Depressed and Hopeless 21 Year Old Female Losing Hair

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

Hello,
Im a 21 year old female and I have been experiencing an excessive amount of hair loss for the past 2 and a half years. Although I’ve never had a thick head of hair, I always had just about normal hair. I never experienced so much hair loss untill I started college. It is so bad that I can see my scalp all through out the crown of my head. During the first year of experiencing this, I had a blood test by my physician, but they said everything seemed to be fine. I then began taking vitamins, such as biotin and other hair vitamins. Balding is hereditary from my moms side, she has it as well, yet she only began to experience it during her mid 30’s. I recently saw another dermatologist who told me the best thing is to use minoxidil, and I did. Still, no results and it even seems like it got worst. I feel extremely depressed and hopeless, PLEASE, HELP!

Since you have had all of the blood work that will rule out a medical cause for hair loss and you already have seen a dermatologist, your next move is to find a doctor who can map your entire scalp out to evaluate the type of hair loss pattern that you have presently. From that information one might be able to predict what may happen to you. If you are a candidate for hair transplantation, then he/she will let you know. Minoxidil takes 8-12 months to see an impact, so make sure that you wait that out.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, female, women, woman, minixodil

I’m Suddenly Losing Pubic Hair

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

I am a 58 yr old female, went thro’ menopause at 46 and have lost underarm hair for last 5yrs or so.Scalp hair has never been thick but adequate but suddenly losing pubic hair. I look quite young for my years, live quite stressfull life, eat quite healthily (protein comes from fish, eggs and cheese, not much red meat). Take minerals, antioxidants, 0mega3 oils,drink 2to3 alcaholic drinks daily and 30mins brisk walk daily. Low blood pressure, sedentary job,slight muscle weakness right side of heart, possible IBS. Any ideas?

Sometimes sudden loss of pubic hair or scalp hair may be a sign that you may have a medical condition that you are not aware of. You should see a doctor for a full medical work-up.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, pubic

I’m 14 and Think I Have Traction Alopecia

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

Hi. I’m 14 years old (female) and I think I have Traction Alopecia. My hair is thinning on the top of my head but the rest of my hair is okay. I have been wearing my hair in a ponytail since the 4th grade and now I’m going into 9th. Do you think my hair is going to grow back? what do I do? Also I noticed this about a month ago and stopped wearing it in a ponytail. But will It ever be the same again? Please Help!!!

First, be sure not to continue using a tight pony tail. It is tight pulling, not the pony tail itself, that causes traction alopecia. Second, get a good doctor to look at the hair count and the degree of miniaturization in the area of your concern. With traction alopecia, the count should be down. The good news is that it will probably get better provided you take away the ‘insult’ to your hair. Wait about 6 months for reversal if that is traction alopecia.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, traction alopecia, alopecia

Hypothyroid Condition and Hair Loss

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

I have been told thet i have a hypothyroid condition. I take synthroid. Since I have been on this medication my hair has had severe breakage at the top and middle of my head. I have been using olux foam and selseb shampoo. I still continue to have sore spots in my head and several bumps to come in these spots. I am a 59 year old afro american female. I have also had injections in my head. My hair still does not seem to be starting to grow back. Do you think I am on the right track or should I talk to my doctor about some other type of treatment.

Unfortunately, it is impossible for me to really know what is happening to you just by reading an email. Hypothyroidism can produce hair loss and changes in the character of your hair. Apparently you are under the management of someone who is injecting something into your scalp. I can guess what that is, but rather than do that, I would suggest that you ask the doctor who is treating you the question you asked me. Any good doctor will discuss the treatment plan and his/her expectations with regard to that treatment plan. These bumps you are getting need a professional opinion, not something I can do competently over the internet.

Tags: hypothyroid, hairloss, hair loss

Avodart and Androgenic Alopecia in Women

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

What information did you learn about Avodart’s effectiveness in treating androgenic alopecia at the Sept. ’05 conference in Sydney, Aust.? Any hope for female pattern hair loss?

Avodart (dutasteride) may have value in those men where Propecia (finasteride) fails to work, but as it is not FDA approved for treating hair loss I can not in good conscience wholeheartedly endorse it. It does not show value in women.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, avodart, women, female, woman, dutasteride

Hair Breaks on Top of Scalp

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

I am 33 years old female and I am having a problem with hair breakage, it is been going on for about 5 years .The breakage is only in the top of my head ,and that part of my scalp is very sore. I do not know what to can you please tell me if you know about this condition. thank you

I am having trouble connecting the breakage of your hair with the soreness of your scalp. I think that an examination by a good doctor may be helpful. Most dermatologists can address this problem for you.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, hair damage, pain

Xanax and Female Hair Loss

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

(female) The last few months my hair has been thinning and my head tingles and I feel extremely stressed out… The upside of this is that I feel stubble and regrowth. My thining is all over the head but mostly in the front (bangs) I feel like it is ruining my life.. I dont feel like going out or working or doing anything! It sucks.. I used to love my hair.. I take xanax for my stress is that making it worse?? Or could it?? I got on it after my hair started falling out.. Since I feel stubble and regowth does it mean its growing back??? Thank you for your time! Have a great day!

While many drugs are known to have a side effect of hair loss, it is relatively rare. You should always pursue if there is a treatable medical condition for hair loss. Hair loss in women have many, many causes and if it is not genetic, there is often an identifyable cause. You need to see a doctor for this who can give you a diagnostic work-up.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, xanax

5 Year Old Daughter Has a Scalp Scar — Too Young for Transplant?

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

My five-year-old recently had something fall on her head, and it cut her and left a scar. It is on the front of her head, so it is fairly nodicible. I could part her hair differently, but I know this will probably bother her when she gets a little older. I was wondering if there is anything you can do to help. Is there any was of restoring hair where the scar is? Is my daughter to young for a small hair restoration procedure? Please help, I know I should have been watching her closer to prevent it.

Hair transplants are great at covering up scalp scars from accidents. It would be a fairly easy procedure depending on the size and the location of the scar. However, at 5 years old, your daughter may not tolerate the discomfort of the anesthesia and comply with the healing process. As it is a cosmetic procedure, it is my opinion that she should wait until she has a better appreciation of what is involved in such a procedure and drives the process herself.

Tags: hair loss, hairloss, scar, toddler

Losing Weight And Losing Hair — Any Way to Prevent This?

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

On a recent visit to my hair dresser, I was informed that I was loosing some of my hair and she stated that it could be from the weight loss I have had. I have been on Weight Watchers since Sept 23, 2005. I have lost about 35 lbs and would like to loose about 10 more pounds but not more hair. Is there anything I can take or wash my hair with that will prevent the hair loss? I also take a one a day vit., potassium, B-12, and calcium. I take Estroven at night before I go to bed as well. I am 51 years old, female.

Congratulations on your weight loss. While a medically starving state and rapid weight loss may be a factor in hair loss, your weight loss was gradual for over a period of one year (which is a healthy way to lose weight). The key is good nutrition and slow, methodical weight loss. You may want a medical evaluation to pursue any medically treatable causes for hair loss and should get your hair mapped out for patterns of miniaturization which are typical of female genetic hair loss.

Tags: hair loss, hairloss, weight loss, weight

Major Hair Loss After Depo Shot

/by William Rassman, M.D./4 /, ,

I recently got my first shot of depo and it has been going good until now. I started losing ALOT of hair. I have naturally thick hair and have never had an issue with it falling out. I fill the drain in the shower then fill a brush after the shower. It started happening about a month ago and i can feel the differance in it already. I have read that it happens with the depo but will it come back and how long will it keep falling out like this?

If you are talking about depomedrol, it is a steroid and it is a know cause of hair loss. In men with genetic hair loss, it may precipitate permanent acceleration of the hair loss. If you stop the steroids and possibly take Propecia (assuming you are a man), then it might take a few months before you may see new hair growth once the offending agents disappear.

If you are a woman and are talking about Depo-Provera, then birth control pills are known causes for hair loss in women. If you stop the Depo-Provera, chances are that the hair loss will reverse in a number of months. Be sure that your doctor is managing the process and is checking you out for other causes of hair loss. Ask your doctor about alternative birth control to this medication.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, depo-provera, depo, depomedrol

Shaving Donor Area for FUE

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

Hi, I am scheduled for a minor FUE procedure to fill in a scar on my scalp, (non-transplant). My hair is very long, and I found out that the back of my head would have to be shaved. My question is, how much of the back of my head will be shaven if the procedure only requires 100 grafts? Would I be able to hide this shaven area will the rest of my hair while it’s still short like that? And also, about how long would my hair take to grow to a normal lenghth again? How many inches does hair grow in a year? And for my final question, to bypass this whole shaving back of head thing, would it be possible to retrieve these hair from another part of my body since there is such a little amount to be extracted?
Thank-you so much

These questions should have been addressed between you and your doctor. If not, you should call him or her and ask these questions. I think that the actual answer can be seen by looking at the creative way we extracted grafts with FUE. Generally, for a 100 graft FUE procedure, your hair would not require extensive shaving and what shaving was done should not be detectable (the photos below show how well the FUE shaved sites are covered when the hair is left long).

Normally your hair grows at 1/2 inch a month (so 6 inches a year) on average.

There are doctors who do body hair transplants on the scalp. However, these are not proven or widely accepted techniques. More importantly, body hair has a short growth phase and long sleep phase which makes it a poor transplant source.

Tags: scar, hair transplant, fue, female, woman, hairloss, hair loss

Woman Losing Hair and Possibly Her Husband

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

Hello,
I’m a 26 year old female. I have been losing hair for the past 10 years and tried many things to improve it. AFter researching extensively about hair loss I’m now taking Biotin and B-Complex supplements. But I still have not seen any result. My husband has lost interest in me because of this. I don’t want my marriage to break because of my hair loss. Is there any way to prevent hair loss . My mom and my brother have a similar hair problem. is it hereditary? Is there any medication to improve my Hair loss. Please Help.

There are many causes of female hair loss. Before any treatments, you must find the correct diagnosis. More importantly, you must rule out any treatable medical causes of your hair loss. You may want to see a medical doctor who can do blood tests and/or evaluate your hair for any miniaturization pattern. I realize that in our society hair loss is a very emotional process for men and women. We identify much of our sexuality with our hair. It is not normal to lose a husband so I suspect there may be deeper relationship issues and that hair loss is not the sole cause of that problem.

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

My Doctor Told Me To Use These — I Need an Opinion

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

I was on Depo Provera for 9 months (3 shots) for ovarian cyst control and as of my last shot, my hair started falling out in large quantities all over my head. Some days it sheds a lot ( more than 150 hairs), other days it’s normal hair shedding, but I now have 1/2 the hair I had 3 months ago and my scalp tingles. My regular doctor said that shedding is possible with Depo and it should stop soon when the Depo wears off. I am now on Microgestin for the ovarian cyst control and just found out that it is high in androgens, so I’m not sure if that means my hair will take longer to grow back in. I feel fine on it, other than the continued hair loss. While on Depo, I was prescribed Nizoral shampoo 2% for the control of excessive dandruff and scalp flaking, but I am wondering if I should keep using it given my hair loss? Any helpful info would be appreciated.

You should ALWAYS consult with your doctor for any medication changes. You may also benefit from seeing a good dermatologist for these problems and also explore any medical conditions (other than medication related) that may be responsible for your hair loss. Female hair loss is frustrating for doctors because there are few treatment options if the diagnosis is purely genetic.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, depo provera, female, women, woman

Treating Female Androgenetic Alopecia with Proscar and Avodart?

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

Hello Dr. Rassman,

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to hair loss! You are a Godsend, my friend.

I have female androgenetic alopecia (first uncoverd after using Accutane) diagnosed at age 27 by scalp biopsy. I began using regular Rogaine, only available at that time. I am now 41 and use an advance regimen of Xandrox 5% BID topically, Proscar 5 mg QD, Spironolactone 100 mg BID, Avodart 2.5 mg (just started two weeks ago) as well as Saw Palmetto, Stinging Nettle, Pygeum, Soy Isoflavones, as well as a few other things like Viviscal and use the Laser Comb every other day. I try to keep up with the latest advanced and spend a lot of time and resources keeping my hair on my head.

My question is there is conflicting information in the literature about the best birth control pill to take to help with adrogenetic alopecia. I currently take Desogen but have tried Ortho Cyclen, Ortho Tri-Cyclen and Yasmin. I use the American Hair Loss Associations guidelines now. Can you weigh in?

Also, any idea when there will be a topical growth modultor that keeps the follicles in anagen? I’ve seen Dr. Kevin J. McElwee of the University of Vancouver’s work with mice and it is facinating.

Your thoughts on these issues as well as any other advice is much appreciated. Take care and thanks in advance for your kind reply.

You are scaring me!

Finasteride currently does not have a FDA approval for use in women. Even if it did, Proscar (5mg finasteride) is a very high dose for androgenic alopecia and in the studies on men, it was shown that the 1mg dose was just as effective as the 5mg dose. That is why the recommended dose is 1mg for androgenic alopecia.

Avodart (dutasteride) is not FDA approved for the treatment of androgenic alopecia. There are many patients who still use Avodart for hair loss, but they typically do not use it in combination with Propecia or Proscar and I do not understand the logic for this therapy. Avodart has a very long half life (the time it take half of the drug to be cleared from the blood stream) measured in weeks or months (compared to a few hours for Propecia) and this makes its dosing a controversial issue because nobody really knows what the best dosage to use is. The most important factor for women taking these medication is its potential implication of cervical, uterine, ovarian, and breast cancer because of its hormonal interactions and its potential for birth defects (well proven in pregnancy).

General disclaimer that needs repeating — BaldingBlog is not meant to diagnose medical condition or give medical treatment plans or advise. It is meant to educate the general public on hair loss issues. Before taking or stopping any medication, please see your doctor and discuss any issues, but I can state categorically that you are on a plan that has little benefit in sight and great harm as a possible clinical outcome.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, avodart, dutasteride, propecia, finasteride, women, female, woman

Birth Control Pills and Hair Loss

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

Hello Dr. Rassman,

I am a 29 year old female and have been slowly losing my hair for several years. It’s gotten to the point where it is noticible and I am very concerned. I have been to my pcp and determitologist. I have had the standard thyroid tests, etc. and everything is normal. I also have mild vitiligo which I have heard can cause hair thinning as well. I am currently taking spironolactone and am using minoxil. They don’t seem to be helping but I know those can take time.

I have also been taking Levora for about 8 years. I hadn’t thought about that as being a possible cause, but then I noticed that it is listed as a possible side effect. And one of your posts mentions that hair loss is a side effect of birth control pills in 1-5% of women.

Any suggestions? Are there better pills to be on or should I try to go off the pill?

Thanks for your time

It is true that birth control pills can cause hair loss. I realize hair loss is a very sensitive topic, especially for women, but so is an unplanned pregnancy. You should definitely discuss any medication changes with your regular doctor. Some birth control pills may have more hair loss than others, so ask your doctor to experiment with a few of them to determine which one has the least impact on your hair problems.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, women, female, woman, birth control, pill