What's happening to my hair? And what to do about it? (Pics)

[karl]

Hi everyone,

Whoever replies to this thread, thanks in advance.

I'm 18, 19 in 3 months, and about 4 months ago I noticed a lot of hair in the shower especially... When I wash my hair I can see it on my hands everytime I run them through my hair. My hair is decent in length, so I noticed it easily... I can count 100 in the shower if I keep going at it. Any other time, if I run my hands through my hair and try to pull some out.. I can easily pull 1, 2 or 3 hairs out at a time. It's the worst in the crown area, but I can do it in the back and anywhere else as well...

My father is a NW8 no doubt about that... I think I'm having diffuse hair loss, with the most noticeable in the crown area... although no one has yet told me about it, so I'm thinking if I can maintain what I have now i'll be more than happy... I also used to have really thick and full hair, but now it seems like it's really fine and fragile.

I'm hoping it's male pattern baldness, I've been to my family doctor, who is a real herbal nut, all he told me was not to worry about it... So I made an appointment to a derm, he asked me where I thought most of the hairloss was visible I told him the crown, he said: "Yeah, I see it, 5% Rogaine, see you in 6months". Ok cool, except 1 problem... My priority isn't to regrow hair in that area... I don't think it looks bad yet, I just want to make sure it doesn't fall out! I asked him about Propecia, but he dismissed my claims... I put on the Rogaine last night and today, it's itchy as hell, and I got it all over my hair, so it looks bleached now. I'm thinking of making another appointment tomorrow and asking him for Propecia, and if he doesn't prescribe it, i'll go to another derm.

Anyway... here are the pictures, i'm thinking im a N2 at the most... but i'll let you guys judge, thanks again.

Dry:




Hairline (I don't think I've had any loss here, it's been like this since I remember):


Wet:




Personally, i've only noticed hair loss in the crown area, and just that overall my hair seems more fine... even though i'm having AT LEAST 100 fall out daily...

 

[Aplunk1]

That last pic definitely shows the first signs of balding/thinning.

This website has no doctors on it (that I know of), but most people here recommend what has worked for him.

Generally, the most successful, cheap, and most recommened course of action is to set up a hairloss regimen consisting of:

Minoxidil 5% (Rogaine, or Dr. Lee... http://www.minoxidil.com, or a generic)
Finasteride ~1mg (Propecia, Proscar... even dutasteride, look it up)
Nizoral shampoo (Used for its anti-androgenic, anti-inflammatory, properties... working synergistically with both minoxidil and finasteride)


The Big 3

 

[TAINTED-MEAT]

if ya listen to aplunk you'll be just fine

 

[karl]

Thanks for the replies, I'm going to try to buy some Nizoral shampoo tomorrow, not sure where I can buy it here in Canada, if not i'll just order some online.

I'll take some more pictures tomorrow with really wet hair, but are you sure I need Rogaine? Wouldn't Finasteride + Nizoral be just fine for stopping and keeping what I have now... it's really hard to apply the Rogaine to my long hair, and I don't think it's that bad in those thinning areas, that I would want to regrow more hair there.

And from what I understand... Rogaine grows hair, but I would have to use it for the rest of my life for that area, and if it's not that bad yet, maybe it's not necessary?

 

[karl]

I just read up on Telogen Effluvium

Quoted from:
http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WS ... 10836.html

"If the doctor gently tugs on some hairs on your scalp and four or more hairs come out, you probably have telogen effluvium. Also, the hairs will look like hairs in the telogen phase — they will have a white bulb at the end that was in the scalp, and will not have a gel-like covering around that end of the hair."

This is exactly what's happening to me... I can pretty much tug on any area on my head and pull out that many hairs with the white little bulb at the bottom... Is this male pattern baldness or could it be Telogen Effluvium?

Maybe just thinking so hard about all this stuff is making my hair fall out :freaked:

 

[hellohello]

It looks like male pattern baldness, Telogen Effluvium is usually concentrated to one area of the head only. Trying Google imagine the word to see what I mean.

 

[IBM]

.

 

[biglemoncoke]

buy it in costco in canada, i am almost 18 living in vancouver, i don't think doctor prescribe propecia for 19+ here...maybe try online pharmacy, though i donno how much the tax would be =.= i had to buy 80$ cdn for tax for a dam hookah and the hookah cost only 40$ sucks to be balding at a young age eh? when u are suppose to be getting all the girls, worst for an asian, i don mind being bald if i am blonde.

 

[Guest]

i don mind being bald if i am blonde.

I am sure you would.....

 

[CCS]

carl,

pull the hair on the side of your head, right behind the ear. if even that hair comes out easily, then Telogen Effluvium it is.

 

[Guest]

I just pulled out 3 hairs next to my right ear without any pain, yet I was confirmed by 2 dermatologists that my hair loss on top looks androgenetic without a doubt.

Keep in mind that one can have both male pattern baldness and Telogen Effluvium at the same time and your last pic to me definetly reveals the horsehoe. Don´t waste any time and go to a doctor in order to get a proper confirmation. Do not trust on having Telogen Effluvium and that it will all just go away.

 

[karl]

Yes, I can pull hair out from the side even right behind the ear. Although not 3-4 hairs each time. I don't know if i'm just imagining things but it seems as if I can pull out less hair now... before each time at least 1 hair, more like 3-4 around the crown which I think is thin, but now I can't pull out that much, nor has that much been showing up in the shower.

Once i counted up to 100 just in the shower alone... yesterday probobly 30 or so really small hairs. Maybe the supplements i've been taking are helping.

I've been to my family doctor who is really big into herbal medecine, so he is against propecia and rogaine, he said I should just go bald... gee that helps. Went to my derm, he perscribed both Rogaine and Propecia, he said to use one or the other, I tried Rogaine, but my hair is long so it's too messy. So now I have a box of Propecia in my desk, but I don't know if I should try it or not yet... I see it as a final resort. As I am only 18... I REALLY don't like the idea of taking a drug that will alter my hormones, especially at this age.

So I think i'll stick to supplements for now, as well as Nizoral/T-Gel/Anaphase and if this doesn't help i guess i'll give Propecia a try and hope i don't get gyno.

 

[Guest]

Omg, I can´t believe what I am reading here......

First of all this "doctor" who told to go bald should be :2gunsfiring_v1: . I can´t believe he actually said this to a balding teenager. Unbelievable! If the derm perscribed Rogaine and Propecia you probably suffer from male pattern baldness and not just Telogen Effluvium.

Your supplements won´t bring you anywhere, they might be helpful, but they won´t stop your male pattern baldness. You should get on finasteride as soon as possible, since you might deeply regret it later. Just take a look around. Give it a try! I was also worried about the sides, but they almost disappeared after 2 weeks. You might also try a lower dosage, such as 0.25mg. If you are actually afraid finasteride might do harm to your body, then think about something else you might change in your life. For instance, instead of eating fast food you ask your mother to cook you a meal consisting of fresh vegetables. I am absolutly sure that one lunch at McDonalds is doing our bodies much more harm than one pill of finasteride. Or you might start working out. But at least give a finasteride try, if you think you can´t handle the sides then quit. Anything else is just a waste of time.

Good Luck!

 

[karl]

Thanks Taugenichts

My derm is pretty much the opposite of my doctor... he'll prescribe anything I want him to... the visit was like 2 minutes. I told him im loosing my hair, he asked if anyone in my family was bald, I told him my dad was, he asked where i thought most of it was, I told him about the crown area, he nodded said to try Rogaine. I came back a few days later, asked about propecia, he said ok sure... Didn't even mention any sides...

So it's not like im 100% certain he knows exactly what it is.

Also, im seriously thinking of trying 0.5mg of finasteride, how would I go about cutting it? Just straight down the middle? Can i do this with any knife or do I need a special pill cutter, I hope this pill isn't timed release or anything.

 

[Guest]

Puh, I am really glad to read this!

If he advised you to try Rogaine he probably saw that it was male pattern baldness. Many people (myself included) are trying to blame hair loss on stress or something before facing the truth. Look, I am not trying to scare you, but you will go bald if you only take supplements or Nizoral. With finasteride you have a good chance to maintain your hair for quite some time until something better comes out. Basically all the sides you can get go away if you stop taking finasteride.

A regular pill cutter should be available at any pharcamy for 2 or 3 USD, you might also try ebay. Just cut it in the middle, yes.

Good Luck!

 

[karl]

I was playing around with the camera and found the best angle... these pictures are taken with a flash in a room with no light, so it's obviously not as apparent unless you shine a halogen to my scalp...





I don't believe how much i've lost, from what I remember this only started 4 months ago at most... Is my male pattern baldness just this damn agressive, or could it be Telogen Effluvium as well...

But looking at these pictures, im going on 1mg propecia tomorrow night officially because this really sucks ***... just when I finally grow my hair out, and am happy with it for the first time in 17 years, this happens..........

 

[Guest]

These pics are shocking, but keep in mind! Under normal circumstances other people won´t see you like that. In general your hair reminds me on my own hair. You can see the pics if you click on the link in my signature. My crown looks a little bit better, though your temple recession is not as bad as mine. I am also suffering from both male pattern baldness and Telogen Effluvium I think, but I can´t tell you how much of your thinning can be blamed on Telogen Effluvium and might regrow automatically. In your case (and in mine) it would be the best to start Propecia and not worry about hair loss at all. First step would be not to read in hair loss forums. You see, I am obviously doing something wrong......

Btw Propecia alone can give you some thickening as well, since you still have quite a lot of hair left. There is a good chance for that since your hair loss happend just recently.

Good Luck

 

[Solo]

Do you smoke?? Have you recently started to smoke??


I´m just curious, mate.

 

[karl]

Nope, I've smoked a couple cigarettes in my life, maybe a few more this last year since i did start university, and we partied pretty hard. But never daily smoking, only social smoking. Though that was almost a year ago, and my hair was fine then.

 

[karl]

Taugenichts, your hair loss looks similar to mine, especially the crown... how long have you been losing hair for? How old are you, and have you experienced any side effects from propecia yet? I know it's only been a few days.

Maybe my hair loss started earlier... and it was only till my mom pointed out one day, WTF is all this hair in the shower... from then on I started worrying about it, and that was about 3 months ago.