Category: Hair Loss Causes

My offices are closed Thursday and Friday this week to celebrate Thanksgiving with our families. Until we’re back on Monday, you have three options:

1. Use the search box in the top right to find hair loss articles of interest
2. Click here for a random blog entry
3. Just stare intently at this picture of a turkey dinner:

a month ago i was very sick from pneomonia, fever of 105 f. i was taking high doses of ibuprofen (800mg) and antibiotics. while i was sick i noticed scalp hair and eyebrow shedding. a week after the illness i went to the dermatologist, the dermatologist told me that the hair loss was related to my illness she said that it will go back to normal. its been a month and i still losing scalp hair and eyebrow hair. my hair loss is moderate.

Is it normal to lose hair during illness and continue shedding hair after i recover from the illness? Thanks for the time.

Hair loss from physical and emotional stress can be temporary, but it can take months for recovery. Usually it takes about one year. I am assuming that you are a female. If you are a male, a return to your pre-illness state may not occur if your genetic balding process was triggered.

Snippet from the article:

A second hospital in Los Angeles County has discovered that patients were receiving overdoses of radiation from CT scans used to diagnose strokes.

Ten patients at Glendale Adventist Medical Center this year accidentally got three to four times the normal radiation dose, hospital officials said Friday.

In August, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles found that after being reprogrammed, a General Electric scanner began delivering eight times the normal dose to patients receiving the same procedure, known as a CT brain perfusion scan.

Read the full article at the LA Times

While it is certainly an uncommon occurrence to get a radiation overdose from a CT scan, about 40% of the 260 Cedars-Sinai patients experienced some degree of hair loss from it. No word yet on how many people experienced problems from the second hospital’s mistake.

Dr.Rassman, you have written that it is common to lose between 100-150 hairs per day. You have also stated that it is common to see a lot of these hairs when showering as you loosen dead hair follicles and hairs trapped with styling products. In a recent post (Oct.27th) an individual wrote in regarding his shed high shed count. You asked if he had noticed area specific shedding – ie. top of the head as opposed to the sides or back as this could be an indication of genetic balding. I wonder if you could elaborate on this for me.

I too have high shed counts and have for years now, I would say on average I lose between 60-80 hairs per shampoo session – over 100 if I go days without washing my hair. I also use a heavy, sticky texturing salon product and frequently wear a hat all day long if I haven’t kept up on the shower regimen. So whenever the alarm bells sound as I get the old hairy palms in the shower I chalk it up to those factors and try to accept my precious follicles washing down the drain. This is difficult because you’re never quite sure if this is “normal” or early signs of hair loss.

When you spoke of area specific loss this got me interested. I have noticed when shampooing that the vast majority of the hair that comes off on my hands originates from the front/top of my scalp. Assuming that shedding is within the normal range does this area specific loss still suggest pattern balding? Could there be other factors at play that would make hair loss appear greater in that area? Is it normal to shed more on top than the back/sides? Your insight on this issue would be greatly appreciated.

I concur, it can be difficult to determine whether you’re seeing just normal cycling or early signs of hair loss, but I really do not know the answer to your question. Your hair should shed evenly throughout your scalp, but it could be that you apply more of the sticky hair product to the top of your head for styling purposes and it traps the normal cycled hairs from falling. Couple that with not washing your hair for days,and you’ll notice the shed hairs will accumulate on your head. Then, of course, washing the hair will show the accumulation since the last wash. Wearing a hat will also increase the accumulation of shed hairs, which normally would blow away on their own.

Snippet from the article:

A Chicago-based company that claims its combination of laser therapy and scalp treatments can regrow hair is being sued for allegedly making false statements based on unsubstantiated scientific claims.

Atty. Gen.Lisa Madigan filed a lawsuit Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court against Natural Hair Growth Institute, claiming the company has failed to provide consumers with full refunds for services that average between $8,000 and $12,000.

Read the full article — Lawsuit alleges hair growth firm’s claims are bald

Update: The original article is offline, so here’s a similar report —
Lawsuit brought against Illinois hair regrowth institute

From what I gather, a hair laser and snake oil sales clinic promised results in 6 months and offered a full money-back guarantee, of which they decided to conveniently disregard. They also falsely claimed that their laser was FDA Approved (in fact, none of the hair lasers are “Approved”). Now they’re being sued for the cost of the services plus $50,000 for each violation of the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act.

My scalp is very wrinkly, almost like a shar pei dog. What is this and how can I fix it?

This is called cutis verticis gyrata (CVG). The cause is unknown and there’s no known cure (though cosmetic surgery might be an option).

Basically, the condition is when a great deal of skin, far more than is needed to cover the skull, is generated by the body. I have seen a few mild cases of this condition and have written briefly about it a couple years ago. Look at Google for more examples.

Dr. Rassman,

We are repeatedly warned that traction alopecia results from pulling hair too tightly. What exactly constitutes “too tight?”

I have thick, long hair (to just above mid-back) and I use a hair-tie at about neck-level to keep it in a ponytail. With a hair tie, only the outer portion of the ponytail hair contacts the actual tie and thus supports the weight of the entire ponytail. For example, the hair at the front of my head and base of my neck often feel the brunt of the weight. Could this be this too much weight? I wonder how much of my thinning is due to years of wearing my hair like this in professional settings.

I assume that “too tight” refers to only to VERY tight hairstyles such as braids, dreadlocks and cornrows. Should I have reason to worry?

Are you losing hair along the outer rim of the pony tail area? If not, then don’t worry. It’s all a matter of perspective. I can’t put a number to it. If you feel excessive pulling, then don’t keep the hair that tightly pulled.

Hey Doc,

Since you live and work in Los Angeles, I’m pretty sure that you’re familar with the local sports scene. Having said that, I was wondering if you could comment on how many grafts it might take to fix Laker nemesis Manu Ginobili’s bald spot. He has balding in his crown area.

Above is a photo of NBA star and Olympic gold medalist Manu Ginobili playing his game for the San Antonio Spurs, and on the right is a shot of the crown area that you mentioned. If he is willing to use Propecia and his hair density is at least average, he may be a candidate for a hair transplant with 1000-1300 or so follicular units. It’s tough to give a better estimate since I’ve never met the man and the larger photos I’ve found don’t exactly zoom in on his hair. Considering that he keeps his hair shorter these days, FUE may be a good option for him.

I guess you weren’t alone in noticing his thinning crown, as I found this site.