Should i be worried?

[sweetestpoison]

so i have always had thinned out hair on the left and right side of my hairline, but i noticed the other day what looks like a tiny round bald spot? It kinda scared me and made me think "oh god, is my hair going to fall out???" I can handle having it in this location because my face framing fringe can cover it up. I didn't know if it was something i should be worried about though. I have NEVER pulled my hair in a really tight hairstyle, i have however done some serious dye damage in the past. Dye free now thank goodness but it was blonde a little over a year ago which as you can see is a serious step from the natural DARK hair i have. Do you think maybe my thinness in this area has just been exacerbated from the dye or is it something i should be worried about? I can't afford to see a doctor about it so if there is anybody on the forum who has had a similar issue please let me know how you handled it.

http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums/n531/Tricia_Ann/Photo93.jpg

[Firefox7275]

Hair dye would not cause that unless you had a allergic reaction or chemical burns. I've started wearing my hair looser as I got a lot of breaks from tight ponytails, but since then I have noticed a couple of my hairtoys slip out during the day, and end up hanging from a couple of hairs. Might that happen to you? Or are you applying any products that might be irritating your skin? I know some experience hair loss from CO-washing or stretching washes for example.

Best thing to do would be to get an appointment with a doctor, any number of things from hormone imbalance to stress to nutritional deficiency could be an issue and you may need blood tests. I know you said you cannot afford it but is there no free medical care at all in the states? If you don't think it's significant enough I'd be inclined to make out all the thinning in that area is new.

[sweetestpoison]

Hair dye would not cause that unless you had a allergic reaction or chemical burns. I've started wearing my hair looser as I got a lot of breaks from tight ponytails, but since then I have noticed a couple of my hairtoys slip out during the day, and end up hanging from a couple of hairs. Might that happen to you? Or are you applying any products that might be irritating your skin? I know some experience hair loss from CO-washing or stretching washes for example.

Best thing to do would be to get an appointment with a doctor, any number of things from hormone imbalance to stress to nutritional deficiency could be an issue and you may need blood tests. I know you said you cannot afford it but is there no free medical care at all in the states? If you don't think it's significant enough I'd be inclined to make out all the thinning in that area is new.
Oh thank goodness you said some people see hair loss during CO and stretching between washes. I did try this about a month ago and noticed a LOT more hair down the drain than usual, which also happens to be the time that i noticed that little swirly thing. I really hope that's all it was. I hope it will grow back... as for anything catching on my hairs, i don't tend to wear accessories in the front. I have a fork, a stick, and a rubber band. Those are the only three things i use to style my hair.. it sounds dull but i get creative with my hair styles lol... i have done pin curls but the last set i did before the spot arrived was months before. I am really starting to think it was my CO attempt and hope my hair hasn't undergone irreparable damage. I stopped the CO maybe 2 weeks into it after i noticed the hair loss.

[Firefox7275]

Oh thank goodness you said some people see hair loss during CO and stretching between washes. I did try this about a month ago and noticed a LOT more hair down the drain than usual, which also happens to be the time that i noticed that little swirly thing. I really hope that's all it was. I hope it will grow back... as for anything catching on my hairs, i don't tend to wear accessories in the front. I have a fork, a stick, and a rubber band. Those are the only three things i use to style my hair.. it sounds dull but i get creative with my hair styles lol... i have done pin curls but the last set i did before the spot arrived was months before. I am really starting to think it was my CO attempt and hope my hair hasn't undergone irreparable damage. I stopped the CO maybe 2 weeks into it after i noticed the hair loss.

It's well worth spending a lot of time reading all over LHC (articles and forum) as there is a mind-blowing amount of information here. The search function is a pain, but if you use 'advanced search' you can find words in the thread titles. There are whole threads on most techniques and many products. :)

Maybe switch your rubber band for a terry band - even with 'no snag' bands my hair is badly damaged where my pony used to sit. I don't wear anything at the front either but have another crop of breakage at each temple. My hair is only shoulder length so it's not weighty. :(

[Anje]

If there is broken-off hair there, I would be more inclined to blame dye. Having nothing at all suggests that it came out from the root.

Could it be that you've had that spot for years and never noticed it? It's pretty small and probably easy to miss. Bumping your head hard might be enough to cause a spot like that.

Otherwise, I'm thinking it might be alopecia areata. We've got lots of members here who have that, and hopefully a few will weigh in. As I understand it, it typically strikes during times of stress and causes small bald patches. They can grow in again on their own, or a doctor can inject steriods into the site to suppress the immune response there and allow regrowth.

Another possibility is ringworm, though I'd usually expect to see an inflamed edge to the bald circle there. It's not a worm, but basically athlete's foot somewhere other than the feet. You could have picked it up from anywhere, since the fungus is ubiquitous, but infected pets and people are common sources. If it's that, it's easy enough to treat. Most athlete's foot creams will have instructions for using them on ringworm as well (usually a less intense treatment schedule than for feet).

Offhand, if you don't want to go to the doctor, I'd suggest treating it like it's ringworm and not worrying too much about it. Reducing stress would be a good move, which is probably true for everyone. :) If it gets bigger and doesn't go away by the time you're done doing the ringworm treatment, it might be worth visiting a doctor.

[DoubleCrowned]

I second the ringworm notion. I have seen a lot of it on pets and people who got it from pets, and it very often does not have distinctive edges. One test for it is to shine black light on it in a dark room. Ringworm will glow green. I THINK it's green...at any rate, you will be able to see it light up differently than normal hair would. I think tea tree oil kills ringworm, but you would have to test it on the inside of your elbow to make sure it is not to harsh for your skin. Dietary improvement will prevent spreading. I think vitamin A and the B vitamins are especially important to combat fungal infections.

[WaitingSoLong]

Do you recall perhaps an old injury there? Perhaps as it healed the hair all fell out and it just hasn't grown back in yet?

[Alex Lou]

CO is not going to cause hair loss. When people extend time between washing, they shed all the hair at one time that they would have shed during each individual wash. There's just more of a build-up of hair to be shed, so it looks like you're losing more hair than usual.

I wonder too, if that little bare spot has always been there, maybe? Some people have them.