Hair Loss?

OK, so I know that it's normal for people to lose a little hair every day.  However, I lose handfuls in the shower every day.  I don't have an eating disorder, I eat about 2,000 calories a day and I exercise about three times a week.  My eating habits are (for the most part) healthy, but I want to know if there are certain vitamins or minerals that I may be deficient in, resulting in hair loss.  Help!!! My ponytail is getting thinner every month!

You should talk to your doctor and ask to be checked out physically.  Hair-loss can be symptomatic of all kinds of medical conditions as well as stress, dietary deficiencies and so forth. 

Are you a blonde? I have blonde hair, and it is known that blondes shed more hair than other shades, because per inch we simply have more hair on our heads! You might also want to consider that it's approaching Summer, and all humans begin shedding more hair for the summer months. We're just like other animals - more hair in the winter, more shedding in the summer. Don't fret!

You might also be overstyling your hair - Do you use a lot of product? Blowdry your hair everyday? Try giving your hair a little break. Buy some deep conditioning leave-in syrum and treat yourself to a mini-spa experience at home.

I'm only 20, and my hair has fallen out at alarming amounts twice in the past few years. Both times were due to stress. My hairdresser was very concerned, and I was very concerned as well. I almost threw up one time when I saw how much hair was left in the bathtub. I was horrified. 

Taking a multivitamin does help, but it didn't fix it completely for me. As soon as the stress in my life was resolved, my hair stopped falling out. Becoming less stressed isn't as easy as snapping your fingers, so you have to work really hard to try to relax. 

Good luck!!

There's another recent thread on this topic that had some good information for people in your situation.  You might want to check it out.

This happened to me after I had a really nasty bout of flu. I was convinced that the new medication my doctor had recently put me on was causing it... and that I was going to go bald. Luckily, my sister-in-law is a dermatologist. She told me that lots of people lose a bunch of hair after their body has undergone some stress or change. For example, after pregnancy, change of medication, hormonal changes, or being sick. What happens is that when stressed, your body may stop losing hair in its normal cycle. Instead, it holds on to all the hair. Then when things have calmed down, you shed all of the hair that you normally would have lost slowly over that period of time. However, you do not lose any more hair than is normal, you're just losing it all at once. It's called telogen effluvium. Thank GOODNESS she mentioned this to me, as my doctor was ready to take me off every single medication I was on, including birth control, allergy meds, etc! He had never even heard of telogen effluvium. A dermatologist should be able to tell if this is really what's happening. Apparently it's very common!

thanks for all the informative replies!  actually, i am a brunette, and i haven't been sick lately--although my job is really stressful.  perhaps the stress is the key...i checked out the other thread, but it was mostly about people with ed or who were trying to gain weight (not my specific situation).  it did have some really interesting information, though--about anemia.  i checked up on the symptoms of different kinds of anemia, and i do have several of the other symptoms.  i think i'm going to get a blood test done next time i'm at the doctor's office.  thanks, everyone, for the great support!!

I'd have the Dr. check your thyroid for sure. I had that problem and otherwise felt fine about 11 years ago and after going to the Dr found out I had thyroid cancer. I don't want to scare you but if you catch it early enough thyroid cancer is one of the easier ones to cure.

I also went through a period where I was losing my hair excessively and it was thyroid related too (underactive not cancer).  Definitely worth speaking with your doctor about to rule out a medical condition.

I have this too....as a woman it is weird to have happen - one would think only men loose their hair.

I just had my blood work done, and it turns out that I am borderline low thyroid (which will be rechecked in a few months to see if it needs treatment), and also anemic (iron deficient), and vitamin D deficient.

I would recommend getting your blood work done... vitamin/mineral deficiencies could definitely have a hand in this.