Category: Female Hair Loss

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Girls In Haiti Orphanage Are Losing Hair – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

There is a wonderful ministry called “Love a Child” which has an orphange in the country of Haiti. The owner/manager of the orphanage is struggling to help several of her African American orphan girls who are suddenly suffering from hair loss. She has pictures of the girls on her site at loveachild.com

From reading various information on your website and others it seems the only options are:
1. Stop tight hair braids (but it’s too late now)
2. Costly hair implants

Any suggestions or advice you might have to help these precious children would be greatly appreciated.

From the photos in the link you provided, it seems the girls on the site have traction alopecia from wearing tight hair braids for long periods of time. Unfortunately, traction alopecia is permanent and there are no good treatment options. Hair transplantation surgery may help, but it cannot replace all the hair that was lost as even with a hair transplant, the supply of hair may exceed the demand for hair in the balding area.

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Female Hair Loss from Lexapro or Anesthesia? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi,

I had two surgeries, one in October 2007 and the other 4 weeks later in November 2007, to remove ovaries and surgical adhesions from a hysterectomy performed in September 2007. I started experiencing numbness and tingling on my upper/lower extremities in February 2008. My physician ordered Lexapro to reduce associated diabetic neurological symptoms. I’ve been on this medication now for 6 weeks and have started losing my hair and now have bald spots. Coincidently, I had hair loss after having undergone anesthesia 2 years ago as well. Is this hair loss due to the anesthesia or Lexapro? I am taking 10mg Lexapro. If this is causing the problem, can you recommend any natural supplements that can help with this issue?

Anesthesia and/or Lexapro (Escitalopram Oxalate) can cause hair loss. If you are having bald spots, sometime surgery and stress can even induce alopecia areata. You need to see a good dermatologist to look at this and determine the cause of your problem. This is not something I can determine via the Internet.

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Is Women’s Rogaine Making My Hair Loss Worse? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

ive been using women’s rogaine for about 2.5 months, my hair was just thinning when i started, then in the last few weeks it started to just fall out in my brush, the shower, etc. my hair seems to be very thin, and very easily pulled out, like it’s not holding on to its roots. now my hair is so short I can barely make a pony tail! what’s going on, is this normal from taking the rogaine, and how long before i start seeing real growth, and when will the shedding stop!

thanks

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Women's RogaineWe have heard of people who initially lose hair when they start Rogaine (minoxidil), the theory in this process is that Rogaine resets the hair cycle and hair that is falling out is actually the hair follicles going into a dormant stage (telogen and catagen). Have you seen your primary care physician or a physician about your hair loss? I want to make sure that there is not another reason for your thinning hair that may be related to a medical condition or medications.

Generally people do not see the results of Rogaine for 6-12 months. You need a diagnosis for what is causing your hair loss, and this is not something I can offer to you without an examination.

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Hair Loss InformationTelogen Effluvium in Pregnant Woman – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Dr,

Please help me! I have been suffering from hair loss since Ausgust 2007. I have been diagnosed with Telegon effuvuim , I came off the pill to concieve in august after being on it for 12 years. I am now 7 months pregnant and am so depressed with what is happening. In Dec 2006 I was in hospital due to a hemorage that happened after an infection too so maybe this has something to do with it. My iron stores are pretty low so I’m now on Ferrous Sulphate 200mg and also Spatone Iron Supplements. The loss has happened for 8 months and I’m now losing hope, is there anything I can do? Will this ever stop and most of all will it all grow back? I feel so helpless at the moment, I dread washing and brusing my hair and just hope this will stop. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

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Your history shows a great deal of stress and many of the contributing factors for hair loss, like taking birth control pills some time ago, your pregnancy now, infection, bleeding, and low iron. The hair loss has gone into its telogen phase (sleep phase), but this should abate once you deliver your baby and correct the low iron. I am sure you are being followed by your doctor. I would expect that the hair should regrow some 4-6 months after the birth of your child. I am keeping my fingers crossed for you.

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Hair Loss InformationI’m Female, My Doctor Has Me on Propecia for Hair Loss, But I Want Avodart – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

my dermatologist has me on propecia for hairloss. i am 55, female and have read that avodart may give better results. my dr. says she has not heard of avodart. i didn’t mention this was not the intended use of the drug. anyway, i think i may need to find another doctor. do you have anyone in orange county you might recommend?

thanks.

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Go seek out another dermatologist. I personally would not treat a 55 year old female with Avodart (dutasteride) unless they had Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) or a similar problem.

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Hair Loss InformationMy Doctor Is Giving Me Cortisone Shots for Small Hair Loss Patch – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have a small patch of hairloss on my scalp. My doctor has started cortisone injections to the location and has suggested that I also use Women’s Rogaine in addition. Is this a common practice? I am concerned because the instructions on the Rogaine box says not to use it for patched of hair loss or non-hereditary hair loss. Is using Rogain with Cortisone injections normal?

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I don’t like to get between a patient and a doctor who knows more about that patient than a one line question asked to a hair loss blog. In other words, I would suggest that you cross examine your doctor about this. I really am not the right person to ask advice in this situation, as you aren’t my patient and I simply don’t know enough about your medical history to give a proper response.

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Clobex and Female Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

(female) 2 years ago I was diagnosed with psoriasis on the scalp. I’ve had intermittent “flares” which responded moderately well to Taclonex but last sat. I tried Clobex. I let the ointment set overnight and then when I washed my hair the next evening my hair began to fall out in clumps and is now coming out diffusely EVERYWHERE on my scalp. I am just a few days from being bald. Could the Clobex have caused my entire head (not just the patch I applied it to), to go into a telogen effluvium like state? Will my hair grow back? Also, I just had the patch biopsied (never has been before) to confirm psoriasis. Ive been battling fatigue, night sweats, mod. weight loss, some angular chelosis, and am 25? Should I insist on a fungal culture, ANA, Lyme titer. Something is up….Ive used clobex before without these symptoms. Thanks so much.

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Clobex is a steroid shampoo, but hair falling out in clumps to a point of complete baldness with night sweats, fatigue, weight loss, etc is NOT NORMAL. You should not be seeking advice here on the Internet. You need to find a doctor and get an examination and diagnosis, along with an explanation of what may be going on.

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Hair Loss InformationFemale Model Having Thinning Hair in Crown – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’m a 27 year old black female that use to model, I’m thinking about starting it back, but I have a little problem. Around the middle of the month the back crown of my head gets really sore, and I have noticed that my hair is actually thin up there. The rest of my hair is a great length and very thin also, thou I feel that it may not be the chemical of a relaxer because the rest of my hair is great. But the middle and the back seems to not want to grow and is coming out. what should i do.

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You need a doctor to examine you to give you an opinion. Unfortunately, this is not something that I can do over the internet. Hair loss in women is a complex issue. It is possible that there was a chemical burn on one or two areas and not on the entire scalp.

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Olux-E and Hair Regrowth? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

My dermatologist prescibed Olux-E to treat my scalp for hair loss but I have seen no noticeable improvement in hair growth. What success stories are there for women that use Olux-E?

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Olux-E is clobetasol propionate foam and this is a very potent topical steroid and it is used to treat a variety of severe skin conditions (e.g., psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis, allergies, rash). Clobetasol reduces the swelling, itching, and redness that can occur in skin conditions such as autoimmune diseases like psoriasis.

Steroids will have no impact on female genetic hair loss, but may work in specific alopecias that are autoimmune induced, like alopecia areata. Potent steroids placed on the skin will get absorbed by the body and any chronic use of this medication can impact the adrenal gland and produce side effects from their use. In other words, Olux-E will not work if you have genetic hair loss, but may work if it is alopecia areata. Since I don’t know enough about your case, I couldn’t tell you if it would work for you.

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Hair Loss InformationFemale Hair Loss Still Continuing Over a Year After Chemical Damage – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Doc,

I’ve read a whole lot of your answers here, and I did your advice of waiting for months in order to see if my hairloss due to chemical damage will stop.

It’s been 14 months since my hair started shedding abnormally. Between then and now, I’ve been to several dermatologist visits. All my lab works came back normal, and the doctor said he does not see any scarring. To date, my hair is still shedding badly, and the worse thing is, a lot of short thin ones (looks like new growths) falling out too. I had very very thick hair before the incident, and now, I could honestly say half of it is gone. My scalp has gone scaly and flacky too.

My question is, since it looks like my new growths are falling out too, does it mean that my hair is still not recovering from the damage or that hairloss is going to be permanent for me? I have been extra careful handling my hair now, but hair just keeps coming out even just with gentle strokes. Very different from how my hair was before.

I would really appreciate your insights on this. If this question has been answered already, please provide me with a link.

Thanks a lot!!!

24 y.o. female

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If the hair does not return after 8-12 months following chemical burns, it may be permanent. You should be under a doctor’s care. The use of minoxidil may help, but that can not be my recommendation, as I am not your doctor. I have seen some women with chemical burns and all I know is that they can produce significant permanent hair loss. Your doctor is in a better position to judge that I am. Have you had biopsies, and were they reviewed by a good dermatopathologist?