Help! I have a balding crop circle pattern on my crown

[hair2stay]

Hi, I'm 44 a norwood 3. I'm going through a major withdrawal from a medication known to put body under MAJOR stress and cause hair thinning but this is WEIRD pattern. Anyone ever see this before? this was not there one year ago One year ago there was NO signs of thinning....

My head is red, hot feeling, itchy, like a rash with small almost acne appearances that are really itchy. Its not unbearable but its itchy..... I'm 44 years old Norwood 3. Never any crown thinning prior to this.

BUT I shave my head today as I've noticed significant thinning recently at the crown. I have a strange balding pattern where the exact centre of the crown is NOT bad (shown in GREEN) yet a circle of baldness surrounds the centre crown.

I have no regimen as of yet other than Ketaconzole: I've applied three times over the last eight days. I think it may be irritating me- it seems to make it itchier

Most importantly, this seems to be a side effect of a benzodiazpine ( valium). Heavy use for five years. Benzo withdrawal is especially stressful on the mind and body. I've been sick for six months. I have to withdrawal slowly over 16 months as I have protracted Acute withdrawal. I'm on a support forum and people say thinning and hair loss is common. Yet, what do you make of the circle like bald patch. Is it possible that this is simply male pattern?

Last year there was no thinning in this area. I shaved my head in April 2020. This bald circle was not there a year ago. I discovered my hair was thinning by accident in March 2020. I've always been self-conscious so I dont know how I missed this. I never really check the crown and my hair is typcially longer so perhaps I only notice the frrnt receeding.....If this belongs in the Am I balding section, I apologize. This seems to be a healing crisis of sorts.

Thank you all for your help.

 

[Mapleman]

Looks like classic male pattern balding, the shittiest kind, diffuse thinning. You need to get on finasteride, luckily the best responding area for finasteride is the crown.

 

[hair2stay]

Looks like classic male pattern balding, the shittiest kind, diffuse thinning. You need to get on finasteride, luckily the best responding area for finasteride is the crown.

I thought so too but I had a full head of hair there - with zero thinning - last year that plus the circular/ ring pattern plus the sudden itching and flaking. The research shows that male pattern doesn't come that quickly or in that ring shape. My doctor thinks its tinea capitis which makes total sense as the medication im coming off creates stress / immuno / DHT / fungal issues all through the body.

So I dunno. I've been told it will take about a year off the meds to regrow it and I need to take fluconzole...... but maybe it is just balding lol... that's why I am here so thank you for your inisght and you may be right. Unfortunately I will not take finasteride. I hate the idea of balding but I can't take that medication due to contraindications.

Do you notice how I am not bald in the centre of the crown? Its like I have a balding outer ring with hair in middle? That with sudden onset of itch and rash led my Doctor to test for tinea capitis aka ringworm of the scalp...

But i consider all of you the real experts so thank you Maple Man!!

 

[Pls_NW-1]

I thought so too but I had a full head of hair there - with zero thinning - last year that plus the circular/ ring pattern plus the sudden itching and flaking. The research shows that male pattern doesn't come that quickly or in that ring shape. My doctor thinks its tinea capitis which makes total sense as the medication im coming off creates stress / immuno / DHT / fungal issues all through the body.

So I dunno. I've been told it will take about a year off the meds to regrow it and I need to take fluconzole...... but maybe it is just balding lol... that's why I am here so thank you for your inisght and you may be right. Unfortunately I will not take finasteride. I hate the idea of balding but I can't take that medication due to contraindications.

Do you notice how I am not bald in the centre of the crown? Its like I have a balding outer ring with hair in middle? That with sudden onset of itch and rash led my Doctor to test for tinea capitis aka ringworm of the scalp...

But i consider all of you the real experts so thank you Maple Man!!

I just want to let you know that hair loss/Androgenetic Alopecia isn't noticeable immediately, when it stars. It could have started years ago, but you just noticed after you lost -50% of density and more. + you thin on the crown, so it's less usually to notice it there immediately.

As others said, it does look like male pattern baldness. What's more weird (but as well good, in a different manner) is, that you started to noticably bald at the age of 45+! You could probably respond pretty well to treatments. Maybe go visit some more docs for more opinions, that's what I did before going any further (, and yet I came to the conclusion that derms usually know nothing besides investigating skin for skin cancer).

 

[hair2stay]

I just want to let you know that hair loss/Androgenetic Alopecia isn't noticeable immediately, when it stars. It could have started years ago, but you just noticed after you lost -50% of density and more. + you thin on the crown, so it's less usually to notice it there immediately.

As others said, it does look like male pattern baldness. What's more weird (but as well good, in a different manner) is, that you started to noticably bald at the age of 45+! You could probably respond pretty well to treatments. Maybe go visit some more docs for more opinions, that's what I did before going any further (, and yet I came to the conclusion that derms usually know nothing besides investigating skin for skin cancer).

Thank you so much. It was the sudden onset of itchiness that confused me and the sudden thinning / balding and the unusual horseshoe pattern. Have you ever seen that? Im not bald at the centre of my crown. I am bald in a ring around the crown. but there is hair in the centre of the crown.

So, I am trying to figure out if there is an underlying issue with DHT / Immuno issues / stress etc. Yes, it's quite shocking to realize one day that I am going bald but I am an ALL or NOTHING type of person. If its simply balding then I wont bother fighting it. I'll let it go. I CANNOT add minoxidil or finasteride right now as my system is still in shock during the withdrawal phase of my medication. I am three months out from being off this medication and I am physically sick - really sick - and otherwise very healthy - so I have to trust my doctor and others from the withdrawal forum who say now is not the time to add any medication....I am eating very clean and organic and when I have pepsi and pizza on weekend I get sick...yeah...that's how fragile my immune system is now.

You're right: even though my barber and partner said it wasnt bald exactly a year ago, they weren't also looking for it so it seems very real that it is male pattern balding....if so I have to wait to start any regimen. maybe its been there slowly thinning for ten years... I dont know

How did all of you find out you were bald on the crown? I accidentally noticed from a recent photo taken randomly and not to discover my balding...then i panicked...Now I am sad.....but its gone. Unless I can have back my hair on the crown, I'll just keep it short. ALL or NOTHING is not a compatible attitude with balding.

 

[hair2stay]

I just want to let you know that hair loss/Androgenetic Alopecia isn't noticeable immediately, when it stars. It could have started years ago, but you just noticed after you lost -50% of density and more. + you thin on the crown, so it's less usually to notice it there immediately.

As others said, it does look like male pattern baldness. What's more weird (but as well good, in a different manner) is, that you started to noticably bald at the age of 45+! You could probably respond pretty well to treatments. Maybe go visit some more docs for more opinions, that's what I did before going any further (, and yet I came to the conclusion that derms usually know nothing besides investigating skin for skin cancer).

OH and in atlantic canada we literally do not have a choice of doctors. we have free health but its like a free dentist who doesn't fix teeth, he pulls them...its just not a good free option

 

[Pls_NW-1]

Thank you so much. It was the sudden onset of itchiness that confused me and the sudden thinning / balding and the unusual horseshoe pattern. Have you ever seen that? Im not bald at the centre of my crown. I am bald in a ring around the crown. but there is hair in the centre of the crown.

So, I am trying to figure out if there is an underlying issue with DHT / Immuno issues / stress etc. Yes, it's quite shocking to realize one day that I am going bald but I am an ALL or NOTHING type of person. If its simply balding then I wont bother fighting it. I'll let it go. I CANNOT add minoxidil or finasteride right now as my system is still in shock during the withdrawal phase of my medication. I am three months out from being off this medication and I am physically sick - really sick - and otherwise very healthy - so I have to trust my doctor and others from the withdrawal forum who say now is not the time to add any medication....I am eating very clean and organic and when I have pepsi and pizza on weekend I get sick...yeah...that's how fragile my immune system is now.

You're right: even though my barber and partner said it wasnt bald exactly a year ago, they weren't also looking for it so it seems very real that it is male pattern balding....if so I have to wait to start any regimen. maybe its been there slowly thinning for ten years... I dont know

How did all of you find out you were bald on the crown? I accidentally noticed from a recent photo taken randomly and not to discover my balding...then i panicked...Now I am sad.....but its gone. Unless I can have back my hair on the crown, I'll just keep it short. ALL or NOTHING is not a compatible attitude with balding.

I just noticed that I bald, around almost a year ago, when I noticed intense itching, burning and pain in my hair. I tried to deny it is Androgenetic Alopecia, as Androgenetic Alopecia hasn't any such symptomes, even tho all my male relatives are bald or somewhat balding (and they hadn't any such symptomes).

Then I looked to old photos of me, and I was indeed balding since the age of 12/13. And I am now almost 18 with a NW2 and heavy crown thinning. My front is soon gone too.

 

[hair2stay]

I just noticed that I bald, around almost a year ago, when I noticed intense itching, burning and pain in my hair. I tried to deny it is Androgenetic Alopecia, as Androgenetic Alopecia hasn't any such symptomes, even tho all my male relatives are bald or somewhat balding (and they hadn't any such symptomes).

Then I looked to old photos of me, and I was indeed balding since the age of 12/13. And I am now almost 18 with a NW2 and heavy crown thinning. My front is soon gone too.

why all of the itching and balding? it sounds like you have a yeast or fungal infection like candida.... I have that too... I think our American diets are killing our hair...