Female Hair Loss – Page 48

January 10, 2008

Female Hair Loss and Postmenopausal Hormone Changes – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have been asked many times about the drop in estrogen levels with menopause and its effect on hair loss as a protective hormone. The following comes from Dr. Bernard Nusbaum of the Hair Transplant Institute Miami:

“We generally attribute the increased incidence in female pattern hair loss in postmenopausal women to decreased estrogen levels but, the role of estrogens in pattern hair loss is not well understood. Androgens, because of their conversion to estrogen by the enzyme aromatase, indirectly influence estrogen effects. How estrogen affects hair growth is uncertain. There are studies on mice which show that topical estrogen application inhibits hair growth and treatment with an estrogen blocker caused hairs to grow. Laboratory studies on human follicles have shown that estrogen inhibited growth of cultured human follicles.

In contrast, hair dermal papilla cells have been shown to grow in response to estrogen in the laboratory. Also, estrogens are known to increase the production of the protein, sex hormone binding globulin, which leads to a lowering of the active form of testosterone in the blood. Reports of using topical estrogens in patients with pattern alopecia are mostly anecdotal but one double-blind six-month trial of topical estradiol showed stabilization of hair loss in male and female patients.”

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

January 10, 2008

I See Growth from Laser Treatment, But Still Experience Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

HI,
Im a women of 25 years old, ive always had probles with my loss of hair, some months ago i heard about the laser hair therapy so i started a treatment. Ive been doing that treatment for about 3 months (Twice a week) and even i have noticed i have some newborn hairs i still loosing a lot of hair (about 100 per day), is that normal? what else can i do? Also i wanted to know if the laser hair therapy has any side effect…
Thank you!

It is normal to lose about 100-150 hairs a day, as new hair should grow (with or without laser) in place of those hairs that were lost. Sometimes we tend to lose more at certain times than at others and we quickly jump into panic mode. I cannot say if the laser treatment has regrown your hair, but if you think that the laser has given you a positive overall effect, then go for it. I don’t know of any side effects, other than an empty wallet. As for what else you can do — minoxidil (Rogaine) is a FDA approved treatment for female hair loss, if you want to give that a try.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

January 8, 2008

Woman with Tingling Scalp Pain; Doctors Can’t Find Anything (with Photos) – Balding Blog

I am a 22 year old female, active, healthy diet. For a year I have slowly been experiencing some form of hairloss. It seems that with every hair that falls out there is nothing to take its place. I have been to the dermatologist 3 times, and had a skin biopsy that came back perfect. The Derm gave me tetracyclen to try but after 4months I found it wasn’t working. She then sent me to a rheumotologist who see’s no signs of lupus etc. But saw in my blood work that there could be something wrong with antibodies?, she has given me APO-Hydroxyquine 200mg to try for 4 months. With my hairloss I feel a lot of tingly, burning and pain which makes me feel that this would be a skin situation, apparently it isnt though because of my clear scalp biopsy! When i get these tingling sensations in my head I will also sometimes feel the same pain on my nose, back and shoulder. I have sent you a photo to help! I have been reading your blog and trust your word more than anyone else.

Thank you for the compliment and the trust, but I really am not your doctor and I do not have the luxury of examining you in person. I do not take your trust for granted and I do appreciate you sending me photos with permission to publish them here.

Moreover, it seems you have been evaluated by many doctors for your condition. I realize that you are frustrated and confused about your condition and lack of improvement despite various treatments. The best advice I can offer you is this — what doctors do is often referred to the “practice of medicine” and not a complete “science of medicine”. I realize this isn’t what you want to hear (or read, as the case may go), but this points to the fact that sometimes we (physicians) are just as confused as you (patients) and sometimes there are no good treatments to offer. If you want a medical opinion, you must establish a doctor/patient relationship and that is something that just can not be done over the internet.

January 3, 2008

My 18 Year Old Daughter Is Losing Hair – What Should I Do For Her? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Could you please tell me what type of doctor you should take your 18 yro daughter to if they are experiencing considerable hairloss. Her hair is thinning all over her head, and especially on top in the front. Our general practitioner sent us to a derminatologist. We went to the dermatologist for around 6 months without any progress. He tried to tell us it was hereditary hairloss, yet no women in the family on either side has thin hair.

They finally ordered blood work that I got a copy of. They never even called us with the results. It showed her MPV was low, 6.4 fL and her Ferritin was only 12ng/ml. Not sure what MPV is, but I know ferritin is iron. I’m having her take a multivitamin in the morning and an iron supplement at night. I would like to get her into a good doctor who gives a darn and could help her out. She is very athletic and does a lot of working out and sports. Any reccomendations would be greatly appreciated.

Also, should I have her give Mens 5% Rogaine foam a try to see if we can accelerate the progress?

Block Quote

Ferritin of 12 is in the low side of the normal range. The best thing you can do is to see a good internist to treat iron deficiency if present and also to check for other medical conditions that can cause hair loss in women, including thyroid disorders, immune diseases, and PCOS. If there is a genetic component, then having her hair mapped out for miniaturization will show the classic signs of the genetic process in women.

January 3, 2008

My Hair Sheds in the Winter – Balding Blog

I have very healthy hair and whenever I consistently go to a hair dresser it grows to a considerable length. Instead of me paying the money to a hair dresser, I decided to do my hair myself at home and save money this way, however I notice that during the winter months my hair sheds a lot. Is this normal among African Americans? My hair will not grow to a considerable length because it sheds so much during the winter. Is there anything I can do to prevent this?

Humans have asynchronous hair growth, which means that we do not shed in seasons, but do so relatively uniformly over the year. I can not explain your situation, but an examination is a good start, because your time frame view may not go back to every winter.

December 28, 2007

Hair Loss InformationWoman Wants Chest Hair – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am a woman who once had lots of chest hair. I still have belly hair and lower back hair. This may sound odd, but my hairy chest did wonders for my sex life. My chest hairs disappeard at 38. I really want my chest hair back. Is there a prescription that I can get from my doctor to regrow it? Is there any OTC that works? Thank you.

Block Quote

I don’t know why you had chest hair to start with or why you eventually lost it. This condition is called hirsutism. Many hormonal imbalances can increase hair in the female body. There are a wide range of medications and disorders that can cause this condition, including:

Obesity
Exogenous androgens
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) — most common
Congenital or delayed-onset adrenal hyperplasia
Cushing syndrome
Hyperinsulinemia
Hyperprolactinemia
Excess growth hormone
Hypothyroidism

Since you lost your body hair, it seems that whatever had been giving you a hairy chest is not in the picture anymore, so I don’t know whether or not an internist or an endocrinologist can help you figure out what gave you your hairy body. Also, there is no OTC that can give you your chest hair back.

We have transplanted hair in the chest area, although I can’t recall a case where this was performed on a woman. I might consider doing a procedure of this type if that is what you want, if I find you reasonable and mentally stable, and if a good patient/doctor relationship exists.

December 26, 2007

Hair Loss InformationWoman Prescribed 5mg Finasteride for Idiopathic Hirsutism – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

i was given fincar-5mg for idiopathic hirsutism. i am a 24 year old female and about 7 years back i was operated for fibroadenoma ….i was tense due to this. is it safe for me to take drug?

Block Quote

I am not trying to be harsh, but why are you asking me, a doctor you do not know, if a medication you were prescribed by your doctor is safe to take? I sense a lack of communication with you and your doctor.

Finasteride is not approved for women in the United States, because it may cause birth defects and it has not been extensively studies in women. There are women who take finasteride in the U.S., but they are under close supervision of their physician. In women who have virulizing symptoms or conditions that produce high androgen levels like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), DHT blockers may have value. Great caution on their use and close supervision by your doctor is important.

December 18, 2007

Restoring Pubic Hair in a 70 Year Old Woman – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

what can you tell me about restoring pubic hair in a 70-year old female?

Block Quote

At NHI, we’ve transplant hair to the pubic area in many women for whatever reasons they have. In a society where most young women are trying to shave or wax or laser off their pubic hair, we see older women requesting pubic hair transplants, as hair in the public area may tend to disappear with age in some women. As such, we do about 3 to 5 cases a year.

The last patient we performed pubic hair transplants on was a 60+ year old lady. She just called me a few weeks ago saying that the hairs have grown in and she is very happy with the results.

December 18, 2007

From Anorexic to Bulimic to Losing Hair – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I used to have extremely thick and curly hair when I was younger. When I was 15 I was anorexic and my hair thinned, but when I got over it, it all grew back. Then I became bulimic when I was 16, and abused laxatives until I was 17. It was only when I cut down on the laxatives and then stopped taking them completely when I started losing hair again. It’s more obvious this time too. The back of my hair is extremely thin with bald spots, and also near my ears. I started eating well, lots of protein, and I’m taking a multivitamin in case of missing vitamins or minerals. It’s only been about 3 weeks that I’ve been eating well again, but it’s still thinning, just a bit less. Do you know what could have caused the hair loss, or if it’s too early for me to know if it’s going to stop or not. What can I do? I’ve had a blood test for anemia, thyroid disorder and diabetes, but I’m only going to find out the results in about a week.

Block Quote

Yes, weight loss can cause hair loss and sometimes it comes back, while other times it does not. I can’t say for sure what the cause of your hair loss is, however. It sounds like you need to be managed by a good doctor, in person. I can’t tell you much more without an exam and medical history. I’m glad that you’re taking better care of yourself now. Please see a doctor about this.

December 17, 2007

Relaxing African Hair After Hairline Lowering Procedure – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello, I am a 30 year old African American female, I have a very high forehead. I am interested in bringing my hairline down surgically, but I perm/relax my hair. What I want to know is, with that type of surgery would I still be able to relax my hair. If so how long after I relax should I wait before I have the procedure done and how long should I wait after the procedure to relax again? Thank You for your time!

Hair can be relaxed prior to a hair transplant procedure. A hair transplant is your own naturally growing hair, just moved from one place to another. You can perm, color, or relax transplanted hair just as you would your normal hair. You should wait about two to four weeks to relax your existing hair after a transplant procedure, but transplanted hairs will most likely not grow in for 6 to 8 months. Hairline lowering procedures for women gives an immediate result; a hair transplant also has a waiting period for the hair to go through its normal cycle before it starts to grow.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):