8.5 Years Of Battling Hair Loss (with Recent Pictures)

[Capone]

Well just to satisfy my curiosity, take note of any inflammation you may have in your body or scalp after eating certain foods. Some swear their diet encouraged thinning.

That last line is definitely true. Sugar and fat make my scalp itch and shed.

 

[Sue_Ling]

Hi everyone - just checking back in. I've been in a bit of a funk for the past couple of months because my hair has steadily become so much worse over the past half a year, and I'm curious to hear from all of you if this could possibly be due to the drugs, or is simply my hair loss progressing naturally.

To recap, I've been on Diane-35 and minoxidil 5% for 5+ years now. 5mg of finasteride/day in June 2017 because although my hair had decent density I felt like my part and temples were thinning more and I wanted to do something to stop it. In August 2018 (a month later) I began taking dutasteride 0.5mg once every three days instead (so 1 day dutasteride, 2 days finasteride, and so on). Like I've written above, I seemed to be making some headway for about half a year. I stopped taking pictures once I saw a little progress.

Fast-forward to 2018: for the past year, my thinning has become really, really bad. I'm not a shedder, I never shed; my hair has just rapidly thinned out and my density has decreased drastically all over my head. I've dealt with hair loss for 10 years now and my hair has NEVER deteriorated so quickly. I'm a diffuse thinner but my hair loss is worst at the temples, and in the past few months my temples and hairline have gone way, way back. I'm terrified.

My centre part, taken today (click to enlarge). Possibly slightly worse than baseline - I can't really tell.

View attachment 107746

You'll need to enlarge this, but if you look at the mole on my forehead that's where my hairline was 1.5 years ago. It used to be a solid line with mostly terminal hairs; it's now been replaced by fluffy, miniaturised hairs, hence the thinned-out patches.

View attachment 107749

And my left temple, which won't stop receding (my right is even worse, but I don't have a clear photo of it).

View attachment 107748

To reiterate:

1. Is my hair loss just taking its natural course, or could finasteride/dutasteride have aggravated it? I've read lots of stuff about reverse hyperandrogenicity but always dismissed it as fearmongering. Now I'm not so sure.

2. Should I get off dutasteride and pray some of my hair will grow back? Or do you think I'd be worse off WITHOUT it?

I'm so depressed over this I'm thinking of just ending my life. I've never had hair thin out and miniaturise so fast; you can't tell from the photos, but my hair is thinner ALL OVER, including the back/sides/nape/etc. One year ago I had relatively great (albeit gradually thinning) hair and now I'm looking into toppers and wigs. I've seen three derms, who want me to get off finasteride/dutasteride because they're worried about side effects (BUT didn't mention anything about it WORSENING hair loss), and one has recommended spironolactone. I'm getting a full blood panel soon but likely everything will check out fine, as it always does.

TL;DR: Been on finasteride/dutasteride (now just dutasteride for the past month, 0.5mg/day) for 1.5 years and my hair has rapidly worsened in the past half year (no shedding, just more and more miniaturised hairs replacing healthy terminal hairs). Is this natural progression of my hair loss or reflex hyperandrogenicity from the drugs, and should I continue taking dutasteride?

Hey, I know this thread is a few years old now but just thought I reply as I’ve been suffering from diffuse hair loss for 9 yrs, similar to you as you’ve been suffering for a similar time (when you posted this).

firstly, what is your understanding of the symptoms of androgenic alopecia? Is this the genetic form of hair loss? I haven’t been fully diagnosed, but I believe to have chronic telogen effluvium but also think it’s AA as my mum, aunt, & grandma all have severe hair loss too.

I’ve done sooo much research on hair loss and what trichologists say and their views are so varied with fees up to £400! What I dislike are trichologists who turn to expensive treatments with chemicals in (minoxidil etc) as I have seen that it does more harm than good. However, what I do agree with is when they favour natural solutions- I discovered a trichologist named Melissa Brown (US based) whose treatments for all hair loss are all natural entirely. She suggests for AA DHT blocking shampoo, pumpkin seed oil and rosemary oil for hair growth.

just wondering if you have any trichologists you recommend too? Maybe turn to more natural based treatments? You probably feel the same way, but I feel so angry, tired, and upset that my hair loss is happening to me this way and it feels like nothing will ever fix it and that I’ll have to live with severe shedding forever…

 

[losingbattle88]

Oh no, I definitely have Androgenetic Alopecia. Before this began I had extremely thick hair on all parts of my head (hairline, temples, vertex, etc.), so that's why I was sure my diagnosis was correct - these parts were all miniaturising and thinning out. :-(

And thank you! I definitely will be cautious with finasteride.

You masturbate too much and get too much dicking.

 

[SlappingHead]

You weren’t getting topped enough, low estrogen

Give me your wig brother. I pray god for that