Balding at 17 ? I'm really worried... Help PLEASE!

[Culoxe]

Hello all hope you had a good day. I am a girl who does college at the moment. I did sometime very stupid earlier this year . I used a hair straightening chemical on my head and I did wash it out , but apparently you were meant to neutralise it. I did not know this and my head was still slightly burning 4 days after. I told my mum and she told me I was meant to use neutralising shampoo. ( Idk how I didn't know this , I'm still quite dumb lol 😅) and it severely thinned out my hair but nothing too bad. Now fast forward about 6 months later I was just scratching my head and feeling an usual patch that I hadn't felt before. Infact a few all around my head. And I couldn't even feel the hole where the follicle grows , it's just a soft patch that has the texture of maybe a squishy slime toy. But yes, I can't feel any follice holes - I think it's been sealed by something, I can't tell. So I think that chemical has possibly caused my permanent hair loss or some sort of alopecia because alot of my hair is becoming like this and I'm so sad and embarrassed. I really need some help, please leave anything you know or can help with . Thank you so much.

 

[Vann]

First relax, dont stress too much. Sometimes these things can be temporary so my best advice is to go see a dermatology and explain to them your situation and see if they can help you with any remedies. 

[Melvin- Admin]

That could be alopecia areata, since it’s in a small spot. I suggest consulting with a dermatologist, so they can inject steroids. It resolves on its own.

[Culoxe]

1 hour ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

That could be alopecia areata, since it’s in a small spot. I suggest consulting with a dermatologist, so they can inject steroids. It resolves on its own.

This seems plausible, whatever it is , I'll be sure to get it checked out. Hopefully it is resolvable . Thank you for your answer.

[Culoxe]

3 hours ago, Vann said:

First relax, dont stress too much. Sometimes these things can be temporary so my best advice is to go see a dermatology and explain to them your situation and see if they can help you with any remedies. 

You're right :). I won't dwell too much but it definitely should see a dermatologist. Thank you 

[Culoxe]

Update: The patch has gotten a tiny bit bigger. Really unsure what's going on . 

[hairthere]

As others have suggested you must see a dermatologist for this to get it properly diagnosed. If it is alopecia areata the doctor will likely suggest steroid injections to regrow the hair. If this was caused by the straightening treatment I would think you'd see some hair regrowing by now. I also don't think the process would have removed hair in a tight circle like that. In the meantime if it really bothers you perhaps try some topical concealers (hair fibers or Dermatch) but please do so with your doctor's knowledge. 

[Culoxe]

4 hours ago, hairthere said:

As others have suggested you must see a dermatologist for this to get it properly diagnosed. If it is alopecia areata the doctor will likely suggest steroid injections to regrow the hair. If this was caused by the straightening treatment I would think you'd see some hair regrowing by now. I also don't think the process would have removed hair in a tight circle like that. In the meantime if it really bothers you perhaps try some topical concealers (hair fibers or Dermatch) but please do so with your doctor's knowledge. 

Thank you so much for this advice. I'm getting a doctor's appointment soon finally. And yes, I think you could be correct because indeed, it was unusual to see hair loss in a patch like that. Could I ask how the steroid injections work by the way ?

[Rahal Hair Transplant]

Culoxe,

Melvin already stated this but honestly, the fact that this chemical caused some temporary hair loss six months before seeing this patchy bald spot may be a coincidence. Typically, any shock related telogen effluvium a.k.a. temporary hair loss typically only lasts 3 to 6 months after the stressor has been removed.

In your case, the stressor was managing the chemical incorrectly on your scalp causing some initial thinning for a short period of time.  So I’m inclined to think that this particular bald patch is unrelated and maybe alopecia areata which is a unique type of hair loss caused by an auto immunity disorder.

In my opinion, contact and consult with a dermatologist ASAP.

Best wishes,

Rahal Hair Transplant