High Altitude and Hair Loss?
Hi,
I have been using rogaine for many years. I have never been close to bald, but I started using rogaine as soon as I noticed small amount of hair loss. However, I am now shedding hair fast. In fact, at the current rate I will be bald within a couple of months. Is this normal? I am thinking that I have developed a tolerance to rogaine, maybe?
I moved from sea level to high altitude to live about one year ago. The excessive hair loss started about a month after moving to high altitude. Could living in high altitude (5000 feet) cause the hair loss? When I moved here my hair was very thick but one year later I am close to being bald.
I highly doubt high altitude has to do with your hair loss. Otherwise, being a pilot may be a risk for balding. I’ve read nothing about this phenomena (you’re the first person to ask this question) and I’ve yet to experience this in my one-on-one with patients over the years.
The most common cause of hair loss in men is genetic male pattern baldness. It is in your genes and it can happen relatively quickly. While it may be possible that you may have built some tolerance to Rogaine (minoxidil), the hair loss should not be as drastic as you describe it, especially if you are still using the medication.
I have been losing hair since I moved to the higer altitude. About 1 month in I started to see the change.
What’s up with that?
I had a lot of hair before I moved here.
VS
Actually, I have heard that the sun does a lot of damage to hair and that with the thinner atmosphere, more of the sun rays reach your skin. I live in Bolivia, South America, (Bolivia is pretty high up, Cochabamba is 8,600 feet above sea level). Here, you will see a lot of people with major hair loss, even in the pure-blooded descendants of the Mayans.
I spoke to a woman once who said that the sun is the major culprit because when it hits the scalp, the scalp begins making more sebum, which in turn clogs the follicles and that this all is made much worse when a person uses heavier shampoos to try and get rid of the extra oil, because then your body is working double time to try and protect you scalp.
I am not sure if this is what is happening to your hair, but try wearing a hat when outside, and if your head is very oily, try washing with shampoo every other day as opposed to every day.
Good luck and God bless!
I have been living in Bogota, Colombia for a year now. I had very thick hair before moving here, but it has thinned considerably.. to the point of seeing bald spots in the front of my head. Not sure if this is due to the altitude, which is about 8500 ft, or just age. I hope it’s the altitude,and that the hair will return to normal when we descend back to lower altitudes in the US.
I’ve heard about short-term shedding phase initiated by sudden altitude changes from my patients. A husband and wife (both patients) who travel from a low altitude home in the U.S. to the Alps annually notice shedding and loss of volume after a short period of time, which eventually resolves. Even for a healthy person, if you are used to sea level, higher altitudes can initially make it difficult to climb a set of stairs. If you consider the metabolic needs of the hair follicle, the low oxygen environment of higher altitudes, and the time it takes for the body to acclimate, I think sudden change to high altitude could trigger a shedding phase similar to a crash diet. Sincerely, Dr. Alan Bauman M.D. Diplomate, American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery. https://www.baumanmedical.com
I live at 4200 ft Salt Lake city Utah. I am used to seeing 30 hairs shed from my head every time I shampoo and count them in my hands. When I travel or cruise I see 3 or 4. I am certain high altitude effects some people more than others. It certainly does me. I am not a doctor but I notice 2 things when I visit low elevations. My hair has more moisture and my head pressure feels less congested. When I buy a bag of chips in California and bring it home, the unopened bag in LA is loose and baggy but when it arrives in ssalt lake city it is full to and blown up.. same effect with blood pressure and the scalp.