Hair wash day for me is honestly my least favorite day of the week. Taking aside the time it takes to lather and condition my tresses, it is when I’m often trying to fight back tears of distraught in the shower when I have a handful of hair that fell right out into my hand.
I first experienced this hair loss last August, when my doctor switched my antidepressants from Zoloft to Prozac. A few weeks later, I noticed every wash day would lead to hair shedding in the amount of a Tree Hut scrub top and an emotional breakdown.
Once I realized that this was caused by Prozac, I was immediately switched to a different medication, and started to use Nioxin to have my hair grow back.
It soon felt as though nothing happened, that is until my doctor took me off of hormonal birth control pills. That was when what I like to call hair loss part two happened, thanks to my body mimicking postpartum symptoms.
When this happened, I asked my hairdresser to chop it. My hair, up until that point, was long still from my wedding. I couldn’t take the heartbreaking effects of watching my hair fall out. I also couldn’t handle watching it happen again, and looking at the mirror realizing that my hair was not as thick as it was on my wedding day.
She chopped it to my collarbone, and now, I have a bob. Getting it cut short was the best thing that I could have done, as it gave my hair the volume to cover the parts that were growing back thanks to my Nioxin complete treatment. Furthermore, since short hair does require more frequent cuts, it has caused my self esteem to soar in a time that it once plummeted.
Hair loss is something that is more common than I could have ever imagined. According to the Cleveland Clinic, studies show that 50 percent of females experience hair loss at some point in their lives. The causes vary, from hormones (whether it’s postpartum or changes), to stress, to genetics, underlying medical issues, medications — just to name a few.
However, thanks to Hollywood and social media, I feel that hair loss is something that is not as common as it truly is. In fact, I feel that the content that I’m consuming crams down thick, luscious locks down my throat, making me feel less beautiful and plummeting my self esteem.
To me, that’s similar to how skinny culture was in the early 2000s, where Hollywood had caused me to have the expectation that I need to be a size 0 in order to be accepted.
That being said, I’m writing this post to not only share my story, but to normalize the struggles for those who are going through hair loss. I recognize that my hair loss was milder than most, however it is still a horrible thing, no matter what the cause. There is no worst feeling than trying to not cry too loudly in the shower as you hold a clump of your hair in your hand. I can confirm that.
So, instead of pushing down extensions down our throats, let’s take a step back. If you’re going through hair loss for any reason, trust me, you’re not alone. Instead of trying to hide it, I urge you to try different ways to prioritize your hair health and growth— biotin, Nixon, talking to your doctor, serums, and so forth. For me, Nioxin system has been the game changer for getting my hair back to life.
As someone who is going through it, I can say this. That’s a healthier approach than feeling the absolute worst about something that you cannot control.
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