Getting married in one month...

I am a 24 year old female and I have been experiencing excessive hair loss for a few weeks now. The past year has been a whirlwind of emotion -- my grandmother, whom I was very close to, passed away at the end of November, several of my pets died, I got in a car crash, I started a new job, I moved into a new home, I'm planning my wedding (which is in a month), I got very ill a couple months ago and I went on a crash diet to lose weight for my wedding. I didn't notice any hair loss until about a month ago.

The wedding planning has been very stressful, and I started dieting a few months ago to lose weight. I'm a vegetarian so I don't get a lot of nutrients as it is. I started to eat a granola bar in the morning, a salad at lunch, and ramen noodles for dinner. I was taking a multivitamin until I got ill. I started to get very dizzy and it got to a point where I didn't feel safe walking. Then my back started to hurt. After about two weeks it hurt so bad that I couldn't even walk.

I went to the hospital and I had a severe double ear infection and the infection spread to my back muscles. I was put on a bunch of medications and eventually got better. When I started taking the meds, I stopped taking the multivitamin but I was still dieting. A few weeks after that, I started noticing a lot of hair falling out in the shower and in my brush.

Luckily I naturally have very thick hair so nobody can really tell yet. It's really starting to freak me out, though, especially since I'm getting married in a month. I've begun to eat healthier and began taking my multivitamins again. I hope it helps, otherwise I don't know what I'll do. I'm also going to try some Nioxin product for thinning hair. Hair loss is a lot scarier than I ever would have imagined. I have nightmares about my hair falling out in huge clumps. It's a terrible, terrible thing.


Editor’s Comments,

Thanks for your story and I wish the worst is over for good! That is why people say there are good years and bad ones and when it hits you, it can hit you really hard. Anyway, i bet all the ill-luck is all gone now and may this year be a lot better.

Your case seems to be like a classic stress-illness-crash diet cum bad luck kind of sudden hair loss and it’s very obvious. In your case, the shedding should only be temporary but do pay a close attention on your dieting. Crashing it is not only bad for your hair but also potentially invite dozens of diseases and infections due to weak body and a crippled immune system. There is really much more to lose than just your hair in the long run.

Some people crash dieting have also reported saying that their hair didn’t manage to fully recover even after they stopped for more than a year. I guess going for the extreme does take a toll of your hair in the long run. E-diets is a good reference site if you want to lose weight quickly and safely so do check it out.

In the meanwhile, try to stick to a normal diet and drink plenty of water. Replenish your body and hair with vitamin rich vegetables and make sure your iron levels are stable. If you are a coffee lover, cutting down on caffeine (and cigarettes) are helpful in slowing down further hair loss. Have a nice day!