Category: Hair Loss Causes

Hello Dr. Rassman

I have a question about a condition I’ve had since the age of 17. During school i first noticed that the hair on the sides of my head started to thin, i then noticed general thinning of my entire scalp hair, i noticed the thinnest hair coming from the crown. as a few years pasted i noticed slight recession on both sides of my hairline.

What i find bizarre is that I’m now approaching 26 and still have pretty good coverage, the only thing I’ve noticed in the last 3 years is 2-3 tiny bald spots in random locations across the scalp (no conventional pattern) my crown thinning has not to my knowledge progressed

What i can tell you is that i am a male, my mother also has entire scalp thinning, but even thinner than mine but no slight recession. i always remember my mother having hair like this.

My father who’s 69 has still got quite a lot of hair, in fact he only started losing a bit of hair around his early 60’s.

If i do in fact have DUPA what does the future hold for me in terms of further hairloss?

I do not know what you have, but if you have diffuse unpatterned alopecia (DUPA), then in the future you will have diffuse thinning in no particular pattern. I have no way to know how much more you will lose hair though, as everyone is different.

There is a cosmetic treatment for DUPA patients, called Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP). It is not a cure by any means, but it can make you look fuller. In any event, you should see a doctor and get a diagnosis.

Thanks for answer, I make this question due the tons of speculations ive heard about back/chest acne related with male pattern baldness, does exist any relation between them?

None that I’m aware of. Where are you hearing this stuff? Acne on your chest or back is unrelated to male pattern baldness.

In the first journal of the International Society for Sexual Medicine, an article appeared titled, “The Incidence, Prevalence, and Natural History of Erectile Dysfunction“. The article (from Department of Urology, St. James University Hospital, Leeds, UK) covered some important points worth sharing with our readers:

1. “The varying methodologies, definitions, and populations make comparison difficult, but in high-quality studies there is a consistent association with age, and analytical studies suggest an association with cardiovascular risk factors, depression, and lower urinary tract symptoms. There is emerging evidence of a link with smoking and obesity.”

2. “Remission was commoner in younger men, suggesting that in these men psychological and lifestyle factors might be the cause of temporary self-limiting ED.”

3. “These studies also suggest that lifestyle modifications might be helpful in the prevention and treatment of ED.”

Read the full study abstract here.

I have really learned a lot reading your articles.

I am a 21 year old college student. About a year and a half ago I gained thirty pounds and in the last eight months lost 45 pounds, the bulk of which I lost the in the first four months through the Atkins Diet and intense working out. I also had a bad ankle sprain in the middle.

The past four months I have been experiencing shedding, rapid hair loss and a receding hairline. The front scalp has become very thin while the middle is still thick and grows normally. The right hairline has receded about one centimeter further than the left and I can also feel a bald spot, about the size of a nickel, on the right side of the back of my head. The scalp is very itchy and I find that after I itch that there is a white residue on my finger nails.

I feel like I am still young to have lost so much hair.

I still have relatively thick hair but it looks unnatural and frays to the left. Can this be tied to my weight loss, ankle injury or increased stress?

Acute weight loss can cause or accelerate hair loss. I would doubt your ankle injury had anything to do with your hair loss. It’s also possible that these things occurred coincidentally timed to your genetic predisposition.

As far as your nickle size bald spot at the back of your head, you need to see a doctor for this as there are many causes for such a problem. Without good pictures and an opportunity to examine you, there is little more I can say here.

I am now about five weeks into taking Propecia and think that it has affected my temperament. (It reminds me a bit of taking SSRI anti-depressants some time ago.) I little wish to lose my hair and will in a little while decide whether or not I continue with this medication which I gather takes about three months to have a noticeable effect.

What interests me is knowing whether or not this sex hormone pharmaceutical is more or less severe in its side-effects than the female contraceptive pill which it reminds me of (I am a medical layman) in its operation?

Hope that you do not mind a question from outside the United States!

There are mental side effects reported in a small group of individuals, much as you described. I’ve written about this many times before, including here, here, and here.

In one study, finasteride has been found to inhibit hippocampal neurogenesis in mice, which is related to emotional behavior. There are reports in humans with the higher dose (5mg) used to treat the prostate, and Wikipedia lists a few very tiny studies from at least 6-10 years ago that might point to a link between depression and finasteride in humans. This preliminary study from nearly 7 years ago suggests that patients with a high risk of depression should be prescribed finasteride with caution.

Hi,

I’ve noticed that a few of the hairs at my hairline have become ‘wavy’ where as most of my hairs stand straight. Is it the case that these hairs are miniaturising?

They don’t appear to be thinner in diameter than the hairs next to them…but also don’t seem to grow as strong (i.e. they ‘fall down’ rather than grow straight up).

Thanks in advance.

The weaker hairs you’re seeing could be miniaturizing, or it could just be that you’re seeing hairs in different parts of the hair cycle. Without seeing you, I have no way to know.

If you want to know if you have started the balding process, looking at one hair at a time is not the way to go. See a doctor who will measure your hair bulk in different parts of the scalp. Balding people (even in the early part of the process where you can not see any thinning) will always show a reduction in hair bulk.

Hello,

I am 25 and have been gradually losing my hair for a couple for years now. In addition to what I would confidently call MPB, I also suffer from seborrhoeic dermatitis and chronic telogen effluvium.

1. Is the chronic TE linked to MPB or seb derm? I’ve suffered from TE for over a year and a half now and always assumed that losing hairs in this way was part of MPB. It constantly gets me down as I am constantly shedding hairs. A small pinch from anywhere from the top of my scalp can produce up to 20 plus hairs. It’s as if 50% of my hair isn’t even attached to my scalp. Several websites state that chronic TE is due to illness, whilst others say that it is the early stages of MPB.

2. Will the seb derm cause any hair loss if left untreated? Even though the seb derm is quite bad (thick yellow, oily scales all over my scalp), the condition is not yet visible to others and causes me no discomfort. I am worried about washing my hair every day with the recommended treatments because I lose so many hairs due to the TE.

Please help me! I’ve seen two doctors regarding my MPB and both told me that nothing could be done. I only discovered propecia etc. through google. I have been taking it for nearly 4 months now.

Many thanks for an enlightening website

We are not, I suspect, one of the two doctors you have seen. I have no real experience in doing transplants on someone who has a pull test like you reported as evidence of chronic telogen effluvium. I am actually surprised that this has not come before me at an earlier time.

The seborrhea will not produce hair loss as long as you do not scratch or pick in involved areas. Transplants may be contra-indicated with a chronic telogen effluvium.