Category: Female Hair Loss

(female)
Hi Doctor,
I am a 21 year old college student who lives in San Diego. Over the last couple of months I’ve noticed a excessive amount of my hair falling out (especially in the shower). I have always had beyond a full head of hair but lately, it just feels thinner and I have hair all over my carpet to prove it. My friends always make fun of me because i’m constantly shedding everywhere but lately its beyond too much. I have done some research and almost want to diagnose myself with iron deficiency anemia.

Recently, I am constantly tired, dizzy, have headaches, have shortness of breath (lately), don’t eat very much meat, don’t take vitamins, and last time I went to the doctor, they told me that my heart rate was way too high. Not to mention, live a stressful life, go out drinking way too often with friends and smoke cigarettes. I just made myself sound so TERRIBLE but i’m beginning to worry and no one at Kaiser seems to be losing sleep over what could possibly be wrong with me.

What do you think doctor?

Most doctors are trained to treat medical issues and bill the insurance company to make their living. It seems that hair loss is generally not a priority from a purely medical perspective. My cynicism aside, there really is no definitive cure for hair loss in women, but you need a diagnosis by a doctor who has experience in this field. In addition, there are many causes of hair loss in women and you need to understand where you stand with these causes. There is only one FDA approved hair loss medication for women… Rogaine (minoxidil).

Things that come to my mind as I read your post as possible contributing sources of hair loss:

1. You go “out drinking way too often”
2. You “smoke cigarettes”
3. You don’t eat well
4. You have too much stress
5. You say your heart rate is too high? Why?
6. You think you have iron deficiency anemia? Why?
7. You are constantly tired, dizzy, have headaches? Why?

Aside from hair loss issues, you do not sound too healthy. You need to go back to your doctors at Kaiser and get to the bottom of this!

(female)
Hi – two weeks ago my Md told me I was really deficient in vitamin d. I started taking 5000 units a day and to my astonishment – when I washed my hair- almost NONE came out… ( usually its handfuls) … also muscle spasms stopped and i feel great…

Vitamin D is a miracle… really!

Now that your vitamin D deficiency is cleared up, so is your hair loss. That’s great news! Congratulations!

I’m posting this to show that female hair loss has so many potential causes (a partial list can be found here), and some solutions are as simple as adding vitamins to your diet. Talk to your doctor!

A few of months ago I started see that my hair was thinning all through out my head. Then I got scared so I am a 32 year old female and I went to see a doctor for my hair loss. They said I had low ferritan levels. So they gave me iron pills and by my next blood test they said my levels were fine. But now I’m still losing hair and now my scalp itches and burns. I take seizure medication, but I’ve been taking it for a long time and I’ve never had this type of reaction and I’m not pregnant. I don’t have pattern baldness that runs in my family either. I don’t know what to do What do you think it is? Is it fixable? Will my hair grow back? Should I do something different? Should I use certain hair products? HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You need a doctor who will take charge of your problem, rule out all of the metabolic causes of hair loss and scalp itching, and give you a diagnosis. Seizure medications can contribute to hair loss, so discuss this with your doctor. Diagnosis comes before treatment, but unfortunately this is not something I can do over the Internet.

I am a 31 year old female, experiencing hair loss for approximately four years. I have lost approximately 75% of my hair. The loss is diffuse throughout my scalp. My hair falls out everywhere even after I wash and brush it; sometimes as many as 500 strands in the shower. I’ve see at lease twelve doctors (generalist, internist, dermatologist, endocrinologist and nature pathetic) and I’ve never been give a diagnosis. Medications such as Spiornlcatone/Aldactone 200mg, Yasmin and Metformin (I have no glucose intolerance) have not worked. I’ve had every blood test performed and the only borderline low level (16 then, 56 now) was feritin. Testosterone was completely normal.

I’m completely depressed and feel so ugly. My hair is so thin I can no longer wear it down. I’m a hopeless case or is there something else I can do or a doctor that can help?. I’ll do anything…

I wouldn’t say you’re a hopeless case. Your problem is common (I have heard this from many women) and doctors often do not do justice for you by sitting you down to talk after all appropriate tests are in. With hair loss in women, the problem isn’t always so easy to spot and it certainly isn’t something I should attempt to do online.

Since you indicated you’re in the LA area, call my office at 800-NEW-HAIR (or 310-553-9113) to setup a free, private consultation with me in my Los Angeles office. I would be happy to see you. Or you can fill out your info here and someone on my staff will get back to you to schedule the appointment. You will get straight answers.

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I have blood dht levels of 4. My tsh is 2.71 I have been having severe hair loss for about a year. My hair which was once very thick is now thin and falling out. My testosterone is 33, estrogen 24 and progesterone is .5. Do any of these numbers tell you a possible reason for my hair loss? Does the dht level of 4 mean low levels of dht on the follicles also and if not, how can I test for dht on follicle? Please give me some insight and suggestions. I am a 53 yr old female.Thank you!

I would have to know the normal values for the lab you used. Female hair loss is a very difficult evaluation, and doing it without you in front of me will not be valuable. I do not read lab tests without the patient involved in the process.

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