Happy Thursday, friends! First, thank you so much for all of your support and encouraging words about my debut on Godcentered Mom’s podcast.  There are so many of us out there walking this walk, and it is such an honor to get your messages and read your posts.  Just know that I am praying for you, and am blessed that you are letting me “hold your hand” through this journey.

Today, I am talking to the ladies out there today that are walking a hormonally charged/”where the heck did my hair go?” road.  Infertility messes with our hair.  Pregnancy messes with our hair.  Age messes with our hair (BOO!).

As discussed in a previous post, I apparently no longer have boundaries in what I will and will not share with the public. Bottom line, my once super awesome hair is struggling big time! As a child, I had a TON of naturally curly hair.  It was fine hair, but I had a TON of it! Please see the amazing glamour shot below for reference.  Please ignore the red fringe and sequin jacket, and just pay attention to the crazy amount of hair that I had!  And, just for reference, I was probably 14 in this picture.  And, apparently very serious about my glamour shot pose.

This gift of hair lasted until around the time we started infertility treatments, and then the hormones just made everything start changing. Each time I became pregnant, my hair would become amazing again.  And then, with the loss of each pregnancy, my hair would shed.  The farther along I was in the pregnancy, the worse the hormonal shedding was.  I discovered some amazing products (one that I still use today!) to try and help my hair stay healthy looking and give the illusion of thickness. It wasn’t until Jackson’s 1^st birthday (he just turned 7!) that I saw myself in a video signing Happy Birthday to him, and noticed a giant bald spot peaking out of my hair on the left side.  Okay, it wasn’t a giant spot.  But it felt giant as I was silently having a meltdown while watching the video.  Thinning hair runs in my family, but all of the hormonal stress I had endured had only made it worse!

Fast forward to 2017, and Lord have mercy! Sophie basically took all of my hair with her to Heaven.  My dermatologist sweetly told me that two pregnancies in a year can fast forward your natural hair shedding cycle by 30 years.  I have no idea if that is true, but I drank a fat glass of wine that night in honor of my childhood glamour shot! I tried to not think about it, and I tried to hide it under a baseball cap.  It wasn’t until Reid asked if I knew that wearing a baseball cap every day can actually make your hair thinner that I totally lost it.  Poor Reid.  He was literally making a statement, and I just burst into tears.  If my sweet husband had found me out, then I was in trouble!

So, in early February, I started a consistent hair growth regimen.  I love all kinds of new products, so the fact that I have stuck with this for two months is impressive.  I have used a couple of these products for years, but the rest are new to me.  I don’t believe that there is a magic pill for anything, and I believe that everyone’s body is different.  But . . . I have seen some VERY MINOR improvement with this little regimen of mine.  Here are the products that I take internally, and then also put on my hair! I would LOVE your recommendations as well! I know a lot of us deal with this kind of “fun”!

PRODUCTS (SUPPLEMENTS) I TAKE TO HELP . . .

1. Plexus Slim.
   • I love this pink drink. I have been taking it since 2014, and I never want to stop.  It helps balance your blood sugars, and it helps with your energy levels.  I think the “pink drink” has truly helped keep my gut stable throughout the craziness of last year. Big Fan! It also helps with sleeping better, overall gut health, and a multitude of other health related items!
2. Sugar Hair Bear Vitamins
   • When a friend told me she took these, I was confused. She was neither a Kardashian nor a former contestant of The Bachelor franchise, so I didn’t understand why she was telling me these were so great.  But, I took the Kardashian plunge, and am in love with these vitamins.  First, they are super tasty.  They are also vegetarian, gluten free, soy free, and made without artificial sweeteners and flavors.  My dentist would probably hate these due to their amazing gumminess, but hey, I’m balding over here.
3. New Life HGH Anti-Aging Gel
   • This product is the one of the items that I most recently added to my regimen. I started seeing the minor results in my hair after starting this, so I think it was a big piece to this puzzle.  This Somaderm Gel has a homeopathic dose of the hormone called HGH (Human Growth Hormone) in it.  We slow down producing HGH by 21 and stop completely by 35-39. A dear friend told me about this gel, and how it was helping her sleep better, have more energy, and made her migraines go away.  After talking with my doctor about it, I jumped on board in hopes that it would help with my hair. I am loving the results of the HGH gel so far!
4. ProBio 5
   • I am a huge believer in gut health. 80% of our immune system is found in our gut, so 2 of these probiotics a night have really helped me.  No clue if this is helping with my hair, but I am not going to stop taking in order to find out! I like the way the ProBio5 makes me feel.
5. Collagen Peptides
   • I HAVE NOT USED this yet, BUT had a sweet friend mention that it was helping her skin glow and nails grow. So, I just ordered and will be putting in my coffee starting this weekend.  It is gluten free, dairy free, and paleo friendly. And, it claims that it helps your hair, skin, nails, joints, and bones.  Hoping for a miracle!

PRODUCTS I PUT ON MY HAIR TO HELP . . .

1. Natural Tech Energizing Shampoo
   • Smells great, and I have had less breakage since starting to use this.
2.  OI Conditioner
   • Strong initial smell, but makes my hair feel great! This makes my hair look very smooth and shiny.
3. Rogaine
   • From what I have gathered in talking with doctors, hairdressers, and friends with thin hair, Rogaine is the way to go. I cannot believe that I am admitting to using this stuff, but I started becoming consistent with it at the beginning of this year. I say consistent . . . I use it whenever I have washed my hair and am about to dry it.  And, after several discussions, I was talked into using the men’s version.  I have had women tell me miracle stories about this stuff.  I could definitely be more consistent in using this, but I am trying!
4. Nioxin Diamax
   • I have used this for YEARS! It is a thickening serum that you spray over your scalp while your hair is wet. You then comb it through and are ready to dry your hair. This serum plumps up each hair follicle, and makes your hair look thicker.  I LOVE THIS STUFF!  You can find this at random salons around town, but it is cheaper and always available on Amazon.

5. Living Proof Full Thickening Mousse
   • I am a big Texas hair girl. I used a Frederic Fekkai mousse for years, but then they changed the formula.  I really loved that mousse, but this Living Proof mousse is good replacement.  It doesn’t hold down your hair, and does the job.

This is what I am using now.  My plan is to do a huge hormonal work up this summer, but I would imagine that I am just dealing with a decade of hormonal shedding and stress.  I know that there are a TON of other products our there, and would love to hear your personal experience.  If you have something that you love, and that you have seen can help with some dramatic hair issues, PLEASE let me know.  If I get my hair back in business, then I’ll take some more glamour shots! Ha!