2 Weeks After Using Hair Dye, My Hair Is Falling Out!

I’m a 28 year old female who has always had very long, thick and strong hair. I’ve dyed it for YEARS. Now, suddenly, my hair is falling out and baldness is not found on the woman’s side of my family. After I brush and after I wash I can literally pull out the hair by the handful. It’s scaring me to death. I dyed my hair about 5 weeks ago, and 3 weeks ago is when I began to notice this. Could it be connected? My scalp didn’t feel burned or hurt, so origially didn’t think it could be related to the coloring. However, I at a loss and I’m loosing my cool. Please help! Thanks so much.

It is normal to lose 100 hairs a day. You might consider stopping the hair coloring process to try to surround what is happening. That being said, I am sure you are noticing more hair falling out than what you are used to. It may be a phase or it may be a sign of a medical illness or a genetic balding process. Genetic balding does not necessary mean that your mother or father were balding. Hair loss in women can sometimes be caused by underlying medical conditions, so it is important for you to be evaluated by your own physician before we proceed. If clinically appropriate, the following disease processes should be considered: anemia, thyroid disease, connective tissue disease, gynecological conditions and emotional stress. It is also important to review the use of medications that can cause hair loss, such as oral contraceptives, beta-blockers, Vitamin A, thyroid drugs, coumadin and prednisone. The following laboratory tests are often useful if underlying problems are suspected: Estradiol, FSH, LH, SHBG, Prolactin, T4, TSH, ANA, Iron, TIBC, Ferritin, Free and Total Testosterone. You may benefit from a miniaturization study to examine your hair under a hair densitometer to document the health of your hair.