New member here...am i losing hair due to being underweight or is it....(Gulp!) male pattern baldness

[lonny]

Hi I'm 19 and I'm from essex in the UK. I have been losing hair due to my weight for a long time (since i was 12) now usually i'll see a lot of hair in the bath tub however recently i have found that even though i'm losing hair at the same rate i can start to see my scalp, not just the typical male pattern baldness areas but everywhere including the side of my head. I'm losing hair on the back of my head too but its not visible yet.

i have also been underweight all my life too, I currently weigh 53Kg at 1.73m (116 pounds at 5'7) which is a BMI of about 17.5 and i also suffer from anemia. I started going to the gym from the 31st of December to gain some weight and look healthier.

here are some pics of my hair loss.



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Bump...

 

[lonny]

Hi guys would be great if i can get a reply...I'm really frustrated here.

 

[Quantum Cat]

those pictures don't really show anything. We need to see good clear pictures of the front hairline, temples and crown - preferably taken by somebody else

 

[lonny]

My phone isn't working right now and that's the only camera i have access too at the moment, but lets say if my hair loss is due to me being underweight would minoxidil help to gain the hair I've lost until i'm back to a healthy weight?
and if it does help me gain my hair back is it a good idea to take minoxidil?

 

[beaner]

Jump onto taking Avodart (Dutasteride) 0.5mg. in 3-4 months you will see amazing results and pharmacy direct gb is the place to buy from

That's pretty bad advice since we can't even clearly see if he has male pattern baldness.

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My phone isn't working right now and that's the only camera i have access too at the moment, but lets say if my hair loss is due to me being underweight would minoxidil help to gain the hair I've lost until i'm back to a healthy weight?
and if it does help me gain my hair back is it a good idea to take minoxidil?

Minoxidil can help with many types of hair loss so it wouldn't be a bad idea to use it. You could still have male pattern baldness which is why it's a good idea to post better pics of your hairline and crown.

The hair loss on the sides of your head could be indicative of telogen effluvium which can be triggered by poor diet, stress, illness, and a number of other factors. Unfortunately, a telogen effluvium can also trigger male pattern baldness if you are genetically inclined.

You probably should talk to a doctor or dermatologist. The best you will get here is speculation.

 

[Harry S Truman]

Hi I'm 19 and I'm from essex in the UK. I have been losing hair due to my weight for a long time (since i was 12) now usually i'll see a lot of hair in the bath tub however recently i have found that even though i'm losing hair at the same rate i can start to see my scalp, not just the typical male pattern baldness areas but everywhere including the side of my head. I'm losing hair on the back of my head too but its not visible yet.

i have also been underweight all my life too, I currently weigh 53Kg at 1.73m (116 pounds at 5'7) which is a BMI of about 17.5 and i also suffer from anemia. I started going to the gym from the 31st of December to gain some weight and look healthier.

here are some pics of my hair loss.

View attachment 19352View attachment 19353View attachment 19354View attachment 19352View attachment 19355View attachment 19356

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Bump...

what ever you do don't listen to shadow123....


i would see a doctor before you start any meds... that's prob not male pattern baldness

 

[BlackSheep]

I'm going to make a confession here to try and ward you towards my advice rather than some of what you've read here.

I am studying medicine and almost finished my course. You have listed a history of being underweight and being anaemic. You have presented us with the most likely reason why you've had diffuse hair loss.

Pictures of your crown and whatever else are completely irrelevant at this point because you've already noticed you're losing hair in other places which don't match male pattern balding (i.e. the sides).

Visit your doctor regarding this. They should carry out a basic dermatological exam and then check your bloods (FBC and ferritin/iron) as well as thyroid if they suspect that might also be the cause.

If you are both underweight and anaemic this might suggest a disease process going on that's ultimately causing it. Pernicious anaemia (Vitamin B12/folate deficiency), IBD/S, some other GI problems or just simple malnutrition (rare in the West, but not non-existent).

Bottom line is, DON'T start going for all these random trade-name drugs until the exact cause has been figured.

If you have any other questions post them here so others can be medically educated on the numerous possible causes of hair loss beyond the bog-standard androgenetic alopecia (which again seems to have unfortunately completely captured the subconscious of this forum). If you have private questions to ask feel free to PM.

If the anaemia and underweight status are to blame then, congratulations my friend, you're most likely not going to experience hardcore follicle miniaturisation. Yours should be reversible.

 

[lonny]

Hi guys,I've been to the doctor and its been two months since i joined the gym. So far I've gained little over 3kg ( around 3.4 which is little over 7 pounds). ive been to the doctor and he's told me my hair loss is due to my poor diet and nutrition and the fact that iv'e diarrhea (on and off) for about a year is a sign of that. So far after gaining weight I've noticed my hair getting thicker, it still looks the same however I've started losing a lot less hair in the bath than i did about 2 years ago.

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Btw. Today i tried plucking one hair from the back of my head and one from the top, so i could compare the pain and how easily it came out. Both of them were about the same in pain and the difficulty in taking it out, however after about 30 min the area where a plucked the hair in the top of my head started bleeding, not too much, about half a drop of blood was there. I'm pretty sure i only plucked the hair, skin didn't come along with it. Is this a good or bad sign?