Suicide and Depression As It Sometimes Relates to Balding and Hair Loss

Bloomberg News (8/13, French, Basak) reports that according to the National Institute of Mental Health, symptoms of depression “vary and can include feelings of hopelessness, extreme anxiety, appetite changes, insomnia or excessive sleeping, and suicide risk.” Sadly, “just half of Americans diagnosed with major depression are treated and only 20 percent are cared for according to practice guidelines, according to the National Institutes of Health.” ….. It “affects rich people, it affects poor people, it affects people across the spectrum.”

We see a very high suicide rate in the military and in teenagers, young people who have stress that they can’t handle. Most people know of someone or some family member where suicide occurred, a sad statement on how we recognize and manage this problem. In my 20+ years as a hair restoration surgeon, I’ve seen patients with depression who look to cosmetic surgery for the wrong reasons (to cure their depression). I can remember one patient who was scheduled for a hair transplant and I cancelled his surgery (on the morning he was to have surgery) and referred him to see a psychiatrist that same day! It was the right choice for him and he was treated. (He never ended up with a hair transplant surgery as it would have been the wrong choice.)

I also remember two patients who committed suicide because of depression where balding was the tip of the iceberg. I recognized one of these two individuals as severely depressed, and tried to get involved in his life by recommending appropriate treatment, constant follow-up and I had discussions with his family about the problem. This second patient was from the mid-west so meeting with him regularly was out of the questions and my many phone conversations just showed caring. After he committed suicide, his mother called me to thank me for my support, but clearly not enough was done for him. It was a very sad experience for me, a frustrating one, as I felt helpless.