Top of Scalp is Thinning, but Hair Still Grows Very Slowly

Hi Dr., I am a 23 year old black male. My texture of hair is curly (soft). About 5 years ago I was dying my hair alot and putting relaxers in it as well, for different styles. I then cut my hair very low. Now that i’m trying to grow my hair out again, the top of my hair is starting look alot thinner than the rest. I can see the little holes on my head, but the hair grows very slow from them. What do I do?

It is difficult to answer your question without a good physical exam and medical history. While trauma from chemicals may cause some hair loss, it should generally grow back unless the chemicals you used worked their way into the hair follicles below the skin of the scalp. Furthermore, if you have a very short hair cut, the thinning or hair loss is more readily noticeable and any hair that is genetically impacted with miniaturization will see slower hair growth. You may have a component of male pattern hair loss and a miniaturization analysis will show that. If you suspect such a scenario, you should see a doctor to establish a diagnosis and have a miniaturization study of your hair to see the pattern of thinning.