The Story Of My Life....

[Paniceee]

I am Lauren. A vivacious, 29 year old, relatively healthy young woman. Single, no kids. No past health problems that I know off... everyone in my family is still alive and well. Including grandparents. Last Oct I noticed what seemed to be slight breakage/thinning of the the frontal hairline where I part ... funny how I noticed. Thought nothing of it, and continued living my life, with a little increase in shedding and breakage. I visited my hair dresser in which she pointed out severe breakage throughout my entire scalp, mainly focused on the outer layer of my hair where it was most noticable. She was concerned because I don't dye, blowdry or process my beautiful long straight shiny brown hair. So we decided to cut some blunt bangs to hide the receading hairline. I loved it. I went on living, until about April of this year when I took great concern on how much I was now losing, as well my nails were snapping which is something that never happened before. I would run my fingers through my hair, and lose 40-80 hairs (yes I am obsessed) just by touch, gentle touch... I would place them on my pillow in the morning and just stare and cry. I went to the Dr's in which they took blood for Thyroid, Testosterone, DHEA(S), DHT, WBC, CBC, B12, Iron and Ferritin, IgG, IgM, IgA. All came back normal except Ferritin. I was at 17, 10 being critical. I was put on liquid Iron. I started taking it with no problem, increased my vitamins, and changed my diet to a healthy 100% flip. a month later, I went again, still complaining. They took all the same tests and again, everything was fine but Iron. I continued the Iron. 2 Months into it, I went back yet again, more tests - all fine. Cept Ferritin. Now at 41. But no signs of slowing down, I almost want to say some days I feel like its increasing.

Its now been 25 weeks, and I am still on Iron, still losing my hair - and more scared and depressed than ever. I do not wash my hair more than twice a week (at that) .... When I do, I watch the hairs float in the tub, or stick to my entire body - there is hair everywhere in my house. Places I would have never even noticed. I do not blowdry or comb my hair ... WHAT I WOULD GIVE TO COMB IT .. been months. I used to wash my hair daily. Now I am a dirty, unattractive, self loathing fool. I wear hats to work all week, and come home and put it up in a bun, so when I lie down I don't have to hear the 'clicking' of the hair coming out of my head ... I can't even tell now if its falling or breaking .. cause they hardly ever have 'White Bulbs'. Now I have developed a crust on my scalp, from lack of washing, which I am sure doesn't help me. I have receaded about an inch back from where my hairline used to be .. and those pores are now starting to show tiny hairs. Back in Oct '07, when I first noticed it at the front, I shaved that part cause I looked like a dink with all these broken hairs ... those hairs are now a few inches long - so they hair IS growing back in the front anyway, hense the Dr's 'Diagnoses' on it NOT being (Male Pattern). He also said if my Iron is increasing, then my hair should be stopping ... so its probably NOT iron, but I still have hope. 2 weeks ago I asked for my latest blood labs to be faxed over to me so I could take a look at them - and they were right, nothing was even close to be abnormal (Free T, Test, Estro, Most Nutrients, Thyroid - cept I did notice my DHEA was 3 points over the normal high ... but they said that's nothing to be concerned about, since DHT and TEST were normal/low)

I am 150% consumed with it, I don't sleep, or go out like I used too ... I have NO social life, I watch 100's of people compliment me on my pictures on FB .. and think to myself .. I don't look like that anymore. I am not as attactive as I used to be, I know that - its ok, I want to tell myself if this is the worst thing - then so be it - but so far in my life this IS the worst thing. I've now lost about 50-55 % of my hair and can no longer hide a lot of the thinning. I spend hrs on hrs looking at diagnoses on the Internet, contacted Trichologists in the Uk ( I am in Canada) - cause we have none near me ... with no answers. The Dr's are no longer concerned .. and will do no more tests. I just want answers, reasons, anything. I have lost such a part of me, my job is suffering, my family and friends are burdened,,, I am lonely ... and everyone blows it off as nothing. I JUST WANT ANSWERS !!!!!!!

I am so sick of hearing "I Have low Iron" and my hair doesn't fall out ... no one - NO ONE I know that has low iron has hair problems. Last 6 months I don't see faces, I only see heads - and NO ONE has hair like mine, NO ONE... and the ones that I do see with thinning hair - have a different pattern that I ... what if somthing is serious wrong with me ??? What if its nothing serious, but its not being treated so it will NEVER stop. This is what I go thru daily and it feels good to say it out loud. I am so scared. I lost my life when I started losing my hair.. I want my life back. It WILL not change unless my hair does. I am not strong enough for this !! Thank you all so much for allowing me to be a part of this, I hope we can all help each other.