If you’re not interested in the fully story: read summary at bottom
man it takes a lot of courage to post on a forum like this. for years i've been battling hair loss privately but finally i'm ready to share my story. i noticed when i was 17 that my temples were receding. my doctor perscribed me propecia 1 mg (started july 2005). i took this for one year. in the meantime (september 2005), i grew my hair out (to hide the temple recession). i found the best way to conceal the temple recession was by putting my hair in a ponytail (and covering up the sides with the extra hair). i did this for two years (september 2005-september 2007). In august 2006, I decided to go one step further and start using liquid 5% rogaine. From august 2006-april 2007 I applied the rogaine pretty much to in the front hairline and temple pockets. I found liquid rogaine REALLY ITCHED my scalp and made it inflamed red. My temples receded slightly further back in this time. On top of this from wearing a ponytail for 10-12 hours TIGHT a day, it started hurting my scalp (which is why I cut it in sept 2007).
Around may 2007 I noticed some massive shedding which I think was due to me going on a medication that affected my thyroid. This caused diffuse thinning all over the front, including temples and front of scalp. PS when I had really long hair, I noticed something weird. Wherever I was thinning rapidly, I had a few DARKER hairs (darker than my natural hair colour) growing that were THICKER and WAVY (I have straight hair) than my usual hair, strange. Ideas? Oddly enough the most diffuse thinning occurred (and still occurs) RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE of my scalp, its like a 2 inch wide road, starting from middle of my hairline to middle halfway back, this is by war the worst area. The left and right side of my head are actually still kinda of thick. Could this be from the ponytail being in the back middle for those two years (cause the weight of it yanking on the middle portion of my scalp)?
Anyways I freaked out and got nizoral 2%. I used it for two weeks and stopped because I had massive shedding, the most out of anything and it dried my hair out like crazy (I’ve learnt that my hair is VERY sensitive). Then I looked up rogaine foam and started using it from mid-august to now (mid-november). From switching from liquid to foam I noticed a lot of shedding. To try to emphasize the new look, I cut my ponytail (also to relieve the pain from my scalp). The shedding occurred for at least 3 months, until mid October. Then I thought it stopped for a few weeks. My hair from when I started foam to mid-october got slightly worse. However in the last two weeks (4 month mark) shedding has begun AGAIN. Now my hair definitely looks the worse it ever looks. Unless I spend 20 minutes styling it right, I can clearly see scalp all over the front. When I comb my hair in the morning, the front hairs always get pulled out. The only way to style my hair is use lots of gel to slick it back but whenever I gel my hair more hair comes out.
Man, that feels AWESOME getting it off my chest and sharing it with you guys. I’ve been reading the forum for months and have found you guys are real cool and supportive. If ANYONE can help me out, suggest anything, words of encouragement, please let me know. I’m thinking about getting a blood test, what do I ask for. Right now I’m on 1.25 mg propecia and rogaine foam 2x a day. Btw I’m a model so you see how this tragedy only gets compounded, soon I won’t even be able to earn of living! Age 19, 9 months.
Summary: diffuse thinning rapidly at end of 4 month on rogaine foam, temple recession, frontal diffuse thinning (mainly like a two inch road going down middle of head, from hair line back), notice baby hairs around temple, have had these for a few months, don’t grow much they are thin, have very sensitive hair. Thank you for reading this.
Here is the picture:
man it takes a lot of courage to post on a forum like this. for years i've been battling hair loss privately but finally i'm ready to share my story. i noticed when i was 17 that my temples were receding. my doctor perscribed me propecia 1 mg (started july 2005). i took this for one year. in the meantime (september 2005), i grew my hair out (to hide the temple recession). i found the best way to conceal the temple recession was by putting my hair in a ponytail (and covering up the sides with the extra hair). i did this for two years (september 2005-september 2007). In august 2006, I decided to go one step further and start using liquid 5% rogaine. From august 2006-april 2007 I applied the rogaine pretty much to in the front hairline and temple pockets. I found liquid rogaine REALLY ITCHED my scalp and made it inflamed red. My temples receded slightly further back in this time. On top of this from wearing a ponytail for 10-12 hours TIGHT a day, it started hurting my scalp (which is why I cut it in sept 2007).
Around may 2007 I noticed some massive shedding which I think was due to me going on a medication that affected my thyroid. This caused diffuse thinning all over the front, including temples and front of scalp. PS when I had really long hair, I noticed something weird. Wherever I was thinning rapidly, I had a few DARKER hairs (darker than my natural hair colour) growing that were THICKER and WAVY (I have straight hair) than my usual hair, strange. Ideas? Oddly enough the most diffuse thinning occurred (and still occurs) RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE of my scalp, its like a 2 inch wide road, starting from middle of my hairline to middle halfway back, this is by war the worst area. The left and right side of my head are actually still kinda of thick. Could this be from the ponytail being in the back middle for those two years (cause the weight of it yanking on the middle portion of my scalp)?
Anyways I freaked out and got nizoral 2%. I used it for two weeks and stopped because I had massive shedding, the most out of anything and it dried my hair out like crazy (I’ve learnt that my hair is VERY sensitive). Then I looked up rogaine foam and started using it from mid-august to now (mid-november). From switching from liquid to foam I noticed a lot of shedding. To try to emphasize the new look, I cut my ponytail (also to relieve the pain from my scalp). The shedding occurred for at least 3 months, until mid October. Then I thought it stopped for a few weeks. My hair from when I started foam to mid-october got slightly worse. However in the last two weeks (4 month mark) shedding has begun AGAIN. Now my hair definitely looks the worse it ever looks. Unless I spend 20 minutes styling it right, I can clearly see scalp all over the front. When I comb my hair in the morning, the front hairs always get pulled out. The only way to style my hair is use lots of gel to slick it back but whenever I gel my hair more hair comes out.
Man, that feels AWESOME getting it off my chest and sharing it with you guys. I’ve been reading the forum for months and have found you guys are real cool and supportive. If ANYONE can help me out, suggest anything, words of encouragement, please let me know. I’m thinking about getting a blood test, what do I ask for. Right now I’m on 1.25 mg propecia and rogaine foam 2x a day. Btw I’m a model so you see how this tragedy only gets compounded, soon I won’t even be able to earn of living! Age 19, 9 months.
Summary: diffuse thinning rapidly at end of 4 month on rogaine foam, temple recession, frontal diffuse thinning (mainly like a two inch road going down middle of head, from hair line back), notice baby hairs around temple, have had these for a few months, don’t grow much they are thin, have very sensitive hair. Thank you for reading this.
Here is the picture:
