Female Hair Loss – Page 32

July 30, 2009

16 Year Old Girl’s Shrinking Widow’s Peak – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi I’m a female and only 16 but my question is about my widow’s peak. Well, it used to be the same length as the rest of my hair but after messing with it for the past few years its gotten shorter and shorter and now its become a habit and I can’t stop messing with it. I just want to know if it will ever grow out again if I stop twirling it with my fingers? Or is there anything else I can do to make it grow out again? It’s become so short that if I dont use serum or other products like hairspray to keep it down it just sticks out. Please help!

If you play with the widow’s peak, it may produce some level of traction alopecia and that could cause you to lose your widow’s peak. Even if you don’t play and tug on it, it may still disappear. The shape of hairlines may change as you get out of your teenage years.

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July 28, 2009

Young Girl Is Losing Hair – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dear Dr. Rassman,

I have a question.. I have a nine year old sister who has been losing a lot of hair for about four months now. She loses a lot when combing her hair, putting up in a pony tail, and when showering. She loses the most hair when she showers. She doesn’t have any bald spots, but my mom and I are getting really worried. What do you think the reason might be? Should we consult this with her doctor? I would really appreciate your help. Thank you.

Yes, I’d definitely would have her doctor take a look. There could be many causes for hair loss in women including an iron deficiency (if she is presently menstruating). The showering isn’t causing the hair loss, as you probably suspect, but constantly combing the hair can cause it to come out.

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July 14, 2009

Can a Woman Use Avodart After a Hysterectomy? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

i have had significant hair loss at my crown and have heard that the bp med aldactone has helped. i do have high bp and was planning on starting on meds for the bp. what are your thoughts on this. also what about avodart? i am 43 and have had a hysterectomy so have no chance of pregnancy.

This is a situation where you are asking for medical advice, but I’m sorry, this isn’t something I can answer. You can take anything, but taking medications recommended by your doctor will be part of your medical plan for health.

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July 13, 2009

Hair Loss InformationCould IVF Cause Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am 41 and have gone through many series of ivf treatments. Now that I have not been on these injectables for a year, I have noticed this past year a small nickel sized bald spots on my scalp. Starting out as a dime now up to a nickel I am getting nervous. I have 3 of them now. Could IVF have had anything to do with this? I have been to my dr last year and this year for blood tests, but everything came back great. I have “invested” in shampoo’s, vitamins, follicle treatments and nothing has worked. Even my hair hasn’t “grown” in a year. I actually stopped highlighting it for 6 months and nothing. My next step is woman’s rogaine, but the box states not for patchy hair loss. Can I use it? What can I do next?

Thanks for your help

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While I highly doubt in vitro fertilization (IVF) causes hair loss, if what you described was generalized, I would expect that the massive hormone manipulations that occur with IVF could cause diffuse hair loss. The descriptive nature of “nickle sized bald spots” is suggestive of conditions like alopecia areata. I would recommend seeing your dermatologist for a definitive diagnosis. If it is alopecia areata there is no definitive medical treatment, but the diagnosis methods are well established. Based upon the cause of the bald spot, the regrowth may be anticipated.

July 9, 2009

Common Blood Tests for Female Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have total head miniaturization and half my sideburns seem to have miniaturized. I was diagnosed with DUPA but I want to be sure that my miniaturization is not being caused by hormonal imbalances or malnutrition. I am going to get the yurine analysis 2 rule out malnutrition as a cause and I’ve already checked my iron and thyroid. Can you give me a list of hormones you think I should check and also could you recommend any doctors that are knowledgeable in this area in the new york area?

I haven’t seen your hair loss, but it is always good to get a second opinion. Some common blood tests for female hair loss:

Sex Hormone tests
SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin) used to test status of male hormones
Estradiol is a sex hormone
FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) *not hair follicle but follicle in the ovary*
LH (Luteinizing Hormone) is a sex hormone
Free Testosterone
Total Testosterone
ANA (Anti Nuclear Antibody) used to test for Lupus or other autoimmune diseases
TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) used to test for hyper or hypo-thyroid disease
Test Iron status
TIBC (Total Iron Binding Capacity)
Ferritin
Iron

In the NY area, I would see Dr. Robert Bernstein. Tell him I said hello!

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July 6, 2009

Woman Experiencing Nerve Problems in Scalp After Hair Transplant – Balding Blog

(female)
I have skin cancer which required graft closures. I have had MOH’s surgery and grafts twice and once (one year ago this past March) I had hair transplantation from the nape of my neck. Approximately two months after the surgery the right side of my scalp regained feeling but the left side did not. It still hasn’t so I told my plastic surgeon and he injected a steroid thinking it was scar tissue. While he was examining my scalp (after the injection, which did not work) he touched an area of my scalp on the left side that shot pain up to the top of my head probably right on the occipital nerve (greater). He didn’t know what to do so I went to see a neurologist who told me that some of the lesser occipital nerves are not as deep and are in fact at scalp level. My scalp (at the donor site) is so tight it is difficult to move my head to the right and down. Now he says I have cervical dystonia. I don’t believe that because in my research I found nothing that even resembles what I am feeling or going through. What do you think?

Persistent pain and/or numbness is a relatively rare risk of hair transplant surgery from small nerve damage. It is always stated in our pre-surgery consent form that we go over with our patients. Tightness of the scalp is also a side effect of a hair transplant surgery. The more surgeries you have, the more risk you may have of tightness or nerve damage. As your neurologist explained to you, some of your nerves may have been cut/irritated during the surgery and this may be contributing to your problems. I really have no way of knowing, though.

July 2, 2009

Hair Loss InformationCan Chemical Relaxers Done Professionally and Correctly Still Cause Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Can chemical relaxers applied properly by a professional at a salon cause hair loss? It seems as though every question here about chemical relaxers involve doing it yourself or messing up and burning the scalp.

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Professionals make mistakes on occasion so the use of relaxers always put you at risk for chemical burns. In the hands of experienced professionals, I would think that the risks are minimal.

With that said, I just met with a nice lady who had a professional use a relaxer on her hair about a year ago, and ended up with two thumb-print type bald spots that appeared after a 6 month course of treating open burn wounds on her scalp. I will be transplanting those thumb-print bare areas shortly.

July 1, 2009

I’m Worried About My Mom’s Severe Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi my mom is 65 and recently she has been experiencing a severe loss of hair and scalp irritation at the crown of her head. It is quite noticeable the hair loss is about the size of a small bowl. Clumps are also left on her pillow when she awakes/washes her hair.

She has been to GP and natualpath and on thyroid tablets to cleanse system as well as steriod topical cream to easer the itching and severe hotness of the area. This has been quite disconcerning for her. She also says that besides the severe heart in her head she wants to pull the air out to relieve the pressure. The doctor has sent her for biopsies as well as to see the ear /nose/throat specialists and they say there is no specific information they can give.

Any suggestions? Thanks, I hate to see my mom is such discomfort it unnerves me as I can’t relieve it as even head massage hurts her.

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I understand your feelings and sympathize. You want to comfort your mother and it’s tough to see her in pain. She needs to complete the biopsies and then take her to see a dermatologist to evaluate her hair loss. I really can not help her here, as this is too complex to handle without an exam and the internet has its limitations.

July 1, 2009

In the News – Receding Hair in Older Women – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Snippet from the article:

Mavis Bradley has always prided herself on her appearance. ‘Ever since I was a young girl, I’ve always followed what’s in fashion and tried to look my best,’ she says.

Despite this, she accepted that growing old gracefully would also change the way she looked. So when her eyebrows gradually faded away a few years ago, she put it down to old age.

‘Because that had happened, when I noticed about four years ago that my hair looked a little thinner at the front, I didn’t pay much attention. I presumed it came with old age.’

In fact, Mavis was suffering from a type of alopecia that affects post-menopausal women, damaging the hair follicles so that the hair falls out and cannot grow back.

Read the full article — Receding hair, the new epidemic in older women

Bad hair days turn into bad hair years as some people’s hair change as they age. The article covers some interesting points.

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June 25, 2009

Will Female Donor Hair Fall Out? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Is it true that female donor hair that is transplanted does not become permanent and may eventually fall out of the transplanted area whereas male transplanted hair will never fall out?

Whatever happens to the donor area will happen to the transplanted hairs in their new location. Female genetic alopecia is often diffuse and when it progresses, it impacts the donor area with miniaturization that is progressive, so you will see that impact in the recipient area for donor hair as the miniaturization progresses. In most men, the donor area is spared from miniaturization, so when this hair is transplanted into the recipient area it reflects that stability seen in the donor area and is not lost. In other words, men have that ring of hair around their heads (often called the permanent zone), whereas women aren’t going to necessarily have that same permanent area.

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