do hairs have to shed in order to grow back thicker?

[cardib]

you know how once experiences a shed when beginning minoxidil, does this happen when you begin a new treatment that is suppose to regrow hair? does the hair shaft have to shed in order for a better shaft to grow?

[LusciousLadyLocks]

No. You shed hairs that can't be stimulated--they're too close to catagen.

I have hairs that were thick, skinny, and thick again, same strand. My oldest hairs are about 4-5 years old. I started massively losing hair 2 years ago.

You don't need to cycle your hair thicker to get it to deminiaturize. This is a weird urban legend. I'm not quite sure how it started! I don't have any vellus-on-the-tip hairs, so maybe to go from vellus to terminal, you have to cycle, but not to go from thin to thicker.