Category: Hair Loss Causes

My hair has been thin since I was 16 (now 26). But it was very gradual and with almost no progression. Recently I went through a period of extreme stress/depression due to relationship problems. This lasted for approximately 4-5 months. A few months back I noticed that my hair seemed to be thinning so I have started propecia. I was told I was not yet thin enough to have any cosmetic surgery. While I still have some stress (not nearly as much) I am noticing that the hair is seemingly shedding at an even more accelerated rate. I have been on the drug for about 3 weeks. When could I see some type of improvement? What should I expect as far as improvement? Also could supplements like creatine be playing a factor in all of this?

Stress induced hair loss could be temporary or it could precipitate your genetic hair loss (in other words, you might’ve lost hair anyway due to genetics somewhere down the line and the stress just sped it up). I’d give it 6-9 months (or longer) before you start seeing some benefits. Those benefits could be regrowth or they could just be halting the hair loss. Your doctor should’ve explained this to you when he/she prescribed it.

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Recently I noticed that I have a slightly thinning crown. I went to the dermatologist and he said hes not really sure what is happening but said that it might be male pattern baldness. My father (an internest, who happens to be bald) looked at it, as did my pediatrician and they both said the follicles look healthy, and my pediatrician said hes not sure, could be alopecia areata or male pattern baldness. He didnt know. My pediatrician told me to use 5% monoxidil once a day for about 2 months and to come back to him. However i heard that if you do not know the reason of your hairloss you can cause permanent damage. Im really confused and dont know what to do

I am 18 years old. Is it true that if you use Rogaine on existing hair you can destroy that hair? I put it on my hairline, (norwood class 2. My oldest brother (26 years old) has the same hairline as i do and he doesnt show signs of balding, my other brother (23 years old) has a norwood class 1 hairline, but he has grey hairs – my mother started getting grey hair around that age, which is making me worry i have my fathers genes b/c i dont have grey hairs) and im worried that i might damage the hair. I also notice that when i put it on my head im coming back with alot of hair in my hand.

I went through a very stressful time and i also wasnt eating very well (im studying overseas now for the year…). I limited most of the food they gave us and mainly ate salads, and even then i would work out about an hour later to work it all off. – at first i thought might be telogen effluvium but its just in my crown so im a little worried. Thank you

Rogaine (minoxidil) should not destroy existing hair, but I don’t know that Rogaine would do much good at the hairline anyway. It might work, but I can’t say for sure one way or the other. If you’re experiencing hair loss in the crown, that should be where you’re using the Rogaine. Or even better, talk to your physician about a prescription for Propecia (which works wonders in the crown) if you’ve got genetic hair loss. I don’t want to guess if you’re experiencing hair loss due to genetic causes or stress or what… but if your primary care physician isn’t too sure, I’d try to seek out a dermatologist or even a hair transplant doctor (only because they know hair well, not because you should even consider a surgical procedure at your age). With early thinning in the crown, it certainly doesn’t sound like alopecia areata. If you saw bald spots all over your scalp, that would be a different story.

The hair loss gene can come from either side of the family and can even skip generations, so just because you lack grey hairs doesn’t mean you’re not going to inherit a hair pattern that someone else in your family had. There is no substitute for an expert who can examine your hair and tell you if you have genetic balding. There is even a genetic test for the balding gene that is available today for about $250.

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I could really use some advice. I am 28 years old and started to notice my temples recedding about 1 1/2 years ago. I started using rogaine but after about 3 months I stated shedding alot of hair. I went to see a dermatologist and they did a hair pull test and told me that it was MPH and that I should use propecia. Once i started using propecia I started shedding alot of hair but I have stuck with it because I read that shedding occurs on these medications put generally the lost hair returns. Well after a year and half I lost alot of hair and none of the shedded hair has returned. I went from a NW 1 or 2 to a NW Va in a year and a half.

So I am thinking about see my physician again and I was wondering if there are any tests that I should have them do to help with my hair loss problem. If you know of any good hair loss doctors in the Seattle area I would appreciate any recommendations. I also may be traveling to the L.A. area next week for work and was wondering If you would be willing to meet with me.

I have to take your word on what you had when you first noticed the hair loss process. Usually, a 28 year old man does not ‘fast-track’ hair loss, especially when taking Propecia. I am humbled by the few people who show very rapid hair loss while using finasteride (Propecia) and find this phenomenon very, very rare. One of the genetic tests may show what you can expect from Propecia, so it might be worthwhile getting the test (see here), but it will not reverse the hair loss that you experienced. Of course, I would be pleased to meet with you, but it does sounds like you have genetic hair loss that has been fast-tracking its course. I don’t have any recommendations in Seattle at this time.

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