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Hair loss and really short hair

5 replies

Serenissima21 · 05/08/2021 19:32

I have lost so much hair that I hate the feeling of it and just having wispy bits. Im thinking of having it cut very short but maybe that would just look worse? Has anybody done this? Sad

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penguinwithasuitcase · 05/08/2021 19:49

I've been in your position and it depends on what you mean by 'very short – and the kind of hair loss you're suffering. Is it patchy or diffuse?

I shaved mine to 5mm (living in a jungle - long story) and the bald patches showed up worse because there was nothing to cover them.

As it grew out, I found a sweet spot where the hair was long enough to sit across the patches without looking like a combover, but short enough not to look too thin or wispy. I styled it in a kind of messy pixie cut and it worked.

Also, I'm really sorry. It sucks.

Serenissima21 · 06/08/2021 19:39

Thanks! I think you're right. Too short is going to look worse. Mine is mostly missing at the front but I noticed a bald spot on the crown too. Did yours grow back?

(And thanks for the sympathy- it really does suck, doesn't it?)

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penguinwithasuitcase · 07/08/2021 09:19

Over the years it's filled in more, but I still have patches I'm conscious of on the sides, a bit above my ears – and the crown is thin.

It's definitely got better, though –slowly, and I don't think it's ever going to be the same as it was –but I've learned to work with it.

I think my hair loss was a mix of stress, after multiple deaths among my family and friends, and androgen sensitivity –I have other symptoms that seem connected to androgens, but the hair loss due to the stress element seems to have recovered with time.

Do you know what's causing yours?

My hair's long now, for what that's worth, and people are always surprised when I show them the patches (10 years after the events that triggered the loss).

I went to a hairdresser once who specialised in working with women with hair loss and she was great –showed me different styles that could cover the worst of it and talked me through options re: extensions and hair systems if I wanted to go that route.

Perhaps you could find someone like that who could help you choose a style with a forward 'sweep' to cover the areas at the front?

Something I learned was also that the lighter my hair, the less my scalp showed through the patches –the contrast between skin and darker hair makes it show more (not great if blonde won't suit you, but perhaps worth thinking about if it might?)

The hair systems the hairdresser showed me were amazing –pricy, but amazing –but I decided too big a step for me at the time.

I know there are options for powders that you can shake onto your scalp to disguise the patches too –they're like tiny filaments of hair in your own colour that stick to what you have and fill the gaps.

And yes, it really does suck. My DP is losing his hair too and it's hard for him, but it's a different story as a woman, I think. Hope you find something that works for you.

Serenissima21 · 07/08/2021 09:45

Thanks for the tips. I don't know exactly what is causing mine but I think a mixture of stress, genetics and age. I've tried extensions but I didn't have enough hair to cover them properly!

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Serenissima21 · 26/07/2022 09:47

I was about to post this question and realised that I already had - a year ago! Must be the summer that makes me hate my hair. It's even patchier now but I chickened out of a really short cut. Reconsidering if anyone has any tips...

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