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Kirbatha:
I had a bout with TE that started just over a year ago. It was likely brought on my stress for me. I saw a derm in March or April and she had me start on Rogaine for women. I didn't begin to notice growth until 3-4 months on Rogaine which was still 8-9 months into the TE problem. I also immediately starting taking lots of biotin every day. I'm now about 9 months into Rogaine and about 13 months in since my TE started and I feel like I'm just getting things back on track. I have lots of hairs at a variety of lengths that have started growing in. The longest are probably 2" long and the shortest now are probably a half inch long. It's still not back to the old thickness but I'm not giving up hope.
My point is that if you are experiencing TE, it takes a lonnnng time to recover. My derm set me up with realistic expectations regarding that recover. It's still frustrating but I know not to give up hope.
Also, does MPB run on your mother's side? It's a trait you get for your mom's genes, not your dad's so his hairloss doesn't mean anything for you.
Thanks for the story, Kirbatha. 
Gives hope.
An update:
I had my appointment with the dermatologist on Friday, and he has told me that from what he has seen, it looks that my thinning has leveled out, and at the very least it hasn't gotten worse since my last appointment in November. I don't know if I believe him or not, but that's what he had to say. He recommended that I NOT start Propecia (which is good, because I'd be the guy who'd end up sterile or something after that, if my luck is anything to go on), and that if I wanted to try Rogaine it might help a little, and if I wanted to try biotin that's an option as well.
What made me suspicious was that he continually scaled back his estimates for recovery. At first it was "This can take between 6-12 months to correct itself," and then "We'll see you back in August, that'll be 15 months, and if it has gotten worse by then..."
I cut my hair pretty short a few days ago, though, so it's less of an issue now, but it's still annoying.
EDIT: I also forgot to mention that the very first thing he told me when looking through my hair was that I should "get that seborrheic dermatitis taken care of," which I was completely unaware that I had.
I started rogaine, its my last chance for my hair so I can let you guys know how it goes. I have been off accutane for about a year and half, although (as i mentioned in the post above) I was also on beta blocker called timolol which according to various websites causes hair loss (just my luck). Stopped that 8 months ago so I dont know if my situation is a bit worse. Plus I also took vitamin A after 5000 IU in a multivitamin daily and felt like i overdosed up until july when i showed overdose symptoms, so i have really been off vitamin A essentially for 6-7 months. I also think since I stopped accutane and then started the multivitamin with 5000iu right away i probably had built up vitamin A stored from the accutane and the 5000iu daily caused me to overdose.
Anyway accutane really destroyed my hair on top and vitamin A, the commented about accelerated mpb is spot on. It runs in the family but typically not until mid 30's im mid 20's. And my hair is also thinner then my dad in his 60's!
Looking at my hair people say you have mpb.
The thing is that does not make sense is it was worse a few months ago. Then it actually grew back sort of the last few months, although the hair is thin. Maybe since I got rid of vitamin A only completely about 7 months ago i have not given it enough time. Regardless it has filled in but still way to thin on the very top.
So I started rogaine. Will let you guys know how it goes. I think rogaine might be good for me because it seems like I am getting hair back again, only now its thinner. And rogaine makes the hair thicker.
Its a scarry because I am mid 20's and feel like I lost my youth. I dont want to be bald at this age.
Its strange because while on accutane i felt my youth was passing my by, i would skip dances and such because i was ashamed of my acne. Now the cure (accutane) has made me feel my youth is gone. I dont think i should feel like that at this age but i do, because of my hair.
so...it has passed 7 months since my 9 days of taking accutane....i keep an eye on my scalp hair loss, and although i know for shure that my hair has thinned, i can't say that i'm loosing much hair...it is always less than 50 strands per day...only when i wash my hair (one per week,there's no need to do it more frequently) i loose about 80 (more or less)...i cant say that it is a huge number for me becouse i always loose much hair... i'm a girl and have long hair...and i think that most girls shed pretty much (at least al my girfriends do...even more than me...) but there is evident place from which i know that something is wrong (armpits, pubic area and legs have less hair..in terms of bald spots...) and of course there is this strange skin thinning and slow healing with scars... i was wondering how can i know for certain that i dont have rosacea or lupus?...because those symptoms i mentioned above are only thing i'm experiencing... for rosacea i'm almost certain that i don't have it...i don't have symptoms of it....only some blushing, but it is not persistant and it is rare...but how can one know if he/she have accutane induced lupus?
Tested positive doesn't mean you have lupus. It just means that that there is some kind of autoimmune disease in you. You need to take further test to know what type of autoimmune disease you are suffering from. I can be one or two types or maybe even more. I for once doesn't have lupus, just some mild very autoimmune disease. My guess is that it is probably diffuse alopecia areata. For your information, alopecia areata is also an auto immune disease. You may like to take a look at this website below:
Hi Folks,
Just an update.
My shedding slowed down back in October, but then in it picked back up 2 months later.
For the past month my shedding has reduced substantially, and I would say very close to normal levels with exception of some newer hairs still falling out.
I have a lot of regrowth, and fully expect that my hair will be back to or close to normal within a year or two.
My shedding went from excessive (200+ hairs a day) to manageable (50 hairs a day) within one day, and what I found very curious was that my hair stopped shedding the day I got sick with the flu, and after I got better, the shedding did not increase.
I am hoping this is it and that I will continue to stay on the path to recovery.
Good luck all
Matt
Hi Folks,
Just an update.
My shedding slowed down back in October, but then in it picked back up 2 months later.
For the past month my shedding has reduced substantially, and I would say very close to normal levels with exception of some newer hairs still falling out.
I have a lot of regrowth, and fully expect that my hair will be back to or close to normal within a year or two.
My shedding went from excessive (200+ hairs a day) to manageable (50 hairs a day) within one day, and what I found very curious was that my hair stopped shedding the day I got sick with the flu, and after I got better, the shedding did not increase.
I am hoping this is it and that I will continue to stay on the path to recovery.
Good luck all
Matt
congrats man!! hopefully it stops for good and you can put this nightmare behind you. just curious as im too lazy to look back, but when did your shedding begin again? mine started in november 2009 and its still in full force 
. also, are you using anything (rogaine, propecia, etc). did you notice that your sideburns/sides were hit the most during the shedding? mine are pretty jagged right now and although im losing hair all over my body and all over my head, it seems like the crown and sides have been hit the hardest as there is noticeable thinning on the top of my head. any similarities in your case?
so...next week will be 8 months since i took accutane for 9 days....my scalp hair is just fine( dandruff is anoying but...it's ok)...no stinging, no redness,no itching - nothing...but i have much less hair on my armpits, pubic area and legs(the most)...of course my main concern(still) is fragile skin and slow healing...although i can't say that i have sun sensitivity or anything else...it is just thinning and fragility...i never got red marks this long, nor i ever got scarring from pimples and now i'm full of scars...i was reading that slow skin healing is common in autoimmune diseases...so great...probably i have one...but i'm still in denial...
how do we go about seeing if we have an autoimmune disorder? will a simple blood test suffice or do we have to go to an endocrinologist?
ivmi, you're lucky you're not shedding hair. cant even begin to explain how depressing it is for a guy in his early 20s to be losing the amount of hair that i have been losing. 2 years ago i had such a great head of hair. curly, thick, and dense. now it has been reduced to sparse, thin, and patchy
how do we go about seeing if we have an autoimmune disorder? will a simple blood test suffice or do we have to go to an endocrinologist?
ivmi, you're lucky you're not shedding hair. cant even begin to explain how depressing it is for a guy in his early 20s to be losing the amount of hair that i have been losing. 2 years ago i had such a great head of hair. curly, thick, and dense. now it has been reduced to sparse, thin, and patchy
well i didn't say that i don't loose any hair, but as i said it has passed almost 8 months since i took accutane and it is maybe a bit thinner, but even I'm not shure... trust me i would reather go bald than have this skin healing and thinning problems...it is very depressing...i always had very good skin complexion...and then came period of stress and i got few (read 4-5 big pimples) on my right cheek, and then my "smart" doctor after failing with doxy put me on accutane...I wasn't even near severe acne...and now i have scars like i had cysts! I really hate this drug...it changed my life drastically in veeeeeery short period of time...
tell me about your hairloss, when did it become obvious? do you shed body hair and where? (for me body hairloss is very apparent...)
Hey guys,
First off- great news for you electroshock! I'm happy you're noticing regrowth.
So, my situation is still a bit odd. Just as a reminder, I haven't cut my hair in about 17 months, so my hair is very long. Essentially the bulk of my shedding process was during this period where I have not cut my hair, not even a trim. Throughout this time I fully admit I haven't taken nearly enough care of my hair and scalp, and I do feel I've contributed to my hair loss in part, due to my neglect. I essentially became scared that if I wash too much my hair would fall out more (which I don't think is true at all). My scalp is often itchy and irritated. I also have what I assume to be sebhorric dermatitis despite using Nizoral and T-Gel on occasion. I scratch at my scalp a lot. I have been wearing a blue beanie cap almost every day for the whole winter. How dumb is that? How can wearing a beanie every day, matting my hair and not letting it out be any good for my hair and scalp? I'm just adding fuel to the fire....
To most people, my hair probably looks very thick and out of control. This is good, but also bad. It's good because even though I'm scrutinizing my hair dozens of times every day and fretting about it, I doubt anyone else is (besides the ones probably discriminating or making assumptions about guys with long hair lol). It's bad, because even the people I am closest to can't really empathize and even listen to my problem. It's become really psychological, and affects my mood. When even my mother pretty much scoffs when I try to explain my concerns, it's hard to gain true support from anyone. I don't even know what I want to hear anymore. It's nice to know my family thinks my hair looks fine, but also doesn't do any favors to the possbility of me going completely nuts over this whole deal.
I've mentioned kind of an overall thinness to my hair, and I can really notice it on the sides of my hair around the temples and kind of going along the sides past my ear and to the back of my head. The thickest part is probably right on top in the middle, and the crown always feels thinner as well as my corners. It's funny how I get worked up about my hairline too, because I'd be embarrassed to post it on hair loss forums since they would probably deem me with hairline that is just barely maturing and just getting to NW1 I assume. The scary thing to me is the thinning hair behind the corners and sides of my head, because who knows if the acceleration and thinning could lead to something worse, and a lot more quickly?
I'm pretty much at a loss for what I should be doing right now. I think the next step is to finally go into my derm and really say everything on my mind. I should get my scalp analyzed so I can find out what the hell is wrong. I'm pretty sure it's TE based on the look of my hair. It's quite similar (perhaps not as bad) as the woman's hair in this photo: [Edited link out]. That's kind of the thinness when I lift up my hair, revealing the temples/sides. I can only imagine what the back looks like.
As I also mentioned in a previous post, I'm scared to cut my hair. I'm literally terrified of how my hair looks "short" now. I have long hairs that cover up signs of thinning, but if I cut it shorter, the temples and other areas will be exposed. Bad haircuts would make me depressed for weeks even when my hair was totally thick, and I can't imagine how I would feel getting a haircut now. I don't know if I should be taking anything, how I should be washing or caring for my hair, or anything really. This situation sucks, because I do want to try shorter hair again soon, especially before looking for jobs, but I need to feel comfortable in my own skin (hair) as well.
What the f*ck should I do?? Sorry guys, that was my rant. On the bright side, it seems like I at least have some hairs on top of my head that are shorter and maybe have been growing for a while. Maybe they're just hairs that broke off or something too. Shit, I don't really know, but all I can say is my hair really hasn't improved at all; it's simply getting worse month by month.
Hey people! I just thought I would update:
Method of treatment- Absolutly nothing!
It has been 4 1/2 months since the excessive shedding began ( 8 months since I took my last Accutane pill) and I am still shedding. Some days worst than others, at worst 150 a day at best 60-100. Head and shoulders helps the dandruff and itchy scalp. The scalp pain and soreness that I was feeling in the beginning has stopped.
My hair looks limp and lifeless. My scalp is not visible but hair is VERY thin. I am growing hair, I can see lots of baby hairs poking through but again... I continue to shed, it's a very strange cycle.
I have learned to style my hair in ways so that it looks fuller then it actually is. I wash it every other day, sometimes every 2 days if I could help it.
My hair is getting pretty long and I want to cut a couple of inches off but I'm sooooo worried about what the hairstylist would think or say when he or she combes it and tons of hair falls out (his or her face
) Ugh!!!
Any advice on what to say or do in this case? Should I warn him or her? What the HECK do I say?
Working on month 6 of hair shedding.
Hey everyone! Its been over a month since my last post (quoted above). I'm still shedding but it has decreased considerably. I loose about 25 hairs when I shower and maybe about another 25 when brushing and styling. I have LOT'S of re-growth poking out all over my scalp (looks kinda funny). I am able to control my dandruff and itchiness with head and shoulders shampoo. Im still experiencing SOME scalp sensitive especially when I brush out knots or if my hair gets caught on a hair clip, leaving my scalp unusually sore!
(bringing tears to my eyes)
I'm not treating my hair-loss just dealing with it. I stopped all Derm visits (a waste of $$$) My hair is still very thin and limp looking but Im happy to see all those baby hairs.
Side Note:
It's been 9 months since I took my last accutane pill. My skin still SUPER CLEAR but still SUPER DRY!!!!! I get patchy dry rashes all over my body, it comes and goes
Anyone else still experiencing really dry skin?
Update
Hey everyone!
So it‚„s been 8 months since I first noticed the shedding of my scalp hair (11 moths since I took my last accutane pill). I was losing about 200 hairs a day. It decreased considerably about 3 months ago (losing about 100 hairs a day).
Today I still shed but it has gotten soooo much better. I continue to shed, losing100 hairs on a bad day but most of the time I lose what I think is a normal amount (no more than 50, even when I shower!). It continues to improve every week, I was shocked the last past 2 nights of washing my hair‚¦I lost ZERO hairs in the shower 
And the baby hairs I had poking though are getting thicker and stronger so my scalp it starting to look and feel full again.
Treatment:Absolutely nothing!
I wash my hair everyday now. I noticed that when I skipped days my scalp would get itchy and flakey from being dirty making it more irritated and my hair looking oily and limp. I think whatever your going to lose, YOUR GOING TO LOSE no matter what! So why not be comfortable with a clean head of hair!?! I still have some scalp sensitivity, especially when I brush my hair.
I shampoo and condition with Head&Shoulders. And I use Big Sexy Hair Root lifting mousse before blow drying and styling my hair. This really helps give my lifeless limp roots some fullness.
I'll update any changes. I wish you all the best!
ok...so i teseted my blod (complete blod count) and it came back excellent!
only trombocytes are a bit low but only a bit...and i checked out my blod count-s from the past and i also had low trombo. a few years ago... so i think it's nothing...iron is ok...i could ask for B12...but next is ANA...so if this come back negative..i really don't know what to think...
to oli girl - i checked my thyroid a few months ago - FT3 FT4 and TSH and everything is also great!
could i have autoimmune disease if all this is ok? what other tests should i take? i will do ANA next month
Sorry people haven't posted in awhile reading this board would make me feel sad. Update been a year exactly since I used acutance.
Refresh- 9 days into 40mgs a day my scalp started burning and peeling off, hair falling out, chest armpit and public hair falling out. Hair- became curly, frizzy.
After 1 year- my scalp doesn't burn that's a plus I do see hair coming back some same thickness some not. My hair line has not receded. My hair has thinned out all over but am still hoping it all comes back. Talked to a few doctors all said hair shedding will stop it way be still a year away.
I use nizoral 2% after shower I use coconut oil, olive oil and aloe Vera.
Before bed I use topisalic (doctor prescribed to help with healing of the scalp) stopped my scalp from peel and is suppose to help rejuvenate the skin.
Truly Wish all the people the best. Keep fighting never give up
Rav98 said:Sorry people haven't posted in awhile reading this board would make me feel sad. Update been a year exactly since I used acutance.Refresh- 9 days into 40mgs a day my scalp started burning and peeling off, hair falling out, chest armpit and public hair falling out. Hair- became curly, frizzy.
After 1 year- my scalp doesn't burn that's a plus I do see hair coming back some same thickness some not. My hair line has not receded. My hair has thinned out all over but am still hoping it all comes back. Talked to a few doctors all said hair shedding will stop it way be still a year away.
I use nizoral 2% after shower I use coconut oil, olive oil and aloe Vera.
Before bed I use topisalic (doctor prescribed to help with healing of the scalp) stopped my scalp from peel and is suppose to help rejuvenate the skin.
Truly Wish all the people the best. Keep fighting never give up
did you do any blod tests? do you know if it is autoimmune?
So here are some news from me...i started taking BC pills after i stopped with accutane...to contoll my acne. And 2 week ago i stopped taking it, and i found out that i dont have dandruff anymore...so i don't know if it is coincidence or what...but...it is like that... I mean there are some flakes here and there but no one would notice...my scalp is still not red, or inflamed or itchy (well sometimes it is, but it could be like 4 times a day that i feel itchyness) but still...i have body hairloss and a bit of scalp hairloss...and those crazy eyelashes are falling again...some days i loose up to 8 lashes! it is really making me crazy now. And that stupid skin....gosh....it is still thin as paper and doesn't heal... what is in that drug for god sake!?? my body hasn't heal even 8 months after 9 days of taking the accutane. I still hope that my skin will heal again like it was...i really miss that...becouse i was SCARLESS :S