It only looks like FFA

Four years ago I started to notice my eyebrows thinning. They are now almost entirely gone. I started to lose my widow's peak about a year and a half ago. After I had a baby a fee months ago, I lost even more hair from my hairline. I've also lost a lot of hair from the rest of my head in the past few months, which I assumed was due to post-partum shedding. My dermatologist told me in 2013 that he thought I had FFA. This year he sent me to a hair loss specialist, who took scalp biopsies. Oddly, the biopsies show no scarring and indicated that I have androgenetic alopecia. The specialist thought that was strange, given how drastic my hair loss has presented at my eyebrows and hairline, but suggested I give Rogaine a try and return in three months. Does anyone have any insight into situations like this where the hair loss presents like one type of alopecia but gets diagnosed as another?

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by ammie on May 22, 2015 at 12:52pm

Hi Elaine,

I am waiting for my biopsy results to come back. I had a similar experience to you...thinning eyebrows, hairline receding and lots of shedding after my baby was born. I won't know what is going for sure until I get the biopsy back. I was wondering if you had an update on your condition? Have you gone for a second opinion? Is the Rogaine helping?

Thanks 

Permalink Reply by Elaine on May 22, 2015 at 3:02pm
I go in for my follow up appointment in a couple of weeks. I have had a few hairs that I lost postpartum grow back, but not enough to call it a significant improvement. I still lose more hair than I would like when washing and styling it. I'm using the Rogaine faithfully along the front and sides, where the hair loss is widespread, and the crown, where it's only thinned a bit. Unfortunately in the past week I've noticed several shorter hairs from the back of my head falling out, which is new. So my plan for now is to start using the Rogaine all over and buy more wide yoga headbands.

I hope your biopsy results are useful.
Permalink Reply by ammie on May 22, 2015 at 3:31pm

Thanks to for the update.

Permalink Reply by Elaine on June 6, 2015 at 4:50pm

At my follow up appointment this week my doctor saw how much my FFA-pattern hair loss had progressed (thankfully most of it has been just above my ears) and decided to treat me for both FFA and androgenetic alopecia. He gave me prescriptions for clobetasol and tacrolimus ointments, so I am going to give those a try along with the Rogaine. I haven't picked up the tacrolimus yet, since my insurance company still has to get the pre-authorization.

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