# Women's Hair Loss > Women's Hair Loss: Start Your Own Topic >  Please Can Anyone Explain

## Della

Can anybody explain:
1. What are Velus hairs and do they ever grow?

2. I saw a picture of Intermediate Hair and it was just like mine which I thought was my hair breaking off. So what is Intermediate Hair and does it grow longer?

3. I have pure white translucent hairs started growing but they won't take dye either permanent or temporary so they make me look even more bald so I have to brush brown mascara through them.

What are these hairs and will they carry on growing.

Any help would be gratefully appreciated.

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## Tracy C

> 1. What are Velus hairs and do they ever grow?


 Look at the hairs on your arms.  Those are vellus hairs.  Vellus hairs can grow if you respond to the medicine that stimulates hair to grow.  It does take a long time for that to happen though.






> 2...what is Intermediate Hair and does it grow longer?


 As the name suggests, intermediate hairs are between vellus and terminal hairs.  As is the case with vellus hairs, intermediate hairs can grow if you respond to the medicine that stimulates hair to grow.  Again, it takes a long time for that to happen.

Treating hair loss takes a long time.  Time that is measured in months and years...  It is what it is.   :Frown:

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## Della

> Look at the hairs on your arms.  Those are vellus hairs.  Vellus hairs can grow if you respond to the medicine that stimulates hair to grow.  It does take a long time for that to happen though.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> As the name suggests, intermediate hairs are between vellus and terminal hairs.  As is the case with vellus hairs, intermediate hairs can grow if you respond to the medicine that stimulates hair to grow.  Again, it takes a long time for that to happen.
> 
> Treating hair loss takes a long time.  Time that is measured in months and years...  It is what it is.


 Hi Tracy
Thank you so much for this information.  Can you please confirm what you mean by terminal hairs, are these my intermediate hairs which are just going to grow on and fall out or is terminal hairs the term for final mature hairs which one hopes are going hang on in there!  Many thanks Della

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## Tracy C

Terminal hairs are the normal hairs on your head.  You want terminal hairs on your head.  Hereditary hair loss is the weakening and shrinking of terminal hairs until they turn into vellus hairs.

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## Della

> Terminal hairs are the normal hairs on your head.  You want terminal hairs on your head.  Hereditary hair loss is the weakening and shrinking of terminal hairs until they turn into vellus hairs.


 Thank you once again Tracy for this information, you are so knowledgeable, even my Dermatologist could not tell me this.  You are a Star.
Do you have any information on the white transluscent hairs that are growing which won't take hair dye of any sort.  The ones I have to put brown mascara on!
Sorry to be a pain but you have been so hepful.  I have been through a lot of emotional stuff on this and now want to approach it from a more practical angle hence all the questions.

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## Tracy C

> Do you have any information on the white transluscent hairs that are growing which won't take hair dye of any sort.


 That description sounds a lot like vellus hairs.






> Sorry to be a pain but you have been so hepful.  I have been through a lot of emotional stuff on this and now want to approach it from a more practical angle hence all the questions.


 I had extensive hair loss, not quite as bad as male stage V but still pretty bad - and it was patchy.  I had to wear wigs.

I started treating my hair loss four years ago when my primary care doctor suggested I give the the laser comb a try.  I used the laser comb for six months and my hair did improve a lot.  Many of the downey hairs had grown into larger, more cosmetically significant hairs.  I had more coverage - the patches of coverage had spread out bigger than they were before.  From there I started using women's Rogaine along with the laser comb for the next six months.  I saw even more improvement by the end of that year.  It still wasn't enough though, so I sought the advise of a doctor who specializes in treating hair loss.  I have learned a lot from him.

I do advise everyone dealing with hair loss to seek out the help of a doctor who specializes in treating hair loss.  Women especially need to find out what is causing the hair loss.  Is it hormone imbalance?  Infection?  Stress?  Is it just plain old hereditary androgenetic alopecia?..  In my case, it is plain old androgenetic alopecia.  My Mother and her sisters all have more extensive hair loss than I have suffered.  One of the first things I learned from my doctor was that I do not have to accept the fate of my Mother and Aunts...  After four years and two transplant surgeries to trat the problem, I no longer need to wear wigs if I don't want to - though I still do from time to time.

Don't worry about asking questions.  That is what we are here for.

Two or three things you can start doing right away is use Nizoral A-D shampoo once or twice a week (but not more than that), look into getting a laser comb and consider using Rogaine or generic Minoxidil.  Many women use Men's Rogaine Foam in the morning and then generic women's Minoxidil in the evening.  This is what I do.

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## Della

Many thanks for sharing your knowledge.  I shall treat as you suggest but don't think I can stretch to hair transplants!  Feel so much more focused on the problem with your direction.  Many thanks once again.  Della

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## Tracy C

> I shall treat as you suggest but don't think I can stretch to hair transplants!


 I hope you never need to have hair transplant surgery.  I waited too long to treat the problem.  If I had known what to do before it had gone too far, I would likely have never needed transplant surgery.

Here is my regimen for you reference.

I use my laser comb on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

I use Nizoral A-D shampoo twice per week on Wednesday and Saturday.

I use Men's Rogaine foam every morning.  The foam is more stealthy and makes styling easier.

I use generic women's 2% liquid Minoxidil every evening a couple of hours before betime.

I also take an anti-androgen that was prescribed by my doctor twice daily (talk to your doctor about this one).

Aside from those things, I also watch my diet and get plenty of exercise to maintain health (and my figure).

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