HELP PLEASE!!!

Hi I am from India and desperately need advice on a number of hair problems .

I started off having jet black hair,very thick and curly but not rough - infact upto a couple of years ago( I am 30 now), my hair was exceptionally healthy ,silky, shiny and bouncy and very fast growing. It also softened into waves as opposed to the curly mop I started off with.I did develop some white hairs very early on in life(at 17 or 18)but I never bothered about them too much because they were not very visible then.

However, in the last three years, I have suffered from a number of health problems that have led to huge hair disasters.

I have been diagnosed with a fairly severe case of hypothyroidism and slightly elevated prolactin levels. I also suffer from vitiligo which requires me to take UVA treatment for my skin twice a week - all these I believe are wreaking havoc on my skin and hair.

My doctor has started me off on T4(thyroxin) supplements + an anti-androgen + Evening Primrose Oil + Co-enzyme Q10. I also need to take psoralens as a part of my vitiligo treatment.

The hair problems I am suffering from are:

1. The number of white hairs has been increasing fairly rapidly and they are all in the crown area- infact right above my forehead and along my parts(wherever I make them) and therefore extremely visible and extremely necessary for me to conceal.

While henna is a popular colouring alternative in my country to hide whites, it somehow doesn`t suit me - it leaves my hair very dry and rough. So I started using L`Oreal Castings in black( I love my hair colour and do not want to change it). When I got tired of doing home colour jobs, I started getting my hair coloured with L`Oreal Richesse at my regular salon. The problem with both these was that they would wash out in 6-10 washes and I need to wash my hair frequently(every day to every other day) cause I am a regular at the gym.

I have recently shifted to Revlon Black which I believe is slightly longer lasting than either Castings or Richesse. I don`t want to go in for permanent colouring since my hair is already in pretty bad shape healthwise. But I believe that even semi- and demi- permanent colours cause substantial hair damage - what can I do to counter that?

I would like to point out here that almost none of the brands highly recommend on this site(Phytotherathrie/Aveda/Paul Mitchell etc) are available here in India, nor are some of the products that suit my hair(Joico K-Pak collection; TIGI Oatmeal and Honey Emergency hair Repair treatment- I use this instead of a regular conditioner due to point no. 2 below)

I have read about the use of tea and/or coffee for intensifying hair colour on HairBoutique.com. Do you think regular use of these after every wash would help me prolong the time between colour jobs? Also, if I use these after conditioner, would they make my hair dull-looking? I ask this because the TIGI treatment makes my hair very shiny and I wouldn`t want ot lose that.

Also, if I use olive oil or jojoba oil on my hair an hour before washing, will it leach the colour out of my hair?

2.My hair has become very very dry and brittle - the greater concern is that is it falling at a phenomenal rate - I have already lost two-thirds of my hair. It has also virtually stopped growing( or atleast the growth has slowed down to a crawl) - earlier if I got my hair chopped to ear length it would go back to shoulder length or longer in a couple of months at most - now its been more than six months since I got a haircut but there`s been hardly an inch of growth.

3.I have been reading a lot about the different Hair supplements detailed on the site - mainly Hair Formula 37 and Hairtopia, as also Hair Care product lines like Phytotherathrie. I am very impressed with the reviews and am extremely interested in trying out these products.

Unfortunately, it is not possible for me to order these online from India since my credit card company actively discourages online purchases - also SSL sites are not very safe in India. I don`t know anyone at all living in the US or Canada who can order these for me online and courier them across to India. Could someone please suggest some alternative modes of ordering and payment that would enable me to order for either or both of these supplements, as well as some of the other products on this site - I am sure they will work for me since they are so highly recommended by all your experts.

I really love long hair and can`t wait to have my hair regain its previous condition. So please please do help me out.

Waiting very eagerly for an early and positive revert .

Thanks in advance

Swati

i would recomend you use Andrew colange thickening conditioner that worked for me but if u cant get it try egg that is ok but dont wash your hair every day try once a week i now your hair will probably go greasey but your hair needs to get all its protiens back. and as for your hair being dry from the die , the problem you got by there is they all make your hair dry. i normaly die my hair blonde and l`oreal i would say is the best dies u can get.

i would recomend you use Andrew colange thickening conditioner that worked for me but if u cant get it try egg that is ok but dont wash your hair every day try once a week i now your hair will probably go greasey but your hair needs to get all its protiens back. and as for your hair being dry from the die , the problem you got by there is they all make your hair dry. i normaly die my hair blonde and l`oreal i would say is the best dies u can get.

Dear Swati

I suggest you make the best use of local resources before spending money on products from overseas.

Go to an Ayurvedic Clinic. Celebrities and rich folk here in the West spend tons of money to do this, whereas you have access to this kind of treatment in your own homeland at reasonable cost.
If you are not keen on Ayurveda, try homeopathic treatment (also widely available in India).
Whatever you apply to the outside of your hair is not going to effect the hair loss. Traditional conditioners such as coconut oil are as effective as expensive chemical concoctions. Also, I do not recommend applying chemical or natural hair dyes - these strong formulas are not healthy and will effect the scalp as well as the hair.
Focus on hair health rather than appearance.


Personally, I am going white (50% at present) and I have lost about 1/3rd of my hair due to post-illness Telogen Effluvium (still losing it). Also, my hair was normally thick and now it has become very coarse as well.
I found this to be a lesson in re-evaluating myself. The experience has taught me that I derived too much of my self-worth through my appearance. I am now shedding hair and vanity - and learning humility and patience. Every day I am grateful for these lessons.

Swati, I hope everything works out for you.
I feel your distress, but please be careful not to panic and make decisions without referring to the experts and checking out the alternatives available to you on your "doorstep".

Best wishes

Uzma

Thanks Janet - but you know what? Most of these product lines are not available in India at all - the international brands that we get here are the mass market variants of Pantene, Revlon, Ultra Doux from Garnier and Finesse. Yes, some of the international product lines ARE available in the grey market but supply is erratic so you never know if a product that worked for you once will be available the next time you go to the shop. What we DO have here however, is a number of excellent herb based brands built from Ayurveda - so I have decided to use this herbal powder made from ancient Ayurvedic recipes to wash my hair post gym - this cleans your hair without drying it. As for the thickening bit - I find thickening shampoos and conditioners very drying and they also tend to make my wavy hair very frizzy - what I am really looking for is some way of regrowing all my lost hair REAL fast. I do use egg once in a while but hate it cos its really stinky afterwards. Hey, butthanks for sharing the tip!

Cheers

Dear Swati

I suggest you make the best use of local resources before spending money on products from overseas.

Go to an Ayurvedic Clinic. Celebrities and rich folk here in the West spend tons of money to do this, whereas you have access to this kind of treatment in your own homeland at reasonable cost.
If you are not keen on Ayurveda, try homeopathic treatment (also widely available in India).
Whatever you apply to the outside of your hair is not going to effect the hair loss. Traditional conditioners such as coconut oil are as effective as expensive chemical concoctions. Also, I do not recommend applying chemical or natural hair dyes - these strong formulas are not healthy and will effect the scalp as well as the hair.
Focus on hair health rather than appearance.


Personally, I am going white (50% at present) and I have lost about 1/3rd of my hair due to post-illness Telogen Effluvium (still losing it). Also, my hair was normally thick and now it has become very coarse as well.
I found this to be a lesson in re-evaluating myself. The experience has taught me that I derived too much of my self-worth through my appearance. I am now shedding hair and vanity - and learning humility and patience. Every day I am grateful for these lessons.

Swati, I hope everything works out for you.
I feel your distress, but please be careful not to panic and make decisions without referring to the experts and checking out the alternatives available to you on your "doorstep".

Best wishes

Uzma