I sometimes hear from people who have mixed feelings about the hair they finally see grow after a bout of aggressive shedding. On one hand, they are relieved to see new growth. But on the other hand, the regrowth does not appear to be particularly thick and healthy. If anything, he looks rather skinny 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 I saw little hairs coming out. I was excited because I thought this meant my hair was growing.” again”. . Later, I showed it to one of my friends. She has also gone through hair loss. And she said that she looked like a miniaturization instead of a new growth. Is this possible? The hairs are short and are in the areas where I have lost the most hair. I admit that they look thin. But what is the difference between miniaturized hair and new growth?

Well, at the most basic level. The new growth should and will hopefully develop into normal healthy hair once it has 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 these things are in place, the hair (which may seem a bit thin at first) will become normal hair and should replace the shed hair quite nicely. Sure, it only grows at the 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 via the route of a follicle that has been compromised by its sensitivity to androgens and has shrunk as a result, then this hair is bound to be compromised and damaged. And this is going to manifest itself in the appearance of that hair. Typically, the hair will be thin, fine, and lighter in both weight and color than the more normal hair on the scalp. This is miniaturized hair and is more likely to be in a high androgen area on the scalp like the temples, crown, or top. That is not to say that some people do not lose all their hair in severe situations and become thin or completely bald. But since we are talking about a woman here, it would be more likely to see miniaturization in those selected androgen-sensitive places on the scalp.

So how do you know that what you’re looking at is regrowth or miniaturization? Well, aside from tearing your hair out and taking a closer look, you can see the totality of the situation and try to make an educated guess. If the hair is still short, there is a good chance that you are seeing new growth. Because while miniaturized hair can get finer, it won’t get shorter unless you cut your hair. So if you see hair that’s only a couple of inches long, chances are you’re looking at new growth. Now, the regrowth can be miniaturized, but you’ll usually need to give it a couple of months to grow to be sure. Hair can grow a bit fine and thin and then thicken as it grows. This doesn’t always happen, but I wouldn’t call it rare either.

Also, if you are a woman and your hair does not have androgens, such as the sides or bangs, the chances of miniaturization will be less. Of course, it’s not impossible to see that in these areas, but it’s definitely less likely.

Finally, if the hair is lighter in color, looks unhealthy, and is longer, then it may be miniaturization. Look at the hair around the area in question. You are more likely to see the entire affected area rather than just one or two strands of hair if it involves miniaturization.

But to answer the original question, regrowth is the normal (albeit short) hair that you will see grow back after a fall. Miniaturization is compromised and damaged hair that is the result of a hair loss condition such as androgenetic alopecia. Both can look a bit skinny when first entering. But in a couple of months, healthy new growth will look like normal hair in both color and diameter, whereas miniaturized hair usually won’t.