Loss of hair

After getting haircut, to my dismay, my hair doesn't look any thicker. Usually the type of haircut does highlight.

Now I'm beginning wonder if I'm shedding more hair than I realize. My diet hasn't changed for last few years, not taking any medication for anything.. Someone commented I should try switching shampoos.

Yes, of course go to doctor with my checkup and ask. After looking at photos of self from over 10-15 years ago, I definitely had thicker hair.
The thing is that I already have a short cut so shedding hair in the bathroom is not going to be a difference that is highly noticeable on the floor.

Standard advice is to have your doctor check your thyroid function. That was one of the first warning signs for me - slow growing hair and shedding more than usual. Didn't look like I was missing any, but I noticed. Now, I will notice that if my dosage of replacement hormone needs to be tweaked. Shampoo shouldn't cause more or less shedding, but it might impact how full your hair looks and whether you get any breaking off.

Thyroid check is good just to be sure, but we're getting to that age ... I've read that baldness is actually just as common in women as it is in men, it's just that women almost never embrace it, and either wear wigs or use poufy hairstyles the way some men use comb-overs. My hair, thankfully, is naturally very thick, but definitely not as thick as it was 30 years ago.

Really?? Maybe they mean all over thinning. I assume "male pattern baldness " is a real thing, and not something loads of middleaged women are hiding under wigs... :-)

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Originally Posted by lph

Really?? Maybe they mean all over thinning. I assume "male pattern baldness " is a real thing, and not something loads of middleaged women are hiding under wigs... :-)

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Yeah women don't get it quite the same as men - rather than a bald spot they thin everywhere, but it certainly happens. My mom's side of the family has the gene. My grandmother's hair, which was light and thin to begin with, got thinner and wispier until it looked almost gone. My aunt definitely has her hair and my mom, though she has a different color has a lot of the texture. While I wouldn't say my mom is looking bald, her hair certainly looks thinner these days and her part is more noticeable- she has to be concerned about sunburning her scalp. I fortunately got my hair from my dad's side of the family - thick and curly. I could lose half of it and it wouldn't be that noticeable… and I didn't get the premature grey gene either that sometimes plagues that side.

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Originally Posted by lph

Really?? Maybe they mean all over thinning. I assume "male pattern baldness " is a real thing, and not something loads of middleaged women are hiding under wigs... :-)

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Female pattern baldness (androgenic hair loss) progresses much differently than male pattern baldness. It’s also usually thinning and rarely causes patterns of baldness like in males. Lots of possible reasons for the loss of hair in women so it's best to see a Dermatologist....also for recommendations on hair products/styles that might help in particular cases.

Sorry, didn't mean to sound so dismissive. I was just truly astonished, and got the mental image of lots of hidden tonsures. :-)

I have to look into this..sigh.

My hair is significantly thinner than it was 20 years ago but I have so much of it, that I'm not complaining. The loss is more noticeable when my hair is long as the strands don't just fall out until I'm in the shower (I don't brush or comb my hair during the day) and I end up with a handful of hair. To be perfectly honest, it's the only aspect/sign of aging that I'm actually happy about!

I consider it normal and just a part of aging (unless it suddenly increases or something).

On the other hand, I no longer need to shave my armpits and legs (well maybe once a year): hair no longer grows. It's been like this over last 8 yrs. or so: I've inherited my mother's gene. I now take this for granted as "normal".

I've gone from thin, fine, blonde to REALLY thin, fine, blonde. Getting worry some. My dermatologist actually recommended Rogaine. I can't seem to use it consistently enough for noticeable results. Getting my hair highlighted again in a few weeks, hoping that will give my hair a bit more texture, so it won't appear so thin and:confused: flat. Did I mention no body either? Am I gonna be one of those little ladies with a bobby pin perm one day?:confused:

Oh, and another birthday soon too! Just another reminder! At least I can ride a bike!

I have apparently have genetic hair loss. After age 50 my hair was noticeably thinner. It's gotten very bad and is embarrassing and depressing. The top of my head I tried Rogaine a few years ago and it didn't seem to help then. I think I didn't use it long enough. I'm on it again and I feel like it is helping now, but I'm not sure. If my hair color isn't fresh it's much more noticeable with the roots.... at least it's not visible under the helmet.

I have very thick hair, but all of a sudden, it seems to have slowed its growth rate. I am trying to grow it in various places, and my bangs don't seems to be progressing at all! It's not thin or balding, but this is very unusual...

Heck, I'm just happy to have hair again. :D But as others have said, have your thyroid checked.

I only seem to grow hair on the inside calf on my legs -- very weird. The one thing I miss about chemo is having no hair under my arms, although I still only need to shave about once a month. It's very sparse.

Mine is definitely not thyroid- my doctor checked....

Snap - my sentiments exactly. But I'll add a request for longer eyelashes. They finally came back but now seem to have stopped growing. Hard to apply mascara onto nothing. Biggest surprise is now I like having short carefree hair. :)

Me too withm! I was sure I'd grow mine out and start coloring it again -- nope! Short and gray, with a small pink shock in the front. :D

When this thread was still posted it wasn't relevant to me as I was just hitting the cusp of menopause and hadn't noticed too much thinning hair. Now, three years later, I definitely have. My father was a baldy, and I know that gene comes from the father, so I do worry. My part is wider and the hair at my crown is thinner. I still have a lot of thickness through the back, but I am worried I will have to try Rogaine or wear hats at some point. Sigh...I don't like this one bit! My 82-year old mother has thin hair but really not much thinner than mine (at age 55, almost 56), but her father, my g-father, had thick hair until he died -- at 96! So I may end up with a problem. I have never mentioned it to my doctor or dermatologist but will at my next appointment.

AZfiddle, if you are reading this, how pricey is Rogaine? I am sorry that you are going through this too. It is most unsettling! :(

It's about $50 for a 3 month supply. I gave up. I am thinking about going to a doctor to find out about a surgical option. My band mate went totally bald in his early 20's, but had a procedure that returned him to a full head of hair and gave me the name of his doctor. He is on a lifetime medication though...

Thanks for replying AZ! I could afford $200/year easily but not sure I want to put up with having to apply it, etc. I'm not to that point yet, but we'll see how things progress in the years ahead.

It doesn't work for everyone and the sooner you start the better chance of it working...

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Originally Posted by azfiddle

It doesn't work for everyone and the sooner you start the better chance of it working...

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Good point. I actually went on the Rogaine website and read up a little. It doesn't sound as difficult to apply or mess with as I remember it used to be (now only 1x per day with the mousse), and I'd forgotten that you can now get it OTC. I was remembering when it first came out for men and was Rx only. So, I may just give it a try. Thanks for the info!

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