I can remember the first time my hair started to shed. I thought it was falling out. I saw more of my hair on the bathroom floor daily. My friend started doing my hair and nursed it back to health. It came back, no more breaking off, no more shedding and it was healthy. I didn't think another thing about it.

When my mother was in her 40's her hair started to shed and fall out. Her eyelashes even fell out. But I remember telling her it wasn't a big deal and that she was still…