Scared Hairless

I am 26 years and experiencing hair loss. I haven’t done anything different. This has been going on since Aug 04. Then it was not so bad but i noticed a difference. In November I went to my doctor & told them that it’s getting worse. She had my thyroid checked & it came back normal. She recommended a dermatologist. The derm said there’s nothing wrong. It’s getting WORSE. I wear hair pieces now so it doesn’t show. I’m to the point now that in every stroke of a comb/brush through, a quarter to half of my hair is in the comb just from that one stroke. I know this is not normal for me, this has NEVER been a problem before. can you please suggest where I can go or what my next step should be?

Sincerely, Scared Hairless

Your questions are very appropriate for hair loss in a young person. Now that we know you are healthy, then the most probable cause of the hair loss will be genetic balding if you are a male. The physical examination will determine if you have genetic balding as a female. This is a crisis for a 26 year old. Hair that is lost now from the genetic process (in men), will probably never return. For women, it will be a slow process over time with incomplete loss if the cause is genetic. The next step is for you to see a doctor who will consider putting you on Propecia as this is the only drug that can slow down, stop, or in some cases reverse hair loss in men. The use of a hair pieces/systems (wigs) will only make the problem worse as the glues, tapes and weaves will pull on the existing hair producing a condition we call traction alopecia. If you want to put the lost hair back, you should consider a hair transplant.