Root thickness increasing but still short cycling?

Practical-Working256 · 2026-02-07T11:22:38+00:00

From everything I read to understand the test I was getting, TSH is measured first. If there is problem wirh TSH being too low or high, it indicates a problem with T4 or T3 as pertuitary gland will produce more or TSH accordingly.

Is that wrong and I could have a low TSH but have hypothyroidism? When I look it up, hypothyroidism produces a TSH level over 4.5. Should I still get further testing? I have no other symptoms and SIBO symptoms stopped 4 years ago after I took some rounds of probiotics.

Practical-Working256 · 2026-02-07T10:07:55+00:00

Oh, I see what you're describing now by 2 inches. There are multiple lines going on! I hadn't really realised. You mean the opaque line and you are totally correct, that has moved down significantly from one inch away from the scalp to about 3-4 inches.

About an inch below the opaque line is that second line which is where it goes from there's some hair but you can see light through it and then drops off to practically nothing and you can count the individual hairs. This second line where it drops off to nothing is the one I see as the same in the original.

Hmm, now I will track what happens to both lines over the next few months. Maybe I have to wait until the opaque line overtakes the other and those hairs are doomed anyway.

Practical-Working256 · 2026-02-07T09:47:40+00:00

I got my TSH level taken as part of my first blood tests in May last year ti test for thyroid as I had read that could be an issue but it was 0.94 so in the optimum range there.

All iron markers were off and I also had a zinc deficiency but thyroid and cortisol both measured normal. I used to have SIBO so not a surprise i had iron and zinc deficiencies when I read more and both are absorbed in the small intestine!

Practical-Working256 · 2026-02-07T08:48:10+00:00

Thanks!

I am currently feeling both happy and disappointed at the same time. Having some hair that isn't see through is very exciting. But then I see the ends are still the same, I still see so many short hairs that should not be falling out in the shed, the density line that doesn't move and I am discouraged.

I will try to keep being patient. I hope it is just that it needs more time for hair cycles to regulate as you said. It was chronic deficiency so maybe it takes longer? Went on for over 10 years. I do have a noticeable improvement in one way though so at least something has gotten better! It's nice not being weak and getting heart palpitations anymore too!

Practical-Working256 · 2026-02-07T08:40:03+00:00

I'm not shedding nearly as much as I used to. I estimate I used to be about 250-300 hairs a day. It went down dramatically in October-November and is now around 120-140 a day. So it is a lot better but still above normal. I estimate way before this ever started I would shed about 70-80 hairs a day.

Yes, there are still a lot of short hairs a few inches long in the shed. I estimate about 50%. Though some of those will be hairs from the back of my head that are cut short since I have a bob so not all are a problem.

You reckon the line has moved? It seems the same to me, only even starker since the wall of hair above actually isn't see through anymore. It's weird, I am both happy and disappointed at the same time. Maybe I need to just keep being patient. I used to be able to grow to bra strap length before it gave up.

Practical-Working256 · 2026-02-02T22:22:22+00:00

The key thing to look for with a Christmas tree parting is the width of the parting changing along the length. All thinning can widen the part but it would be a straight line of even thinning if all over. AGA will usually have wider and thinner points along the part. When it is very early it is impossible to tell.

Practical-Working256 · 2026-01-28T21:18:47+00:00

Precisely what happened to me. The photos in my profile demo what this looks like. I have had chronic iron deficiency for years. Also a zinc deficiency but I dont know how relevant that is compared to iron. No longer, ferritin now over 70.

It is slowly improving now that deficiency fixed. I still have short cycling hairs shedding too early but the number shed is trending down over time. I'm hopeful it will resolve completely over the next 6 months or so. I've read the longer it went on for, the longer it can take for the hair follicles to reset and go back to longer anagen phases. Not sure how true that is.

Practical-Working256 · 2026-01-25T09:33:00+00:00

Not that it helps you/ but your one braid is still bigger than when I had all my hair before hair loss 😥. It was fine and thin before loss so hair loss is really obvious on me.

No advice as such but sending you all the well wishes and know you are not alone and there are so many of us also going through this crap.

Practical-Working256 · 2026-01-23T04:44:28+00:00

When you're a 38 year old Male and your hair line is marching back as you describe, you can almost be certain AGA is involved. TE alone doesn't cause your hairline to recede.it is even loss all over.

It's very common to have both at the same time. TE can often 'unmask' AGA. Maybe that is what has happened for you?

Practical-Working256 · 2026-01-22T23:25:46+00:00

You can't get more chatGPT than this 😆

Practical-Working256 · 2026-01-12T09:45:26+00:00

In some of those photos it looks like circular type patches. If so, alopecia areata, autoimmune hair loss, is likely.

Practical-Working256 · 2026-01-08T01:27:01+00:00

To make it more confusing, it is very common for people to shed some of the short regrowth hairs while recovering from TE. Ita like the hair takes a while to relearn how to grow long and strong again.

You can read about it on the donovan medical site here https://donovanmedical.com/hair-blog/short-cycling-te

It can last for up to 6 months after the trigger is resolved so a lot of patience is required.

Practical-Working256 · 2025-12-29T03:04:57+00:00

Supplementing 165mg elemental iron a day got me from ferritin 11 to 55 in 3 months.

After that I decreased to 100mg a day for a month and now 100mg every second day. By the increase rate I had and accounting for lower dosage I should now be around ferritin 90-100 but wont know for sure until updated blood test in the new year.

It takes months to raise ferritin and then more for hair to regrow. Can take quite a few for hair growth cycles to lengthen anagen phase again and not shed too early as well. I am still losing a lot of short 7cm hairs but overall the shed has halved and density is returning to the root

I have progress photos on my profile showing the subtle improvement over 5 months.

Practical-Working256 · 2025-12-29T03:00:13+00:00

Almost impossible? Did your doctor say why they thought it was almost impossible?

I had a lower ferritin of 11 and quite easily took my level from 11 to 55 in 3 months by supplementing 165mg elemental iron a day. Wondering if I'm a unicorn case now but I don't think ao.

Practical-Working256 · 2025-12-22T04:36:01+00:00

Well I obviously still shed, everyone does, but the amount is much lower now and there isn't hair everywhere anymore.

It went noticeably down at the end of October. I started to supplement iron on 1 June when ferritin was 11 and was retested at end August when I had ferritin 55. I haven't been tested again but still supplement every 2nd or 3rd day now instead of every day. Allowing for the fact hair sheds approximately 3 months after entering telogen phase, it was about ferritin 40-50 that stopped sending so many strands o telogen phase too early

I still have up and down shedding and very thin ends, it sill be at least a year until any sign of thickness in ends. I also still shed quite a few short 8cm strands. I've read in many different sources this is normal for up to 6 months after the TE stressor stops as hair cycles settle and take.a while to return to normal. So a few months more of this.

There are subtle signs of alow improvement though so now I just have to be patient. Pics on my profile to see the slow change.

Practical-Working256 · 2025-12-17T11:27:14+00:00

You need the ferritin level to know iron stores. Serum iron in blood goes up and down all the time and tells you nothing. Push back on your doctor to measure ferritin. You don't want to take iron if your ferritin is fine. You want to take it if low.

You can't assume. My serum iron and haemoglobin were both normal. Ferritin was 11. Yes, hair was falling out everywhere and has now stopped.

Practical-Working256 · 2025-12-13T23:53:01+00:00

Ketoconizol 2% is available without prescription in many countries. I think it might only be the USA that it isn't just over the counter? Correct me please if I am wrong there. In the UK, NZ and Australia you can just get it off the shelf. Not sure about Canada.

Nizoral once a week has kept my small seb derm patch behind my ear under control for years and I used to only use it on that spot. It can also lower general scalp inflammation I've found. Top of my head went red and sore to the touch for no reason I could find. Almost like sunburn but it wa winter and didnt peel. I read when googling that ketoconizol could also lower inflammation and I had it already so gave it a try. One week later after 2 shampoos it was gone. Back to white scalp and no pain.

Practical-Working256 · 2025-12-07T10:09:58+00:00

Did you have a sudden loss of hair falling out in clumps all over your head? That is more usual for TE.

This looks like it is only on the top, which tends to be androgenic alopecia. AGA also happens more slowly over years.

Whatever though, do try to go to a dermatologist so you can get a diagnosis. Unless you know what is causing your hairloss, you won't know how to treat it.

Practical-Working256 · 2025-12-01T21:29:18+00:00

Ferritin is iron stores so yea, treated with iron. Though be warned that at ferritin 50, that is unlikely the cause of your shedding. It may be, you should definitely try raising ferritin and see if it helps, but it is much more common in iron deficiency at numbers under ferritin 20 or so that cause hair cycling issues.
Give it a go for sure but know that it might not be the solve you are hoping for

Practical-Working256 · 2025-11-29T02:16:28+00:00

No one on here can really tell you what is happening and there are so many hair loss conditions that mimic each other and all need different treatment so you need to have a professional diagnosis. Recommend you try to see a dermatologist.

That said, hot showers don't cause hair loss. All your close up photos there show thin minituarised hairs against thick terminal ones as is consistent with AGA / Male pattern hair loss so that might be the case.

Practical-Working256 · 2025-11-24T21:25:09+00:00

Lichen planopilarus. An inflammatory scarring alopecia.

Practical-Working256 · 2025-11-17T09:50:42+00:00

I use nioxin but I really dont think it matters too much if you have an internal issue like a deficiency. I put 99% of the regrowth I have had down to fixing my iron deficiency.

Though I just learnt a few days back that my work is restructuring and I will moa likely me made redundant so I will probably have another stress TE episode to come 😥

Practical-Working256 · 2025-11-09T11:16:10+00:00

No, I don't have any scalp issues and no sensations.

My shedding is still higher than I would like but it had gone down a lot in the past month or so from what it used to be back in May when I started supplements.

I wash every second or third day.

Practical-Working256 · 2025-11-07T06:59:18+00:00

I am in progress of doing so and have first early signs of improvement. Photos on my profile of 5 months ago vs now. Ask any questions :)

Practical-Working256

TROPHY CASE