Androgenic, Iron?? How do you know?

[Stokes9]

Hi everyone,

A little background.. I've always had thin hair but this year it seems to have got a lot thinner around the front and along one side of the parting. I haven't seen loads of hair coming out, just thinning. I went to doctor number who tested iron (not ferritin) and thyroid. The TSH for my thyroid came back as 1 and I was told I was slightly anaemic. I was put on iron tablets for one month.

I just went to see doc number two. He looked at my head and pretty quickly said it's probably androgenic alopecia. He seemed to be basing this off pictures on the internet, which doesn't fill me with confidence. He has said that he will run tests for hormones but has warned me that he expects them to come back normal. He said there was no point in testing my iron levels again, which seems ridiculous to me. He said if the tests come back normal, we can discuss minoxidyl, which just fills me with dread. Shouldn't there be a scalp biopsy or something first?

Any advice would be much appreciated. I've been crying so much since I got back from the doctors that I feel physically sick now.

[jacrjacr]

go to another dr...I found out so many brushed it off, even the pros and specialist so I kept thinking it would get better....don't wait...keep going to drs until you find one that cares....so many things contribute to hair thinning....first check your dht level....which is converted from testosterone....if it okay, check your iron ferritin and it should be 80 or higher for hair so normal range which is what most will say-- is wrong--the level is important---, have you been under any stress---high and low cortisol cause it also and it to be tested by a 4 times a day saliva test not blood but saliva, also d3, b12. Make sure you are getting plenty of omega 3 like fish oil and flax seed oil, plenty of protein (bec a lack of protein can make hair thin) if your vitamin a is too high or too low--it can cause thinning...any major change in other hormones like dhea, estrogen progesterone testosterone can cause hair loss........and you have already ruled out thyroid.......hope this helps.... also....mold anywhere in your home can cause hair loss..... if you are low in iron it can be caused by low stomach acid therefore not absorbing vitamins....or heavy mthly cycle.....I went to a bio identical dr and the 3rd one paid attention...don't give up and don't wait....ironically for me it was a combination of hormones , vitamins, iron, low stomach acid, low exercise, not getting enough sleep, cortisol, etc etc etc// I was shocked at how many were out of balance.....