Recent massive shed

[AlexMeister21]

So about a month ago, I had a huge shed for about a week where I was shedding hundreds of hairs each day. I don't recall having any prior massive sheds like this before in the past. The shedding seems to have stabilized by now, but now my midscalp is a lot thinner than before and I never had much of a problem in my midscalp region before this shed. It was just the hairline and the crown I had to worry about, but now it looks like I'm balding all over.

I've been taking finasteride and minoxidl for about 1.3 years now. In the 2 months before the shed, I was taking finasteride like once every 3-4 days so my libido wouldn't be affected. When the shed began, this was when I started taking fin every day again. Is this a finasteride shed? I also got COVID for the first time when I started shedding, so not sure if that had any effect or not.

What do you guys think about this shed? Will my hair grow back or am I just getting even balder?

 

One month ago (around the time shedding began):

 

Now:

[gillenator]

My premonition is changing your regimen of finasteride to daily induced this shed…so it will take 3-5 months for your scalp to recover.

[AlexMeister21]

2 minutes ago, gillenator said:

My premonition is changing your regimen of finasteride to daily induced this shed…so it will take 3-5 months for your scalp to recover.

Thank you, I sure hope so.

[TorontoMan]

If all this happened over a month then I would assume its a fin shed, as you wouldn't just bald that hard over a months time. Could turn out to be a really good sign for you in fact, lets hope!

[AlexMeister21]

24 minutes ago, TorontoMan said:

If all this happened over a month then I would assume its a fin shed, as you wouldn't just bald that hard over a months time. Could turn out to be a really good sign for you in fact, lets hope!

I really hope it's just a fin shed. Also took dutasteride for the first time yesterday after freaking out about all the thinning. I expect this thread will die out within a day or two but I'll post an update within 6 months to have as future reference for other people who may have the same issue and seek threads on shedding.

[Curious25]

I’ve just been through the exact same thing from upping my dosage to 1mg daily. 
 

It’s a good sign that you’re likely to further benefit from the increased dose - just wait it out a few months and im sure you’ll be back stronger than baseline. 
 

MPB related Balding doesn’t just happen like that either, to put your mind at rest. 

[Melvin- Admin]

The she’d is probably temporary. I think the hair being spread apart makes it look worse than the other picture. Seasonal sheds do occur as well.

[Dr. Guncel Ozturk]

It is feasible that the shedding you experienced was a side effect of finasteride, as the medicine can cause temporary hair loss in some individuals. If the shedding you experienced was a consequence of a temporary side effect of finasteride, it is likely that your hair will come back over time. Take it with a grain of salt since hair growth might take several months to a year to return to normal. Hair loss is a complicated topic with several potential causes. The shedding might have been caused by a mix of circumstances, such as the finasteride regimen you were on and the stress of developing COVID-19. Hair growth may be more difficult to obtain if your hair loss is caused by another issue, such as genetics or a medical condition. In these circumstances, working with a hair loss specialist to establish the underlying reason and design a suitable treatment strategy is critical.

My recommendation is to consult with a hair loss specialist to discover the reason of your shedding and to develop a customized treatment plan that meets your individual issues. In the meanwhile, it is critical to continue taking finasteride as prescribed, as well as to follow a balanced diet and exercise regimen to encourage hair development. Additionally, try utilizing a hair development supplement like minoxidil to encourage hair growth. It's important to address the cause of hair loss and follow a personalized treatment plan. Be patient and get a proper diagnosis and treatment.

[AlexMeister21]

Wanted to update this. I don't have concerns about my mid-scalp anymore. Seems like it was just a big shed that I had and thankfully it grew back. I had my head shaved, but I'd say things were back to normal about 2-4 months after I made this thread. I've also been pretty consistent with finasteride, dutasteride, and oral minoxidl since making this thread. I barely have any shedding, whereas before if I run my hand through my hair, I'd have at least 5-10 hairs in my hand.

 

Edited May 1, 2023 by AlexMeister21

[Sunset Dune]

2 hours ago, AlexMeister21 said:

Wanted to update this. I don't have concerns about my mid-scalp anymore. Seems like it was just a big shed that I had and thankfully it grew back. I had my head shaved, but I'd say things were back to normal about 2-4 months after I made this thread.

 

How long did it take your hair to get that way after shaving it off? 

[Rahal Hair Transplant]

@AlexMeister21,

i’m inclined to agree that the shed was most likely induced by the change in your hair loss treatment regimen and I also believe that the shed will likely be temporary and that the hair will return if you continue with non-surgical treatments.  That said, hair loss is unpredictable and there’s no guarantee that the hair will return.  Frankly, in my opinion it’s always best to stick to what works and only change up your treatment regimen if you feel something isn’t working. That should help to minimize these types of major sheds from occurring.

Best wishes,

Rahal Hair Transplant

[AlexMeister21]

20 minutes ago, Sunset Dune said:

How long did it take your hair to get that way after shaving it off? 

This photo is 3 months after shaving my head. When my hair was grown out at two months though, I already felt like my midscalp was back.

[HairEnthusiast101]

On 1/16/2023 at 1:09 AM, Melvin- Moderator said:

The she’d is probably temporary. I think the hair being spread apart makes it look worse than the other picture. Seasonal sheds do occur as well.

Is the April to may common for hair shed in humans?

[HairEnthusiast101]

Thanks for this thread. I have noticed a shed also but thought it was hair loss. I have been taken fin everyday for a year but upped the dose from 1 to 1.5. It happened within a couple weeks and my hairline looked way thinner. I also added minoxidil recently. It very well could be balding idk but evrything looked way thinner in a matter of a month.

[AlexMeister21]

So I had some more shedding recently and wanted to inquire further on this. I'm beginning to notice that the hair loss on my crown and mid scalp gets worse after either periods of traveling or times when I experimented with being on a restrictive diet. When I first made this thread, I had come back from about 3 months of traveling.

This year, I started traveling in June, and then around 3-4 months later in October, I had another big shed that lasted basically until I came back home a few weeks ago. I had visited Dr. Laorwong in June and November of this year. In June, my crown was still okay where it was recommended to hold off on surgery. But by November, Dr. Laorwong had deemed that I'd be a candidate for crown surgery because enough hair had fallen out.

I have continued to take finasteride or dustasteride every day, so it makes me feel like perhaps there's something else causing hair loss in my crown and mid scalp. Could it be vitamin deficiency while traveling?

[Ccd99]

58 minutes ago, AlexMeister21 said:

So I had some more shedding recently and wanted to inquire further on this. I'm beginning to notice that the hair loss on my crown and mid scalp gets worse after either periods of traveling or times when I experimented with being on a restrictive diet. When I first made this thread, I had come back from about 3 months of traveling.

This year, I started traveling in June, and then around 3-4 months later in October, I had another big shed that lasted basically until I came back home a few weeks ago. I had visited Dr. Laorwong in June and November of this year. In June, my crown was still okay where it was recommended to hold off on surgery. But by November, Dr. Laorwong had deemed that I'd be a candidate for crown surgery because enough hair had fallen out.

I have continued to take finasteride or dustasteride every day, so it makes me feel like perhaps there's something else causing hair loss in my crown and mid scalp. Could it be vitamin deficiency while traveling?

I would get some bloodwork done, there is an association with hairloss and vitamin D deficiency. Worth getting it checked.

[Rawkerboi]

1 hour ago, AlexMeister21 said:

So I had some more shedding recently and wanted to inquire further on this. I'm beginning to notice that the hair loss on my crown and mid scalp gets worse after either periods of traveling or times when I experimented with being on a restrictive diet. When I first made this thread, I had come back from about 3 months of traveling.

This year, I started traveling in June, and then around 3-4 months later in October, I had another big shed that lasted basically until I came back home a few weeks ago. I had visited Dr. Laorwong in June and November of this year. In June, my crown was still okay where it was recommended to hold off on surgery. But by November, Dr. Laorwong had deemed that I'd be a candidate for crown surgery because enough hair had fallen out.

I have continued to take finasteride or dustasteride every day, so it makes me feel like perhaps there's something else causing hair loss in my crown and mid scalp. Could it be vitamin deficiency while traveling?

I doubt its Vitamin deficiency. I guess its your finasteride and dutasteride. Why are you taking both the medications? 

[AlexMeister21]

6 hours ago, Ccd99 said:

I would get some bloodwork done, there is an association with hairloss and vitamin D deficiency. Worth getting it checked.

Yes, I was thinking of getting blood tested for Vitamin D, iron, Vitamin B12, and I'm not sure if there's anything else I should check. Couple years ago, tests indicated I had lower levels of Vitamin D and increased levels of iron. 

[AlexMeister21]

6 hours ago, Rawkerboi said:

I doubt its Vitamin deficiency. I guess its your finasteride and dutasteride. Why are you taking both the medications? 

I alternate between the two for more efficacy. I don't think it would be the medication since I've been taking them consistently for a year now. 

[GoliGoliGoli]

If by "restrictive diet" you mean low carb, you should know this is not a great thing for your hair. 

[AlexMeister21]

On 12/22/2023 at 4:54 PM, GoliGoliGoli said:

If by "restrictive diet" you mean low carb, you should know this is not a great thing for your hair. 

I tried keto for about a month but didn't have any noticeable hair loss. The first time I noticed any hair loss in my crown area was after trying a vegan diet for two months. About a month into a vegan diet, my crown started itching like crazy, and then later on when I checked out my crown in the mirror, I noticed there was some thinning. Second time I tried a vegan diet, I had the same intense itching sensation in the crown after about 2 weeks on the diet.