First, get yourself thoroughly checked out by your doctor. Many conditions cause hair loss, including thyroid problems. There is also a condition called Alopaecia which you can research. There's not much point in treating just a symptom - you need to treat the cause of the symptom.

As we age, our hair does tend to become thinner. Just take a look at some little old ladies while you do your shopping, or are in the hairdresser. It's part of the aging process, and there's not a lot to be done about it - but talk to your doctor for confirmation and information.

Also, talk to you hairdresser about hair styles. Often, if you wear your hair tightly ties back, the hair will thin because it's under constant strain. It's a common problem with professional dancers.

Here are some remedies for balding or hair loss. I haven't tried any of them because I haven't had the problem.

SHAMPOO FOR BALDING OR THINNING HAIR:
Put 100g pure soap scraps into a saucepan with 400g water. Heat and stir until the soap has melted. Add nettle tea (see below), stir for another minute, and pour into a bottle.

Nettle Tea:
Pour 1/4 cup hot water over one teaspoon of nettles, leave half an hour. Cool and strain.

Rub the head with combined Onion juice and honey twice a day.

Simmer up a handful or two of Nasturtium leaves, flowers and stems for about 15 minutes, strain, cool and use as a friction and/or final rinse. To make a longer lasting friction oil macerate the Nasturtiums in vodka for at least a fortnight. Strain and bottle.

Rub Onion juice into the scalp, then wash the hair with equal quantities of Rosemary, Sage and Lavender oils.

Put 1/4 cup Sage, 1/4 cup Rosemary, 1/2 an Onion and 2 tablespoons of Wheat germ into a large jar. Pour over 1 litre of Witch Hazel and allow to stand for 4 days. Massage into scalp and rinse off with clear water.

Rub on the oil made from Peach kernels.

Eat regularly a mixture of boiled Turnip leaves, Beetroot leaves, Mustard greens and Spinach as a vegetable.

Wash the hair regularly with Yarrow tea. A cup of Yarrow tea taken daily will also help.

Massage the scalp vigorously with the fingertips while bending forward, for about 5 minutes every day. Essential oil of Cedarwood, Rosemary or Sage can be used.

Massage well every day with Rosemary oil to which is added a little Ginger. At the same time, drink tea made with Rosemary and Ginger.

Take copper, insitol, vitamin B-complex, and Vitamins C and E.

Make a tea from the root of Burdock, and massage some into the hair several times a week. Rinse in clear water afterwards.

Don't restrain my hair (willful stuff that it is!) so I don't think I'm breaking it off. I've been to the doctor recently and got a clean bill of health; even asked about the thyroid issue because it's a concern to my mother. Didn't mention the hairloss simply because it didn't seem like a big deal, but I will next time I see him.

Thanks for the suggestions, Daisy; I'll try some of the essential oils. Even if they don't address the hair loss, I could do a lot worse than smell like lavender or rosemary!

hi i am very new at this forum...i have just signed up...b/c i just came across this thread... i am only 18 yrs old! and i am experiancing severe hairloss...i dont understand why...i have been to a doctor...and a 2 dermatologists...and it seems that there are no answers...i am about to give up hope...PLEASE! somebody help me im still so young...i dont understand why this could be happening to me...if anyone just ANYONE has any solutions or advice please do contact me here...or my email addess is khn325@yahoo.com
thank you so much
Tina

Tina, you don't want to start trying out all kinds of stuff on your hair now. You obviously have a problem but herbal junk will not cure it, and you need to stick with proper MD's and give them a chance to deal with it. You may have alopecia areata (which is 'harmless' but does cause hair loss), but you may also have an endocrinological (hormonal) problem related possibly either the pineal gland or some other similar 'organ' (or system), so you need to find either a new family MD, or ask him to refer you to an endocrinologist for testing. I've worked in the 'field' for years and would hate to see you sent off on the wrong path at your age!

Hi lucy! what is a endocrinologist...ive never heard of that in my life! and where would i find one? i have had a blood test done before...and everything has come out normal...i was worried i had alopecia areata but the dermatlogists ive seen...told me i didnt b/c i dont loose hair in clumps or in a specific pattern...i just shed alot

An endocrinologist deals with metabolic problems, such as diabetes (no, I don't think you have that), growth deficiency (often treated by hormones), thyroid, adrenal glands, pancreas, etc. but most of them are 'regulated' by certain glands or organs such as the pineal or pituitary in the brain, and most of the 'problems' encountered are either over- or underproduction of certain chemicals, sugar, hormones, etc. leading to other problems. Your family MD would need to make the referral though, as endocs. are specialists like any other and probably won't accept self referrals.

I see...since my MD'S have not been any help i should ask them to give me a referral to a endocrinologist? is this my family doct? or my dermatologist? ugh! its so frustrating! no one has been a help at all...and im so young :(...i feel like theres no hope for me anymore...

Tina, I've been working with doctors all my life, and unless someone's an out and out quack, charlatan, etc., they WELCOME a patient's request for more info., for second opinions, etc. (if only to prove them right!), plus they know it's only ethical. Family doctors are generalists, not specialists, and cannot possibly know everything about each specialty. They're there precisely to direct you to the 'next step' when they can no longer help, and they spend most of their time doing just that - making referrals to specialists for their patients (who will remain their patients otherwise... if they have the flu, or whatever else comes up). Make an appt. tomoro to see your MD, tell him you want to be referred to an endocrinologist, and I bet you'll be very surprised at his response ... he'll say it's an excellent idea and the logical next step for you. But don't wait because it can take some time to get an appt. with the specialist. Good luck and let me know how things go. I wanted to PM you, but you have no address listed.. but feel free to write me (just click on my name and go to my info... we have a personal connection I'd rather not talk about on the forum :-).

I certainly can't say anything about your situation but I will share mine, hopefully it will help somebody.
When I started to lose hair (specially in the shower) a few years ago, I first looked into herbal remedies. None of them helped. Unfortunately, I found out later that the cause was an iron defficiency, actually caused by an intestinal parasite. So my advice would be to take some tests and rule out first any health problems.
Good luck!

hey lucy! id love that...my email is khn325@yahoo.com...id love for us to talk in private about this...im sorry i havent replied i have been really busy...but i really need help..and it seems liek you know alot about this...so if you would please email me...id really appreciate it...thank you so much...
Tina

Tina, I can't e-mail you (or would have done so before now!) because you didn't provide an address in your profile. Why don't you write me instead? I've been concerned, but have you gone for the referral?

o...im sorry...see im so new to this website i dont know how...i went to your page...but there was no contact info...im sorry if you could tell me how to do so...id really liek to talk to you outside of this forum...ive been so worried about my hair...recently i went to another doctor to have a recent blood test to make sure it isnt a thyroid problem...i have not gotten my results yet...but after i do i surely will go to get my referral for the endocrinologist...you dont know how big of a help you are...i havent gotten any real answers in 2 yrs...this is the first time i see a sign of hope...i appreciate your concern alot...

Tina write me at Rima@our.ca

hey lucy...i wrote you at that address last nite...was wondering if you got it?

No I didn't... try again (and check spelling carefully). If you did write but your subject line wasn't clearly from you or about this subject though, I could have trashed it because I don't open anything unless I know where it's from.

ok so i wrote the email again...i checked the speeling and made a clear subject line...i hope you get it this time :)

Tina, why don't you just give me your address.. something is clearly not working properly (yet I get mail all the time at that add).

i know it is weird...im so sorry for the late reply ive been so busy getting ready for school to start again...my email add is khn325@yahoo.com
thanks again
Tina

hairloss is often one of the first noticible sign of many autoimmune diseases. I complained to my family doctor for 2-3 years about this and he brushed it off until I got very sick and my own research led me to go to a big university hospital in NC and they discovered very quickly the source of my health problems. Why do docs not listen to us? Mention AI diseases to your doc and have him do the bloodwork. There is a good supplement to help with hair regrowth and scalp health--flax. :) This is from the voice of a great deal of experience in this department!!

Hair loss can also be contributed to hormonal changes in women. Estrogen can start dropping off as early as you 30's. Their are many things that can contribute, low iron, thyroid, diabetes etc. If that Dr won't help keep looking. i walked on a broken foot for two years. 4 Dr.'s told I wouldn't be able to walk on it if it were broken and never took an xray.
Noone knows your body better than you. keep digging until someone pays you attention.

Hi
I am 21 years old,female and I have noticed my hair getting thinner from the past year and a half, also new hair doesnt seem to be growing or atleast I dont notice it much.... I went on a diet during that time when my hair first started falling out (it doesnt fall out in handfuls tho) and lost about 15 pounds within the time frame of 2 months or so. Also my scalp is very oily and I dont get my menses, I also stress alot about the smallest things. If anybody knows anything please let me know PLEASE!

I experience this too due to a sluggish thyroid. The medication I take for it also has hair loss as a side effect, so now it is even worse. I would like to counter with some herbal remedy (or anything) if members of this forum have some information to share...and thanks in advance,
Cabrita

Stop going on those diets! They don't work for weight loss anyway, but put your body's chemistry into an unbalanced situation, leading to not only hair loss but other problems which you may not even be aware of immediately but that are not good for you at all. If you cannot change your lifestyle (diet) permanently to a healthy one that will last your lifetime, then get more exercise, but stay away from short term fast 'fixes' - they don't work and often promote even more weight gain once you're off the diets!

I guess most posts like this eventually attract spammers, but I was surprised to get a post from a thread I started nearly four years ago!

For what it's worth to those who are experiencing a little hair loss, I still seem to have hair going down the drain -- but I have just as thick a head of hair as ever! Still wash my hair nearly every day, but periodically I'll use simple castile soap with a couple of drops of either peppermint, eucalyptus or rosemary essential. (Couple of drops per bottle, not application!) I don't think it necessaryily does anything but give my hair a break from the usual shampoo, but it does tingle the scalp and make my head smell great!

So I guess in my case the hair loss was no big deal -- hope Tina and others with more serious cases were able to find a successful resolution!