Hair loss on the sides of head + receding hairline

[Zemeraldite]

Hi all, I'm new here, but I've been a long time lurker.
I had waist length hair a couple of years ago, which I eventually chopped off... and I'm not sure if it was less obvious before, or if my hair line is receding, but I've recently noticed thinner bits at the sides. Have no idea how to add pictures, but does anyone have any good oils, supplements, methods etc that will help me in getting denser hair and more hairline growth?
Thanks so much, desperate and eager to hear from you!
-Z

[Aphra]

Has your diet changed? Or health, stress levels etc. I went through a phase of hair thinning on my widows peaks and parting which went on for a good 3 years. But it has fixed itself over the last couple due to fixing my vitamin D levels (I turned out to have a clinical deficiency as I don't synthesise it very well).

I'd start by looking for potential underlying causes whether that is health, diet, or lifestyle factors and optimise those first.

[Rebel Rebel]

I'm also having this concern and I can't decide if it's normal and they've always been that way or if they are actually thinning. I think I had a seasonal shed this last year and going to pay better attention this year. I'm not shedding nearly so much right now. Having fine thin hair, there's just less everywhere but my middle part seems the same as ever. I do have a vitamin D deficiency which I've been supplementing for a while. I'm due to get re-tested. I don't have any advice on hair growth and just wanted to say I understand. Will be watching the thread.

[Rebel Rebel]

Has your diet changed? Or health, stress levels etc. I went through a phase of hair thinning on my widows peaks and parting which went on for a good 3 years. But it has fixed itself over the last couple due to fixing my vitamin D levels (I turned out to have a clinical deficiency as I don't synthesise it very well).

I'd start by looking for potential underlying causes whether that is health, diet, or lifestyle factors and optimise those first.

Aphra,

May I ask you how long it took to get your vitamin D levels up? I've been told it can take a while. Also do you avoid the sun or are you careful about exposure? Thanks for any input here.

[Mrstran]

I've been hearing about this a lot. As I was applying my Retin-A last night, I accidentally rubbed some in my hair. It had me thinking if perhaps exposure to face wash and products (even during rinsing) could contribute to a receding hairline.

Also, I'm not a guru on vitamins or hair loss, but would a deficiency cause hair loss in random areas? Or is it just around the forehead working back?


Just a few thoughts and Q's

Sorry to clarify

[Rebel Rebel]

Zemeraldite,

Can you go back and look at older photos to see if there really is a true difference to your hairline? What you're taking about might just be really normal and nothing to worry about, but you know yourself best. Sometimes an older photo can put things in perspective. I will be curious to know if you figure this out.

[lapushka]

Hi all, I'm new here, but I've been a long time lurker.
I had waist length hair a couple of years ago, which I eventually chopped off... and I'm not sure if it was less obvious before, or if my hair line is receding, but I've recently noticed thinner bits at the sides. Have no idea how to add pictures, but does anyone have any good oils, supplements, methods etc that will help me in getting denser hair and more hairline growth?
Thanks so much, desperate and eager to hear from you!
-Z

First you need to go get checked out by your doctor, if your hair is in effect thinning to the point of worry. The first and most important test is bloodwork. Don't just wildly supplement when you might not have shortages. You need to know this first. :flower:

[Aphra]

Aphra,

May I ask you how long it took to get your vitamin D levels up? I've been told it can take a while. Also do you avoid the sun or are you careful about exposure? Thanks for any input here.

I'm not sure tbh. When I was last tested I was improved but not optimal, but I hadn't been taking my supplements very reliably. I need to get organised for another blood test to see if taking them reliably for a year has resolved it. I've been supplementing under medical supervision since 2014 though, so definitely not a quick fix. I tend to avoid the sun in summer as I am pale skinned Brit in Oz, and my frazzling time would be in low single figure minutes. In winter I try and get 10 to 15 mins in the sun in morning or evening.

[Rebel Rebel]

I'm not sure tbh. When I was last tested I was improved but not optimal, but I hadn't been taking my supplements very reliably. I need to get organised for another blood test to see if taking them reliably for a year has resolved it. I've been supplementing under medical supervision since 2014 though, so definitely not a quick fix. I tend to avoid the sun in summer as I am pale skinned Brit in Oz, and my frazzling time would be in low single figure minutes. In winter I try and get 10 to 15 mins in the sun in morning or evening.

Well that helps to know. I've been consistent with my supplement since Oct and will test again this spring. I'm thinking I need to get out in the morning for a short spell myself. Thanks so much for your reply!

[Reyesuela]

This is a classic androgenic alopecia pattern of thinning.

This means that, most likely, A) you're just lucky genetically, or B) you have high androgens. If your doctor says your androgens are fine, you should use hair growth treatments for balding. The best part is that Rogaine works WAY better on women than men, and it is VERY effective in stopping hair loss in women and works to restore hair in many.

[Reyesuela]

Retin-A improves hair growth. I use it, too. :) So I checked in case I would be slowly dissolving my hair or something.

[Zemeraldite]

@Aphra: I'm not sure... apart from starting uni I don't think I've actually change do my lifestyle... ,aubergine I'm eating less fruit/veg? Not sure how much that affects things.
Thing is my hair is pretty thick on top but I'm not sure if the sides are thinning or they were thinner to begin with ...@Reyesuela @Rebel Rebel: I haven't noticed shedding.... but maybe that's because of how short the strands are? Maybe I'll upload a picture later, if this sites permits...
Thanks for all the help guys, anyone tried biotin or castor oil?
-Z

[Reyesuela]

Everyone always sheds. Your hair is going somewhere!

Biotin and castor oil will do nothing for thinning hair.

[bparnell75]

Have any out there successfully used Rogaine? And when you stopped did the new growth come out?

[Reyesuela]

Yes. I have. I lost 1/3 to 1/2 of my total hair. Started minodixil and ketoconazole--alone at first.

Before treatment: I had to pull the hair out of my hairbrush in the middle of brushing to be able to still get the tines in my hair, with PACKED hairballs daily the size of a rodent. A "pull test" would yield at least 5 hairs, every time. I kept stopping up the drains. Hair was EVERYWHERE, even though I wore it up all the time. My part was widening--just to Savin I-2, but I saw the future, and it was bald, like my grandmother was at 92! This continued for two years.

My hormones and thyroid are absolutely perfect. I have almost inhumanly great blood pressure, cholesterol, and insulin sensitivity. No shock loss. I was just losing hair--yay genetics. The same thing happened to others in my family.

Just 3 months in using minoxidil 5% once a day and ketoconazole twice a week, I was down to shedding 0-6 hairs a day total. Now, five months in, I look like a dandelion and am using minoxidil 5% twice daily and ketoconazole 1% 3x per week. My hair is growing like crazy. My part is super narrow--Savin I-1, no visible hair loss. I'm waiting for the length to hit my ponytail to see how I'm progressing in terms of density return, and I've just added adjunct therapies this month. I am a strong responder, most likely heavily because I took action LONG before most women do. My hair is also THICKENING--as in the individual hairs--at the root again. Not all of them, but the mixture of finer and coarser hairs I had in my early 20s is back.

It is absolutely ridiculous not to try minoxidil. It works much better in women than men and has a VERY high chance of at least stopping hair loss progression. Check the thread in my signature to see today's post about it and what to expect--because it forces hair into an anagen phase, you will get a telogen effluvium of follicles that are being recruited for new, thicker growth.

It would also be completely insane to stop using it. Gains would slowly peter out, and hair loss would pick up again. Minoxidil doesn't rewrite your genetics. It overrides it, to varying degrees.

[Reyesuela]

Pardon--I was using something else, too! The off days from the Nizoral shampoo, I used Denorex. Denorex has two ingredients likely to grow hair, too, though not as well (probably) as minoxidil. It has salicylic acid, which would reduce oxidative damage and inflammation, reduce oil production, remodel the scalp skin in good ways and remove the outermost dead layers of skin. It also has menthol, the largest component of peppermint oil, which has been shown in a few studies--just a few--to regrow hair extremely well, maybe because of its antioxidant potential but no one knows for sure. The effect level is high, the evidence low.

[Rebel Rebel]

Reyesuela- it's great to read about your success!

Zemeraldite- that's optimistic that you haven't noticed any shedding!

I'm at point where I can't say with absolute certainty that I've lost more hair at or near my temples. It's always been thinner there but it does seem like I've lost some. I've been using the women's rogaine foam in those worrisome spots for about 2 months. I have nothing to report yet and no side effects for me either. I'm going to give it the 6 months as they recommend, and go from there.

[Reyesuela]

Reyesuela- it's great to read about your success!

Zemeraldite- that's optimistic that you haven't noticed any shedding! I wanted to mention one thing that really helped my IBS, taking Bio K probiotics. Certainly not the only brand but I really like them. Unfortunately they are pricey for me but worth it for now. I'm sure you're well informed on what works for you, but I thought I'd mention.

I'm at point where I can't say with absolute certainty that I've lost more hair at or near my temples. It's always been thinner there but it does seem like I've lost some. I've been using the women's rogaine foam in those worrisome spots for about 2 months. I have nothing to report yet and no side effects for me either. I'm going to give it the 6 months as they recommend, and go from there.

I responded really fast, and it took me 2 months to see ANYTHING. :)

[Rebel Rebel]

Zemeraldite...oops I replied about the Bio K but got my threads mixed up! I edited that out. Sorry if you read that and confused you. Still...I'm glad you're not shedding.