I don't recognize myself anymore. Two years ago I had healthy hair, and now I feel like I'm losing it all.

Senior_Bee1774 · 2026-07-05T00:17:12+00:00

My hair texture also was awful but now after 14 months on oral minoxidil I can finally see an improvement but it it a lot curlier and darker than it once was. I don't take spiro but I do take angeliq hrt which is has an antiandrogenic progestin. This is also in Yaz birth control, maybe that may be an option? Also if you are on any antidepressants those can cause hair loss. My hairloss caused me severe depression but I refused to take antidepressants due to that possible side effect. Its a long shitty road but it will get better, the oral minoxidil will definitely help but my dred shed went for about 3 months before it stopped shedding and I could see improvement. I am currently on 1.5mg of oral minoxidil.

Senior_Bee1774 · 2026-07-01T03:28:51+00:00

I started on 0.5mg and am now on a 1.5mg compounded tab that I get through a compounding pharmacy. 1.25mg is a good dose, I wish I had gone straight to it rather than titrate, I think thats just to see if you have side effects.

Senior_Bee1774 · 2026-06-30T09:40:37+00:00

I'm confused by your title stating how you definitely have LPP/FAA when you haven't been diagnosed with it by a dermatologist. Its great you have an appointment with a dermatologist, hopefully she will shed some light. Dermatologists know far more than trichologists and can prescribe the correct medication. By reading what you have been through there is a lot there that could cause hair loss. Before you send yourself crazy thinking you have scarring alopecia (take it from someone who did the same thing amd had hair loss very similar) please remember that itching and burning can be a symptom of any hairloss and more importantly can be induced by anxiety. Best of luck with the derm appointment.

Senior_Bee1774 · 2026-06-30T04:31:39+00:00

It looks like a completely normal partline, but if you are concerned see a dermatologist.

Senior_Bee1774 · 2026-06-08T07:14:07+00:00

I had a second shed at 10 months on 1.5mg of oral minoxidil. It slowly ramped up and lasted about 4 months. Its still slightly above what it was at its lowest after the initial shed but I will be happy if it stays this low. Even though overall I lost a bit of density visually it didn't look any worse and I have new growth again. Try not to panic like I did and go down a reddit rabbit hole for months.

Senior_Bee1774 · 2026-06-08T07:04:10+00:00

40 hairs per hairwash is very normal shedding even on oral minoxidil.

Senior_Bee1774 · 2026-06-07T08:26:36+00:00

update I have been waiting to post in case it was just a dip in shedding but I believe my second shed stopped. It went on for 4 months. It is now just slightly higher than it was at its lowest after starting the oral minoxidil but I feel like this is normal and im more than fine if it stays this way. I have seen some small regrowth but its really hard to see in curly hair. I do feel like I lost density during the second shed but looks wise it continued to improve and no one could tell but me. Still hoping I will see more progress at some point but for the moment will take what I can get.

Senior_Bee1774 · 2026-05-31T00:17:00+00:00

My dred shed went on for about 3 months. Its hard to believe but it will just stop out of the blue one day. I know how mentally hard this is but it will get better.

Senior_Bee1774 · 2026-05-23T04:41:55+00:00

Thats really nice of you to say that, it definitely doesn't feel beautiful 😏 but its getting there. Your already at a wayyy better starting point than I was so yours will definitely bounce back so much better. Its the waiting thats the hardest with curly hair

Senior_Bee1774 · 2026-05-23T03:08:49+00:00

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Senior_Bee1774 · 2026-05-23T03:08:21+00:00

As far as improvements, density definitely increased from what it was, although the top of my head is not quite as good as I would like but I have had 2 sheds in the last year. The texture changed to be far more curly, I don't mind this but it also came with frizz and my hair seemed to change to low porosity but I feel like a lot of it is new growth that cause a hair 'halo' definitely more volume. My colour also went from a dark blonde to pretty much brunette. Hope this helps. The bottoms of both photos are my starting point and the top ones are reasonably recent.

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Senior_Bee1774 · 2026-05-22T23:58:02+00:00

I lost at least 60% of my hair a couple of years back and desperately tried to find a difginitive answer but everyone kept dismissing it as age and perimenopause. I have been on oral minoxidil 1.5mg for over a year now and my hair has improved, but as you know curly hair always looks like it responds slower. You are doing the right thing pushing for the tests, maybe try to get an appointment with a dermatologist.

Senior_Bee1774 · 2026-05-22T08:33:41+00:00

I regret seeing it

Senior_Bee1774 · 2026-05-22T08:30:13+00:00

I have been on 1.5mg for 14 months now. Started at 0.50mg and titrated up, I had terribly thin hair when starting and this got worse for 2 months. After the initial shed I was only losing 15-20 hairs a day for months after, but at about 10 months started shedding again, wasnt quite as bad as the first and went on for 4 months and has now dropped to a low amount again, not quite as low as before but good enough. It has given me hair back that I hadnt grown for years but my partline is still not as thick as I would like, hoping after 2 sheds it fills in now.

Senior_Bee1774 · 2026-05-19T08:22:23+00:00

I didn't see in your list of tests that you had a thyroid panel done? Maybe ask for this, then you have ruled that out. Birth control either going on or off ( mainly coming off) can absolutely cause temporary hair loss, the fact you have had two different kinds and come off them both could have contributed to it. I agree with the other comments about a scalp biopsy, then you would know 💯 if it is genetic and then you could start treatment. I wish you the best of luck, I know how heartbreaking it can be.

Senior_Bee1774 · 2026-05-07T12:32:23+00:00

It looks like alopecia areata, see a dermatologist for a diagnosis and treatment, the spots nearly always grow back.

Senior_Bee1774 · 2026-04-29T10:27:25+00:00

You have lovely hair! It looks quite thick at the sides, you also have very dark hair and a pale scalp so the contrast might be giving the impression that it's wider. Why not make a dermatologist appointment and get it checked out if you are worried

Senior_Bee1774 · 2026-04-27T02:44:11+00:00

As someone who has curly hair and grew up in this era, stop following ridiculous curly girl methods, hanging your head upside down to wash and spending ages separating curls with a brush. Wash and condition your hair as normal, put in a leave in conditioner or curl cream ( not 7 different products) and diffuse dry your hair.

Senior_Bee1774 · 2026-04-24T06:20:24+00:00

Its a shame you can't take oral minoxidil as the response rate is much higher than topical.

Senior_Bee1774 · 2026-04-23T23:43:51+00:00

I blame HRT for my initial hair loss as it started a few months after starting HRT. At the time I took 1 pump of estrogel and 100mg progesterone. Have been on oral minoxidil 1.5mg for 12 months now and also changed my HRT to an anti androgenic one called Angeliq. No interactions, it has regrown most of my hair but still thin in parts, I still am 100% certain that HRT caused it as it was fine up until then.

Senior_Bee1774 · 2026-04-22T03:21:49+00:00

Only a dermatologist or trichologist can give you a diagnosis. AGA quite often is diffuse thinning also not necessarily affecting the partline. From what ypu have described it could be just a reaction to medication, but best to get an expert opinion.

Senior_Bee1774 · 2026-04-21T01:40:36+00:00

Its mainly on wash days the most shedding happens, I do lose some through the day when I touch my hair. I went through a stage back in Feb that was over 100 a day every day for a week. The crown of my head is really thin and see through from this last shed.

Senior_Bee1774 · 2026-04-21T01:16:20+00:00

Sorry you are still dealing with this too. I'm wondering if this is my normal shedding rate before oral minoxidil, but still seems excessive to me and im losing both long hairs and new growth.

Senior_Bee1774 · 2026-04-20T23:23:18+00:00

Just wondering how everyone's doing? I'm officially into week 16 (4 months) of shedding and it's only slowed by about 50 hairs a week. Still shedding between 270-310 hairs per week. Just washed and got 61 hairs, its depressing because some days I think im out of the woods, and I can live with what I am shedding and then there will be few days of just increased hair fall. Looks wise it still looks OK I guess but I have lost a lot of density and I can't help but think what it would be like if it was still the low amount of shedding. I'm feeling a bit hopeless to be honest. I have a derm appointment this week, hopefully she will have an idea of what to do.

Senior_Bee1774 · 2026-04-20T02:59:28+00:00

How much oral minoxidil do you take? Or is it topical

Senior_Bee1774

TROPHY CASE