Hairline looks the same, but somehow my hair suddenly feels half as thick

[GreyFox27]

This is what’s messing with my head: comparing photos from six months ago, my actual hairline barely seems to have moved. But when my hair is wet or I run my hands through it, the overall density feels dramatically different. It seemed to happen after a stressful couple of months rather than gradually over years. Has anyone experienced noticeable loss of density before seeing an obvious change in the hairline itself? How did you tell whether it was temporary shedding or actual progression?

 

[PlainOldTheo]

Yep, I had this before. Hairline barely changed but the density took a noticeable hit after a stressful period. For me the shedding was the first obvious sign, not recession.