Case Summary  |  Hair Loss

I am a 40 y.o. healthy white female who began to notice significant hair loss in September 2009. My hair began falling out all over, not in patches. It didn't stop and only seemed to get worse so I went to a doctor in October who did blood tests to check my thyroid and iron levels. Everything came back normal. The doctor said it was probably normal hair loss due to getting older and recommended a daily supplement called Forcapil (this was in France; not sure if available in US) which is mostly B vitamins. I've been taking these pills since October and haven't noticed any change yet. I also researched online and discovered that the condition is called telogen effluvium and may be related to a new birth control pill I began taking in June. The BCP is called Cristanta and is the same chemical make-up as Yasmin. I read a lot of forum posts online from other women who had the same hair loss on Yasmin. I stopped taking the BCP in November. I also have been using shampoos, conditioners and serums for hair loss. Haven't noticed much improvement. Also began doing a rinse with apple cider vinegar, but it's too soon to tell if it's helping. Also recently started using Minoxidil 2% to try and stimulate the follicles to regrow the lost hair. At this point (December 2009), I estimate that I've lost almost 50% of my hair and you can see a lot of scalp and large gaps where I part my hair. Hoping it stops soon but read reports online that it could be months before the loss stops and new hair begins to regrow.