Hi,
I have lost 50% or more of my hair in the last year or two. This has sent me straight into a depression, and refuse to wash my hair everyday because I can't handle feeling how thin it is, and watching my hair continue to fall out. It's affected my life so much, that I don't even want to go out anymore. My self esteem has taken the biggest hit.
It's hard to say when it started, but it's become very noticeable within the last 8 months. It's very thin in the front. I noticed it first in pictures, and I realized my hairline in the front was so thin, that the flash went right through and didn't pick up those hairs in the photos (if that makes any sense). What I'm trying to say, is that It looks like my hairline is receded much more in photos. Doctors are quick to tell me its genetic because of where my hair is thinnest (front bang area), and because hair loss does run in my family. However, even though I've always had massive amounts of thick hair, it's always been much thinner in the bang area. My hair loss is diffuse, and it's most noticeable there only because it's always been on the thinner side in that area, and that's why it's the most obvious. It's also noticeable to me in the back, almost like where a man gets a bald spot.
Here is a little about my history:
Strong family history of thyroid disorders
Nodule on my thyroid was found 2 years ago
Hair loss on my Dads side (and my 50 year old Mom claims her hair is thinning, but she still has a MANE...shes crazy)
I've gone on and off birth control a few times in the last 2 years. However, when I was on it in college, I never experienced hair loss like this.
I have had 2 very big stresses in my life in the last 2 years
I'm in the process of getting my thyroid checked, but it's difficult because when doctors see I'm falling within the normal range, they brush me off. However, I have gotten opinions from others on this site (in the thyroid community) that tell me my numbers do seem low, even though they fall within normal range.
I went to a hair club, and they looked at my hair with a magnifying camera. They showed me that on the back, that many hairs were sprouting out of the same spots (a good thing), and towards the front, it's mostly just sparse single hairs sprouting out of my scalp on their own. They also pointed out very few spots where they suspected the follicles had died due the a red dot.
I have many concerns:
What most likely could caused this?
Could it be a combination of things? How likely is it that going on and off birth control kick started a genetic tenancy?
Is this permanent?
What other things cause female hair loss that I should investigate?
Someone please help me :( The doctors I have been to don't seem to be taking me seriously.
Thank you