Lost Hair Hannah - Just Jill

Just Jill is the creation of Jill Cohen Morris. Jill is an avid rambler and mother of two from Toronto, Canada with a remarkable zest for life and a fabulous sense of humor.

Dear Just Jill,

My hair has always defined me. Please don’t think I’m shallow, I’m really not.

I would hope most women have one physical aspect of themselves they love, one that would devastate them to part with. Me, I have a love affair with my hair, my long luscious locks … Well, not so much anymore. 

My beautiful mane is falling out and thinning rapidly. I also have these wiry pieces that have gone rogue on the top of my head. This is not something I am ready for or will ever want to embrace. 

I’m okay with aging but would like to do so gracefully on my own terms. I know hair loss is normal at my age but I don’t want it to be my new normal!!

I love fashion so I’ve started wearing hats more and more but I’m afraid people will start talking about me… “why is she always wearing a hat??”

I’m really having a tough time with this one. Are any other women struggling with their hair or lack thereof? 

What’s a gal to do? 

Sincerely,

Hairless Hannah

SOLE SISTER ADVICE  

• Try an appropriate new haircut. Also, I try to find a product that works for the hairs that stick up, it’s broken hair…. Be gentle with your brush and dryer. Hair treatments. Try not to use tight hair elastics…. Collagen?

•  Hairless Hannah, you are not alone. I know of several women who are suffering from the same thing. Although I don’t have thinning hair, the texture of mine has changed. The more grey that it gets, the straighter it becomes. I am losing my waves and curls. It’s a different look for sure.

• My sis had hair loss at one point in her 50s, and as a result, she sought help from Svenson, a hair loss expert. They told her to wash her hair twice a day daily.
  
  The logic was to wash the scalp twice a day, the same as we do our face. If the scalp is healthy, then hair growth will also be healthy. Not only to wash one's hair twice a day but also to shampoo twice in one hair wash. Lucky for her with the new regime, there was new hair growth on the balding patch.
  
  I have also followed the same regime, but I only wash once (shampoo twice) and daily. My hair loss is only in the wash but never after. I don't see hair on my pillow, floor etc.

• My hair goes through very noticeable thinning and regrowth cycles rather than minimal daily loss and regrowth like when I was younger. During the regrowth, I get the sticking-up hairs because they are much shorter than the others.
  
  I have found my hair stays healthy by avoiding all products with sulphates, alcohols, and silicones. I also never use elastic bands (silk scrunchies are gentle) and I sleep on a silk pillowcase to reduce hair breakage, tangles and split ends. I dry my hair with a microfibre towel because cotton is rough on the hair. Also, drinking lots of fluids and scalp massage helps. 

• I’ve never worn my hair long as it has always been fine and straight and doesn’t suit the shape of my face. I have less hair than I used to but so far it isn’t causing me concern.
  
  My eyes, on the other hand, have become very saggy and are causing me the same type of sadness and while I want to live a life that embraces aging, coming to terms with the changes isn’t as easy as I anticipated.
  
  Good luck Hannah, I hope the advice offered works to slow the loss. 

•  I have a friend struggling with it, and she wears cool wigs sometimes when we go out. She looks amazing in them.
  
  Thanks, everyone for your amazing comments. It is good to know these tips and tricks cause one day most of us will struggle with this!

• I question whether my hair is falling out or if it's just that for the last year and a half, I've been living in an apartment with lots of black countertops and floors and I see all the fallen hair especially since my hair is white they are so much more noticeable.
  
  Either way, it amazes me the amount I clean up each day! I'm surprised I have any left. Thanks for everyone's advice - I will be trying some.

• In Japan, it is well known that seaweed is good for strong hair and nails. Maybe you could bring the benefits of nori (seaweed), tofu and miso (fermented soybeans) together in a yummy soup now and then!

• I have heard from several women that PRP for hair is amazing. You can find it at a medical-grade clinic and a nurse has to do it. I don’t know where you live but the clinic I go to for my skin offers it. 

READ MORE > Just Jill, Rambler Cafe Blog

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