Is Diffuse Hair Loss Also Causing a Receding Hairline?'

Jen

Question: I have been suffering from a diffuse hair loss for around seven months and have lost a considerable amount of hair fairly evenly. My dermatologist diagnosed me with a telogen effluvium but my hairline appears to be receding and I cannot seem to see any follicular holes where my hair line has gone back slightly. It seems to look smooth and I am worried this receding hairline might be ffa but I am only a 25 year old female. Am I right to be worried my receding hairline is a scarring alopecia?

Answer: Hi, Jen. Hair loss from Telogen Effluvium should not last for more than six months. It does cause shedding from across the whole head, which is consistent with what you say here, but may be more noticeable in some areas than others, such as the hairline.

Telogen Effluvium that lasts for over six months is known as Chronic Telogen Effluvium, or Diffuse Thinning. Again, this would affect the whole head and not just your hairline.

Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia (FFA) is quite rare in someone of your age, though it is not impossible. However, there are other hair loss conditions that can cause a receding hairline in women and are worth considering.

If you regularly wear your hair in tight hairstyles such as braids, high ponytails or a bun, or have hair extensions, Traction Alopecia could be a likely culprit. This fully-preventable condition occurs when excessive tension and pressure is applied to the hair follicles, causing hair loss that is often most noticeable around the hairline. It can affect anyone, of any age or hair type, but can often be reversed with due care and attention such as following a customised traction alopecia treatment course and ditching the damaging hairstyles so that the follicles are able to recover.

It is also possible that you may be experiencing two hair loss conditions - such as Chronic Telogen Effluvium and Traction Alopecia - simultaneously. This is not uncommon and would account for the two different patterns of hairloss - the generalised hair thinning and the receding hairline.

The best advice we can give you is to have a professional consultation so that a specialist can provide you with an expert diagnosis as to precisely which condition - or conditions - you are experiencing. Then, once armed with this information, tailoring a bespoke hair loss treatment course to your specific needs should help to get you back on track.