| Author | Message | ||
     Tom Hagerty |
Please post new messages on this topic on this fresh page. | ||
| Anonymous |
Tom, Do you know anything about arm hair after anorexia? My arm hair got really dark and thick, but I suppose it was from my low estrogen levels. Do you know if this changes back to normal once my hormone levels are better? | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Normal levels of estrogen usually will keep in check the small amount of testosterone produced in the adrenal cortex by women. This small amount of testosterone can produce terminal hair on your arms if it is not counteracted by estrogen. Now that you're eating well, try to get your body fat ratio to at least 18%. Women whose body fat is below this have low estrogen production. | ||
| Anonymous |
My estrogen levels are back to normal, but will my hair change back, or will I have to get it removed? Thanks for the info. | ||
| Anonymous |
I'm the same person who asked the question about the dark arm hair. I was also wondering if the testosterone effected the hair on my scalp. I hope it can go back to normal. | ||
| jessica |
Hi. Could you please tell me how long will it take for my hair to grow back after my stupid diet. I now have a normal weight and I take supplements and try to eat right. But I see small hair that just fall out. Is this normal because I hear that small hairs have to fall out in order for thicker hairs to grow. Do you think I have a chance for more hair to grow back? And how long do you think it will take for my hair to be noticeably thicker again? | ||
| Anonymous |
Hi , I have been suffering with Hair Loss with Aneroxia for over 10 years .....can it still be possible to regrow your hair back? Does TE recover after long periods of fasting? I have been trying to grow it for a couple of years but i'm losing my hope and patience for this recovery. Am i dreaming for a my old full head of hair falsely? | ||
| hannah |
i've suffered from bulimia now for almost 2 years now and have lost about 2/3 of my hair. have recently seen my doctor and been referred for cognitive behavioural therapy... does anyone have any idea what this will consist of as i'm really nervous! also, does anyone know how to boost my metabolism as it is now so bad that i don't know how to eat more without piling the weight on.... | ||
| Anonymous |
Hi,i'm 15 years old and currently recovering from anorexia. My weight was never that low, (103) but I am back up to about 115. Recently my hair has been falling out dramatically and it wont stop. I eat extremely healthy and take multi vitamins and I dont know what to do. Does hair loss get worse before it gets better?!I don't know what to do, i'm scared to keep putting on weight but i'm also scared that i'm gonna be bald. Please help! | ||
| Anonymous |
Dear Anonymous...my daughter who is 14yrs old is recovering from Anorexia. She was told that taking extra b-1 vitamins would help with the hair loss. But..we were also told that it would take as long as it took to lose it to grow it back. If you were Anorexia for 1 year...it'll take a year to grow back. Glad your at 115 again..what a great number. Keep the faith and remember....hair always grows back no matter what...maybe change your hair style for now. Good Luck. | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Anonymous: You wrote, "She was told that taking extra b-1 vitamins would help with the hair loss." You can't believe everything you're told. Taking extra B1 (Thiamine) will not help with hair loss. In fact taking just one member of the B-complex may throw out of balance the other members of this complex. My suggestion is to eat foods rich in all members of the B-complex - this could very well contribute to hair health. | ||
| cas |
i've been eating properly for like close to a year now, my hair stopped falling many months ago but it still doesn't seem to be gaining thickness. what is wrong, do i just need to be patient? | ||
| jamie |
i stopped eating for about 7 months and now i am loseing my hair still .. even though i am eating healthy again.. im just nervous if it will keep falling out .. will my hair start to grow back soon or even stop falling out? | ||
| Christine M New member Username: Desperate Post Number: 1 Registered: 01-2010 |
My hair has been bothering me for the longest time. I officially had anorexia probably from when I was 16-18. I also had the thickest hair before, and I noticed my hair thinning early on, but sacrificed it for my weight. I reached a normal weight, but never got my period. When I was 22 I took birth control pills for about a year. Then from 23 -26 my period was irregular. Honestly, I was always concerned about my weight. I didn't want to become "fat" again. I ate though. I also walked a lot (I don't know if too excessively perhaps). I was/am very health conscious and want to get my hair back at all costs. I don't want to deprive my body of necessary nutrients, so I make sure I eat, but I just don't know what to do about my hair. I'm 29 now. My period has been regular for the past 3 years (except for 2 instances where it skipped for 3 months), but my hair is not back to the way it was. What is wrong with my hair? Will it come back? What should I do? Is it worth seeing a dermatologist? this might be redundant (sorry!): I am a recovered anorexic who is extremely concerned (practically to the point of obsession) about her hair. I don't know what to do. It was very thick before (my one beauty!) and now it is quite thin. I feel depressed every time I look at myself or think about it. (There was a period of time in which I even pulled out one by one the really, really thin whispy hairs I ran into because I couldn't stand the sight of them.) Last night, I decided to check out if there are other girls like me out there who have/ had the same problem, what they did about it, if it ever got resolved, etc.; and that's when I ran into the forum. I would like to learn if I am lacking some nutrients or if I just need more of them. Is my diet still not quite right? Am I exercising too much and eating too little (even if I am menstruating)? Is it worth seeing a dermatologist, or will he not be able to help me (making the visit a waste of time and money)? ( I don't lose a lot of hair and it is shiny, so I don't think I have alopecia, but what?) These are the types of concerns I wanted to raise in the forum. I also wanted to give more information about the duration of my anorexia, age (then (16 to 18) and now (29)), recovery period, etc, in order to be able to get more useful feedback. ) Yes, my diet was quite eccentric for the past ~ 10 years. I was always somewhat afraid of eating carbs (or perhaps a "normal" amount because I did eat starchy products, just not a lot) after I felt I may have gained 15 lbs. when I was 16 from eating too much bread and pasta (& that weight gain triggered my anorexia because I was always thin). I am not a vegetarian, but when I was in grad school (age 23-26), I essentially was. My period was irregular then. Now, I believe I'm a normal body weight (I visit the doctor regularly and he's never expressed concern), but I am still on the thin side for my height (5'9", 130 lbs.). I've never had a body fat test, but my period has been pretty regular these past three years. I've been trying to be honest with myself lately, so I'm trying to eat a balanced diet now. I've been living with my family (Italian) for the past year, so they're always encouraging me to eat bread, pasta, etc., so that's good. My mom has also always been very good about varying the meat and fish we eat every day. Of course there's the salad and vegetables too. These past 10 years I think I may have overthought what I should eat, just because I wanted to be healthy, but not get "fat". I tend to overthink everything, and I'm not a doctor so perhaps my conceptions are wrong. I'm trying to relax about what to eat because this is not rocket science. People all over the world just eat normally and are healthy. I'm paranoid I need special treatment. But seriously, these past couple of months, I think my diet has been balanced. My parents have been pretty happy, and would like for it to continue. Me too! Now if only my hair would just come back!!! | ||
| Tom Hagerty Moderator Username: Admin Post Number: 3986 Registered: 01-2003 |
Christine M: The experience that people have when going to dermatologists for hair loss problems is usually not good. I have a friend who is a dermatologist. He told me that there is no money to be made with patients who have hair loss. He gives them 15 minutes and then advises them to try Rogaine. If the patient is a man with androgenetic alopecia, he might write a prescription for Propecia. It sounds like heresy to say this, but probably the best way to deal with hair loss problems is to do your own research and find out what's best for you. The first thing to do is to rule out certain things that might be causing the hair loss. Tests for thyroid, PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), and a low serum ferritin level is necessary. Women, especially premenopausal women, who have been on low iron diets often have low or borderline serum ferritin values. The normal range for women is between 12 and 150 nanograms per milliliter. If you have telogen effluvium or chronic telogen effluvium, it's a good idea to get your level up to around 70 ng/ml. You have to ask for the serum ferritin test. A doctor will not give it to you otherwise. Your present weight is fine - 5'9" and 130 lbs. But you have been anorexic. This may be what triggered your telogen effluvium. Now you have to have a really healthful diet to get your luxuriant hair back. Read up on what is a good balance between the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Dr. Andrew Weil suggests that a diet rich in the omega-3 fatty acids may improve hair quality. You are young and generally healthy. Your chance of getting back your hair is excellent if you take care of you diet and other health habits. | ||
| Christine M New member Username: Desperate Post Number: 2 Registered: 01-2010 |
I will follow ALL of your advice. Thanks so much for your feedback! |
