I was just diagnosed with Diffuse Alopecia. I’m devastated, you can see my scalp already on the top, the sides, and the back. What ever hair falls out there is nothing there to replace it, just smooth skin, no hair is growing back. I’m almost sure the BCP yasmin is the culprit here. My hair loss accelerated 4 months into the pill, i have been on it since april of 2006, and since this past summer the bulk of my hair has fallen. I’m so depressed, I’m a woman, and wearing wigs for the summer is making me ill already. What can i do besides stopping the pill? any vitamins i should take? any other suggestions? thank you.

The medication Yasmin is a combination of drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol. Loss of scalp hair is a reported side effect of this medication. The hair loss from most birth control pills is usually benign and self limited. Losing hair in this situation is thought to be caused by inducing hair follicles to go into their telogen phase. You must stop the medication and use other methods of birth control in the hope that the hair will go back into a normal growth phase. You may see hair re-growth within 2-6 months upon stopping Yasmin.

Women with sudden diffuse hair loss should also be evaluated for some other common causes of hair loss including thyroid disease and Iron deficiency. Most these problems could be ruled out with a simple blood test. A thorough physical examination is also important before establishing the diagnosis.

I am assuming you have done a complete work up for your current condition. If everything has been checked and there is no other reason for the hair loss, you only have to wait a few months to see your hair regrowing.

My wife, 69, takes toprol. She has had hair loss and fears it tied to the toprol. The statement, “reversible” has been associated with this loss.What/how may one do to promote the “reversible” assect? Answer,please. She is stressing terribly over the loss. Thanks.

First, one needs to make sure that the medication is the cause of the hair loss, and not due to other medical or dietary problems. Then, if you are sure that the Toprol is the cause, speak with the doctor who prescribed it and ask for alternative suggestions. Sometimes, taking away the offending drug may solve the hair loss problem (or it may not).

I have been taking prednisone for almost a year and do not know when I will be able to discontinue it. I am 44 years old (female) and my normal thick red hair is thinning dramatically. Are there any supplements that will slow the thinning process down?

Steroids have the effect of thinning out the hair. I do not know of anything that you can take to minimize the impact of the prednisone, but you should still get your hair mapped out for miniaturization and get a diagnosis. Although the prednisone may be the cause of the hair thinning, you still may have other problems and a good medical evaluation would be indicated.