r/HairLossForBlackWomen

Long time member here. I have albums of my scalp and diffuse thinning over the last few years.

A few years ago, I started experiencing cold intolerance, fatigue and lost almost all my body hair. I started minoxidil (somewhat inconsistently for years).

In 2024, went to the doctor but my TSH was “within range”. She didn’t test anything else for my thyroid… three years later, my fatigue, cold intolerance, dry skin and hair thinning was getting worse. Just over a month ago, Went back and requested a full panel; b12, ferritin, CBC, TSH etc.

This time, my TSH came back at 22 (high). We did additional testing and my TPOab was 136 (high), with low Free t4. My ferritin while normal is not optimal, 46. And b12 is at 283 (not optimal). I am
Now working with a naturopath for a structured supplement routine to complement my levothyroxine meds.

Now been almost one month on Levothyroxine (75mcg), consistently taking, daily hair wash (with Nizoral one time weekly), daily minoxidil for the last 8 weeks, plus added dermastamp at 0.75 mm 1x every 1-2 weeks. Added in supplementation in the last three weeks.

I feel like this is a major difference.

TLDR: get your bloodwork, no amount of topicals will address internal deficiencies.

Tl;dr: Is this tension irritation, and will it lead to scarring? Does this mean cornrows are out of the question as a protective style for me?

Background:

After getting diagnosed with CCCA last December, I took a break from getting braids with extensions. I’ve mostly blow dried my hair, put it in chunky braids and thrown on a curly half wig while using clobetasol and steroid injections to control the inflammation.

At the end of September, my derm said my inflammation was under control and I can look into minoxidil for growth.

I figured getting cornrows would make application of the foam easier. So I went to a hairstylist (who specializes in working with alopecia clients) for a wash, trim and braid down last Friday. It’s my first time getting cornrows. I felt a bit of tension, but thought it would go away after a day or so.

The issue:
However, this past Wednesday I took a look at one of the tension spots and noticed it was red and inflamed in the corner(first pic). So I ended up taking down the horizontal braid down to ease the tension. Also undid the base of the vertical braids because I felt pulling there.

The second picture is what it looks like right now, after a few days with the tight braids undone.

My questions/concerns:
The irritation has gone down, but will this lead to scarring?!? Does this mean cornrows are a no-go for me.

Always thin in the crown, but it got reeeeal thin. Went to the lady. April to August. Topical Min/Fin compound daily, scalp massage, xtresse gummies when I remember.

Hello, I haven’t seen many progress posts for my hair type in this subreddit yet and wanted to show other struggling with AGA that with time and medicine you can see amazing progress. I’ve been taking the pill form of minoxidil, finasteride, and spironolactone for about 5 months. The first three photos are the worst my AGA has gotten. I was on minoxidil a year prior but stopped taking it due to financial reasons and went a couple of months without treatment. I got back on minoxidil with the addition of finasteride and spironolactone in my treatment plan, and the growth within the first 2 months were noticeable (4th, 5th, and 6th picture). When I passed the 3-month mark, my hair was less sparse and more noticeably dense (7th and 8th photo). At the 5-month mark ( 9th and 10th photo), my hair is a little sparse in some areas, but it’s much fuller now.

I was diagnosed with AGA and have been using topical minoxidil 5% for about 6 months now. About 2 weeks ago, after my 6-month follow-up with my dermatologist, I started using a compounded topical min/fin/tret solution.
I also had low ferritin (35) and vitamin D (27) back in April. After taking iron supplements, they’re now at 165 and 44, respectively.
I’ve also incorporated caffeine shampoo and Nizoral into my routine. I’m a little scared/nervous to start microneedling, though.
But do you guys see any improvement? I do feel like I see a little progress! I’m just not sure if it’s actually progress or if it’s the lighting. 😅
The April photo was taken by me, and all the others were taken by my spouse.
Thank you all!