Hi, I am an 18 yr old female with a mom that has lupus and anemia. I have always had joint issues, but over the last 6 months i have had severe hair loss. I dont use a sraightener daily nor do I constantly use hair products. Is this something I should be concerned about considering my moms history?
Yes, you need to see a good dermatologist and get a diagnosis. This is not something I can diagnose or treat over the internet.
(female)
At around age 30 my mother began getting sores and rashes on her scalp. Shortly after that her hair began to thin at the crown of her head. My mother was treated for the sores but the doctors couldn’t help her with the balding. She went to a lot of specialists and dermatologists who all ran tests and prescribed different medications topical and etc….all which did not work. On top of that they didn’t give any medical reason as to why she was losing her hair.
My mother is now 50 and completely bald at the front and crown of her head. It seems like it will never grow back. My sister is now around 30 and experiencing the same sores on the scalp and thinning hair!!! I guess my question is, is this hereditary and if so is there any way I can find out what my chances are of this happening to me?
It sounds hereditary to me (with what little information you provide), however, I would need to see your mom to make my own diagnosis. I have no way to know if it’ll happen to you, as I don’t even know what it is.
(female)
Hello Dr,
I am interested in an eyebrow transplant after yeas of overzealous plucking. I’ve waited a few months and it seems the hair won’t grow back in certain areas and the growth is very sparse. My question is, how long should I allow the hairs to return before opting for a transplant? Thanks for your time!
If the eyebrow has not grown back within 6-12 months, then I would not expect it to grow back. Transplants are the only way to treat this condition; however, if you get the transplants and resume plucking them, then you can lose the new eyebrows as well.
I had a miscarriage 4 months ago and my doctor prescribed Duphaston. After that I’ve also taken contraceptive pills. After two months, I went for a check up again, and she give me Primolut N. Are these medications causing my hair loss, because I noticed that my hair is thinner now and keeps on falling out. I’ve also been taking Pantogar for four months now. Thank you so much for your time.
A miscarriage can cause hair loss, either from the drop in estrogen following the end of a pregnancy, or possibly even from the emotional stress that you must’ve endured. Either reason should only result in temporary hair loss, though.
As for the medications and supplements you’re taking — Duphaston (dydrogesterone) isn’t noted to cause hair loss in the literature that I can find, though Primolut N (norethisterone) does list hair loss as a potential side effect. Birth control pills can also cause hair loss in some women, though I’m not sure which contraceptive you’re taking. Pantogar is a vitamin supplement that makes big claims, but I don’t know of any actual peer-reviewed research that backs them up.
If your loss is temporary, the hair will regrow on its own within the next 6-12 months. If your loss is from medications, you should speak to your prescribing doctor. It is more likely that the emotional stress or change in hormones caused a temporary hair loss (telogen effluvium), though.
Doctor, I was thinking of something today. Females lose hair genetically too like female pattern baldness, but how come its not as common like men to lose hair? I mean there are females with bald fathers, grandfathers, uncles and brothers, but they never lose hair genetically?
If a man has so many bald relatives, there is a strong chance he will lose hair too, but the women tend to still keep their hair when the men in their family are all bald. Is it the estrogen that protects the hair?
There is no evidence that estrogen protects women from developing hair loss in the standard male patterns. The reason for female pattern baldness is not well understood.
Male pattern baldness is just what it says — it is a male problem and it occurs in patterns that can be visually seen, as graded on the Norwood scale. Women with genetic hair loss do not generally develop patterned balding, or if they do, the patterns do not usually follow the Norwood scale for men. Genetic hair loss in women, also called female androgenic alopecia, can at times be seen in a pattern that is graded on the Ludwig scale. Other times, the hair loss is diffuse.
Fortunately for men, finasteride is a good medication… but for women, the only decent medication is topical minoxidil.
Snippet from the article:
TV presenter Gail Porter has tweeted her shock after a man accosted her on a London street, calling her “baldy.”
The Scottish personality has alopecia which has left her suffering from severe hair loss and she has spent years campaigning to increase awareness of the condition.
Porter tweeted to describe the incident which she said left her in tears near her London home
Read the rest — Man calls Gail Porter ‘baldy’ in alopecia abuse incident
Most of us in the US are probably not familiar with Ms. Porter, but she is a former pin-up model and currently a television presenter in the UK that has campaigned for alopecia awareness since her hair began falling out after discovering she had alopecia totalis in 2005. I suppose the silver lining of this incident is that it brought her story back into the news, thus hopefully raising further awareness.
(female)
I noticed in 2002 slow traction alopecia I was able to have use a few tracts to cover up. After having gastric bypass in 2003 my hair started falling our to near baldness. My sister also had gastric bypass and same results. I want to be able to wear my hair in ponytail and other styles. I have a very small frame — 5ft, size 6 shoe, 110lbs. If I have to be bald I do not want to look like I am wearing a wig. What can be done?
Acute weight loss is a known cause of balding in both men and women. Men bald in patterns and rarely bald in the donor area, while women get a diffuse balding that does not occur in patterns. You need to send me some photos of you so I understand what you mean by balding.
If what you’re seeing is advanced thinning, it can be treated with SMP as shown here. If you’re indeed seeing “near baldness” all over the entire scalp, I’m not sure what I could suggest over the internet without a physical exam and knowing more about your medical history.
I am 25 years old, had a baby in 6 months ago, and since lost about 30 pounds. My scalp is also itchy. I know with pregnancy and weight loss you can lose hair. I am just wondering if it is reversible or what I can do to stop my hair from falling out before it is too late.
You must wait it out, at least a year. Hair loss often returns by then, especially if you are not breast feeding. There really isn’t any way I know of to prevent it, as there are many hormonal changes occurring that cause this telogen effluvium.
As a woman in my 40s, I have had thin hair all my life. The thinning got much worse after childbirths. About 15 years ago I discovered toppik and started using it. I had used it everyday until now. A few months ago I started having more than usual hair loss and started considering a wig. Around that time I met Dr. Rassman who mentioned the SMP procedure to me. Since there wasn’t much to lose at that point I decided to give it a try.
I completed my procedure today and feel compelled to share how pleased I am with the result. For the first time in many years, I walked out in the open air without toppik. I am no longer worried people might see my scalp if they get too close. It is liberating to be able to get in the pool and not worry about toppik running on my face. Any woman who feels self conscious about her thin or thinning hair should visit Dr. Rassman and his partner Dr. Pak for a consultation. They are both perfectionists and won’t stop until they are happy with the results. The staff is also extremely professional who can put you at ease during your visit. I am so happy I had the procedure done, it’s life changing for me.
Click the photos to enlarge (Before on left, After on right):
Thanks so much for sending in your email. I’ve posted your photos (with your permission) and appreciate your kind words.
Snippet from the article:
Trichotillomania, an impulse control disorder that causes sufferers to compulsively pull out their own hair and can often lead to both noticeable hair loss and social anxiety, affects between two to five percent of Americans. One sufferer, Valerie Vanone, joined HuffPost Live recently to share her story of battling trichotillomania, which began at age 12 and eventually forced her to leave school in order to seek treatment.
Vanone, who began pulling out her eyelashes as a pre-teen before escalating to pulling hair directly from her scalp, didn’t seek help until she was 24 years old, she told host Nancy Redd.
Read the rest — Trichotillomania, Hair-Pulling Disorder, Caused Me To Leave School
I’ve embedded the video interview below:
