My Story

[Kelly311]

Hi everyone,
I'm new to this forum (although I have belonged to another similar forum specifically for women's hair loss), so here's my story in a nutshell.

I had no idea my hair was thinning until my hair stylist mentioned it. My hair was thinning at the crown of my head, typically where male pattern baldness seems to start. My hair is naturally very fine to begin with, and being a female in my mid-20's at the time, I wasn't too thrilled to realize this. I went to a dermatologist in 2008, who didn't take much time with me, did a quick "hair pull" test and said the thinning and loss was most likely genetic, and suggested I could start using Rogaine and taking Spironolactane pills - which would take a long time to see result, I would need to take it for the rest of my life, and could not take it while pregnant. Instead I opted to take a reputable Healthy Hair, Skin and Nails supplement.

In early 2009, I went for a consultation with an acupuncturist, and went for weekly acupuncture sessions for about 3 months or so, when my job's insurance wouldn't reimburse anymore. I was also given chinese herbal supplements to take (Fo-Ti) and told to massage my scalp daily and eat certain foods. I really didn't notice any difference, although taking the herbs did seem to stop the shedding, no real regrowth was seen. A few months later, I went to a new dermatologist, who suggested I wait 3-6 months after my Thyroid levels return to normal (I have an under-active Thyroid and was just getting on medication to even that out) and see if the hair loss stopped then. She ran bloodwork and everything else appeared okay. She suggested I start using Women's Rogaine, so I did.

There were noticeable results within the first year of using it. I took pictures along the way to see the areas on the top/crown of my head. After the first year or so I really stopped looking, and kind of kept it out of my mind. I used the Rogaine religiously from 2009 until about late 2011, early 2012. At that time, I became sick (nothing major, but I would continuously get bad colds with really bad congestion) and during this time, for whatever reason, I really got out of my routine of using the Rogaine and taking the supplements. I had read that after about 4 months of stopping the Rogaine, you would see the hair loss start up again. One other thing I had tried along the way was Nioxin shampoo and conditioner - which, again, is supposed to just prevent further hair loss. Can't say if it really helped because I'd been using Rogaine and taking supplements at the same time.

Bringing us to present day, after much inconsistent use/discontinuation of the Rogaine, it looks like the thinning at the crown of my head has gotten a bit worse, and I'm starting to notice thinning at the front of my scalp as well. Again, fairly humiliating for anyone to go through, and particularly for a woman who is just 31 years old.

I've started to take the Fo-Ti chinese herbs again and I'm looking for new products and ideas that might help, and might help me get away from using Rogaine. Much thanks and appreciation to everyone who has shared their story and their experiences!

[Kelly311]

I also just wanted to add - I have also read that both thyroid problems, and the thyroid medication used to remedy them, can contribute to hair loss. I see an endocrinologist for my thyroid issue, but she doesn't really have much to offer on the subject, and I plan on looking into seeing a dermatologist in NYC where I live that specializes in the topic, and may be able to add some insight into the cause (although my assumption is that it's a combination of genetics - my brother was almost complete bald in his early 20's - and the thyroid issue).