Category: Hair Loss Causes

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Tooth Abscess and Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

i am a 21 year old male and i have been experiencing diffuse hairloss for the past 2 years give or take…my family tells me im crazy but i believe my hair has thinned alot….if i dont put it in exactly the right place u can see right threw into my scalp….my problem is that it doesnt appear to be male pattern baldness because it didnt start at the back of my head or my temples it started in the middle of my part (i used to have long hair) it honestly resembles female pattern baldness more than male pattern baldness-although recently my hairline did start to move back on the right side(only about a 1/4 inch if that)… my question is can an abcess tooth gone untreated be causing this???…after racking my brain for a reason this seems to be the only logical thing since the hairloss started happening just after i hurt my tooth…but my hairloss hurts me more than my tooth :) also my older brother who is 23 still has his hair and my little brother 19 still has his hair though my dad waas completely bald by 26 and acctually i naturally have thicker hair than both of them….please let me know i want to get this taken care of…. thanks alot!

A tooth abscess should not produce hair loss, other than an added stress in your life (stress can cause hair loss in some people or accelerate genetic hair loss if the stress is prolonged). You need a diagnosis, which I really couldn’t begin to help you with unless I see you.

If you are balding, then you do not have to start at the back and move forward with your balding process. Every man is different. What you are calling female balding is what I call diffuse unpatterned alopecia (DUPA) and that diagnosis can be made by mapping out the scalp for miniaturization. Get a diagnosis by seeing a good doctor and then develop a Master Plan for what you might go. You do want to for sure know what’s going on with your hair loss, right?

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Bald Spot Started As Small Spot Months Ago, Now It is Growing – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have a spot on the left side of my head. It appeared in the summer as small as a pea and know is about 2 inches. The hair that falls out looks like an exclamation point it is thick and then really thin near the scalp it also is discolored. My hair is dark black so the ends near the scalp are light brown. The bald spot is very smooth no hair or subble. What might this be and what kind of doctor should I visit my doctor has no clue.

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I think that this is a test of my knowledge. ‘Exclamation point hair’ is a telltale sign found in certain diseases like alopecia areata (see Exclamation point hair). If the spot is expanding, then that may be your diagnosis. You need to see a dermatologist for your condition. Different diseases can cause this type of patchy hair loss, but the most common in western countries is ringworm (a fungal infection problem).

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder in which hair is destroyed by the body’s defense mechanism. For those that have it, there is a genetic component which can be identified in the DNA. Hair loss could be seen anywhere in the body and is more obvious on the head and face, because of the density of hair in those areas. Recovery is spontaneous, but may take several months to years and it may not reverse. Some medications may facilitate recovery from this condition, but the best treatments are in the hands of a few doctors who have a particular interest in this disease.

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My Hair Is Miniaturizing All Over – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Doctor. I have been reading on your website about miniaturization. I was under the impression that it just occurred on the top of the head but I believe that it is affecting me on my whole head. Is this possible? I am already on Propecia and Rogaine, and I know that you don’t endorse any other products, but a doctor told me to try Biotin. Is it possible that this would help with thickness at all? I also would like to start taking a multivitamin in morning (when I take Propecia). Would either of these take away from the benefits of Propecia? Thank you for all of your help doctor!

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It is possible that miniaturization can occur all over, but how do you know your hair is actually miniaturizing? Miniaturization can only be seen under a microscope, so getting a detailed microscopic assessment of your hair throughout your scalp is the way to confirm what you are suspecting, if it is true. If you are miniaturizing all over the head then you probably do not have male pattern baldness (as a male you might have diffuse unpatterned alopecia, also known as DUPA) and drugs such as Propecia will likely not help!

I don’t see a problem taking biotin or a multivitamin with Propecia in the morning.

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Hair Loss InformationDid Propecia Effect My Liver? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am a 25 year old male experiencing signs of thinning in my temples and hairline region.

I took propecia for about 6 months with no noticeable side effects. After 6 months I had to have a minor surgery, and they had me do a routine pre op exam with my doctor. My blood work came back with elevated liver enzymes (the were elevated to a level that made my doctor cancel my surgery date.) I have no history of liver disease, or any past issues with my liver at all. They tested me for all the usual liver problems and they all came back negative.

The only medication I was on was Propecia, so my doctor told me to stop taking it, and they would redo my blood work in a couple of weeks. Over the next month and a half (after discontinuing Propecia) my doctor monitored my liver enzymes on a weekly basis as they slowly returned to normal.

My doctor told me not to take propecia any longer because it obviously was the cause of the elevated liver enzymes…and that was very dangerous to have them that high.

I was wondering, is this a common occurrence? Are there any reported cases of this? If so, how come it is not listed as a possible side effect to propecia?

Since propecia seems out of the question for me, what other options are there for long term goals of maintaining the hair I have now (In both the temples/hairline and the vertex? ) Perhaps another form of dht inhibitor that does not metabolize in the liver (if such a thing even exists)?

Thank you

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I cannot be sure if Propecia (finasteride 1mg) was the cause of your elevated liver enzymes. Propecia is not associated with liver problems, but this has been addressed in the past on this site a couple of times:

There are may other causes of elevated liver problems, including lab error, alcohol, genetic liver disease (which you may not be aware of), recent viral illness, hepatitis, gall stones, etc. I am sure your doctor considered these and other factors. In the end you should confer and follow your doctors recommendations.

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I Stopped Washing My Hair Because I’m Worried About Losing It! – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello, I started receding about a year ago and recently its getting worse, everytime i go in the shower and wash my hair there is about fifty or so hairs on my hands which didnt happen about three months ago, my scalp also itches but i dont want to wash it too hard because more and more hair will fall out, i need help bad, im avoiding washing it at the moment, there is also some white stuff on my scalp in some places which i can scrap off with my nail and doesnt smell too good. can you give me some advice please. thanks

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You need to see a dermatologist soon. Several conditions could be causing your hair loss. Having extensive dandruff and scalp itching is a sign of inflammation of the scalp and seborrheic dermatitis. Seborrheic dermatitis is an inflammatory disease that can involve scalp skin and other areas. Although seborrheic dermatitis does not generally cause hair loss, if you are genetically predisposed to baldness, inflammation can accelerate your patterned hair loss. Some other inflammatory conditions, such as infectious disorders of the scalp, can do the same to the follicles. Find a good physician who can diagnose and treat the condition so that you can limit your hair loss or even regrow your hair. For an accurate diagnosis of genetic hair loss, if that is what you have, you need to get your scalp mapped out for miniaturization.

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Within a Year, My Widow’s Peak Disappeared – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Something VERY weird has happened to my hairline the last year! I have searched many many forums and blogs like this but I haven’t found the answer.

This is my problem:
I always had a widows peak till my 17, one year later my widows peak has almost completely dissappeared..? I can see small hairs but that’s it. The left side of my hairline is still perfectly intact while the right side has receded for 1 or 2 mm.

the rest of my hair is extremely thick and healthy. my father has a full head of hear and he is almost 50, my mother too.

Thx in advance

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Have you considered the possibility that you may have early signs of male pattern balding? It is also possible that the widow’s peak you had may have a different genetic code, and as such, came out because it had genes that were expressed at that time. Male pattern baldness (MPB) is genetic, so even if your father or grandparents (both from mother’s or father’s side) has a full head of hair, it can skip generations and it can also be from your mother’s side. There is really nothing “VERY weird” about it. Hair loss to a certain degree occurs in more than 50% of men.

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Ergonomic Pillow and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Doctor

The question will sound strange (or silly): A few weeks ago i bought an anatomisch pilow and slept on it for a few nights. Every morning i used to find some fallen hair on the pillowcase. This pillow is harder than the old one and the pillowcase not smooth. Of course i washed it before using it I changed the pillow a few nights ago and use my old one again ( very soft with smooth plilowcase ). NO fallen hair in the pillowcase in the morning!!! What could be going on?

Thank you

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The hard pillow may be rubbing your scalp as you move around in your sleep and putting traction on the hair. We lose 100-150 hairs per day and this may be some of those hairs that will fall out anyway. I would not expect you to lose hair that is not due to fall out in the next day or so, though this is just an educated guess!

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Hair Loss InformationI’m Losing Hair at 14 Years Old! – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

hi ! thanx for all the help you are providing us youngsters!

now to my problem. i am a 15 year old male, and have really thin hair, and the left portion of my head,and the top part are thinner than the rest. i had perfect hair that was envied by my friends till last year when i was 14. my hair used to be thick,straight and shiny.but 2 years back,it started getting wavy and i finally started using hair straightening creams to get my straight hair back. i used the cream a few times. i also used to eat very poorly. last year, i started losing hair at the temples. a few months later, overall thickness was lost and resulted in very thin hair. when i wet my hair,you can even see my scalp. and lately, i have lost hair on the crown of my head. even though i have improved my diet, i still experience a high amount of hairfall. can it be due to DHT or any other hormone? even my forehead is getting bigger now. what should i do??? help me!!! i need to regain my thick hair….please help. thanks

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Poor diet can cause hair loss and changes in hair characteristics. Getting out of your adolescence will also cause hair to change. You have to be careful that you are not damaging it by what you do and you will need to see a dermatologist for a diagnosis, not from me over the internet. Good luck.

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Hair Loss InformationWould Red Wine or Clay Powder Shampoo Cause Follicle Damage? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

hello doctor.i have some questions regarding hair loss.I’m almost 19 and i’m a class 2 norwood(i think).i was wondering if using an alcohol based product on my hair(like red wine-for styling purpuses) or if using a dry shampoo made of clay powder would do anything to damage the follicle

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I don’t believe any commercial shampoos can damage your hair follicles. As I’ve written in some past blog posts, topical agents can rarely cause hair loss if there is no physical damage involved to the root of the hair.

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Hair Loss InformationMy Son Has Alopecia Totalis – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

My son has had alopecia areta past 5 years, we tried all kinds of medications ( from ayurveda, homeopathy, allopathic mecinines) but all in vain.. he is now diagnosed for opheosis…(alopecia totalis). We all are going through stress and depression.. and even our social life is getting affected becaause of all this.. is there any solution.. in laser therapy….
Please help…

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Alopecia totalis is one of more advanced types of alopecia, in which hair loss spreads to involve the entire head. The mechanism of this disorder is similar to other more limited types of alopecia, like alopecia areata. Autoimmune reaction against hair follicles is suggested to be the cause of this condition. Although recovery could be spontaneous in a few cases, it may take months to years to appear.

Medications, such as minoxidil, have very limited success and topical immunotherapy is considered the most effective current treatment, but the response is not universal among all patients. You should have your son see a dermatologist who has special experience in treatment of this condition. If you are in the Los Angeles area, I can refer you to someone local.