Thinning Hair? Biotin May Help.
It hit me when I was working in NYC as a publicist. My hair started thinning and turning grey. I was in my early 20's and was feeling like I was in my 40's. By thinning, I don't mean bald spots, but my usual thick curly hair was starting to become thin enough that I noticed a drastic difference and could see my scalp a bit too easily. It was frightening wondering if I'd wake up with a clump of hair on my pillow. When I would shower it seemed like a lot more than usual amounts of hair would be clogging the drain.
For years I searched for a solution. I spoke to friends, several of them experienced the same thing. I heard stories of women that had children and lost their hair due to hormones. Another friend told me she was in a car accident and the trauma caused her locks to fall out overnight. I had friends that told me of problems with their thyroid and caused their hair to thin or fall out in clumps. The more I asked, the more brave women came out and spoke up of their frightening hair loss. Also, premature grey hairs. This seems to be more and more common. And, how timely, seeing as how there are loads of hair coloring products out which are cheap to purchase and easy to use. However, they do pose a danger, as there are plenty of chemicals in each box. One healthier alternative, which takes much longer to use, is Henna. I used to dye my hair to help hide the thinning. I called it "dyeing my scalp". I also tried hair oil products, shampoo to help grow hair and anything else that I could get my hands on at the drugstore.
After quitting my very stressful job, my hair was still thin. I was a vegetarian for about 12 years and thought this may be the culprit. I began eating fish, then chicken and still no signs of my hair changing. I had my thyroid tested, it was normal. I checked out several websites and they all pointed to topical Monoxidil (Rogaine). I even went to the legendary website of Doctor Andrew Weil, whose website I often visit for a non-biased, non-purchased, educated opinion on healthier living, nutrition and medical facts. He even recommended Monoxidil.
I tried it. I used Monoxidil for about two years. I hated the stuff. It's a heavy regiment and if you stop using it, you immediatley notice the difference. You have to apply it twice a day, forever. I used Rogaine for Women. It worked ok. I noticed a difference. Then, low on money, I tried the generic at the local drug store and may as well have used water. I visited a dermatologist and she suggested Men's strength (5%) and said it should be fine. I tried that and it worked a little bit better.
In the meantime, I had a friend that had a gastric bypass surgery. He suggested Biotin. The doctor had given it to him because after his surgery, he would have difficulty processing nutrients in his new stomach, and this would help with healthier hair and nails. I thought it was bogus and put off using the bottle he sent to me for almost a year. Finally, after I had tried everything, I figured it couldn't hurt. The bottle he sent was 5000mcg. (Not mg). I took one a day for a month along with my multivitamin. I couldn't believe the results. It was a miracle! Not only did I notice the hair growing back, I also noticed the grey wasn't really as grey . I still have grey hairs, but certainly not anywhere near what I was used to. I can actually go without dyeing my hair these days. Though, now that I do have hair, I enjoy trying out new colors...
If you have tried everything, or are looking for a more natural way to deal with hair loss, I highly recommend Biotin. I was warned by a pharmacist to make sure to take a multi-vitamin along with the Biotin, as the body needs other vitamins to help process the Biotin. He warned me that Biotin makes the body feel as though it doesn't have enough vitamin B. Something to be aware of. I would still recommend to anyone considering trying any of these options mentioned throughout this article, to consult your doctor. I am not a doctor. I am just someone that finally found something that worked very well for my particular case.
May all women everywhere have thick locks of hair that they can let down and be proud of!
