Hair
11 months postpartum - regrowth progress + patience rant
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11 months postpartum - regrowth progress + patience rant
the baby hairs along my hairline are now like 3 inches long. i look like a mad scientist. i know this is normal, it's just a weird visual stage. shedding is down to ~normal. ferritin is finally 55 (was 22). the fix was iron + time, not the 17 hair products i bought. patience is free. i hate it.
postpartum shedding peaked at month 4 — where my hair moms at
i swear my entire hairline is on the bathroom floor. 4 months postpartum my shed went nuclear. now at 9 months it's finally slowing. if you're in the middle of it: biotin didn't do much for me, but scalp massage + a silk pillowcase + staying on top of iron levels actually helped. the regrowth baby hairs are SO cute and SO annoying
topical minox vs oral - asked 3 derms, here is the consensus
had the convo 3x with 3 different derms this year. common threads: topical = OTC, slower, no systemic side effects, has to be daily forever. oral (off label) = faster, convenient, side effects possible (fluid retention, unwanted body hair, dizziness), not for everyone. the derms i spoke to all prefer topical first unless you can't tolerate it. just a data point, not advice.
finasteride study review - for guys considering it
went down the rabbit hole for myself. summary: efficacy data is strong. side effect rates in rct are low but real. persistent side effects are rare but reported. my plan: labs baseline, start topical first, if ineffective after 6 mo move to oral with my doc. i'm sharing my decision tree because i wish someone had done this for me.
finasteride - logged for a year
1mg oral, same time every day for 12 months. pictures at month 0, 6, 12. hairline basically held (was receding prior). crown fill back ~30% visually. no side effects for me, i know mileage varies wildly and some folks have real issues. won't tell anyone what to do — just sharing the data. close monitoring with a doc is the play.
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silk pillowcase did nothing for my hair. fight me.
bought into it. $60 pillowcase. 3 months. my breakage is identical. maybe my face moisturizer stays on slightly better? that's the only thing. saving someone else $60. cotton is fine. shampoo less, deep condition weekly, don't sleep on wet hair, done.
postpartum AMA - the hair timeline nobody maps out
quick public timeline since i get asked daily: mo 2: normal mo 3-4: peak shed, scary mo 5-6: still shedding, new growth starts mo 7-8: baby hairs, visible sprout line mo 9-11: gradual normalcy mo 12: mostly back yours may differ. ferritin helped me. time helped more.
minoxidil foam 6 month update (female, 29)
thinning on top of my head freaked me out last year. started 5% foam 1x daily on scalp. first 3 months: MORE shedding (apparently normal, cycle reset). month 4-6: density visibly coming back at my part. you have to commit to it forever-ish or the gains reverse. that's the catch. i'm in.
hair loss with hashis - is thyroid or ferritin the culprit
hair thin, brittle, shedding. TSH is 'normal' per my doc (2.8). pulled my own ferritin: 24. from what i've read ferritin needs to be above 70 for hair growth in women. started iron supplementation + vit C together 3 months ago, ferritin now 55. shed has slowed a lot. if you have thyroid stuff and losing hair, check ferritin. your doc probably won't unless you ask.
spring shed or something more? peri edition
every march/april i shed more than winter. this year feels bigger. hairline thinning i can see in photos. finally asked my doc for a full thyroid + ferritin + DHEA-S panel + asked about androgenetic thinning in peri. would rather catch it early than 'wait and see' for another year. anyone been through this + what helped?
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creatine = hair loss? i looked at the study everyone cites
the study is one small 3-week trial showing a DHT increase in rugby players. no hair measurement. no follow up. every 'creatine causes hair loss' take traces back to this one paper. i keep taking my creatine. if you have strong family history of MPB you might want to talk to your doc anyway but the panic is bigger than the evidence.
scalp photo series: 4 months of consistent use (no product names)
logging for myself: same lighting, same part line, every sunday. density at the temples is visibly better comparing feb 1 to may 1. routine was: topical thing 1x/day, dermaroller 0.5mm 1x/wk, kept stress low (lol), slept more. no before/afters here on purpose - posting the method not the product because i don't want to shill.
minimalist hair routine as someone with 10+ years of damage
wash 2x/wk. conditioner through mids + ends always. bond builder 1x/wk. air dry 80% then diffuse low heat. no more daily hot tools. leave-in for tangles only. this is boring and extremely effective. my hair is thicker and less frizzy than it's been in years. less was more.
the "no sulfate" thing is mostly marketing
SLS in shampoo is not inherently bad. it's a cleanser. people with specific sensitivities / color-treated hair / very dry scalps should consider swapping. most others: fine. the 'sulfates will destroy your hair' narrative sells $30 shampoo. read ingredients, not labels.
scalp health is skin health - treat it like your face
after years of ignoring my scalp i started using a gentle exfoliating scalp scrub once a week and a non-occlusive serum 2x/wk. hair density + shine noticeably better in 8 weeks. it is literally skin with more hair coming out of it. the fact that we wash it and forget it is wild.
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stop using heat every day and see what your hair actually looks like
gave up daily blow dry + flat iron for 30 days. my actual hair texture is wavy?? who knew. less breakage, less frizz after week 3 once it adjusted. your heat tools are hiding your real hair.
peri hair — it's a different hair, accept it
my hair in my 40s is not the same texture as my hair in my 30s. drier, coarser in spots, thinner overall at the crown. switched to sulfate-free shampoo + a weekly bond treatment + cut the length shorter so it holds volume. feels better. don't keep using the same routine you had at 28 — it's not going to work.
protein in the diet vs protein treatments - both, apparently
increased dietary protein to ~100g/day (was closer to 60). added a protein treatment 1x every 3 weeks. breakage way down after 2 months. hair strands feel thicker. not saying the treatment did nothing but the food part was probably bigger. your hair is literally made of this stuff, makes sense.
beginner q: how long before i know if minoxidil is working
started 2 months ago. read it can take 4-6+ months. currently in a shed phase per my derm. how do i know if i should keep going vs bail? do i trust the monthly photos or just the 6 month mark? trying to be patient, i am not naturally patient.
shampoo ingredient note: silicones are fine, actually
the whole 'silicones bad' thing is kind of a holdover from curly girl method. for most people silicones just smooth the hair shaft and rinse out fine with a regular sulfate shampoo. if you're doing low-poo / no-poo, different story. but if you're using a normal wash routine, the silicone fear is not backed by much. source: i read too many papers on hair fiber science.
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hashimoto shedding vs minox shedding - how to tell them apart?
started minox in feb and by march had a big shed. but my TSH was also drifting up. did a blood panel, tweaked my dose, shed continued. 6 weeks later both are settling. if you're on both a new topical and have a thyroid condition it's nearly impossible to blame one without labs. recommend baseline labs before starting if you're in this boat.
scalp oiling weekly for 3 months — real or cope?
rosemary + castor + jojoba mix, 20 min before shampoo, once a week. 3 months in. my scalp feels healthier, breakage down at ends. new growth? maybe, maybe it's the season. wouldn't call it miracle but i'll keep doing it because it's 10 bucks a month and relaxing on sundays.
collagen powder for hair - did nothing for me, fwiw
did 10g collagen daily for 6 months expecting nail/hair miracles. nails grew a little faster (subjective). hair? same. not saying it doesn't work for others but i saw exactly zero change to my shedding or growth rate. protein intake overall matters more, probably.
PRP for hair — actually worth $1500 or nah
did a 3 session PRP protocol at a clinic. total cost with consult and meds ~$1800. results at month 6: noticeable but subtle. some new growth at temples. would i do it again vs just being consistent with minox + fin? honestly probably not as my first move. if you're already maxed on basics and want a boost, maybe. receipts: i tracked scalp photos monthly.
accutane shed is real, stick with me
no one told me my hair would shed on accutane. derm confirmed it can happen. it grew back after finishing. just want it written down for the next guy freaking out reading old threads at 2am.