Well if the appearance is really bothering you and you don't want to wait it out any longer then yeah get a derm that will accept that it is diffuse AA. Initially you can try a topical steroid to test the water. When that works, which undoubtably it will, you can then get your derm can do kenalog shots if you don't get the fully desired results from the topical.

Does your head itch or burn/tingle at all?

yea on occasion not as much as it used to though, so are you saying theres still a chance it might recover on its own? My derm is real skepitcal though.. he is probably just going to call me crazy

There is a good chance it will recover on it's own. my derm tells me anything from a few months up to two years is standard recovery periods....

Hey everyone, I have some bad news to report. I recently came down with mononucleosis and was prescribed an anti-inflammatory steroid called prednisone to help with the swelling in my throat (seriously, worst sore throat of my life). After taking the pill for three days, I've noticed and incredibly huge increase in my hair shedding (I thought it was finally starting to abate, but I must have lost 200 hairs just from combing in the sink this morning). After doing some research I found that prednisone does indeed cause hair loss (and want to kill someone now)... If I've started another round of TE i'm going to be very upset lol. Needless to say i'm stopping the steroid immediately.

Lammar, do you know if there are differences between the topical and injected steroids that you and a few others claim are helping your hair loss and the oral steroid I was perscribed? I'm very confused now because you seem to have made a pretty compelling case that the hair loss from accutane was indeed caused by an autoimmune response, however if that were true than prednisone should be helping the situation. Thats what I initially thought when I was perscribed it at least. Any thoughts?

Yep the steroid should of helped. But then again it may of caused a different form of hairloss like you said, TE. There is no real difference between the oral and topical steroids, the oral ones should be more effective if anything.... 3 days wouldn't of been long enough for the steroid to efect diffuse AA anyway, exvept for maybe relieve some of the itching/burning sensation?

The only way i can explain it is that it has caused toxic shock, either the illness you had or the prednisone could of done this.

How long should hairloss stop let say if it is temporary hairloss cause by accutane? And how long will it grow back? Just can't believe that 20mg could cause so much problem on me.

how much do you weigh schindler?

lamarr just so i don't sound like an idiot what should I ask my derm for... just steroids haha? and do these steroids cause an increase in shed before they start to help? i don't know if i can take that

so i got my derm to prescribe me fluocinonide topical steroid for the hair loss and so far it's been the worst thing ever. I wouldn't say it was making much of a difference just in general during the day, but as soon as I hit the shower I literally lost 70-80 hairs at least. I haven't lost this mush since all this shit started months ago. Someone on this site also had a similar experience in using an oral anti-inlfammatory steroid. Needless to say Im done with the steroid for now. Sorry Lamar but as far as Im concerned now the hair loss could be anything, and if it is auto-immune it could be worse. Just a quick warning to anyone ready to throw anything on their head like I did. I'm hoping that it stops over the next couple days as the hair I have left is so thin and diffuse if I start shedding this amount daily now I'll be bald by the end of the year.

I will also say that despite this the fluocinonide did seem to make my hair feel softer and somewhat back to normal during the past few days I've been on it, but the increase in shedding in the shower is not worth it at all.

Ithappens, just remember how minoxidil works, i can assure you giving the steroid time it will improve things... What is happening is stronger hairs are being allowed to develop which push out the old 'miniturized' hair. It's up to you though man but i can assure you that is what will be happening in your case.

The reason i didn't suggest this for jnt, is that i don't know, or don't remember as much about her case. Just trust me dude, that IS what is happening.

lamarr just so i don't sound like an idiot what should I ask my derm for... just steroids haha? and do these steroids cause an increase in shed before they start to help? i don't know if i can take that

Intradermal kenalog shots.... And from looking at how some people have responded i would say yeah it is possible for an increase in shed, much like minoxidil which allows the production of thicker more healthier hair, but an awful lot of people have an initial shed with minoxidil and go on to have a great deal of regrowth!!

I'm gonna try and get a good enough digital camera to show you the regrowth on my temples. I have been using minoxidil for a few months now at half the recommended dose. Just on my temples, i have also been using topical steroid for about 3 months in total now, have stepped up to application of clobetasol propinate foam for 5 days of the week twice per day to the temple areas also (on top of daily application of clobetasol topical scalp application once daily).

I just wanted to know if anyone here is taking or have taken Biotin? I read some where that Accutane may reduce biotinidase activity. And the symptoms are so similar to Accutane side effects

"Initial symptoms of biotin deficiency include:

1. Dry skin

2. Seborrheic dermatitis

3. Fungal infections

4. Rashes including red, patchy ones near the mouth (erythematous periorofacial macular rash)

5. Fine and brittle hair

6. Hair loss or total baldness (alopecia)"

I remember Rudolph saying he was taking some Hair, Skin and Nail vitamins which stopped his shedding.

I took biotin for months with no luck!! I have also been tested for b12 deficiency, iron, zinc etc etc All normall or good levels!!

Thanks Schindler

Update us on your progress!

I'm not going to read all 80 pages

I was losing about 20-30 hairs a day, although my hair is thick and it was unnoticable. What I will say is that you absolutely should be using a hydrating shampoo and conditioner right from day 1 in the course. I think dermatologists should say this at the beginning.

For me it seemed that the dry scalp caused the hair to fall out. Keeping it moist with a good conditioner made a good difference.

I'm 3-4 months post tane and my hair is as thick as it was pre-tane.

Schindler,

How long have you been using the Spectral DS product? Did you see it has Retinol in it? It looks good b/c it doesn't contain minoxidil (I'm still holding out here). Isn't that a Vitamin A derivative?!

I still lost about 20 strand of hairs per day or so, no excess or reduction of hairloss as yet.

Nioxin is used for exactly what, reducing inflimation or dandruff? i also heard nioxin helps again hair loss, if nioxin does reduce inflimation what ingredient is it that causes this.

I'm gonna try and get a good enough digital camera to show you the regrowth on my temples. I have been using minoxidil for a few months now at half the recommended dose. Just on my temples, i have also been using topical steroid for about 3 months in total now, have stepped up to application of clobetasol propinate foam for 5 days of the week twice per day to the temple areas also (on top of daily application of clobetasol topical scalp application once daily).

I cant wait to see your progress lamarr, after reading ur experience from the beggining , reading ur daily updates , falling and now rising .

I wish i could pass over a such experience like yours , but i have the hope with me and never give up.

I bought a product called HairGrow , with the basic ingredient : minoxidil 2% , im gonna watch the progress of my hairline for a month or 2 and see if it works .. if now im gonna take the next step : a steroid cream, and of cours keeping an eye on this thread that is 100% helpfull

Yeah paks i am a bit ocd with all this stuff happening to me. But i'm not that sort that can just accept things like this, i have to find as many answers as possible. I have reached the stage were i know what i have to do and i just have to stick with it and hope for the best at the same time....

I am going to get a better digital cam so i can show the regrowth on the temple, my hairline has already moved back down my forehead, which is great i wasn't sure it would ever do that!!

All -

Do you think that the best solution is to start Rogaine? I have held out for 10 months without doing so. Would love to hear the group's thoughts. Remember - I'm a female and still want to have kids one day.

Hey, Has anyone tried Nioxin. I am using it right now during my second course of accutane and my hair rarely falls out. I used it after my first course and most of my hair grew back. In a way I don't mind it being not as thick. I used to get really hot with it so thick. You can get it at Salons in the U.S.

All -

 

Do you think that the best solution is to start Rogaine? I have held out for 10 months without doing so. Would love to hear the group's thoughts. Remember - I'm a female and still want to have kids one day.

So long as your not trying for kids now i don't see the problem.... How quickly is your hair deteriorating now though? you may find it doesn't get much worse for a long time now, in which case you could try holding out longer...

Hello All,

It-s been months since I checked in here. I wanted to give an update on my hair progress. It-s now been 15 months since I stopped accutane and my hair shedding has finally slowed down and I would say the overall thickness has improved, albeit very slowly. Still I've been very happy about the progress.

The upsetting thing is about 2 months ago I noticed having very dry, flakey skin around my hairline and now since about 3 weeks I've noticed considerable hair loss around that frontal hairline area....you can see shiny scalp where hair used to be. I-m not doing anything different and during all these months of loss, I never have bare spots just extreme overall thinning.

Has anyone else experienced a lot of hair loss on the front hair line during this process and had it grow back?

Many thanks,

Jade