chew
Established Member
- Reaction score
- 0
I also posted this in the general hairloss discussion group--but maube since it is my first post it is more appropriate here. Anyway this is my story...
Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 7:10 pm Post subject: any experience with stress related hair loss
Hello, having read the boards for a few weeks it seems you all are informed, experienced, or at least worried about hair loss...so maybe a few of you have some thoughts on my problem.
Basically over the course of the last year my hair has gone from exactly as it always was (each hair is very fine and pretty oily, but there was a whole lot of it) to thinning all over my head. It is likely not noticible to anyone unless I point it out...but then objective observers do definitely notice the thinner head of hair.
At first I figured that it was/is the beginning of male pattern baldness and that the days of good hair are gone...I am 30 now. So I saw the doctor and after a casual look by the GP was perscribed Propecia. And maybe this is right, but a couple of things have caused me to second guess the diagnosis. At least one of them is the hope that I will keep my hair...in other words, denial.
But the legitimate concern is this.
1. it is diffuse thinning with no particular pattern or recession evident at this point.
2. I decided to keep count of the hairs that fall out...and yes this is a depressing endevour (sp?)...but I am losing 250-350 hairs a day. As I said I have always had a lot of hairs on my head, and thus I have always shed quite a lot...but 250-300 seems excessive.
3. The hairs all have the white bulb on them, they are not broken off.
4. They all appear the same thickness.
5. While it seems more evident on top of the head, I think this is because of gravity. The hair on top falls down and exposes the scalp, while the hair on the sides just falls down and blocks the scalp. When it is wet and combed in directions the thin-ness appears similar on the sides and top.
6. And I have been stressed out for the last year. I wont bore you with details or make this long post longer...but suffice to say, I have been way more stressed than usual.
So the question is. Beyond the non-commital nobody knows for sure....what are people's thoughts on stress related hair loss. In fact here are the specific two questions I have for others on this board:
1. Did any of you experience a ton of hair shedding like this that turned out to just be the beginning of male pattern baldness?
2. Did any of you experience something like this that turned out to be stress related and thus not male pattern baldness?
...and finally a note: the shedding started before taking any propecia. which I have only tried for a couple weeks...and if it isn't male pattern baldness, I'd rather not put extra stuff in my body. Though stress stinks, I kinda hope that's what it is. My genes look 50/50 bald or full head of hair--the family is half and half.
anyway, thanks in advance if you have thoughts. good luck to us all.
Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 7:10 pm Post subject: any experience with stress related hair loss
Hello, having read the boards for a few weeks it seems you all are informed, experienced, or at least worried about hair loss...so maybe a few of you have some thoughts on my problem.
Basically over the course of the last year my hair has gone from exactly as it always was (each hair is very fine and pretty oily, but there was a whole lot of it) to thinning all over my head. It is likely not noticible to anyone unless I point it out...but then objective observers do definitely notice the thinner head of hair.
At first I figured that it was/is the beginning of male pattern baldness and that the days of good hair are gone...I am 30 now. So I saw the doctor and after a casual look by the GP was perscribed Propecia. And maybe this is right, but a couple of things have caused me to second guess the diagnosis. At least one of them is the hope that I will keep my hair...in other words, denial.
But the legitimate concern is this.
1. it is diffuse thinning with no particular pattern or recession evident at this point.
2. I decided to keep count of the hairs that fall out...and yes this is a depressing endevour (sp?)...but I am losing 250-350 hairs a day. As I said I have always had a lot of hairs on my head, and thus I have always shed quite a lot...but 250-300 seems excessive.
3. The hairs all have the white bulb on them, they are not broken off.
4. They all appear the same thickness.
5. While it seems more evident on top of the head, I think this is because of gravity. The hair on top falls down and exposes the scalp, while the hair on the sides just falls down and blocks the scalp. When it is wet and combed in directions the thin-ness appears similar on the sides and top.
6. And I have been stressed out for the last year. I wont bore you with details or make this long post longer...but suffice to say, I have been way more stressed than usual.
So the question is. Beyond the non-commital nobody knows for sure....what are people's thoughts on stress related hair loss. In fact here are the specific two questions I have for others on this board:
1. Did any of you experience a ton of hair shedding like this that turned out to just be the beginning of male pattern baldness?
2. Did any of you experience something like this that turned out to be stress related and thus not male pattern baldness?
...and finally a note: the shedding started before taking any propecia. which I have only tried for a couple weeks...and if it isn't male pattern baldness, I'd rather not put extra stuff in my body. Though stress stinks, I kinda hope that's what it is. My genes look 50/50 bald or full head of hair--the family is half and half.
anyway, thanks in advance if you have thoughts. good luck to us all.