Last year, my father died. Soon after, I was admitted to the hospital for an entire week with pneumonia and a virus that was never identified. About two months later, as I washed my hair, I lost enough to fill a zipped sandwich bag. I’ve never lost that amount of hair before. It’s called shock hair loss, and it’s symptomatic of stress, illness, or both.
Today, both people who have been infected by COVID-19 and those who are just stressed by our current times are finding themselves suddenly facing hair loss. Shock hair loss is real. It’s a normal reaction to illness and stress, but it can be mitigated. Below are the things I did and products I used to stop the hair loss and regrow my hair.
Castor Oil
First and foremost, there is nothing out there that proves applying castor oil to your scalp will combat the effects of shock hair loss. However, just because absolutely no one has done a study on how castor oil works doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. No one’s proved it does, but no one’s proved it doesn’t.
However, I can report on my personal findings. For me, castor oil has worked. Whether I apply it to my lashes, which I do nightly, or my scalp, all I can tell you is that castor oil straight from the bottle has helped me overcome shock hair loss.
When I suffered from it, I applied castor oil all over my scalp, massaging it in, and slept with it on (using a towel to protect my pillows and sheets) every other night. I was diligent. The next morning I would wash it out. Castor oil made a hell of difference, especially when combined with the following two steps.
Castor Oil Hair Treatment
On those mornings when I had to wash out the castor oil, I conditioned my hair with OKAY Black Jamaican Castor Oil Treatment. This hair care line has other castor oil-based products, too. I encourage you to explore them all. But between leaving castor oil in my hair overnight and this treatment, it was enough for me to overcome my shock hair loss.
Biotin
As a member of the Vitamin B family, biotin can have a positive effect on your hair, skin, and nails. I have used biotin off and on for decades, and I’ve found only one brand that works for me: Moon Juice Super Hair. However, note the $60 price tag. Yikes, I know. But I have found the investment to be worth it. In fact, it’s the only brand of biotin that I will use. Oddly, Moon Juice Super Hair also works to alleviate stress. I’m not sure how this stuff works; all I can say is that for me, personally, it works!
I want to reiterate, when I suffered from shock hair loss, I used all three products simultaneously. I didn’t just use the castor oil, or just take biotin. I really believe that I was able to regrow my hair because I consistently used all of the above listed products together as a treatment plan.
So, if you’re a victim of shock hair loss, know that you’re not alone. This syndrome is normal and it can be managed. With my recommendations, there’s hope.