My son is 19 years old he had a spot the size of a half dollar on his head that went bald. after a few months the hair started growing back, but its real dark. His hair is Blonde.
Patchy spots of hair of a different color may be associated with a genetic predisposition or a mole or can be just normal. He may have had ring worm and the regrowth of the hair came in pigmented differently. You may want to have your son follow up with a dermatologist.
I am really interested in the Fox technique, do you think it will go down in price over time?
The FOX Procedure (follicular unit extraction) is heavily labor dependent and takes much more time to harvest grafts than a traditional strip procedure. Without a new breakthrough, I doubt it will go down in price much, as there are not many doctors who are doing the procedure completely.
From the press release –
HairDX, LLC (www.hairdx.com) pioneers of consumer-friendly genetic tests for hair loss, today introduced the first meaningful test using genetic markers strongly associated with Female Hair Loss (Female Androgenetic Alopecia). The easy to understand test provides an accurate and understandable genetic analysis of a woman’s likelihood of developing this common type of hair loss.
The HairDX test for Female Hair Loss provides women with a score, called the CAG repeat score. A smaller CAG repeat score is associated with a higher risk for significant hair loss (Ludwig grade II or III hair loss) while a larger repeat score is associated with a lower risk for hair loss. To be tested, a woman swabs her mouth (inside cheek) for several seconds and returns the swab to the HairDX lab. The results are delivered confidentially and anonymously via a secure and private Web site.
Full article — Revolutionary Genetic Test For Women’s Hair Loss Launched
Like the HairDX test for men that was announced earlier this year, this is an exciting finding, but it may be difficult to understand how to use it since there is not a one-to-one ratio between the presence of the gene (the score) and the connection to female hair loss. As we all know (or hopefully know, since I’ve written about it many times before), the hair loss evaluation for women requires many tests, because there are many potential causes of hair loss in women that are not genetic. I certainly will evaluate the value of this test in the diagnosis of female hair loss.
(female) I’ve been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, and have been taking Levothyroxin 75 mcg for about two years now. I just recently had lab work done, which indicated that my thyroid levels are low again, which means I will have to increase the amount of Levothyroxin I take daily. I have about 30 ongoing medical conditions, and I do take many medications along with this one. I asked my pharmacist about hair loss (as mine has been thinning and coming out for over a year now, but it’s really bad now though), which of my meds could be causing it, and what vitamin(s) I could take to combat it. He told me that my hypothyroidism was most likely the cause of my hair loss, and suggested I take 200 mg of selenium everyday to stop the problem. Is he correct? What kind of doctor would I need to see for this problem? What more can I do? Help me, PLEASE!! There is no pattern baldness in my family. I used to have a nice long full head of hair and now it’s so thin. I cry everytime I wash my hair because so much comes out at once. This problem is making my depression worse as well. Where can I go and what can I do? I’m on disability so I do not have a lot of funds to combat this problem so yet another issue with which to deal. HELP!!!!!
Thank you so much for your help!
Hypothyroidism is a cause of hair loss and thinning. First you must get your thyroid problem regulated. Best to see a good medical doctor who feels that this problem falls without his/her expertise, possibly working with a dermatologist to follow your hair loss. An endocrinologist may be a good choice for a specialty. You also asked about taking selenium — it should not be harmful and actually may help.
What is the difference between Regaine and Rogaine where I can see that these two products have the same ingredients (Minoxidil 50 mg; propylene glycol; alcohol and purified water) are there any difference between this two products and which one do your recommend thanks for your time.
No difference that I know of. Regaine is the name in the UK and Australian markets. Rogaine is the name in the US market (and possibly other markets). They even share a similar logo and packaging.
A client I have serviced for almost one year accuses me of causing her hair to fall out after a relaxer I gave her. She called me two days after the relaxer saying her hair was shedding. I am very thorough with my rinsing of chemicals and the shampoos that follow. She said her hair was coming out in strands and that her scalp itched a little. I suggested she see a dermatologist. Her dermatologist told her that there was nothing showing in her bloodwork that would cause her hair to fall out. He prescribed her Luxiq which as you know is for psoriasis of the skin and scalp. Would’nt that not mean that she had a skin condition which caused her hair to fall out and not the relaxer?
It sounds like you may be looking for potential legal advice. I do not know your client or the entire circumstance involving her hair loss. This sounds like an acute episode of hair loss happened within a couple of days of the treatment you gave her. There seems to be a direct link between the use of chemicals and the hair loss, based on what you’re telling me. As I’ve written before, psoriasis will not cause hair loss unless you pick at it enough to develop traction alopecia. This does not seem to be a traction alopecia case, though.
There are many possible reasons for female hair loss, ranging from medical illness to genetics to hormonal to stress. Moreover, even with modern advancement in medical technology, the exact cause and/or cure for female hair loss is still elusive. Your client’s hair loss may have been related to the chemical stress or it may just also be coincidental. I really cannot say.
(female)
Hello,I’m having a hard time with hair loss since a serious surgery in May of 2007 (it lasted approximately 6 hours). It is now April of 2008 and I’ve noticed a steady and very noticeable loss in hair (I can see my scalp from the back- very little coverage of hair).
I have no known genetic hair loss in my family (that I’m aware of) my grandparents and parents have full, very thick, heads of hair and I had a full head of healthy hair prior to my surgery. My Dr. dismissed my concerns as attached to the surgery in May, however, I have not seen any return of hair since then, but rather a continuing loss.
When should I expect the hair to regrow? Is it unusual for hair loss to continue 10 months after surgery (note: the loss didn’t start until a few months after surgery and it was dramatic loss all of a sudden rather than slow shedding). Sometimes I find that my scalp hurts- it’s a hard feeling to explain. It is not severe pain, but rather a dull sort of sensation all over my scalp. I’m very concerned and have tried one treatment (oil and shampoo system -the oil treatment was twice a week for three months-that was supposed to stimulate growth). It did not seem to help at all.
What do you recommend I do? Is this normal or the sign of something irreversible? Thank you for your help. I do hope you can answer my question. I’m desperate to find some solution.
Hair loss after a surgery or from a severe stress is called telogen effluvium. If it lasts less than a year as it normally does, it will reverse after the stress abates. Some people go on to a chronic telogen effluvium. Both forms may be treated with minoxidil while you are waiting for it to reverse. More information about telogen effluvium can be found at eMedicine.
I had breast cancer and my last chemo treatment was in July of 2006. I finished radiation in October 2006. It has been almost two years and my very thick curly hair has not come back. I have a few sparse hairs all over my head, but they are very sparse. I take tamoxifen daily. Will my hair come back and what can I do to help it. I have used Nioxin for two years and just recently started uses minoxidil. Are there vitamins to help? Just what can I do?
I do not know how to help you. My experience is not in the area of chemotherapeutic drugs. Your best information will probably come from the doctors who are managing your chemo. They see many people with hair loss and can probably give you the answers you are looking for. I wish I could offer more, but this is beyond my specialty.
I have been told, by a colleague, that under normal circumstances, facial hair does not ‘fall out’ as does hair on your head.
Can you tell me if this is true or false?
Facial hair is different than scalp hair, but ALL hairs go through the growth cycle, resting cycle, and shedding (falling out) cycle.
I am not clear what you are asking. Do you have loss of facial hair or are you asking an academic question? The most common cause of scalp hair loss in men is due to genetic causes, and it is often referred to as androgenic alopecia (AGA), male pattern baldness (MPB), or just genetic balding. About 50% or so of the male population will have some degree of genetic balding at some point in their lifetime. Keep in mind that this does not mean 50% of men will go bald. Facial balding patches may not be genetic and you need to see a dermatologist.
Hi Dr. Rassman,
I went to see a dermatologist today about my diffuse hair loss, and I asked him if the thinner hairs that are falling out now (as opposed to the thicker hairs that fell out before) necessarily pinpointed miniaturization. He said that a telogen hair is supposed to be miniaturized compared with a anagen hair. Now, I’ve done quite a bit of research on this topic, and I’ve never heard that a telogen hair was supposed to be miniaturized. Can you give some insight into why he might say this? Thanks so much!
I agree with you. Telogen hairs, when they fall out, are normal width. I have no idea why your dermatologist would say otherwise.
