OK, I have read from many threads that when you first start using products such as Finasteride or Minoxidil, you can experience quite a bit of shedding and temporarily look even balder than before. So here is my question:

Is it possible, through visual inspection of the fallen hair shaft, to tell whether it falls off because of shedding or hairloss? I am thinking maybe you will see a gel-like bulb at the base of the shaft in one case but not the other.

Good question, Bill...........don't know that I've heard it before.

I don't think they will look any different. In either case, the "bulb" isn't coming out of your scalp, it's just no longer producing hair. This is evident by the regrowth that occurs when person starts with Finasteride or Minoxidil. The hair that is being lost due to MPB would likely be finer in texture/thickness than a non-MPB susceptible hair since it is slowly degenerating each time during the growth cycle...........just IMO.

Bill_the_bald,

Honestly...no....but

If you just started on finasteride or minoxodil, shedding to some degree should be expected for the first few months.

Anything that continues beyond that or not as a result of medicine, could be suspected as hairloss. However, I must add that hair shedding is part of a natural life cycle of the hair...so really you should be looking for excessive shedding that could be an indication of hairloss.

One might suspect that the thicker hairs seemingly disappearing would be shedding rather than hairloss, especially if the hairs look healthy. But thinner (seemingly dying hairs) could be either shedding or hairloss depending on some of the above conditions. The thinner hair may be shedding to make room for a thicker shaft and healthier hair, or it could have fallen out only to grow an even thinner un-noticable hair since it is dying (or not grow again at all).

Those are some thoughts to chew on and swallow. Hope it helps bro.

Falc