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View Full Version : Has anyone had thin/bald spots appear from stretching washes/SO? TMI warning...



Blackfire
March 8th, 2015, 10:27 PM
I could not find any information on this so, I figured I would start a new thread. Correct me if I am wrong. :)

For the last year I have been pretty neglectful of my hair. I have been washing my hair with Co method once every few weeks (I aim for once a week, but sometimes I forget), with long intervals of SO cleansing (around 1-3 months of manual cleaning and no water/shampoo/conditioner).

Every once in a while I clarify really good with Neutrigena clarifying shampoo. I wear a hat every day at work, so no one ever sees my scalp anyway, but my head is also always covered with a hat, and to honest, that thing rarely gets washed. :(

Last week, I decided to clarify REALLY good so I could do a protein treatment that I used to do a lot and really like. I spent four hours messing with my hair, washing, the protein treatment, then a DT to restore moisture.... It was a pretty nice spa day, and my hair felt super squeaky clean afterwards.

BUT THEN....A few days ago I noticed a really thin patch of hair at my left temple.

I am thinking the dirty hat/stretching washes could be the culprit.... OR maybe the clarifying that I did last week? I have a doctors appointment just in case my thyroid meds need to be adjusted.

I measured, and the overall thickness doesn't seem to be affected, it just looks really scraggly in one spot. It's got me really upset. I really hope I did not mess up and give myself some kind of infection from wearing a gross hat and having dirty hair.

What do you guys think? Could it be from wearing a hat and not washing regularly? My hair never smells bad, and most of the time looks decent, but either way I am going to start washing twice a week with CO method, just in case. :( I really hope this is that easy to fix.


The normal looking temple.... The thin/bald spot......
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s41/dontfearthedarkness/29d4ecaa-edf1-489a-a804-ddae56f81a17_zpsjjj2stdi.jpg (http://s149.photobucket.com/user/dontfearthedarkness/media/29d4ecaa-edf1-489a-a804-ddae56f81a17_zpsjjj2stdi.jpg.html)http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s41/dontfearthedarkness/a548090d-1276-46b0-b531-894bf1547e9c_zps3p9wg7ch.jpg (http://s149.photobucket.com/user/dontfearthedarkness/media/a548090d-1276-46b0-b531-894bf1547e9c_zps3p9wg7ch.jpg.html)

mamaherrera
March 8th, 2015, 10:40 PM
I have one temple that looks EXACTLY like that. And the other one looks normal,seriously we are splitting images of each other. Are you sure it hasn't always been like taht??I've been monitoring mine for the last five years, and it hasn't changed, so I'm assuming it's normal for me? http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=11167&attachmentid=7375

RancheroTheBee
March 8th, 2015, 10:41 PM
If I was going to guess, I feel like the hat might be the culprit. Maybe it's been rubbing on your temple? I doubt clarifying once would have done that, especially just in that one little spot. I don't know much about thyroid disorders, but that's another possibility.

If your thyroid is fine, maybe try wearing a silk scarf under your hat? If that's possible.

chen bao jun
March 8th, 2015, 10:42 PM
Put some Jamaican black castor oil on it every night

gustavonut
March 8th, 2015, 10:55 PM
Put some Jamaican black castor oil on it every night

I agree with this. Jamaican black castor oil is magical. It's helped me a lot.

Blackfire
March 9th, 2015, 12:02 AM
Maybe it was there before I just didn't notice until I did a more thorough wash? Hmm... It looks a lot like yours! You even have the part that mine has!

Blackfire
March 9th, 2015, 12:03 AM
What brand/where could I get Jamaican black castor oil? It sounds great. I used to use regular castor oil from the botanical shop in town, but they closed.

mamaherrera
March 9th, 2015, 12:08 AM
Yes and that part bugs me so much, I always tell my husband that I look like I have a man's hairline, but I figure if 5 years monitoring, it, it's stayed the same, it's not a problem. I don't think it can be a hat, I've heard that is a myth. I've tried castor oil/onion juice, etc. on mine,but it just stays the same. No problem in trying, but I think it's just our "funky hairlines" I've always had bangs, so I think I never noticed until I started "paying attention" to my hair, IYKWIM. But. . . supposedly any castor oil works. do let me know if it works on you. I'm curious, as to how soon people have seen results when they start using it. I only tried it for like two weeks,but it was very sticky/messy and I looked very "slicked" back daily. but yeah. . . .it is a miracle at our "almost" identical hairline. I like yours better than mine, mine seems to go "back" a bit more than yours, so I give yours a "high five!"

Blackfire
March 9th, 2015, 12:19 AM
I keep asking my husband if I look bald, lol. It freaks me out! I don't think your hairline looks in any way manish! Like you said, it's just a funky hairline shape, which I really hope is the case with me. I lost more than half my hair before, due to my thyroid disease (years ago/before diagnoses) Not a fun experience. I hope it's not that again. I really liked castor oil when I was using it, but I would just use one drop and rub it all my fingertips and then do a scalp message. It made my dandruff go away and felt really nice. I felt like it boosted my growth, I also put it on my nails and it seemed to help them grow. I will update if it does anything for me this time around!

mamaherrera
March 9th, 2015, 12:26 AM
with your thyroid disease, did you had massive shedding, or just thinning, and did you get it all back?? I think I've been subclinical hypo, but not low enough levels to get meds. I've been trying to up dairy to see if it helps. but yeah, I've had this hairline since as long as I can remember, but when I start looking too close, I start imagining (I hope) that it's gone farther back and all that fun stuff. at least we're not alone in this.

Blackfire
March 9th, 2015, 12:41 AM
Have you had your blood tested for thyroid problems? I have Hoshimoto's thyroiditis. I get really cold, tired, and it's hard to function without my meds.... I would have them test again regularly if you suspect hypothyroid issues.

I had some serious shedding, to the point where it was so thin you could see scalp wherever you looked. I had to wear a bandanna, and I was thirteen when this happened so it really upset me. I think they call it diffuse thinning, it was all over my whole head thinness. My hair was coarse, wavy, and ultra thick before the hair loss, but it grew back different. It came back super curly, (like me and mom's hair in my siggy) and about average thickness... Strands are no longer coarse, they vary in size from hair to hair, most of them are fine actually. I am okay with how it grew back, it's much easier to manage and looks like my mom's, lol. It was pretty interesting when it started growing in curly, but the slightly wavy strands that hung on where still there and poked out of my curly fro. Very interesting look until I cut them off, lol.

If your hair is falling out, you will KNOW IT. I remember taking a shower, and washing my hair.... Entire clumps and strands were falling to my feet and was crying my eyes out. Drains were clogged, if I itched my scalp I could feel bunches of hair loosen and float away. It was pretty awful. One reason why I tend to obsess over things like this... LOL yes, I start looking too close, and staring at my head... Are you thin? Does this look thin? lol.

mamaherrera
March 9th, 2015, 12:44 AM
I am the same way. I was traumatized by a postpartum shed that lasted for years. And my hair just seemed to change in texture, got thinner as well, so it's not as voluminous as when I was a teen. We are very similar. And. . .. like I see more scalp at the part than my daughter's my part is just wide. And now after my fourth child, my ponytail size has gone down a bit, and I had no MAJOR OMG shedding, so that has me concerned. I hope it just takes time and that it will at least get back to the measurement it was before I had her. Thanks so much for sharing.

Rebecka
March 9th, 2015, 01:01 AM
I have a lot thinner and shorter hair on my right temple since i mostly have the parting on the right side. Could that be one of the reasons?

thefreakingmoon
March 9th, 2015, 03:00 PM
Do you happen to scratch at that one spot more than others? You could be manually irritating it too much.

moontree
March 9th, 2015, 05:32 PM
I have weird thin looking temple hair too. If I hold it up right it looks like I have a horrible receding hairline.. but it has always been like that. there are hairs, they are just translucent and babyish for me.

kidari
March 9th, 2015, 06:41 PM
I think you're fine. I have that sort of thin looking area around my temple too. Maybe it's natural for most people to have it. I had long face framing bangs for the longest time and then when I grew it out and was able to pull all my hair up in a high bun or ponytail I noticed that sort of thin spot. If your ponytail circumference hasn't changed, I really think it was probably always there. It's just that you started really paying attention one day and noticed it and then couldn't stop noticing it. I do that sometimes, I think too long about something and then get anxiety over it.

Here is a useful video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P04pS4yQiNQ

mamaherrera
March 9th, 2015, 08:09 PM
I think it also has to do with those hairs in temples being thinner, and if you notice, especially i can see easily since my pores are not tightly together (there's space between them) that on top, most of my pores are in groups of two or three, and at the hairline and a bit inwards, it's like most of the hairs are just one hair to a pore, more sparse. That's maybe just me, but something I've noticed!

QMacrocarpa
March 11th, 2015, 07:45 AM
For the last year I have been pretty neglectful of my hair. I have been washing my hair with Co method once every few weeks (I aim for once a week, but sometimes I forget), with long intervals of SO cleansing (around 1-3 months of manual cleaning and no water/shampoo/conditioner).
As far as keeping to your preferred wash schedule, I find it helpful to set up repeating reminders in an online calendar (like Google Calendar). Set up hairwashing as a repeating event, specify your preferred interval, and it will send you reminder emails every however-many days until you delete it from your calendar. This works well for me, since I like an approximately-1.5 week interval, which would probably be hard for me to keep track of on my own.

M-L-E
March 11th, 2015, 08:38 AM
I agree with the comments that it may just be normal for some people! It doesn't look bad at all :) Both me and a few of my friends -male and female- have it. I have a cowlick and lots of little baby hairs all along my front hairline, but my right side almost looks like it is receding. Which is strange, because my part is on my left, so you'd think the right side would be more protected? :shrug: I have become more self-conscious of it recently, so I have started massaging and may get some castor oil as people always recommend it!