Androgenic Alopecia/ Female Pattern Baldness- How Did It Start For You

[Jpu]

Hi there-

If you've been diagnosed with androgenic alopecia/ female pattern baldness due to genetics, would you mind sharing how it started?

How old were you? Family history? Sudden onset of hair shedding (6monnths-1yr)? More gradual? Where on the head was it thinning the most? Receding hairline?

Thank you ladies!

 

[Nano123]

Mine started at 15.5 years, Mom had post partum telogen effluvium at 35 which never resolved and progressed to FPHL as she had the genes for it but now at 57 she is maybe an I-3 on Ludwig scale, and father started balding at age of 45. Hair loss started abruptly and I was losing strands at a time, lost a great deal of hair volume in one year, but my scalp started really showing through after 2 years of hair loss maybe, I have general thinning at the sides, crown and on top of my head, it really shows on the cowlick in the front because of the root lift there. At the back I have good density but there is thinning to a less extent there, before starting treatment I was actively losing 200-300 hairs per day sometimes even more. I don't have a receding hair line but my edges have thinned dramatically, but a few months on minoxidil improved their appearance

 

[Jpu]

Hi, thank you for replying. I wanted to know, when you saying hair thinning, do you mean:

(1) shedding/lost density. Like hair falling out and not growing back?

or

(2) actual hair strands are thinning. At the root? or at the bottom of your hair?

 

[Nano123]

Hi, thank you for replying. I wanted to know, when you saying hair thinning, do you mean:

(1) shedding/lost density. Like hair falling out and not growing back?

or

(2) actual hair strands are thinning. At the root? or at the bottom of your hair?

Hairs fall in great numbers and regrow back thinner in diameter and don't grow as long as they used to, then fall again and grow thinner and shorter until they're just baby hairs and fall off and disappear

 

[Avania]

I was 16 when my right temple began thinning gradually. No family history of hair loss, apart from my paternal grandmother's brother. Right side continued thinning till I was 18, when I had a mini-mini-Telogen Effluvium. After the Telogen Effluvium, my hair continued thinning slowly.

My temples and hairline are definitely the most affected - kind of like in male pattern baldness. The hair there has miniaturised a lot.

 

[hairblues]

I was 16 when my right temple began thinning gradually. No family history of hair loss, apart from my paternal grandmother's brother. Right side continued thinning till I was 18, when I had a mini-mini-Telogen Effluvium. After the Telogen Effluvium, my hair continued thinning slowly.

My temples and hairline are definitely the most affected - kind of like in male pattern baldness. The hair there has miniaturised a lot.

I dont wish to scare you but that pattern--go make sure you don't have 'scaring' alopecia since you have no real family history.
I dont know what causes 'scaring' alopecia but go get a biopsy..the hair line and temples at such a young age in woman is unusual unless she has PCOS.

 

[hairblues]

Hi there-

If you've been diagnosed with androgenic alopecia/ female pattern baldness due to genetics, would you mind sharing how it started?

How old were you? Family history? Sudden onset of hair shedding (6monnths-1yr)? More gradual? Where on the head was it thinning the most? Receding hairline?

Thank you ladies!

I started with EXTREMLY dense hair the kind of hair people kill for and hair models have.

I could barely get a brush through it without both conditioner and a leave in conditioner.

I was in early 30s when I noticed some decrease in density...nothign really noticeable just I could get a brush in it easier..my blow outs took less time.

I mentioned it to my Gyno who said as women age it is normal to lose some density..he was not concerned and to be truthful either was I I kind of liked the little lose of density it made doing hair easier.

I was about 35 when I noticed my front part had a little 'hole' I could NOT remember if it was always there or not like a birth mark or something...not big not a big deal did not even bother me cosmetically..I assumed it was from blowing hair so much and it was like 'meh'.

Around 37 I went to a Halloween party and took tons of pics...my hair was parted in middle and I noticed my part was a little wider than normal--STILL cosmetically did not bother me (this is how great my hair was lol)

I did say more adamantly to my Dr and he said you need vitamins and gave me pregnancy vitamins...I did notice my hair did well wth these baby vitamins.

I lost track of doing the vitamins i hit 40 and i felt now I should go check out a Dr that maybe i had thyroid or PCOS as I had gained some weight and had hair thinning....
I went and had a blood test all was normal.

Around age 43 I went to a DR Redmond...now my hair was still looking good BUT i noticed all these thick dark hairs short that if i gently tugged them came out of my head as if they were held in with wet glue...and the roots were white and kind of 'gooey'....and they were all over the top of my head...
Dr Redmond's an expert on PCOS and hair loss for women...
I went to him and he was not really concerned about my hair he was more focused on my weight which at the time I was over weight--not obese but bordering on that.

He told me I had PCOS, he told me that my weight was contributing to my hormone problems and my hair loss.
I asked him about minoxidil he told me to not bother (HUGE mistake listening to him)
He put me on high dose of metformin and a high dose of spironolactone he also prescribed to me a low androgen birth control pill.

I started right away with the meformin and spironolactone
I was going to start the birth control next cycle.
I was due for my period not too far off when I started spironolactone and metformin
Within weeks i became very late for my period.
I had cramps and pms for like an additional month (Highly abnormal for me)
i went to my gyno..he examined me and my menstrual cycle was inside my uterus but was not coming down.
he sent me home and said lets wait a few weeks more.
I waited a few weeks more and was still not coming down.
Now i saw my regular gyno (he was on vacation)
He was appalled that Dr Redmond put me on Metformin and spironolactone
He was like #1 your blood sugar is always perfect even fasting as well as ac
he said #2 metformin is what gives women to ovulate.
So he gave me a medication that induces ovulation AND a medication that interrupts menstrual cycle both at same time both on high dose and NEVER said t me make sure you are on BCP first.
when i would call DR Redmond he was a prick--from day 1 he was and is a prick.
Just never answered a question he does not give a sh*t if you get side effects from what he prescribes.
I have a feeling his is semi autistic like his emotions are weird as are his social skills.

anyway my Gyno took me off EVERYTHING.
and within 3 months my period finally came down
I came very close to having to take straight hormones to make it come down which were high risk for the dosage I would have needed for blood clots and if that did not work I was going to have to have my uterus vacuumed or scraped out.

So beware of some of these medications and ask questions.



after that I focused weight loss and I did lose 30 pounds in like 18 months.
By that time I again took notice of my hair and still had these thick short healthy hairs that were held in root by 'gooey' bulb.

at age 44 I made an appointment with another endocrinologist...she looks over all my previous blood work from Dr Redmond (he did every test known to man) and she tells me I am normal that i do NOT have PCOS as my Gyno and my GP all concurred with this as well...and that she does not know at this time why my hair is thinning but refers me to her friend who is a prominent hair surgeon who also treats medically..she said many of her female patients use him and liked him.

So i went with all my blood work and he looks at my blood work from Dr Redmond and says matter of factly 'Oh you have really low ferritin--you cant grow hair without ferritin if you have any kind of disorder--its making your hair loss worse or more apparent sooner than it would be."
First step with him is he wants me to get my ferritin up from 10 to over 70.
I work with him and my GP and within abut 6 months I get it to around 50 or 60 (cant remember)
around that 6 month mark I go for a biopsy with my regular dermatologist (insurance paid for it) and it is also confirmed i have androgenic alopecia.

I begin to use topical spironolactone and minoxidil and keep up with my iron (which since i mess up my iron but that is a side story) and my hair loss, shedding slows down a lot...which of these things is responsible for the slowing of the shedding I cant say--but it slowed down..didnt stop but slowed down and I got 'some' moderate regrowth.

So that has been my regimen since fall of 2016 as well as Keto shampoo.

I kind of HATE DR Redmond or rather I hate that I listened to him because if I had known how well minoxidil works I would have tried it sooner and I think I could have saved some of my density.
Also he made me feel like it was PCOS and that my hair would come back if I focused on my weight loss and hormones etc---NONE of this was true..I have good old fashioned androgenic alopecia and I am ferritin anemic..the anemia made it worse sooner--otherwise i think my Androgenetic Alopecia is very mild.

I honestly cant complain if i can just continue to maintain..I dont even have to wear topik I do have to part hair on side...I am concerned for when peri menopause starts which it does not seem to have started yet..But i will go on HRT at that time.



LOL TLDR

basically i had very gradual slow hair loss that only seemed to pick up when I was ferritin anemic. Slowed down again since treating the anemia.

 

[Leslie5555]

Hi there-

If you've been diagnosed with androgenic alopecia/ female pattern baldness due to genetics, would you mind sharing how it started?

How old were you? Family history? Sudden onset of hair shedding (6monnths-1yr)? More gradual? Where on the head was it thinning the most? Receding hairline?

Thank you ladies!

My genetics are against me too. my dad is bald and my mom had very thin hair. I've been balding since I was in my early 30s. I'm 41 now. I was diagnosed with hirsutism in 2009 and took spironolactone for 8 years. It worked great! BUT now it doesn't work for me. Now i need to find a new androgen blocker. Which seems to b difficult for women to find. I al now stating a natural DHT blocker regimen. Pumpkin seed oil, inositol, viviscal and coconut oil on the scalp as well as nioxin shampoo and conditioner. Good luck. Balding sucks you're not alone. I feel very alone in this but I'm glad all of you are out there. Fight the good fight ladies

 

[Armando Jose]

BUT i noticed all these thick dark hairs short that if i gently tugged them came out of my head as if they were held in with wet glue...and the roots were white and kind of 'gooey'....and they were all over the top of my head...

I started with EXTREMLY dense hair the kind of hair people kill for and hair models have.

I could barely get a brush through it without both conditioner and a leave in conditioner.

I was in early 30s when I noticed some decrease in density...nothign really noticeable just I could get a brush in it easier..my blow outs took less time.

I mentioned it to my Gyno who said as women age it is normal to lose some density..he was not concerned and to be truthful either was I I kind of liked the little lose of density it made doing hair easier.

I was about 35 when I noticed my front part had a little 'hole' I could NOT remember if it was always there or not like a birth mark or something...not big not a big deal did not even bother me cosmetically..I assumed it was from blowing hair so much and it was like 'meh'.

Around 37 I went to a Halloween party and took tons of pics...my hair was parted in middle and I noticed my part was a little wider than normal--STILL cosmetically did not bother me (this is how great my hair was lol)

I did say more adamantly to my Dr and he said you need vitamins and gave me pregnancy vitamins...I did notice my hair did well wth these baby vitamins.

I lost track of doing the vitamins i hit 40 and i felt now I should go check out a Dr that maybe i had thyroid or PCOS as I had gained some weight and had hair thinning....
I went and had a blood test all was normal.

Around age 43 I went to a DR Redmond...now my hair was still looking good BUT i noticed all these thick dark hairs short that if i gently tugged them came out of my head as if they were held in with wet glue...and the roots were white and kind of 'gooey'....and they were all over the top of my head...
Dr Redmond's an expert on PCOS and hair loss for women...
I went to him and he was not really concerned about my hair he was more focused on my weight which at the time I was over weight--not obese but bordering on that.

He told me I had PCOS, he told me that my weight was contributing to my hormone problems and my hair loss.
I asked him about minoxidil he told me to not bother (HUGE mistake listening to him)
He put me on high dose of metformin and a high dose of spironolactone he also prescribed to me a low androgen birth control pill.

I started right away with the meformin and spironolactone
I was going to start the birth control next cycle.
I was due for my period not too far off when I started spironolactone and metformin
Within weeks i became very late for my period.
I had cramps and pms for like an additional month (Highly abnormal for me)
i went to my gyno..he examined me and my menstrual cycle was inside my uterus but was not coming down.
he sent me home and said lets wait a few weeks more.
I waited a few weeks more and was still not coming down.
Now i saw my regular gyno (he was on vacation)
He was appalled that Dr Redmond put me on Metformin and spironolactone
He was like #1 your blood sugar is always perfect even fasting as well as ac
he said #2 metformin is what gives women to ovulate.
So he gave me a medication that induces ovulation AND a medication that interrupts menstrual cycle both at same time both on high dose and NEVER said t me make sure you are on BCP first.
when i would call DR Redmond he was a prick--from day 1 he was and is a prick.
Just never answered a question he does not give a sh*t if you get side effects from what he prescribes.
I have a feeling his is semi autistic like his emotions are weird as are his social skills.

anyway my Gyno took me off EVERYTHING.
and within 3 months my period finally came down
I came very close to having to take straight hormones to make it come down which were high risk for the dosage I would have needed for blood clots and if that did not work I was going to have to have my uterus vacuumed or scraped out.

So beware of some of these medications and ask questions.



after that I focused weight loss and I did lose 30 pounds in like 18 months.
By that time I again took notice of my hair and still had these thick short healthy hairs that were held in root by 'gooey' bulb.

at age 44 I made an appointment with another endocrinologist...she looks over all my previous blood work from Dr Redmond (he did every test known to man) and she tells me I am normal that i do NOT have PCOS as my Gyno and my GP all concurred with this as well...and that she does not know at this time why my hair is thinning but refers me to her friend who is a prominent hair surgeon who also treats medically..she said many of her female patients use him and liked him.

So i went with all my blood work and he looks at my blood work from Dr Redmond and says matter of factly 'Oh you have really low ferritin--you cant grow hair without ferritin if you have any kind of disorder--its making your hair loss worse or more apparent sooner than it would be."
First step with him is he wants me to get my ferritin up from 10 to over 70.
I work with him and my GP and within abut 6 months I get it to around 50 or 60 (cant remember)
around that 6 month mark I go for a biopsy with my regular dermatologist (insurance paid for it) and it is also confirmed i have androgenic alopecia.

I begin to use topical spironolactone and minoxidil and keep up with my iron (which since i mess up my iron but that is a side story) and my hair loss, shedding slows down a lot...which of these things is responsible for the slowing of the shedding I cant say--but it slowed down..didnt stop but slowed down and I got 'some' moderate regrowth.

So that has been my regimen since fall of 2016 as well as Keto shampoo.

I kind of HATE DR Redmond or rather I hate that I listened to him because if I had known how well minoxidil works I would have tried it sooner and I think I could have saved some of my density.
Also he made me feel like it was PCOS and that my hair would come back if I focused on my weight loss and hormones etc---NONE of this was true..I have good old fashioned androgenic alopecia and I am ferritin anemic..the anemia made it worse sooner--otherwise i think my Androgenetic Alopecia is very mild.

I honestly cant complain if i can just continue to maintain..I dont even have to wear topik I do have to part hair on side...I am concerned for when peri menopause starts which it does not seem to have started yet..But i will go on HRT at that time.



LOL TLDR

basically i had very gradual slow hair loss that only seemed to pick up when I was ferritin anemic. Slowed down again since treating the anemia.

I miss you hairblues, I hope you all do well