+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 11
  1. #1
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    5

    Default What's going on with my Hair?

    Hey guys, I need some help figuring out what the hell is going on with my hair.

    Quick facts:
    I’m 20 years old, always had a problem with dermatitis, dandruff, oily scalp, dad suffers from mpb. Always had thick wavy hair. I’ve narrowed it down between mpb and telogen effluvium but I’m still conflicted.

    Since mid July, something’s been off with my hair. I noticed that whenever I ran my hands through my hair, tons and tons of strands would just fly out. I remember one time in particular where I decided to test it by just running my hands through my hair over my sink. I did this for around 10 seconds and it strands and strands just started falling out and coated my bathroom sink. This wasn’t normal. This sudden, dramatic shedding lasted for a little over a month. But at the end of it, the damage was done, in a over a month I went from having a thick mane that I could get wet without worry, to still a mane but a much thinner one that I could see my scalp through and did everything I could to keep from getting wet.

    Just look at this pic from early July where my normal hair is damp, to these that are wet from a few weeks ago (looked the same in September just don’t have pics from back then), this is the change that happened within a month and a half. I went from thick luscious hair to thin weak hair in a little over a month.
    (Note first pic is my normal hair, next two are water, rest are with olive oil)
    Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_8891-1.jpg

Size:	21.2 KB
ID:	49894 Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_9692.jpg

Size:	45.3 KB
ID:	49889 Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_9700.jpg

Size:	88.1 KB
ID:	49890 Click image for larger version

Name:	Frame-06-12-2016-02-43-08.jpg

Size:	97.1 KB
ID:	49886 Click image for larger version

Name:	Frame-06-12-2016-02-43-14.jpg

Size:	96.5 KB
ID:	49887 Click image for larger version

Name:	Frame-06-12-2016-02-43-20.jpg

Size:	96.4 KB
ID:	49888
    Click image for larger version

Name:	Frame-06-12-2016-02-44-17.jpg

Size:	89.5 KB
ID:	49891 Click image for larger version

Name:	Frame-06-12-2016-02-44-35.jpg

Size:	56.1 KB
ID:	49892 Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_9683.jpg

Size:	86.7 KB
ID:	49893

    When the shedding first started I was convinced it was mpb due to only noticing diffuse pattern thinning on the top, mostly an awkward spot in the middle between my hairline and crown. But after awhile I realized that my sides where also quite thin(maybe from the hair growing longer?), even my back felt thin when I ran my fingers through it. I can make contact with my scalp (top, back, sides) with my finger using very little effort when previously it was a battle.
    Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_9650.jpg

Size:	85.5 KB
ID:	49868 Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_9552.jpg

Size:	83.5 KB
ID:	49866 Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_9651.jpg

Size:	82.5 KB
ID:	49867 Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_9649.jpg

Size:	90.2 KB
ID:	49869 Click image for larger version

Name:	Frame-06-12-2016-02-17-12-1.jpg

Size:	91.3 KB
ID:	49885 Attachment 49865
    Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_9643-1.jpg

Size:	75.0 KB
ID:	49872 Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_9644.jpg

Size:	82.9 KB
ID:	49871

    But the thinning is still by far most noticeable on the top (maybe due to the fact that hair on sides and back falls with gravity to cover thin areas whereas the top can't). However my entire scalp as a whole feels thinner than it used to be. My hairline is a mild classic M-shape, around an NW 1.5 but hasn't changed in awhile, or if it has it hasn’t been enough for me to notice because my hair always covered it up. But the hair at the frontal hairline is quite thin and I’m worried it’s gonna progress.

    Some context, I spent May-Early July in Guatemala. This is where the TE trigger might come into play. Within my first week there I got a terrible fever that lasted for a few days, and then around a week or two later I ended up with amoebic dysentery. And when you add long days of construction work and adjusting to the high altitude, it was a rough first few weeks. If you guys have never had this, believe me you don’t want it, imagine having to shit soup every 20 minutes for a week an half. Gave me an intense fever for the first few days I had it and the most intense fatigue and lack of appetite I’ve ever experienced. There were definitely a few days where I felt like a straight up zombie, probably the worst I’ve felt physically from any illness.

    If what I have is TE, then I believe this is most likely what triggered it as it occurred two months before my big shed and ticks the boxes for a TE trigger. Also important to mention that between April and July I was on atleast 5 different antibiotics (maybe more) due to the amoebas, a tonsil infection that kept coming back, and cellulitis from a spider bite. And I’ve seen some reports online of antibiotics leading to hairloss like amoxicillin or whatever sketchy non-FDA approved shit I took in Guat. And I probably showered a total of 4-5 times in my 8 weeks there (cold showers at high altitudes are not fun) so my already grease prone hair and scalp became an itchy mess and probably aggravated the shit out of my dermatitis.

    I saw 3 medical professionals for help.

    1. First visit was a dermatologist office, but I never saw a doctor just a nurse practitioner who diagnosed me with mpb after looking at my scalp and cited that there is only thinning on top(at this point I hadn’t really noticed thinning on the sides). She also diagnosed me with dermatitis and prescribed propecia and nizoral.

    2. Second was a visit to a hair restoration clinic, the dude wasn’t a doctor and tried to sell me a laser device, kinda gave me a snake oil salesman vibe. He also said it looked like mpb but was surprised at how sudden it had come.

    3. The third was another dermatologist office but this time I actually saw a doctor and he said it was most likely telogen effluvium given it’s sudden onset and the amoebic dysentery serving as the trigger. He said to expect around a year for full recovery and that it could get worse before it get’s better. He also said it’s normal for hair loss to be more visible on the top.

    I hope you guys can see why I’m confused as to what’s going on. I've learned that even medical professionals can make mistakes. MPB runs on my dad’s side, but even his hairloss wasn’t this bad or in this pattern, he’s in his sixties now and has a NW4. And the thinning is a lot more noticeable at the hairline, top, and crown as is common in mpb. There's also the possibility I've been thinning for awhile and it's only now become noticeable. But at the same time, the sudden timing, diffuse thinning, and the presecence of a potential trigger also point to TE. And let’s be real, all of us going through this want it to be TE, even tho it is quite rare for men. I have the propecia prescription sitting in my room right now but I don't want to spend the money and risk the sides for a medication I might not need.

    It’s December now, so around 4 months since the big shed and while my shedding is under control, I haven’t seen an improvement in my hair, sometimes I feel like it’ gotten worse but that could also be due to the long length I have it at. I’m still terrified of getting it wet in public and still have to style it each morning to make sure no scalp is showing. Styling has become so much harder now due to a lack of hair density and the bald spots all over my scalp.



    Personally I have a feeling this could be a horrible mixture of mpb and TE, just because of my family history and the thinning being more apparent in the mpb areas. But I wanna hear what you guys think and any advice you may have. I’m planning on going to a derm in my hometown soon and get some mapping done to find out for sure.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_9645.jpg

Size:	75.3 KB
ID:	49870   Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_9652.jpg

Size:	84.1 KB
ID:	49873  

  2. #2
    Member Cookieboy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Merica'
    Posts
    30

    Default

    How many hairs do you usually see when you dry your hair off?

  3. #3
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    5

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Cookieboy View Post
    How many hairs do you usually see when you dry your hair off?
    Not many honestly, like I said the crazy shedding stopped back in August, maybe it tailed off a little in September. Currently I don't really see shed hairs when I dry off, I see them mostly in the shower and it's maybe around 7-10 if I had to give a rough estimate.

  4. #4
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    5

    Default Some more pics

    Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_9647.jpg

Size:	63.1 KB
ID:	49900 Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_9653.jpg

Size:	84.9 KB
ID:	49902
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_9692.jpg

Size:	45.3 KB
ID:	49898   Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_9644.jpg

Size:	82.9 KB
ID:	49899   Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_9643.jpg

Size:	75.0 KB
ID:	49901  

  5. #5
    Member Cookieboy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Merica'
    Posts
    30

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by crikeymate View Post
    Not many honestly, like I said the crazy shedding stopped back in August, maybe it tailed off a little in September. Currently I don't really see shed hairs when I dry off, I see them mostly in the shower and it's maybe around 7-10 if I had to give a rough estimate.
    Sometimes it can come in spurts due to stress or a big change In your life. There are a lot of factors that go into it.

  6. #6
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    5

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Cookieboy View Post
    Sometimes it can come in spurts due to stress or a big change In your life. There are a lot of factors that go into it.
    Yea I agree that's why I'm cautious with the derm's TE diagnosis. But still a such a radical change in a little over a month seems very weird.

  7. #7
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    5

    Default

    bump

  8. #8
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Posts
    5

    Default

    Finasteride, if you start now probably you'll forget about your hair in couple of months, but before taking that go to your doctor and verify if it's mpb (which is most likely is) good luck!

  9. #9
    Senior Member Hairbrain's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Posts
    128

    Default

    I think it would be to easy to say this is just a classic case of MPB. You have quite a recent medical history that correlates with the timing of your thinning. Also if you're thinning directly above the ears and other areas beyond the classic patterns for MPB it certainly gives reason to pause. You've only seen one doctor out of your three appointments and that doctors opinion is you will recover within a year. Are you anyway taking the finasteride you were prescribed by the NP? I really think you need to see another doctor (or two), preferably ones specializing in hair loss. You would be amazed at how many doctors out there know so little about hair loss and MPB, You seem to be very pragmatic in your search for an answer and your post is well written. I'm not a doctor but personally this doesn't seem a cut and dry case to me. Maybe someone more informed can chime in with some opinions and suggestions. I do think you're on the right path in searching for some answers. One thing is for sure, you are absolutely spot on when being reluctant to fall for any type of "laser" therapy or any other snake oil concoctions, and they are certainly out there. You have an interesting case. Good luck. Stay in the game and keep us posted.......
    Last edited by Hairbrain; 12-18-2016 at 12:05 AM. Reason: Grammer

  10. #10
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Posts
    337

    Default

    Looks like telogen effluvium, wait a few months. But that doesn't mean you don't have MPB on top of it.

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts

» IAHRS

hair transplant surgeons

» The Bald Truth

» Recent Threads

1800 graft repair case results by Dr. Lindsey
Yesterday 08:38 AM
Last Post By Dr. Lindsey
Yesterday 08:38 AM
Navigating the German Job Market as a Kenyan Citizen
11-04-2023 06:31 AM
Last Post By Keegan212
Yesterday 03:51 AM
DR HAKAN DOGANAY/ 4500 GRAFTS / Implanter Pen+FUE
03-26-2024 04:15 PM
Last Post By Hakan Doganay, MD
03-26-2024 04:15 PM
The Mane Event for Thursday, June 15th, 2023
06-15-2023 02:59 PM
Last Post By gisecit34
03-26-2024 08:05 AM