Hair loss around my parting - help!
October 7, 2024 4:29 AM Subscribe
I'm 35, all my life I've had *extremely* thick (coarse) South Asian hair. I've recently started noticing that it's thinning a little around my parting which I'm quite shocked and upset by. Any advice on how to help regrowth and prevent more hair loss please?
When I say extremely thick, I mean it. Hairdressers have commented on how they've never seen such thick coarse hair before. Hairbands snap, hair claws are never big enough.
My mum's hair is thinning a lot, she is in her 60s. I'm not sure when it started but her hair was finer than mine, though thick.
My oldest sister who is 42 has the most similar hair to me and I don't believe she's experiencing any hair loss.
I do have a lot of anxiety and depression and constantly feel stressed so I'm wondering if it's both stress related. I would prefer that to it being genetic as I want hope that it's possible to regrow.
I do know I'm vitamin D deficient and am taking supplements for that.
I know this sounds silly but I'm feeling quite scared. I'm still relatively young and I've always felt that I'm happy I have such thick hair even if it is an annoyance at times as it will mean I'll have lots of hair when I'm old.
Any advice on how to slow this down or aid regrowth would be most helpful!
When I say extremely thick, I mean it. Hairdressers have commented on how they've never seen such thick coarse hair before. Hairbands snap, hair claws are never big enough.
My mum's hair is thinning a lot, she is in her 60s. I'm not sure when it started but her hair was finer than mine, though thick.
My oldest sister who is 42 has the most similar hair to me and I don't believe she's experiencing any hair loss.
I do have a lot of anxiety and depression and constantly feel stressed so I'm wondering if it's both stress related. I would prefer that to it being genetic as I want hope that it's possible to regrow.
I do know I'm vitamin D deficient and am taking supplements for that.
I know this sounds silly but I'm feeling quite scared. I'm still relatively young and I've always felt that I'm happy I have such thick hair even if it is an annoyance at times as it will mean I'll have lots of hair when I'm old.
Any advice on how to slow this down or aid regrowth would be most helpful!
Part your hair in a different spot for now and get your thyroid levels checked.
posted by phunniemee at 4:53 AM on October 7 [5 favorites]
posted by phunniemee at 4:53 AM on October 7 [5 favorites]
I (35F) went through the whole thyroid thing (definitely the priority!) and did finally get that under control in my late 20s, but did permanently** lose a lot of hair thickness before the thyroid issue was caught and treated.
I can validate how upsetting and emotional hair loss can be!
I discovered last year at 34 that it’s quite easy to get a daily RX minoxidil pill, which is one of the only tried and true hair loss solutions that would qualify as “easy”.
I ended up going through Hers, so it’s all by mail and automated subscriptions. I have been on it about a year and it absolutely has helped with my baldest sections and my part. It’s something no one else is likely to notice as I didn’t grow a mane by any means, but I now have some fine downy hair that fills in the very thin sections quite well.
It’s easy, relatively cheap (I now pay ~$200 per year for it), relatively painless and I personally am absolutely fine paying for and taking it the rest of my life if needed.
**mimoxidil will work in perpetuity for regrowing - BUT it’s not a cure, it has to be taken daily or the hair it regrows will fall out again. (If you ever do stop taking it, the hair you already had will be fine, the fallout only happens for the new hairs that minoxidil generated.)
The downsides: it takes 6 or so months to see meaningful results, the baby hairs that sprout when they come in can be a little funny looking, I ended up regrowing a lot of hair around my hairline which gave me some light bumping and itching on that skin as it first grew in. You can also sometimes have extra fallout in the first 3 months you take it, it’s normal and you will regrow everything you’ve lost during that time. And of course the commitment to be on it forever.
posted by seemoorglass at 6:19 AM on October 7
I can validate how upsetting and emotional hair loss can be!
I discovered last year at 34 that it’s quite easy to get a daily RX minoxidil pill, which is one of the only tried and true hair loss solutions that would qualify as “easy”.
I ended up going through Hers, so it’s all by mail and automated subscriptions. I have been on it about a year and it absolutely has helped with my baldest sections and my part. It’s something no one else is likely to notice as I didn’t grow a mane by any means, but I now have some fine downy hair that fills in the very thin sections quite well.
It’s easy, relatively cheap (I now pay ~$200 per year for it), relatively painless and I personally am absolutely fine paying for and taking it the rest of my life if needed.
**mimoxidil will work in perpetuity for regrowing - BUT it’s not a cure, it has to be taken daily or the hair it regrows will fall out again. (If you ever do stop taking it, the hair you already had will be fine, the fallout only happens for the new hairs that minoxidil generated.)
The downsides: it takes 6 or so months to see meaningful results, the baby hairs that sprout when they come in can be a little funny looking, I ended up regrowing a lot of hair around my hairline which gave me some light bumping and itching on that skin as it first grew in. You can also sometimes have extra fallout in the first 3 months you take it, it’s normal and you will regrow everything you’ve lost during that time. And of course the commitment to be on it forever.
posted by seemoorglass at 6:19 AM on October 7
This is unlikely to be your situation...
But you know what finally stopped me in my tracks and made me do a bunch of tests that showed that I'd had a tumor for 10+ years? It wasn't cancerous but it WAS wreaking extreme havoc on my body.
Seeing some of my very thick South Asian hair fall out. At much too young of an age.
I had parathyroid disease, which you can have diagnosed by checking on your parathyroid levels and calcium levels (I think calcium levels are routinely checked, so go see if your were a little bit high). Also, if you have parathyroid disease, your vitamin D will be low (the only reason I bring any of this up, since yours is also low).
I'm guessing this isn't your problem, but in the case that it is, getting the right treatment will change all aspects of your life, the least of which will be your hair growing back. Good luck!
posted by cacao at 6:20 AM on October 7 [1 favorite]
But you know what finally stopped me in my tracks and made me do a bunch of tests that showed that I'd had a tumor for 10+ years? It wasn't cancerous but it WAS wreaking extreme havoc on my body.
Seeing some of my very thick South Asian hair fall out. At much too young of an age.
I had parathyroid disease, which you can have diagnosed by checking on your parathyroid levels and calcium levels (I think calcium levels are routinely checked, so go see if your were a little bit high). Also, if you have parathyroid disease, your vitamin D will be low (the only reason I bring any of this up, since yours is also low).
I'm guessing this isn't your problem, but in the case that it is, getting the right treatment will change all aspects of your life, the least of which will be your hair growing back. Good luck!
posted by cacao at 6:20 AM on October 7 [1 favorite]
Endocrinologist might be the best specialist right now, possibly in combination with a dermatologist. Low iron, vitamin D and stress are standard hair loss triggers - test sugar, insulin, B12 and thyroid parameters too. Good news is that it's usually reversible hair loss, though you may need minoxidil to kickstart it. I went with scalp rub minoxidil, had first baby hairs within 8 weeks and was able to stop it entirely once underlying causes were solved.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 6:21 AM on October 7
posted by I claim sanctuary at 6:21 AM on October 7
Just as a data point: for me it wasn't anything serious and I was able to fix my hair loss by eating better & by waiting out the stressful circumstances in my life.
I went through the same thing at a couple of points in my life: once at 19 years old and once at 35. At 19, I really really freaked out. I literally had bald spots that appeared at my temples. It was SCARY. And doctors weren't really of any use (I was in Singapore, the racism against Indians there is intense, nobody took me seriously). Finally the university doctor prescribed me women's rogaine just to shut me up, and I went to the pharmacy and they said it was $180 for a month's worth. I was so freaking disgusted that I refused to fill the prescription, and just went on a reading spree.
Reading told me that it could be a long, long, long list of possibilities, but the only one that was in my own power to correct was to change my diet and eat a lot more protein than I was currently eating. Started eating chole and spinach for lunch every damn day. Hair fall stopped within about 2 months and my hair grew back within 6 months.
The second time my hair started falling out in copious amounts, I was going through a divorce. I chalked that one up to stress, because all my endocrine levels as well as other bloodwork came back normal and eating chole & spinach every day for a couple of months didn't seem to help. That startling level of hair loss due to stress took about a year to fix itself.
FWIW I strongly second the advice to change where you part your hair.
posted by MiraK at 6:34 AM on October 7
I went through the same thing at a couple of points in my life: once at 19 years old and once at 35. At 19, I really really freaked out. I literally had bald spots that appeared at my temples. It was SCARY. And doctors weren't really of any use (I was in Singapore, the racism against Indians there is intense, nobody took me seriously). Finally the university doctor prescribed me women's rogaine just to shut me up, and I went to the pharmacy and they said it was $180 for a month's worth. I was so freaking disgusted that I refused to fill the prescription, and just went on a reading spree.
Reading told me that it could be a long, long, long list of possibilities, but the only one that was in my own power to correct was to change my diet and eat a lot more protein than I was currently eating. Started eating chole and spinach for lunch every damn day. Hair fall stopped within about 2 months and my hair grew back within 6 months.
The second time my hair started falling out in copious amounts, I was going through a divorce. I chalked that one up to stress, because all my endocrine levels as well as other bloodwork came back normal and eating chole & spinach every day for a couple of months didn't seem to help. That startling level of hair loss due to stress took about a year to fix itself.
FWIW I strongly second the advice to change where you part your hair.
posted by MiraK at 6:34 AM on October 7
I lost a lot of hair when I was iron deficient. Once I corrected that, it grew back and I was shocked by how significant the change was. I'd tackle that piece for sure.
posted by lookoutbelow at 9:40 AM on October 7 [2 favorites]
posted by lookoutbelow at 9:40 AM on October 7 [2 favorites]
Sorry to hear that you're feeling down about hair loss. I started losing my hair in my early/mid 30's. When I was younger I had many different hair styles. Sometimes short hair, sometimes long hair down to my shoulders, LOL. It was fun and I do miss those days. That said at around age 40 I decided to do a full head shave(totally bald). I was nervous about it at first. But I have to tell you it was the best decision I every made. My wife thinks I look better with a bald head...and honestly I get looks from women way more now then I did when I had a full head of hair. Now look, I'm not saying you need to shave your head today but I wanna let you know that shaving your head might not actually be as rough as you think...you might find that you love it as I do. And some of the meds people use to maintain your hair can be dangerous and might not be worth it. Absolutely check in with your doc and make sure there's nothing devious going on. And of course feel free to try hair loss meds if you'd like. If they help and you feel good then that's great! Just don't let it get you down...and maybe embrace it. Like I said you might love it!!
posted by ljs30 at 10:24 AM on October 7
posted by ljs30 at 10:24 AM on October 7
Yeah, get some bloodwork done if possible, you're at the right age for a thyroid condition to develop and thinning hair is very often a symptom of that (as is Vit D deficiency). Though stress can definitely impact hair; after my grandmother died I had an approximately silver dollar sized spot on the back of my head where all the hair just randomly fell out. Had this round peach-fuzz bald spot for ages, but it eventually grew back again like nothing had ever happened. I've also heard that most people have thinner hair overall in the fall than in the spring.
If you're seeing a lot of shorter frizzy strands, it might be (in part) mechanical damage. In that case changing your styling, not heat drying, using a satin bonnet or pillowcase--in general being more gentle on the hair--might help. Be gentle and nourish your hair, be gentle and nourish yourself.
posted by radiogreentea at 11:18 AM on October 7
If you're seeing a lot of shorter frizzy strands, it might be (in part) mechanical damage. In that case changing your styling, not heat drying, using a satin bonnet or pillowcase--in general being more gentle on the hair--might help. Be gentle and nourish your hair, be gentle and nourish yourself.
posted by radiogreentea at 11:18 AM on October 7
Anemia and low ferritin definitely caused a lot of hair loss for me. I have infusions from time to time when things get low, and it's helped a lot.
posted by kellyblah at 6:51 PM on October 7
posted by kellyblah at 6:51 PM on October 7
Depending on what hairstyle you’re wearing, you may be forming traction alopecia around the part of there’s a fair amount of tension there. Changing your parting and your hairstyle will help as will topical minoxidil. Get generic minoxidil for men for pink tax reasons. Costco’s Kirkland brand has a great one. Read up on minoxidil - there can be an initial shed, but it’s very effective for as long as you use it and I know a fair amount of middle aged women who love it.
Also, be careful with dry shampoos, they can contribute to hair loss over time. Also, nthing the thyroid work-up.
posted by quince at 3:52 PM on October 8
Also, be careful with dry shampoos, they can contribute to hair loss over time. Also, nthing the thyroid work-up.
posted by quince at 3:52 PM on October 8
Agreeing with quince: the immediate thing to do is change where you part your hair, and make sure that whatever style you wear doesn't pull your hair back tightly. Also make sure you're not pulling hair out by combing it wet or brushing from the top down. Start at the bottom and gently remove tangles. Use plenty of conditioner so that you can eliminate pulling and tugging. Put the least amount of stress on your hair as possible.
After that, look into the great advice listed above. I lost hair when my vitamin D levels were abysmally low, so definitely keep up with taking your pills and get blood work to make sure you're taking enough to see results.
posted by BlueHorse at 8:02 PM on October 8
After that, look into the great advice listed above. I lost hair when my vitamin D levels were abysmally low, so definitely keep up with taking your pills and get blood work to make sure you're taking enough to see results.
posted by BlueHorse at 8:02 PM on October 8
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posted by Sunflower88 at 4:43 AM on October 7