Scalp pain and my observations

[Carybear]

It began about 6 Mos ago, this tender, bruised feeling in certain spots in my scalp that I mistook for pimples on my scalp, something I was used to.
Recently I cut my hair from a modest long bob to very short. I've been experiencing the scalp pain more than ever, but instead of loss...I experience growth is this true or is it my imagination?!

[Tom Hagerty]

I've been experiencing the scalp pain more than ever...

I wonder what's causing your scalp pain. It could be many things like an exposure to an infectious agent or perhaps a food allergy. Scalp pain usually is accompanied by inflammation. Inflammation, among other things, is characterized by vascular swelling. Vascular swelling in the scalp sometimes promotes hair growth.

Some people actually apply red pepper to the scalp to cause an irritation. This irritation then stimulates blood flow to the capillaries around the base of the hair follicles. Hair growth is supposed to follow. I don't know. This seems to be a tough way to encourage hair growth.

[Carybear]

well its been almost a year and I was without scalp pain...and pain is really a strong word. Scalp tenderness.
Yes I have food allergies but Ive long since changed my diet and lifestyle.
my scalp is never red. It never looks inflamed. I used to get little pimple like things on my scalp but I don't anymore, I havent for more than a year.
Right now I am having a minor shed of very thin, colorless hairs and very few thicker pigmented ones.
This has happened a few times since the first big loss in 2009.
I have no thin spots or anything, but will I I wonder?

[Carybear]

hmmm. Its has been about six months since my last post. no bald spots and I have been losing what is the "normal" number of hairs. 100 at the most, but the hair is so much finer on the left than right even more finer than last year. The hair along the hairline is a bit brassy red (Im a brunette)
Still some very occassional scalp tenderness.
Any thoughts?

[Jenvoy]

hmmm. Its has been about six months since my last post. no bald spots and I have been losing what is the "normal" number of hairs. 100 at the most, but the hair is so much finer on the left than right even more finer than last year. The hair along the hairline is a bit brassy red (Im a brunette)
Still some very occassional scalp tenderness.
Any thoughts?

Carybear, how is your scalp these days? Are you experiencing shedding? I am suffering from TE; going on 5 months (which seems more like years when you're enduring it!)
You mentioned in your 1st post that you had scalp tenderness, and pain. I too 'am experiencing this on and off. It was worse at the start of my TE. It was so awful that I cried, and was close to medicating myself to relieve the pain. I have had SD in the past (before experiencing TE) and someone on another forum said that was most likely the cause of my tender, scalp pain. I disagree. I have been on far too many hair loss forums, and have read numerous women experiencing scalp pain, itching and tenderness as a result of TE. I don't believe when one is experiencing scalp pain that it is related directly to a food allergy. Perhaps, if one is not experiencing TE...and just has seborrhic dermatitis, or eczema...but when someone is experiencing a heavy TE than I personally think it occurs while high shedding is happening. Our scalps were not made to shed such a dramatic amount of hair, and as a result you're feeling tenderness and often severe pain as a result of tons of hair being shed from our already tender scalps.

A women on another forum is in recovery from a 10.5 month TE shed. She said she too felt severe scalp pain, tenderness and itching. She says she does not feel any pain, or tenderness now that she's recovered from her TE.

I am curious if you're still feeling the pain...are you in recovery? I know I've read on countless websites and forums that 100 hairs a day is "normal." I don't necessarily agree with this. I never counted hairs prior to my TE (who needs to?) but when I was desperate, scared and anxious, having just found out I and telogen effluvium I spent days counting my hairs in the morning. I was counting 160 in the AM and then more hair was shedding as the day wore on. If you're able to count 100 hairs...that's still a lot in a day IMO. I may have shed 50-60 or less in a day before my TE. That seems about normal to me.

Please keep us updated. I love to hear stories of recovery...it gives me hope!

[Carybear]

Hi
Im glad my experiences help and encourage others.

My immune system is like a big bully. It's in there kicking around my organs from my skin to my scalp to my liver and kidneys. I have Lupus and scalp pain comes when I eat improperly.
Sugar for me is the absolute enemy. When I have over 6g of sugar a day I will experince scalp and skin problems.
Right now, it seems as though all is stable, but that's the thing...stable now but over the long term?

I oil my hair often and have started using sulfur powder in my hair oil-either coconut or black seed oil. Recently I learned I have Rosacea and an overpopulation of demodex. I am trying to see if the sullfur will help keep the population down, and that means less critters dying in my follicles.

Dermatologist doesn't really care as I am not going bald. Im doing what I can.
One thing I've learned...too many supplements DONT help. Zinc, iron, vitamin d. That's it for me.

I've been growing it out and it's more luxurious on the left side. The vertex (crown) and nape area on the right side seem to be most affected. Not bald, but finer and less hair
I'll keep you updated

[Carybear]

MY HAIR LOSS HAS STOPPED AND IVE GROWN IT ALL BACK.

After waiting more than six months to make this sort of announcementI can say that my shedding has stopped and I have noticed significant regrowth in the sense that the volume on the thinner side has increased. it almost feels normal and it looks normal. So it's safe to say that I was experiencing chronic telogen effluvium as a result of being underweight. I have food allergies and for a long time could not absorb nutrients do to a leaky gut type situation. I've put on weight but more specifically body fat I know probably 20% body fat whereas before, I was between 14 and 12%
So if you're female in your reading this, you're on a diet to lose weight and you're noticing hair loss? Stop freaking dieting. At a certain age a woman has to have a little body fat to mitigate the effects of changing hormones as body fat for women over 35 women produces oestrogen. If you're someone with food allergies like me who's underweight and losing hair know that it's because of you're underweight, not necessarily beacuse of your food allergies