My Hair Loss Journey

Here’s the deal — we all want beautiful hair. After all, it’s your omnipresent accessory that you wear each and every day. It’s physically attached to your body and the presence of hair can have a real impact on your overall look, mood, feeling, and confidence. I’ve struggled with a few different types of hair loss over the past 2.5 years and I’m sharing with you today my hair loss experience, as well as my journey to successful hair growth.

If you’d like to hear about my journey through video, you can watch a very detailed diary with timeline, products, and reviews here!

This blog post recounts my personal experience with hair loss over the past 2.5 years and these are the real products that I’ve used and seen results with. There are so many hair growth products on the market today, and it’s hard to know which ones are worth trying. I hope my story helps navigate your journey in a positive way!

Hair Loss from Dry Shampoo

In 2020, I experienced extreme hair loss and thinning. During the pandemic when salons shut down, I had my husband remove my hair extensions and I was shocked to uncover the fact that my real hair was grossly thin. My ponytail was so thin, it truly felt like a rat’s tail. I was SO disheartened and the hair loss really started to affect my mood and confidence. Thus, I started searching for answers and solutions.

I was instantly suspicious that the extensions had caused the hair loss but knowing what I know now (because I’ve had them again since then – for a short period of time during my pregnancy), my hair loss wasn’t because of the extensions. Turns out, dry shampoo can cause extreme hair loss. 

*None of the images in this blog post have been altered or have extension hair. These are all images of my natural hair.

Because the extensions didn’t need to be washed that often, I used dry shampoo to “freshen” my real hair and I was using it almost every day! Despite its immediate benefits, dry shampoo can have long-term effects on the hair and scalp.

“As dry shampoo builds up on the scalp it can prevent nutrients from being able to reach the hair follicle. Reavey says overusing the product can result in inflammation of the scalp and blockage of the follicles. “Over time, this can weaken the follicle, causing increased shedding and hair thinning.” (Source)

How to Fix Hair Loss in Women

Ok, so I threw the dry shampoos out and started healing my hair from within.

While researching, I stumbled across a video from a lifestyle influencer saying that a product called Nutrafol helped aid in growing her hair back after an extreme loss. So, I ordered my first bottle and committed to taking it every day for consecutive months. 

How long did it take Nutrafol to work?

I started taking Nutrafol in March of 2020 and saw my hair triple in thickness in 3-4 months. My hair wasn’t necessarily longer, but I noticed a significant difference in the thickness of my ponytail. I was so pleased with the results! I continued taking Nutrafol for a few months but not every day. Then I got pregnant, and let the prenatal vitamins do the work!

Postpartum Hair Loss Treatment

Fast forward to 2021, and I now have a beautiful new baby girl, and my hair is looking and feeling great. Not getting washed much because well if you know – you know but that’s ok. It actually trained me to stop washing my hair so much! 

I had read and heard about postpartum hair loss but wasn’t really sure when it occurs, for how long, etc. I got to the 3-month mark and thought I must have escaped the postpartum hair loss journey… Silly me!

Nope, around 4 months postpartum is when I started losing my hair in chunks. Experiencing postpartum hair loss was the most unsettling feeling. Watching the hair shed in mass amounts in the shower, while brushing, and while blow drying made me feel like my body was disowning me in some way. Not only is holding large amounts of hair in your hand unsettling, but then you really start to SEE and FEEL the loss. Thinner ponytails, and most notably for me, missing patches around my hairline which was extremely noticeable (to me) when I’d pull my hair back in ponytails and in low-buns.

How do you fix postpartum hair loss?

So, for me, this hair serum did the trick. I was so shocked at how quickly this product worked! Online, they say to stick with it for at least 3 weeks to see results and that was exactly on par with when I started to see results. I also started taking the Nutrafol hair supplement again to help with hair thickness, but this Divi hair serum helped tremendously with postpartum hair loss in terms of regrowing patchiness around my face. 

This hair serum is wonderful and is under $50. I would apply one dropper full every night before I went to bed. Simply just massage it into the areas of the scalp where you are experiencing patchiness and hair loss. This product is amazing to use for overall hair health. The ingredients not only support new hair growth, but they also help detoxify the scalp from product buildup — like hairspray, dry shampoo, etc.

I think I went through 2 bottles of Divi before I decided I was happy with the hair growth around my face. I now just apply the hair serum once or twice a week to maintain hair health and detoxify.

How to Get Longer and Stronger Hair 

It’s officially been one year since I experienced postpartum hair loss and I’m so excited to say that today my hair has never been healthier. My hair is strong, long, and shiny! Now that I’ve had time to reflect on everything I’ve been doing to grow my hair, I want to share it with the world because I know so many women suffer from hair loss. 

Finally, here’s a quick rundown of my hair care routine. This is what I’ve found to be successful in growing my hair to be longer, thicker, and shinier. 

• I only wash my hair 2 times a week. 3 times MAX!
• This shampoo, conditioner, and treatment serum are without a doubt the BIGGEST proponent for how my hair looks. I started using this product combo around in February of 2022 when it launched and I haven’t looked back. It’s absolutely incredible. You can read the science behind its formula but to keep it short and sweet all I can say is that this shampoo and conditioner are magic. The fortifying treatment serum has so many benefits to rebuilding and strengthening the hair, but it also acts as a heat protectant which is an absolute must-have! I know these products are on the more expensive side of hair care but if you are suffering from weak and brittle hair, this could very well work for you. The shampoo and conditioner last me about 5 months due to the fact that I only wash my hair a few times a week. The treatment serum (which I apply each time after I get out of the shower, and finish combing my hair) I’ve had for about 12 months and the bottle is still half-full. A little goes a long way so it’s really a great hair product to invest in!

If you want to start by investing in just one of these, I suggest getting the serum!

Seriously, get these products – I promise you won’t regret investing in your hair… EVER!

To sum up this blog post about how to prevent and fix hair loss in women, there are a few different hair loss products and game plan approaches to regrowth. If you are reading this then I imagine you are looking for a solution for thinning or complete hair loss. Here’s what I have to recommend for those of you on a hair regrowth journey.

If you are experiencing: 

Hair thinning: try Nutrafol and/or the Alchemy line of products from Oribe

Patchy hair loss from Postpartum: Try Divi serum + Alchemy

Breakage that is causing stunted hair growth or extreme shedding: Order this shampoo, conditioner and serum today. This stuff WORKS! Plus, it smells like a million dollars. Seriously it’s such a luxurious product which means a little bit goes a long way.

All three product suggestions I’ve shared with you today have worked for me! Hair growth and overall hair health don’t happen overnight. You need to be committed to staying the course and being diligent in your haircare routine. Experts suggest sticking with a routine for at least 3 months before you expect to notice results. If you continue to experience hair loss, I would consult with your doctor.

Is the Oribe Alchemy line worth the hype? In my opinion, yes and it’s worth the money. The Nutrafol works also, but it’s 4 large capsules a day. When looking at cost, a bottle of Nutrafol is $90/month.

This size Oribe shampoo and this size conditioner both last me 4-5 months. Together, they total around $105. So I think it’s definitely the more economical buy. Even though I know it’s really expensive for shampoo, I can 100% say this line of hair products worked for me to regrow my postpartum hair loss.

I wish you the most success on your hair journey. I hope that reading about my experiences with hair loss and success in growing it back helps you in deciding which path you might want to take. 

Much love — xoxo, Meredith