Category: Female Hair Loss

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Hair Loss InformationWeaves Pulled Out My Hair – Can I Use Steroid Cream to Regrow It? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Can you use Steroid Based Ointments to help grow the sides and back part of your head that has thinned from Weaving? I pulled out a lot of my hair over years of weaving and left my weave in for over three months most times. My hair is originally thick, tough, bulky and curly and I think I used weaves because of anxiety and low self esteem, kind of like self harm as I abused my hair with weaves for years. Anyway, I didnt realise the weaves were slowly pulling out my hair and the last weave was so tight I lost bulk from the middle and the front was so thin you could see my scalp after it came out.

Ive now stopped that. My immediate family including both pairs of grand parents have absolutely no balding or hair loss problems. My twin sister also has thick curly hair. I am now 32. Will my hair grow back to its natural state and remain like that and can I use anything to help?

Thanks

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No, no, no steroids! They are generally bad for your hair. Steroid-based ointments, creams, lotions, or potions will not regrow the hair you lost.

Hair loss from years of using tight weaves is usually permanent. The constant pulling from the weave in your hair likely caused traction alopecia. You should see a hair transplant surgeon to find out if you can be helped. For more on traction alopecia, please see eMedicine.

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Dr Rassman, Your Reply About Femara and Hair Loss Was Dismissive! – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dr. Rassman, with all due respect I found your response to the poor woman who asked for help re Femara and Hair loss, to be incredibly insensitive and dismissive. Didn’ t you read her history? Obviously her priority has been and continues to be, cancer, but doesn’t she deserve to look and feel good about herself, with a FULL head of hair?! Because to date, Femara has been so effective in preventing breast cancer recurrence, I am sure you’ll be receiving more requests for help to reverse or ease, the hair loss side effect. I suggest you do some research yourself and try to help us, rather than lecture us on priorities and then pass the buck back to oncologists. Believe me, as a 54-year old woman who has also gone through surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, Tamoxifen and now Femara (9 months) all with a great deal of hope and grace, what an insult it is, to be losing my hair AGAIN, along with a host of other debilitating side effects, that are destroying my quality of life. Good information from you or your colleagues, would be most welcome.

You’re referring to my post from a couple months ago, Femara and Female Hair Loss.

I do not treat cancer and certainly do not have direct knowledge of the various chemotherapeutic drugs that are used. Hair loss is usually a secondary consideration when treating a cancer. Of course, most doctors would love to find an equally effective anti-cancer drug that has no hair loss as a side effect, but that does not seem to happen very often.

Quality of life is often balanced in the treatment of cancer with the effectiveness of the drugs used to control recurrence. Doctors are very focused on the cancer and feel that side effects like hair loss are less important in the “war against cancer recurrence”. I do understand where you are coming from and my heart does go out to you. I recently reviewed a drug that was designed to treat hair loss associated with cancer chemotherapy, but I signed a non-disclosure agreement, which means I can’t speak about it because the company was concerned that:

  1. The drug was not FDA approved yet
  2. The effectiveness was yet to be proved scientifically (they started down that path)
  3. Any release of information could risk their FDA approval status

I liked what I saw and knew well how this type of drug would impact people like the woman on the referenced blog post. I would welcome the chance to become a source of good, reliable information if I had it. Unfortunately, although I care a great deal about this problem, my practice is not focused on the treatment of hair loss from cancer chemotherapy. I’m sorry if you feel that my answer was insensitive, but I did not intend it to be as such.

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Rogaine Foam vs Rogaine Liquid – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Is Rogaine foam really better than liquid?

My doctor suggested I try Rogaine foam because it’s supposed to be more effective. But it seems to me that most of it ends up on my hair and not on my scalp. I had been using 2% women’s generic minoxidil for heredity hair loss and find it easier to apply directly to my scalp with the dropper, particularly because I have long hair that’s still relatively dense. Would the foam still deliver more effectively in my case? If liquid is as good, is there a 5% alcohol base for women? Does it really matter if it’s Rogaine brand vs generic?

Many thanks for your expert opinion.

It probably doesn’t matter which one you use, but applying it twice a day is important and higher concentrations (5% vs 2%) is more effective. I have heard that the foam gives better absorption, but that may be the technique used. Ask your pharmacist about 5% with an alcohol base. Name brand is the same as generic, as far as I’m aware.

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Hair Loss InformationAll of My Body and Scalp Hair Just Stopped Growing! – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Five days ago the hair on my legs, underarms, etc. just stopped growing. I am 45 yrs. of age. No other symptoms except that for the past two years I have had very irregular periods approximately every two weeks. It has been 4 weeks since the last one this time and still no period. I have been to my gyno a year ago and everything seemed ok. I am scared that I will now loose the hair on my head but so far so good even though it is not growing any longer.

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I am not your doctor and I can not offer an opinion based upon what you gave me above. However, at 45 years old with a change in your menstrual cycle, the first thing I would think about is menopause, so your gynecologist may be the first place to look for answers.

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Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) and Female Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am a 37 year old breastfeeding mom. My hair started thinning in my early thirties a little, but not noticeably. I had to have two rounds of in-vitro fertilization to have my baby (17 mos old now). After the first round of IVF (not pregnant) my hair started really falling out, thinning all over but more at the crown and top. My doc said he didn’t think there was a connection. The second IVF was successful and my hair got thicker throughout my pregnancy until my baby was three months old. Predictably, my hair started falling out again, but just to the thickness it was before. However, after my baby turned one, I started losing more hair and now my scalp is visible in the crown/back . I’ve been to an endocrinologist (i have atypical PCOS symptoms. he recommended propecia when i am finished procreating) and a dermatologist who specializes in hair loss. The derm said she would put me on Rogaine and Yaz birth control pills once I stop breastfeeding. I do not want to wean my baby for this. However, I am panicking a little because my hairloss is so rapid! I am otherwise healthy, and am normal weight, no thyroid issues. My questions: is there any research into ART and hair loss; and is there anything I can do to treat my hair loss while I am breastfeeding? Thank you so much for your time.

Generally, when you breastfeed, you do not want to take any medication because it will enter your baby through the breast milk. I rarely deal with women who have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or endocrine issues that could relate to hair loss. Propecia (finasteride) may help, but absolutely not when you are ever going to have a child. You need to discuss the risks with your doctor. While I’m not sure of any research relating hair loss and in-vitro fertilization, I am aware that fertility drugs like Clomid (clomiphene) can cause hair loss in rare cases (see RxList.com).

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Medrol (Methylprednisolone) for Migraines and Female Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I was on Methyl Predisolone for 20 months for Complicated Migrains. 8mg for 5 months and weaned off for many months slowly. Since I went off my hair is falling out and thinning. It did not happen when I was on them only when I went off. Does this end after a while? Is it permanent? My parents did not have hair loss. I am 44 years old. Female.

While there are many drugs that can cause hair thinning and hair loss generally for women hair loss is due to other medical causes, such as thyroid conditions for example. Genetics (which you have no control over) also play a key part. As such, your hair loss may seem related, but I cannot say if it was the medication. Even if it was the cause, there is no way to know if your hair will return back to its original state. Only time can tell… (about one year).

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Lost My Temple Hair 35 Years Ago and I Want to Grow it Back – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

(female) i lost my temple hair when i was about 16. my mother said it was from using sponge hair curlers. i am 51 now i’ve tried everything. it starts to grow then comes back out. no one else in my family has this problem.what can i do help?

I’ve not heard of a complete loss of temple hair, following by regrowing and falling out over and over for decades like you’re describing, so I wouldn’t know what non-surgical solution to provide. On the surgery side of things, we have transplanted hair for women with temple hair loss. I would need to see photos of you before rendering an opinion though, because without seeing what you’re describing I really don’t know if you are a good candidate.

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My Bulimia Is Gone, How Can I Get My Hair to Grow Back? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

(female)
I used to have very thick hair, but I suffered bulimia which caused my hair to thin over the years. Both my parents have full hair. I have been cured now and back to a regular healthy
diet. I was wondering is it possible to get my hair back to the way it used to be?

When one loses hair from dietary deficiencies, it could trigger some element of the hair cycle such that the hair evolves into an ‘older’ type of hair. Genetic factors can also be triggered and these may not be reversible. You should really see a professional who can analyze your hair and look to other causes of hair loss. Just because you lost your hair from bulimia, does not mean that this was the only cause. Get a thorough check up by a good doctor.

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In the News – Supermodel Naomi Campbell Is Losing Hair? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

From the article —

Naomi CampbellExpert Leonora Doclis believes Naomi may be suffering from hair loss brought on by years of using weaves to make her locks appear straight.

She said: “There is a possibility that Ms Campbell could be experiencing a condition called traction alopecia but, if so, it is a very mild case.

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Full text — Is supermodel Naomi Campbell suffering from hair loss?

Upon seeing the photo on that page (before reading the full article text), I immediately thought about traction alopecia. If this is the correct diagnosis, then there will probably be other areas of her head that are impacted. Hair transplants work nicely for this condition and may be the only effective treatment available.

(Photo: WENN)

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Levothyroxine, Hypothyroidism, and Female Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

(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.