Over 30 million American women experience hair thinning or hair loss. Here we hear from one woman about the impact it had on her…
Lauren Maher recalls looking in the mirror one day and realizing that the hair on her crown was so sparse, she could see her scalp through it. Here’s how it affected her, and what she did to get through it…
“I was only 38 at the time,’ says Lauren. “Not the age I expected to start worrying about hair loss. The gradual yet noticeable thinning became an obsession of mine, and I started focusing on the hair of everyone else around me; comparing its length, thickness and shine to my own paper-thin strands. I even found I was avoiding photos on nights out and special occasions because I hated the way it looked. I’ve always been into makeup and fashion, but it suddenly felt pointless putting time and effort into the way I looked when my thinning hair was always going to let me down. I lost so much confidence that my loved ones and colleagues even noticed me withdrawing – I soon realized it was affecting every part of my life,” says Lauren.
Figuring out what caused her hair loss
“When I started researching hair loss, I realized there are a lot of potential causes, which should all be ruled out by a doctor, first and foremost. So, I booked an appointment with my doctor, who ordered some blood work to check for vitamin deficiencies and any underlying illnesses. When they came back clear, he mentioned it was likely to be something called telogen effluvium, a temporary hair loss that may have been caused by a period of stress I’d experienced about three months prior,” says Lauren.
Finding a topical treatment for thinning hair
“I felt reassured that my hair was likely to return, but in the meantime, I was determined to give it all the encouragement I could. But when I started googling, I couldn’t believe how many products there were for hair loss and had no idea how to narrow it down to one that would deliver on its promise. I became overwhelmed by the choice and ended up buying a product with good online reviews, which I’m pretty sure made no difference whatsoever,” says Lauren. “Of all the products and ingredients advertised as ‘the new hair-regrowth elixir,’ I learned from my research that there’s only one medically proven product to reactivate hair follicles and stimulate hair regrowth:Minoxidil.”
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