Category: Hair Loss Causes

sir,
i’ve heard DHT is the thing that causes alopecia. is that the case even in animals also having DHT, since they also have alopecia problems. if not, we can go for the fue transplant from animals like pigs.

Transplants from animals to humans just does not work. Besides, you’re not going to want pig hair growing from your head. I am not an expert on animals with fur loss so I can not comment on the DHT impact on mammals with alopecia.

Hello,

My dad has a full head of thick hair at 63. My mom has thick and curly hair. I have the thick and curly hair as well. I am 21 years old. I believe I have a Norwood 2. My uncles from my mom side are bald on top but have hair around the head. My uncles from my dad side do not bald. I have just recently, I believe seen my mature hairline. I had my hair thinned out before I got it cut. I have a feeling of thinness in my mid scalp region. I am scared that I am balding. What should I do. I lose about 50-60 hairs daily.

Thank-you

Its normal to lose 100 or so hairs a day, so you’re within reason. You probably lose more each day without realizing it (showering, outdoor activities, etc). You can try to find a doctor in your area for an examination — but I can’t tell you if you’re in the early stages of genetic hair loss or not without an exam. Try to find a doctor in your area by using the physician search at ISHRS.org.

Hi
I’ve been losing hair for the last 4 years, only on top and crown and in front hair line, temples. I tried minoxidil, but I had only a shedding, more hair loss, but used for 4 months without any difference. So I tried different products all without positive results. A friend that lives in LA talked about Therapy-G products. It is Shampoo, Follicle stimulator, Conditioning Treatment and Volumizing Treatment . I don’t know if this is a good product or has good results. Do you have any information about this THERAPY-G products?

Regards

I just looked at the Therapy-G site, and to me, it looks like just another package of shampoo and conditioner that makes hair growth claims that they can’t prove. They say there is a “92% success rate”, but I have no idea where these numbers came from and what constitutes a “success” in their eyes. If you use a shampoo that cleans your scalp, that is a success. So what are they claiming? The “follicle stimulator” product itself is marketed as something that, “Stimulates blood circulation to the hair follicle”… but it’s been shown that circulation is not a cause of hair loss, so it appears that this is just capitalizing on misconceptions.

Another popular misconception is that shaving causes hair to grow back thicker or coarser…. so why not sell a razor and call it a hair thickener? Because it would be wrong. Why do these products get to legally sell their products while fooling people with misguided logic? I have no clue. I guess it is all in the careful wording they choose.

So back to your question — is Therapy-G any good? I really don’t know. I can’t find any results, but they do include plenty of stock photos on their website and five small testimonials that provide zero photographic evidence (but if they did have photos, it would be weak evidence). I have no idea if it works as a scalp/hair cleaner, but I’d like to know how they can prove the claims they make about hair growth.

I am 32 male, and have been losing hair slowly for 12 years. It has started increasing in the last couple of years. I started propecia about 7 months ago. I don’t believe I have seen results, hair still coming out slowly. I also have had dandruff, mostly because I don’t wash my scalp that well because do not want to force my hair out!! My question is after 7 months should I assume it will not work for me?? And if so what should I try?

I have answered this question many times. I believe Propecia (1mg finasteride) always works on balding men, but by “working” I mean reversing, slowing, or stopping hair loss… not necessarily regrowth. In other words, you may not see the true value of the action of the drug unless you take it for a few years and then stop it. Stopping it will show catch-up hair loss, and then you will know for sure that it was working before you stopped it. Of course, I wouldn’t recommend going this route, but it would be one way of proving the medication’s effectiveness.

If you make regular miniaturization analyses of the hair, you would have an objective metric to determine its value. There are some people who do not get great benefits after 2 years of finasteride use, and there are tests that can determine if you are going to be sensitive to this medication (see HairDX Genetic Test for Finasteride Response).

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Hi Dr. Rassman,
here’s my question is it possible to have the same genetics for hair loss as say your father but not have it to the same degree. For example thinning in the crown but not as much, or recession but not as far back. I have this in families where it is obvious that brothers have the same genes but seem to have less progression of hair loss. I have even seen this where the older brother has more hair then a sibling two to three years younger.

The one-to-one relationship you are looking for does not exist. It is possible that you inherited the gene from your dad, but the expression of the gene might keep you from ever balding. That gene could be passed to your son and he might have your father’s hair loss pattern.

We do note that if you are balding like your father, then the gene may be similar and the pattern of balding you inherit may be the same as his.

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Dear Dr Rassman,

I searched the blog, but did not find answers to two specific questions.

1.)Is there a blood test one can have to determine the level of DHT in the body? What level of DHT would be considered above normal? If I want my DHT levels tested, what do I ask for? (I have an appointment with a dermatologist next month)

2.) Is Androgenic Alopecia the ONLY thing that causes miniaturization of the hair follicles? For example, could seborrheic dermatitis, or some other scalp or systemic illness, cause the follicles to shrink in a similar fashion?

Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge!
(male, 28)

The best way to get your DHT blood levels is to have your doctor send your blood to a lab that can do this test. Testosterone is broken down to DHT by an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase type 2.

Miniaturization can be caused not only from genetic hair loss, but also it can be found in an unhealthy person and by certain medications you may be taking, such as tranquilizers. People who go through telogen effluvium can have miniaturization as well and the process can be reversed. More about miniaturization can be found here.

hello
is there a link between stress (psychological not physical) and hair loss? if yes, what is the mechanism of it?
thanks

There is clearly a link between hair loss and stress. We see it all of the time in people with hereditary hair loss. The hair loss can be brought on during the stress of the college student (for example) or during illness. I do not believe we understand the mechanism of it, though.

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Can hair be lost because of change in location/water?

I can not imagine that either the geographic location where you reside or the water you drink will cause hair loss, unless you are stressed or there is something in the water. Though I’d expect if there was contamination in the water, your neighbors would have similar hair loss. Stress from a recent move can possibly cause hair loss.

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Snippet from the article:

Scores of radiation overdoses at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have been traced to a single cause: a mistake the hospital made resetting a CT scanner.

Hospital officials said Monday that the error occurred in February 2008, when the hospital began using a new protocol for a specialized type of scan used to diagnose strokes. Doctors believed it would provide them more useful data to analyze disruptions in the flow of blood to brain tissue.

Read the full text at the Los Angeles Times

Oh, wow! While a normal CT scan (also known as a CAT scan) should not result in hair loss, it was that side effect in 40% of patients treated that set off red flags. The article adds, “The error went unnoticed for the next 18 months, until this August, when a stroke patient informed the hospital that he had begun losing his hair after a scan.”