Can You Still Be Losing Hair Even If You’re Not Shedding?

[Scalpo]

Hey guys

My hair stopped shedding about 6 months ago. When I’m in the shower now I get maybe 1-3 hairs on my hands between shampooing and conditioning. However, my hair definitely looks thinner at the crown and temples than it did a year ago.

My question is: Even though I’m not shedding, can the miniaturization process still be occurring and causing me to lose hair?

Here are my stats:
-48 years old
-noticed thinning at crown about 12 years ago
- hair is now visibly thin at crown and temples. You can see scalp through the hair.
- started shedding just over a year ago when urologist prescribed a testosterone booster and an AI. I quit taking them about 11 months in when I noticed shedding (10-12 hairs when I shampoo’d). I quit the meds and shedding stopped 4-5 months later.
- I eat healthy, take a men’s multi vitamin and shampoo with biotin and nizoral.
- I haven’t tried finasteride or min yet because I’m scared of the side effects.

 

[Scalpo]

I should add that my scalp is almost always itchy.

 

[Michael1986]

You could still be losing hair without noticing obvious shedding. And as you say, your hair is visibly thin at the crown and temples. I recommend you make an appointment with a dermatologist to get a professional diagnosis.
If you do have male pattern baldness, unfortunately you will have to use finasteride if you intend to treat it properly. As I always say, without fín, you cannot win!

 

[Who Farted]

If your hair isn’t long you’re probably shedding constantly and simply don’t see it. You also have the following cycle to consider.

Itchy —> scratching —> damage to scalp —> weaker hair/hair dislodged by scratching —> damaged follicle produces weaker hair —> restart cycle

Miniaturization makes hair thinner and even harder to notice when it sheds. All that being said at your age, the state of your hair is normal, better than normal really. Hopefully, the cause of your loss was external and not male pattern baldness related. Shedding/Thinning in those areas is textbook male pattern baldness, but if you’ve gone 12 years without treatment with minimal thinning and no bald spots, it’s probably just the aging process.

Can’t really go any further without pictures.

 

[Scalpo]

Here’s a pic to show my current state. I just got a shorter haircut and its worse than I thought. It looked really bad under a bright light. Lol. I started finasteride last week. Its definitely male pattern baldness.

please let me know if you can see the pic. I can’t tell if that worked.

 

[Scalpo]

Bump. Anyone have opinions?