Hair Loss That Confuses Me.

[Ohthehair]

So... I started worrying about hair loss around the ears/nape last year.... when I noticed I could pull a lot out fairly easily. I started to panic and eventually, I stopped.

A year on, I did the same... pulled my hair and quite a bit came out. So here I am again... The thing is, I compared to photos from last year and it's no thinner in these areas but... why is it so easy to pull hair out?

I googled it and it seems this might be stress/TE related? As some women seem to suffer with it. And I have had a chronic anxiety disorder for the past 12 years... varying in intensity. I'm currently 25 and have noticed no change in hairline or crown over the last 3 years.... But the nape and around ears worries me...

I've read about retrograde alopecia, and that's what worries me.... but my hair in those areas hasn't thinned over the last year, and I don't think these hairs would have fallen if I hadn't pulled them....

People sometimes mentioned the texture of the hair. In this area it's wirey and slightly.. wavy?. But I've realised that seems to be due to pulling the hairs. If you pull the hair it becomes kinky. It's a common occurrence with trichotillomania.

Also... maybe it's just because the hair in this area is easier to pull (it's shorter so you get the whole hair and it's on the edge) ... I really don't know.

Can anyone give me any clarity on the situation?

[Artista]

Stress will absolutely cause serious issues to your hairline as well as to your health overall!

Your not a teenager anymore but you are only 25 years old.
It is still very possible for you to become unnecessarily over emotional and worried about your hairline and everything else in your life.
You need to 'step-back' a little bit and use some good commonsense in order to improve, not only your hair, but also your HEALTH and happiness.
More than likely, when you are in your 50s, you will look back on your life and realize that you should not have become stress out.
Im trying to help you here bro, not criticizing you at all.
OK? Stay POSITIVE Ohthehair...all things in life can be FIXED for the better.

[Artista]

I saw that photo of your scalp on one of your other threads you created.
You hair looks relatively A-OK.
It looks like it is possibly only a matured hairline and that would be alright.

[Ohthehair]

Thanks for the reply!!

Yeah, my hairline has stayed the same for the last 2-3 years (at least)... probably longer but I didn't monitor it then. I've had a hair hairline and a V shaped hairline all my life. Looking at pics from 2003 when I was about 11/12 my hairline is very high then, so it hasn't worried me recently.

Just how easy the hair is to pull out around my ears... freaks me out! There's nothing really coming out now... and I had my hair shaved/clippered really short around that area just yesterday. So... Maybe the clippers make the hair loose? I remember last time I got it shaved/clippered it was the same.. But the area looks no thinner than it did over a year ago...

Maybe it's stress? Like I said, I do have an anxiety disorder (not started by hair, started by losing my father when I was 12) .... but it's taken it's toll in many ways. And maybe If I hadn't of pulled the hair I wouldn't have lost any... lol

[Ohthehair]

also... same thing with my eyebrows. I can pull likt, 4-5 hairs at a time out. Again, these are short hairs obviously... so maybe it's just easier to pull them out as they are smaller... i don't know! :/

[Artista]

Good to hear back from you Ohthehair!!

Your response just now was a good one.
(do you live here in the USA?)

I went through depression and stress some time ago.
It also had nothing to do with my hairline.
When I became very stressed out many years ago, my hair DID start to recede and started the serious hairloss.
I have been A-OK for quite a few years since then.
Again, my stress was not due to my hair but my hair was damaged from that stress/depression.
Everything in ones live must be an acceptance for the time being.
All things in life can be repaired and improved upon.
Happiness is so very important.
I am so sorry that you lost your Father bro'...I did too!!
I understand just how saddened you were.
Your Father would want you to move forward in your life with a POSITIVE ATTITUDE.
(Eventually we will all meet again, until that time have a GOOD LIVE-your Father would want that for you)
Have you gotten help for your anxiety disorder via a doctor and or a therapist ?
If not, you absolutely should if your still in that predicament my FRIEND!!
Lets keep a conversation going together bro!!

[Ohthehair]

Thanks for the reply! My sides look similar to many guys who have no hair loss but use clippers on the sides... Maybe it's just normal? I see a bald patch (not bald but thinner) but it's where I've pulled hair from... I guess if I hadn't pulled at the hair if have never known... So maybe it's normal? Idk!

and sorry to hear of your loss too, and thanks! I've been to the docs for my anxiety in the past but I'm still up and down... Maybe this is TE or some stress related issue. But... It looks the same on the sides as last year so that's a good sign, right...? Haha

Thanks again.

[pkipling]

First off, being able to pull out large chunks of hair (and even your eyebrows?!?) doesn't sound normal. I just pulled on mine to make sure, and they all stayed put. I would definitely get this checked with a doctor to see what could be causing this - and in the meantime, no pulling!

Just as important as getting to the bottom of the hair loss though is learning how to properly manage your stress/anxiety. This will do wonders for your overall health (Phsyically, emotionally, socially, etc.) and I would love to see you get this under control. I experienced severe anxiety for 20 years, starting when I was 8 years old with the sudden death of my older cousin, so I understand how it can take over your life. Mine manifested itself as OCD, and it wasn't until my late 20s that I sought help for it, after it reached a point of really getting out of control.

Talk to your GP first and get their advice. They should be able to refer you to a specialist regarding the hair and a therapist for the anxiety. Be wary of any doctor that simply wants to throw you on medication for a quick fix, and really focus on finding someone who can teach you how to effectively manage your anxiety. There are some great self help/spiritual books out there as well that can really help to supplement anything you would learn in a therapy session as well.

Let me know if you have specific questions. I've definitely been there and would be happy to help any way I can.

I am a patient advocate for Dr. Parsa Mohebi in Los Angeles, CA. My views/opinions are my own and don't necessarily reflect the opinions of Dr. Mohebi and his staff.