Hello everyone!
I hope that you all has a Happy & safe Thanksgiving Holiday and I hope you are having as fun as I am trying to buy gifts for everyone on your Santa List! :P 'Tis the season!!!
Well I would like your opinions on my situation. As transgendered individulas we face certain issues that no one but eachother can understand and truly make sense of and I have no one on one contact with any transexuals in my area so I would LOVE your help.
I just turned 23 years old and have been on hormones for about 3 1/2 months (3 meds total - oral estrogen, Avodart and an injectable that I won't mention following board rules - but basically it CHEMICALLY castrates you within 4-5 injections...I get one a month). it is what is classified as a "GnRH agonist". So my hormone regimen is pretty similar to everyone elses that I have read about. The injection I get is pretty much 90% equivalent to a getting castarated physically my endo doc. explained.
I began seeing signs of Male Pattern Baldness @ 21 years old (thinning in temples). I began Propecia - my derm at the time told me it was up to me but not critical and knowing I was transgendered and eventually going to be on HRT I wanted to take Propecia to help halt hair loss until I began HRT plus my MOTHER's father began balding in his early 20's.
I took it for nearly 1 & 1/2 years. I stilled thinned a good bit but not really to the unbiased human eye. No one but who I told, could tell.
As I stated above I began HRT in September of this year. I am about to begin my 4th month of HRT and everything is going well EXCEPT ONE THING! And guess what it is??? MY HAIR!!!!!! Like so many of you this is a CRUCIAL piece of my transition begin that it aids in passing, I'm still young, AND I went to hair school. I have always been kind of known for my hair because hair and hairdressing is one on my main loves. So the fact that its STILL thinning is causing me MUCH anxiety. And now the thinning is not just at the temples, but a little on top and at the crown of my head.
I have read that there is supposedly this intial phase of shedding that one can experience on Avodart that can last up to 6 months but its been 3 months and I am VERY afraid that if continues shedding/falling out at this rate I am going to have MAJOR problems in the future. It just BAFFLES me how I am still loosing hair when in my FIRST month's check up my doctor showed me that my testosterone levels had drastically dropped & my estrogen levels were up. I am getting injected with a medicine that basically cuts of the testicles from the pituitary gland, taking Avodart which asborbs the little bit of testorterone that does find its way in my body & DHT, and replacing it with Estrogen. It just makes no sense on paper how I could still be loosing and not gaining any hair. I know I should wait and give it time but you all probably understand my dilemma. The only other thing I have thought of doing is adding Rogaine to the mix but I'm extrememly hesitant to start another regimen I must continue the rest of my life & if I were to begin it now I would never know down the road whether it was the Rogaine or the HRT that was responsible for the halting of baldness or regrowth.
SO with ALL of that said I would like your opinions on what I should do. I would also MUCh appreciate any of your stories on stopping hair loss and REGROWTH.
I appreciate it more than you'll ever know!!!!
XOXO
Love,
Miss ANXIETY!!!!!!! :P
I am not an endocrinologist and maybe you need to see yours.
DHT is made someplace in your body. I refuse to guess where, but apparently the testicles seem to be non-functional here.
I cannot comment any further and still make any sense.l Find the source of the DHT and you might have your answer.
Good luck!
Wing Walker
DHT comes from testosterone to my knowledge
Anyone else have any opinions or experiences????
Thank you all in advancement!
XOXO
The adrenal gland also makes testosterone.
Look around in your body, and you'll find testosterone all over the damned place. You are worried about having DHT in your hair follicles, as am I. Folks use rogaine in their regimen, as do I, but it only works with a suitable antiandrogen, as testosterone is metabolized by 5a-reductase, an enzyme. Your hair follicles have this enzyme, then break down the testosterone, which becomes DHT, which causes secondary male characteristics, such as mpb. So, you need something to inhibit the alpha-reductase in your body, not just the testosterone. Saw palmetto extract inhibits both isomers of 5-alpha-reductase. Antiandrogens only inhibit one isomer of a-reductase. Soooo.....maybe you should mix saw palmetto extract in your rogaine.
Hey, wait! Maybe I should too.......
Bev
Rogaine does not work on everybody.
Hair regrowth shows up in weird ways. I would not worry about the shedding so much. Keep taking the Dutasteride (Avodart). The real results really show up in strange ways and the GnBh blocker should work as well. So don't worry, be patient, this is a LONGTERM process.
EDIT: To the poster above the most effective blocker of BOTH forms of 5-alpha-reductase (DHT) is dutasteride. It blocks 90%+ over after about six months, Saw Palmetto does not even come close, in fact NOTHING does with regards to blocking this androgen. On top the the GnBH blocker and the avodart, it will work, but the process is ugly.
Beverly, next time you post advice to somebody I highly suggest you are more educated on what is being talked about. You really have shown me that you really do not know much about the things discussed here. To the original poster, ignore Beverly. Saw Palmetto is not even close to as effective as dutasteride, which is an extremely powerful anti-androgen that blocks both forms of 5-alpha-reductase, she does not know the difference between proprecia (That only blocks one) and dutasteride (that blocks both, and blocks it to near elimination).
One thing that people don't often talk about as DHT conversion inhibitor is bio identical progesterone (none of progestins have this effct). Its close to 100%, but the problem with progesterone as a DHT inhibitor is that it has a short half life, its hard to know how much you've really absorbed. So, while very good in theory, its too aleatory except if you take big split doses to be used in this way. This is another reason pregnant women get such nice hair. Total DHT blockage + massive estrogen doses prolonging the folicles active phase which means that their hair gets much thicker (hair that should fall off to go dormant stays on the head on thus hair density increases during the pregnancy).
Dustasteride's very good at blocking DHT, but if you want almost no DHT to reach your hair, use an anti-androgen that blocks gonad production and blocks the testosterone receptors (like spiro). Then, you'll get get 1% or less of the DHT to the hair folicle you'd get without any treatment.
If you hair still falls off with that, they there is nothing that can be done! At least the loss is not androgen related. Some nutritional deficiencies are metabolic diseases that impact those nutriends cause hair loss. Off course, there are some very powerfull cancer fighting chemicals that sent hair straight into dormancy, same with radiotherapy. But, that's usually temporary.
So Keira....
Do you suggest I speak to my doctor about switching from Avodart (dutasteride) to Spiro?
And do you suggest looking into adding proestrogens to the mix.
I already feel like I take alot: Estrogen, Avodart and a monthly GnBH blocker injection. Adding spiro or proestrogens to that would be too much right? OR do you suggest I trade out some?
I know a doc's opinion is the ultimate for a decision but I'd just like your opinion from your knowledge/experience???
or anyone else for that matter?...............
I must admit, I don't use saw palmetto, but a prescribed antiandrogen, and get good results with it and the rogaine. Yes, I admit it... I don't use saw palmetto. I also admit to wondering about almost everything in the world and beyond.
Amy......honestly, get a sense of humor. I don't give chemical advice....I leave that to the physicians of the world. A high horse you have there my dear ::)
Bev
Quote from: mclova84 on November 29, 2007, 09:57:43 PM
So Keira....
Do you suggest I speak to my doctor about switching from Avodart (dutasteride) to Spiro?
And do you suggest looking into adding proestrogens to the mix.
I already feel like I take alot: Estrogen, Avodart and a monthly GnBH blocker injection. Adding spiro or proestrogens to that would be too much right? OR do you suggest I trade out some?
I know a doc's opinion is the ultimate for a decision but I'd just like your opinion from your knowledge/experience???
or anyone else for that matter?...............
Do not switch off of Avodart to spiro. No, No, No.
I am on both. Why? Because Avodart specifically targets DHT, and Spiro specifically targets T and androgen receptors. Guess what the GnBH injections do the same thing as spiro but better.
Your regiment sounds fine as is. GnBH blockers do the same thing as spiro, just differently.
If anything that could be added in (nothing really should be taken out really) its progesterone, and taking all you are on that may not be necessary. You are fine as is and should not worry. This takes awhile, and as I stated earlier, its an ugly process that takes months, if not a coulple of years to sort itself out.
Quote from: Amy T. on November 30, 2007, 03:46:37 AM
Quote from: mclova84 on November 29, 2007, 09:57:43 PM
So Keira....
Do you suggest I speak to my doctor about switching from Avodart (dutasteride) to Spiro?
And do you suggest looking into adding proestrogens to the mix.
I already feel like I take alot: Estrogen, Avodart and a monthly GnBH blocker injection. Adding spiro or proestrogens to that would be too much right? OR do you suggest I trade out some?
I know a doc's opinion is the ultimate for a decision but I'd just like your opinion from your knowledge/experience???
or anyone else for that matter?...............
Do not switch off of Avodart to spiro. No, No, No.
I am on both. Why? Because Avodart specifically targets DHT, and Spiro specifically targets T and androgen receptors. Guess what the GnBH injections do the same thing as spiro but better.
Your regiment sounds fine as is. GnBH blockers do the same thing as spiro, just differently.
If anything that could be added in (nothing really should be taken out really) its progesterone, and taking all you are on that may not be necessary. You are fine as is and should not worry. This takes awhile, and as I stated earlier, its an ugly process that takes months, if not a coulple of years to sort itself out.
Would Avodart be of any help to me Amy or Keira? I have a very slight receeding at the temples (about 2cm) which although wouldn't be termed as baldness, it's still not a rounded female hairline. I have tried things like finesteride and because it's a relatively small problem, I thought finesteride might help, but it didn't. As you can see from my pics I have a lot of hair but it seems many of the drugs available don't address even the smallest of problems people might have..
No, I'm saying that dustasteride + spiro (or anything else that blocks production of T and at the receptor) will produce the best result.
Sorry I wasn't clearer.
Quote from: Keira on November 30, 2007, 07:53:31 AM
No, I'm saying that dustasteride + spiro (or anything else that blocks production of T and at the receptor) will produce the best result.
Sorry I wasn't clearer.
What is dustasteride? is that related to finesteride? also how come drugs can't deal with the smallest of problems?
QuoteWould Avodart be of any help to me Amy or Keira?
kim, avodart is like finesteride, although not quite the same drug. Both target DHT, but avodart is more potent. Lots of people try finesteride, and then switch to avodart later on, as finesteride only works for a limited period of time, 5 years.
if you want to know about hair issues, this is a great forum to find out about everything from drugs to transplants, albeit aimed at men.
http://www.hairlosshelp.com/forums/
Avodart is the BRAND NAME.
Dutasteride is the active ingredient.
I never use brand names because I never buy brand meds.
Dutas is one that's made in india.
I've also bought the new one from india in pill form
which is cheaper since you can split it.
The reason the pharmaceutical compagny put dutasteride in
gel caps is because they wanted to avoid this (not that the
meds need to be absorbed that way).
Quote from: fruity on November 30, 2007, 08:09:49 AM
QuoteWould Avodart be of any help to me Amy or Keira?
kim, avodart is like finesteride, although not quite the same drug. Both target DHT, but avodart is more potent. Lots of people try finesteride, and then switch to avodart later on, as finesteride only works for a limited period of time, 5 years.
if you want to know about hair issues, this is a great forum to find out about everything from drugs to transplants, albeit aimed at men.
http://www.hairlosshelp.com/forums/
Well, finesteride never worked on me and I probably took it for 5 years! All I had was a very tiny bit of an m shape at my forehead temples and it still didn't work on that little bit. I'm very skeptical of all these drugs..
Also let's have a link aimed at women Fruity?
Berliegh, if they didn't work for that,
either the hair had fallen down too long ago
and the folicle was dead. That's especially
true in the frontal temple which is very very
sensible to DHT. Almost nobody regrows
anything in the front temple unless its been
very recently lost, the hair there is just to sensible.
You can doubt all you want, but there's hundreds
of studies on the link between DHT and hair loss
so this doubt is like doubting any medication's effect
that has been demonstrably showed to work.
Do you doubt aspirin's effectiveness too?
QuoteAlso let's have a link aimed at women Fruity?
in this case, searching through female hairloss sites is not relevant if you want to address this particular problem.
Genetic females experience an all over thinning of the hair, known as female pattern baldness, as opposed to genetic men who experience the 'm' shape pattern, known as male pattern baldness.
finasteride is not renowed for regrowth, although it can occur. its main function is to stop the rest of your hair falling out. As kiera says, It is proved without doubt to help with male pattern hairloss, but not hair regrowth. For that, there is no miracle cure, other than hair tranplantation as far as i know
Quote from: fruity on November 30, 2007, 10:15:02 AM
QuoteAlso let's have a link aimed at women Fruity?
in this case, searching through female hairloss sites is not relevant if you want to address this particular problem.
Genetic females experience an all over thinning of the hair, known as female pattern baldness, as opposed to genetic men who experience the 'm' shape pattern, known as male pattern baldness.
finasteride is not renowed for regrowth, although it can occur. its main function is to stop the rest of your hair falling out. As kiera says, It is proved without doubt to help with male pattern hairloss, but not hair regrowth. For that, there is no miracle cure, other than hair tranplantation as far as i know
It's not really a problem for me and is very minor but I do feel sorry for people with much serious problems..
The reason finesteride is not known for regrowth is that its most often used by men with substantial sensitivity to DHT. In those men, even a small amount of residual DHT will stop regrowth of miniaturized hair. Its also much easier to improve hair fullness than regrow hair. Once the hair is miniaturized, its harder to reverse DHT's impact.
I've seen plenty of people with less sensitivity and recent hairloss (say 20's) who have had tremendous improvement in their hair's fullness. The hairshaft nearly double in size and thus the hair looks much better.
Oh thats good to know Keira!
I didn't start thinning until about 21 years old and I began Propecia (finasteride) almost immediately until switching to Avodart 4 months ago when I began my HRT regimen. So hopefully I will see a good deal of regrowth or thickening of the hair thats minituarized some. Also begin on the GnBH blocker injection that means VERY little testosterone is present in my body as compared to being a 22 year old male. And what little bit has seeped into my system hopefully the Avodart is stopping it from turning to DHT. I think the hair I see in the shower write now is that initial shed that Dutasteride (Avodart) causes as I am entering my 4th month. I have read you can experience a pretty noticable shed in the first 6 months of the meds so hopefully that will cease soon.
The human body is so astonishing because it is so complicated and powerful. On paper it makes NO SENSE why I would loose anymore hair. The testosterone in my body has dropped by nearly 900% my doctor stated. And then with Avodart absorbs excess DHT & replacing it all with high dosages of Estrogen you would think you just be SPROWTING hair! LOL
Oh well...we shall see!
Often, we think we shed a lot more than we do.
Losing 80-100 hair a day is normal, imagine if
you don't wash your hair every day, don't brush it out,
or if its longer hair tends to fall off and get tangled
with other hair, how many hair will find itself in the shower
even normally, A LOT.
The reason for dutasteride or finesteride shed is that for some
weird reason it pushes the already damaged hair towards dormancy
(the hair's stil very much alive). Within 4-6 months, those reemerge
and the density goes back to at a minimum the one you had before you started and then goes up from there or at a minimum stabalize.
The very front 1/2 inch of the hairline is incredibly sensitive to DHT in males and females and even cutting off DHT entirely is no garantee that this small part would come back.
When you said you lost hair at 21, do you mean lost from the mature male hairline, which even in males with no significant male pattern baldness is 1/2 inch behind their pre-puberty hairline with a slight diminution of density at the temples (many women also have this). Like I said, that initial lost is very hard to get back, but cosmetically it doesn't really make a difference unless your natural forehead was very high to begin with, since there's plenty of women with much higher foreheads naturally than that.
Yes that hair @ 21 years old was at the hairline but in the past 2 years its thinned a little on top and a small amount at the crown...but the later 2 areas are not really noticable to the unbiased eye. The temple region though is noticable some bit. And the problem with that is that I do have a high forehead...It runs in my family - my mother has one & her father did as well. If I didn't have a high forehead I would mind at all because I have noticed studying many women's hairlines that MANY women have a natural amount of thinned out hair at the actual hairline, even more so than some men, but then their hair thickens drastically as you get further from the hairline - where men's tends to stay the same.
I have noticed though there are some BEAUTIFUL women, you'd never question their gender, with high foreheads! (Tyra Banks, Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Helen Hunt, etc.) are just a few celebrities who come to mind, and I have seen some VERY passable transexuals with high foreheads - my ONLY issue with my situation is that is I don't gain even some baby hairs or a few hairs in the temples it is a very clockable trait to have a high forehead and thin temples. Women can have high foreheads but they have a round female hairline - not the M shape that men have. And thinning at the temples is the hardest to cover - wigs, 3/4 wigs, extentionsions can all helped lengthing short hair or hide thiness in the back section of the head - but it's hard to cover that at the hairline.
It's not terrible in my situation but my hair/hairline will definitely be my most clockable trait. I know some people get transplants in those temple corners but I'm still very young and money is also an issue. Not many people have lots of money for surgeries.
Any suggestions/thoughts Keira or anyone else???
I would be much more worried about the crown, than the temples, if your density is high outside the temples and the center hairline has not recessed much and is dense (this is important), its quite easy to cover the temples with either a center part, or a slightly off center part at the edge of the dense centrally dense remaining hairline.
I've been very near hundreds of GG's and none have guessed anything and I'm lacking 2.5 square inch of hair at the left temple and 2 square inch at the right temple. My hair density elsewhere and in the center is very high, it has not really changed. The problem occurs is that often the front's density and fullness diminishes with mbp and its hard to cover the temples especially if your hair lacks texture is fine. With dutasteride and less T, the center will recover partly or fully depending how sensitive to DHT you are and it gets easier to cover the temples.
Yea I understand what you are saying. At the present time the center is not as dense as it was maybe 2 years ago...It has definitely thinned a good deal....its very noticable to me but everyone else says its not. I am trying to look @ your pic Keira and it seems about the same as yours in the center frontal hairline area. I am hoping thought the DHT blockers help thicken that up a little thought b/c with a high forehead already I can't spare much more.
I think that it will hopefully fill in some. With all that testosterone/DHT blocked and all the estrogen in my system it can ONLY help - not harm....right?!
Not sure how dense is yours, but I've never lost any hair in the middle. I'm 40. The only hair loss I ever had is a very slow creeping loss at the temple. Its a very atypical pattern mbp, most lose density in the center and have a hairline creeping up, I have not. My father has this pattern, his temples are very high, but elsewhere his hair is full and he's 79!
Yes I see what your talking about but again the pic is very small so I apologize honey - I hope I didn't offend you - my bad :(....I could just see a little bit of your scalp from the part I guess - anyways mine does look pretty similar to yours. However in the past 6 months or so it has seemed like I have lost a little more in the VERY front, center area. It was originally in the temples but I have grown a good bit of baby hair there which make them less noticable. If someone looked at my hairline and was specifically looking for thin areas I think the VERY center, front of the hairline would be the most obvious. But again I just noticed that thinning in the past 6 to 8 months and I have been on my HRT for 3.5 months so hopefully that will get some regrowth. Plus I have seen Genetic women with that same thinness in the center RIGHT at the hairline....don't you agree?
Posted on: November 30, 2007, 11:00:40 PM
Keira....I found a picture of how my hairline kind of looks now if I pull it up in a pony tail, straight back.....
Click this link below: (or copy & paste it to your browser)
http://www.maxfactor.com/user/get/carmen_looks.do
It is of Carmen Electra & her hairline is very similar to mine, its just I have a higher forehead...so imagine it on a slighly bigger face/head structure and maybe a little under an inch higher. My temples may be SLIGHTLY thinner but not much. But at this time, 3.5 months on HRT and don't forget the shed from Avodart, thats kinda how my hairline & hairline density look - with the thinner area being kinda right there in the middle.
Also the hair on the very top of my hair is a little thinner than the sides & back...but this is natural on almost all people, men or women and I feel alot of regrowth coming in. I have to remind myself I am in that shedding phase so it may seem a bit thinner now than it will be eventually
Posted on: November 30, 2007, 11:30:27 PM
that I posted above of the hairline that I kinda have now...read it and give me your expert opinion!
Much love! :)
If that's your hairline I don't know why you would worry?
you should see my temples. Its a good thing I've got
a dense middle and its easily hidden.
Your young age and use of anti androgen's and dutasteride
should remove all fear of hair loss.
Well I appreciate the encouragement and will try to remain calm about the whole situation. However, my hair has been thinning some bit for the past 2 years. And it seems recently it's been more.
When my hair first started thinning it seemed the temples were my main problem. Now its seems my temples have enough baby hairs and such that I can hide them better but my thinness I'm experiencing now is at the middle of my hairline, like that pic I posted above, and on the top of my head. And BWT I agree with you Keira about not complaining if that were my hairline - but it works with her face...you have to remember like I said before I have a high forehead - so thats my hairline but about 1 inch higher than it is on her in that picture and in my opinion that's not a good hairline that high up on a forehead and its a male trait. Like I said before Tyra Banks, Mariah Carey - they all have high foreheads but thick, full, ROUND hairlines. Where as mine is a little more the "M" male standard shape.
I can only imagine this is the HRT just doing its thing - forcing out those hairs that are in the resting phase to make room for the new growth - at least I hope. But like we have agreed on with my age, the fact that I'm pretty much chemically castrated and the use of estrogen and Avodart - there seems to be no way I could still be loosing hair from MPB. We shall see I guess ???
I'm not in the same position as you as I don't take any hair loss meds, but I seem to be loosing a lot of hair after 5-7 months on HRT. I was so worried but it does not seem to be a problem recently, I'm noticing less hair coming out. I think it may have to do with changes due to HRT which caused a period of hair growth changes, possibly hair thinning that led to breakage. I don't know why it seemed like more hair was falling out on HRT but I do know that my hair looks great now and I don't worry about it any more.
Quote from: Berliegh on November 30, 2007, 09:26:43 AMAll I had was a very tiny bit of an m shape at my forehead temples and it still didn't work on that little bit.
And it probably won't. A genetic male having the M-shaped hairline is not hair loss; that's a normal male hairline. If it's receding, that's another story, but if it is holding where it is, no drug is going to change it. If it bothers you, look into filling the points of the M with transplants; doing small areas isn't terribly expensive.
Quote from: mclova84 on November 30, 2007, 02:37:36 PM
my ONLY issue with my situation is that is I don't gain even some baby hairs or a few hairs in the temples it is a very clockable trait to have a high forehead and thin temples. Women can have high foreheads but they have a round female hairline - not the M shape that men have. And thinning at the temples is the hardest to cover - wigs, 3/4 wigs, extentionsions can all helped lengthing short hair or hide thiness in the back section of the head - but it's hard to cover that at the hairline.
Yup, exactly my situation and thoughts. And after nearly a decade on DHT blockers, and now HRT, I've given up waiting and I'm getting transplants to fill it all in.
The drugs DID work though - to a point. Without them, I'd be very much bald by now, as I'm 43 now and started losing my hair in my mid-late twenties. I have more hair now then I did when I was in my thirties, which is great. But it's not a dramatic difference. AND, while my hair was OK for a male, it's my worst feature as a female. And as others have said, some of it is just from having a normal M-shaped male hairline anyway, so transplants are the only real solution for me.
I do realize that many GGs have high foreheads and even M-shaped hairlines, BUT... they're GGs and can get away with it, lol. It may make them look masculine, but I fear it makes me look male :(
~Kate~
I have seen pictures of you, you don't look male.
With me this was not the M shaped forehead, instead it was a dramatic recession in widows peak form. It IS coming back. It is just very slow at coming back. I am not really shedding much at all now. The thing is I have patches all over the place and hairs a gazillion different lengths. I will probably need a scalp advance, but the truth is in six months, I can finally see progress. It looks like my hair loss has turned around and is now starting regrowth.
But I am YOUNG, in my twenties, and this is the best time to Catch it if there was substantial loss. Everything pretty much happened in the last five years in terms of actual loss. The truth is I just want enough where a scalp advance will do the job and where implants will be minimal if even needed. I am slowly seeing I will probably get to that point. Hair takes TIME though to see progress. You first three months will feel like hell.
well im just fed up with the whole hair thing - it baffles me - because on paper and with the 3 POWERFUL drugs I'm on for HRT there should be NO REASON why I'm still loosing a GREAT # of hair's in the shower. This "shedding" started about a month ago and has been going steady...it HAS to stop sometime soon or I'm going to have a big problem.
This is NOT to offend anyone who is older than I am - but at 40, 50, 60 years old - the possibility of having wear a wig or a hair piece is something that is not completely unormal. I know Gentic females that age that have had to resort to them because their hair is so thin and falling out. But at 23 years old this is a HARD thing to face - thinking that if the HRT doesn't help my hair - I could have to wear a wig for 50 to 60 more years of life! Thats a LONG time. I'm not against wigs or pieces or extensions at ALL - even if I had the best hair in the world I would still use them for fun or to add color, etc. But CHOOSING to wear a wig and HAVING to wear a wig are two different things.
I know I am blowing it a little out of proportion because I still have a lot of hair - it's just IF it continues to thin at the rate it has the past year or so then I am going to be screwed by 25 years old. But like I stated earlier in this post - I began Propecia at about 21 almost immediately after I noticed some thinning and then switched to HRT 4 months ago so I'm still hoping there is a chance in the next year or so I will see a good bit of re-growth because the hair hasn't been MIA that long.
Seriously do not pay attention to the shedding itself. It is a mistake alot of people make. Its the length and thickness of the hair itself. My roommate shed a ton, she also has a ton of hair. It a common problem to confuse shedding itself with hairloss, there is a difference between shedding and thinning.
Also four months is no point to gauge progress, heck even six months is a poor point. Wait a year.
well I understand Amy - it could be a shedding phase...but I always have had thick curly hair since childhood and it HAS thinned in the past 2 years....so regardless if this is a shed phase right now or not - the fact is that my overall hair has thinned and thinned alot in certain places so I could be confusing hair loss with hair shedding but like you said it's the overall length and fullness that count - but when thats not great - then shed or no shed - hair in my hands vs. on my head is not a good thing! LOL