Hello again! I had to step away from this a while ago. I needed to try to get away from any reminders and guess what? I can't. So here I am in hopes that I can find something positive and to have not only myself as the only one going through something that is so traumatic. This pic is over a year old. I thought it was thinned out then! lol. I think this whole thing is driving me nuts. Help!

Hi! You are NOT alone, it is always there, isn't it?! Looking back at old photographs, it's hard to believe that I used to moan about my thick hair because it took too long to brush in the mornings and was full of knots. Now I'd gladly have knotted hair but how can three hairs knot?! ;o) Are you wearing a wig yet? It's a tough first step but you will feel infinitely better, or at least I did. But everyone's different and it might take you longer to get used to the idea and adjust to it. Good luck!!

Hi, I agree with Gemma. A wig is a viable option, one that feels weird at first, but can eventually be a good solution. I finally went to wigs about a year ago after having a topper for two 1/2 years. I really like the wigs! Just yesterday I was at a tanning salon wearing my new wig (with a friend, I was NOT me. I avoid UV rays!) and the girl working there said, "I like your hair. Who cuts it for you?" I said, "Really? You like my hair?" She really did! I told her it was a wig and she was incredulous. If you get the right wig and learn to play around with it, it can look good. I always say that I don't care if it looks REAL, I just care that I look GOOD! Now that I'm into wigs, I think about my hair so little these days. Sometimes, I'm playing with my bangs and forget the hair is not attached to my head. (It is MINE, however. I paid for it!) If you want to know any more about my experirences with wigs, just e-mail me.

Marie, you are so right! I have only been wearing a wig for a couple of months now and I wish I had done it years ago. My co-workers cannot believe how real it looks and feels (and mine is synthetic!). I can't wait to get more - different styles, colours, lengths. I can't believe I actually have a CHOICE of hairstyles now. I haven't had that choice in YEARS. As Marie said, there are definitely wigs out there that you can style and play with, but I am enjoying the "shake and plop" option right now ;) I love the fact that I can be ready to run out the door in seconds and my hair will be fabulous, LOL. ;)

once you have had all the physical checks you can if you catch it early (within first 2-3 years) minoxidil may help.
I tried it for 3 years - nothing. Lazer - 3 years - nothing. Endless pills and other potions.
The best solution in the end after 27 years of trying to find a 'cure' and crying in the mirror has been accepting it and focussing on the best managment option for me to conceal it.
To take advantage of the hair at the sides and back I now have a 9x9" lace hair system with injected lace on the top.
This blends so well with my own hair and hides the see through bit on the top of my head.
I go swimming, gym etc wear my hair up and down - it feels like my own.
It has to be the best option for anyone with advanced FPB.
But don't go to the big names in the hair replacment industry - look for smaller comapanies or go factory direct!!

I'll talk anyone through it.
:)))

Hi everybody, I am new to alopecia world, but I hope to make friends here, blend in and give hope as well as share with other people who has the same condition like me the feelings I have had for years that no one could possibly understand except those who has suffered from FPB. I have had this condition since I was a teenager and it ruined the best years of my life. I was always the "bald" girl, I missed the chances of having boyfriends, and even of getting married. I live in a community which is ruthless when it comes to stuff like this, they are not so broad minded, being from a third world country and having FPB is not such a good thing. Then I started wearing wigs, even this is such a shame in my country that I have suffered a lot from co-workers who chose to use such a thing against me, to torment me and talk about me from behind my back. But from all of this I learned to be stronger, and now I am proud to say that YES I have FPB and YES I am wearing wigs, it is something that God has chosen to give me to test me and I am thankful that it is just my hair and nothing else, I am glad I still have my sight and all my limps :)
And guys wigs are not such a bad thing, some of them look very real. I order my wigs online and I am obssesed, I buy all kinds of styles, but I always stick to my natural colour. Try these sites www.clairhair.com and www.hairsisters.com and www.gmbshair.com and look under Lace Front Wigs, they are the best ... especially Freetress and Janet Collection they are good quality and affordable.
And by the way Rogaine does not work, you have to use all everyday non stop and the minute you stop, you lose all the hair again.

I continue to see more and more people with this pattern of hair loss at my job, it almost feels like an epidemic! Sometimes I wonder, has this disorder always had such a large number of people afflicted by it and I just did not see it or has this always been the case and I just wasn't looking? Because honestly, when I ride the subway or even walk the streets, I sometimes feel surrounded by it- People suffering from hair loss. What the heck is going on?

Guys, I forgot another site www.internationalwig.com the people there are really very friendly and hopeful.

Hi to all! new the site & group. What are some of you using for attachment? Bonding? Tape? especially the lace fronts.

I am not using anything if I'm going to work, I just tighten the wig a little bit and that's all, I cut the lace so close to the hairline and it's almost invisible. When I know I'm going out in a windy day or when I'm gonna do a lot of activities, I use adhesive, tape doesn't really work for me.

Vanessa HI,
I was really tired of people's look at my bold head, so I just got my first wig to see what will happen, will people know that I'm wearing a wig, will the stares stop? And you know what it did, having very thin hair attracts more attention than wearing a wig, not everybody would stare long enough to figure out that you're wearing one. And now I'm addicted.

Hii! I just joined this community, but I can already tell I will love this site. I was just diagnosed in May and I still look like I have a full head of hair, but I don't. My hair is half the thickness of what it used to be. I don't want to end up with my scalp showing through. I obsess about this. What does everyone use as the best treatment? Can you still style your hair with a wig? Can you wear it up? Can you have sex wearing one?! I'm soo scared of where this will go..

As almost everyone on this site knows, I have become a wig addict. After a couple of years of obsessing and trying unsuccessful treatments, I let my hair go and buzzed it to within 1/2 inch of my scalp. I really wanted to start living again! Now my wigs have surpassed shoes as my favorite accessory. If you purchase a human hair wig, it can be styled with hot rollers, blow dryers, flat irons, etc. But synthetic wigs will get fried by high temperatures. But, most people don't realize that to a certain extent you can actually style a synthetic wig with styling tools. The only rule is to make sure you keep the hair fibers wet and use an adjustable heat flat iron or curler on the lowest heat setting. The easiest way to achieve different styles, however, is to just get multiple wigs! :-) I like to use styling gels, palmade, etc. to achieve messy "bed head" looks occasionally and that's perfectly OK with synthetic wigs. Just get something water based so it comes out easily when you shampoo it. From my experience, you can definitely have sex in a wig (my goodness, I've gone swimming, sailing, and skiing in a wig!). But, I'd recommend one thing: if you still have some hair, sew small "toupee" clips in the very front of the wig and at the the nape. I have done this, and I can honestly say that it's NEVER come off or even shifted during the most "energetic" intimate moments.

Marie,
thank you for that post! You answered so many questions I've had. Where do you get your wigs from? Obviously if/when the time comes that I need one I will try some on somewhere, but do you know of any sites that I can at least look at styles?

I have to chime in with Marie again... wigs are addictive! I have one "good" one (superior quality) and a couple of cheaper ones that are fun. As you can see, my first wig is a very short style. I can't wait to get longer ones that I can play with and feel that much more feminine in! I haven't had long hair for eons and now I can!! I buzz my hair too and it really helps keep the wigs in place - I call it velcro head ;)
Angela, there are plenty of wig websites out there, just google "wigs". Someone on this site directed me to www.wigsupport.com and it's a forum with a plethora of information and discussion on wigs. A lady on there sells wigs and she posts pictures of the actual wigs. I haven't dealt with her yet, but there are is a ton of positive feedback and comments from the people on the site who get their wigs from her. I love the site.
I think someone else posted another wig website/forum that sounds very similar to this and I'm sure there are plenty others out there.
Happy "shopping"!!! :)

Marie... what kind of wig do you have to go swimming in? I need one! :)

Wow! The positive energy is fabulous! I have spent so much time mourning hair loss, but the solution-focussed attitudes here have me feeling so much better. I dance ballroom and latin and had a horrific vision of myself being dipped and my wig falling off! Now I see that when the time comes and a wig is the way to go, I can keep up all my regular activities! Now it's just sorting out all of the other health stuff that seems to accompany this hair loss! Thanks for the information and the positive outlook! Helps wonders!

Tawny -- I just went swimming (actually snorkeling) in just a regular Noriko wig. I wore a "Scuba Do Rag" wit it. http://www.scubadorag.com/cart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1_2 I love them; they are very hip and very functional.

oh cool! Thanks Marie!

Does anyone ever experience actual pain on their scalps? I get pain, which feels like my hair actually hurts at the roots, on the top of my head sometimes. It feels as though my hair is being pulled to the wrong side if that makes any sense..i've tried multiple ways at parting it, but it still seems to hurt.

I know exactly what you are talking about. ilthough It doesn't happen for extended periods of time or always in the same place, it does hurt in that weird way you described. I have no idea what it is. I've never had long hair and currently my hair is buzzed to about 1/4 inch, so I don't know if it's worse with long hair. Sorry I can only sympathize.

I had the same pain this summer, and it just started again. It feels like someone is pulling my hair out, and if I try to part it different, it hurts even more. I was walking round with a bag of frozen peas on my head a lot this summer. I thought I was the only one, it seemed that scalp pain was associated more with other types of alopecia. So I was very confused. It seems to correspond to more hair loss with me too.

The pain is so irritating because it is a constant reminder that my hair is falling out. I like wearing headbands, but I am afraid because I feel like I'm causing more hair to fall out because of the pain. I wonder if there is anything a doctor can do for it. My hair texture has also changed a lot..it's getting increasingly more and more coarse and dry. I'm really self conscious about it.

I'm really weird about the things I do to my hair because I am afraid I cause more to fall out..but I guess now I don't have to worry so much. I'll have to look around at target for soft ones, I do love them (:

I'm going to look up that shampoo, too..have you ever tried Nioxin? I had the supplements once, but they were basically a multivitamin and they were 20 bucks..so I switched to prenatal vitamins..they seem to make my hair grow faster, but not thicker..

I'm sorry to hear that other people have pain, but feel a sense of vaildation that I'm not the only one. There doesn't seem to be much acknowledgement of the burning sensation, the feeling that someone is sticking a pin in spots on top of your head or pain with brushing or trying to change the part. I have felt all of those things! And have been disbelieved!

just wanted to say hello to everyone, i too find it hard sometimes to comb my hair i asked the derm and she had no idea. but i too am glad im not the only one because i thought it was just me. i also have psoriasis which makes it even more annoying but nizarol helps, well have a great week all :o)

I too have this pain all the time, it's like my head is reminding me that my hair is thin. But I've lost my hair a long time ago, it's been 15 years or more when my hair stopeed thinning, because it could not thin anymore. But the pain is still there, when I brush my hair or when I try to change the part. Also I had to switch to full wigs instead of hair pieces for years now, because I cannot attach anything to my head. I thought I was doing something wrong, I'm surprised to know that others have felt this too. Although I am really sorry guys that anyone feels that pain, sometimes it drives me mad.

Hi Eba, I had this problem before as well and boy was I sensitive. What brang me relief was switching shampoo and condtioner and WHAT A DIFFERENCE! I use Alchohol free shampoo- organic actually and free of Sulfites (which is horrible on the scalp) it is enriched with Plant Proteins, Ginseng and Chamomile- to help calm my scalp. Its made by J/A/S/O/N and is called Biotin Shampoo. I think that it might also have a lavendar oil in it that helped me with my Seb . derm which was also ALSO a factor in my sensitivity. So overall I am still sensitive but no half as much! I also make sure to massage my scalp every now and again in an effort to desensitize it and it brings me relief. On weekends I also make sure to clip it in the opposite direction from my usual part- if I have to clip it at all. Hope this helps sweety, and good luck:D

Hello ladies.... I know I have been away for some while but i just wanted to try some New things before I came on to this site. The shampoo that I used prior made by J/A/S/O/N has been a thing of the past for some time now and do have some new recommendations that have given me result. If interested just send me an email. Yohanyjojo@aol.com

Hi ladies. I am dying to know how many of you have resorted to shaving your heads, and what your experience has been. I am becoming more and more comfortable with the idea of buzzing my hair down to a super short fuzz and wearing scarves and hats and maybe even wigs (undecided on the wigs part). But, what I really want to know is how FPB top thinning looks with a short buzz (If at all possible I want to avoid the look of male pattern baldness, for my husband's sake). So, if any of you buzz or shave please contact me with a message. I would really value your experience and advice. Thanks! - Kate

new stylist + new found awareness of thin hair + pending haircut = very nervous Kate

I need some advice from fellow diffused thinning sufferers. How do you style your hair. What are the pros and cons of your cut, and how has short hair aided and abated, or worsened, your hairstyle and your self image? Is anyone willing to share photos? And finally, any tips or advice for working with a stylist on this thinning issue?

I tended to keep to the same hairdresser, so I didn't have to have the "thin hair" conversation every time I went in. But when I took my little guy for a cut at a new hairdresser, she asked me if I had alopecia. I knew I had female pattern baldness, my own diagnosis, but didn't know it was a form of alopecia. I'm so glad she suggested I see a doctor for it.
What I need now is a good stylist who can cut a wig!

Comment to Kate on question below re: shaving your head or buzz cutting it...My personal opinion that is only correct for ME personally is....My FPB is diffuse, the nape is totally gone ...so how do I style my hair?? Let's see...I don't...I just wash carefully, dry carefully, comb out carefully, and go...I am afraid to even attempt to do anything to my hair lest I lose more of it..Sad, right? I cut off some almost monthly, but cannot go really short, as...nape is gone..I imagine if it thinned alot more, I would be tempted to just cut it really really short..but I don't think I could ever buzz it totally ...unless I had the most gorgeous vacumm wig and wanted to wear it exclusively. I don't want to see myself in the mirror like that, so even thin as it is, I am grateful for what I still have left, and pray every night it grows back in...prayer never could hurt, right? Or at least that I retain what I still have

Hi, I am new to AW. I have AGA or FPB. I got fed up with not being able to do anything with what I had left, shaved it off Sunday down to an 1/8". I don't hardly have any (hair) but my head isn't quite completely smooth. I have a nice tan on the top of my head. I am wearing a wigs when I am out in public, I didn't have enough hair for topper/extensions etc..So I thought what the heck? I am new to all this, but not battling thin hair. It is almost somewhat of a relief to not be shedding anymore of what I had left....

I am coming up on my 29th birthday this week and starting to feel old. I pulled through some old college and early 20's photos and felt nostalgic, especially for all that fabulous hair! Who would have guessed I would be dealing with thinning hair so young. But then again, I realize youthful beauty is fleeting for everyone, whether it is loosing our firm thighs and bellies with age (and maybe motherhood), acquiring laugh lines and fine wrinkles, dealing with graying hairs, or like me experiencing early hair loss. So in many ways my experience is not exclusive or solitary. And of course, changes in appearance over time reflect great growth and development inside. I would not trade my life experiences for a youthful appearance. So this week, I will welcome by birthday and my age and even do my best to accept the hair loss. As my dad says with every birthday "Hey, it beats the alternative!"

A thanks to the supporters on this site for your support in reaching (and maintaining) these healthy perspectives. It means so much to have a community of like minded, sympathetic, and motivating supporters.

Do any of you who have been diagnosed with AGA or FPB have thinning eyebrows? My right brow is almost all but gone. I have never really had nice thick brows. I am wondering if this is part of the Female Alopecia or maybe I am developing another type?

Susan, TY I only just now noticed your reply. I have never really had thick hair or brows. In the last couple of years have had at quite a few thyroid tests, I am not sure how extensive they were...I've tried all kinds of medications and vitamins etc. I even had a hysterectomy three yrs ago, because of fibroids and low ferratin/iron levels. Right now I feel like all they are doing is "practicing" medicine....

Hi ladies. I just wanted to swing in and say hello, and offer a bit of thanks during this season. Over the summer, when I fully realized the extent of my hair loss, I was feeling devastated and overwhelmed. I had no idea what to do or where to go to help me with my emotions. Then I found this site, and the process of seeing so many women with all states of hairloss sharing in my feelings, and thriving and enjoying life with all states of hair felt so meaningful. It has made all the difference in coming to terms and being able to see myself as a successful and beautiful person with or without hair, and at every state in between. So thank you.

i want a new wig for christmas! my 2 current ones are beginning to become a tangled mess!

Hi all :)

I'm coming to you with a question. Here's some back ground info. Was diagnosed with AGA/Chronic TE almost 3 years ago. I was going through a major stress in my life and my hair started to fall out, I has IBS and lost about 10 pounds. The dermatologist did some blood work and a hair pull test and tada.. AGA. He put me on spironolactone 100mg and rogain mens morning and night. To make a long story short The shedding went crazy after starting the rogaine and hasn't stopped since. I went to one day on the rogaine due to all the itching and pain from it.. more shedding... stopped rogaine and spiro last dec 2010 and the shedding right now ( started in march) is crazy bad. 500+ on a shower day and 60+ on a non shower day. looking back I wish I had never jumped on the rogaine train, its side effects have done more harm than good. My Question is this, The derm has suggest me trying propecia 5mg daily. I am scared to try it... scared to not try it. Has anyone here ever been on Propecia? Any luck? Bad reactions? I am down to 40% or less of what I used to have 3 yrs ago. The hairs start to grow and they fall out at 1-2" long. I don't think I can take another shed on top of the one I'm in, wont have anything left :). At my next appt I am going to demand a biopsy. I think I may have the diffuse AA. I have more hair on the top and one side that I do on the back of my head and one side. I know that the treatments are different for both and want to do what is best. I am so tempted to shave it off. The stress from 3 years ago is gone and this has now taken its place. Its taking over my life. Trying to stay positive but don't want to do more harm. I still feel the burning from the rogaine occasionally and its been 6 months! Please HELP!! LOL

Amy - The cycle can be so hard. I know the stress and concern you feel and I am sorry this has been such a stressful situation. Everyone is different in their decisions, but for me, I am opting to stay away from chemical and medical treatments for my hair loss. After research and paying attention to personal stories offered here at Alopecia World and elsewhere, I am confident that there are no true success stories for treating androgenic alopecia or other types of alopecia. The drugs seem to do more harm and have more side effects than they do positive results. I wish there were a magic fix, even a painful or expensive one, but in my experience the best treatment is finding an alternative to your own hair. For some, that's a beautiful wig, for others its scarves and accessories, and for others its shaving and going without.

The other thing I swear by is DermMatch. That stuff conceals my thin areas so well that I no longer fret about folks seeing my scalp. Until the day when my hair loss is beyond hiding and I shave, DermMatch is my secret weapon. It won't grow the hair back, but it gives me time and freedom to figure out the best long term course of action for me.

Keep in touch and explore this site. I found knowing other people had the same feelings and worries and successes as me to be liberating. Best of luck to you.

Thanks! I stopped everything in december to do just that, just my vitamins and keeping my body healthy. I have my bad days where I wish I could just take a pill and make the last 3 years of hairloss go away, and that is what the dr is telling me to try. I will have to try your secret derm match. I need to do something, I am just not patient :) Not a lot of support on the home front and that makes it hard as well. Thanks!

I just bought some DermMatch Kate. Thanks for the advice! I have a couple of great wigs, but I'd rather be wig free if I can. Lets hope it works for me too!

I'm going to try the dermMatch too. I wanted you to know that some of these treatments do work. The rogaine was regrowing my hair. I couldn't handle the dermatitis it caused and the itching and burning. They say I had contact dermatitis due to using the rogaine. My sister also had a bout of AA during a stressful time and had 2 big spots on the back of her head. She got the steroid injections and in 6 months they grew in and it has been 3 yrs with no reappearances since. Who's to say why it works for some and not for others...Today is a new day and I am going to smile and have a good one. Hope all of you have a good day too! Don't lose the hope :)

Hello everyone
I'm trying the Rogaine for a few months just to see if any of the traction hair loss i experienced will come back. That's what i get for trying to hide who i am. A lesson i hope i won't forget. If it doesn't work, I expect i'll prepare my family, shave my head bald, and write "SPACE AVAILABLE" on my noggin and see how it goes :)

Amy do NOT use propecia! I have AGA nad my dr also said to use rogaine for regrowth and propecia to stop the sheds. I did research and refuse to use either! Like you said, rogaine can trigger excessive sheds. I read that means its working but may people felt hey made it worse. Research propecia online. The maker's label says not intended for women. I have read side effects like birth defects, internal bleeding, breast growth, headaches, allergic reactions, heart palpatations, emotional swings, anxiety and even suicides. I also have AGA and rather lose my hair and wear a wig! Have you tried low laser therapy? I havent done anything yet since the medications can do more harm than good

I also have decided against any oral or topical medications. The side effects of both are not worth the risk. I will admit on my bad days I sure wish that there was a pill that could magically take all of this away. I also went to a derm who now says that I don't have AGA I have chronic TE. They can have the same horrifying results. I am trying to get some stomach issues under control. When I am under stress I internalize everything and then I get IBS. I have had chronic IBS for 3 yrs now and they are worried its turning into Crohns disease or colitis. This also triggers my TE sheds hence the chronic TE. I just need to get my stress in life under control... haha :) I have started a lazer therapy with the derm and got succored into buying a lazer for home use. The derm is 1hr away and the 3 times weekly for the in house lazer treatment is just too much for me to drive. This also is a commitment. If it helps I will have to maintain the growth using the lazer once a week for ever. I feel like this is doable esp if I can do it in my own home. After all the yuck with topicals I am going with the lazer and taking my vitamins. I am doing all I can on my end with exercise and eating right and trying to destress so we will see what happens! Have you ever tried the lazer thing? Thanks for all of the support and advice! You are all beautiful!!