Am i balding? 18y

[hair2stay]

I certainly never noticed any hair loss until my best friend told me. I had very little to no recession in front. Hair loss high in the crown can be basically invisible from all angles in pictures and I note that none of you would have thought that I was going bald in my early 20's but I clearly was. My pics from back then even fool me. Then I ran into the opposite phenomenon a few years back where my hair seemed to look fine in certain mirrors based upon lighting but it looked bald in unfavorable lighting. Pictures often struggle to capture the hair loss when it is diffuse.

I'm struggling with how to take objective photos.. My hair looks so thick in certain lights, angles, and depth and just the opposite in other photos.

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

I'm struggling with how to take objective photos.. My hair looks so thick in certain lights, angles, and depth and just the opposite in other photos.

What protocol are you thinking about using?

 

[hair2stay]

What protocol are you thinking about using?

I'm not able to add anything at this point. I'm withdrawing from a medication that causes immuno / stress / hormonal changes so I'm losing hair due to medication. Everyone tells me it will come back... but you know....who know? I'll add anything that doesn't change me hormone wise at this point. frustrating. I'm on hold

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

Remember what Amigo said. You're a ZERO. That space you see is a root gap. its very normal even with the thickest hair! Look at women who care and need their hair way more than us. Women with thick hair parted have the exact same thing you do. Hot women with the thickest hair possible (women's hair can be thicker due to hormones) have that exact thing. Very normal.

Ask any barber or hair stylist: your hair is the stuff shampoo models want.

Amigocrocker has good advice on the pictures and stay off this site!!

Only on here is calling someone a ZERO the height of politeness

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

I'm not able to add anything at this point. I'm withdrawing from a medication that causes immuno / stress / hormonal changes so I'm losing hair due to medication. Everyone tells me it will come back... but you know....who know? I'll add anything that doesn't change me hormone wise at this point. frustrating. I'm on hold

Can you be more specific or you can DM me, about what medication you are struggling with?

 

[amigocrocker]

Only on here is calling someone a ZERO the height of politeness

Yeah
Would you rate me a NW0 too? or whatever number on the scale
100% honesty!!

 

[hair2stay]

Can you be more specific or you can DM me, about what medication you are struggling with?

benzodiazepines. Yet the research is sparse. I've been on a forum called benzo buddies. Lots of experiences with thinning and patching that comes back after discontinuation: for some its stress, others hormonal, others fungus. I have protracted acute withdrawal

Can you be more specific or you can DM me, about what medication you are struggling with?

 

[amigocrocker]

benzodiazepines. Yet the research is sparse. I've been on a forum called benzo buddies. Lots of experiences with thinning and patching that comes back after discontinuation: for some its stress, others hormonal, others fungus. I have protracted acute withdrawal

Wait, do benzos cause balding?? Like androgenic alopecia? Irreversible? Male pattern baldness? Cause i've been taking alprazolan (xanax, frontal) for quite some time now (3 months). Should i worry?

 

[hair2stay]

Wait, do benzos cause balding?? Like androgenic alopecia? Irreversible? Male pattern baldness? Cause i've been taking alprazolan (xanax, frontal) for quite some time now (3 months). Should i worry?

Should you worry? NO!! That's why your on them now. I used them for almost six years after a tragedy in 2016. Coming off them now and I have post acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS). So, my hair has thinned some in the last year and I have a few bald patches near my crown. which happens due to PAWS. Xanax is meant as a short term medication as in two weeks. You'll get hooked soon and then you'll need more and you'll get less effect. If you cannot address your worry through lifestyle and CBT then as a last resort an SSRI is a little safer in my opinion

 

[amigocrocker]

Should you worry? NO!! That's why your on them now. I used them for almost six years after a tragedy in 2016. Coming off them now and I have post acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS). So, my hair has thinned some in the last year and I have a few bald patches near my crown. which happens due to PAWS. Xanax is meant as a short term medication as in two weeks. You'll get hooked soon and then you'll need more and you'll get less effect. If you cannot address your worry through lifestyle and CBT then as a last resort an SSRI is a little safer in my opinion

Hair2stay, you are really nice and patient with me, thank you very much!
I'm now worried about SSRI's and benzos future causing male pattern baldness on me, because i take both,but of course, xanax i only take when necessary, but i take fluvoxamine too. Have you ever taken any SSRI or read anything related to it causing male pattern baldness? or did you experience any of that?

 

[Ollie]

Wait, do benzos cause balding?? Like androgenic alopecia? Irreversible? Male pattern baldness? Cause i've been taking alprazolan (xanax, frontal) for quite some time now (3 months). Should i worry?

who has advised you to be on Xanax at 18 - especially for that long ?

 

[amigocrocker]

who has advised you to be on Xanax at 18 - especially for that long ?

My doctor. But im of course, not taking xanax everyday for 3 months, i've just been prescribed to take, but really i just took it 5 or 6 times in really extreme anxiety crisis i had, because i know that benzos are addictive.
The one that i've been really taking daily for 3 months is the SSRI fluvoxamine. Do you know if SSRI 's causes miniaturization/male pattern baldness?

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

My doctor. But im of course, not taking xanax everyday for 3 months, i've just been prescribed to take, but really i just took it 5 or 6 times in really extreme anxiety crisis i had, because i know that benzos are addictive.
The one that i've been really taking daily for 3 months is the SSRI fluvoxamine. Do you know if SSRI 's causes miniaturization/male pattern baldness?

Don't mix it with even one beer. You will lose several days if you do. It's both trippy and scary.

 

[amigocrocker]

Don't mix it with even one beer. You will lose several days if you do. It's both trippy and scary.

Wait, what do you mean lose several days? lose what? my hair?

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

Wait, what do you mean lose several days? lose what? my hair?

No. If you mix xanax and alcohol, you can end up in a state of delirium that lasts several days and you will only have the faintest memory about what happened. I don't see why Xanax would be bad for hair though.

 

[amigocrocker]

No. If you mix xanax and alcohol, you can end up in a state of delirium that lasts several days and you will only have the faintest memory about what happen. I don't see why Xanax would be bad for hair though.

Wow thats scary thx for the advice!!! really appreciate!!

 

[hair2stay]

Wow thats scary thx for the advice!!! really appreciate!!

Janey is right. Xanax can be dangerous with alcohol. There is no evidence an SSRI or Xanax causes hair loss. None at all. I lost a little withdrawing from valium but this is rare and it will grow back

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

My advice is to stay away from Benzos. They are ridiculously addictive and very hard to come off of. It can actually kill you like alcohol withdrawls. It's one of the only kind of "drugs" that withdrawls can kill you. They are more dangerous to come off of than heroin, pain killers, crack, cocaine, etc.

I have never done them but had family members that were prescribed them at 14 and they never got away from them their entire life. They wanted to quit and flushed them all one time. Had massive withdrawals and startdd having seizures. Called the doctor and they immediatelty prescribed more. Told them to never do that again and to come off them takes months or even up to a 1.5 years of very slowly reducing the dose.

Seriously, consider doing some reading about benzos and Xanax. They are not the miracle drug that they were thought to be in the 60's and 70's. I also had another family member almost OD on clozapine mixed with other dugs too. Surprisingly it's very hard to OD on Xanax alone though (unless mixed with alcohol/drugs which is a big no). As somebody whose life these have effected, despite never touching one I have done a lot of research about benzos. And this is not just trying to scare you. They are actually a drug that deserves extra caution.

I had planned on trying to not come back here again for at least 6 months. I am spending less and less time. But I am glad I came today to at least give you advice to at least do some real research into benzos and stay away from them. I actually feel comfortable giving you that advice.

Edit:
And just in case anybody thought I was wrong or over inflating things. Here is a very short read of drugs that withdrawals can kill you. It's alcohol, as stated above, and benzos, as stated above. This also lists methadone, though it admits these are anecdotal and there is no literature to back this. On methadone you are very likely to accidentally die from an OD. The same family members that took benzos also took methadone. I have never took anything more than a Tylenol but I've been around these pills and they contributed to not such a stable home life. It then goes on to say that you basically will not die from any other drugs withdrawal.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/all-about-addiction/201001/alcohol-benzos-and-opiates-withdrawal-might-kill-you?amp

One more edit:
This is a quote from studies on over dosing from Xanax alone.

"In clinical studies in rats, the LD50 — the dose that caused half of the rats to die — ranged from 331 to 2,171 mg per kilogram of body weight. This suggests that a person would have to take several thousand times the maximum prescribed dose to fatally overdose"

So the danger from Xanax and other benzos is not an OD from them alone but from mixing them with alchol, pain killers, or other drugs. And the fact they are so addictive and so hard to beat, and that ironically the withdrawals could kill you if not careful. Ok I'll stop. There is of course plenty of research to be done, and I've read it all. Ok, the family member were mu parents and prescription medicines hurt my home life very badly and one of my parents (daddy) is dead from a heart attack at 48. Surely the abuse on his body contributed. My mama almost overdosed on clonzapine mixed with other drugs when she was 42 and again at 45. Thankfuly after he died she has gotten a lot better about things, not perfect but better for sure. I really do not know how both did not die from all the prescriptions medicines they mixed. I mean one did die, and certainly that contributed plus smoking.

Anyway, just warn people about these drugs when I can. I hate drugs and barely take tylenol for headaches. I also hate taking 0.25 finasteride a day but it's not addictive and something completely different, but I still hate taking it. I got flashed burned once and the hospital prescribed me loratabs. Threw them away, never took one. Had a kidney stone once and the same thing. And that mother effer hurt.

Really didn't mean to type this much.

It came from the heart so no need to curtail.

I have been around many addicts and treatment centers and the sickest of all are usually the chronic alcoholics and the benzo folks. They can't even stop taking benzos or drinking alcohol until they arrive and can be medically stabilized. They actually tell them to keep drinking or to stay on the benzos until they arrive.

 

[hair2stay]

My advice is to stay away from Benzos. They are ridiculously addictive and very hard to come off of. It can actually kill you like alcohol withdrawls. It's one of the only kind of "drugs" that withdrawls can kill you. They are more dangerous to come off of than heroin, pain killers, crack, cocaine, etc.

I have never done them but had family members that were prescribed them at 14 and they never got away from them their entire life. They wanted to quit and flushed them all one time. Had massive withdrawals and startdd having seizures. Called the doctor and they immediatelty prescribed more. Told them to never do that again and to come off them takes months or even up to a 1.5 years of very slowly reducing the dose.

Seriously, consider doing some reading about benzos and Xanax. They are not the miracle drug that they were thought to be in the 60's and 70's. I also had another family member almost OD on clozapine mixed with other dugs too. Surprisingly it's very hard to OD on Xanax alone though (unless mixed with alcohol/drugs which is a big no). As somebody whose life these have effected, despite never touching one I have done a lot of research about benzos. And this is not just trying to scare you. They are actually a drug that deserves extra caution.

I had planned on trying to not come back here again for at least 6 months. I am spending less and less time. But I am glad I came today to at least give you advice to at least do some real research into benzos and stay away from them. I actually feel comfortable giving you that advice.

Edit:
And just in case anybody thought I was wrong or over inflating things. Here is a very short read of drugs that withdrawals can kill you. It's alcohol, as stated above, and benzos, as stated above. This also lists methadone, though it admits these are anecdotal and there is no literature to back this. On methadone you are very likely to accidentally die from an OD. The same family members that took benzos also took methadone. I have never took anything more than a Tylenol but I've been around these pills and they contributed to not such a stable home life. It then goes on to say that you basically will not die from any other drugs withdrawal.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/all-about-addiction/201001/alcohol-benzos-and-opiates-withdrawal-might-kill-you?amp

One more edit:
This is a quote from studies on over dosing from Xanax alone.

"In clinical studies in rats, the LD50 — the dose that caused half of the rats to die — ranged from 331 to 2,171 mg per kilogram of body weight. This suggests that a person would have to take several thousand times the maximum prescribed dose to fatally overdose"

So the danger from Xanax and other benzos is not an OD from them alone but from mixing them with alchol, pain killers, or other drugs. And the fact they are so addictive and so hard to beat, and that ironically the withdrawals could kill you if not careful. Ok I'll stop. There is of course plenty of research to be done, and I've read it all. Ok, the family member were mu parents and prescription medicines hurt my home life very badly and one of my parents (daddy) is dead from a heart attack at 48. Surely the abuse on his body contributed. My mama almost overdosed on clonzapine mixed with other drugs when she was 42 and again at 45. Thankfuly after he died she has gotten a lot better about things, not perfect but better for sure. I really do not know how both did not die from all the prescriptions medicines they mixed. I mean one did die, and certainly that contributed plus smoking.

Anyway, just warn people about these drugs when I can. I hate drugs and barely take tylenol for headaches. I also hate taking 0.25 finasteride a day but it's not addictive and something completely different, but I still hate taking it. I got flashed burned once and the hospital prescribed me loratabs. Threw them away, never took one. Had a kidney stone once and the same thing. And that mother effer hurt.

Really didn't mean to type this much.

I appreciate your passion so here is a disclosure. In 2015 something bad happened to me. I took valium to sleep. 15-20 mgs a day....what turned into temporary turned into 5 years. I have come down to 2.5mgs in a year. It will take another year to come off the remaining 2.5mgs. I too thought you could just quit: ended up in the hospital. the last year has been misery. About 4 months ago, my hair suddenly started falling out. thinning and patching...this is minor compared to the other stuff it did to me. pure evil...

I'm sorry for your family pains. I'm so sorry. I'm on a forum called benzo buddies where thousands - yes THOUSANDS - currently fighting for their life to come off. I'll give anyone $1000 if they can introduce me to one person who has been on them for two plus years and believes their life si better. 80% of those prescribed 10mgs or more of valium daily for more than 4 years NEVER come off them unless switching to a heavier drug!!! like clozapine and that's the devil's drug of choice.

Again, I'm very sorry and thank you for sharing. Good on you for refusing to take pills except a little finasteride. Hair makes life easier.

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

I appreciate your passion so here is a disclosure. In 2015 something bad happened to me. I took valium to sleep. 15-20 mgs a day....what turned into temporary turned into 5 years. I have come down to 2.5mgs in a year. It will take another year to come off the remaining 2.5mgs. I too thought you could just quit: ended up in the hospital. the last year has been misery. About 4 months ago, my hair suddenly started falling out. thinning and patching...this is minor compared to the other stuff it did to me. pure evil...

I'm sorry for your family pains. I'm so sorry. I'm on a forum called benzo buddies where thousands - yes THOUSANDS - currently fighting for their life to come off. I'll give anyone $1000 if they can introduce me to one person who has been on them for two plus years and believes their life si better. 80% of those prescribed 10mgs or more of valium daily for more than 4 years NEVER come off them unless switching to a heavier drug!!! like clozapine and that's the devil's drug of choice.

Again, I'm very sorry and thank you for sharing. Good on you for refusing to take pills except a little finasteride. Hair makes life easier.

I am in the hospital so it will take me a bit longer to respond,
Blessings,
Janey