Can Vitamins Cancel Out Hair Loss from Birth Control?

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

So by taking a birth control and side effects such as hair loss do occur, if I took a vitamin that increases hair growth and is known to work pretty well.. Would my hair loss stop and actually regrow or will the vitamins have no effect?

I have no idea what vitamins you’re taking, but if your birth control is causing hair loss, I’d doubt there’s a vitamin to counteract that. Not all women will experience hair loss from birth control, so if you’re speaking in hypotheticals it might not even be an issue. Talk to your doctor.

Tags: birth control, bcp, hairloss, hairloss, vitamin

Teen Girl Losing Hair for Years Since a Crash Diet

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

Hi, I am a 19 year old female and ever since a crash diet almost 4 years ago, I have noticed hair loss. It hasn’t bothered me as much till I started losing and shedding like crazy a year and a half ago. It would be on my pillow, on my shirt and just touching my hair will cause hair to fall. The hair is falling from the root with white thick bulbs and some have long white sheaths. I also have dandruff but shampoos like nizoral are making my shedding worse. It is possible that I have have gotten the balding gene from my father who has mpb? or can I still hope that its just telogen effluvium?

Women do not necessarily bald, but they lose hair and they “thin” out. Have you ever seen a bald woman aside from those who had chemotherapy or have a distinct disease like alopecia totalis? The genetic factor may be there in your case, but it can just as well be passed on from your mother as it could your father.

If your hair loss is telogen effluvium (usually stress-induced loss) it can take around a year or so to fully recover. You should also consider getting a complete physical exam by your doctor so that any medical cause of hair loss can be ruled out. The examination should include a complete analysis of your hormones and endocrine glands like the thyroid. For more information on other possible causes of female hair loss, see here.

Tags: female hair loss, hairloss, hair loss, crash diet, telogen effluvium, stress

Will Hair Regrow After a Bout of Typhoid?

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

Hi Doc
My Sister had Thypoid for a month and she suffered hair loss due to Thypoid. Does the hairloss due to Thypoid is reversible ?

Thanks

Hair loss in itself is likely not a direct result of typhoid, but the hair loss is likely from the stress on the body from the disease. This stress related hair loss can be caused by a variety of illnesses. Your sister should gain her hair back over the course of a year or so.

Tags: typhoid, typhoid fever, hair loss, hairloss, stress

Hair Transplants for Woman Losing Hair from Antidepressants?

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

Dear Doctor

After reacting to several tricyclic antidepressants I developed telogen effluvium extending an already high forehead and thinning the temples. Large regrowth resulting in thickening hair has not really occurred. I have received conflicting advice from several doctors, ie. lowering the hairline surgically with transplants to the temples or lowering the hairline and thickening the temples using a transplant alone. The lowering would be in the region of 1-1,5cm. What would you advise here? Thank you.

Withing seeing you and examining you, I can not comment on your questions. I’m assuming you’re female based on the name you used (though I’ll keep that private). Female hair loss is difficult and complex to discover a cause for, especially when it is related to drug causes.

I don’t know how long you took the medications, how long you’ve been waiting for regrowth, hair loss history, etc… and honestly, I couldn’t suggest hair transplants without knowing much more about your situation. Make an appointment with us or check the ISHRS for an expert near where you live.

Tags: hair transplant, antidepressant, hairloss, hair loss, female hair loss

HairDX Announces Finasteride Test for Women

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

Snippet from the press release:

Genetics research and a clinical study are today bringing significant news to women experiencing hair loss. A new breakthrough test can now help doctors determine if a woman is likely to benefit from anti-androgen therapies.

Genetic dermatology research and development innovator DermaGenoma, Inc. today announces the HairDX Genetic Test for Female Androgen Sensitivity. The test offers a new genetic screening for women suffering from or at risk of androgenetic alopecia (AGA), and is making its debut to physicians at the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery’s 18th Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston.

The HairDX Genetic Test for Female Androgen Sensitivity (to be available through dermatologists at a suggested price of $399) examines genetic and epigenetic (genetic control mechanism) variations in a woman’s androgen receptor gene. This analysis will assess her androgen sensitivity to determine if her hair loss has an androgenic origin.

Read the full press release — Breakthrough Genetic Discovery Helps Dermatologists Prescribe Effective Treatment For Female Hair Loss

Women have few options when it comes to treating genetic hair loss, and this new HairDX test seems to point out which women might respond to finasteride and which will not. I heard the announcement at the ISHRS meeting in Boston, but it’s important to note that finasteride is not FDA approved or recommended for treating female hair loss. The drug can pose a serious risk to those women that are pregnant or can become pregnant.

We previously mentioned the HairDX pilot study about finasteride response in women here.

Tags: hair dx, hairdx, finasteride, propecia, female hair loss, hair loss in women

My Hair Started Growing Back After My Pregnancy, But Now It’s Falling Out Again!

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

I have a 16 month old baby who is still breast feeding. I had the expected post partum hair loss at about 6 months, and it seemed to be growing back in (short tufts of hair here and there) but at about 11 months my hair started to fall out in mass amounts again. And it has slowed, but has not stopped! Now I can see through my hair to my scalp and have very visible parts (which I’ve never had issue with before). It seems like my hairline has receded a bit as well. I am starting to get very distressed as I loose well over 100 hairs a day now and there is no visible regrowth. Not sure what to do except panic. :(

Thanks for your advice.

Your best and most direct source for an answer would be your obstetrician. You may consider setting up an appointment with him/her. Many times the hair loss after pregnancy may take a couple of years to normalize.

Tags: pregnancy, obstetrician, hairloss, hair loss, hormones

Hairline Lowering for African Hair Types

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

Hello, I am an African- American 18-year-old with a very high forehead. I was wondering if the hairline lowering procedure would be successful because of my hair texture. Also, I have had numerous perms in my lifetime and will continue on with perming my hair.

Everyone is different and there’s no way I can tell you about success or failures without at least an examination. The texture of your hair doesn’t rule you out, though.

If you are talking about actually lowering the hairline with a brow-dropping procedure then you need to be evaluated by a surgeon that does these. Many plastic surgeons offer this procedure. If you want to consider doing this with hair transplants, then you (again) need to be evaluated by an expert hair transplant surgeon like us.

Tags: african, african american, hairline lowering, hairline

Teen Girl Losing Her Widow’s Peak

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

dear doc,
i am a 15 year old female and im starting to bald. its scaring me very much. i have a not so noticable widows peek and im thinning really bad rite there. also on the side of my head by my temples and a small patch on the back. if you could please please answer me back that would be great!!

I tried replying to you directly, but the email bounced back. Folks, if you want a better shot at a response, use a real email address please.

There’s many possible causes of female hair loss, including birth control, stress, malnutrition, iron levels, etc, etc. You can learn more about this here. You should talk to your doctor about this and get a parent involved. There’s no easy answer I can give you, unfortunately.

Tags: widows peak, teenager, female hair loss, hairloss, hair loss

Hair Loss from Coronal Brow Lift Scar

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

I had a coronal brow lift in Feb. 2009. I had a wider than desired scar. I also had a spot the size of a quarter of permanent hair loss. The plastic surgeon who performed the brow lift has tried to do a scar revision by excising the scar. But I am 3 weeks post revision and I see where all along the new revision scar I have hair loss. The line where he cut is pencil thin, but I have hair loss in front of the scar.

Is this going to be permanent like before? I thought that maybe the staples I had in initial surgery were the problem. But he used sutures to do revision and I still had hair loss. Why is it that every time my scalp gets cut I have hair loss in front of the scar? And what can be done to fix this?

Thank you

This is a real problem. You must wait out the course (about 4-6 months) and then you will know if the surgery succeeded. I suspect that you will see that the scar is the same or worse and the hair loss may not go away. I see many female patients with this problem and end up transplanting most of them with good results.

Tags: brow lift, browlift, coronal brow lift, scarring, hair loss, hairloss

Combining Aminexil and Minoxidil?

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

Female, 29

I have been using Regaine for men, as suggested by my dermatologist, for almost two months. I have not seen any difference yet, but I am planning to continue using the product. My question is: Could I use L’Oreal Professionnel Aminexil Advanced in combination with Regaine for Men Minoxidil 5%? Are the two products/substances compatible? Thank you.

AminexilI don’t have much experience with Aminexil, as it is not available in the United States… but I’ve written about it previously. As I understand it, Aminexil and minoxidil work in similar ways. There’s no drug interactions between the two that I know of, and in fact, there are products that are sold which claim to combine the two treatments into one topical. I have no firsthand experience with that topical treatment either.

You’ve only been using the minoxidil for 2 months, so it’s not surprising to me that you haven’t seen a difference yet… but are you sure you want to start a concurrent treatment at this point before the minoxidil has had time to show benefits? Assuming you use both treatments at the same time, if you do start seeing results in a few months you won’t know which medication provided the most benefit. That scenario isn’t a concern for people that don’t mind using multiple products for life, but it’s something you should consider.

Tags: aminexil, minoxidil, rogaine, regaine, hair loss, hairloss

Phytocyane

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

I am 23, female, and have been losing quite a bit of hair the past few months likely due to stress. My middle part became noticeably wider and my scalp pretty visible. I began using Phytocyane treatment for the hair loss (it is for hair loss due to stress, hormones, pregnancy, fatigue), which consists of shampoo, and 12 serum ampules to be applied to the scalp 3 times a week.

Once I began a week ago I noticed over 2x as much hair loss than before treatment, so about 100 strands in and after the shower compared to about 40 before treatment I asked Phyto if this was normal and of course they replied that it’s normal to lose more hair in the beginning of the treatment as it is cleaning out the pores and any dead hair caught in the scalp will be released. I feel they are supposed to say this to encourage you to continue to use their products, but I want to know whether this is likely true. I’ve read a lot of reviews and most people had experienced an immediate decrease in hair loss. It’s scaring me to lose this much hair. What is your opinion?

Thank you so much.

PhytocyanePhytocyane’s main ingredient appears to be grapeseed extract, which is presently being pushed for a variety of medical problems. In my opinion, you are wasting your money and hopes on a product that cannot deliver. It is in a nice packaging and they have a nice website to look credible, but in the end it is just an expensive lotion (among the other products in their line).

It’s probably good for your hair, but certainly will not regrow it. I see nothing listed in the ingredients that is a proven hair loss treatment. There are no regulatory agencies to police and validate these claims and since it is a free economy, someone is getting rich!

Sometimes you just need to go with your gut, and if you’re losing even more hair since starting these products and the online reviews don’t seem credible anymore, your answer should be obvious. It sounds like you’re asking me to vouch for this product line, which is something I won’t do. For women, there’s unfortunately only one FDA approved hair loss treatment (minoxidil), and if you see hair loss following pregnancy and a bout of stress, your hair could even regrow on its own in time.

Tags: phytocyane, phyto, shampoo, hair loss, hairloss, female hair loss

Hair Breaking After Chemical Straightening

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

I recently had chemical straightening and have now noticed that my hair is breaking of a lot. i am scared i am getting bald. i have had straightening done in the past but havent ever had this much hair fall. is there anything special i need to do. how do i stop hair from breaking off. Please let me know i am getting very stressed out

Thanks

If you’re seeing a lot of hear breakage from chemical damage, there is not much you can do since damage is already done. The good news is that your hair will grow out if it is not damaged at the root. The only thing you need to do now is be patient. Stress could lead to other problems, including additional hair loss. If you are worried, see a dermatologist or your primary care doctor.

Tags: chemical damage, hair breakage, hair loss, hairloss, chemical straightener

What’s With the Itchy Scalp I Feel As My Hair Falls Out?

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

Hello, I am female and have been dealing with diffuse hair loss for over 10 years. My hair seems to get more fragile and difficult to deal with every year and medical science has been useless in helping me. The thing that is bothering me though is that as my hair gets thinner it becomes “prickly” causing an itchy/crawly feeling over my whole head that is seriously annoying me. I have tried tar based shampoos to stop the itchy/crawly feeling and it does give a temporary relief but it also increases the amount of hair I lose and gives it a horrible dried out texture. Is this a common theme with hair loss and how does one deal with it? I do not have any scalp conditions that I know of or any Psoriasis. Thank you.

I really do not know what you have other than hair falling out and an itchy scalp. Perhaps you need to see a dermatologist for a good examination. We hear itchy dry scalp and hair loss as a common theme, but it is such a vague symptom it is often hard to pinpoint the exact cause. The two issues could be unrelated.

There is a theory that hair loss in women reflects an autoimmune problem. An itchy scalp can be caused by an autoimmune process.

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

Minoxidil on Eyebrows?

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

Hello Dr,
I used to have very thick eyebrows and due to over plucking for many years, one of them is incredibly sparse. I heard that using minoxidil daily will help to make them look fuller. My question is, are there any potential side effects? I have read online that using minoxidil can cause permanent hair on your forehead and face and other ghastly things, are these true? Also, if the treatment does work, will I have to continue using it forever? And is there a chance it will cause me to lose the hairs I currently have as well? Thank you for your time, it is greatly appreciated!

If you plucked your eyebrows and they are sparse, the hair missing from the overplucking probably will not return. Hair transplants work well to fill in the missing hair in the eyebrows.

Minoxidil will probably not help grow new hair at the eyebrows, but I suppose you can give it a shot. If it works, you will have to use it forever. Side effects would be the standard minoxidil risks found here.

There are other treatments available that may also be worth a shot, like a transparent gel with fibers to give the illusion of fullness, Latisse (the eyelash medication), and an eyebrow conditioner that may or may not do what it claims. Check out the write up at NY Times — After Overplucking, It’s Time to Call the Professionals.

Tags: eyebrow, eyebrow hair loss, overplucking, hair loss, hairloss, hair transplant, minoxidil, rogaine

Can Clobex and Luxiq Regrow My Hair Faster?

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

(female)
I recently had a huge knot in my hair instead of waiting for my stylist to look at it I slowly ended up having a huge bald spot the size of a grapefruit in the back. I have gone to a dermatologist to get some clobex shampoo and luxiq foam and I was wondering how much faster does this help your hair grow than if I used nothing at all.

LuxiqClobex (clobetasol propionate) is used to treat psoriasis. Luxiq foam (betamethasone) is a corticosteroid and also used in the treatment of psoriasis. I don’t know why you’d be prescribed these with the goal of growing your hair faster.

I have no clue what is causing your hair loss (was it just ripped out??), but perhaps you should ask your dermatologist for a diagnosis of what you are attempting to treat. Find out the success rate of such treatments and get realistic expectations.

Tags: clobex, luxiq, corticosteroid, hairloss, hair loss, female hair loss