Whats causing my thinning body hair?
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hello I am a 27 year old guy asking this question in regards to hair loss, because I have noticed 3 years back that I have had thinning that occurred in my facial hair. Within the past 6 months I have noticed further hair loss throughout my body pubic/armpit/torso/nape of neck/eyebrows. I checked with two doctors a family physician and a dermatologist and both swear its not areata. There are no patches, I have heard of diffuse alopecia areata and am scared that is what it is but figured they would know if it was that. I am wondering as a result if perhaps they are wrong and if not what is the most likely cause of this thinning?
It seems to go back and forth where 2 weeks ago for example it seemed to be getting thicker all through my body, but now it is thinning again. I take minoxidil and propecia, I think I may be allergic to one of those since I have allergies whenever I lay down, not sure if either of those could be the culprit. Any insight would be appreciated.
0 likes, 8 replies
amkoffee Dantes00
Posted
Well personally I've never heard of anything called diffuse alopecia areata. As the name implies the condition is that the hair is lost in patches or areas. There are other types of alopecia one where you lose all the hair on your body and the other is where you lose all the hair on your head. Cuz that might be where you're getting things confused. But it's not diffused that isn't spots or you would have complete loss within a month it's not a slow process like you're describing. The one thing I might suggest is to ask your doctor how to check your testosterone level. Did your doctor do a CBC test? That's taking blood and testing it for a variety of things just looking for anything that might be wrong with you. It's kind of a standardized blood test. It won't tell the doctor if you're having allergies when you lay down. And about that I don't understand what you mean that you have allergies when you lay down. If you mean you cough sneeze Etc that kind of thing then it's probably sinus issue. And that could be treated with some Benadryl before you go to bed or take a nap.
Guest Dantes00
Posted
I've had alopecia areata all my life in different stages. When I was a kid I would get small round spots on my scalp around June and they would always grow back in after the dermatologist gave me some treatment (a cortisone/glycerine liquid) and Vitamin A. When I was a teenager I came down with mono and was very sick. After that, my hair started thinning, gradually, very gradually, and within a year I finally got to the point where I didn't have much hair left. It did not spread in spots. So since then I've been alopecia universalis (complete hair loss, including body). So you can definitely have different types of thinning but it can still be alopecia areata.
Now that being said, your loss could be related to something else. Have you had your ferritin levels tested? This is your iron stores. Even if your iron is normal, you could have low ferritin. People should have higher ferritin levels, like 50 and above. Mine was 8. When I started taking iron supplements my hair started growing back in, for the first time in 35 years I got eyelashes, eyebrows, body hair. So it's worth looking in to that. Just make sure you know your numbers, because they might tell you a 12 is normal. It's not. Some doctors feel that to feel good it should even be a 100!
If you think you are developing allergies to the minoxidil and propecia, I don't think it would make your nose stuffy or coughing, I think you would get an allergic rash, so I don't think that's related. However, if you are worried about that then go off of it and see if it makes a difference.
Hope you can figure it out.
amkoffee Guest
Posted
I'm sure sorry that you have to deal with such a horrible disease as alopecia. I lost most of the hair on my head when I was in my forties and of course it came out in patches but all I had to do is run my fingers through my hair and I would have a handful of hair. I went ahead and got it cut real short like a bur haircut and wore a wig or a hat. But what I hated the most was when a doctor who was a man and was bald would say that it was no big deal and then rub their head and say something to the effect of they don't have any hair either. It's like comparing apples to bananas. Society accepts a man with a bald head, not a woman. I met some pretty condescending doctors in my efforts to get my hair to grow. I am now 56 years old and I seem to always have some kind of spot that's bald but I've been able to grow my hair out long and it's thick so I've been able to cover my spots because they seem to be mostly at the nape of my neck instead of at the crown. When I get a spot I go see not dermatologist and they give me injections into the spot and that seems to make my hair grow.
I can't imagine having to have grown up dealing with that. Kids can be horrible to you and I'm sure it was no easy thing to go through as a child. Stay strong.
Guest amkoffee
Posted
It wasn't fun, that's for sure, but it didn't stop me from having a great life.
Yes, it's more acceptable in our society for a man to have no hair, but you have to remember, as a woman, it's easier to camouflage our lack of hair if that's what we choose to do. Men can't get away with that. I can throw on some eyeliner and eyebrows and my blonde hair and nobody would really know. I think alopecia is difficult for both women and men equally. I think it's especially hard on kids, but nowadays I see some very confident teens who just go au natural and say to hell with what other people think. So inspiring!
amkoffee Guest
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Guest amkoffee
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amkoffee Guest
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rpsinghsethi Dantes00
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