Sometimes I hear from people who have mixed feelings about their hair that they finally see grow after an aggressive shedding attack. On the one hand, they are relieved to see that it has grown back. But on the other hand, the regrowth does not seem to be particularly thick and healthy. If anything, it seems somewhat thin and sickly.
You may hear a comment like: “My hair has been falling out for over four months. The other day, I was combing my hair back and saw little raised hairs. I was excited because I thought this meant that my hair was growing back. . Later, I showed it to one of my friends. She has also been through hair loss. And she said it looked like miniaturization rather than regrowth to her. Is this possible? The hairs are short and in the areas where I’ve lost most of the hair. I admit they look thin. But what’s the difference between miniaturized hair and regrowth? “
Well, at the most basic level. The regrowth should develop into normal, healthy hair, and hopefully it will, once you have some time to gain length and grow. At best, regrowth occurs on a healthy scalp that is not sensitive to androgens and also has normal follicles to support it. When all of these things are in place, the hair (which may seem a bit thin at first) will turn into normal hair and should replace the hair that broke off pretty well. Sure, it only grows at a rate of about a half inch per month, but over time, it will replace what was lost.
On the other hand, if hair attempts to enter the route of a follicle that has been compromised by its androgen sensitivity and has shrunk as a result, this hair is bound to be compromised and damaged. And this is going to manifest itself in the appearance of that hair. Hair will generally be fine, fine, and lighter in both weight and color than the other, more normal hair on the scalp. This is miniaturized hair and is most likely to be found in a high androgen area on the scalp, such as the temples, crown, or top. That is not to say that some people do not lose all of their hair in severe situations and become thin or bald all over. But since we’re talking about a woman here, we’d be more likely to see miniaturization in those select androgen-sensitive spots on the scalp.
So how do you know that what you are seeing is regrowth or miniaturization? Well, apart from pulling your hair out and observing it closely, you can see the whole situation and try to make a very educated guess. If the hair is still short, it is very likely that you are looking for it to grow back. Because even though miniaturized hair can get thinner, it won’t get shorter unless you cut your hair. So if you see hair that is only a couple of inches long, chances are you are looking for new growth. Now the regrowth can be miniaturized, but you will usually have to give it a couple of months to grow to be safe. Hair can grow a little fine and thin and then thicken as it grows. This doesn’t always happen, but I wouldn’t call it weird either.
Also, if you are a woman and your hair is not androgynous like the sides or bangs, the chances of it being miniaturized will be less. Of course, it is not impossible to see that in these areas, but it is definitely less likely.
Finally, if the hair is lighter in color, appears sickly, and is longer, then it may be miniaturization. Look at the hair around the area in question. The entire area is more likely to be affected rather than just a lock of hair or two if it involves miniaturization.
But to answer the original question, regrowth is normal (albeit short) hair that you will see grow back after a shedding period. Miniaturization is compromised and damaged hair that is the result of a hair loss condition such as androgenetic alopecia. Both can look a bit thin when you first arrive. But in a couple of months, healthy regrowth will look like normal hair in both color and diameter, while miniaturized hair generally won’t.