Will this ever stop?!

I'm an 18 year old girl who returned from travelling around Thailand, Australia and New Zealand about a month and a half ago. When I first got back my hair looked normal and healthy and was in fact the thickest it had ever looked.

Then I began to notice considerable hair loss when I washed or brushed my hair but to begin with I didn't think much of it. It's got to the point now though that if I even touch my hair I get strands and strands coming out in my fingers. My hair is now by far the thinnest it has ever been and I tie it in a loose ponytail every day because I can no longer wear it down.

I had been travelling for around 3 months and in the lead up to going away I had been under a fair amount of stress. I was working every hour I could, I split up with my boyfriend and my travelling plans changed at the very last minute. I was busy and stressed out but could this really be a big enough 'shock' to my system to have caused te?

I visited the doctors a few weeks ago and she advised me to start using Ketoconazole shampoo because I had a fair amount of dandruff and I also had a variety of blood tests to check my iron, calcium and zinc levels as well as any thyroid problems. All my results came back totally normal and I have now been referred to a dermatologist but the waiting list is about 3 months long by which point I am scared there will be no hair left on my head.

Editor’s Comments,

Too much travelling can indeed be a trigger for stress related hair loss. The changes in diet, time zone, jet lag and weather might weaken your body as it tries to adapt itself to the different environment.

If you are under sufficient stress like you have mentioned, then seeing some hair loss after 3 months of all your travelling might be predictable. Your symptoms of dandruff and if you also have oily or excessively dry scalp could indicate that your body is under stress.

In many cases the hair loss will usually subside and return to its normal rate within a few weeks. You might want to try some vitamin B complex to help alleviate your condition. Drink plenty of fluids and try to rest early can help in an early recovery.