Anyone have experience with stress induced hair loss?

[Jem]

First, my hair. It is fine and dry, but with proper management and hair products my hair has become much healthier.
Second, my health, I'm also anemic. I know anemia can contribute to hair loss but this goes further that that. I do take iron supplements.
Third, I have a job that requires me to keep my hair pulled back which I know can lead to traction allopecia, but again I think my hair loss goes further than that. I also take measures to help against traction allopecia.

Last year, as some of you may know we went thru a really stressful and sad time when all 3 of my cats got sick and passed away all within 2 months of each other. Not only that but we had other stresses going on in other aspects of our lives.
The catalyst to my hair loss I believe was the cats. About 4 months after the loss of my first cat Hank, I noticed my hair thinning. And it had gotten worse as time went on. This coincides with what happens with stress induced hair loss. I won't go into too much detail, but even with all the other factors that I've dealt with (hair type, style, health) that can contribute to hair loss, stress is the only thing that has changed that could account for the loss and the timing of the hair loss.

So, it has now been a year, and I know it can take upwards of 6 months before I will notice regrowth but that is only AFTER the stressful period has stopped which, I can honestly say has lessened but it's not gone. I believe the hair loss has stopped, but it does not seem to be growing back.
So OTHER THAN the obvious, trying to lower stress levels, does anyone know of things that can help stimulate hair growth?
I've heard Biotin can help, has anyone ever tried it?
Has anyone ever tried any natural adaptogens that they felt worked?

Thanks for any input!

 

[Graceful-Lily]

Yes!! Jem
I have telogen effluvium. Whenever I am overly stressed, my hair sheds in large amounts.

It started early this year in Janurary - March from stress from last year. A lot happened December of last year.

My hair hasn't fully recovered. It used to be super dense and thick and it hasn't gotten back to that point unfortunately. Even after almost an entire year.

I'm still stressed constantly so the spots that previously fell out are growing back but different spots are falling out now. As a result, my hair is a bunch of random lengths from regrowth.

I also did shave my head bald twice last year which I will never do again. Losing my hair has made me appreciate it so much more. I'm never taking it for granted again. It was such an emotional journey watching it fall out in the shower and while brushing/combing/styling it.

One good thing is that it continues to growth at full speed (despite the hair fall) like it used to before the TE and I have about 5inches or hair now which I baby like heck. No one else is allowed to style it, wash it, expect for me.

 

[denice]

There is Minoxidil. It doesn't work for everyone and it takes awhile to know if it will work for you. I use the Nioxin system which I think helps. It's a little on the pricey side but not outlandishly so when you consider how long it lasts. I use the Shampoo, Conditioner and the scalp treatment foam. I also use their renewal drops every night. You do have to go heavy with the conditioner because the shampoo does take off all the oil. The idea behind it is that DHT is concentrated in the oil on the scalp and you can't get the oil off your scalp without also taking it off of your hair. The foam and the drops have niacin in it which increases blood flow to the scalp. The drops actually make my scalp tingle a little for a few minutes after I use them.

 

[Winchester]

Mine was a combination of stress and dieting. The woman who does my hair recommended Biotin and I now take 10,000 mcg of Biotin every day, 5,000 mcg twice a day. You can also get, I think it's called Sugar Bear vitamins, which is essentially some kind of Biotin and vitamins in a tab; that was a concoction of one of the Kardashians. Biotin is cheaper.

I also use Keranique shampoo, conditioner, and scalp treatment. I tried Nioxin, but honestly I didn't like the way it smelled. I will tell you that it takes a while to see any real results, about four months or so. And as soon as you stop using the product, your hair will go back to the way it was. It's an ongoing thing. Both Nioxin and Keranique do contain minoxidil for hair loss. Buying Rogaine is probably cheaper. The Keranique system is available at Ulta for around $50, but they're smaller bottles and such.

Also there's something going around about large doses of Biotin. It may create false negatives on some blood work. You can look into that before you decide what you want to do. Also check into other possible side effects, just to be on the safe side.

 

[Graceful-Lily]

Excess biotin can also cause acne I heard so keep that in mind too.

Of course, everyone is different and each experience with biotin will be unique to each individual.

 

[rubysmama]

Several years ago I went through a stressful period, where I also wasn't eating normally. I lost weight, and started noticing that any time I'd run my fingers through my hair, strands of hair would come out. I have very thick hair, so the thinning wasn't noticeable, however, it was alarming seeing all the hair that was coming loose. I don't recall how long it took to get back to normal, but once the extreme stress was gone, and I got back to my healthy weight, my hair did return to normal.

 

[susanm9006]

Have you had your thyroid checked when you have had these periods of hair loss? Even slightly low thyroid can cause hair loss and if it returns to normal or near normal, hair regrowth. I am hypothyroid and can go through these swings up and down with periods of hair loss and regrowth.

 

[neely]

Hormonal changes affected some hair loss for me, e.g. pregnancy/child birth and perimenopause. However, I feel stress is also a contributing factor for hair loss. I think whenever we encounter stress it affects our body more than we realize.