Teen Girl with Bulimia and Hair Loss

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

(female) i have bulimia, i used to smoke weed and be very depressed. during that time, i had a v8 moment and suddenly realized my hair was soo much thinner than it used to be. i looked around and realized both of my older sisters, have extremly thin hair, balding hair i guess could describe it more. they have been smoking for tens of years, i have stopped, unfortuantely i have picked up another habit. i guess i want to know what everyone else here wants to know, will or could it grow back? also, i am only 15, im still growing, is there hope?

I would have to see you and understand what you are actually referring to as thinning. I would map out your scalp for miniaturization, perform a hair pull test, and then render an opinion. Obviously without seeing you, I can not really understand what your situation is and where you are in this cycle.

Bulimics often have hair loss from stress and unhealthy weight loss, so I would like to know more about your overall nutrition. I wouldn’t rule out that your hair could regrow at some point, but I doubt it will until you get your eating disorder under control. Hopefully it is a temporary telogen effluvium, but I have no way to know that over the web and without some more medical history.

Tags: bulimia, hairloss, hair loss, stress, diet, female hair loss, teen, malnutrition

In the News – Hair Loss Increases As Women Age

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

Snippet from the article:

You’ve heard of male pattern baldness, but did you know that 50% of all women experience significant hair loss by the time they reach 50? According to one study, major hair loss increased to 75% for women over age 65.

While harsh chemical treatments like bleaching and perms can contribute to hair loss in women, factors such as stress, poor nutrition, heredity, medical conditions, and chemotherapy are more common factors that cause the hair to fall out, and in some cases, permanently.

Read the full article: Hair loss in women increases with age

Interesting reading and some good information throughout!

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, female hair loss

Fluocinonide Stopped My Female Hair Loss for a Couple Months

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

Hi. I am a 32 year old female who has been experiencing hair loss every six months for the last two years. Every time my dermatologist or GP would prescribe Fluocinonide Topical Solution (.05%). The shedding would stop about 2 months later. However, 5 months later the shedding would start up again. I had some blood work done, but they came back normal. Can you tell me what is going on?

Also, can you recommend a hair loss expert/dermatologist in Orange County? I would like some answers.

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy day to answer my questions.

This may be a jaded perspective and opinion, so be forewarned…

Hair loss for women can be a very frustrating condition to treat and diagnose for physicians. Miniaturization studies will show the status of the hair, thinning possibly in some areas. The doctors are under pressure to be proactive and to provide some form of treatment to the distraught patient even if they are not losing hair. If a doctor prescribes a harmless treatment that does not really have any clinical basis or proven results, is the doctor being honest? Treating hair loss with a corticosteroid (anti-inflammatory drug) such as fluocinonide would mean that there may be some inflammatory process going on behind the hair loss, but even without the use of such drug it is more likely the shedding would have stopped in a few months time. Hair loss can be cyclical in women. Oh… and don’t discount the power of the placebo effect.

I would think that if you have some sort of an inflammatory cause of hair loss (that is responding to fluocinonide) you would need a scalp biopsy to make the diagnosis. Any GP or dermatologist would be able to do that. Be forewarned that a biopsy would leave you with a small bald spot.

Tags: biopsy, inflammation, hairloss, hair loss, female hair loss, fluocinonide, corticosteroid

If Castration Stops MPB, How is Female Hair Loss Possible?

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

I’ve read many times that castration will stop male pattern baldness, in that case how are there forms of female hairloss?

Male pattern baldness occurs in MEN (as the term implies). Female hair loss has nothing to do with men or for that matter androgens (males type hormones made by women, including low doses of testosterone). It is considered genetic, but it is not cause by the male hormones women produce.

Tags: testosterone, hormones, men, dht, hairloss, hair loss, female hair loss, castration

Female Hair Loss from Adderall?

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

(female) Help! I have been taking Adderall (d amphetimine salts) and now my long blonde hair is falling out from the root. How can I prevent my once thick head of hair from falling out further? I take this med. for adult ADD and it is difficult to think about not being able to take it – it works so dramatically. I usually take 15 mg/day. I have tried Provigil to no avail. What actions can I take immediately?

There’s no simple solution. Unfortunately, I can not give you treatment advice since I am not your doctor and I have not examined you to form an opinion. The only action I can recommend is to discuss this with your prescribing physician. Alternately, you can also seek out a good hair expert physician near where you live. Look at the physician search at ISHRS.org to find a hair doc in your area.

Tags: adderall, hairloss, hair loss, female hair loss

Miniaturization Mapping for Female Hair Loss?

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

Hi. Good afternoon! I have been experiencing hair loss every six months for the last two years. There is a history of hair loss in my family on both sides. I need to find out if I’m experiencing female pattern baldness. Would miniaturization mapping of my scalp tell me if I have AGA (female pattern baldness)? I’m tired of not knowing what’s causing my hair loss/shedding.

Also, do you have a location in Newport Beach?

(Female, 32 years old)

Have a good day!

I routinely map out the hair for miniaturization when I see a patient (male or female) and it will tell me much about the health of your hair.

We will be doing consultations in Newport Beach starting in October. If you’d like to setup an appointment, call our office at 800-NEW-HAIR. If you’d like to have an appointment before October, our Los Angeles office is only about an hour away from Newport (with good traffic).

Tags: female hair loss, hair loss, hairloss, miniaturization mapping

Female Hair Transplant Without a Line Scar?

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

Hi I am a 20 yr old female wondering about a hairline transplant. A previous question on your site about evening out a widows peak was the most similar to my request. I have had a high hairline on the sides for several years and a recent year on medications has now thinned out the hair on either side near the temple. I have always hated my hairline which is ill suited to my face shape and want to at least fill in the hairline around my temples. I am assuming hair grafts would be the correct procedure and want to know more about them.

HAving watched documentation of several female hairline transplants I wonder : Is the donor area for the grafts always left with a long scar? (example had one across the back of her head) CAn this be done without any scarring or difference to the doner area? and (of course) what would be the cost for this procedure?

There are 2 techniques for hair transplantation — the strip method (with the linear scar) and FUE (where you are left with small punctuate scars in the donor area). There’s no surgical procedure without some level of scarring, though trying to minimize the scarring is the best we can do. Everyone scars differently, and closure techniques for the strip method have resulted in extremely thin linear scars, and the length of the scar depends on the amount of grafts required. Costs also depend on how many grafts are needed, with FUE fees being higher due to the more time-intensive nature of the procedure. You can learn more about FUE at the following pages:

Tags: fue, hair transplant, hairline lowering, hairloss, hair loss, follicular unit extraction, female hair loss

Appropriate Age for Female Hairline Lowering?

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

Dear Dr. Rassman,

I have read many of yours and others posting on hairline lowering procedure for women, or ways to fix the high forehead. I am am 24 female, and I have a high forehead that I want to fix (high forehead just runs in my family). Am I too young to get the hairline lowering procedure, or does it all really depends on my skin? Secondly, I would to have consultations with professionals on this matter, so do you know any doctor in the San Diego, CA region, or near San Diego who specialize in this procedure?

Thank you very much for your time and help!

Your age is typical for hairline lowering procedures, but you need to be examined to determine if your scalp is loose enough to lower it to the degree you wish. Also, your hair should be strong and not in the process of thinning for a good result. Alternatively, hair transplants work well to accomplish a hairline lowering. I’m only a couple hours north in Los Angeles if you’d like a consultation.

Tags: hairline lowering, hairline, female hair loss

In the News – Young Woman with Alopecia Universalis Shares Her Story

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

Snippet from the article:

Like any 12-year-old getting ready for her first school disco, Aimee Blinkhorn wanted her hair to look perfect. But as her mother put it up into pretty curls, she noticed a small bald patch at the back of her daughter’s head, about the size of a 50p piece.

‘Neither of us was particularly alarmed,’ says Aimee, now 26 and living in Manchester. ‘I just presumed some hair had come out when I pulled out a hair tie.’

But over the next few months, more bald patches appeared. Soon there were six of them – and twice the size of the first.

Read the full article at UK’s Daily Mail.

This is a great story about a courageous young woman that has been living with alopecia universalis. I applaud her for bringing her story to the public, and I hope she inspires others with this condition. If you want to know more about the disease, please see the National Alopecia Areata Foundation.

Tags: alopecia areata, alopecia universalis, alopecia, hairloss, hair loss, disease, female hair loss, uk

Woman Developing Itchy Pimples on Scalp

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

I’m a african american female 27yrs old that is having terrible time with my hair & scalp for about the past 2yrs i have been developing bumps on my scalp mostly in the back the bumps come & get extremely sore &can be popped & filled with puss & then it get very itchy & pain alot.Have you heard of these symptoms before cuz am dying need.thanks in advance.

You need to see a good dermatologist. You may have a variety of conditions that are dangerous and will cause you to eventually lose hair. The internet is not a place to gamble the future of your hair and your health.

Tags: pimple, scalp, hairloss, hair loss, african american, female hair loss

Diffuse Hair Loss, Brittle and Yellowing Nails

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

I have been experiencing heavy diffuse hair loss for about a year now. My nails are very dry, brittle, have long vertical ridges and split very easily. My big toenails are yellow in color and have been falling off their beds with new ones growing under, for the last 5-6 years. My skin is also very dry. My skin is very dry too.

My scalp is itchy, and when I scratch it I have grainy, sand like white stuff in my nails. Could you please tell me how this hair loss can be controlled? Is it fungal in nature? Or is something else going on inside the body?

Thanks.

Generally, it does sound like you have a fungal problem (onychomycosis), but please see a dermatologist so that he/she can make that diagnosis and provide a treatment path. This isn’t something I can do over the Internet. Your hair and nail conditions could be completely unrelated, but I’d need an examination to determine that.

Tags: fungus, fungal, nail, hairloss, hair loss, onychomycosis

Woman Grew Fine Facial Hair with Rogaine

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

(female)
A few years back I used Rogaine for women to stop my hair loss. Then I stopped after I noticed a good amount of hair regrowth and also because I grew fine unwanted facial hair. Now I’m starting to loss hair again! I would rather have fine unwanted facial hair than go bald. I’m thinking about using Rogaine for women again.

So my question is: Is it OK to continue using Rogaine if fine unwanted facial hair develops? I read on some websites than you MUST discontinue use if unwanted facial hair develops.

THANK YOU for taking the time to reply to my hairloss question.

What you see is what you get and if you can live with fine facial hair, then take it as needed. The decision to use minoxidil/Rogaine is up to the consumer (be sure to read the information provided with the medication), which is why the FDA allows it to be sold over-the-counter.

Tags: female hair loss, facial hair, minoxidil, rogaine, hairloss, hair loss, fda

Nizoral or Nioxin Shampoos to Treat Female Hair Loss?

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

Hello. I’m a woman, 32 years old, and have been experiencing more shedding lately. I would like to know if Nizoral shampoo with 1% Ketoconazole effective in treating hair loss. I am thinking about buying it, but don’t want to waste the money if it’s ineffective. Also, how about Nioxin shampoo? Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. Have a good day!

Both are good shampoos, but neither have been proven to my satisfaction to treat hair loss. There’s some speculation that ketoconazole could be used as a hair loss treatment, but I’ve yet to see a sufficient study to show that (though many on the various web forums will gladly tell you otherwise). You’re welcome to try either or both…

Tags: ketoconazole, nizoral, nioxin, hairloss, hair loss, female hair loss, shampoo

Rogaine for Women vs Provillus for Women

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

Hi. I would like to know whether Rogaine or Provillus is better for women. Which one has better results at growing back hair and stop hair loss? Also, less likely to have the side effect of unwanted facial hair. Thanks!

They both are just 2% minoxidil… different names and labels. The Provillus might also have some supplement vitamin pills (with biotin and B6) to take. Ingredients are listed here for Provillus, if you’d like to check them out.

Also, Provillus costs more than twice the price of Rogaine. How much is that packaging worth?

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

Is 5% Minoxidil Safe for Women?

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

Is it safe for women to use 5% minoxidil? My dermatologist recommended it but, in speaking with the people at Rogaine, they acted quite alarmed by the idea.

I recommend it for women as a routine. There’s a higher risk of facial hair growth with the 5%, which is what most (if not all) women wish to avoid… but that risk is still minimal. Officially, it was tested on men so that is the drug company’s line. You can see more about this here.

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