Hair has been shedding very rapidly! (pics) *HELP*

[i_hate_this]

6 months ago my hair was completely thick and healthy, i never used to even think about my hair back then. 3 months ago i noticed a little bit of hair shedding, but it wasnt anything drastic. Recently the past month and a half my hair has been shedding like crazy. I trimmed it down to see what it looks like, and here are a few pictures. Is this the usual male pattern baldness? Or is it diffuse hair thinning caused by stress or something like that? Can hair become so much thinner in only about 4 months due to mpb? I'm getting really frustrated, and i dont want to lose my hair.
My fathers only brother is bald (my dad isnt), and all my uncles from my mothers side have a full head of thick hair.
Also, i must add that recently my head has been itching quiet a bit. Where do I go from here?
Im 19 btw.
Thanks you all in advance

[Delphi]

We all hate this! From looking at your pics and reading your post you should see your doctor to ask about getting on Propecia. Lots of guys with MPB start with a dramatic shed and itching or burning of the scalp, but it can be reversed for many people who start treating themselves early. There are lots of experts on this forum so I hope one of the doctors sees your post and replies. I’m sorry that you are going through this but you are lucky to have found this forum.

[Dr. Glenn Charles]

I agree that it would be wise to consult a hair restoration specialist. In the meantime you may want to try getting some Nizoral shampoo to use a few times a week. This can help with the itching and some claim might also slow down the shedding.

[Jeffrey Epstein, MD]

A few other suggestions that you may want to consider to help slow down the rapid progression of loss: Propecia, and possibly consider a treatment of PRP (platelet rich plasma)- a relatively new and still experimental therapy that both Dr. Charles and I have been utilizing with very nice results in some patients with extensive shedding such as you are experiencing.

Best of luck.
Jeffrey Epstein, MD, FACS

[i_hate_this]

We all hate this! From looking at your pics and reading your post you should see your doctor to ask about getting on Propecia. Lots of guys with MPB start with a dramatic shed and itching or burning of the scalp, but it can be reversed for many people who start treating themselves early. There are lots of experts on this forum so I hope one of the doctors sees your post and replies. I’m sorry that you are going through this but you are lucky to have found this forum.

Thank you for your reply. I deff am going to a derm next week to see what he has to say. I was just confused, because i heard that the ones that shed dramaticly at once usually are not mpb sufferers, probably wrong info though. Also, i've heard of a few complaints on how propecia can cause wrinkles, sometimes permenant erectile disfunction. Are these common sideeffects?

[i_hate_this]

I agree that it would be wise to consult a hair restoration specialist. In the meantime you may want to try getting some Nizoral shampoo to use a few times a week. This can help with the itching and some claim might also slow down the shedding.

Thank you so much for your reply Doctor. My only concerns are, can the derm tell for sure if my diffuse hair thinning / hair shedding is caused my the usual male pattern baldness , or by telegon effluvium?
Does Propecia help with diffuse thinners? And would it do me more harm than good if I started to use it, when my hair fall was only a result of stress?
Once again, thank you for your reply Doc.

[Winston]

I think that telegon effvium is an over used diagnosis when doctors don’t really know why someone is losing their hair. I had massive shedding when I started and I was diagnosed with male pattern baldness. A doctor can tell if you have MPB by looking at your hair and scalp under magnification. If you have miniaturized hair you have MPB.

[i_hate_this]

I think that telegon effvium is an over used diagnosis when doctors don’t really know why someone is losing their hair. I had massive shedding when I started and I was diagnosed with male pattern baldness. A doctor can tell if you have MPB by looking at your hair and scalp under magnification. If you have miniaturized hair you have MPB.

yeah makes sense. I'm going to see a derm soon so we'll find out then.
How are you treating your mpb? And has the shedding stopped?
Was it a gradual process where your hair started to get thinner / you started to notice the mpb more and more, or was it all of a sudden?

[Winston]

yeah makes sense. I'm going to see a derm soon so we'll find out then.
How are you treating your mpb? And has the shedding stopped?
Was it a gradual process where your hair started to get thinner / you started to notice the mpb more and more, or was it all of a sudden?

I was just like you, I began to thin very rapidly. I found this forum and the bald truth show about ten months ago and I actually went to have a hair transplant consultation and asked about it here. After reading the posts here I realized that I should try Propecia before thinking about having a hair transplant. I stopped shedding about 2 months after I started and have been doing well this entire year. I’ve become somewhat of a self taught expert since I read so much here and listen to the show, well actually I watch the live web cast every Sunday night. You should tune in too, it really helped me understand how to deal with this and most importantly what not to do.
This is also the best forum on the subject so read as much as you can!

[Jeffrey Epstein, MD]

I agree- excellent forum moderated by a class act and featuring the input of some of the more reputable of my colleagues.

Jeffrey Epstein, MD, FACS