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My Hair Has Changed, But There is No Miniaturization

In your opinion, if there is no miniaturization does that mean there is no hair loss? I recently had my hair mapped for miniaturization by Dr. Pak in San Jose, CA. He found no miniaturization beyond what is normal. It is possible that I have experienced a telogen effluvium, I mistakenly took a testosterone booster for a month about 8 months back, I also had 4 surgeries this past summer. I know for a fact that my hair has changed some in the past year, but I don’t show any miniaturization upon examination. Should I be worried?

In the interest of patient confidentiality, I will keep the answers generic. If you have specific questions or concerns you can call our office at 800-NEW-HAIR (800-639-4247) for a personal consultation / discussion.

Having no significant miniaturization should indicate that your hair loss state at that point in time was stable. You may have lost your hair in prior months and may have even experienced telogen effluvium, but there is no way to tell with a miniaturization study, which just shows hairs that are in the process of being lost.

If you take testosterone or anabolic steroids, you could “kick start” the genetic balding process, but as stated above, if you do not show signs of miniaturization at this point, it indicates things are stable. Most people will undergo changes in hair texture with age, but frankly there is no way to tell. I would recommend watching the hair over time with repeat miniaturization studies in the hope that your hair will become more full.

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My Hair Has Become Thinner Over the Years

I’m a 37 year old male who has a full head of hair, however my hair has always been very fine and frizzy/slightly curly. As a result, I shampoo it daily and I’ve always applied gel and then used a blow dryer daily to straighten it too.

In the last few years, my hair has gotten much more fine, and overall it is less thick than it used to be and much more prone to static, especially if i let it dry naturally and don’t use product/blow dry. It’s clearly changed in thickness during my mid thirties, however I don’t seem to be receding dramatically or anything like that. Does this the fact that my hair has gotten much more fine mean that I might be beginning to go bald and is it likely that this process will continue? Do I need to take steps now to prevent it getting more fine?

Thanks for the help!

Great site.

Some people will see a change in the hair shaft diameter towards finer as they get older. That could explain what you are telling me. You want to be sure, however, that the finer hair is uniform all over the head (including the sides and back). The lack of uniformity could suggest a problem, so we generally like to map out the hair throughout the entire scalp for miniaturization to determine if you have some condition that is causing it. If uniformity is seen, then using styling agents to thicken the hair shaft is the way to go.


2006-11-15 13:29:49My Hair Has Become Thinner Over the Years

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My Hair Has Become Thin, And I Wonder If It Is From Cigarettes

some time ago i’ve noticed my hair becoming thin, i also have a bad habit of smoking cigs which ive been smoking for 2 years. so i figured if i stop smoking my hair might grow back thicker and fuller.well i just recently stopped smoking cigs for about a week.

not enough time has gone by to see if my hair would grow back, but i wanted to see if i could save my hair and whether or not cigs have anything to do with it

I don’t know anything about you other than you’re losing hair and smoked for 2 years. Smoking might contribute indirectly in some way, but I doubt that it is the reason your hair is thinning. In the great majority of cases, it is your genetics that causes hair loss. Of course I recommend that you stop smoking for your overall health, but I wouldn’t expect that quitting smoking would make your hair regrow.

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My Hair Grows Differently After Brow and Face Lift

If I may piggy-back on the previous inquiry regarding loss of sensitivity of the scalp and hair loss. 3 weeks ago I underwent a brow and face lift and now the top and sides of my head are totally numb. I also cannot get my hair to lay the way it did previously…it’s like it’s developed a totaly new growth pattern and new cowlicks that make the hair impossible to manage… My surgeon says it may take 3-4 months for the feeling to come back. he can’t comment on my hair except to be patient. Is this sort of development to be expected? What should I do?

Your doctor is probably correct. You must wait this process out. If it does not get better, then be sure to speak with your doctor further. Brow lifts can cause changes in hair growth because of scarring and the pull on the existing hair, reduction of thickness of the hair shaft caused by blood supply problems, and the inducement of genetic changes that may be programmed and not ‘expressed’ without the brow lift. There are probably other factors, but I do not believe that anyone knows them all.

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My Hair Got Darker on Finasteride

This is a clear reflection of reversal of miniaturization which causes not only loss of hair shaft thickness but also of the color that goes with your hair miniaturization. When it reverses, the color often comes back as the hairs thicken to finasteride treatment.


2020-05-11 08:58:32My Hair Got Darker on Finasteride

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My Hair Fell Out Around a Scalp Pimple Scar

will hair grow back when there is a pimple scar? my hair around the scar had dropped off and the area is quite big. please help me in this.

I would expect that this is temporary loss, but I don’t have enough information. How long has it been that this bald spot has lasted?


2013-11-05 12:25:08My Hair Fell Out Around a Scalp Pimple Scar

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My Hair Falls Out When Applying My Seborrheic Dermatitis Treatment

HI Doctor,
I have been loosing hair for the last 4-5 years now. Not until recently i tried Procerin, which didn’t work and seems like increased shedding. Now I’m trying Generic Propecia(Finpecia),for about 4 months now. But the results are similar. I am rapidly loosing hair. I have seborheic Dermatitis, for which i am using some Desonide 0.05% lotion. My problem is i can not apply the lotion as required because my hair falls out a lot when i just try to apply anything to them or during shampoo. The frontal region is thinning a lot and i can feel overall thinness too.

Can Seborrheic dermatitis be causing the hair loss? and should i stop taking the generic propecia which might be leading to increased hair fall. My hair don’t look healthy at all and are always falling when i run my fingers through them. Any advice what can cause such rapid shedding.

The only connection between seborrheic dermatitis and hair loss is the way you apply the treatment. If you are not gentle, you can pull out hair. Desonide is a prescription topical medication, so you should be asking your prescribing doctor what he/she suggests.


2011-05-22 08:54:08My Hair Falls Out When Applying My Seborrheic Dermatitis Treatment

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My Hair Falls Out In The Same Months Each Year

My hair seems to fall out every year and then it grows back. I can comb my hair and the comb is full of hair. Right know my hair is falling out and I noticed a bald spot on the left side of my head. I read so of the other people’s concerns and you stated that your hair don’t fall out year to year. In my case it does I wrote it down and it always happen in Feb-April each year. Please tell me what I can do about this.

I would want to know if you are using a tight hat or if you have done anything different during this time period that might cause the hair loss you see. Normally, humans have asynchronous hair cycling, which means that we lose on average 100 hairs per day and regrow the same numbers of hairs. In a 3 1/2 year hair cycle, the entire 100,000 hairs will replace themselves.

Some doctors think that humans may have more hair loss in the spring and less during the winter when it is colder, but frankly, I don’t believe anyone really knows. I can not explain your problem, but if the hair did not come back on schedule, I would be more than concerned.

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My Hair Doctor Told Me To Wait For Transplant

Hi Dr. Rassman,

I’m a 22 year old male. In the last two years I’ve noticed more hair falling out in the shower and if I run my hands through my hair, as well as a decrease in volume and more visible scalp. Although others haven’t said the same, I feel like I know my hair pretty well. I have mild temporal and frontal recession, a widow’s peak that was never there before, but most worryingly I noticed that individual hairs falling out are much thinner.

I saw a transplant/hair loss doctor and he took global photographs, but told me I have to wait. He said my small recession is just called ‘sculpting’ and that looking at my head you can’t see any pattern of loss.

My question: Why do I have to wait until its clear I’m losing my hair visibly to take action? My father has lost some of his hair (class III?), my mother has pretty severe hair loss, and one of my uncles as well (father’s side).

You always refer to miniturization, and I understand this process, but the doctor made no mention of mapping it in my case. Does every good hair doctor map for miniaturization? Is it right to pursue in my case?

What should I do?

Please respond, my hair is my confidence!

Thanks and all the best

Good measurements are the heart and soul of good science. That is why I map out the scalp in all of my patients. I generally do not like to transplant a 22 year old, but if you are in the early balding process you do need your scalp mapped out for miniaturization to understand what is happening to you. The science of measurement (metrics) is the back bone to diagnosis in your case. Where are you now with regard to miniaturization and where will you be in a year? If your hair is miniaturizing, why are not not taking Propecia? You need to have some good solid measurements to define where you are and where you are going. Then, with those good measurements over time, it will be easy to answer your questions. Please remember that what you do now will impact you for the rest of your life, so timing is critical.


2006-04-04 13:23:04My Hair Doctor Told Me To Wait For Transplant

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My Hair Disappears At Night!

I have minor hair loss, but it happened and is still happening during a long period of time. Last winter, i realized there was hair loss on my hair line. I have this skin condition, but my skin doctor told me that it wouldn’t make my hair disappear. I’m 15, and I don’t know what this is. Most of my family (that know about it) say that my hair isn’t disappearing but this is MY body and i know what changes are happening. Now, i have once inch of hair missing from my hair line, more hair above my ears, and the back of my neck. When my hair disappears, it does at night and sometimes after i take a shower. My hair grew very rapidly over a short period of time, and i don’t know what this is. Please, help me.

If what you are saying is that you lose hair at night because you see it on the pillow, you should do a hair count on those hairs you find. The average person loses about 100 hairs per day and regrows that number from below the skin. If you calculate this out, you will see that in three years, the 100,000 hairs on the head (losing them 100/day) will recycle. Get a good doctor who understands hair and teenagers and go about the analysis properly.