I am a 41 year old African-American female who has suffered from diffuse hair thinning over the past five years. I was told it was due to traction alopecia years ago and I have since stopped wearing tight hairstyles and only wear wigs occasionally, that do not pull tightly on my hair or hairline. I have recently started Nutrafol (two months) and I have had the following lab work done as advised by a physician: TSH, free T4, T3, thyroglobulin antibody, complete metabolic panel, prolactin, total estrogens, LH, FSH, CBCD, CRP, Urinalysis, HgbA1C, 17-OHP, GGT, Zinc, selenium, ferritin, Iron/TIBC, Vit D 25-hydroxy, DHEA-S, Cortisol, Total testosterone, free testosterone, albumin, and SHBG and DHT. All of my labs were within normal limits, except my hemoglobin A1C was 5.7 (prediabetes). I am astonished because I thought my hair thinning was due to low thyroid levels since my mom has Hypothyroidism. Now, I have no clue what next step to take to get my hair to growing. My hair has always been very fine but it would grow especially my crown. The only issue I had was very fine edges or hairline. Now, it is thinning all over. I do not have noticeable balding but it is just super thin and has not grown within the last two years. Every doctor I see try to sell me on either surgery or cosmetic procedures (PRP, Stem cell therapy, hair transplant) but I really need a diagnosis prior to proceeding with a surgery or procedure that is costly and will not work. HELP please. What should I do next
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May 15, 2025
Answer: Comprehensive Treatment Options for Female Hair Loss: A Guide for Patients
Hello and thank you for your question! Since your hair loss has remained stable for the past seven years and you’ve previously tried topical minoxidil with limited results, there are several effective treatment options you can explore to help improve hair density and stimulate regrowth.
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Thank you for your question regarding the use of minoxidil and concerns about hair shedding. Both oral and topical minoxidil can initially cause increased shedding, a phenomenon that is often part of the hair cycle renewal process. Here's how they generally compare:
Shedding Process:
Both oral...
It sounds like you’ve been on quite the journey with hair loss treatments, and there are a few possible factors at play here.
First, your experience with topical minoxidil is not uncommon—many people see good results early on, but if the treatment is stopped or even reduced, there can be a...