Is this hair loss? Advice appreciated

Stark678

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Hello!

I'm not sure what is happening with my hair or if I am possibly being obsessive compulsive with it, but here's my story:

Over a year ago I began to notice my hair shedding more than usual while also noticing my hair in the temple area was shorter and thinner. I saw my regular doctor and asked her if maybe I had scalp psoriasis and if that was causing my shedding (I have redness and flakes in my hairline sometimes). She took a quick glance and said it was psoriasis, prescribed me with a topical steroid foam and did some blood work. Blood work came back normal and she suggested the shedding was probably from stress. I tried the steroid and it only seemed to make my hair shed more, which she later told me that steroids thin the skin which can lead to more hair loss (great).

After a month I stopped using the foam. It's now a year and a half later and I don't see a change in my hair but I can't say that it's worse. My hair is fairly thick in the back but the hair in my temples are significantly shorter, maybe totaling in 4" in length before they fall out. My hairline is also thinner on the sides. My part is still thick so I don't think I have your typical alopecia. I also don't have a family history of hair loss, although my dads hair is thinning as he ages, but he is not balding. I try to examine my hair when it sheds and all seem to have a bulb attached, even the very short fine hairs in the front. I also have moderate to severe dandruff but it has not been properly diagnosed. I can only guess it may be sebhorreic dermatitis as the flakes feel more greasy than dry, but my hair texture itself is dry and not oily. While I want to relate this to my short, fine temple hair, I've read that there's zero correlation between hair loss and dandruff or sebhorreic dermatitis. The only thing I can imagine is that I obsessively play and pull at my hair waiting to see how much comes out because I'm so freaked out by the shedding in general.

Does anyone have any idea what this may be? As well as any helpful treatments or advice in general?

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Joan

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I have Androgenetic Alopecia, and I shed diffusely. I know you're thinning primarily in your temple area, but could it be possible you're thinning to a lesser degree all over? Since your blood work is normal, maybe you should consider a scalp biopsy.
 

Stark678

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I have Androgenetic Alopecia, and I shed diffusely. I know you're thinning primarily in your temple area, but could it be possible you're thinning to a lesser degree all over? Since your blood work is normal, maybe you should consider a scalp biopsy.

Yeah that's totally possible! My hair was shedding pretty bad all over, long pieces and shorter ones. It's calmed down a lot now and I shed significantly less, so I think the initial shed was probably stress (this happened a few months after I lost my grandma). I just can't understand why it's much thinner with short pieces that don't appear to be breakage in the temple. I also am certain I have either sebhorreic dermatitis or psoriasis (haven't been properly diagnosed get) so that could also be a culprit. I'll have to look into a scalp biopsy! I'm seeing a dermatologist next month.
 

TJU

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If you are pulling at the hair that may be part of the problem. Trichotillomania is an obsessive compulsive disorder in which people pull repeatedly at their hair, causing it to fall out. You're right in that this is not the typical presentation of androgenetic alopecia, in which hair thinning is diffuse and often starting most noticeable at the crown. The best advice would be to get another evaluation by your dermatologist. Good luck!
 
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