Category: Hair Loss Causes

(female)
i had large amounts of hair fall out my head at the age of 21. then i lost all my scalp hair at 22, and at 23 i lost all the hair on my body. i have yet to see a doctor and want to know what could cause me to lose my hair all over my body?

You probably have a condition called alopecia universalis where all body hair (including eyebrows, lashes, and scalp hair) is lost. I would think that most people in your shoes would’ve seen a doctor by now (considering you lost all of your scalp and body hair), but please see a good dermatologist to get a proper diagnosis.

You can learn more about alopecia universalis at the National Alopecia Areata Foundation site. There have been decades of research into developing a treatment for this condition that will hopefully one day result in a cure, though right now the options for treatment are extremely limited.

We have treated alopecia patients with Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP) and they go from bald to what looks like a full head of hair that is clipped very close to the scalp. This short hairstyle look is more popular among men, though.

How exactly does Propecia work? I have searched online for an answer but have only come across the phrase, “Propecia blocks DHT, which is a hormone… that leads to hairloss.” I was wondering if there is a more specific explanation to what happens.

Does DHT somehow tighten the skin around hair follicles, which would imply that Propecia relaxes the skin around hair follicles so as to relieve stress around the follicle? Or does DHT reduce the strength of the hair itself? Does it kill cells at the bottom of follicles, which would imply that Propecia prevents DHT from reaching these cells?

Genetic balding causes hair follicles to undergo a process called apoptosis (cell death). Hairs grow in cycles that last about 3 years for the average person. In the genetic balding process, somewhere between 7-10 hair cycles, hair death is triggered by the hormone DHT. When you take a DHT blocker (Propecia/finasteride), it prolongs the number and length of the hair cycles to allow it to keep growing.

See Why Does Propecia Eventually Lose the Battle to Genetics? for more info.

Over the last few months I have been worrying about whether I have hair loss. I am an 18 year old male. After stressing out over this, I feel like my hair is getting thinner, especially when I run my fingers through it. I have been noticing a bit more hair over the pillow and in the bathroom. But my parents have said that my hair looks fine. So can I have hair loss, or have started the process of hair loss? And what should I do to treat it?

You should see a doctor and get a proper diagnosis. At 18 years old, there is a possibility that you have genetic hair loss and if that is proven, then appropriate treatments can be taken.

Sometimes you can’t actually see the loss, but you’re still losing hair. A doctor can check your hair bulk to see if you’re thinning.

I ordered some toppik. But something bothers me. It lists silica as an ingredient. As far as I know, silica is not the safest ingredient. It’s inhalation has been linked to asthma, silicosis and rarely cancer. Anything to add to this? I’d like to use the product further, but now I am worried about it. Thanks.

We wrote about this some years back, but essentially, unless you have an allergy to one of the ingredients in Toppik (or any of the topical concealers), you should not have anything to be concerned about.

Some men go bald some men don’t. Is the reason for this the fact that the non balding man’s hair is resistant to DHT or is it some other reason like the none balding man has less DHT in his system? Thanks for your response.

The reason why some men go bald is because of the genetic trait they inherited from their parents. This genetic trait causes them to be susceptible to the hormone DHT, which triggers apoptosis (cell death) in male pattern (genetic) balding. If you do not have the genetic trait for balding then DHT does not matter.

Everyone makes their own DHT which comes from the metabolism of testosterone. When we treat a balding person with a DHT blocker like finasteride (Propecia) we block the interaction of DHT at the hair follicle level for those who are genetically susceptible to DHT-related male pattern baldness.

Hello Dr. Rassman,
Couple of questions for you.

1. whats the average length of a horizontal hair line above the temples. I know everyone is different, but just an average length for someone in their late 20s to mid 30s.

2. can parting your hair to one side for years with hairspray or gel cause any permanent damage to that specific side.

The length of the hairline where the hair point forward in the front is about 5 inches. The hair normally parts a certain direction in most people and creating or forcing it to part in a different direction will not damage the hair.

I am roughly a Norwood class II, maybe a little more receded (nothing substantially more), but don’t seem to be losing any more hair to the best of my knowledge. Haven’t done any mapping, but could it possibly be my mature hairline at 20?

I was thinking of wearing clip in extensions on the sides for extra length and body, but am very wary of doing so, can traction alopecia accelerate MPB?

I appreciate the trust most readers have in my ability and expertise as a hair transplant surgeon, but how would you expect me to know if your hair loss is from a maturation of a hairline without an examination? No one is that good!

With the above said, yes, traction alopecia is a major cause of hair loss in people who use hair extensions. Beware!

I have lost considerable amount of hair. Is it possible to restore it? If yes, how?

Your question is too vague, so there’s not much I can offer. Sometimes medication can be beneficial, sometimes surgery would work, sometimes your hair loss could be due to other conditions such as stress, diet, allergy, infection, etc.

You’ll need an examination by a doctor to first pinpoint why you’re losing hair, then you can start to figure out how to treat it.