Am I balding? Help!

[LigeiaLee]

Hey ladies

I recently moved to UK and will stay here till February. Since last month I noticed my hair are shedding really badly, especially after washing them but also during the day. I have fine hair so I'm quite worried. I've been talking Revalid for hairloos for about month (since they started shedding like crazy) but it didn't change anything. Anyway, I was taking selfie and I noticed something very worrying

http://i.4cdn.org/adv/1445882960166.jpg


I can't really go to doctors so I was wondering if any of you have had this kind of problem and if there's a way to fight it?

[spidermom]

It looks like you have light-colored hair but dye it darker. To me, lighter-colored roots always look like bald spots at first.

Take good care of your health and see a doctor if you can.

[lapushka]

If you're that worried, go to your doctor and have some bloodwork done. I also agree with spidermom. Do you dye your hair perhaps? Could that be lighter roots growing in?

[LigeiaLee]

If you're that worried, go to your doctor and have some bloodwork done. I also agree with spidermom. Do you dye your hair perhaps? Could that be lighter roots growing in?


I don't dye my hair, they are naturally dark brown. I don't know if I can go to doctor here since I'm not a british citizen; I figure it wouldn't be a problem to get a prescription for flu or something, but bloodwork and hair related stuff on the other hand... I don't know

[meteor]

I can't tell from that photo, to be honest. But it doesn't look like balding to me at all, just a normal parting. :)
I find that different angles at which photos are taken can really make the part look bigger or smaller - the same definitely works with visible size of buns and braids, too.

Do you have any older photos of your part at that angle? That would help you see if there is a change. I'd monitor the situation by measuring the ponytail circumference and taking pictures of the part (at the same camera angle) every few months.

It's hard to tell if anything is wrong... and even if you know for certain that something is wrong, you still need to get bloodwork checked - thinning can be a symptom of many, many health problems.
I think it might be a good idea for you to check your documents (look up your status/visa) to know how to access medical services in the UK. I'm almost certain that not only British citizens can access it. :flower:
Best of luck! I hope everything is OK! :pray:

[Groovy Granny]

I can't see a pic :hmm:

[Loitsiva]

Hi! I wanted to let you know about my experience with this same type of "balding".

When I was 23 (I am 28 now), I started to notice the same type of loss. I saw a doctor and they didn't have anything to say since I was "young" and wasn't REALLY balding. I got bloodwork done, and nothing out of the ordinary showed up.

In summary, I finally got a good doctor that cared and dug a little deeper with bloodwork. I found out that my ferritin levels (how your body stores iron) was REALLY low. Mine was 19 and supposedly you need to be in the 70-90 range to have healthy hair. Get your ferritin checked! I had a doctor fight me on it because my "iron" was fine, so they didn't see a need to dig deeper... Fight for it if you can! I have started taking Ferrous Sulfate because apparently is the most easily absorbed. I hope this helps. :)

[Arctic]

I can't see photos either.

Some people say caffeine rinses might help with shedding, and might encourage new growth too. (Although I haven't been able to see any effects really).

If you try to get a doctor's appointment, try to emphasise the health aspect rather than aesthetic aspects of hair loss: it can be an indicator of something being wrong.

[Nini]

It's quite normal to have a Fall shed, it could be that. Are you comfortable with your move, or has it been stressful? That could affect things.

Does your hair feel thinner than before? Or is it just that you pay it more attention now.

[lapushka]

It's hard to tell if anything is wrong... and even if you know for certain that something is wrong, you still need to get bloodwork checked - thinning can be a symptom of many, many health problems.
I think it might be a good idea for you to check your documents (look up your status/visa) to know how to access medical services in the UK. I'm almost certain that not only British citizens can access it. :flower:

^^ This. Check with the government on how to access medical services where you are. This is need to know, *essential*, information!

[cathair]

This might help you find out what about medical stuff you can use:

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/healthcare/help-with-health-costs/nhs-charges-for-people-from-abroad/

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSservices/uk-visitors/visiting-england/Pages/visitors-from-the-eea.aspx

You could probably call your local Citizens Advice Bureau and ask them, despite them having citizen in the name :) I am sure they could point you in the right direction.

Can't see the pic either but my internet connection is terrible tonight.

[LigeiaLee]

Thank you all for replies; Loitsiva I'll try to figure out this ferritin thing.

Here's more pictures:

http://imageshack.com/a/img905/9066/o2jInL.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img910/7727/NcddDL.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img633/6366/19Cc8y.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img910/4782/YyjYRt.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img905/6783/G0Y5vO.jpg


I'm not very stressed at the moment. I though it's normal fall shed, but it's been going for a month and a bit now... I don't think my hair thinned noticeably, but my hairline is really poor and it makes me worried...

[LegoCaltrops]

I'm pretty certain you should be able to access medical care here. You may need to pay for it though, depending on the terms of your visa / residency or whatever. Also on which country you're from & if there's a reciprocal health care agreement - I think there might be with some countries, not sure though.

Could you afford to pay for private care, most doctors surgeries will have a list of private fees these days, for business related medical care & possibly foreign nationals as well.

At the very least, & before shelling out lots of money, I'd check all medication you're on, for the list of side effects. (Voice of bitter experience.)

[Arctic]

It's hard to say without knowing how your hair has been before, but it could be a bit thinned from the hairline - OR it could be a normal hairline. Hair usually is a bit, or even quite a bit, thinner at the hairline/edges, before it gains its thickness. I know personally too, how difficult it is to gauge from photos whether my hair's been thinned or not.

BUT I see lot of short baby hairs, new growth, which is always a good sign. So if you have lost a bit of thickness, you might already be gaining it back. :)

If you happen to have ponytail circ. measurement data from a longer period of time, that would be useful to gauge possible loss (but at least I rarely get same number twice even if I'd mesure 4 times in a row, so it's not 100% accurate either).

[mamaherrera]

If you're balding, I'm balding too. thats how my hairline looks, you can always look at my album if you want. but I have thinner/shorter hairs at hairline. And your part, just looks funky at the beginning, because your hairs are going different directions, but it looks like mine. . .. . so hopefully We are normal!

[vega]

Hey ladies

I recently moved to UK and will stay here till February. Since last month I noticed my hair are shedding really badly, especially after washing them but also during the day. I have fine hair so I'm quite worried. I've been talking Revalid for hairloos for about month (since they started shedding like crazy) but it didn't change anything. Anyway, I was taking selfie and I noticed something very worrying

http://i.4cdn.org/adv/1445882960166.jpg


I can't really go to doctors so I was wondering if any of you have had this kind of problem and if there's a way to fight it?

It does look thin has this always been like this or has it widened a healthy diet and excersise should resolve this.please dont worry stress makes thing worse

[Anje]

It looks pretty normal to me, and thinner at the corners of your forehead is really normal. Women who get hair loss more often seem to keep their hairline and get thinner on the top of their head behind it. That's not what yours looks like to me.

Definitely be conscious of whether styles are pulling and do something else if they are. Make sure you are eating a good diet, balanced, with adequate protein. But yes, it might be good to see a doctor to get things like your iron levels and thyroid checked,especially if you're feeling low energy or otherwise unwell.

[LegoCaltrops]

There's a thread for those of us with thinning or shedding hair. Lots of suggestions as to possible causes, suggestions how to deal with it, strategies of what to do & avoid, etc.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=134545&page=9

[Breezy]

It looks normal to me, you just have fine hair. Make sure you are eating a good diet of fish, vegetables and fruit.

[Silverbrumby]

Also you can see the doctor about feeling fatigued and then they'll run a blood test and also check iron levels if necessary. Talk to your embassy in the UK if you're more comfortable with that about access to health care. You should at least get basic coverage.