Please ignore my messy desk. First 2 pics are from April 2025 when my hairdresser reminded me that waxing exists and if I get too much excess hair growth in other places I can wax. That was the push I needed to get on the meds. I tried the topical in the past but I wasn’t good with consistency and it made me feel kinda weird. 3rd pic is one month into treatment, 4th pic is 3 months into treatment and by then I could see a change and kids forgot to take pictures for a long time. I had enough growth by Jan 2026 that I went ahead and did a pretty big trim of about 6-8 inches off my length to even it all out because it look scraggly on the ends. That haircut made such a difference in my confident. The 5th and 6th are June 2026, 14 months into treatment. After this they are out of chronological order (sorry). 7th is after the big chop so to speak in Jan of 2026 and the last one was Feb 2026 seeing how short it would be when I wear it in my natural curl.

I haven’t had really any side effects that I have noticed. I definitely have a little more chin hairs than before and some of my facial hair that used to be blond is a little darker but not enough to put me off it. I just pluck or use nair if I need to. I never noticed any kind of big shed personally, just noticed hair regrowth and less falling out with each shower.

I understand this is a lifelong med but I’m willing to do that. I already have other pills I’m gonna have to take everyday for the rest of my life, what one more tiny one.

I stopped the minoxidil altogether and my hair growth stayed the same. Increased iron (low ferritin and iron deficient) and spironolactone only.

lately I’ve been losing a lot of hair but that’s because I’m really sick but otherwise I can really see a difference. my confidence has gone up. but sometimes it’s very difficult to trust the process since I still see myself with very little hair. The first two pictures are from January and the last two are from this month. do you guys see a difference to? I need a little validation.

I took this photo today and I am crying. I didn't know it looked this bad from the side. I've been on 100mg of Spiro for 1.5 years and 1.25mg of oral minoxidil for about 3 months. The shedding has just gotten worse since starting the minoxidil, and especially recently. This is definitely the worst my hair has ever been. I've heard of the dread shed but wouldn't that have already happened to me by now? Everything online says the dread shed happens within 4-8 weeks of starting minoxidil, but can it be different for different people? My doctor didn't really explain any of this to me. If it does eventually get better, how are folks wearing their hair in the interim? I have a strong urge to shave it all off, lest I continue looking like Woe from Severance, but I have a lumpy head due to pilar cysts... TIA for any help or guidance 🙏

Well I didn’t think I’d get here but I’m officially not shaving my head anymore and will let my hair grow out again. I still have one bald spot but it’s growing in rapidly and can be hidden as I learn to style my hair and get haircuts during the grow out process. This is the longest my hair has been in almost a year and I have to chuckle at. So if anyone has any tips on how to style during this awkward phase, I’m all ears! #femalehairloss #alopecia #alopeciaareata #hairgrowthjourney

Oh so you know what's going to help me feel less stressed? NOT MY HAIR FALLING OUT. Now I'm stressed AND have a bald spot.

Has anyone tried any of this brand's products marketed for hair growth? Supplements claiming to improve your hair thickness always smack of marketing ploys, and yet... I am curious for the scoop!

I feel like minoxidil has made me grow a bunch of small, thin hairs all over my head and forehead, but it hasn't thickened my hairs or helped with overall volume. It also caused a lot of my thicker hairs to fall out.

I'm also on finasteride and spironolactone. Spironolactone didn't make much of a difference for me, but I'm scared to stop it. I'm holding out hope for finasteride, fingers crossed I'll start noticing a difference at the one year mark.

Please share your experiences with these three medications, I take everything orally.

I have AGA I started oral and topical minox (+ vitamin D and pumpkin seed oil) for about 8 months. I saw new growth in the first 2-3 months so I was very optimistic. Then new growth slowed down, and I noticed more balding spots.

High iron (122) but low ferritin (35), so i was recommended to take iron supplement with vitamin c in addition. My DHA is 7 so I didnt get prescribed dha blocker.

What else could I be missing? Could spiro still be helpful even if my dha level isnt high? This is making me so depressed

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice as I’ve been struggling with hair loss since March. It started with noticing a lot more hair coming out when brushing and significantly more shedding in the shower than I was used to.

You couldnt really tell i was losing hair before May i just lost a lot when brushing, but by late mMay my hair was noticeably thinner, and over the last few weeks coworkers have even commented on it. It has now become so thin that you can see through the back of my hair when it’s down, and my pontytail had become basically non existent.

In June, I started using scalp serums and doing daily scalp massages. I’ve noticed the shedding comes in waves — some weeks I lose a lot, and other weeks it seems to slow down — but even the less amount is more than i used to have .

I’m devastated and feel completely stumped as to the cause. Ive had a lot lf stress over the past year sadly, so ive thought its that but it doesnt seem to be getting any better or slowing, I’ve been to my doctor and had blood tests done, but they said everything came back normal ( and ive done my own research and i think they are to) so theyve said theres not much else they can do. I’m currently trying to get referred to a dermatologist.

I’ve read a lot of advice about using minoxidil, but I don’t think it’s the right option for me. I have several pets and I’m worried about the toxicity risk to them, I’m 27 and can’t realistically afford to buy it for the rest of my life, and I also have concerns about using it if I want to become pregnant in the future.

I would say its thinned out equally everywhere but very visible on the sides as that was not the thickest anyway, i dont have any bald patches or anything.

In the meantime, I’m just looking for support and advice from anyone who has experienced significant shedding or thinning, particularly on ways to cope with the emotional side of it and care for my hair (if you have a cure, that’d be good too) while waiting for a specialist appointment.

Thank you :)

For those of you with AGA and who have tried minoxidil, finasteride, spiro, laser helmets, iron for low ferritin, saw palmetto, pumpkin seed oil, HRT... how do you cope when nothing works?

I'm deeply depressed about losing my hair and with having zero success with prescription treatments. It feels like there are no other viable options for me. I have diffuse miniaturization too so am not even eligible for a hair transplant.

I truly don't know how to accept it.

TDLR: How do you cope when nothing works?

Same lighting taken with wet hair at the clinic.

Been taking spirnolactane + oral minoxidil consistently for a year!

I wish I started treatment sooner- my hair loss was ongoing for about 4 ish years before I got it treated. But proud of the progress so far 🙏

I started with 0.625 mg.. I started shedding heavily when I started with Testosterone while on HRT. I definitely see a much increase in body hair.. I wanted to ask, how much time should I give to .625 mg dose before upping the dose to 1.25 mg? how do I know how much is enough for me? Please advice..

Thanks!

Hello I am a 21 female. I was diagnosed with AGA when I was 19 after I had TE. I always had super thick hair until that point. I have been on Oral 2.5mg minoxidil for right at a year. I have had very minimal progress and currently going through a second shed. My shedding did stop for about 8 months until now. Did anyone add Spiro and have good results? My ferritin was also 17 I don’t know if that is part of the reason as well. Please let me know if you guys have any advice. Thank you!

Wanted to ask if anybody knows for sure how much Scalp dht does dutasteride block? And when you are prescribed oral minoxidil and dutasteride how do you travel abroad in other countries? Is it allowed to bring medication? How does it work? Thank you in advance 🙏

Not sponsored, not an ad, just a genuinely nosy person who reads these posts myself and wanted to give back to the sub.
Quick disclaimer: my camera angle changes for my ouai comparison 😅 I wasn’t consistent with documenting from the start, so I had to go back through my camera roll to dig up comparison shots. Sorry in advance for the mismatched lighting/angles, it’s not the most scientific comparison but hopefully still useful.
My hairline has always been noticeably sparse on the left side. It’s not something people usually notice, but the second I tie my hair up it becomes really obvious and honestly kind of embarrassing. As exhibited by my pic with the fat ginger cat.

Round 1 — Ouai Scalp Serum (90 days)
Used it 1-2x a day, mostly at night before bed. Routine was just massaging it into my hairline and scalp, sometimes with a bamboo scalp massager, sometimes just clean fingertips. No sticky or greasy residue at all, felt genuinely nice to use.
The break
Took about a month off after finishing the Ouai bottles before starting anything new (I went through 3 in the 90 days).

Round 2 — Dr Groot Hair Thickening Roll-On (90 days)
Same kind of routine, applied to the hairline/scalp. Also didn’t leave things feeling sticky or gross, BUT I noticed it’s a lot less forgiving if you’ve got any oiliness going on, it makes the hair around the hairline a bit stringy if you’re even slightly due for a wash.

My honest take: the Dr Groot seemed to show a visible difference faster than the Ouai did. Both were pleasant to use day-to-day, but if I’m comparing purely on speed of results, Dr Groot edges it out for me.
Not a scientific trial, just one person’s hairline and a lot of patience. Photos of both attached (day 0 → day 90 Ouai, then day 30 → day 90 Dr Groot). Happy to answer questions if anyone’s on the fence about either!

Not sponsored, not an ad, just a genuinely nosy person who reads these posts myself and wanted to give back to the sub.
Quick disclaimer: my camera angle changes for my ouai comparison 😅 I wasn’t consistent with documenting from the start, so I had to go back through my camera roll to dig up comparison shots. Sorry in advance for the mismatched lighting/angles, it’s not the most scientific comparison but hopefully still useful.
My hairline has always been noticeably sparse on the left side. It’s not something people usually notice, but the second I tie my hair up it becomes really obvious and honestly kind of embarrassing. As exhibited by my pic with the fat ginger cat.

Round 1 — Ouai Scalp Serum (90 days)
Used it 1-2x a day, mostly at night before bed. Routine was just massaging it into my hairline and scalp, sometimes with a bamboo scalp massager, sometimes just clean fingertips. No sticky or greasy residue at all, felt genuinely nice to use.
The break
Took about a month off after finishing the Ouai bottles before starting anything new (I went through 3 in the 90 days).

Round 2 — Dr Groot Hair Thickening Roll-On (90 days)
Same kind of routine, applied to the hairline/scalp. Also didn’t leave things feeling sticky or gross, BUT I noticed it’s a lot less forgiving if you’ve got any oiliness going on, it makes the hair around the hairline a bit stringy if you’re even slightly due for a wash.
My honest take: the Dr Groot seemed to show a visible difference faster than the Ouai did. Both were pleasant to use day-to-day, but if I’m comparing purely on speed of results, Dr Groot edges it out for me.
Not a scientific trial, just one person’s hairline and a lot of patience. Photos of both attached (day 0 → day 90 Ouai, then day 30 → day 90 Dr Groot). Happy to answer questions if anyone’s on the fence about either!

Extreme dilemma here, been taking PPi for 1 year and half my hair is gone. It always falls out from the root, though I take vitamin d and other complexes my bloodwork is essentially okay my hair still insists on falling out.

The only meds im taking is those PPi but I cant really stop them due to medical reasons. Anyone got ideas??

My level is 8.4….
My hair loss has been SOOO bad the last 3/4 weeks which is why I got my labs drawn.
Should I advocate for an infusion? If so what is that like?

What is the quickest way to get the hair loss to stop?

Hi all, my hair has thinned over the years due to PCOS and more recently GLP-1 to treat underlying insulin resistance.

I’m currently on 100mg spironolactone and have started 2.5mg oral minoxidil.

I’m worried about dread shed but also feeling very self conscious about my hair and was considering some minor hair extensions for fullness that are 1:1 tension for so it doesn’t put as much stress on hair as tape in wefts and clip-ins.

Given hair extensions that are that fine and thin are $$$$$, is it worth it to wait until after shedding stops to get them? Or has anyone gotten hair extensions to mitigate dread shed being obvious.

Older woman (70+) recently started oral minoxidil. Want to fully understand the pros and cons of adding spironolactone or finasteride. Or increased dose of minoxidil. Concerned about safety for older women, side effects, effectiveness.
Would be grateful for your experience and knowledge.

Does anyone in NY have any recs for a derm that specializes in hair loss or a doc you can recommend that is knowledgeable? Based in Queens, but can travel anywhere. Ideally they accept insurance.

Thanks!

In the last 2 years I have lost at least half of my hair (see pictures). There is thinning all over, but it's more concentrated right in the center top of my scalp and the nape of my neck. I finished a year long course of Accutane at the end of March so I expect that some of this is telogen effluvium, but I'm also 43 and am taking estradiol for perimenopause symptoms.

In March I saw my dermatologist who said I have some alopecia around my hairline. I have only noticed some small changes around my temples, with new growth now visible. They waved off my concerns about the hair on the nape of my neck (I hadn't yet noticed how wide my part had gotten yet since it's more towards the back of my head) and the code they put in my chart was L65.9 ("Nonscarring hair loss, unspecified") which seems to be a catch-all code used for hair thinning or shedding but the hair follicles are not permanently damaged (meaning regrowth is possible) and the exact cause hasn't been definitively determined.

Derm told me that Minoxidil is the gold standard for hair loss, but since they were not able to determine if it was actually wide spread alopecia or TE, I'm reluctant to take it. I'm reluctant to take any hair loss drugs because I don't want to risk shedding even more hair right now, and I also don't really want to have a lifelong drug if I can avoid it. But I have not seen any new growth on my scalp yet. I'm starting to worry.

Most of my hair shedding happens in the shower or when I finger comb. I just try to not tug at it too much, and I have noticed my hair is more brittle now. I wash it every other day and I think I'm not losing more than 100 hairs a day usually, although sometimes I think I do lose a little more. It's hard to say since my hair is long, the blob of hair is naturally going to look big. What to do? And why is there more hair loss on the center top of my head and nape of neck rather than anywhere else? That does not seem to follow an alopecia pattern?

I have a second issue as well, about a month ago I got a pair of noise canceling headphones because I am also diagnosed autistic, and I really need these headphones to manage sensory overwhelm. But they are kinda heavy and sometimes hurt the top of my head. The headband is rubber so I wrap it with a silk scarf to keep it from pulling on my hair or rubbing against the roots, and sometimes I put a microfiber washcloth between the band and my head to help distribute the weight. I reposition them frequently so they aren't putting pressure on only one spot, but will wearing them have any affect on my scalp? Does anyone have any ideas on what I can do to prevent them from putting pressure on that spot (assuming it affects anything negatively)? They are really important to me and I frequently wear them from the time I wake up to the time I go to sleep, but I can't say I've seen more hair loss since I've gotten them.