I heard from someone who said: "when my hair started shedding, I hoped that it was just a seasonal thing that would resolve quickly. I've had this type of hair loss before and although the amount of hair that sheds out is alarming, it's over so quickly that it's not a big deal. Unfortunately, it's now obvious that this isn't a seasonal issue. Once I realized that it wasn't seasonal shedding, I began to hope that I had telogen effluvium because at least that way, the hair loss would end after a few months. Well, now eight months has gone by, and the shedding hasn't stopped. At this point, I have no idea what type of hair loss I have and it doesn't appear to be slowing in any way. I am losing hope. How do I keep going when it appears that there is no hope in sight?" I'll try to address these concerns below.
Why You Shouldn't Lose Hope: I know firsthand that it's very easy to get down when you are going through this. I got so down when I was having aggressive hair loss that I went and got fitted for a topper and a wig because I just wanted to be prepared. Thankfully, I never had to use them. But in my own mind, I fully expected that I would need them one day because I too had lost hope. And I'm not a pessimistic person by nature but when you never see any positive change, it's easy to expect the worst.
But here is what I've learned from my research and from reaching out to other's in the same situation. Plenty of people see their hair loss end. Many see some improvements over time. In my opinion and experience, the only reason to lose hope is the result of giving up completely. As long as you keep educating yourself, you continue to try to improve your situation, and you keep a positive outlook, there is always reason to have hope.
Know That Hair Loss And Shedding Is Often Treatable: Think about it this way. Many types of hair loss can be treated or improved. Even if this person had chronic telogen effluvium, this condition will often eventually resolve once the trigger is removed. Sure, it may take longer than you would like. But even with chronic telogen effluvium, the constant unrelenting shedding typically doesn't last forever. I'm certainly not an expert, but I believe that many specialists would tell you the same.
And even androgenetic alopecia can be treated aggressively by decreasing the sensitivity to androgens and by supporting regrowth. This person's description didn't make me think of alopecia areata, but even that condition can be treated by an experienced dermatologist. And some people go into remission and grow their hair back even when they have lost huge amounts of hair.
I didn't know that type of hair loss was behind this situation, but it help to know that I've known people who have shed for long periods of time who have had recovery even when they thought this wasn't possible and even when they had nearly given up. I can also tell you this. Often, your hair loss doesn't appear to be as bad or as obvious to others as you might think. We often think what we are going through is extremely noticeable, but the truth is most people just aren't paying attention.
I know that in our own minds we worry that we are going to wake up bald (or at least very thin) one day. But this is rarely the case. Often, the hair loss is slower than we think and because we start out with so much hair, noticeable hair loss takes several months (or even years) of steady shedding. I know that this is hard. I know that it can feel like there is no hope because there is no end. But the end could be right around the corner and you may not appreciate this if you have shut down. I won't tell you that it's "just your hair" because I hated it when people told me this. It's not that simple. And it diminishes what you are going through. What I will say though is that you have value and worth far beyond your perceived appearance. You deserve your best effort. And your best effort doesn't include giving up.
So to answer the question posed, there is definitely reason to hold onto hope. Sometimes, an improvement is right around the corner and sometimes it takes trying just one more thing or going to one more specialist until you stumble on a diagnosis or a treatment that might help you. And sometimes, time is all you need as your trigger resolves itself.
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