Ladies, just because your hair is thinning in the crown doesn’t automatically mean you have CCCA. And a wider part cannot tell us your hormone levels either.
I know how quickly our minds go there. You catch a glimpse of your crown, move to another mirror, turn the light on, turn it off, and suddenly you’re conducting a whole investigation in the bathroom. I understand. I’ve dealt with thinning since I was a teenager and was diagnosed with central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia after having my first child.
What I want us to do is slow down enough to understand the change. Similar-looking thinning can involve different processes, and the next step should fit what is happening with your hair.
This is the companion guide to Crown Thinning? It May Not Be CCCA | Know the Difference, the first video in my hair-and-hormones series. Watch Crown Thinning? It May Not Be CCCA on YouTube, then use this illustrated guide to revisit the details.
Three clues: where, what, and what else?
Here is our starting point: where the thinning began, what the hair is doing, and what else you notice. You can write those three questions at the top of a journal page. You don’t need a bathroom shelf full of new products to start observing.
Clue 1: Where did your thinning start?
CCCA commonly begins around the crown and may expand outward. Female-pattern hair loss can show up as a widening center part or less fullness across the top. Those areas overlap, which is why a location helps guide an evaluation rather than settle it.
Think about the first change you actually remember. Was a patch becoming visible? Was your usual part looking wider? Did a ponytail feel smaller? Bring that history along with your pictures. The American Academy of Dermatology describes common female-pattern hair-loss patterns here.
Clue 2: Is the hair becoming finer, breaking, or shedding?
Miniaturization: the strand changes
With female-pattern hair loss, follicles can gradually produce finer, shorter hairs over successive growth cycles. That process is called miniaturization. A follicle may still be present while the strand contributes less to the fullness you see.
Think of the difference between one thick thread and one fine thread. Both are there, but they cover different amounts of space. That’s a simplified way to picture why growing hair and reduced density can happen together.
CCCA: inflammation and fibrosis
CCCA is a scarring alopecia. Inflammation can damage follicles, and fibrosis involves the buildup of fibrous connective tissue. A completely destroyed follicle replaced by scar tissue loses its ability to produce hair. Within an affected area, however, follicles can be at different stages. That is why recognizing changes early matters.
My own progress pictures are part of my experience. They cannot tell us what is happening inside every follicle on somebody else’s head. Keep room for your own assessment and your own plan.
Look again: what about follicular openings?
Follicular openings are the places where hair emerges through the scalp. They are generally preserved in female-pattern hair loss. Scarring can remove them in areas of advanced CCCA. Magnification helps an examiner assess these details, and sometimes a biopsy helps clarify the diagnosis.
The point of these visuals is to make the explanation easier to follow. A phone photo or a generated illustration cannot replace that closer examination.
Clue 3: What else is happening?
Record itching, tenderness, burning, and crown breakage when they occur. Also record visible changes when your scalp feels comfortable. AAD guidance explains that some people with CCCA feel discomfort and others do not.
What the research found about crown breakage
A 2012 clinicopathologic report by Callender and colleagues examined nine patients presenting with vertex breakage. Of eight interpretable biopsies, five had changes typical of CCCA, two had a finding suggestive of early disease, and one was normal. This was a small, selected group—not a percentage to apply to everyone with breakage. It supports paying attention to persistent crown breakage while considering its other possible causes.
And what about hormones?
A 2019 multidisciplinary committee report on female-pattern hair loss and androgen excess stated that isolated female-pattern hair loss should not be taken as evidence of androgen excess when androgen levels are normal. So let’s look at symptoms, history, scalp findings, and relevant testing together.
Changes in your cycle, childbirth, illness, or new medication are useful timeline details. In the next video, we explore when hormones may be involved and what questions to ask.
You can have more than one process happening
A CCCA diagnosis and a new episode of excessive shedding can exist together. Female-pattern hair loss may also coexist. The AAD explains how shedding can follow physical or emotional stressors. A change that follows illness or childbirth may appear after a delay, so look back over the preceding months.
My holistic approach: support the hair and understand the cause
You know natural care is part of who I am. I pay attention to what I put on my hair, what I eat, and whether my routine is something I can maintain. Gentle cleansing, conditioning, careful detangling, and lower-tension styles give us practical ways to care for our hair while working through the cause of thinning.
How tightly are your braids installed? How are you tying your hair at night? Are you taking a style down carefully? Small habits deserve a place in the conversation. And when I deep condition, I prefer a plastic cap with a towel rather than added heat.
Look at your meals too. Are you eating enough and including protein? A colorful mix of vegetables, fruit, beans, whole grains, and other foods you enjoy can support an overall nourishing eating pattern. Nutrient deficiencies may need assessment and targeted treatment. AAD’s hair-care guidance discusses nutrition and gentle handling.
For your routine, explore my Rosemary & Peppermint Herbal Deep Conditioner and the Sydney Nicole Products collection. Select products for their role in cleansing, conditioning, comfort, and manageability. Cosmetic care sits alongside diagnosis-specific care for inflammatory or scarring conditions.
Start your monthly photos and hair-and-scalp journal
Take pictures about once a month, using similar lighting, distance, angle, and parting. Photograph the crown, center part, and any other area you want to follow. Tomorrow’s picture is unlikely to answer a question about months of change. Rome wasn’t built overnight.
You can use my free Mind, Body & Spirit self-care planner or a notebook you already have. Keep a short record of:
- Dates and locations of thinning, shedding, or breakage.
- Scalp sensations and visible changes.
- Products, wash days, styles, and tension.
- Medication, supplement, menstrual, diet, or health changes.
- Questions and follow-up dates for your care.
That is observation with a purpose. Bring it to an evaluation if the change persists or progresses. Your hair is your own, and understanding its changes is a better starting point than comparing it with Sally’s, Rashida’s, John’s, or mine.
Where did your thinning start?
Was it the crown, a widening part, or somewhere else? Tell me in the YouTube comments. I want to hear your experience, and you never need to post private medical results.
Watch more of my CCCA journey
- Watch the first related CCCA video.
- Watch the second related CCCA video.
- Read my 10-Year CCCA Crown Journey.
- Read about my big chop and steroid-shot experience.
Research and further reading
- Callender VD et al. Hair breakage as a presenting sign of early or occult CCCA: clinicopathologic findings in 9 patients. Archives of Dermatology, 2012. Study abstract.
- Carmina E et al. Female Pattern Hair Loss and Androgen Excess: a multidisciplinary committee report. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2019. Report.
- AAD: CCCA overview; female-pattern hair loss; hair loss and shedding.
This article combines my experience with educational research summaries. Scalp and follicle graphics are AI-generated educational illustrations, not patient photographs, biopsy slides, or diagnostic tests. Individual results vary.
This is Charmaine from Black Hair and Skin Care, SydneyNicoleProducts.com. And it’s time to take your crown back®! 💜
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