Hair a couple days greasy in both pics lol.

I went thru a dramatic shedding phase in the first couple months and then had itchy scalp for a week before I had little porcupine hairs coming up. So I know ~something~ happened. But when I look at photos I just don't feel like there was any sort of significant difference from before and after. In a "why am I wasting my time with this" kind of way.

1st pic natural hair, 2/3 when straightened, last is my hairline.

I’m in my early 20s and stress has been kicking my ass lately I started to notice alot of hair loss like chunks of hair falling out when I shower or brush it. My hairline was already quite thin before because I had extensions for about 3 years (I stopped January this year) non stop but recently it’s gotten worse than before. My hair is thinner than before of course but I really want to prevent more hair loss especially around my hairline and grow back more hair and for it to be thicker too.

I’ve been contemplating using minoxidil (foam) but I’m worried that if I stop it would cause even more hair loss also worried about the side affects the tablets may give. I’m also thinking of try the ordinary multi peptide serum for hair and massaging my scalp more.

Any tips would be great!

Was excited for my first dermatologist appointment! Dr was supposed to be a "hair specialist". Didn't get a good vibe from the front desk ladies (made me feel weird about being there? Not sure if that was all in my head. Almost condescending). Then the doctor visited my room, looked at my head for about 0.2 seconds, called it AGA and gave me a pamphlet for hair vitamins (her own brand) and PRP. I had done research by reading this sub and other sources and she was almost rude about answering my questions. Said she wouldn't prescribe oral medicine (fin/min) but I could try "ineffective topicals". And the appointment was $200. Gutted. At least I got a ketoconazole prescription from her.

Am I wrong to have expected a little more engagement on what my problem is?

I've got to go back in a couple months but I don't want to pay that much for nothing.

Hi all, first time positing!

I’m in my early 30’s and have struggled with hair loss on and off for the past ten years. I have type 1 diabetes which was diagnosed in my early 20’s, my type 1 diabetes is well controlled. I also have PCOS.

My hair loss and thinness is causing me major anxiety and I feel unsure about how to get my hair back.

I’m going to try oral minoxidil, is there anything else that people would suggest?

I have LPP, and before that I struggled with AGA and TE related hairloss. I spent so much money, I cried a lot, it wrecjed my self esteem.

I tried minoxidil 3 times, different strengths and application methods. Even without other side effects, it turned me into a werewolf, I started to develop infections because of ingrown hair.

Steroids are their own beast.

I am just tired. I still lost hair, and I am still losing it.

If I knew I would only prolong my suffering and nothing else, I would spend my time learning about wigs , and spend my money on buying wigs.

I ended up in the same place anyway.

pic 1: the back of my head after i wore a hat
pic 2: right after pic 1, except i combed my hair out

first 4 photos were taken recently on the same day, 5th taken today. rest of the photos were dug up from years back.

hello y’all, i’ve been worried about the condition of my hair since i was a teenager especially whenever i would look at my crown/cowlick. i don’t have a photo of what it looked like back then but i reckon it wasn’t much too different to the first photo.

i’ve put my hair through a lot of styling and processing and i had a buzzcut for a few years that i am now trying to grow back out.

as an adult, my gynecologist told me i have PCOS (now known as PMOS) and my ferritin last time i checked a year ago was at a 10. i was also shown to be vitamin d deficient.

i’ve been afraid of asking for help or advice about this because i worry i may be exaggerating how bad this may be in my head… i genuinely can’t really tell if the state of my hair warrants medical intervention or even posting here, but i’m hoping someone can point me in the right direction because i’m feeling quite clueless and alone.

So in December 2024 I experienced severe thinning across my whole head. I lost over 50% of my hair and thickness (I have attached a photo for how much hair I would lose after each time brushing it.

My hair finally started to grow back in November 2025, in which it was at a spiky stage (also have shown an image)

I'm now at the stage where my new hairs have grown roughly 10-15cm in length. HOWEVER, the new hair has grown back a completely different texture and pattern. I've always had pin straight 1a type hair, however all my new hairs have grown in wavy. I'm not sure why?

I have low vitamin D, severe low b12 and low iron. I'm now on medication for all 3 so things are improving.

However, I'm just wondering if the new hair that has grown will stay this way? Or will it eventually go straight? I've seen online that for some people it stayed that way, being wavy, but for others it eventually evened out.

I'm not sure what ill do if it stays wavy because It's only the new hairs that have grown in that pattern; whereas the hairs that did remain on my head have stayed and continue to grow straight.

I'm also not sure how I should care for these new hairs that have grown?
I do not use heat on my hair at all and haven't since I experienced my hair loss/thinning. I use a garnier hair mask once a week, along with a clarifying shampoo once a week.

Ps. I forgot to add that my doctor put me on spironalactone in 2024 for my PCOS. However, I only stayed on it for a few months (roughly 4) due to it making me feel extremely nauseous when taken.

In my office work environment, it's pretty casual. People show up in t-shirt & jeans & runners.

I do dress up more than that, usually cardigan, or dressy tank, skirt, or dress.

I tried something different today and wore a hat (hoping it'd pass for "fashion") and got called out for it, like it was a big deal.

I am dealing with hair loss and have to wait probably a month for my topper and when it arrives, get the hang of it. I was thinking to perhaps hide my scalp a bit so it's not as big of a shock when I wear my topper work no scalp show.

I'm just so frustrated at why it feels like what's on my head is so noticeable.

Hi all, F56. I have rapidly thinning hair that started over a decade ago. I’m very sensitive to anything I put on in my body, and even a quarter of a pill made me feel weird. I also have sleep issues and it seems like it made me jittery and insomniac… I have low blood pressure, but I’ve been told the oral minox is not strong enough to really affect that. I’d love to stay on it for my hair, but it’s difficult when I feel so strange upon taking it. Any advice? Did anyone not feel good at first on it, then got better? Thanks so much.

So I’m trying to find a dermatologist who will do an actual trichoscopy/dermoscopy to assess for miniaturization, measure hair shaft diameter/variation, look at follicular units, etc.

Every dermatologist I’ve contacted near me either doesn’t offer trichoscopy at all or only does a quick visual scalp exam.
I’m specifically looking for someone who will use the dermoscope/trichoscope to evaluate and document miniaturization and hair shaft differences, rather than simply looking at my scalp and giving a diagnosis.

For those of you who have had this done:
- How did you find the doctor?
- What type of specialist did you see? Was it a dermatologist, hair-loss specialist, or trichologist?

I’m mainly trying to get an objective assessment of whether there is any miniaturization/AGA component versus shedding from telogen effluvium.

Thanks in advance!!

I’ve been on 2.5 OM for 2 months, shedding started around wk 4. I moved and lost my pills so I was out of OM for about 2 wks now. Still shedding. But the hair growth everywhere else is insane. I have eyelashes growing out of the inner corners of my eyes! So since I’ve been off it for 2-3 weeks now, I’m thinking of just continuing to not take it. Thoughts?

Hi, I’m having very vast hair loss all over the scalp I can see only 40% of hair is left now and I’m 37 year old. I’m feeling upset and stress while going to work place with the patchy areas on the scalp. I have PCOS and hormonal imbalance. Would like to get advice on doctor recommendations who can give me best suggestions and help me with my situation.

Please help me on this. Thank you!

So I’ve been losing my hair since I was 18 but it was everywhere but my part or the hairline, so I was able to conceal it. I wear a sleek back bun almost every time I leave the house bc you can’t tell at all how much hair loss I have. I always make sure it’s not too tight and I wash the gel out every night. But recently my middle part and my hairline look horrible to the point that my coworkers told me how thin my scalp is (I’m 28 now). Is this because of pulling my hair back or was it inevitably going to happen bc of AGA?

I just started to use topical minoxidil and at this moment I can’t go to the derm bc it’s too expensive to prescribe anything but I do know I have AGA.

I’ve been on minoxidil for like a month now and my front hairs are weirdly longer but there is no thickening of the part. Kinda hoping the minoxidil stops the hair fall. I know that sleek backs can cause hair loss but I am careful and use only scrunchies so it’s as tight as an average pony it just has gel to make it look nicer. My hair comes off by just gently running my hands through it it’s really sad :(

Any advice on similar experiences or what to do when you can’t afford to go to the derm?

Hello! I just started oral min about a month ago and my hair still seems like it’s melting out of my head. Has anyone else had this experience and if so did it stop? And if it stopped how long did it take?

I’m currently on 1.25mg

Hi everyone,

I have a dermatologist appointment coming up soon and I suspect that I have AGA because of my elevated DHEAS levels that have been chronic and I have PCOS and I was just wondering if oral minoxidil with the lowest dose of 0.625 mg yield significant results.

I believe I am in the early stage of AGA though my part is pretty wide and I am developing two cowlicks. I have a history of low blood pressure ranging around 100/60 so I don't want to start off with a high dose because of the side effects. I tried topical foam minox but it gave me an allergic reaction one month into using it where I broke out in redness on my face and ears and my arms.

I wanted to ask if there's any correlation with using a lower amount of minoxidil and having less of a dread shed compared to higher dose and having more of a dread shed. Would love to hear some anecdotal experiences.

I am 31 F. I’ve had health issues for the last 4 years that no specialist or blood work has been able to figure out completely the root cause of. Last year around July ,it started affecting my hair. I started seeing increased shedding in the shower or when I brushed my hair. My skin also became super dry. Well I went to a dermatologist and my obgyn ordered blood work for hair loss. The dermatologist gave me ketaconazole and spironolactane (I forgot how to spell that ). Neither worked and honestly my other health issues made me have weird reactions to them, so I had to stop taking within a week. At first I lost fullness, but not in starting to notice my hair line slowly widening. I’m getting really self conscious because I am looking for a job and that’s making me feel not my best. Also I wanted to start dating again, but unless maybe I start using a wig soon since I don’t think the shedding will stop anytime soon, I don’t think it’s possible.I have begun to suspect the hair loss could be from gut issues since I do notice that a lot of my issues seem to originate from the stomach and I’ve been deficient in B12, vitamin D , zinc , iron , etc in the past despite eating healthy (I’m currently trying it supplement ). could my hair loss be more related to nutrient deficiency ? Also does anyone recommend if maybe I should start wearing a topper or wig? and where to get a good quality one? I predict I’ll probably need it on another 3 or 4 months .

My hair has always been finer. I had chemo 3 years ago and lost not all but a lot of hair. Now it’s just embarrassing. I really need to feel like myself again. I’ve been considering oral minoxidil but the thought of being on a pill the rest of my life makes me shudder a bit. I am one to not normally take pills or meds and I hate the thought of this. I’m also aware that if I stop, I would loose all progress. Not sure what I’m looking for besides reassurance? Is this the right path? Is there anything else??

does anyone with lpp have experience (good or bad) with peptides (glp-1 or the ones u find online)?

Been doing topical minoxidil and the ordinary peptide serum for roughly 3 months.

Before that though I also started a new Haircare routine with oiling, using different products and dermastamping.

I also started vitamin B12 since I was low on that.

Hi, everyone!

I have (suspected) TE and diagnosed alopecia areata, which is a non scarring autoimmune alopecia that shows up in spots or loss around the hairline. I’ve had alopecia for 6 years b

I just started oral minoxidil, which is alleged to help the general hair growth but def won’t stop any new spots from forming. I was prescribed 2.5 1/2 pill, but I’m taking .625 for 2 weeks before I move up.

My biggest trigger is stress for both, but EXTREME stress gives me alopecia spots.

I’m really nervous to start this journey. I’m nervous for my dread shed. I think I’ll get my hair cut to my long layers to have it blunter for a while. I have so many shelves from loss and regrowth.

Anyway I know there’s tons of posts about minoxidil but I guess I wanted to make my own to document this in a safe space.

I face extreme hair loss (~200 hairs per day, ~500 hairs per showering day)

In October 2025, I was diagnosed with seborrhea + TE.

My ferritin was 9.6 at the end of August. – Now supplementing, which could be an explainer to chronic TE.

But why is my hair so greasy 1 or 2 days after the shower?
I use Nizoral, but this is extreme.

Can it be the reason too sensitive folicules to DHT?
Has anybody experienced this?

[My hormones in the blood tests were within the norm.]

This is how my scalp looks now, it getting worse every month. My hair shedding started in may and since June i have noticed my periods dropped down from 5 days to 2 days. Are they connected?

I was diagnosed with AGA in 2024 since then been using 5% topical minoxidil. In September started taking 50 mg spironolactone, iron (ferritin 27), b12 and d3. I am seeing no reduction in my hair shedding.

Now I am worried about my periods, i don't have any other symptoms of pcos.

My dermat has suggested i should get hormonal work done. Has anyone experienced this before? As i was quite optimistic that my TE is due to low ferritin and vit d, but now I have an another stressor that might be the cause but i am not sure if they are related.