Have you experienced EXTREME stress, (worse than anything prior and bad enough to make a perfect stranger feel sympathetic stress at the mere mention of it), 6 months prior to the loss? Did you have a legitimate brush with death
Yes.
I also have had what appeared to be Telogen Effluvium in 2010. I shed hair, and it grew back. That was following a drug reaction, and stress. I want to get to the bottom of this, so I'm hopefully not denying anything. I
plan to measure hair loss once a year too, measure objectively, to see whether I need to get on finasteride.
Unless you can fully justify the conditions necessary (...) you’re just experiencing male pattern baldness and/or age related thinning
If it's either of them, it's age related thinning. But I thinned at such a pace three-four months ago, it was something out of the ordinary, and now there's not hair strands on the pillow or sheets no more. So there was a spurt that's halted, in the period I took minoxidil. Whether hair loss stopped because of minoxidil, I dunno.
I know you mentioned a new medication, but unless you are experiencing severe side effects from the drug, (which would mean your body isn’t tolerating it well and could help point to Telogen Effluvium), and you started the drug over 6 months ago, then it’s unlikely to cause Telogen Effluvium.
If it's the drug, I am unlucky. I am taking an epileptic drug that says
my chances of hair loss side effects are:
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Acne, alopecia (...).
I hope you understand that I’m not trying to be harsh or pessimistic (...) About the only thing you can do right now is see a dermatologist as they are the best equipped to give you the information you seek.
I understand you're trying to be realistic, and I thank you for it.
Covid and all, I had a video appointment with a dermatologist months ago, before I could see the new hair strands I posted. He said it was hard to tell, whether it's Telogen Effluvium. If it's the drug, he said it might come back months after cessation of therapy. If it's stress, it might come after the stress dealt with. If it's hereditary diffuse hair loss, well. He prescribed finasteride, so I'd have access at least. He really wasn't there to talk about my new hair loss (I just spent 3-4 minutes talking about it). He was answering my questions about a possible hair transplant.
Do you think on a face-to-face consultation with a dermatologist, he might have equipment to give a proper diagnosis? Perhaps miniturization would play a role in diagnosing. Dunno. I am at least, for the time being, not losing, but mayhaps I'll lose again now that I stopped using minoxidil.
It might be tellogen effluvium, it's hard to say. is there any sort of pattern forming if you put your head in direct light? Check the norwood scale and see if any of those match your thin pattern
I am 2.5 on the Norwood Scale. I have had slight (very slight) receding in the line from the front backwards towards the temple. Not the actual temple itself, but the front line. But it's so little it might be part of the general thinning.
en.m.wikipedia.org
