Those of you with RAPID loss please help.

[rapidfrontal]

I am definitely competing for the world record in speed of hairloss and just wondering if there is anybody out there that also has this speed. Is there anybody out there that has anything to say that will give me optimism that I won't be bald by the end of the year, or am I all alone in this?

 

[circusrat]

Well I started noticing loss around november last year. Just some temple receding. I jumped on minoxidil, then nizoral.. by the end of december 2004 I had got my finasteride as well.

Been on all 3 ever since. Hair still falling out, hairline becoming more jagged and wispy, and as of about a week ago, for the first time ever I noticed the 'swirl' of my natural part on the crown was showing alot of scalp now.

I wouldnt' say I have a 'bald spot' yet, but the hair back there has lost tons of density, scalp coverage is diminishing. When wet it almost looks like a bald spot.

On my temples the hair in the middle is strong, but you can literally see a straight line from my widows peak back. It looks like my hairline is turning into a sharp V, losing the edges completely.

The point is, it went from a barely-only I would notice it- kind of thing to a WOW problem in 5 or 6 months. So yes, its pretty rapid.

Some points of interest:
-I was under a bit of a naive assumption that after puberty your body kind of normalizes itself and ages, but no other strange things would happen.
-23 now, about a year and a half ago I started growing much more body hair, shoulders/back/etc. It's not fur dense, but there.
-1.5 years ago also started gaining muscle mass and could start gaining weight (metabolism kept me rail thin my entire life).
-about 6 months ago (and this is alarming), I began to have a serious profuse armpit sweating problem. Out of nowhere, within minutes of being out of the shower, armpits would be completely soaked, irregardless of temperature. I actually had to stop wearing just T-shirts without a button up over them, and in some cases I would sweat right through both layers. Never had this issue before in my entire life, in fact I usually sweat very little.
-About 3 weeks ago, this problem began dissappearing. I still sweat some, but its not a completely soak my shirt problem anymore.

Whoa, hormones still doing crazy things at 23 years of age.

I'm guessing the finasteride caused a surge in testoserone, which led to the sweating thing. Any other theories, similar stories?

 

[rapidfrontal]

Well, I went through the most difficult period in my life and shortly thereafter started to shed quite a bit. To my Derm (also Father) it was textbook Telogen Effluvium. I just got back from lunch with him and he told me that it still doesn't fit the male pattern baldness profile. I am convinced that he is wrong and I have faced the fact that I am just losing my hair. Sometimes I think the shedding is slowing, but that may just be wishful thinking. I started Propecia on Feb.2 and don't know if its working or not, I guess it is too soon, but it definitely is not helping in the front, that I do know. It seems like everybody on this website has gone through periods of shedding and seen them stop so I figured I would see mine stop eventually, but it just isn't and we're approaching the 5 month mark. I am reluctant to get on minoxidil, but it seems I am doing pretty much everything else. I could deal with the hairloss if it weren't happening so damn fast. I know, have patience.
By the way, I am 34 and somebody here told me that when it hits you at that late stage it usually is not very aggressive, but I am receeding 1/4" every month with no end in sight. I have already been thinking about the day that I post here on HairLossTalk.com and say thanks to everybody and good luck, but my battle is over, I lost. If nothing changes it isn't that far away.

I also don't think you should get that concerned with all those biological changes you're experiencing, much of it seems somewhat normal.

 

[Guest]

Well, I went through the most difficult period in my life and shortly thereafter started to shed quite a bit. To my Derm (also Father) it was textbook Telogen Effluvium. I just got back from lunch with him and he told me that it still doesn't fit the male pattern baldness profile. I am convinced that he is wrong and I have faced the fact that I am just losing my hair. Sometimes I think the shedding is slowing, but that may just be wishful thinking. I started Propecia on Feb.2 and don't know if its working or not, I guess it is too soon, but it definitely is not helping in the front, that I do know. It seems like everybody on this website has gone through periods of shedding and seen them stop so I figured I would see mine stop eventually, but it just isn't and we're approaching the 5 month mark. I am reluctant to get on minoxidil, but it seems I am doing pretty much everything else. I could deal with the hairloss if it weren't happening so damn fast. I know, have patience.
By the way, I am 34 and somebody here told me that when it hits you at that late stage it usually is not very aggressive, but I am receeding 1/4" every month with no end in sight. I have already been thinking about the day that I post here on HairLossTalk.com and say thanks to everybody and good luck, but my battle is over, I lost. If nothing changes it isn't that far away.

I also don't think you should get that concerned with all those biological changes you're experiencing, much of it seems somewhat normal.

If you are receding it does fit male male pattern baldness pattern if you ask me.

Also, you are 34 so you may be taking a bit of hit of recession but it should slow down after a while and stabilise.

If you can post some pictures I am sure that many people on this site can give you an opinion on whats happening.

 

[Atlas]

I used to think that too, everyday seeing handfuls of hair in my hands. But think about this:

1. 50-100 Hairs are supposed to be falling out due to the normal cycle.

2. The hairs that do fall out due to male pattern baldness are only getting thinner, it may take several cycles of growth and falling out for the hair to fully dissappear.

 

[Fallout Boy]

i too have rapid loss with my hair / hairline getting a lot thinner over over the 8 months that i've been on finasteride. finasteride seems to be useless to me so far but im going to stick with it.. i thinkim going to try Eucapil and maybe even spironolactone 5% combination.

Whats your regimen Rapid?? have you tried any topical anti-androgens yet?

 

[j25]

My situation is very similar to yours, falloutboy. Approaching the ten month mark on finasteride and my hairline has gotten a tremendous blow.
Before starting finasteride, i was receeding only very slightly with some serious thinning on top/ vertex. Now i am close to a NW2, but the thinning on top hasn't gotten any worse, maybe improved a little, although i am not sure. I'd call that a humble success.
Trying to stay optimistic, though.

 

[rapidfrontal]

2. The hairs that do fall out due to male pattern baldness are only getting thinner, it may take several cycles of growth and falling out for the hair to fully dissappear.[/quote]

I know this is supposed to be the deal, but the hair in my right temple that appears to be next in line to fall out with my recession is robust hair not the nearly invisible hair associated with male pattern baldness. It seems that my hair is falling out in the male pattern baldness pattern, but not being replaced by thinner hair, its just gone. On my crown there is clearly thin light colored hairs which are clearly male pattern baldness affected. The rate is slow, but totally inline with what one expects from male pattern baldness. On my right temple it just receeds daily, but doesn't appear to be thin colorless hair. It seems that my right temple is just going crazy and the hair there goes from being thick dark normal hair to being gone. Makes no sense to me.

 

[rapidfrontal]

i too have rapid loss with my hair / hairline getting a lot thinner over over the 8 months that i've been on finasteride. finasteride seems to be useless to me so far but im going to stick with it.. i thinkim going to try Eucapil and maybe even spironolactone 5% combination.

Whats your regimen Rapid?? have you tried any topical anti-androgens yet?

I am on Propecia and I've been using 2% Nizoral shampoo, but have yet to get the Rogaine thing going, although I am seriously considering it.

 

[rapidfrontal]

Thanks for everybody's responses, and I have definitely decided I have male pattern baldness, but I've said that for a long time, its nothing new. The new thing is the speed with which it is suddenly progressing and the fact that my right temple just receeds so fast and most of the hairs there just fall out, they don't go through the minituarization process. Thick dark robust hairs are there one day and gone the next and nothing comes back in their place.

 

[wotsthedeal]

Rapid shedding won't last forever, and just because hairs are thinner doesn't necessarily mean they are male pattern baldness affected. I've read in many places that Telogen Effluvium regrowth can start with smaller hairs before the hairs revert to their normal growth cycle. I would just try to relax as best you can and try not to worry too much about your hair.

 

[rapidfrontal]

Rapid shedding won't last forever, and just because hairs are thinner doesn't necessarily mean they are male pattern baldness affected. I've read in many places that Telogen Effluvium regrowth can start with smaller hairs before the hairs revert to their normal growth cycle. I would just try to relax as best you can and try not to worry too much about your hair.

Well, that is nice to hear and I hope you're on to something. I had not heard that about the Telogen Effluvium hairs. Also, I hope you are right about the shedding, but I've been hoping for it to stop for months now and it just hasn't, so I'm beginning to lose faith. It seems like everybody here has been through shedding and it has stopped, but for me it just seems like it never will. Thanks, wotsthedeal.

 

[MiddleAgedManiac]

My shedding lasted almost a year - and has now stopped. I lost about 50% of my hair. As you can imagine - I am quite happy. Could be the warmer weather too.

 

[rapidfrontal]

My shedding lasted almost a year - and has now stopped. I lost about 50% of my hair. As you can imagine - I am quite happy. Could be the warmer weather too.

Well, you must have thought that it was never going to stop, like I do now. It seems that most people's sheds last for a few months and then stop.

 

[mattam]

rapidfrontal --

1) go to another derm to get 2nd opinion

2) You are 34, so, on a postive side, you have it better than most of the people here hit with male pattern baldness in their 20's. If you have a gf/wife, then it doesn't matter much.

But, I know it's easier said than done, since it's so sudden to you. So,

3) Shave your head if it annoys you so much. Trust me I more less shaved it, and while I like my look with hair a lot more, I don't think about hair as much now. After a few weeks, you (and people around) get used to the look. And if you really have Telogen Effluvium, you can regrew all of it back.

Good luck..

 

[MiddleAgedManiac]

Actually, I dropped most my hair in a 4 month period. The other 8 months may have been the development of my 'mature' hairline. I am 35.

 

[rapidfrontal]

rapidfrontal --

1) go to another derm to get 2nd opinion

2) You are 34, so, on a postive side, you have it better than most of the people here hit with male pattern baldness in their 20's. If you have a gf/wife, then it doesn't matter much.

But, I know it's easier said than done, since it's so sudden to you. So,

3) Shave your head if it annoys you so much. Trust me I more less shaved it, and while I like my look with hair a lot more, I don't think about hair as much now. After a few weeks, you (and people around) get used to the look. And if you really have Telogen Effluvium, you can regrew all of it back.

Good luck..

Thanks, mattam. First, I am going to see Dr. Lee which isn't very convenient as I am in St. Louis and I think he is in CA, but I really don't give a f***. Also, my Father is a Derm and well known in these parts and he's the one diagnosing my situation, so I have this problem that if I were to go see another Derm locally, they defer to him. As far as shaving my head, I have a lot of respect for you because you have the balls to do it, but at this point I don't. I've thought about it, but I think I'll need to take it down gradually as things progress and you are right, hopefully I have Telogen Effluvium and it'll come back for the most part or at least stop and return to a somewhat normal rate. Thanks.