r/FemaleHairLoss

I am planning before I start. Did you recommend laser, electrolysis? How do you stay ahead of it? Were certain body parts worse than others?

Thanks!

Hi all! I started taking oral Minoxidil (1.25mg) back in January. Its been a little over 6 months, and I have yet to notice a difference. I reached out to my derm and asked to up my dose, so I have been on 2mg for the last month. Is it normal to still not see results? I feel like many people say that they notice even small changes around the 4/5 month mark, but I can't say thats been my experience. I started taking Minoxidil for hair thinning- my moms side of the family has very very fine hair- I would even say my aunt an mom both show signs of female balding- and I noticed my hair started thinning out in my mid 20s, so I am trying to be proactive and treat it before it gets to that point! Should I look into trying topical minox? It seems like that shows stronger results, I just feel like its more time consuming. Any advice, tips, support, etc. would be greatly appreciated... thank you!

(F, 30)

i am shedding a lot of hair since about two months back. i got off birthcontrol pill in january and have also lost some weight since then. hairloss started (at least to the point where i reacted to it) in may.

a few months before the shedding started i also started to get a very oily scalp and oily hair. i never used to have that. lately i’ve also noticed itching on my scalp, sometimes a burning sensation and overall tingling. i also can feel some small ”bumps” which doesn’t really feel like pimples. they’re smaller, and i can scratch them off. when i scratch them off they feel like small grains of sand almost..?

i have talked to my doctor (GP) about the hairloss a month back (by then i hadn’t noticed a lot of scalp stuff), and she just said ”it’s probably because of going off the pill plus losing weight, it will probably slow down and grow back”…

starting to panic now since the shedding is not slowing down at all. i’ve lost so much hair. i wrote to a dermatologist and requested an appointment last week, still haven’t heard back. i might not get an appointment (through public health care, can’t afford to go private).

i don’t know what to do. for now i’m washing my hair every day since it’s so oily and looks so bad just 24 hours after a wash. i’ve been going back and forth from sensitive/dry scalp shampoo & conditioner, to trying my partners head & shoulders. the head & shoulders made me less oily and made my hair look better, but i don’t know if it’s good for the scalp.

just bought a ketoconazole shampoo and might try that tonight. does that seem like a bad idea for some reason? i’m thinking in case my scalp issues are fungal.

i also have no idea if the hairloss is because of the scalp issues, or the scalp issues is because of the hairloss, or if they’re even connected. i’m just at a loss and i don’t want to lose all my hair, and keep feeling so itchy…

i have been lurking around this subreddit for a while now and it seems full of people who know their stuff. :)

Hi! I’m 18 and my hair has thinned out a lot and snapped off in places due to stress, I really want to start minoxidil as everything else I’ve tried hasn’t really worked. I have two cats and a dog though so I definitely don’t want to use the topical one but I was wondering if it would be okay if I took the oral minoxidil? Or would it be unsafe either way?

Good morning, I'd like some advice from someone who's been through it. Unfortunately, I was recently diagnosed with AGA. No one in my family (neither women or men) has this problem. I believe it was caused by a year of taking Zoloft, and the dermatologist also confirmed it could be related. In particular, I probably had a mild effluvium, which, however, revealed AGA. A couple of weeks ago, the dermatologist said that the nape of my neck and temples are fine. Only the crown has some thinner hair. She was very positive and said that if we started treatment now, I'd make a 100% recovery. To the naked eye you wouldn't say there's been a change and I actually realise that the situation isn't too different from how it was before but I miss my old hair and I miss not having to think about it. Unfortunately, the timing isn't the best because I'm pregnant. Obviously, I know it's the priority right now, but I'm anxious about wasting time waiting. After this first child, I'd like to have a second and maybe a third soon after (if biology is on my side). so maybe have the next children within three or four years, strength permitting. My question is this: I know everyone's stories are different, but is there anyone who had to wait three or four years to start treatment and still got their hair back? I'm so worried about this wait and feeling so helpless. I really thank anyone who can share their experience with me, hoping it was positive.

edit: I'll be 31 in a week and will give birth in October. My hair has only changed in the last year.

I was on Semaglutide w/b12 added to it for @ 2 years. Only lost a pound or a few a month if any. I’m self pay. Now I’ve been switched to tirzepatide for 3 weeks now. And I’m down 4 lbs. On my old rx it would have taken me @ 3-4 months to have lost this! I’ve been shedding since last Nov. It’s getting worse now, I was trying rosemary oil & collagen but no results. Life is so busy but I just had to make time to see my Dermatologist. I go back at the end of the week to get my lab results. I showed him my rosemary oil & collagen, he said they are a waste of money. My inflammation is almost completely gone as I have arthritis & I’m post menopause. Assuming labs come back good , I would greatly appreciate any suggestions of what RX I can suggest when I see my dr. It’s disturbing to go through this like everyone else. I had a head full of wavy hair. It’s thinning so much. Thank you in advance 🙏💕

I am currently on 2.5 mg oral minoxidil. I’ve been on it for probably more than 6 months already but I’ve noticed my hair feels thinner and there is less density at the ends. I think it’s been too long to say it’s just a dread shed. I feel like my minoxidil needs to be upped but I see most people start out lower than I did and have great results. I’m wondering if anyone has had experience in taking more than 2.5 mg and how it worked out for you. My derm started me off on that 2.5 mg dose which seems to be a high dose considering what I see others on here taking. I’m just not sure how much higher I can go and if maybe I need to just switch back to topical minoxidil?
So, does anyone take more than 2.5 mg oral minoxidil daily?

Hi - my daughter has been diagnosed with female pattern hair loss by dermatologist. Low ferritin so she is on supplements.

We are in UK so only option currently is over the counter topical minoxidil. She is still not sure if she wants to try this (particularly because she has residential school trips coming up)

I am trying to manage her stress and upset with suggestions that won’t make things worse. Hair brushing is something that is upsetting us both.

Does anyone have advice about how to best manage brushing and detangling wet and dry hair particularly combs or brush reccommrndations?

I’ve been taking a GLP one for six months. I don’t agree what they say in that you can have temporary hair shedding due to “shock” on your body, drastic weight loss, nutritional deficiencies.
Let me tell you, I have lost weight steady and slow. 27 pounds in six months and still holding at that 27 pounds now for well over a month.
All of my labs are picture perfect. Iron, blood cells, ferritin, protein, all of it.
So there really doesn’t seem to be a “reason” for this to be happening unless it’s the medicine itself, which everything says the medicine won’t do it. I don’t really believe that.

That said: major shedding going on and off times two months.
Started oral 0.5 minoxidil four days ago. Doing some of the Hair MD regimen. Also doing rosemary and Teatree essential oil treatments.
I’m not as consistent with the stuff you put on your scalp because I hate how it makes my hair greasy.
I am consistent with the marine collagen daily, hairMD shampoo and conditioner, Hair MD daily supplement.

Unfortunately I put off starting minoxidil and now I’m at the point I might start trying get pregnant like in 6months to a year… but I don’t know for sure. I’m definitely not planning to for at least 6 months.

I can’t decide if I put off starting minoxidil for even longer or just start it since I’m not even sure when I will start trying.

In last 10 years I’ve lost 50% of my hair density. I did have low ferritin and I’ve been working on that too. But it’s been back up for more than a year now.

Hi

I just started Oral Minoxidil .625 and started shedding more than normal in week 3..I am now in week 6 and shedding a lot. My question is will it stay at this amount for a long time or am in the peak of the shed. When I had TE it was like a mountain that peaked and then was slowly less and less. I really hope this medication makes me stop shedding! Any advice? Would love to know when all your dread sheds started? How long they lasted? and did it finally decrease shedding? I just need a mental break!

Hi there! New to the space here and wanted to ask what people’s experiences have been with PRP? I have been struggling with my doctors say is typical male pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia) for about 12 years now. It all started when I went to college, hair all of a sudden thinned out and started to fall out. Over the last 5-7 years I have been on spironolactone and minoxidil (men’s) (on and off). The last dermatologist I went to told me about PRP and I’ve read mixed results. Can y’all share what’s that been like for you if you have had it done? What does the upkeep look like?

Separately, I’m generally wondering if anyone has found that certain foods, serums, vitamins have helped with growth and to maintain the growth?

Thank you!!