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I developed autoimmune system problems several years ago after a very serious illness aged 34, beginning with Telogen Effluvium where I lost around 40% of my hair. Since then (over 5 years ago) the hair I have now is significantly thicker, but not exactly voluminous! Around a year ago my boyfriend noticed a spot on my head, on top but to the side about 5cm round. I could only see it in photos taken of it, but could feel and see 'stubble', so while very upsetting as I'd finally grown out the hair I'd cut chin length when I had the TE was now almost waist length, SO much thicker, and had grown back in curls I love! The curls are great since that 5cm patch is now a couple inches of hair that usually sticks out, but the curls help hide it. I can't tell you how relieved I was to realise it was really growing back.
I've been paying a great deal more attention to my hair - all of it. A nice thing is that I have almost zero leg hair, but that's all. Over the past few months I've been pulling out handfuls of hair from my hairbrush, finding it on my pillowcase (satin, in an attempt at protection!), and my cleaner and boyfriend have both commented on the amount of hair they've been finding around. To be fair, my hair is very dark brown and very long, so it might look like I'm losing more strands than I really am. I have noticed when I wear my hair up it's pretty thin on the sides, to the point I'll sometimes, not often, wear clip in extensions to hide my scalp.
I've not noticed any new bald patches on my head, but I was incredibly upset to discover a few weeks ago that a chunk of lashes had just disappeared overnight. Makeup is my passion and main hobby, and I would very often get asked if my lashes were real (never had lash extensions and it's been a decade since I tried false ones), I put a lot of effort into conditioning and making them look their best. Sorry, I know how vain this sounds, but my 'looks' always emphasised my lashes and it made me smile telling people about the products I used on them. Thankfully, and I think that the gentle but thorough cleansing and daily lash serum I use has helped them get back to normal now quicker than if I'd left it, but I'm struggling with wondering where it's going to happen next.
I also have vitiligo, which is much, much more noticeable in summer when I tan, and this year has spread further on my hands/arms, face, neck and chest, and coupled with the fear of losing my hair, or brows, lashes, etc, is stressful to say the least, and not helping the situation! I'm disabled and until last year housebound, and I've gone down 5 dress sizes in the last 18 months, which I'm proud of, but I'm losing my newly found confidence quickly. I'm in the UK and although I've read posts here about products you can use to reduce hair loss I don't know if or how to get those here. I've read so much conflicting advice, washing hair less or more frequently, not using shampoo, or just shampoo no conditioner, most recently someone gave me a set of dry shampoos that claimed to condition and add volume, but I've also been told to avoid dry shampoo at all.
I'm so confused. I very, very rarely use a hairdryer, maybe twice in 6 months and using the diffuser attachment, so I don't think I to worry about heat damage. Where do I start trying to deal with this? Honestly, I HAVE been going a couple of weeks without washing my hair, it's never got particularly greasy even as a teenager, because it's horrible seeing how much is on the shower floor, walls and my hands, then even more on the wide tooth comb I use.
If anyone can help me identify what advice is actually good, and what should absolutely be avoided, I'd be very grateful!
(If anyone is interested, the lash serum I swear by - it's added at least 3mm to mine plus thickness, and the lost ones grew back VERY fast, it's the Revitalash Advanced Eyelash Conditioner. It's expensive, but a tube lasts me about a year of daily use - it definitely works out cheaper and easier than getting lash extensions!)
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