Hair Diseases – Page 34

August 24, 2007

Hair Loss After Malaria – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am a 23 yr old male.till about 5 months back my hair density was fine .but it has really come down now.2 months back i had an episode of malaria for which i took artesunate and primaquine following which my hair loss has just gone up.i occasionally have dandruff problems.but i have no family history of balding.what could be the reason.

Block Quote

Malaria Sometime a major stressful event (such as malaria) can trigger hair loss, but the hair usually grows back within a year. You may also have male pattern hair loss (even if it does not run in your family history) There is no way to tell you what is causing your hair loss without a physical exam, detailed history, and miniaturization study. The medication (artesunate) for treating malaria is known to cause hair loss.

August 23, 2007

Hair Loss InformationBald Spots in Facial Hair – Doctors Say It Is Alopecia Areata – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am a male of age 33. I have lost hair in three patches at chin and at upper part of neck. The patches have grown a bit in size and looks threatening. I went to a couple of physicians, they called alopecia areata. Now I am being prescribed:

Candid Lotion
Minoxidyl
Nuforce 150 tablets

Please suggest about this. I am losing my confidence everytime I see a mirror. Can I get out of it?

Block Quote

While surgery is never indicated for active alopecia areata, there are some doctors who specialize in this disease. See Alopecia Areata in a Patient with a Miracle Cure for details.

August 23, 2007

Bald Spot The Size of a Quarter Just Found on the Back of Woman’s Head – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Dr.,

I am 23 years old and have had full thick hair my whole life. Recently when I was washing my hair I felt a bald spot on the back of my head close to the top of my neck. It is about the size of quarter. I have no other bald spots on my head nor is my hair hair thining anywhere. I have gone to get blood work done, and the have checked everything from my thyriod to the female horomone levels. Everything has come back normal except for my white count which came back at 13, which is just a little high. They still cant figure out what is going on. what do you think could be possibly going on?

Block Quote

Infection (ringworm) and alopecia areata are just two examples of diseases that can produce what you’re seeing. You need to see a good, competent, and caring dermatologist.

August 1, 2007

I Have So Many DUPA Questions… – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello,
I am a 23 year old male and am fairly certain I have DUPA. The hair on the sides and back is still pretty thick I think. However the hair on the top is thin from the normal hairline to the crown. It still isn’t that bad, I don’t think anyone would ever think I was going bald when it is dry, however whenever I exercise or go swimming it gets wet and almost looks as if I am malnourished or something; seriously. And God forbid it rain (I get extremely concerned when it rains and I’ve forgotten an umbrella) cause when it hits my head you can see straight to the scalp. My hair has always been very thin/fine ever since I was a child, but now I feel that it is getting worse. What I would like to know is if DUPA is not always caused by DHT, then what is it caused by? And it seems as though there aren’t many solutions to this type of baldness, except possibly Propecia, is there anything else? Also I have begun using Rogaine, is it worthless for DUPA? I know that’s quite a few questions, but to be honest that’s just the tip of the iceberg for me, I’m sure I’ll ask for more, Thank You so much.

Block Quote

You should see a physician to get a firm diagnosis of DUPA (diffuse unpatterned alopecia). You may not have DUPA if you have thick hair as you describe in the back of your scalp. Propecia (finasteride 1mg) in particular works by blocking the DHT hormone which causes AGA (androgenic alopecia) or MPB (male pattern balding). Since DHT may not cause DUPA, Propecia may not be of any benefit. BUT… I generally recommend male patients try a course of it, as some patients with DUPA do get a response from the drug. Keep in mind, nobody really knows what causes DUPA and drugs such as Propecia and Rogaine have not been studied for the treatment of DUPA.

Thank you for all the questions, but please keep in mind this site is NOT meant for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical conditions.

August 1, 2007

Spina Bifida – Balding Blog

Hi. Im 15. I was born with spinabifida. About a year ago I started noticing my hair falling out. It wasnt much. Just a little but here and there when I combed it out. Then as time progressed, the amount of hair I was losing increased alot. Now every time I take a shower, I usaully comb my hair in the shower after I put conditioner on it. Massive amounts of hair come out. Its really scaring me. Is this normal or is there somthing wrong with me? Or does this go along with the spinabifida?
Thanks!

Hair loss in men and women usually has genetic causes that could be accelerated by other factors. There is no report to show that spina bifida is causing hair loss or that hair loss is one of the coexisting factors in patients with spina bifida as of yet. You can also see another posting on this topic here: Spina Bifida and Hair Loss.

July 30, 2007

Hair Loss InformationI Can’t Take Propecia Because I Have Hepatitis B? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Doc,
I am very concerned about my hair loss, and so far my frontal area is balding apparently. I thought about having hair transplant, but one doctor told me that I need to take propecia to stop losing the existing hair after the surgery.

However, I have Hepatitis B so my personal doctor suggested me not to take propecia since propecia can increase the chance of me getting liver cancer.

This is truly a delimma to me, do you have any suggestion or solution to that? Thanks

Block Quote

I do not understand why your doctor suggested that you can not use finasteride (Propecia). Finasteride get metabolized in the liver like many other medications. If you are in liver failure, then that may be a different story. Its use needs to be controlled and it probably needs dose adjustments in the patients who have liver disease or cirrhosis (not just hepatitis). I am not aware of any evidence that indicates an increased risk of liver cancer with finasteride if you have hepatitis.

July 23, 2007

Tuberculosis Medication and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

i have been taking TB medicine AKT-4 for 2 months and now i am on AKT-2 for six months. my hair is falling rapidly. is this because of my medicine? please advice

Block Quote

First and foremost, you should not start or stop taking any medication on your own without consulting your doctor that prescribed the medication to you. Tuberculosis is a serious matter and you should not do anything to jeopardize your treatment regimen. With respect to hair loss, it is virtually impossible to tell if it is the medication that is causing it. You may have a component of genetic hair loss and may be noticing a coincidental correlation or the existence of TB as a debilitating disease — this alone can cause hair loss. You may consider seeing a physician for further medical work-ups to rule out any other potential causes for hair loss and particularly determine if your overall ‘nitrogen balance’ is positive (nutritional balance). For genetic balding, finasteride should not be contraindicated.

July 18, 2007

Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am a 54 year old Africia American Female that has Central Centrifugal Cicatrical Alopecia, is there hope? and if so what can I do.

Also called “hot comb alopecia” in the past, central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA) is a rare condition that presents with cicatricial alopecia in the central scalp. This lesion grows larger around its center and tends to destroy the hair follicles and causes permanent balding.

It was thought that this condition has to do with combing or use of oil for hair styling in African-American women. The cause of this type of hair loss is still not known and its treatment is difficult, as seen with this and other similar scarring alopecias. This condition that is usually seen in African women presents as an unusual sensation (pins and needles) on the top of the scalp followed by tenderness in those areas. There is no visible sign of inflammation in the area. Skin color may change to become fleshy and eventually hyper-pigmented (darker). Hair loss in this condition is usually permanent.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

July 10, 2007

DUPA and Propecia – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

hello i have Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA) and was wondering if propecia worked for me would it thinken the existing hair or would it have to shed and grow again as a new hair? and if possible could you tell me how long i’d have to wait to see if the propecia was working for me?

Propecia works by blocking DHT effects on scalp hair that is affected by male pattern hair loss (androgenic hair loss). Hair loss from DUPA (diffuse unpatterned alopecia) is not related to male pattern hair loss and it may not be affected by DHT. Thus, Propecia may not work, but it is the only drug that can be used. That being said, some doctors (include me in this group) will prescribe Propecia to patients with DUPA in case there is an underlying androgenic component to hair loss. In some patients with DUPA, I have seen improvement with Propecia.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

June 27, 2007

Head Fungus for Over a Decade – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

my best friend has a head fungus. she is 32 and as had it since she was about 13. she went to the doctor a couple of times back then but quit because she didn’t want her classmates to see medicine in her hair. i am trying to get her to go back to see a doctor but she thinks it is to late. so my question is if you have a head fungus for 14 years with no treatment can you get rid of it? please help!

Clearly this requires a medical doctor to make a diagnosis and then start a treatment program. If your friend does not want to do this and follow the advice given to her, I can not help her over the internet. Even if I could, I would need to examine her, test hair scalp for fungus and make a diagnosis first.