Category: Hair Loss Causes

Hi, im a 18 year old lad, and was just curious if there is any reason why my left leg is much less harrier than my right? i dont think i have lost any hair but its also the same with my facial hair. i have much more hairs on my right side of my face than my left.

any ideas? thanks

We are not completely symmetric. Some people have a longer arm, leg, or even a larger breast on one side. Hair is no exception. What you’re seeing is probably just your genetics.

It’s possible that your body hair will even out at some point if you’re still going through puberty at 18 years old.

hello Doctor,

I have reviewed your position on caffeine not effecting hair loss. Now it you would be safe to say that everyone’s body would react differently to all sorts of different substances. Like a lactose intolerant person reacts to milk, like the reaction to a person consuming nuts who is allergic, or even as simple as someone whose stomach reacts harshly to certain foods. So when you say that you would be bald by now because you drink 5 cups a coffee a day, your personal reaction can not be regarded as good scientific data.

In my case, (which may be completely different then others) i have noticed this; After consuming my daily coffee pick me up, I feel motivated, determined and willpowered to carry on my day to the best of my ability. But in reality I have read that caffeine is actually creating higher cortisol levels in my body. And that is why I feel that way. Cortisol is what is in our bodies that creates stress. Don’t get me wrong, we need cortisol in certain area in our lives to protect us from being too careless. But wouldn’t the constant consumption of caffeine, which increases cortisol levels which produces stress, accelerate someone’s hair loss problem?

Also taking into consideration that many peoples bodies react differently to the substances we consume.

Thanks

I know people tend to want to find outside reasons for their hair loss rather than admitting that their genetics are the most likely culprit for their hairline betraying them…. but I will make this very short. Caffeine does not cause hair loss. I’ve written about this before here.

You can be as theoretical and debate this all you want, but in the end if you believe this to be true, the simple solution would be to stop drinking coffee and see if your hair regrows. My guess is that it won’t.

I was talking to this guy from a natural hair loss website on the phone, and he seemed really knowledgeable about natural remedies. He told me that the idea that lack of blood flow to the scalp causing hair loss is a partial truth. You say that blood flow is not a problem because transplanted hairs there grow fine. His rebuttal to that is that transplanted hairs pierce through the fibrosis that develops on the scalp, and that fibrosis is what causes the constricting of the capillaries. Thoughts?

You can believe what you want and engage in all the mental gymnastics about blood flow, hair loss supplements, natural remedies, hair loss cures, etc, etc. If there is really a natural product that works for treating hair loss, we would have heard about it by now and there would be a lot less bald men. Unfortunately, most natural “remedies” for treating genetic hair loss are pretty worthless.

The hair loss doesn’t occur because of the decreased blood flow, the blood flow may decreases because of the hair loss (which is caused by genetics in most cases). Either way bald men bleed just as much as men with a full head of hair.

Hi, I am a 20 years old male and recently I have notice my hair become finer and smoother all over my head even on the back and permanent area. Can miniaturization affect both existing hair and new grow hair in the same time?

Thank you very much.

Maybe, but if you are indeed thinning in the back (permanent) area, then you probably do not have genetic male pattern hair loss. Hair loss in the permanent zone is likely something else, so it sounds like you need a good examination and a diagnosis.

hello doctor

is it likely for young balding men to have a more severe pattern of baldness or does it depend on their genetics? i’m 24 male started to lose my hair at 21. my father and my uncle are norwood class 5. Am i likely to follow their pattern or have more severe pattern? thank you

You could follow a similar pattern, or you could have a more severe pattern, or you could have a lesser pattern. There’s just no way for me to know what your end balding pattern will be just based on what your father and uncle have shown.

hello doc, I have two questions

I had a hair transplant 5 days ago, and in that time I have been wearing a hat. I just realized that my hat was breaking off a few transplanted grafts. When I look closely the stub of transplanted hair is still in my scalp but the rest of it has broken off. Do you think I killed my grafts this way?

Also, I washed my hair the day after my HT procedure but then i read somewhere that I wasn’t supposed to wash it for 3 days. Could washing my grafts with a sponge and water next day after HT damage the grafts completely?

Thank you for your time

Please follow up with your doctor on aftercare instructions. Every doctor is different with the post-surgical care. I do not now what you really did or if the grafts were actually lost. I’m not sure what you should be doing after your surgery, as I was not your surgeon and don’t know anything about your procedure or case.

In general, most patients (at least here at NHI) wash their hair the next day and wear loose hats without an issue.

I have been losing my hair since age 15, I am 21 now. My hair loss pattern appears to be NW 6/7 and I have lost significant density on sides and back as well. I have three older brothers and none of them has any visible hair loss. My dad lost his hair only in his 40s. I am thinking about getting my blood checked. My question is that the deficiency of what elements in blood cause hair loss?

I am going to ask the clinic to include the details about the potential hair loss causing elements in blood. So, Please provide the list of all those hair loss related elements in blood. Thanks

The diagnosis of male pattern baldness is made with a physical exam, not a blood test. Blood tests are used to test for other illness that can cause diffuse hair loss (not patterned hair loss).

Male pattern hair loss can start as early as puberty, and in general, the men who go completely bald to a Norwood 6 or 7 pattern will notice their balding by their early twenties. While possible, it is rare for men to go bald all of a sudden in their 50s.

The “element” that causes male pattern (Norwood 6/7) balding was sealed when you were created 21 years ago in your genetic make up. It is genetic.

Hello,
I am heavy into the bodybuilding scene and competing. I have lost my hair due to steroid use etc. If I get a hair transplant done but continue to use steroids, would the steroids affect my transplanted hair and make them fall out?

Transplanted hair should not be affected by DHT from genetic male pattern balding, nor should it be affected by anabolic steroids.