sure to check back with updates on my hair growth in a month.
With all of this said, none of these treatments answer the question as to the root cause of my hair loss which is becoming increasingly alarming. If anyone has experienced similar symptoms, PLEASE feel free to reach out privately or in the comments below. I am sad to report that I am at a bit of a loss this week.
