Woman Losing Hair Following Recent Move and Job Change

/by William Rassman, M.D./1 /

I am a 25 year old female experiencing hair loss. I can tell that my ponytail is about half the thickness it was about 2 months ago. I haven’t noticed any bald spots really, but at the front of my head and can definitely see my scalp and it is a lot thinner. I have had blood work done for thyroid and anemia. Everything came back normal. I attributed it to moving away and starting a new job and just being stressed out, but losing my hair is just making me stress even more.

There is even less hair on my arms, legs, and body. My skin is starting to become itchy, but no rash or dryness. And my hair is less oily. I have gained about 5-10 pounds, but I figure that’s because with my new office job I am less active. I have no history of hair loss in my family, but my dad does have thyriod problems, but that test came back normal. Any ideas on what could be going on?

Stress from your new job and the move could contribute to hair loss, and I realize losing hair in itself can also be stressful — so it seems like a never-ending cycle. That being said, there are many possible reasons for hair loss in women, so it would be difficult to solely place the cause on stress. You can find a partial list of causes here.

Did you just start notice your hair starting to thin during or following the move, or was there some loss going on prior to that when you were under less stressful situations?

Tags: female hair loss, hairloss, hair loss, stress

Hair Loss and Hashimoto’s Disease

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /,

(female)
in 2007 my thyroid gland was removed due to Hashimoto. ever since i suffer severe hairloss. take Euthyrox 150 and Tertroxin 30. TSH/T4/T3 normal. normal estrogin, low Progesterone. Iron normal. take lots of vitamins and amino’s. lost eyelashes below as well.

It has not been unusual to see women who have had hair loss associated with a variety of thyroid diseases, not return to their normal state, even after treatment and cure of the thyroid problem. These diseases may have induced genetic female balding as the cause of the hair loss. I just can’t be sure.

Have you followed up with your physician, who has a better knowledge of your case and treatment history?

Tags: hashimoto’s disease, thyroid, hairloss, hair loss, female hair loss

My Rheumatoid Arthritis Medication Caused Female Hair Loss

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /,

I used Leflunomide for R.A. for a few weeks, and developed hair fall for more than two months now. I have stopped the Leflunomide more than two months ago. Hair fall is still taking place.

Can I use Avodart capsules locally? How long does hair fall persist after stopping Leflunomide? Any further advice?

I am a 50 year old housewife by the way. Thank you in advance

AravaOne of the common side effects of leflunomide (marketed as Arava) is hair loss, and this is a side effect for a number of other arthritis medications as well. Although it seems that it could be likely, I can’t say for sure if the medication is the cause of your hair loss. Though even if it is, are you willing to suffer the pain of rheumatoid arthritis? You really need to express your concerns to your prescribing physician, also noting any changes in medication.

Avodart (dutasteride) is not a medication for women and would not help with your hair loss, particularly if the RA medication was the cause.

Tags: arava, leflunomide, rheumatoid arthritis, hairloss, hair loss, female hair loss

Is Minoxidil Still Effective If I Restart It After Giving Birth?

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /,

I started using Minoxidil about 4 months ago, and it has been working nicely. I plan to try for a third child in a couple of years. I know pregnancy hormones protect your hair from falling out (as much) during pregnancy, but I would expect to lose some hair after the birth. My question for you is this: Is Minoxidil as effective the second time around? If I restart it after taking a break for pregnancy, should I expect good results?

There is no rule on minoxidil where you cannot restart using it. If it has helped in the past, you can try again. I would not know what to expect, but it is worth a shot!

Any readers have first hand experience with stopping and restarting minoxidil after a pregnancy?

Tags: minoxidil, hairloss, hair loss

Female Hair Loss from Tramadol?

/by William Rassman, M.D./1 /, ,

(female)
Oh My God! I have been taking tramadol every night at bedtime. Now I have noticed my hair is falling out by the handful everytime I wash and dry my hair!I am freaking out! I am 51 years old. I am very disapointed to find out that other people are having the same problem. If this keeps up I will be totally bald in a few weeks! If I stop taking it, will my hair grow back? I can’t lose any more hair!!! Please help!

Back painTramadol is a back pain medication that isn’t known to cause hair loss according to the literature I’ve found (see side effects), but it isn’t outside the realm of possibility. Chronic pain and stress may also be contributing to your thinning hair.

You need to calm down, write down a history with time lines to it, and then bring that information to a good dermatologist or your family doctor (or even better, your prescribing physician). You’re panicking, and that won’t help things. Clearly, this is not an overnight problem you have. Female hair loss is complex and requires considerable analysis.

There might be something else going on and your taking Tramadol is coincidental to the hair loss. I don’t know how long you’ve been taking the medication, how much of it you’re taking, etc… and there’s really no way to know if the hair will regrow until a cause can be determined. Talk to your prescribing doctor about these issues before making changes to your dosage or stopping it altogether.

Tags: tramadol, pain, hairloss, hair loss

Hair Transplant for a 21 Year Old Woman Losing Hair?

/by William Rassman, M.D./2 /, ,

Dear doctor

I am a 21 year old female. I’ve been losing my hair since i had my first period when i was 12. Now i have very thin hair and almost no hair on the front of my scalp. i went to many doctors here in the middle east and all of them said its genetic. Now i am using Regaine 2%. I am thinking of doing a hair transplant. what do you think? And if there is any recommendation of my case?

Thank you

I can’t tell if you’re a candidate without an exam. Many women are unfortunately not hair transplant candidates, though. I’m not sure what tests the doctors you’ve seen might have run, but if you went to many doctors and all of them say it was genetics, I won’t argue the point.

How long have you been using the Rogaine? Also, have you looked into using a topical camouflage like DermMatch or Toppik? Here are some examples:

Tags: rogaine, minoxidil, regaine, hair transplant, hairloss, hair loss, female hair loss, toppik

Viviscal for Women?

/by William Rassman, M.D./5 /,

Hello,I am a 31 years old female and a mother of one child. I am currently losing hair on the top of my head, you can actually see scalp. My hair has become very thin. I have always had fine hair but it is curly so I can cover it up very easily. I have been looking around for something to help me and came across Viviscal. Would you recommend this for a woman who has excessive body hair? If not what do you recomend? I thought of Rogaine but I hate the idea of having to take it forever.

Thank you

ViviscalI don’t recommend Viviscal, as it hasn’t been proven to my satisfaction to treat hair loss. It also isn’t FDA approved, as it is just regarded as an over the counter supplement. The key ingredient appears to be a marine protein extract, so if you’ve got a fish allergy you should steer clear. Another key ingredient is vitamin C. While the product might help nourish your hair, I don’t know that it would treat hair loss, particularly if it is genetic in nature. Otherwise if you wish to use it, that is your choice to make.

For women, your options for treating hair loss are unfortunately rather limited. Have you seen a doctor to find out what the possible cause of your hair loss is? We compiled a partial list of female hair loss causes here.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, viviscal, nourkrin, marine extract

How Successful Are Transplants for African American Women?

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /, ,

I am an african american woman with traction alopecia. I have about an inch to inch and a half of traction above my forehead and temples. No traction any where else. I have ample donor supply. My hair is very thick and coily. I recently saw a hair transplant surgeon in San Francisco, that told me i have the donor supply but may not have a successful transplant because of the texture of my hair. The surgeon has showed me pictures of his past work but I was not impressed.

They were pics of african amer men but i saw little improvement. I see pictures and comments on the web that it is possibly for women of my hair texture to have successful transplants. I am not prone to keloids, however, I experience ingrown hairs in my pelvic region. Is there a specialist our Dr or technique that can help me?

Success of a hair transplant surgery is highly variable with each medical group. It’s not like going to a mechanic, where you can have a tire changed or your oil changed and the end result is pretty much the same. Unfortunately, I don’t have any specialist referral to provide.

Surgery in African American men and women is technically challenging, because each hair (underneath) the skin is curly. In other words, the grafts are curly. That means it is difficult for the technicians to cut and place the grafts. If threading a needle is hard enough, imagine threading a tightly coiled thread through a needle. Many doctors and medical groups for this reason shy away from performing surgery on African American hair or even curly hair. Add this to the fact African American men and women have a greater tendency to develop scarring and keloids. If you’re not prone to keloids, you’re lucky!

Another point to make is that hair transplantation surgery in women generally is not as straight forward as surgery in men, as the results may not be permanent. Men have a permanent donor area, whereas women’s hair loss is more diffuse. You should also know that to fix the balding from traction alopecia, the patient will often need more than one surgery, as the density of transplanted hair may not match the density of the natural hair behind it.

Alas, I am not your surgeon and I am not here to give you a personalize opinion. This information is generalized and you need to understand what is and is not possible. Weigh out the pros and cons of what you are trying to achieve and make an informed and educated decision.

Tags: african american, black, hair loss in women, female hair loss, hair transplant, hairloss, hair loss

I’m Scared I May Have Developed Traction Alopecia!

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /

Hello there. I thank you in advance for your time and efforts related to hair loss. I’m a twenty year-old Caucasian female and have recently detected signs of traction alopecia behind my ears (due to adding more wefts of hair extensions in recent months). I’m terrified that my hair will never grow back, and while I’ve worn extensions for approximately two years, I’ve only noticed the hair loss within the past four or five months. I’m completely devastated by the hair loss, as I’ve experienced body dysmorphia with my hair for the past ten years.

At this point, my hair is extremely short (bob-like cut), and I’ve loosely placed a few clip in extensions to add fullness to my hair (although they’re not placed in the location where hair-loss is evident). As noted, the level of devastation that I’m currently experiencing is beyond words–I feel as though I’ve been completely robbed of my femininity and any/all confidence that existed in me prior to the hair-loss discovery. I’m in dire need of help/advice/support. Will my hair grow back? And what can be done to speed up the process? I’m a college student on financial aid–thus, only capable of funding at-home remedies.

Again, thank you for your time and effort in this matter. It’s greatly appreciated.

Best regards

First and foremost, fear should not be a factor when you are dealing with hair loss. You need to empower yourself and find a reason — even a medical diagnosis. I do not know if you have traction alopecia, but constant pulling on the hair from hair extensions may cause it. There may be other unknown causes as well.

Keep in mind that it generally take over a year to see hairs to grow back (if they are going to grow back) and there is no product that I am aware of that speeds up this process. As a financial aid student, you should probably give it time rather than spend money on products that do not work.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, female hair loss, traction alopecia

I Stopped Perming My Hair Months Ago and Still Have Bald Spots

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /, ,

For the last couple of months my hair has been falling out all over my head. I have bold spots everywhere and i dont know what is going on. I stopped putting perms in for about 2 months know and i dont know what to do. Can someone please tell me something that i can do im young and i have a daughter.

If there’s chemical burns on your scalp from the perms, it could take up to a year to see regrowth… if it will grow at all. I have no idea what’s going in your particular case though, so I’d suggest you see a dermatologist in your area to get to the bottom of it. The bald spots could be related to the chemicals or could be something else entirely.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, perm, chemical burn, chemical damage, female hair loss

Hair Loss After Mammaplasty

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /,

I had a reduction mammaplasty under general anaesthesia for 6 hours in early June. In early October, my hair suddenly started to fall out more at first and only got worse till now (24th December). Could this be TE? How long is this expected to last?

I am aware that some patients report diffuse hair loss after a major surgery. If it is telogen effluvium, then it may take 6 to 12 months to recover. However, I have often noticed that many patients do not fully recover (or regrow) all of their hair. It is my general advice that one gets a good physical examination by their physician to rule out other causes of hair loss as well.

I realize you (like many others) are looking for answers on the Internet, but I doubt you will find it… even here on BaldingBlog. This may be a good place to start, but as you explore the web you will be lost and confused, possibly ending up in a well-designed website promising you a cure for just three easy payments of only $19.95 (as an example). As I stated many times, seek out your medical issues with your doctor, one on one.

Tags: mammaplasty, hairloss, hair loss, telogen effluvium

My Eyebrows Grow and Then Fall Out

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /

Hello Dr. Rassman,
I have been having eyebrow loss for over ten years now. It started after a period of overzealous plucking as a teen (I am now 29). The hair grows out and then after a few weeks to months it gets very weak and limp and falls out. This has been going on for years. My primary doc said it was age and possibly alopecia (though I have no problems on scalp and hair loss is diffuse not patchy). my dermatologist said seb derm but my symptoms are not that similar and the meds he prescribed didn’t help. Any ideas what it can be? And am I a candidate for transplant surgery? Please help! Thank you.

I really couldn’t make an attempt at an answer to what you are asking without examining you myself. So I’m not sure what it could be. If it is indeed seborrheic dermatitis, treatments are usually limited to antifungal shampoos. You didn’t mention which meds you were prescribed, so I’m kind of at a loss there, too.

As for whether you’re a surgical candidate, again, that’s not something that can be determined without an exam. A hair transplant into the eyebrow will reflect the thickness of the hair in the donor area where it is taken from (back of the head area).

Tags: eyebrows, hairloss, hair loss, eyebrow loss

African American Female Hairline Loss

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /,

Hi I am a thirty year old African American Female. From my early childhood, I have been exposed to tight ponytails, braids, weaves and chemical services applied incorrectly. Surprisingly, I still have a head full of hair with the exception of my thinning hair line. My hair is currently chemical free and has been that way for over seven years. I normally wear wigs as a protective style. My hairline is still thin. Is surgery my only option?

Norwood 4AUnfortunately, there’s no medication that can restore a hairline and surgery might be the only option. Hair transplants for the frontal hairline work well, even in African Americans. Unfortunately, many African American women I’ve seen with traction alopecia have lost much of their frontal hair, even the hair that goes into the temple peaks on the side, creating a concave look similar to a Norwood Class 4A pattern (see image at right). The problem is that the larger the area, the more hair it takes to get a thick result.

African Americans usually are born with less hair than Caucasians (about 65% by hair count) so the supply is often more limited. In your case, if the hair loss is just in the frontal 1 1/2 inches, you may be able to get it back. A good examination is important, especially when made by someone who has considerable experience capable of giving you realistic expectations.

Tags: african american, black hair, african hair, hairloss, hair loss, traction alopecia

In the News – Female Hair Loss Causes

/by William Rassman, M.D./2 /

Snippet from the article:

In most cases, the cause is a genetic condition called androgenic alopecia, which is when hair follicles shrink because of a loss of estrogen and/or increased sensitivity to testosterone. Unlike men, who tend to experience androgenic alopecia as receding hairlines, women generally get thinning at the temples and the tops of their heads.

Once it starts, it usually gets worse, so it’s best to seek treatment earlier on when there’s more hair to save, Redmond said. Androgenic alopecia strikes some 25 percent of women in their 20s and 30s, and more than half of women over 45, when estrogen levels fall, he said.

Other possible, though rarer, causes of hair loss include alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks the hair follicles, causing patchy round bald spots. It affects less than 1 percent of the population and typically appears in the teen or young adult years.

Read the full text at Chicago Tribune — Why do women sometimes lose their hair?

These types of articles get published by a major newspaper every other month or so, and while they’re good reminders about the causes of female hair loss, they don’t offer any new solutions. There are so many possible causes of hair loss in women that it’s difficult to determine why you’re thinning at first glance (unlike men, which have genetics to thank in the great majority of cases). There’s a partial list of those possible causes here.

Tags: female hair loss, hair loss, hairloss, hair loss in women

Could Retin-A Gel on the Face Cause Female Hair Loss?

/by William Rassman, M.D./2 /,

I am 53 years old woman with thinning hair (front and upper middle scalp). I have been prescribed spironolactone tablets daily and am about to start the twice-daily 2% minoxydil (Rogaine) topical treatments. For a different problem (fine lines) I apply 0.04% retin-A micro gel to my face nightly (active ingedient tretinoin). Is there any material risk of adverse drug interactions? Could tretinoin aggravate my hair loss?

For starters, here’s what I said about Retin-A in a recent post that still holds true — “Hair loss is listed as a known common side effect of tretinoin (also known as Retin-A), but it is also used by some people in conjunction with minoxidil to grow hair.”

I really don’t have a right answer for you. These are the questions you really should ask your doctor, since you’re already under a physician’s care. Female hair loss is complicated and I know very little about you, have not examined you at all, and have no detailed history on your many health issues.

Tags: retin-a, gel, tretinoin, hairloss, hair loss