Hairline looks the same, but somehow my hair suddenly feels half as thick

[GreyFox27]

This is what’s messing with my head: comparing photos from six months ago, my actual hairline barely seems to have moved. But when my hair is wet or I run my hands through it, the overall density feels dramatically different. It seemed to happen after a stressful couple of months rather than gradually over years. Has anyone experienced noticeable loss of density before seeing an obvious change in the hairline itself? How did you tell whether it was temporary shedding or actual progression?

 

[PlainOldTheo]

That can definitely happen before you notice much movement in the hairline. Overall density and the hairline don’t always change at the same rate. If it came on fairly suddenly after a stressful period, shedding could be part of it rather than straightforward progressive hair loss.
I’d probably take photos under the same lighting every few weeks and pay attention to whether the shedding starts slowing down over the next couple of months. If the density keeps dropping or you notice more miniaturized hairs, that would be a good reason to get it checked rather than relying only on the hairline.