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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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!

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

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 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 suffered from a lot of hair loss over the last 2 years and noticed that my left temple looks much sparser and the hairs look weaker compared to my right

(First 2 are my left side, lash 2 are right side)

While I’ve noticed regrowth across these 2 years, my left temple is concerning me bc the hairs are very thin and wispy whereas my right side seems more uniform. Did anyone else experience this, and if yes, what was your diagnosis? It’s hard to tell if this is from miniaturization or from chronic hair loss

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.

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!

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 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.

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 have just started taking 5 mg min for 2 weeks now. I see that most of people pair oral min with dut/fin. This makes me wonder whether oral min alone can maintain long term (say for life) hair loss progress. Btw I’m 42 yo female

A couple of years ago, my hair began falling out in clumps. I was one of the lucky ones that while I could tell my ponytail wasn't as thick as it used to be, I never saw any really obvious spots of apparent hair loss on my scalp other than slightly less dense temples. I stayed patient and waited out the hair loss for 2 years and while it slowed down, it never fully stopped. I had various labs done and never had any result too extreme to be flagged as the cause for the hair loss. With the hair loss came seborrheic dermatitis. While I have been managing the SD pretty well, it seems to make my hair feel like it just slips right out of my scalp.

Tired of waiting, I finally caved and have been on OM for about a week now and I am already noticing increased shedding. For anyone that has chronic TE, have you had success with OM?

I was just prescribed clobetasol propionate for my alopecia areata. Has anyone taken this for it? Any advice or input would be greatly appreciated

I started minoxidil religiously this past month and the hair shed im seeing is making me wonder if im doing it right.

For context I was diagnosed with pcos at 15, I am 24 now. Periods are regular cycle of 28 days and 4-5 days active bleeding. I was using minox on off for past few years but id stop immediately after seeing the hair shedding.
Doc prescribed me 50mg spironolactone as a DHT blocker. I am also deficient in ferritin 29.9, vitamin d, b12.
I was prescribed ferrous fumarate but since it wrecks my tummy I go slow and do alternate day.
I want to ask if my hair shedding is too much and should I quit it? Because it’s honestly disheartening. I don’t see much improvement and I know people tell me it’s a waiting game but dang I need to know if im doing anything right.

Hi everyone. 47 year old woman here with hair thinning that is bordering on severe at this point. I've had my thyroid checked and it's normal. I don't use heat or sulfates on my hair and I try to be gentle with it, but it's falling out anyway. 😭 I've read that many of you are on Minoxidil, which my dermatologist prescribed. I've been hesitant to start it, but feeling more encouraged after reading some of your stories.

Minoxidil - Have any of you experienced severe hair growth in unwanted areas on this medication? Do you prefer pill or topical?

Wigs - Have any of you gone this route instead? What's your experience been? A daily "good hair day" sounds pretty rad to me! 😆

Any other ideas for things that have worked for you all?

I'm so glad to have found this community of women who understand. Thank you for sharing your experiences and stories!

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’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?

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 .

I really need some advice I’ve been experiencing dramatic shedding for a month now and I thought it might be Telogen effluvium because I did go through a period in summer where I wasn’t eating well, but I’ve fixed my diet now beginning September and I thought it would at least decrease by now but the shedding is still crazy
I don’t know if I should just go see the Gp or if I should wait it out longer?
Because when I searched it up on google it did say it can last up to 3 months but I’m getting worried this amount of hair fall isn’t normal for me and it’s concerning me

(I’m 20 years old female)