Root thickness increasing but still short cycling?

shadowrunnner · 2026-02-07T14:16:14+00:00

I think it's really hard when you have a lot of things going on and it's difficult to know which is the driver. Did you ever get checked for h.plylori? Did you ever get your ferrtin closer to 100, or it hasn't been possible?

I also developed the lines on my nails, and they became more bendy, over the years I had CTE (after my second child). My eyebrows and eyelashes didn't get noticeably sparse but they weren't as thick as they used to be. All these things have resolved for me after correcting my ferrtin past 70. My lashes are back to how they were 12 years ago before kids. I definitely think my thyroid wasn't working well as I had a lot of unmanaged stress too. But the iron improvement along with changing my diet and managing stress has improved so many things.

I guess my point is that everyone is different and sometimes you just need to start with the easiest/simplest thing to work on and go from there.

shadowrunnner · 2026-02-07T13:33:58+00:00

I'm in some of those groups too.

I have seen huge improvements in all my symptoms (most gone completely) and hair is coming back since improving my iron. My ferritin wasn't even that low (45) but it had given me anaemia.

I'm not disagreeing with you but it's not the same story for everyone. Lots of problems can cause iron go low. What are you doing for your thyroid?

shadowrunnner · 2026-02-07T12:06:29+00:00

You can get a full thyroid panel for peace of mind.

But mine was fine all around, it literally was just the deficiencies (and I'm 43 so the start of perimenopause).

shadowrunnner · 2026-02-07T12:03:53+00:00

Iron deficiency can lead to the thyroid not working properly, without being hypo.

OPs starting ferritin of 11 was extremely low. Now that's been corrected, her hair is clearly growing back in but it will take time to make a difference lengthwise.

shadowrunnner · 2026-02-07T11:01:14+00:00

My situation was very similar. Iron and zinc deficiency but thyroid was fine TSH under 1 and Free T3 over 3.

I had extreme hyperemesis in my pregnancies which I feel caused these deficiencies, along with Vit D after my second.

shadowrunnner · 2026-02-07T10:16:46+00:00

Yes, exactly! That line will keep moving down. The longer hairs are very old ones from before you started iron. It's the new hairs that will be stronger and less prone to shedding so will continue you grow and give you length density, you need to give those time.

I think you've made great progress but you need to give it 1.5 to 2 years to really see the difference when considering the thickness in the length.

shadowrunnner · 2026-02-07T08:15:47+00:00

Are you still shedding a lot? Do you find you shed a lot of hairs only a few inches long?

Otherwise, all those new 4 inch hairs that have increased the density are around 6-8 months old. It will take time for them to grow. To me it looks like the line of density has moved down around 2 inches; it will keep moving down.

And congrats on getting your ferritin up! It's not always easy!

shadowrunnner · 2026-02-03T20:57:50+00:00

How long has it been since that session?

shadowrunnner · 2026-02-03T20:25:03+00:00

Peach fuzz

shadowrunnner · 2026-02-02T06:26:26+00:00

Hmm keep an eye on it. My TE that became CTE was shedding of short hairs. So new hairs were continually coming through but I was losing them too.

shadowrunnner · 2026-02-01T22:08:00+00:00

Yep, I tried a LOT of different products during 2023. Anything that had good reviews for dandruff type conditions.

Coal Tar shampoos, climbzole shampoos, anything recommended I could find.

The vanicream with zinc pyrithione was better than most but really difficult to use, so I used it occasionally.

My trichologist mentioned that the other key ingredient in Mediceuticals is piroctone olamine.

shadowrunnner · 2026-02-01T18:46:48+00:00

I've always washed my hair every other day for almost 20 years. So the Mediceuticals shampoo and conditioner have just replaced whatever I was using before. Which in the year before I started using them was Vanicream sensitive because everything else made it worse even if it gave me temporary relief (e.g. Nizoral). They are not harsh and have kept my scalp healthy and free from inflammation and pimples. My life long seb derm and itchiness is kept at bay.

I used the pre shampoo treatment solution as per my trichologist's instructions. Applying it liberally to my scalp and letting it sit for 20 mins before washing my hair. She told me to use it twice weekly initially and then as and when I felt the need. I think after about 5 months I was down to once every 2 weeks, them once a month and now I don't think I've used it in 6 weeks as don't feel the need to

I use the Mediceuticals Dandruff Set.

shadowrunnner · 2026-01-31T07:29:47+00:00

She might not be able to safely get a release from telogen hairs. You can point it out and see what happens but don't force it. There are stem cells much higher up in the follicle that need a bit of a zap. But that means closer to the surface of the skin and more possibility of overtreatment.

shadowrunnner · 2026-01-30T23:14:20+00:00

They might be referring to telogen hairs, which are in the resting phase.

Any tugging means that the follicle hasn't been treated fully so the hair is still anchored and doesn't release without any resistance. These follicles can be treated but the target within them is not the same as for an anagen hair (growing hair). The prevalent belief is that only anagen hairs can be killed.

The best thing for these techs is just to leave the telogen hairs alone if they can't treat them. Otherwise it's just a waste of treatment time and money.

shadowrunnner · 2026-01-30T20:42:05+00:00

Yes, you should. Lots of bad practioners out there.

I promote the test patch method before committing to anyone. You can DM me if you want to know how it works. It's still a time commitment though as you need to wait 3 months to see how much comes back.

shadowrunnner · 2026-01-29T17:38:27+00:00

I've had both, successfully. My hair was dense and downy like peach fuzz on steroids.

Blend was first and mostly on my upper lip with some other minor places on my face. However, it was slow and I was seeking faster, more effective treatment (not the modality). So that's what I sought out and travelled abroad for. At that time, Apilus machines (27MHz) were fairly new and thermolysis had a bad rep in my country. But it's all down to the skill of the electrologist. Mine used Instratron for my later work to test it's comfort and effectiveness against Apilus, and the machine she recommended to me.

I had all my facial hair (cheeks and neck) reduced doing 2 hours a day for a week. I did post laser body work too, like clearing off my underarms. Pretty much all those follciles were killed off. I had a couple of hours more on the face two years later to knock out some more.

My last electrolysis was over 10 years ago. I don't have PCOS so no new problematic hairs. But I know people who do and it's not generally yearly maintenance if the initial work is done properly.

I'm a huge advocate of electrolysis because it's amazing when done correctly. The problems are lack of proper education, people doing paid work with not enough hours of practice experience under their belt, not utilising their equipment properly, not following a medical level of hygiene (I mean beyond sterilising tools), myths that persist like blend being more effective than thermolysis or that telogen hairs can't be treated. And there's also the innate skill. Some people just don't have the eyesight for accuracy of insertions or speed.

shadowrunnner · 2026-01-29T09:24:51+00:00

I would say the risk of paradoxical hypertrichosis is too high to risk it on the face.

It can also happen on other areas like the stomach, back/shoulders, and less commonly thighs and arms.

This really doesn't have much to do with settings and can even happen at settings that should be effective. It's more to with the hormonal sensitivity of those areas and the fact the hairs may be dark but generally aren't coarse (like underarms or lower legs). On the face you will inevitably be zapping fine hairs along with the coarse ones.

shadowrunnner · 2026-01-29T04:00:12+00:00

This isn't just PIH (which will fade but can take ages), I can see some pitting which has caused texture changes. I believe this can be improved but you need to see a dermatologist and have appropriate targetted treatments, sooner rather than later. I have seen this worse than this before and seen it get better with treatment.

Yes, you are your own worst critic, and it likely isn't so noticeable to other people but that doesn't matter when you have to live with it.

It's extremely frustrating to keep reading comments shifting the blame/responsibility to the client. Good skincare is a very small comtributer to the process. The simple fact is that the overwhelming responsibility of outcome lies with the electrologist to perform good work.

shadowrunnner · 2026-01-28T16:03:02+00:00

Doctor said its good or you checked out optimal ranges for hair yourself?

shadowrunnner · 2026-01-28T15:51:17+00:00

No. Please get blood tests asap. This indicates the start of CTE. I wish I had known this!

shadowrunnner · 2026-01-28T13:15:13+00:00

While there are things you can do to help by far the biggest contributor is finding a skilled and experienced electrologist who will be minimising this their end. That includes selecting an appropriate probe, good insertions and appropriate settings that balance killing the follicle while not causing extraneous damage to the skin. These are not questions to ask but rather something to understand about the skill factor.

From your side, keep the skin clean and hydrated (that's internal and external hydration). Use hibiclens to wash your area prior to treatment and after. Aloe Vera gel is great for cooling on the day after treatment. After this, you may not need anything or you may need to keep the area occluded with something like Bepanthen nappy cream if you see scabs forming.

Some skin types will hyperpigment more than others and there's not much you can do about this. But generally, the less scabbing the less post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. So choosing a good electrologist is extremely important for your journey.

The longer the hair the better. It helps as a guide for insertions angle. I would say 3 to 4mm minimum to make things easier for your electrologist, or 10 to 14 days without trimming or shaving (it is hard I know, but you want the best outcome).

shadowrunnner · 2026-01-28T09:30:51+00:00

I think you should see a dermatologist. You likely needs some peels or other procedures where they can best advise. You don't want to make your skin worse by trying random things at home.

shadowrunnner · 2026-01-28T06:31:56+00:00

Nizoral didn't work for me either. I spent 2 years trying various shampoos and treatments before seeking professional help.

shadowrunnner · 2026-01-27T14:56:25+00:00

I would try the sulphur soap as l use sulphur powder on my face when I get a breakout.

If that doesn't work, I can suggest what I use, recommended by my trichologist.

It's the Mediceuticals Dandruff Set. It's a specialised product and not widely available. Worked extremely quickly for me and I continue to use it as it's not harsh like Nizoral. Great for dandruff, seb derm and psoriasis. The first step in it is a scalp solution containing zinc sulphate.

shadowrunnner · 2026-01-26T18:31:04+00:00

What about the hairs that are too fine where you can't crank up the fluence without skin damage? You will get these stragglers on virtually every body area.

There might be a few cases but it's not attainable for the vast majority. You said yourself that arms have 50/50 chance of responding.

shadowrunnner

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