You’re shedding like a cat leaving a path of hair strands in your bed, car, and on the couch. A little hair is okay, but it appears more like leaving bread crumbs to solve a mystery.

As you brush your hair in the morning, you might be asking, “why is my hair falling out?”

Before thinking about calling it a day, buying some clippers, and shaving your head, let’s figure out why you feel you’re shedding like a cat and how to fix it.

Let’s talk about the uncomfortable subject of excessive hair loss.

I noticed a few more hairs than regular taking over my living space.

I have thick curly hair and am no stranger to the number of hairs sitting in my hairbrush after a good wash, but this was excessive.

I could breathe, and the hairs on my head would fall off like leaves on a tree in the autumn.

Was my hair too dry? At times my hair did feel like a barrel of hay, which told me it was time for a hair cut.

Even after getting a hair cut, the hair strands kept on free falling to the point I noticed my hair thinning on the crown of my head.

What Causes Hair Loss in Women?

Hair loss can be caused by changes in diet, stress, pregnancy, chronic illness, vitamin or mineral deficiency, high amounts of magnesium, and calcium in the water.

Repetitive stress and tension to the hair follicle can leave hair brittle.

Split, dry ends, and dull hair are signs that either you’re long overdue for a hair cut, hair is becoming damaged from over-styling with heat, or lack of not drinking enough water.

Stress can deplete your body of vitamins and minerals. Taking a supplement helps, but nothing can replace eating fruits and vegetables.

Asking for a blood draw to identify vitamin and mineral deficiencies can be a big help in identifying the causes of your hair loss.

Uterine Fibroids

During an annual exam, my doctor found something abnormal in my uterus and determined I needed to get an ultrasound followed by an MRI to get a closer look at my pelvis and uterus.

The results showed I had two uterine fibroids.

90% of black women develop fibroids before turning 50. The majority are benign (noncancerous) growths. Symptoms of uterine fibroids are:

• irregular periods (prolonged, heavy, long)
• pain in the abdomen
• increased frequency or urgency to urinate
• pain during intercourse

For over a year, I experienced multiple periods a month, which was unusual. I mean, once a month is a challenge, but every two weeks is a little much.

Excessive loss of blood, can result in iron deficiency anemia.

I had an IUD (Intrauterine Device) inserted five years ago in which my periods in the past were light.

When I visited my gynecologist and mentioned to one of the nurses of a change in my periods, she chalked it up to my IUD being expired.

I should have known I was being taken for a ride as my gynecologist has the nickname the “IUD Whisperer” and would never say something so idiotic to her patients.

The lesson here is to trust your gut and not allow anyone, man or woman convince you, “it’s all in your head.”

Don’t be afraid to speak up or seek a second opinion.

Acupuncture and Medicinal Herbs

Fast forward two years. The weekly acupuncture treatments for hormone imbalances resulted in the shrinking of the two ovarian cysts.

My acupuncture prescribed herb Resolve (Lower) to dispel stagnated blood and Polygonum 14 to reduce shedding and accelerate hair growth.

You can expect to see little hairs sprouting up three months.

You can’t buy these herbs online without being under the care of a healthcare professional and for good reason.

If you don’t take the right dosage, you can end up experiencing contradictions, which can worsen your health condition. Who wants that?

In addition to the alternative treatments of acupuncture and herbs to treat uterine fibroids, some users have reported drinking apple cider vinegar helped to shrink their ovarian cysts.

Foods That Help Slow Fibroid Growth

Low potassium is one contributor to triggering these growths. When I looked at my lab work again, I in fact had low potassium.

Potassium can easily be added into your diet by eating bananas, avocados, oat bran, dates, lentils, and nut milk.

I make a morning smoothie combining frozen fruit, zuccinni (for its neutral taste and water content), one tablespoon of walnut oil, and Elmhurst 1925 walnut milk I buy online from Nuts.com or the actual Elmhurst 1925 website.

Test For Hard Water

Ever traveled to areas of the United States and noticed how soft your hair was only to get home, wash your hair, and feel a difference in texture? Why is that?

If you live in the United States, over 85% of households have hard water. Take a look at this map to see if your city is affected.

If you color your hair or go to a salon, know that hard water and color-treated hair do not mix and can lead to color fading and brassiness.

Knowing what type of water you have in your area helps to narrow down the contributing factors damaging your hair.

Who likes watching money (hair color) running down the drain?

You don’t need fancy gadgets to test for hard water. If you’re a Dr. Bronner’s fan like I am, watch the two-minute video below.

A second quick way to test for hard water is by taking a look at your shower head and faucets.

I live in an area that has extremely hard water. You know you have hard water if there is mineral residue on or around your shower head and faucet.

You might be breathing a sigh of relief right now, thinking it was your household cleaning technique creating the problem.

Nope, it’s just a build-up of minerals. Just add salt pellets to your water softener.

Hair Health Check

Having hard water can trick you into thinking you have a dandruff problem. That is what I thought.

Normally I can get away with washing and styling my hair once a week.

For those with curly hair, washing your hair every day can be damaging to your curls.

I noticed large flakes sticking to my scalp and becoming really itchy. No matter how much I washed my hair, the flakes wouldn’t go away.

The culprit? Mineral deposits from hard water.

My curls became high maintenance. Found myself washing my hair a couple of times a week, yet the itching kept on getting worse.

Hard water can damage hair.

Knowing the signs of build-up on the hair can help undo the damage and get your hair back to its healthy state.

I have since switched to distilled water. Distilled water is the by-product of minerals removed during the distillation process of boiling water.

The steam leftover is your distilled water.

Buying gallon jugs from your grocery store, or purchasing a water distilling machine on Amazon for less than $100 that takes less than four hours to make is another option.

You can find a plethora of videos on YouTube on how to make distilled water at home. It is a time-consuming process, yet it is good to know how to do it in a pinch when purchasing distilled water isn’t available.

What Helps With Hair Loss?

The layering of alternative treatments and home remedies can help accelerate hair regrowth and doesn’t have to be complicated.

Home remedies are natural to easy to make, as most of the products are already sitting in your kitchen cabinet.

Many of us wash and condition our hair incorrectly and haven’t been taught the proper way to care for our hair.

If you have thick and/or curly hair, using a lot of products like oils and silicone to moisturize and protect hair, can add a build-up to your scalp and contribute to itching.

I came across Manes by Mell YouTube Channel when searching for videos to cut my hair at home.

Her explanations about different hair types and curl patterns have been a game-changer.

Learning the ins and outs about scalp care assisted me in making the final determination if I was suffering from a dry scalp or dandruff.

The verdict? Dry scalp. Since showing love to my scalp with nightly massages, I haven’t seen a speck or flake.

Walnut Oil and Essential Oils

Walnut oil contains Omega-3s, which prevents cell damage, destroys dandruff, treats psoriasis, strengthens hair, and promotes regrowth.

Fantastic in salad dressings and smoothies, walnut oil is an excellent oil for massaging your scalp combined with essential oil as a carrier oil.

When selecting a nut or essential oil, ensure you’re buying an organic. Don’t go cheap on your hair. A little goes a long way.

I use La Tourangelle, Roasted Walnut Oil, and H’ana Ylang Ylang Essential Oil to make a couple of ounces worth that lasts a couple of months or more.

Essential oils can burn if applied directly to the skin. Always mix essential oils with a carrier oil (almond, olive, jojoba, etc.).

Mix two tablespoons of walnut oil with five drops of ylang-ylang oil.

Save time by making your scalp massage oil in bulk by doubling the amount and storing it in a small glass bottle with a glass eyedropper.

Doing it this way makes it easy for me to measure out ten drops of the oil.

Depending on the thickness of your hair, use more or less if you have thinner hair.

Massage into your scalp and leave on for 20 minutes or overnight before shampooing out.

If you’re not a fan of ylang-ylang, check out this list of alternative essential oils for hair.

There is no need to buy a fancy glass bottle.

Once you use up your favorite essential oil, reuse a small glass container to store your hair scalp oil.

I repurposed an empty AVEDA Damage Remedy Oil glass bottle.

These bottles have been coming in handy lately find new uses for when I travel with a carry-on.

If you have a label maker, slap a label (like the one above) on the glass bottle. I wrap a piece of clear packing tape on top of the label to prevent smudging.

The size is small enough to travel in your carry-on.

I massage my scalp every night before going to bed, along with wearing a bonnet.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Scratching the scalp from the build-up of dirt, sebum, and hair products can increase thinning and hair loss.

If you’re experiencing hair thinning, the vitamins and minerals found in apple cider vinegar can promote hair growth by cleansing your hair and scalp by balancing the scalp’s pH level.

The acidity can help your scalp for the occasional itchy scalp like dandruff or psoriasis.

Rinsing your hair with apple cider vinegar (ACV) washes away the build-up of hair products that can make hair lifeless and dull.

In addition to nightly scalp massages, when it is wash day, I skip my walnut and ylang-ylang hair miracle elixir and use Uncle Harry’s Hair and Scalp Elixir.

It’s properties of ACV cleanse the scalp to remove build-up, get rid of dandruff, and accelerates the growth of those baby hairs from root stimulation.

If you have an oily scalp, this elixir will do wonders for your hair.

Apply six-ten drops to your scalp, massage it in, let it sit overnight, and wash out the next day.

ACV, when consumed, is known to purify the liver, contains vitamins and minerals like potassium.

Check out my copy cat Bragg’s Apple Cider and Honey drink and learn more about its health benefits.

Always Consult a Healthcare Professional

If you’re taking medication for a health condition always consult with a healthcare professional to get advice on potential contradictions.

Even though a product may work on one person, it may not work for you.

My body has a hard time breaking down histamine and I react badly to preservatives, thus the reason why I’m a fan of home remedies.

It’s cheaper and I know what’s in the bottle.

I can’t say enough how important it is to read the back of the label of products.

You’re trying to fix a problem, not create another set of problems.