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I started to notice a loss of hair density when I was 19 years old. At first, I thought it was because I moved to a dry climate, but after time passed, I realized that this was not the case. I had thick, natural curly, wavy hair when I was young. My hair loss has been very gradual, but I feel as though it has accelerated in the last three years. I don’t notice my part getting bigger I just feel loss of density all over my head. I’ve been to three dermatologists and have taken all the tests. Everything comes back normal except for my iron. (Side note: I was diagnosed with anemia back in 2002 and went on iron supplements back then.) My dermatologist advised me to go on iron supplements and spirnolactone. She said I won’t notice a difference in hair density for at least a year after taking the supplements. So far, it has been almost 4 months since I started taking the iron supplements and I haven’t noticed a difference. I don’t shed as much during the day or while I take a shower. However, I lose a lot of hair when I brush. I’d say 150+ hairs. She said that if the iron doesn’t work, that I probably have androgenetic alopecia and because I’m losing hair all over my head, hair replacement surgery is not an option. I haven’t had a scalp biopsy done. I’d like to, but my dermatologist didn’t think it was necessary.
I feel I should also mention my family history. My mother has a full head of hair and she is 63. My dad is just now at age 62, losing his hair, but it could be due to his thyroid condition. My bother is losing hair and he is 33. My grandmother on my mom’s side has hair, my grandfather, however had hair loss. My grandmother on my dad’s side had thin, fine hair, but my dad said he couldn’t recall seeing her scalp. My other grandfather had a full head of hair. So, hair loss is in my family.
With all this said, I’ve gone through a wave of emotions. I’ve had sleepless nights and some crying fits. However, I’ve realized that if this is the worst thing that could happen to me, I’ll take it. My fiancé (who has been so supportive) understands my pain, but has stated that he doesn’t care if I’m bald or not. He’ll love me for who I am and NOT my hair. My only advice to woman losing their hair is that it’s ok to cry about it, but please don’t let it consume your life. Life is too short to worry about your hair.
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Dear Sarah,
It seems 8 years of hair loss ( the same amount of time I’ve been losing my hair) has caused you to do a little bit of soul searching. It’s healthy and it really helps to put things into perspective, once when can get to that place. I don’t think I had my little soul searching excursion till about a year ago or so. Your words “Life is too short to worry about your hair” couldn’t be more eloquently or clearly stated. It is the truth plain and simple, but this reality and truth really packs quite the punch and is so very hard to accept.
You checked the hair loss family tree and realized the genetic component of hair loss is there. As is the case for some many of us, those genes often lying dormant till one day they become awakened for whatever reason. I realize your doctor isn’t too keen on the scalp biopsy, but if you think it would provide help or informational closure you should definitely get it done by someone willing to do it. I would get a scalp biopsy if I had doubt about whether or not I was suffering from chronic telogen effluvium or androgenetic alopecia, unfortunately for me there is not doubt that I have female pattern hair loss, which renders the test useless for me.
What your dermatologist stated about it taking quite awhile to see improvement in the hair after beginning treatment is true. Hair growth is a very slow process, but usually I think something can be seen around the 6 month mark, although it may take longer for some people. It may just start off with a reduction in shedding, which is half battle right there. You didn’t mention whether or not you decided to go for the spironolactone treatment, if you did what dosage did you get started on?
With regards to the emotional nature of hair loss, the crying and lack of sleep I’ve previously written that I liken losing your hair to the 5 stages of grief and mourning:
1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance
I too have had more than my share of uncontrollable crying episodes, times I didn’t get out of bed and just horrible horrible depression. But as people we are innately so strong, our body and mind have an unbelievable capacity for coping and adapting to difficult and new situations. What is the alternative right? This is the life we’ve been given, the hand we’ve been dealt and we have to do the best we can with it. I often cried “this is so unfair to happen to me now, I’m so young” but Inevitably I always hear my mom’s words she use to tell me as a kid when I’d complain I couldn’t have the latest doll or easy bake oven… “Life isn’t fair” I doubt she had this in mind when she said it, but it true none-the-less.
I encourage women to make educated decisions they can live with regarding treatment and definitely to find the right physician to help them tackle the difficult task of figuring out what is causing the hair loss. By no means give up hope, I practically live off the stuff 
I live by believing I’ve done and continue to do all I could have to helped myself in treating my hair loss, it is out of my hands now. I hope my hair loss will stabilize, and while I’ll look like a woman with very thin hair, hopefully it’ll be enough get by.
I’m so glad you have a supportive man by your side, it really helps to have someone there who will listen and understand, and in the end love you for you, not for the amount of hairs attached to your head. That’s the way it should be. Thanks Sarah for writing and not only sharing your story but your hair loss wisdom as well.
~Y
Technorati Tags: androgenetic alopecia, scalp biopsy, womens hair loss
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Arsh 01.10.08 at 8:13 pm
Have you tried something like an integration, topper, or something like dermatch or toppic. It won’t give you back the hair you won’t, but it will let you deal with it, and put your best face forward in the outside world. Also, I know the redken styling line is excellent for thickening hair temporarily, that would really help with the proper styling.
Sarah 01.13.08 at 8:05 pm
I did start taking the spirnolactone. I take one pill every morning that is 100mg. I think it has kept my shedding down, but I’m still losing hair. What I don’t like about spirnolactone is that it messes with lowering my blood pressure. Because of this, I feel faint on occasion. I also don’t like the fact that it messes with my libido. Kind of sucks when you’re in a serious relationship with someone who obviously has no problem with his libido. I haven’t tried any of the products Arsh has mentioned. I’m considering the redken line, but I’m currently using some shampoo my dermatologist recommended. I had an appointment with my dermatologist this past week and she still believes that iron is the problem. She evaluated my hair yet again and said that it will take a year before I notice some change. She’s holding hope that it isn’t alopecia. She took my blood and my iron level is now at 67. So, I’ll be taking iron supplements for the next month and half to get my level about 70-75. She says hair grows when our iron level is at least 70. So, we’ll see. On another note, I’ve been evaluating some wigs on the market and discovered the Amy’s Presence wig line. Has anyone tried her wigs? Here is her website: http://www.amyspresence.com/
I’m so happy this hair loss website exists. I never realized how many women suffered from hair loss. We are all so brave and your words are very encouraging. I wish I was a genius, so I could cure hair loss for ya’ll and everyone else in the world!
canadiansister 08.21.08 at 5:51 pm
Hello All.
I am 21 years old i’ve noticing hair lose when i was 19, however, i did not take it seriously till now. Honesly i have lost so much hairs that i feel embarrassed to go parties. i have a big forhead overall and with this hairloss it had made things worse for me. What can i do? i’m only 21 and it’s a huge difference from when i was 19 years old.
admin 08.22.08 at 5:30 pm
Hi Canadiansister -
I’m so sorry to hear that you are struggling with hair loss. I know what it is like to lose hair at such a young age. I started to lose my hair at 21. I think the fist thing you have to do is see a doctor who specializes, or at least as a lot of knowledge on women’s hair loss and the various things that can contribute to it. There are so many things that can cause hair loss. Are you, or where at any time taking the birth control pill? That is always my first questions, since I know that for a lot of women that is what triggers it. How much hair are you shedding a day?
Remember, you are paying close attention to your hair so you see the changes, but other people most likely don’t, so you should go out, go to parties and enjoy being 21. I know that is hard to do when you are worrying about your hair, but I wish I had it to do over again. I was so worried every day I lost hair that I didn’t realize how much I still actually had on my head. I appreciate that now looking back. So realize you have more hair than you think and you should continue to enjoy the greatness of 21.
Best,
~Y
Roxanne 09.12.08 at 10:59 am
I had a baby 4months ago. Im 27 . I was givin a non steroid drug to help with some back problems i got after birth i stopped the med a month ago an 4 the last week hair is lost with handfuls a couple times a day.
J 02.18.09 at 4:25 pm
I’m glad I found this site. I have noticed that my hair has been thinning since I was probably 17…I did my research about hair loss and tried to figure out why I am loosing hair. I took birth control in college and realized that maybe this is triggering my hair loss so I stopped taking it. It has been 6 years since I have been off it and am still losing hair gradually. I can see my scalp more than I could before and I notice people looking at my head when they are talking to me. This makes me feel so uncomfortable. I only see the thinning of my hair mainly on the top of my head and have been searching for solutions to cover this. I have heard of Toppik but never tried it. I am willing to accept this hair loss, but I want to do something about it. I am 26 and have always had thick, curly hair and as I age, it gets thinner. My mom’s hair is thinner than her sister’s but she does not have scalp showing. My dad is bald…I’m just curious as to why I am losing hair. Just recently I did a blood test and found out that my iron is on the low side. I’m going to probably start taking supplements for that. I wonder if any of you have ever thought about a top front wig if you are just balding in the top of your head or doing something with hairclub or any of those places. What resources do people have for their hair loss. I personally don’t want to take pills or any herbal supplement because I did that 4 years ago and did not notice any difference. I used the shampoos, rogaine for women and I just stopped. Also this is all very pricey. Does anyone have good resources or recommendations for top wigs, pieces, extension…etc…or anything you found works? Thanks for taking the time to read this
pam 04.08.09 at 7:14 pm
hi sarah
i was just wondering how the hair loss has been since this entry? i am on iron pills as well, although my iron levels fell within range so i’m not convinced they will help me.
thank you for sharing your story
Vicky 06.09.09 at 4:41 pm
He;;p Im posting here because Im desperate for answers, I am curious for someone to tell me about the pattern of their hair loss. I notice my hairline is getting affected but it started at my temples and ofcourse just general thinning all around. Im 22, has been falling for a year. Please someone write back and let me know if this is also what your hair loss looks like and if you have suffered with hair loss for mnay years, does the hairline keep getting worse like a man? or does it stop after just slightly affecting it?? Please answer back Thanks so much
Alma 06.26.09 at 7:31 am
Hi Vicky, I ran into this site while trying to get some questions answered for myself, because I feel like I’m going in circles.. I don’t know what to do myself. I’m 22 years old about to turn 23. I started out with an ichy scalp which turned into a lot of dandruff. I went to my Internal Medicine Doctor because I didn’t like having my dandruff visible. She prescribed me a shampoo and some other medicine. That other medicine made my scalp hurt . As if I was putting alcohol on my scalp. My scalp was red too. This did help reduce the dandruff but then my hair started to fall off. I stopped using the medicine because I was fine before it. Then, when I saw that my hair was falling in chunks and it was just too much I went back to my internal medicine doctor who prescribed me some medicine used for bacteria and some iron supplement which I don’t trust too much because she sells it right from her doctor’s office. But anywho. She also prescribed me rogaine. I didn’t know until I went to get my rx. I was confused because she never has told me what was causing the hair loss to begin with so the hair growing because of rogaine but never fixing the problem that is causing the hair loss did not make sense. I called my doctor and she said she did not know what was causing the hair loss. She’s a doctor and doesn’t know? I told her that I needed to know obviously and that’s when she finally said I needed to see a dermatologist and see if they can do a biopsy on my scalp. It just shows that you need to do some research yourself. Doctor’s can be so quick to give you any pill or any shampoo. While I was doing my research online . It turns out there are many scalp diseases that can cause hair. Right now, it seems like I will continue to take the supplement medicine, do the shampoo, and also make an appt with a dermatologist which seems to be the person we should be seeing.
Vicky 06.27.09 at 2:28 pm
Hey alma, I did go to a dermatologist who said it was aga. And i also went to see Dr. Redmond who specializes in women’s hair loss. He says the hairline only changes slightly. I am currently on bcp and spiro for treatment but still waiting for results. I am prayin for a miracle and that these treatments can help stop the loss. I was just curious as to how is the pattern of your loss? is it greater on your temples? or top?
Chantelle 08.26.09 at 12:02 pm
To all the ladies on here. Don’t give up and accept the answer that a doctor doesn’t know what is wrong or they can’t do anything else to help you. I am 32 years old and noticed my hair falling out for about the past two years. It’s all over my head. You have to do research on your own. Be knowledgeable when you go to see your doctors. I was surprised how little most of them know on the subject. I have been told it is genetic; there is no one in my entire family that suffers from hair loss. I have been tested for low iron. My iron levels are fine. About 7 months ago, my obgyn did an Adrenal Gland test on me. Turns out my Adrenals are fatigued. Adrenal Fatigue is brought on by severe stress that has not let up (emotional, work, money…you would be amazed how stress affects a woman’s body). It appears that this has started to alter my thyroid levels. However, my doctor will not treat my thyroid because she feels the levels (2.39) are not “hypo” enough to treat. I have symptoms of both adrenal and thyroid problems with no one willing to treat the symptoms. HELLO! Something is obviously not right. I have read so much on both of these topics. There are many doctors that look and the numbers and are not willing to treat the symptoms. The one symptom that women who suffer from this are most concerned with is hairloss. My obgyn has advised me to see a dermotologist. I went to see one this week. She was very knowledgable on hair loss, causes, types and treatments. She gave me hope. She did perform a scalp biopsy. It will take two weeks to get the results back. She feels by everything I have told her that it is something hormonal/internal going on. My hair will continue to fall out until that problem is solved. I guess my point here is, keep searching until you find someone that is willing to help you. There are so many tests that can be done to get to the cause of women’s hair loss. There are also many treatments. Don’t settle ladies. Stay positive. I know, it is hard. I cry a lot. It’s hard to feel like a complete woman when you are losing your hair. The good news is there is a light at the end of the tunnel for us all and there is help regardless of the cause of your hairloss. If I would have not done research on my own, I would have stopped a long time ago and just taken a Dr’s opinion that was clueless. Don’t give you the fight! I will share the results of my tests and next steps.
Kelly 11.02.09 at 5:31 pm
I’m 21 and have lost half my hair. Thankfully I had very thick hair when I was younger so it’s not very noticeable. I noticed my hair started falling out when I was placed on medications for bipolar disorder and seizures. I’ve since stopped talking all but one of the medications for those disorders. I’ve tried the shampoos and they do nothing for my hair. I lose so much hair, it’s everywhere, if it’s windy the person next to me ends up with my hair on their shirt. Everyday when I look at the drain covered in my hair after my shower I cry. I’m going to go to a dermatologist but haven’t had much luck with doctors in the past for any of my medical problems so I’m a bit doubtful that they’ll provide me any help. I refuse to take any prescriptions because I’ve suffered from far too many side effects in the past. I’m willing to try iron suppliments but do they really work?
Rachel 11.30.09 at 8:38 pm
I am 38 years old and noticed about three months ago that my hair felt a little thinner. I noticed so much of it coming out in the shower. I’m so obsessed with it that I started conting my hairs in the shower and when I get out of the shower and comb my hair. Just in the shower I loose over 100 hairs. Basically for the day I loose over 200 hairs. I always had alot of hair and now I see my scalp mostly in the front of my head where my part starts and on the back of my head. The left side of my head is thinner then the right. Weird? But the sides of my head (temples) got very thin as well. It all just hit me almost 4 weeks ago when I noticed I can see my scalp. I was away on vacation so there was nothing I can do. I have been crying alot & am so stressed out over it. Which probably doesn’t help the situation much. I see my dermo this Friday. I’m not on any meds and have not had a baby or on birth control. I just had tests done 2 months ago and they checked my thyroid. it came back normal though. I heard of people having to get there thyroid tested 3 or 4 times before it came back abnormal. I started taking biotin pills about 4 weeks ago. I am praying to god my dermo finds something because I’ll be bald in a couple of months!
Jonna 02.16.10 at 2:51 pm
Watching my hair loss for the last 3 years has been awlful. I started throwing up and emitting an awlful smell for years I tried to change my diet but nothing completely stop the smell. I started putting apple cider vinegar in my drink and the smell has gone away. Around this time I also took 3 months worth of birth control. Could that have been the problem…I don’t know but It all happened around the same time. 19 years old…now i’m 22 and my once beautiful hair I took for granted is withering away and I am not the same person I use to be.