Not sure if I’m overthinking it or actually losing hair

[Antechhair]

Hey guys,

I’ve been going back and forth on whether to post this, but I figured I might as well get some opinions.

I’m 24 and over the last 6–8 months I feel like my hair isn’t the same. It’s not like I have obvious bald spots or anything, but my hairline looks a bit different to me, especially around the temples. Also feels like my hair is thinner when I run my hand through it.

The confusing part is that no one around me has really noticed anything. My friends say it looks normal, but I can’t tell if they’re just being nice or if I’m actually overthinking it.

I’ve also been dealing with a lot of stress lately (work + sleep has been pretty bad), so I don’t know if that could be playing a role.

I tried taking photos to compare, and sometimes it looks fine, other times it looks worse depending on lighting… which honestly makes it more frustrating.

I haven’t started any treatments yet because I don’t even know if this is real hair loss or just paranoia.

Has anyone else been in this stage where you’re not sure if it’s actually starting or just in your head?

Would appreciate honest opinions.

[Elithair]

You're not overthinking it in the sense that a lot of people notice subtle changes before they become obvious to others.

But at the same time, this stage can be really hard to judge accurately. Small changes around the temples or density can look very different depending on lighting, hair length, even how your hair is sitting that day.

Stress and poor sleep can definitely make hair feel thinner or shed more, so that part you mentioned is relevant too.

What usually helps more than guessing is just tracking it over time. Take photos in the same lighting and angle every few weeks and see if there's an actual pattern rather than day-to-day differences.

If it is early hair loss, you'll start to see a consistent trend. If not, things tend to look more stable when you step back and compare properly.

A lot of people have been in that exact "is it starting or is it just me?" phase, so you're not alone there.