Sleep Apnea, Milk Thistle, and Hair Loss

What a great web site you have here. I need your help. I’m 41 and have a good amount of hair. My hair is actually a little thinner on the sides and back then the top.(strange) I have been on Propecia with good results. My question is I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night with SEVERE scalp itch on the side and back of my head. I went to a derm and he told me to use Head and shoulders. That really hasn’t helped. I also have sleep apnea I think…(untreated right now). Can this cause hair loss? It is strange that my hair has seemed to thin in the donor area and not as bad on top.

As a side question I have elevated ALT liver test. I want to start taking Milk Thistle. Can this make hair loss worse or could it help? Thanks for all the great information on your site.

I highly doubt sleep apnea causes hair loss.

I’m pretty sure milk thistle will not cause you to lose hair, nor make existing hair loss any better. Milk thistle (also known as Mary thistle, holy thistle, or silymarin) is used by some to treat various liver ailments, but there’s no scientific proof to substantiate that. See National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine for more.

I don’t really know the status of your hair loss pattern other than what you describe. Perhaps you don’t have the typical male balding pattern? You mentioned thinning in the donor area (back of the head) — and this is not a typical balding pattern. I would express these concerns to your doctor who is treating your medical conditions. It seems you are trying to connect and associate everything with your hair.