As to the hair falling out...stress is usually the culprit and taking a multi complex B vitamin will help. Mine was falling out so badly I had to take the beater brush bar off the vacuum once a week to clean it out! I started taking the B vitamins and it has worked great.
I was called an ol' hippy too when my hair was longer...I cut about 10 inches off when it was falling out...now it is growing back out again :wink: Peace 8)