Do Older Women Lose Hair Due to the Length?

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

Long hairI am 58 years old (female) and have been letting my hair grow long – it is now past my shoulders – I have noticed a lot of hair loss when I wash my hair – is this due to the length of my and age? Thank you for your response

We generally lose about 100 hairs per day and if the hair cycle goes about 3 years, then the calculation of a 100 hairs per day is arrived at. The longer the hair is, the more detectable the hair will be as they will stick to your fingers in the shampooing process and in the drain. This goes for any age.

One lost hair on you could clog a drain and look like a handful if it is as coarse as it looks in the picture. As you know hair cycles and grows about a half inch a month. If you are 5ft tall and your hair is 5 ft long (example) then you have a ten year hair cycle and than means that all of your hair should fall out and be replaced in 10 years, one hair at a time. My great grandmother had hair length like yours when she was 110 years old, but she wore it in a bun and washed it a few times a year. It was evident that her length was far shorter than it appeared as the hair tangled and much of it never fell out.

Tags: female hair loss, hair loss, hairloss, hair length, long hair

Propecia for Post-Menopausal Women?

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

I am a 65 year old woman. For a number of years now I have been experiencing much greater hair loss than I ever had. From what I have read, it could be due to DHT, since I am post-menopausal. I am using Rogain for the 2nd time around (I did seem to lose alot of hair several months after I stopped using it, and seem to be losing more hair now that I started again, but am staying with it as it did grow hair for me before). I’ve been on it again for about 2 mo.

My question is, is Propecia safe for women? I am taking so many vitamins and herbs (again, started about 2 mo. ago, don’t know of they will help) but wonder if it would be easier to just take the Propecia (and probably cheaper). Any women out there with experience with this? I am taking Silica, saw palmetto (supposed to suppress DHT), Biotin, extra B, and my usual multi, Calcium & C. Wow, expensive! Anyway, any comments or info much appreciated. I’m glad I found your site!! Thanks in advance.

There have been studies on the use of Propecia in post-menopausal women and the verdict is unclear. Some reports say it has value, while others say the opposite. There is a safety issue for the various female cancers (breast, ovary, uterus) that are tied to genetic causes and in those women, I would be very concerned about the use of this drug. But I would like to invite women with experience in using Propecia to post a comment with their experiences…

Tags: menopause, post-menopausal, propecia, finasteride, hair loss, hairloss, female hair loss

Femara and Female Hair Loss

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

Hello. I’ve been trying to get pregnant with my second child and it’s taking a long time – went to fertility doc last year and all tests came back fine for me and husband – he put me on Femara to help me ovulate more efficiently – I was on it for 4 cycles but after the second cycle I started shedding hair like crazy and my face broke out awful – I’ve been off of it since last Dec but my hair and skin have not gotten back to normal – my ob/gyn ran bloodwork for hormones, thyroid, etc and all came back normal – do you have any idea why my hair is still shedding and not growing back normally – I never had a problem with my hair until I took the Femara – I’m just nervous that it did some permanent damage to me – I’m sure stress is not helping because of course now I’m stressing about the hair loss – please help if you can!! Thanks so much!

Alopecia (hair loss) is listed as an uncommon side effect with Femara, so it is known to some degree. In general, hormone manipulation can cause hair loss, particularly if there is some genetic trait that makes you vulnerable. It can take up to a year to wait to determine if the hair will return (just like hair loss with or after pregnancy). Good luck, but be patient.

Tags: femara, hairloss, hair loss, female hair loss, fertility

My Teen Daughter is Losing Hair — What Should She Do?

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

Is their a Dr.in the Sacramento area who specializes in hair loss. My 18 year old daughter has been experiencing hair loss for about a year. I took her to the Dr. last year and was told it was probably due to stress. Her blood work showed no abnormalities. She has another appointment soon. I am thinking it could be heredity. My father stated losing his hair at 18. I have Kaiser Insurance and I don’t think they are going to do a whole lot to figure out what is going on with her hair loss. What would be the next step? Should she be referred to a Dermatologist? If you could give some assistance, that would be appreciated, thanks.

Women’s hair loss is very different from men’s hair loss. Finding the source of the female thinning isn’t as simple as looking to the history of hair loss from the male side of the family. You should take a look at the female hair loss category of this site and read the many posts on the subject. A doctor who specializes in hair transplantation and has the intellectual capacity to analyze it may be able to help. Usually this is an elimination process for known causes.

I would be happy to give you an opinion, but you would have to fly to Los Angeles to see me. Or Dr. Pak goes to our San Jose office and may be a first start to the process of analysis. It’s not quite Sacramento, but it’s closer than Los Angeles. If not, you can try the physician search at ISHRS.org.

Tags: teen, teenage, daughter, hairloss, hair loss, female hair loss

Is My Female Hair Loss Due to Flat Iron Use?

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

I am 23 female. I was using flat iron to straight my hair for about one and half year. Now it’s been almost six months I have totally stop using it because I was loosing hairs. I have been noticing that my hair is getting thinner. When I split my hair into sections. Is it because of flat iron? Will they grow back? What am I suppose to do? Does flat iron make us go bald? I am very much worry. No one in my family has been through any hair problem and/or baldness. I don’t even have any diseases and/or not taking any medications. Please help! Thank you!

If flat iron use damaged the hair above the scalp, then the hair that grows from below the scalp will eventually replace it with healthier hair. It just takes time. Flat irons do not make people go bald — damaging your hair will result in loss, though. There are safer ways to iron your hair, as described in my book. Sorry, I can’t re-write the book here.

Tags: flat iron, hairloss, hair loss, female hair loss, damage

Rogaine Foam is Difficult to Apply with My Curly, Long Hair

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

I am a female, 36 years old with long Naturally curly hair. In the last 2 years have seen a dramatic decrease in hair. This runs in my family. After seeing the dermatologist to try to prevent any further loss it was recommended to me to use once a day mens Rogaine foam. Having long hair I am finding it very difficult to apply and am unsure what area to apply it to. I am worried I am wasting product on having it soak into my hair and not my scalp. Yet I want to make a valid effort to do this as its important to me to at least keep the hair I still have.

I should also point out that my hair “expands” so to speak when dry. Frizzy. I do see why some try to apply after a shower as that is when you can get to the scalp easier. Thanks for your time and i hope you can give me some insight.

Many people who use Rogaine in one form (such as the foam) may try it in another form (liquid). There may not be an easy, practical answer to your problem, but you can try the minoxidil liquid and see if that is easier for you to use. These medications are a waste in the hair, as their only value is on the scalp itself.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, female hair loss, rogaine, minoxidil, foam

My 7 Year Old Has Been Shedding Hair for Weeks

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

My daughter is 7 years old and her hair his shedding alot. No bald spots. After her shower and when I brush her long hair. Many hairs fall onto the floor or into the brush. It seems like she has new hairs growing in or can this be breakage. She otherwise is healthy and not showing no sign of illness. Is it normal for a 7 year old girl to be shedding this much. When should I see a doctor. She has been shedding for about 3 weeks.

If you are worried about something that you are observing that is not normal, then go see a doctor now! After all, you know your daughter best.

Do keep in mind you can lose 100+ hairs a day. Sometimes we seem to lose more hair at times or notice more hair loss and that can also be normal. There is nothing wrong with getting a physical exam to make sure your daughter is healthy. Abnormal hair loss can be a sign of undiscovered health issues, but it is a very vague secondary symptom. It is a challenge to most doctors.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, child, shedding

Alfatradiol for Treating Hair Loss?

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

What is your opinion on the german products pantostin and ell cranell? They contain Alfatradiol, could this be effective for AGA. Thanks.

Take a look at this study I found. It is not the best study, nor is it the most promising… but it is something. Personally, I don’t think alfatradiol is effective for AGA (androgenic alopecia).

Tags: female hair loss, hairloss, hair loss, aga, alfatradiol

I’m Planning on Getting Pregnant Soon, So Should I Stop Minoxidil Now?

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

I am experiencing hair loss for the past 6 months. I approached a skin specialist and cosmetologist a month ago. she suggested to use minoxidil 5%. I am using it for one month, but now i lose more hair than earlier. My marriage is in the next month, but she is asking me to use for 3months. I have a plan of becoming pregnant, but once if i stop using minoxidil after the third month, wont i get in to the hairloss trouble again? i am totally worried. please help me out.

You might experience some initial shedding from the medication, but if you stick with it those hairs should regrow. However, if you stop the medication any benefits you see will disappear.

Pregnancy changes things, though. Since you’re planning on starting a family, you might want to stop it now, particularly since you have not been on it long enough to see benefits. There are warnings about using minoxidil when you are pregnant, so if you do become pregnant you should stop using it until after you’ve given birth (and if you plan on breastfeeding, you should wait until that is complete, too).

Tags: pregnancy, pregnant, minoxidil, rogaine, regaine, female hair loss, hairloss, hair loss

Is There a Normal Amount of Miniaturized Hair in Women?

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

Hello,
Can there be a “normal” amount of minaturized hairs throughout your head without a balding problem present?

I’m wondering because just from observing women’s hair, woman of all ages, I’ve noticed a lot of woman with some wispy hairs sticking out on different areas of their head, but these woman are without signs of hair loss. Do people have a normal about of miniturized hair through out their head? Or perhaps are these wispy hairs caused by blow drying,coloring,etc.

Thank you and hope you can answer my question.

A “follicular unit” has full terminal mature hairs and some vellus (shorter and thinner) hairs. If you take a small area of your scalp (like the size of a pea) and cut down the hair, the thinner hairs produced by the miniaturization process in genetic balding may not be distinguished from vellus hairs (both hairs have smaller diameters). When I look at the scalp under intense magnification, I will often see some hairs that have thinner hair shafts. I generalize that a normal non-balding person will have less than 20% of the hairs that I see with finer hair shafts. They may be miniaturized hairs of the balding process if they impact the entire follicular unit to some degree OR they may really be vellus hairs in their numbers are less than 20% of the follicular unit hair count.

Tags: follicular unit, miniaturized, hairloss, hair loss, vellus hairs, female hair loss

In the News – Biker Chick Fights Breast Cancer, Loses Hair to Chemo

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

Snippet from the article:

Robin KettlewellIn the early ’80s, Robin Kettlewell had a thing for punk rock and a haircut that showed it: purple, with three stripes shaved into one side of her head.

So when she faced losing her hair during chemotherapy for breast cancer this summer, she knew what to do. First she had her long golden brown hair cut off for Locks of Love. That soon became a brush cut that she dyed pink. A few days later, that turned into a pink Mohawk.

Now though, 11 weeks into chemotherapy, she goes proudly and completely bald. Shopping. At restaurants. In her Saturn Sky convertible. But when riding on either of her two Harley-Davidson motorcycles, she always wears a helmet – always. She’s not going to do anything stupid, after all.

Read the full article: Breast cancer patient faces the disease “head first and no looking back”

Robin is taking back control of her life and is showing the world that even cancer can’t keep her down. She’s able to spread breast cancer awareness by being so brave. Check out the blog Robin created to share her journey.

We wish her the best of luck!

Tags: harley, motorcycle, breast cancer, cancer, chemo, chemotherapy, hairloss, hair loss, awareness, female hair loss

My Hair Loss Stopped When I Stopped Taking Lexapro!

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

I recently went through about 4-5 months of hair loss. I stopped taking Lexapro and it stopped falling out completely within 6 weeks or so. Do you believe this hair loss is permanent? Do you have any advice on what to use to promote hair growth? I hope this medication did not actually damage the follicles and I will have spots forever. I am worried. Thank you for responding.

45 year old women very nervous.

LexaproIn medicine, as in life, things are not so clear cut. I cannot say for sure if your hair loss was due to a medication such as Lexapro (escitalopram oxalate), but there are reports of hair loss with this medication. In fact, I’ve written about it in the past. So if it is the Lexapro, I would expect that this loss is temporary and you’ll need to wait with great patience for regrowth to occur. There may be other factors involved, though. This is something you need to explore with your physician and have a medical work up and a good history of events.

Tags: lexapro, female hair loss, hairloss, hair loss, escitalopram oxalate, antidepressant, anti-depressant, anxiety

Any Way to Prevent Hair Loss from Pregnancy?

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

I understand that you have answered questions about pregnancy and hair loss but I was wondering what preventive measure I can take to avoid prolonged hair loss or hair thinning as I already have thin hair.

I am 23 years old and nine months pregnant and I have wonderfully thick hair right now, due mostly to the lack of hair loss that pregnancy can cause and also, I think, to the daily prenatal vitamins I have taken, since I never used any before. My older sister started her family at age 29 and after each of her four children experienced about 6 months of hair thinning and loss. Our family has thin hair already, so I’d like to avoid this as much as possible.

I plan on breastfeeding which is supposed to help limit hair loss. Are there any vitamins, minerals, treatments, foods or natural methods to encourage hair growth or prevent hair loss in the year following pregnancy? [Note: I’m not going to ‘stop having kids’ so I’ll use your advice after future pregnancies too :)]

There is little that can be done to prevent pregnancy related hair loss. Fortunately, it does not happen to most women. It is normal, though. You can learn more at the American Pregnancy Association.

Unrelated to your question though, I wish you good luck and hope everyone is happy and healthy.

Tags: pregnancy, pregnant, hairloss, hair loss, female hair loss

My New Dermatologist Prescribed Propecia for My Female Hair Loss

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

Hi. I just came home from seeing a new dermatologist. She said if I tested positive for AGA then she would prescribe Propecia as a hair loss treatment. Is this the right solution for a 33 year old female? I heard that it isn’t use in women. I thought the better course of action would be the combination of Yasmin and Spiro.

Also, I would like to know how safe is Rogaine for the long run (decades). I am very hesitant about taking anything orally that would play around with my hormones (Yasmine, Spiro., or Propecia). Thanks for your time. Much appreciated!

There is no really great, proven treatment for a typical female hair loss. Rogaine (minoxidil) is FDA approved to treat hair loss in women, but it doesn’t get to the root of the problem (no pun intended). Even if your hair loss is found to be androgenic alopecia, there are no studies to validate that any treatment really works for women. In other words, there really isn’t a better course of action.

In theory Yasmin (drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol) and spironolactone should work for treating hair loss in women, but that is not always the case. Yasmin and spironolactone are not FDA approved treatments for androgenic alopecia, and I would be particularly cautious about starting Propecia (finasteride), as it is not FDA approved for women due to a risk of pregnancy complications (birth defects) and other unknown hormonal issues. While many doctors do use these medications for certain women with some benefit, they are not for everyone. The best advice is to be closely followed by a physician or get a second opinion (this does not count as a second opinion — I am not your doctor).

It is safe to use Rogaine for a long period of time, but follow the instructions. It is a topical medication and many patients have been using it for decades.

Tags: rogaine, minoxidil, propecia, finasteride, spironolactone, yasmin, hairloss, hair loss, female hair loss

Keloid Folliculitis

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

I have been battling hair loss for the past 10 years. I am a 32 year old african american female. I was first diagnosed with Keloid Folliculitis in 1999. I have received continuous treatment from various dermatologists and specialists. The folliculitis issue appeared to have cleared up by 2002 with no reoccurrences. My hair loss began in 2000. I have had a series of blood tests and a scalp biopsy. The biopsy showed my scalp had scarring. The blood work showed that I had high levels of testosterone, low performing follicle hormone, and low iron. (this occurred 3yrs ago.) Since then, I am taking 65mg of iron 2x each day and on birth control. I am also insulin resistant and taking metformin. I have tried various over-the-counter solutions for hair growth, but I am still losing hair.

Bosely will not grant me hair restoration; Duke’s Hair Clinic has temporarily closed. Currently, my primary care physician is injecting cortisone shots to see if this will trigger any hair growth. I am bald on both sides of my hair, and thin on the top and back. Wigs are my only savior at this point. My hair is natural. Please help me with my next step. I am tired of finding hair everywhere but on my head. Thanks!!!

I have never seen a person with keloid folliculitis and have no experience with it. Regardless, your situation is clearly complex and giving you any opinion without at least an examination would not be in your best interest. There are some doctors who specialize in such conditions and do hair transplants. Since you’re near Duke University, I’d be happy to recommend Dr. Jerry Cooley in Charlotte.

Tags: keloid folliculitis, duke, keloid, hairloss, hair loss