PDA

View Full Version : Show me your scalp



SandyStar
October 3rd, 2009, 08:09 PM
I'm worried about my shedding and I'm wondering what a normal hair parting should look like. It looks like my hair is a little thin.

It would be great if I could see some other hair partings for comparison.

http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu236/Denebie/dsc02623resized.jpg

http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu236/Denebie/dsc02621resized.jpg

Shiva
October 3rd, 2009, 08:41 PM
wow, those are excellent pics.

It is hard to tell tho just because the pics are so up-close and good. Could you perhaps take a more distant picture of your part? Just more distant (but not blurry).

I will take some pics and play, too. You can even chuckle about my gray hairs.

:D

Be back shortly.

SandyStar
October 3rd, 2009, 09:08 PM
Here is another picture of my part. It was tricky getting the lighting right. The flash made me seem like I had a giant bald spot.

http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu236/Denebie/dsc02631resized.jpg

Roseate
October 3rd, 2009, 09:22 PM
Wow, that's a good close-up! I've seen thinner, I've seen thicker. :shrug: Looks normal to me.

One thing is, since you have coarse hair, you will have fewer hairs overall, but bigger ones; someone with the same circumference as you but finer hair will have more little teeny hairs sprinkled over their scalp. So you might see more scalp because of that. Also, the contrast of dark hair/light scalp makes it more noticeable.

Longlocks3
October 3rd, 2009, 09:27 PM
That's what my part looked like until I changed it! I didn't realize having my part in the same spot for years could make it look thinner even though there wasn't really damage. I think the hair just kind of settles after a while? Oh and I have much bigger 'thin' spots, but I won't post picture of them for all the cheese in the world!

Shiva
October 3rd, 2009, 09:37 PM
well, dang! if you think you're hair is thinning then mine is, too :bigeyes: :

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l226/NorthernXposure/part.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l226/NorthernXposure/part01.jpg



I think your part line is pretty normal actually.

SandyStar
October 3rd, 2009, 09:53 PM
Thanks for all the input and pictures! Phew, I think (I hope) lol my part is normal. I also posted my question and a picture of my part to AllExperts, to this dermatologist and hair transplant specialist. So hopefully by tomorrow I will have his expert opinion. I'll let link to the question and answer as soon as I get it.

WaimeaWahine
October 3rd, 2009, 09:59 PM
That's what my part looked like until I changed it! I didn't realize having my part in the same spot for years could make it look thinner even though there wasn't really damage. I think the hair just kind of settles after a while? Oh and I have much bigger 'thin' spots, but I won't post picture of them for all the cheese in the world!

Ditto to everything said. :)

SandyStar, you're way too young for it to be thinning but everyone's hair is different. Diet and stress can take a toll. I saved your pics and re-sized them and your hair looks a bit thin up front compared to the rest of your part. That could just be natural though - like a cowlick.

heatherdazy
October 3rd, 2009, 10:33 PM
Your part line appears to be well within the realm of normalcy to me!

ambychelle
October 4th, 2009, 09:44 AM
I've been worried about this very same thing and I'm glad you posted this and I hope to see more photos. But, I've also been "scalp watching" when I'm out and about in public and your part looks pretty much like everyone else's. I have seen some that their scalp hardly shows, but they are mostly teenagers with huge heads of hair.

Aslo, your hair is dark and your skin is pale, especially on your scalp so it makes it stand out more. I started to notice how "scalpy" my part seemed under the overhead lights in my bathroom and in the sunlight when I stoped highlighting my hair a year ago and my dark roots started taking over.

For what it's worth, I find a part that is a little diagonal so my bangs (which are as long as the rest of my hair) sort of sweep across my forhead really covers my thinner spot right up front and makes it so my hair is what you see first, not my part/scalp.

But yea.. looks normal to me -- self proclaimed scalp watcher.

Speckla
October 4th, 2009, 09:54 AM
Your scalp/part looks of normal thickness to me. Certain photos make me look like I have a thinning/bald spot but it's 1) lighting 2) direction of part 3) the angle of the camera.

You see your hair at an angle that you normally wouldn't. Everyone's scalp probably looks the same but I'm 5'1" so I can't look at the tops of heads on anyone over the age of 10. ;)

vampodrama
October 4th, 2009, 10:26 AM
Your part looks totally normal to me.

I also have very white skin and quite dark hair (well, hennaed) so the contrast makes the matter worse, so to speak. But as someone already said, if you spend some time ogling at other people's heads (discreetly, heh) you notice it's totally normal.

Linda K
October 4th, 2009, 11:48 AM
Wow! I thot going silver made the part look like a chasm! Looks normal to me!:D

Rohele
October 4th, 2009, 12:08 PM
I'm glad you posted this. (Your picture are amazing, by the way - I could never get such good focus for a shot like that).

I've been obsessively looking at other people's parts too (like ambychelle) because I've become paranoid about going bald (I had been shedding a little more than usual). Yours looks normal too me. I've seen thinner partings and thicker ones as well (and I get a pretty good view of the top of heads as I'm just over 5'7" tall).

I think hair and scalp contrast plus coarse vs fine hair plays a huge role - I didn't notice it as much when I was dying my hair blonder, and the girls that have those razor fine parts seem to have very thick fine hair.

SandyStar
October 5th, 2009, 03:36 PM
Uh oh, I asked a dermatologist and hair transplant specialist about my hair. I showed him the picture of my part and this is what I received:

Expert Peter J. Panagotacos, M.D.
Subject Is this female pattern balding?
Question

I'm a 27, soon to be 28 year old female. I never gave my hair much thought, but recently I decided to grow my hair long and I am noticing things more. I've counting shed hairs in the drain and so far I've counted 80 hairs and about 180 hairs per wash. Here is a picture of my part. Please tell me if I need to worry and if monoxidil would help me.

Answer This does look like early female pattern baldness or AGA - Androgenetic Alopecia. This is more likely if your father is bald or if your mother has thin hair. Minoxidil may make it look better but that doesn't stop the hormonal stimulation causing the loss. Speak to your doctor about starting on Yasmin to prevent more loss.

-------------------
My Dad went bald at am early age. I don't know whether or not my Mom's hair thinned, because she perms her hair, but some of her sisters have very thin hair. I know for sure hair loss is in the genes in my family.

SandyStar
October 5th, 2009, 04:03 PM
(had to delete link, I realized it was linked to my username and email)

Rohele
October 5th, 2009, 04:24 PM
Keep in mind you got an answer from a guy who does hair transplants for a living - I think he's more likely to say that perhaps there is a problem. I would talk to your doctor and get a second opinion before I worried too much.

SandyStar
October 5th, 2009, 04:30 PM
Yeah, maybe he is more likely to see a problem. I can't help but worry though.

RancheroTheBee
October 5th, 2009, 04:56 PM
Keep in mind you got an answer from a guy who does hair transplants for a living - I think he's more likely to say that perhaps there is a problem. I would talk to your doctor and get a second opinion before I worried too much.

I agree completely. I can't see any problem with your part at all. Very few people have so much hair that it completely obscures their scalp.

This is the only picture I have of my part. I can't find my camera. Right now, mine looks much worse, because my hair is naturally dark blonde and length is black, so it looks like I'm balding under bright lights. :p

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b198/emagdalene/172.jpg

(Sorry it's so huge!)

WavyGirl
October 6th, 2009, 04:48 AM
I've counting shed hairs in the drain and so far I've counted 80 hairs and about 180 hairs per wash.

Don't let this worry you either. There have been a few threads here over the years about shed rates too. I can tell you that although they aren't the "normal" numbers you read about online all the time they do fall within what I consider normal limits. Some people here shed as few as 3 a day I believe, I've always been envious of that number! So you can't really go by what others say is normal. Just what's normal for you. I have had a high shed rate all my life (at least 120 per day and way more on wash days) and my hair is still squarely in the middle of the ii range.

Your part looks fine to me. Like Longlocks3 said, parting in the same place daily can change the appearance of your part over time. I recommend changing your part more frequently if it's bothering you.

Charlotte
October 6th, 2009, 04:55 AM
I think that your parting looks quite normal - try not to worry and don't pay too much attention to that doctor fellow either. :)

hennared
October 6th, 2009, 06:50 AM
I'm going to chime in a bit differently, here, since I know I have lost a LOT of hair in the past 18 months. (There is absolutely no doubt my hair has thinned) What matters is what is normal for *you*.

Me, I had severe shedding starting early spring '08 and it was not much noticeable in density change until July.. but by then it was definitely noticeable in my ponytail. it got worse again in the past 6 months. my part looks 'normal' compared to what I see on some women, but definitely, no way, not normal *for me*; mine was formerly quite tight. That said... if you haven't experienced an obvious change to your own eye in the mirror in your part, if you don't have to wrap ponytail holders an extra turn or so to put your hair back.. don't worry. But, if you are experiencing those things... you may have something to worry about. IMHO, you can only 'really' compare yourself to you...

(don't mean to be an alarmist, but some women, young and not, CAN lose considerable hair, and sometimes for correctable reasons).

ambychelle
October 6th, 2009, 09:10 AM
First, let me say, I think he's full of crap. And that's putting it nicely.

I've been shedding what seems like a ton lately and it's really freaking me out because it seemed like something new. I went to the doctor and had bloodwork done to rule out thyroid problems and anemia. I suggest you do that also. And, my shed rates are fairly high -- non wash days are like 60-110 hairs. Wash days range from 140-200 hairs. When I average it ALL out, my rate is right at 110 hairs a day. I have NEVER bothered to take note of how many hairs I was losing but I know that my friends have always icked out over how much hair I left in my brushes. Now, I pick them clean so I can count each hair. I dug up every old picture of myself from the last 5 years to see if I could compare my thickness or part. I've become quite obsessed about it.

I started noticing more hair in the wash mid-summer but didn't give it too much thought. Then, I dyed my hair with home hair color and the hair seemed to fall by the half-dozen every time I touched my head and I began to keep track and to notice a little thinning up front where my bangs would be (mind you.. up to this point, I washed two or three times a week and blowdried and straightened each time).


Even with keeping track of what seems like ever hair that falls from my head, I still find hairs when I vacuum and sometimes when I do the laundry, there will be a few hairs stuck to fabrics like fleece or sweatpants and I get so sad and frustrated knowing that my "average" is even higher than I thought.

But the other day, I unpacked our winter clothes from last year. Now, I consider myself a fairly clean person and I remember washing and drying all our winter clothes before I folded and packed them into totes. But while unpacking the other day, I picked off more than 200 hairs from CLEAN clothes! When I do laundry now, I might find 3-5 hairs stuck to a load of laundry and our winter clothes makes 3-4 loads.

My point is, I think I just never paid attention to my sheds. I think I've always shed a lot and it was so normal to me that I didn't even notice two HUNDRED hairs stuck to clean clothes. When I dyed my hair, it made my scalp stand out more because my hair was then darker. It also made a little more hair shed from the chemicals. The shed hairs were more noticeable not only because they were darker but because they were thicker from the shaft being blown open by the dye. It's possible I also have a little seasonal shedding on top of that. AND, that thin spot up front on my head? I think it's from all the styling I did. That area received more attention because it forms my "face framing" hairs so I did a lot more tugging and curling etc to get it to look nice. I believe it's starting to fill in now that I've been more gentle or maybe it's all the hair vitamins I started to help stop the shed.

Anyway, my shed rate is basically the same. Last week was bad, this week is a little better. But in the end, I think it's just that I NOTICE it now. It really is possible that it took me an entire year to notice my hair was falling out or thinning, but I doubt it. DH says that in the almost 9 years we've been together, he's always had to pick 3-4 of my hairs off of his shirt during the day.

I think it's entirely possible the same is true for you. You aren't shedding more and your hair isn't thinning, you are just noticing your natural hair for the first time. Maybe you should go unpack your winter clothes and see how many hairs you find ;)

Also, it's a common belief that we go through cycles every so many years during which our hair will fall more and regrow. Maybe there is some truth behind this, maybe not. I know that my weight "re-set" itself at a new normal for me last year. I've always struggled to keep my weight lower but 170 has always been my plateau at which my body didn't want to budge either direction. Without trying last year, I went down to 153 (I thought I had cancer *lol*) and then slowly climbed up a little and now, it seems that no matter what I do, my weight always falls between 158 and 163. My mother said when she was 32, the exact same thing happened to her. Maybe hair "re-sets" also.

This is getting really long, but I really really know how you feel. I've shed as many tears as hairs over the past couple of months from all the worry. The conclusion I came to was this..
If all my bloodwork is clean and I cannot blame my thyroid etc. and IF my hair really is thinning, my choices are limited. I don't want to use Rogain because it can have some nasty side effects. So, my only option is to threat from the inside and slow down the thinning as long as possible and hope there are some new options in a few years.

The whole problem with women with thinning hair due to AGA is not that the hair falls out, but that if it grows back at all, it's often smaller than before. Now, I can see from your photos that you have some baby hairs growing along your part. That's a good sign. I have so many 1-4 inch hairs on my head all poking out that my mom thought I had a lot of breakage and damage. I had to show her the pointy end of the hair that proved that it was new hair.

There are natrual DHT blockers such as saw palmetto that you can take, even as a woman.

Hair vitamins, while they may or may not stop loss, will help keep hair healthy and looking nice. I take a genera hair skin and nails vitamin from walgreens.

Biotin seems to be the biggie around here. I started taking 5000mcg a day about 8 weeks ago. I recently split the pill so I get half in the morning and half before bed because it's a B vitamin and your body will flush whatever it doesn't need at that time.

MSM -- I take mine in a joint formula and I have no idea if it helps or not, but it hasn't hurt.

evening primrose oil -- I think this helps even out my moods and helps me stay calmer (I'm a hot-headed mom so anything that helps me stay calmer is great).

fish oil

daily multi vitamins -- I take my children's gummy vits. because they don't upset my tummy. BUT, they don't have iron. Since I don't have a uterus and therefore no monthly, I don't need extra iron but if you do, try to find a vitamin with iron in it.

And lastly, pumpkin seeds. It's suspected that pumpkin seed oil is a DHT blocker and the seeds also have a good dose of copper and zinc I believe.

Pistachios -- these have a good dose of copper

And lastly, measure your pony circ. once a month. That will probably tell you more than eyeballing your part or counting your sheds which can be really different depending on a lot of factors.

I lied.. this is my lastly..
Your part looks totally normal to me. I'm going to bet that in three month's time when you've given your hair a rest and some TLC, you'll probably see your part fill in with those baby hairs that are growing right now and you'll find your pony tail circ. to be the same as it is today. But if you really feel the need to DO something, take some vitamins like biotin.

ps. the exact reason I don't and didn't go to a derm. for my shedding was because I knew they would charge me several hundred dollars to tell me to use Rogain if I was worried. I get much better info here and it's free. I WOULD go for patchy bald spots because there are a few treatments for that. But for diffused thinning when your thyroid is fine, a derm. will just recommend rogain 99% of the time according to what I've read. It makes you feel sort of helpless but in the end, if we really have thinning hair, we will KNOW it and not have to keep searching for signs of it.

Heidi_234
October 6th, 2009, 09:36 AM
I have this picture:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=2075&pictureid=33785

It doesn't show the part all too well, but it seems not that much 'tighter' than yours, even though I'm ii/iii. Your part look completely normal to me.

Rohele
October 6th, 2009, 10:37 AM
Both Hennared and ambychelle had some good points. Especially the part about noting what's normal and not normal for you.

Shedding and thinning in women can be caused by so many things, I think it's important to rule out thyroid, iron deficiency etc. before you conclude that it's AGA.

I did go to my doctor about increased shedding and she tested for a huge number of things. She also told me she thought I was not in the right age group to have thinning hair due to female/male hormone imbalances - she said it would be more likely during peri-menapause (I'm still a little on the young side for that, but it's looming - I'm 38 ). She immediately suggested a multi vitamin, B vitamins and I was found out to be vitamin D deficient, so I'm supplementing with that as well. Things seem to be improving somewhat. I'm trying not to worry.

Anyway, here's my part - I parted it in the middle for the picture, but I normally wear a side part - you can see how the left side does not want to lie down. I would say my hair has thinned a little in recent years from what it was in my 20s. (ETA - holy cow, I didn't realize I had so many gray hairs until I looked closely at these pictures)

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=2528&pictureid=52005

curlytiff27
October 6th, 2009, 02:27 PM
Wow....ambychelle, I think we are sisters in hair or something! LOL I say that because I did just about everything you noted that you have done recently hair related. I had thought I had cancer back in May (skin cancer) and this may have triggered a shed, not sure...I wasnt counting back then. Also, from me being overly parinoid about this hair thing lately, I've been counting too much, went on (and off) MSM and a multitude of vitamins and even pulled out pictures too. I even pulled out a picture from when I was 4 and it was that picture that I first saw that I have always had a part and cowlick in the back of my head that I had recently convinced myself was a bald spot! Yet, I still worry at times!

To the OP, I agree with everyone except for the Dr. And please....if anything, do alot of research before taking his advise on Yasmin. There may be people on it and who take it which it works fine for, but I have read an over whelming amount of people who have had hair loss as a side effect from stopping or going off it. Again, this is what I have read online of course. Also, my sister has had serious side effects from it. She was only on it for a year or so. She now is hypothyroid, had her gall bladder removed, has gastrointestinal problems has had stomach scopes done to see what her internal stomach problems are and more. And shes only 25! I'm not by no means trying to say everyone will have those problems but just watch it if so. Also, her own doctor took her off of it and said she thinks that is what cause alot of her problems, if not all of them. She really was healthy before starting it. The only reason I'm saying this is because her own gyn told her this.

I also notice my part ALOT more when my roots have grown out and I need to get my highlights done. I think your just more aware of your hair and its condition now is all. I know I had that same problem when I first got on here.

For your shedding (I think others also recommeneded it) you may want to try MSM. I hardly lost any hair while taking it. I personally noticed it after less than two weeks on it. You have to start taking it slowly. For me, I went over board on it for my system. I got up to 4,000 mgs a day. But it made my new growth so soft that it relaxed my curls. But that is just me. You have a beautiful head of thick hair....I wouldn't listen to what that one doctor told you without seeing you in person. I believe in order to DX you for that...they would do a scalp biopsy or analysis first. If your really worried, see your doc but I think your just paying more attention to your hair now is all. :) (I did too.)