05/24/2012: Sue from Jamestown, Ny, Usa: "I have been experiencing overall thinning of my hair for about 2 years now. I have been taking multiple supplements for 2 years but have found no answer. My hair just continues to thin. I do not have any itching or scalp irritation to indicate a scalp fungus. I am at the end of my rope. I am 50 years old and have recently began HRT in a desperate attempt to regrow my hair. I have been on the HRT for about 2 weeks. Does anyone have any ideas that could help me? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Sue"

05/25/2012: Susan from San Francisco replies: "I take Saw Palmetto tincture (the capsules did nothing for me) 2-3 times a day. This stopped the hair fall. My hair hasn't grown back in, but at least the fall out rate is back to what it was before I hit menopause."

05/19/2012: Doddie from Lawrenceville, Georgia, Usa replies: "EC: http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/calcium-deposits.html"

05/22/2012: Had from White River Jct, Vermont replies: "Hair loss is usually tied to your thyroid. Check out books about iodine therapies( iodine helps normalize the thyroid, among other things). Hope this helps."

08/16/2012: Anna from London, Greater London replies: "Dear Nelly, Your pain is shared I totally understand what you are going through. I have been losing hair since the age of 13 and have not stopped for some odd intervals where my hormones were at best. There are so many recommendations and supplements, but all of them lack in the most essential part. If your gut, your stomach or digestive system is unable to absorb the nutrients, there is little that you can do, let alone to increase the stress you are already under.

My recommendation is for you to have a low GI diet and gluten free diet, ditch all baked products. Stay away from sugar, or glucose forming foods and your hair will come back. It may take 18 months. Why I am so certain? I have tried and tested, seeing for myself how abusing this foods directly affects the hairloss. An extraordinary lady is giving this information on her blog and made sense to what I was going through. I had IBS, leaky gut and alergic to lactose, since I was born. I am the smalest sibbling of the family, and had to be injected calcium to rectify growth.

This diet is hard to follow, but results will come through. Make sure you drink plenty of nettle tea as well. if you cannot eat wholesome foods, dont be afraid of going hungry until these are available.

Basically a diet consisting on protein and vegetables ( low GI veg) with herbal teas, absolutely no alcohol and no coffee or tea. Once your digestive system is strenghtened, intake nettle root, burdock , sage and naturaly sourced calcium supplements ( always buy them in bulk, not in capsules as it will be cheaper and better)

So there is hope out there. Email me if you need more info. Love, Anna "

05/01/2012: Cat from Tauranga, Nz replies: "Giselle from Baltimore, Maryland: Taking coconut oil (virgin, unrefined, organic) internally as well as rubbing it on your scalp and leaving for at least an hour will be an immense help. Coconut oil is antimicrobial, antifungal, antibacterial, soothing etc etc etc. It is also fantastic for just growing long lustrous locks but alternatively, castor oil rubbed into your scalp is also well known for hair growth but not so sure about applying this if you have an obvious scalp condition. A diet rich in B Vitamins will also boost the growth - for this you can purchase Brewers Yeast and it's inexpensive. Don't bother with the vitamins in the bottle, they take too long to work and Brewers Yeast is EXTREMELY high in B Vitamins. Good luck! (I can only imagine your despair)"

05/01/2012: Gavin from Manganui, Northland, New Zealand replies: "I must say that the yeast with regards to vitamins produced seems to be a great add to my anti aging regime. I mixed two cups of sugar in two liters of water added the juice of a lemon and some ginger that had been steeped for a couple of hours, then added the brewers yeast. After twenty four hours at room temp. I then put it in the fridge to stop the fermentation.. After a week of giving it a shake and downing half a glass in the evening.. I have to admit I'm feeling great. I saw this in one of the first editions of Omni magazine in the late seventies, that said it was the only way to get "Fractionated DNA" from the dead yeast cells. The Scientists that were doing the experiments were all in there thirties but had cardio vascular systems of sixteen year olds. It isnt that unpleasant a taste."

05/01/2012: Nho from San Antonio, Texas replies: "I went through same thing a few months ago. I live in a molded apartment so I knew what was causing it. I read the sites about losing and growing hair. I did what it said, shampoo my hair with borax, and took manganese to stop hair loss, then I took biotin for new growth. I now have lots of one inch new hair. Give a try."

05/02/2012: Courtney from Granite Bay, Ca replies: "Two cups of sugar? Everything you hear or read these days says that sugar = BAD. Really bad.

I eliminated sugar from my diet over a year ago. Strangely though, I have noticed absolutely no difference in my overall health, my skin, etc. Since cutting out sugar. And it was tough!! The cravings practically kept me awake at night. It was truly like detoxing.

Wish I could say that it was all worth it, and cite examples of the ways in which it improved my health or my skin, or anything at all! Sadly, it hasn't.

The only difference I noticed was a negative one - my memory has been dreadful since eliminating sugar. So weird."

05/02/2012: Mmsg from Somewhere, Europe replies: "Courtney, 1. the sugar in Gavin's recipe, gets fermented out so there is no sugar left by the time it's drinkable.

2. Your report is interesting. Do you use sugar substitutes? If so, which? Thanks."

05/02/2012: Courtney from Granite Bay, Ca replies: "Mmsg - No, I don't (never have) used sugar substitutes. I sweeten my coffee or tea with about a half teaspoon of raw honey and that is the extent of my 'sweet' for the day. I don't even eat things with hidden sugar, like bread."

05/02/2012: Gavin from Manganui, Northland, New Zealand replies: "Most of the drinks I have are sweetened with honey, but if I have tea I pop a bit of raw sugar in it. With regards to the fermented drink, you can see the build up of the 'brewers inch' at the bottom of the container, this has all the fractionated DNA and the B vitamins, hence a good shake before decanting. Its basicly a ginger beer that has been left to ferment all the way. It can be recharged when its at a low level by adding sugar and water, if left out of the fridge the yeast starts up again, and in a warm temp. Its drinkable again in about 24 hours. Its about 6% alcohol hence just half a glass."

05/22/2012: Had from White River Jct, Vermont replies: "Courtney, I had a similar problem w/ sugar that you discribed. For me the underlying issue was I was not absorbing nutrients and proteins well(missing numerous enzymes, so the sugar was craved because my body was starving. Once I had the enzyme problem worked out( mostly digestive and liver issues) and I was producing these again, being off sugar was easy, it was actually 'too sweet' to eat many things after that. And the improved 'thinking', skin etc... That came about once the imbalance was corrected. I've come to respect that when we crave something, it is usually an indicator that we are out of balance and our body is trying to fix it or survive it."

04/16/2012: Fiona from London, England Uk replies: "To Rianne from Leeds, Uk, Hi, I don't know what the hair loss is caused by but your dry skin and popping joints me be due to EFA deficiency. Perhaps you need more omega 3, 6 and 9 in your diet? It should at least help the dry skin. Maybe try flaxseed, sunflower and sesame, or a blend (udos oil?) Also, hemp oil is supposed to be really good (I haven't tried it yet but hear great things about it).

Are you low in iodine perhaps? Maybe kelp or dillisk/dulse would improve things.

I have been looking into mercury toxicity and if you have mercury fillings you may find it helpful to google TomLevyMd or Huggins applied healing.

Best of luck with your health, Fiona"

04/17/2012: Rianne from Leeds, Uk replies: "Fiona, thank you so much for your suggestions. I have considered EFA deficiency. I forgot to mention that I have been taking 2 omega 3 (from fish) capsules daily since january - that's about 240mg DHA and 360mg EPA - and have not noticed any improvement at all.

I read that omega 3 deficiency is much more common than omega 6, but have bought cold pressed linseed oil and evening primrose oil nonetheless to try it in this form.

I have always, since I was a kid, eaten a lot of sunflower oil (though I am not sure if the supermarket kind is cold pressed), canola oil, olive oils (extra virgin fresh and regular for frying) and real butter (= a spoon of each daily for sure). I have since months now added sesame oil (again not sure if it is cold pressed) and peanut oil when frying. I hardly eat any meat at all, and I eat some kind of fish (trout, shrimps, salmon) 2 days a week. Could it be that I am still deficient?

I have considered being low in iodine, since I display underactive thyroid symptoms. My FT3 and FT4 and TSH all came back in the normal range, but relative to each other my FT3 and FT4 are on the low side of the "optimal" mark, whereas my TSH is on the high side of the optimal mark. I have therefore added Iosol (ammonium iodide and iodine). Maybe I should be taking more than the 2 drops?

As for mercury toxicity, I have fillings but only the white kind. It could also be from fish.. I have browsed the internet for symptoms and I'm not sure I have this?"

04/17/2012: Connie from Slc, Utah, Usa replies: "Hi Rianne; The most effective supplements for hairloss, that I'm aware of, are Iodine, Zinc, and B12. I see you've designed a good program of supplements, but that the B12 may be on the low side. Many people can have low B12 symptoms even when they test well within the normal range.

A good B12 supplement, such as a sublingual lozenge of methylcobalamin, may be a helpful addition to your regimen for hairloss. B12 and folate aid in the absorption of each other, so a B-complex with folate will help also."

04/18/2012: Fiona from London, England Uk replies: "Hi Rianne, You're very welcome :). I forgot to say maybe your body lotion is better exchanged for a homemade oil concoction. My neice swears by my simple recipe of rosehip, apricot, wheatgerm and chamomile oil for her skin which would dry up so quickly prior to switching to an all natural recipe ( she was previously using popular brands but her skin was still really dry).

Also, when you fry in oils (such as olive, etc) it changes the quality of the oil and maybe virgin coconut oil is better if you want to fry and keep the olive, sunflower, etc for your salads and such.

Also, fulvic acid is worth exploring as it has a huge range of health benefits and is a natural mineral supplement that the body can use more easily than many of the man-made mineral supplements out there.

sorry if this post is a bit disjointed and rambly, i'm in a mad rush.

Best of luck, Fiona"

04/18/2012: Storage-girl from St. Louis, Mo replies: "As I looked at the list of your symptoms, I think the ones I experienced match yours VERY closely. I had hair falling out with the white bulb attached, blood pressure of 90/65, cold all the time, very curly hair - despite having only wavy hair before and a strange red coloring to my hair (which is normally dark brown). Right now, I have a good portion of my hair back. My hair is more normal for the top five inches - lower part is still curly. As I cut it off, I think it will be close to normal. The odd red color is gone. Blood pressure is now 110/70 and cold is normal. Here are the things I did (not sure what worked, but will give you the list):

1. Stopped Omega-3 supplementation. I had read it can cause hair growth in a lot of folks, but hair loss in some. I think I may have been part of the loss group.

2. Vitamin B supplement - include all B.

3. De-stress! I had tremendous stress for almost 2 years - I think this contributed to the problem.

4. Stopped Calcium supplementation and increased magnesium. I think I must eat enough calcium.

5. Rub fingernails together several times daily. I found that on here. I thought it was an excellent idea, so decided to try it.

I'm hoping you get some relief from this, too! Most of all, don't let it stress you out. I think that slowed down my progress for awhile."

04/18/2012: Rianne from Leeds, Uk replies: "Storage-girl, thank you so much for your response. It helps to know someone else experienced the same things because sometimes I think I'm falling between the cracks! Apparently not hypothyroid or adrenal fatigue, yet the symptoms are there, losing my hair (and density in front) yet blood work is "fine". It's frustrating!

I am taking a multivitamin which has most B vitamins in very high concentrations. Would you mind telling me which ones you took? Maybe there's one or a couple missing, or I'm taking too little or the wrong kind...

I did supplement magnesium for a long time. But it was sporadic and the dosage varied. I'll start taking it again! How much did you take?

The stress is a contriubtor I'm sure! I was SO stressed about a year ago (exams at university, deadlines) that I wouldn't be able to finish watching a movie if someone was dying. I would get so stressed watching it, thinking I would someday day that I had to leave the room. My stress levels have somewhat decreased thank god but I'm still pretty stressed.... maybe yoga.

What I'm very intrigued by is the rubbing of your fingernails - could you elaborate? What, how etc?

Did you have your thyroid tested? I read that an underactive thyroid can present these symptoms of coldness (basically everything you would associate with setting your internal thermostat/fire on a lower mark), as well as curling of the hair."

04/18/2012: Joanna from Fresno, California replies: "Hi Rianne, your symptoms sound like you have low thyroid fuction. You are using iosol but that is very very very extremely weak!!! What you need is Lugol's iodine, there is 2% and 5%. I dont know if you can find it in your area. I get it through amazon.com. I recomend you go here for further advise http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/iodine/
I have learned so much so much on this iodine group that I am thankful to God I came across it. There they have people experts on this subject. Joanna U."

04/18/2012: Cat from Papamoa, New Zealand replies: "Rianne from Leeds, UK - with regards to the rubbing of fingernails together, that would be in reference to the topic of "faster hair growth" that I put up some time ago as I have trouble with getting mine to grow. I read a while back where placing your knuckles together to form a type of heart shape with your hands, so that your fingernails are touching - then rub them together briskly for about 5 minutes once or twice a day. This is somehow a connection between the hair on your scalp and nails which we know are of the same composition. I started doing it and it was great but forgot about it and now I'll be back into it since reading your posts!"

04/19/2012: Rianne from Leeds, Uk replies: "Joanna, really? I chose Iosol because I thought the water soluble form of Iodine ammonium iodide was safer to use, ie it wouldn't cause hyperthyroidism like potassium iodide can if you take too much - and that is what's in Lugol's iodine is it not? Now I am confused... How much would you reccommend I take?

Cat, thanks! I will sure be trying it. Is it rubbing your fingernails for 5 minutes and that 1 or 2 a day? Or a total of 5 minutes throughout the day? 5 minutes seems long when y ou're actually rubbing your fingernails :) but I suppose that's needed to wake it up."

04/19/2012: Storage-girl from St. Louis, Mo replies: "Rianne, Here are some thoughts to clarify my last post. I am still taking the Super Stress Vitamin B complex by S... Vitamins. In a B supplement, would make sure it has at least 100% recommended Biotin and B12 for the day. As for Magnesium, I am taking 800mg per day. Fingernails - just saw post from Cat. Yes - that's what I do, but do it 3 times a day for 15 minutes. Sometimes have to write reminders to myself, but my hair has definitely been a lot better since doing it (meetings or during class is a good time to do it). Thanks to the person who put that out there originally - awesome!

Which brings me to hypothyroid/adrenal fatigue discussion. In my case, I believe my adrenals were whipped into submission - high stress, too much heavy exercise, lots of caffeine - just too much of everything. After the hair started falling (including eyebrows), I went to the doctor. Blood test showed ok (kinda borderline hypothyroid). I have read that when your adrenal glands are whipped, it can cause this effect (slight hypo). So, being the Type-A person, went and got some thyroid supplements (including iodine). This made me hyperthyroid for a bit, which was even worse for the hair. Bottom line: Take care of your adrenals and the thyroid will be ok - at least in some cases - this does not include folks with thyroid problems. My issue was adrenal for sure. Yoga and acupunture are great for stress. I was running and doing heavy aerobics - VERY bad for whipped adrenals. The acupuncture makes you feel so relaxed that any concerns seem like nothing! :v)

Latest experiment - have been taking wheat grass juice 4 times a week. Hair color seems better and nails look awesome! Also, energy seems to be great!

Hope this info helps!"

04/19/2012: Rianne from Leeds, Uk replies: "Storage-girl, very good to know! I have been tested for hypo/hyper thyroidism - they checked the FT3, FT4 and TSH and antibodies in case of hashimoto's. However my adrenals have not been checked at all. My thyroid results came back " within range " but since september (tsh was 2.3) my tsh has risen to 2.7 last month. Now this is all still very "normal" but when I put my results into DrRinds form it turns out that relative to each other my hormones are too low and my tsh too high so I guess that means borderline hypo. I'm afraid to take too much iodine (again what is too much or too little) and I am suspecting I might have adrenal issues - although I have no trouble falling asleep when I'm tired at night, as I have been very stressed for a period of many months last year and before, during and after I did some running (up to 5-10km a couple times a week... ) Now I'm thinking that couldn't have been good.. And I guess that would explain why I, unlike others who excercise and feel more energetic because of it, never did.. I'd feel good about myself sure but I would not have more energy because of it..

Now my question is, how to strengthen your adrenals? I know you're supposed to rest (and no running) and take vitamin C and B... But what else should or shouldn't I do? For example, should I stop taking the iodine? What did you do? How did you come out of this?
I honestly appreciate all the help and time you put into this! Thanks!"

04/19/2012: Rianne from Leeds, Uk replies: "Storage-girl, I didn't notice this until later, but you said your eyebrows fell out too? That sounds more like alopecea areata (I think). Where not only the head hair but also the body hair falls out. As far as I know this is often caused my an auto immune problem. A reaction caused by something like huge stress or a severe ilness, or something else, basically they don't know.

I know of a guy who literally lost all his hair (even his eyelashes, kind of like Matt Lucas from Little Britain) when he was about 12. Then almost ten years later most of it just started growing back, out of nowhere. They don't know why, but he did start dating (and is now living together) a girl he really loves two months before the regrowth. I should probably mention that he's otherwise healthy and an athlete (he plays hockey in the national league, in Holland). Maybe worth checking into?

Of course it could also just be an adrenal/nutrional issue.. although I've never heard of losing body hair with adrenal fatigue, but that doesn't mean it's not related."

04/19/2012: Storage-girl from St. Louis, Mo replies: "Happy to help - the goal is to share and pick up new ideas - love it!! That's about the same TSH I had. Haven't had it tested in awhile, but I'm sure it's better since my blood pressure/cold issues are gone. To strengthen the adrenals, I stopped caffeine for months, then made sure to have only one tea per day (with caffeine). Also, did yoga, walked, lifted weights - goal is to not feel bad afterwards. I was also doing exercise to the point of feeling bad.

Try to limit stress anyway you can - whenever I feel tense, I stop deep breathe, pray - whatever calms me down. Not sure if acupuncture is common where you are located, but it is great! Try to eat cleaner, too. I don't mean perfect. I cut out extra sugar for months. A lot of folks try high Vitamin C, etc. That didn't work too well for me. Probably the thing to focus on is try one thing at a time and see how you feel (and how your hair feels-that's how I discovered that Omega-3s were bad for me).

The good thing seems to be that while you have to cut some stuff out for awhile (caffeine, sugar, high intensity exercise), you can gradually add it back - just not as much as before. You will definitely be able to tell as you get healthier. Seems like a lot of folks have different issues with adrenal fatigue. We both seem to have the hair issues. When the adrenals are happy, the thyroid is happy, so then we get and keep good hair!"

04/19/2012: Cat from Papamoa, New Zealand replies: "Rianne from Leeds, UK, that's a total of 10 or 15 minutes per day. I think it's a lot as there's a bit of energy in rubbing for just 5! I tend to do it quite vigorously so maybe I don't need to but as someone else above your post stated, she does it 3x a day for 15 mins each time! Awesome stuff! I'm getting back into it and hope to see an improvement in my dry, lacklustre hair."

04/19/2012: Jennifer from Sunrise, Fl replies: "Loss of eyebrow hair is a common symptom of hypothyroidism (especially in the outer 1/3 of the eyebrow). I know because before I got hypothyroidism, I had beautiful, thick eyebrows and now mine are thin and scanty :( I've been using castor oil to grow them back. And like you, I developed these symptoms after a period of severe stress.

Other symptoms of hypothyroidism include depression, fatigue, weight gain or difficulty losing weight, coarse dry hair, dry/rough pale skin, cold intolerance, muscle cramps/aches, constipation, irritability, memory loss, abnormal menstrual cycles, and low libido. It sounds like you have a lot of these symptoms.

You can still experience hypothyroid symptoms even if your thyroid levels are in the "normal" range. It's a very frustrating problem for patients who are borderline hypothyroid but can't get their doctors to treat them.

Getting on the right level of replacement thyroid hormone is the best way to control symptoms, but otherwise, 1 tbsp of coconut oil daily helps with hypothyroid symptoms.

Best of luck to you, Jennifer"

04/20/2012: Rianne from Leeds, Uk replies: "Storage-girl, Seb. Derm. ??? I mean, you would think crusts and dandruff and red skin would go with that? I don't know what's worse, actually having it or having a dermatologist who's able to misdiagnose it. Mine actually had the gall to suggest I see a psychologist during my first visit, before he even checked my blood - in reference to my mum being diagnosed with breast cancer 2 years ago - she's fine now. I only mentioned it to him because I thought that might contribute to my physical stress levels, but he evidently believed I hadn't dealt with it all and in so many words told me it must all be in my head.. Whereas my GP said he suspected HYPERthyroidism after I read him my list of symptoms - the same ones that are on here.... Gotta love them for their education. Don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Caffeine - I've never liked the taste of coffee, but I guess I've just never 'learned to like it', the way you do alcohol. Perhaps the reason for that is that I've noticed (and again don't know if this is recent or not) that I feel bad after drinking coffee. I get all jittery, I guess?, in the sense that I feel more alert and shaky, but not more awake (still yawn and able to fall asleep in class), and I start to sweat even though for some reason I'm getting cold and I basically feel really bad.. Don't know why because I would never get this reaction from drinking coca cola, or from eating lots of sugar. Maybe it's the sugar in the coke that "neutralizes" the effect of caffeine?

I've also noticed that if I eat something that feels light, but has too much sugar and carbohydrates (like pancakes with maple syrup, or scones with whipped cream and strawberries etc) for BREAKFAST, I feel bad. Like a bad sugar rush. My heart doesn't race, but I'm aware of its existence and it's beating and I'm usually still hungry. This only happens at breakfast. Does this sound familiar? Then again if I eat oatmeal with almond milk and add a tablespoon or two of honey I'm fine....

About the eyebrows again, haven't noticed a change, but they are definitely sparse on the outer third. But I guess they always have been.

What is high sugar fruit? Oranges?

As for the cycles, I noticed it a while ago, I guess a year or two now. Started happening gradually. It's not severe, it might be that there's flow for the first 2-3 days and then half a day to 1 day it stops and then it resumes for a day maybe. I used to think this was 'after flow' haha! Is that even a word? Would that qualify?

I also sweat a lot, even when I'm cold, especially around my period. You get this as well? I've been tracking my body temp to see if it has anything to do with it and it might happen more when my body temp is lower rather than higher.

Will try out the castor oil. I've heard it can be toxic? Have any tips for me? Like you I've shed for as long as I can remember. I remember the bathroom floor would be littered after washing and then blowdrying my hair in front of the mirror. Usually I wouldn't given it a thought but because I was on holiday at a friend's house in Italy I was embarrassed and that's the first time I remember thinking, this is not normal. My hair looked fine though so I forgot (this was 2009 and I was 23). Thanks!!"

04/20/2012: Rianne from Leeds, Uk replies: "Storage-girl, about the caffeine. I don't drink coffee, no sodas (that includes coca cola of course), and have quit black tea entirely since two months. However, I have substituted it with herbal teas (like chamomile) and green and jasmine tea. Now I know that green tea contains some caffeine, so should I cut that out entirely too? I usually drink mine pretty watered down - 1 - 2 teaspoons lasts me throughout the whole day.

Also, I am a sugar junkie with a big sweet tooth, always have been. Basically anything that's a cookie, ice cream or cake I'll devour.... I heard that some people who don't binge on caffeine substitute it with sugar to keep their energy levels up.... I'll have to try REALLY hard to cut this out entirely... I'll cut back for sure. I've already cut back in the sense that I don't sweeten my drinks and any breakfast/lunch/dinner that I eat is without added sugar (or honey etc). However it's the snacks in between, and the dessert in the evening that's my downfall... :/ I've cleaned up my food otherwise. I now eat almost only whole foods, no meat, some fish, lots of vegetables and a daily smoothie (orange, banana, strawberries and a big handful of raspberries and blueberries) to get my fruit of the day. But I heard that people with adrenal issues shouldn't eat too much fruit because of the sugar content... what do you think? And thanks again for your help! This is so much better than a visit to the doc.

Jennifer, thanks for you comment! My outer eyebrows have always been thin ever since I can remember as a teenager, and they haven't gotten especially thinner as of late. Also my skin is very dry, but it is not coarse/thick, rather very thin. My menstrual cycles are normal too, although very painful and they do that thing where they start, stop and then start again...

I'm afraid to go on thyroid treatment (hormones) because as Storage-girl said, if it's the adrenals then it's not your thyroid that's the problem, and treating it as if it was might hurt your thyroid in the end.

I'll try to coconut oil though. Does it matter if I eat it cold (raw) or whether I add it to my cooking (heated)?

In the end I'd just like to be healthy, not just treat the symptoms... Too bad most doctors don't understand this concept."

04/20/2012: Storage-girl from St. Louis, Mo replies: "Same as both of you with the eyebrows. It was the outer third that was sparse. Also, used castor oil to grow them back. They look normal now. I think it's the hypothyroid thing (caused by adrenal) that caused this to happen.

I'm thinking each person with these issues has either a primary adrenal or thyroid problem. 100% sure mine was adrenal primary. Cycles stopping and starting again is definitely adrenal issue. I read up on that when experiencing it.

Caffeine and sugar - I love both! Cut out all caffeine for about 6 months - I started to have my heart racing from it. After dropping off of it for awhile, I can have it in limited quantities. It's easy to tell if you have too much - you will feel jittery (bad news for adrenals). Just try to see how you feel after each drink or snack.

As for fruit - berries are perfect! They have a low glycemic index, so doesn't cause any problems. I cut out high sugar fruit, but after about 6 months or so, then I'm ok with them. I cut out candy, ice cream, etc. For about 6 months. Ok with them now, but try to limit since they aren't healthy. :v)

Was trying to think of when my hair stopped falling out most - I think it was when I started doing the finger nail thing and dropped omega 3s. I've always shed, so I didn't notice at first that my hair was becoming more normal. You may have that same thing. It does take time, so try to stay strong!

Agree with the doctor thing! My first visit was to the dermatologist who said I had seb. Derm. EEK!"

04/20/2012: Storage-girl from St. Louis, Mo replies: "Rianne, No doctor fan here either! Goal is to avoid going near them!

Not a coffee fan either - yuck! Was drinking a ton of diet soda and green and black tea. Yes - jittery, cold, yucky with too much. I'm noticing that still happens when I have more than a little black tea.

When I read your section on breakfasts, I could totally relate! Being pretty picky, had to start eating eggs most mornings not to have sugar rushes. Not a big egg fan, but it seemed to get my day off to a good start. If you find good items that work for breakfast, send to me!! Heart beating and hungry - always does seem to happen with sugar.

As for fruit - bad ones for me are pineapple and banana. Had a banana yesterday and felt a little blah! Still doesn't work for me.

Yes - that's exactly what I had with my period! Has improved a lot since getting stronger adrenals. Always am cold at that time of the month - almost too cold. I noticed that whenever I'm really cold my blood pressure has dropped - adrenal sign, too. Don't notice too much sweat change, but I turn very red when I workout. BTW, do you notice having low blood pressure? When I couldn't tell it was low anymore - knew it was getting better. :v)

I take a little castor oil on my finger tip and put it on my eyebrows. I sometimes put in on my eyelashes, too - it makes them grow longer. Think it's toxic only for internal use. Thought to put it in my hair, but changed my mind - so sticky!

Yes, yes, yes on shedding hair! This sounds like it has been a reoccuring thing for both of us over time. Seems like we both hit a peak of stress, which made it do more."

04/20/2012: Rianne from Leeds, Uk replies: "Storage-girl, I only get it with coffee so far and sugar in the morning - although I had a bad case with scones unsweetened whipped cream strawberries... No a lot of sugar in there surely?? Either way, only mornings. I have no idea why but I could eat a bucket of sugar in the afternoon/evening and feel fine. Also, (and haven't tried this recently because I'm eating 'healthy' now) but I remember on the very rare occassions when eating a large portion of potato chips, especially on an empty stomach, I would feel bad. Sort of sugar rush but a little bit of nausea to go with it. Probably anyone eating so much would get that but I haven't heard this from anyone - I'm talking like say 90grams - I don't know how large portions in the US are - and no, this was not a regular thing but rather the once upon a time when a craving hit....

Anyway, for the last 6 months or so my "feel good breakfast" has consisted of oatmeal with almond milk (before it was regular milk) and a little honey and/or walnuts and/or blueberries. Or eggs, with or without toast. Plain, because when I add jam or honey I get the bad feeling, however when I add tahini or peanut butter I get a bad feeling too, but less so. Best to keep it plain I find. And to be fair, those are the only two things that I've eaten almost every single day. Last week I had eggs (fried, boiled, sunny side up) every day because apparently protein is good in the morning. Also for a while I ate soup (regular vegetable soup: stock cauliflower, beans, peas, carrot, celery, onion etc potatoes) for breakfast and felt fine. Although depending on the heaviness of the soup I may get hungry and need to have a little snack soon after and because my body feels the snack is still breakfast I have to watch out what I eat then too. Basically, dinner for breakfast = good. I remember eating leftovers from dinner in the form of a mushroom/potato casserole for breakfast and felt good afterwards..

I wonder what it is about breakfast that has this effect... I remember my dad has had this for years too - when I was younger I couldn't understand how someone could not have cake for breakfast because they felt bad? So now I'm thinking maybe it's not an adrenal thing?? Have you heard from others about this?

Last Easter I had family over and they are big meat, fat, dairy, cake (traditional) eaters so they brought a lot of food and every course had to end with cake due to the holidays. I ate a lot more than usual and noticed that when I had an egg and sausage for breakfast and followed it with cake I also got that sugar rush feeling. So not good..

My downfall fruit in the morning is orange juice (freshly squeezed myself, I don't buy the store kind) and probably any kind of (larger amount of) juice if it doesn't come with food. Ever since making that smoothie I wrote about, I don't mind it. The smoothie doesn't give me the sugar rush, but against all odds it does fill me up almost as if I had half a lunch. I suspect by adding a little almond milk, or other protein like yogurt it would help even more.

I used to drink a LOT of black tea - the English way: very, very black with a little milk. I could drink up to 7 cups a day. I never got the coffee rush, and it never made me feel more alert or awake the way coffee drinkers feel after coffee though. Either way, I figure now that could not have been good, but to be honest I don't feel much better after quitting black coffee cold turkey. Haven't had a cup for ages and won't, just wish I could have felt the difference of not drinking it..

I've been thinking about this blood pressure thing. I will start measuring and see if it fluctuates and whether I can feel the difference. So far I have only measured 85-95 over 50 as an average. Once I laid down for 2 minutes when I felt really tired and slow and basically ready to turn in (it was about 1pm) and I measured 75 over 45... I'll measure my bp when I feel very warm and let you know!

I'm ALWAYS very extremely cold during my period, ever since my teens. Cold from the inside out, the way you are when you skip two meals. I walk around the house drinking tea literally non stop because holding a hot drink and sipping it warms my freezing hands and warms my body for a little while. The temp in the house is always set to warm. Incidentally my period started very late last night, and all through yesterday I was SO cold. I was wearing 5 layers of clothing in class (2 of them had some form of wool/angora and 1 was leather) and was barely warm. The girl in front of me had only a tube top on just over her breasts with bare everything.....

And dr's... Bad.. But I will see an endocrinologist at the end of May and will tell him to check my adrenals. Hopefully he'll keep an open mind. Am very curious to see what turns out..

How is your skin btw? Have you ever been officially diagnosed?"

04/21/2012: Debbie from Melbourne, Australia replies: "Rianne, I didn't read all you wrote, however I note that you say "I am a sugar junkie with a big sweet tooth, always have been. Basically anything that's a cookie, ice cream or cake I'll devour."

You need to research "Excitotoxins" and the dangers of MSG and Aspartame which are in most processed foods including chocolate, cookies, icecream etc. Excitotoxins can wreak havoc on the body if you are taking in too much. Most sugar free foods and drinks have aspartame added. This is pure poison. They even kill off brain cells. Read the book "Excitotoxins, the Taste that Kills" and educate yourself.

Try to limit your processed foods intake if you really want to get your health back. Drink green smoothies and detox your body. Only drink herbal teas from organic sources. Look at what you are eating. "

04/21/2012: Rianne from Leeds, Uk replies: "Debbie, thanks for your response. I am already eating healthily since September. That means I haven't touched a potato chip more htan a handful of times since then - that is the major MSG containing thing here. When I cook I season everything myself, that means I pick and choose my herbs instead of bying a packet of seasoning that often has MSG added as well. I do not eat any products that contain any kind of artificial sweeteners like aspartame (but also saccharin or cyclamate etc) or anything with margarine in it (they need to add something to harden the vegetable oils and that something happens to be carcinogenic.. But I digress). I am aware of these things. If I eat anything sweet these days it is usually in the form of honey, maple syrup, straight sugar or something I have made/baked myself and I don't bake with anything that isn't natural. And I'm already cutting back on anything with added sugar. Eliminating it completely will be difficult, but I am going to try."

04/21/2012: Cat from Tauranga, New Zealand replies: "Wow! Thanks to the good posters at EC, I'm able to pretty much determine what I think is plaguing me, even though I don't appear to have anything wrong. It's only when I add up all the little things like, always cold, low sex drive, dry skin, dry, brittle hair, low energy, lack of concentration... I come to realise that I'm exhibiting the same symptoms as some of you ladies/men with hypothyroidism! I eat a lot of raw fruit/vegetables as we have a particularly healthy lifestyle but now know that veges like cabbage, broccoli, cauli, are not good for low thyroid conditions. So I will endeavour to include more fish/salmon and eat 1-2Tbsp coconut oil instead of just oil pulling and using it for moisturiser. Will report back on this as it's coming into winter and I will start getting cold quickly if that's my problem."

04/22/2012: Rianne from Leeds, Uk replies: "Cat, best thing to do would be to get your thyroid blood levels tested first. Make sure they check the Free T3 and Free T4, your TSH and thyroid antibodies - often doctors will do the T3 and T4 instead. Then you'll know if there is a possibility it's thyroid related. I know that often if it is a purely thyroid problem (as in no problem with the adrenals) you can sort of bounce around between hyper and hypothyroidism as well. And symptoms are never black and white. I have a friend who found out she was hyperthyroid in her teens (she finally went to the doc when she could barely climb a flight of stairs). And 8 years later she still displays (and displayed before she went on meds) a lot of hypo symptoms even though she is 100% hyper. For example, she is also always cold and has cold hands and feet (even though our manuals tell us hyper people should be overly warm).. So have it checked just to be sure before you go self "medicating"!"

04/23/2012: Storage-girl from St. Louis, Mo replies: "Rianne, Was away from my computer all weekend! My skin is mostly good. I had an odd rash right before this all started. Thought it was detox from a cleanse I was doing. Still not sure what caused it. Dry skin only on lower legs - weird! I do skin brushing though, so that may help? I still get the weird lower leg dry skin occasionally.

Went to a doctor mostly to get the blood work and adrenal fatigue test. My adrenals were showing low levels particularly in the evening, and this was after I started improving. Figured it would help to know what was going on before trying supplements, etc. I super against presciption drugs, etc. So, that's not something I've considered. Have seen too many friends and relatives take that route with bad results."

04/23/2012: Rianne from Leeds, Uk replies: "Storage-girl, my skin is super super dry and getting drier. It began on my lower legs (like you) but now my hands, and my face (despite it getting oily on the t-zone). I've started taking coldpressed evening primrose oil and linseed oil.

I am against drugs too. Prescription drugs are one thing (if you've got a problem like parasites or bacteria or need something to lower your temperature quickly), but prescription drugs that mess (or are) hormones are out of the question for me. I went on the pill when I was fifteen and it lasted only 3 weeks because I felt weird. Anyway, I had my blood tested twice, both times in the morning, second time sober. No adrenal testing except for that second time where they tested my cortisol levels (blood). Mine waswithin range (20. 29 ug), but I should add that needles freak me out and I get REALLY stressed so maybe it wasn't that accurate.

I take it you had the 24 hour saliva test done? Anything you would reccommend my to do/say to my doc when I do see him? :)"

04/24/2012: Rianne from Leeds, Uk replies: "Storage-girl, I forgot to ask this before, but has your hair regrown since? If so, how long did it take/when did you notice it etc? Also, did you notice any other changes? I've noticed a definite increase in thinner and shorter hairs falling out and less of the regular long thicker ones that have grown through to the end of their cycle ( the ones that are normal and should be falling out). I've been wondering about this - could be the thinner and shorter ones are weak and prone to falling out, or best case scenario they are being pushed out by healthy hairs.. one can dream...)"

04/24/2012: Ken from Sanford, Nc Usa replies: "Regarding the weird lower leg dry skin... Use only neutrogena soap on your legs, then after you rinse your body off re-rinse your legs to be sure you have no soap left on them that might have run down from rinsing your head or upper body. The reason for neutrogena is that kind of soap rinses off thoroughly, while most soaps and body washes do not: They add creams and scents meant to soften or scent for a long time after the bath. If you can still smell the soap on your skin, the soap is still on your skin! If your skin still has soap on it it will dry out. This worked for both me and my spouse, so I hope it works for you too."

04/25/2012: Rianne from Leeds, Uk replies: "Ken, thanks for your suggestion! I haven't used any kind of soap on my legs since ages (at least a year), just water. I only use regular grey (the old grandma scentless kind) soap to wash my underarms and hands, and feet if they need it. Otherwise it's just plain old water from the shower (non chlorinated), and soda/vinegar for my hair. And that's it. And I don't use any kind of cosmetics/lotions/creams on my skin. Just food grade coconut oil or olive oil. It doesn't help. It's getting drier by the month.. which is why I think it must be an internal cause..?"

05/22/2012: Had from White River Jct, Vermont replies: "Please look up thyroid issues, all your symptoms are classic signs of hypothyroidism ( or could be Autoimmune, Hoshimoto's). There are great remedy suggestions here that work. (go iodine plus supplementation--works for reg. Low thyroid and auto immune) I'm there myself, I'm doing the Iodine treatment and while slow(I'm 2 weeks in) I AM definitely telling that things are changing and I'm getting stronger. Get the suggested Iodine book by Dr. David Brownstein as well, knowledge is power and confidence when undertaking a new therapy."

05/25/2012: Rianne from Leeds, Uk replies: "Had from White River Jct, thanks for your reaction! I am glad to hear that the iodine is working for you. I have considered hypothyroidism and have been checked for it twice (the second time they also checked for antibodies). Both tests came back negative, although my tsh, ft3 and ft4 had all three risen since the first check.

I have been taking iodine (Iosol: iodine ammonium iodide), the water soluble kind that does not contain potassium iodide. I took this for almost a month (started out with 2 drops and worked my way up to 4, then 7). However, once I started upping the dosage I noticed that several hours after taking it I developed a metallic iodine taste in my mouth that would not go away. I read that this might be a sign the body has enough iodine, I don't know. Unfortunately I did not notice any significant changes apart from having a slightly higher body temperature - which is most likely due to the fact that summer is on its way and it is getting warmer. I still get cold when it's cold and can't stand the heat...

I appreciate any advice, thanks!"

05/31/2012: Rianne from Leeds, Uk replies: "UPDATE & QUESTION: I finally went to see the endocrinologist yesterday. He listened to my story and performed some standard tests (blood pressure, pulse, weight, height, felt my thyroid, breasts, intestines, eyes etc), and is sending me for minimal blood tests (tsh, ft4, ft3, shbg, prolactin, iron).

His diagnosis so far is: PMS. He says that I do not look at all like a thyroid patient (I guess because I don't have edema and am not overweight??) and that my adrenals are fine because my stress response is very good (when he took my blood pressure lying down it was 140 over something. I want to note that I get VERY stressed when going to see a doctor, dentist etc - I sweat and my blood pressure rises). His explanation why my adrenals are fine was that if my adrenals were a problem then I would not produce enough cortisol to be able to reach a blood pressure of 140 at all. My question is if that is true? I know that with the early stages of adrenal fatigue one produces too much cortisol - however, my blood pressure at rest at home is low (80/40 to 90/50) ALL the time. Except, it seems, when I get REALLY stressed and literally feel like a racehorse getting ready for its run.

I don't know what to think. I have all the symptoms of hypothyroidism and/or adrenal fatigue - yet he says it's neither and will only test my thyroid. My eyes, he said, were fine also - but he only shone the light in my eye for a fraction of a second to see if it contracted at all - it does, it just doesn't stay contracted, which I think is the problem.

According to him it is PMS because my cycles are not regular (they range from 24 to 35 days, but are generally either 27 or 31 days) and he has prescribed me to take half a drop of citalopram (which is an antidepressant SSRI) to raise my serotonin levels just after ovulation until I menstruate... He says that should help with the symptoms.

Now I do have some anxiety, but the worst (a period of 6 months that ended almost a year ago) has passed... And my main problems are my physical symptoms, not the emotional ones - which is what antidepressants and serotonin are for - right?

I would really appreciate some advice. I don't know whether to go ahead with this or find a different doctor. This one came highly recommended.. Anyone?"

05/31/2012: Sophie from Dayton, Ohio, Usa replies: "Have your Dr. Run a vitamin D level blood test. I was absolutely convinced my thyroid and adrenals were bad, and had all the classic symptoms. Turns out I am severely vitamin D deficient!! My thyroid and adrenals are fine! I am very fair skinned, so I NEVER go in the sun, and if I do I wear SPF 50 sunblock on advice of a dermatologist. So for that reason, I have developed extremely low vitamin D. I am currently on heavy vitamin D suppliments, and I'm feeling better. I get my levels tested again in 2 weeks, so I'm anxious to see if they have gone up to a healthy level.

Also, do you exercise regularly? Exercise is the only thing that helps me with my anxiety and stress. You build up all that adrenaline in your system and it has to come out somehow. Adrenaline developed to give our primitive ancestors the energy and drive they needed to survive in an emergency, so it was burned off when we ran away from predators or fought our enemies. Today we still have that response, but the things that cause the adrenaline rarely require physical force now in the modern world. We're trying to meet deadlines or deal with troubled relationships, and that adrenaline never burns off. You have to run and jump and move your body to burn the adrenaline up -- otherwise it stays in your body and causes anxiety and more stress -- it can become a vicious cycle!

Take care!!! Hope this helps!!"

05/31/2012: Rianne from Leeds, Uk replies: "Sophie, thanks for your comment! I have had my vitamin D checked in September (it was just above the lower range (22 ug) - and this after a whole summer's worth of sun exposure! ) so I started supplementing heavily with D3 (started with 5000 IU then went up to 10.000 IU a day). Only three months after I started supplementing, when I had another blood test in March, my level was off the charts (above 100 ug). I have since stopped supplementing and summer is on its way so I should be good.

Although I'm glad you're feeling better, I have to admit I'm envious of you as I have not noticed any improvement in the way that I feel since my vitamin D has gone up - which is why I suspect it's something else. The only thing I've noticed is that the acne on my back has disappeared.

As for exercising, I used to run (5-10km 2 to 3 days a week). I never felt better or more energised while doing that (even during my period of stress), the way that most people say it gives them energy, calms them down, and they feel great. I only got extremely cold after..

Ever since I started suspecting adrenal fatigue I stopped aerobic exercise so as not to put more strain on them."

05/31/2012: Debbie from Melbourne, Australia replies: "Sophie, people have been brainwashed not to go out in the sun. This is why our chldren are getting sicker and sicker, why asthma rates are going up. Skin problems are exaccerbated by a lack of vitamin D, eyesight is even affected. Our immunity is lowered if we don't get any sun.

The vitamin D in tablets are a synthetic form of the vitamin. You are better off having lots of green juices and getting vitamin D from them than taking it in a synthetic form. I found when I took green juices I actually was able to tan without burning (and I am normally pale). Look at people who live in sunny places.. They look and are much healthier than those who never get any sun.

Sunblocks contain toxins and poisons that you are allowing to enter your skin every day. Read the labels on these bottles."

06/01/2012: Sophie from Dayton, Ohio, Usa replies: "Thanks for your comments. I guess I should have been more specific in my last post. I DO go in the sun (without sunscreen), but not for long periods of time on a daily basis. I have tried all the various antioxidant foods that are supposed to prevent sunburn, but it has never worked for me. Any more than 15 minutes and I'm at risk of a blistering burn! I guess it's just in my DNA, my whole family is this way. No one has ever been able to tan. I am covered in freckles. Additionally, I live in a northern climate and coming off winter there just wasn't sunlight to be had! This is a common problem for people in my region, to become extremely vitamin D deficient over the winter months.

I am very aware that vitamin D2 suppliments are synthetic. However, vitamin D3 supplements are completely natural, and are generally derived from fish oil. It is possible to suppliment your vitamin D3 completely through fish oil, but the quantity I would have to take is unreasonable. My vitamin D levels were that low! I am taking 2000 IU daily natural D3, with an additional 50000 IU booster once per week. I am also eating all the natural food sources of vitamin D, but these are only effective at maintaining healthy levels, not bringing up EXTREMELY low levels.

I appreciate your concern, but I am a faithful adherent to natural remedies and natural products ALWAYS! I do use doctors for their blood tests and other metrics that I can't do for myself, but I always investigate the natural cure and I never assume the synthetic mainstream medicine is the best remedy!"

06/01/2012: Rianne from Leeds, Uk replies: "Sophie, why not take 10.000 IU vitamin D3 a day? Granted they don't come in fish oil, but they do in olive oil (5000 IU per pil) or safflower oil (10.000 IU per pil) with some vitamin E to keep the oils from going rancid. That's the same amount you're taking now but taken in several doses instead of one big one. Might help with absorption. This is what I did and my levels went from 22 to 300 ug in 3 months!"

07/08/2012: Kris from Tx, US replies: "Rianne - In response to the question concerning adrenals.. You could have a problem with your adrenals overfunctioning. I disagree with what your endo said about cortisol, etc. You could have high adrenal levels that would be spiking your BP (140 lying down is a little elevated, but of course nothing of a lot of concern). I have found with labs that some doctors want things smack dab in the middle and that they think lab ranges are too lenient (meaning they want stricter ranges than what most labs typically give). I have found these philosophies to be true in my experience, especially when it comes to endocrinology (I think endocrinology needs to be more stringent, personally). For example - a progesterone level I had taken once said it was in normal range by a reputable lab. But when I took this lab to see a biochemist (non-MD), he completely disagreed with the lab and said my progesterone was not in normal range. Endocrinology is a dynamic field and definitely has its share of disagreements. In your case, some of your symptoms make me wonder if your adrenals are spiking along the way. It's not really talked about much (as most people suffer from adrenal fatigue), and most "experts" don't know what to do. But the condition exists, sans doute. If that is the case, you should absolutely NOT take ANY caffeine or DHEA ever. I would also think you may have sleep problems if your adrenals are spiking. You would definitely have neurotransmitter imbalances (which are tied to mental health or ill health as the case may be). Getting stressed easily is a little bit of an indication too..

If this is part of what's going on with you, then Phosphtidyl Serine would help, as well as licorice root (tea), flower essences to calm, along with work on neurotransmitters (there are some cool homeopathic remedies that work on serotonin, dopamine, Acetylcholine, etc - don't know what all can be had on the other side of the pond, I know more about what's available in the states). Some of the adaptogen herbs may or may not help - it would really be trial and error on your part. A 4/5 sample saliva test may pick up something, but I've heard arguments against saliva being reliable labs because they only test hormones your body has already used. If it was me, I would try to get some more adrenal-focused blood work, a 24hr saliva test wouldn't hurt of course, and perhaps a urine hormone panel that can test female hormones and adrenal hormones.. I've heard labs can be difficult to wrangle out of Drs in the UK, so I feel your pain if you are running into difficulty. I would think one of the above would pick up on something if your adrenals are hyperfunctioning.

How is your resting heart rate? What about your blood sodium? If you have any problems with viruses, that could interfere with your balance of sodium and potassium. Dr Paul Cheney in NC has some theories on this subject..

Thyroid issue could be secondary to the adrenals, or they could be messing each other up - some people have written about not being able to fix the adrenals until you fix the thyroid. I think a lot of thyroid issues are compounded if not caused by all of the radiation/emfs in our environment. I like Dr. Kharrazian's book on thyroid problems. If nothing else, he really shows how much endocrinology is interconnected. Every single cell in our bodies responds to hormones - scary how powerful they can be!"

01/10/2012: Jen from Bozeman, Mt, Us replies: "I think it would help Ted and anyone else here to know whether you are a male or female? Do you have hair loss anywhere else on your body? Are you experiencing any other symptoms? Check out the cures on this page http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/alopecia.html. But you may also have some sort of hormonal issues. Like a hyperthyroid or adrenal fatigue. You may also have to much progesterone in your system. That is why it is good to know if you are male or female. Males can have a genetic predisposition for hairloss as in male pattern baldness. If you are female then that is a completely different matter.

You are right though you are absolutely too young to be losing hair so rapidly. I'm sure someone here can help you if you can just supply us with more information."

01/11/2012: Francisca from Zug, Switzerland replies: "Maybe lack of iodine? Hair loss is one of the symptoms!"

12/28/2011: Steve from Las Vegas, Nv replies: "Check out low level laser therapy pens. I was losing my hair in front and grew it back in a couple of months using a laser pen for home use. There are clinics you can go to as well but they can get pricey."

05/22/2012: Had from White River Jct, Vermont replies: "I would think Iodine treatment, and make sure your shampoo doesn't have sodium laurel sulfate, it is a soap and it dries out our hair/scalp and won't help you. Check out the thyroid section on this site, for iodine treatments. this really should help."

04/22/2012: Jennifer from Sunrise, Fl replies: "Cajungirl, there are many hair growth supplements on the market (most contain biotin and silica) that are effective for hair growth. Not all of them are good, so you'll have to do some research. I personally use some and so does my fiance, who had chemotherapy 5 years ago and had patchy hair regrowth afterwards. My hair and nails grow in fast and strong with hair vitamins, and my fiance's hair is now thick and full (with the exception of the front, which is probably genetic)."

04/23/2012: Rob from Manhattan, Ny replies: "In addition to above, Weil often recommends supplementing with Omega 3 oils, (wild alaskan salmon, walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds & or supplement) & GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) Evening Primrose or Black Current Oil ....

see here...

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/TIP04419/2-Ways-to-Help-Thinning-Hair.html"

12/17/2011: Timh from Louisville, Usa replies: "Saywhat, mind my intrusion but, I would put the follicles and hair thang on 2nd priority, and removing the toxic metals on 1st. If you can succeed of ridding the metals without suffering a host of bad side effects you will have done very well AND your hair will probably grow back to normal as a consequence.

To be specific on the follicle thing, the pituitary gland in the human brain secretes a hormone called Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH). In any type of human toxicity, the hormone & enzyme production as well as regulation are altered from their norm. To help restore Pituitary function, take raw Pituitary Glandular and the amino acid GABA. You will also need to support your glutathione levels, and protect the liver with Milk Thistle Seed.

Hope this helps and good luck."

12/17/2011: Needhelp from Los Angeles, Ca, United States replies: "Hi Tim, I am wondering how long should I be taking Pituitary Glandular and GABA for? Thank you."

12/18/2011: Timh from Louisville, Usa replies: "Needhelp, individual needs vary, so just follow recommended dose as labeled on the product, and monitor your results. I have reached the "enough" level when I get huge hair & follicle swelling from my facial hair. I take only 1 P.G. not every daily (3, 4 times weekly) as well as 1-2 grms GABA. Take the GABA before retiring because it is a natural tranquilizer and during certain intervals of sleep the P.G. becomes active."

12/18/2011: T from Maryland, Usa replies: "Follicle stimulating hormone has nothing to do with hair follicles on the head. "Follicle" in "follicle stimulating hormone" refers to OVARIAN follicles."

12/19/2011: Timh from Louisville, Usa replies: "Saywhat, I make no claim on the recommendation to "cure" your hair loss, but will probably help restore your hormone levels to normal. The herb Avena Sateva helps to recycle testosterone, indirectly protecting the prostate gland.

Report your results for the benefit of all."

12/28/2011: Leela8881 from Brooklyn, New York , Usa replies: "Ted from Bangkok mentioned that he cured his mother of hairloss and his mother's hair grew back. Can someone tell me how long does one have to apply the teatree oil and lavendar oil mix for the hair to grow back?"

11/26/2011: Lisa from Rabat, Morocco replies: "Jones, have you checked your iron levels? Low iron has caused excessive hair loss for me (along with low thyroid). I am now taking iron and Iodoral (iodine/iodide) and my hair loss has decreased but still not yet where I want it."

11/26/2011: Debbie from Melbourne, Australia replies: "If you are hypothyroid it means that your body does not have enough iodine. 100 years ago they cured thyroid issues with iodine. Read Dr. Brownstein's book on Iodine. If you are low in iodine it may be related to your hair loss. Iodine will also take flouride and heavy metals out of the body. A low iodine level is thought to cause cancer (watch Dr. Fletchas on youtube).

Also take a multimineral as well. (colloidal minerals are very good)."

11/26/2011: Earlene from Wesley Chapel, Fl, Usa replies: "Jones, your hair loss problem may be helped by trying diatomaceous earth (DE) also known as fossil shell flour. You will probably find it at a farm supply store. It is used for animal health and various other things on farms. It has made my hair grow thicker and natural color is returning. My hairdresser is commenting on the excellent condition of my hair just about every time I see her. Started out with 1-2 tablespoons a day in water or juice. It does not disolve so just stir while you drink. It took a couple of months to become noticeable, now people tell me my hair is getting darker. I am quite pleased with my results. Hope you will find this information helpful. Now I take this a couple times a week and it is still bringing back my natural color. This is primarily silica which is a major mineral needed by the body.

Be sure to get FOOD GRADE DE. Do not use DE from pool supply store. Is is industrial grade and not for human or animal comsumption. For those who may have a sick pet, this seems to work wonders in restoring health and a beautiful coat. Use 1/4 tsp up to 1-2 tablespoons depending on size of animal. Check it out on internet."

11/27/2011: Jones from Scarborough, On, Canada replies: "Thank you all. I am surely gonna try it. Lets hope it gets better.. Thanks tho"

11/27/2011: Cecile from Cape Town, South Africa replies: "I SO understand the anxiety of losing hair! I have been using a saturated epsom salt in water solution for about 6 months now... My hair is growing back beautifully... No more shiny scalp showing... the added benefit is that this spray adds body to thin hair.

What I do is take a half cup of just-boiled water, add epsom salts till it doest want to disolve any more, I let it cool and put it in an atomiser bottle, I spray my scalp and hair with this solution... It does tend to make your hair slightly dull... But who cares!

Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate... Not only is it a great detoxifyer, but it also increases the circulation of the scalp. I used to suffer from migraines... But find that since doing this I haven't had another episode... But then I also soak in an epsom bath at least twice a week and take extra magnesium supplements. Until you find the underlying cause of your hair-loss you can safely try this method... I hope you have as much success as I did!"

11/27/2011: Cecile from Cape Town, South Africa replies: "Check out this url http://www.naturalcosmeticnews.com/focus/10-ways-to-use-epsom-salts-and-improve-your-health-beauty/

I forgot to mention that I concentrate on getting the epsom salt-water on my scalp... Not so much on my hair... I spend time massaging it into my scalp and use a hair dryer on low heat setting as I massage... This aids the circulation... you can also put some aloe vera juice on your finger tips..."

12/18/2011: Keith from Florence, Ky replies: "Try the shampoo Nizoral. I tried many dandruff shampoos and Nizoral worked, for myself and a friend. It kills a certain bacteria on the scalp, leave it on for 3-5 minutes then rinse. Leaves your hair feeling nice, not mediciney. And you only have to use it once a week, although the label says 2x week."

06/03/2012: Abs from Salmiya, Hawally Kuwait replies: "hi Keith from Florence. thank you for your reply. I have tried it but it did not help"

11/19/2011: Gavin from Manganui, Northland, New Zealand replies: "If you had a complete hysterectomy.. I'm assuming ovaries as well? Then your hair loss is almost certainly a lack of estrogen. The adrenals will produce testosterone without the balancing factor of estrogen.. You will have to supplement somehow.. The simplest way is HRT but, you will have to look into that and make your own decision."

11/23/2011: Kay from Jacksonville, Fl/usa replies: "This is for Sue from NY/USA. When I was 50 my hair was really thinning out. I had been dying it for several years. I went to a specialist who said the problem was basically my age. I than went to my beautician who said lack for hormones, etc. I was on HRT at the time, so I knew that couldn't be it. I stopped dying my hair and let my natural hair grow out which had no gray (lucky me). I started using a shampoo with Biotin, taking Biotin pills, using Fish Oil, Flax Seed Oil. My hair started getting much better. Now I am in my mid 60's and my hair is long and although not really thick, I am not losing hair.

I firmly believe excessive chemicals in your hair such as hair dyes can be a contributing factor. Hope this helps."