Female pattern hair loss

[[eo...]]

I was just barely feeling more hopeful about getting my hair back after searching this forum and seeing so many positive stories, then yesterday I had an appointment with a hair loss specialist who told me I have female pattern hair loss (androgenic alopecia), which is genetic and permanent. She said the pattern of my hair loss (most thinning on the top/crown of the head, some thinning at the temples) is definitely the genetic pattern. I talked to her about how rapidly my hair had gotten worse and pointed out the timing since it happened during and after the benzo taper, and she said that stress, medications, hormone problems (all things that apply to me) can trigger this type of hair loss to start.

 

No hope left for my hair. I want to scream and cry. 

 

It seems ridiculous that the hair loss issue continues to feel so devastating considering all of the other symptoms and problems I have, but for some reason this feels the most difficult to deal with a lot of the time. Maybe because it is so visible. Or maybe because I still have hope for improvement with the other stuff.

[[eo...]]

Wait! After finally getting a little sleep I am wondering . . . maybe that hair specialist was wrong? Is female pattern hair loss ever misdiagnosed? The hair specialist just looked at photos of my head (virtual appointment), lots of photos, but no other exam or testing. Maybe, just maybe it is more complicated than she assumed? (I did tell her the whole background, but who knows if she understood.)

[[Me...]]

I had hair loss over my right ear during this and it all grew back this year!