Category: Hair Loss Causes

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Hair Loss InformationHair Loss and the Inevitable Cure? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have a couple questions regarding meds as being direct causes of MBP among other things. Well, I have been on antidepressants for quite some time now, and for a while I stopped taking them, around the time inbetween the ages of 16 and 17. Around the time I was almost 17 and a half I got back on them and when I turned 18 is when I started noticing a change in my hairline.

Currently im 19 and a half and the left side of my hairline has gone up maybe a bit more than half an inch and the right side about an inch. Are antidepressants directly linked to MPB? Do they trigger hair loss? Or when they talk about hair loss as a side effect are they talking about the patchy kind that just falls out and regrows when you stop taking the meds? My family history of hair loss is very inconsistant so its hard for me to tell if I really am experiencing MBP or just a mature hairline. Unfortunately I have a very skinny long face and naturally pronounced hairline so it makes it all the more noticable….. My other question is, this whole gene therapy thing. If we do find a cure for hair loss through this what will happen to your buisiness? Will you continue working for the hair loss industry? Just curious, heh. Thank you for your time sir.

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While many medications may cause hair loss, the most common cause men is genes, unrelated to medication use. Genetic hair loss causes male pattern baldness (MPB). It is possible that your medications could have accelerated changes in your hairline or balding, but there is really no way to be 100% certain. Mapping out your scalp hair for miniaturization may give you insights into any gene expression that is active at this time. Male pattern baldness is also known as androgenic alopecia (AGA), because hair loss is from the effects of androgenic hormones, such as dihydrotestosterone (DHT). While we all have androgenic hormones, only the men with the gene for hair loss will lose hair. The change in your hairline, if it follows a specific pattern as MPB, will generally mean you have the gene for hair loss. To be certain though, you should be evaluated by a doctor for a physical exam and a miniaturization study. I really cannot diagnose your hair loss problem with just brief descriptions. BaldingBlog is merely a source of the opinions of our staff physicians and is not a source for diagnosis.

With respect to gene therapy, I sincerely hope it will come to fruition in my lifetime. While it is undoubtedly still many years away, it will definitely impact my field in a positive way. After all, we are the physicians in the field of hair loss. Gene therapy will only empower us to offer more options to our patients.

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Hair Loss InformationThe Hair Loss Consultation – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi, I believe I asked a question some months back but you only responded by asking me to come in for a consultation. So, let me try to get into specifics before considering coming in. I have been undergoing some stress lately and noticed thinning of my vertex. My hairline is completely unchanged… same as it has been since high school. I am also underweight for my height. Male, 28 years old 6’2″ 160-165 lbs. I have been underweight for the last 4-5 years. My average weight was 180 lbs in the past but have been eating less due to shortage of time and decreased appetite from work, plus I exercise 5-6 days a week. Also, my protein intake has fallen drastically.

I am contemplating whether I am experiencing MPB or Telogen Effluvium. Few months back I noticed a lot more shedding from the vertex area, mostly in the shower. I would pull at my hair and more than 4-5 strands would come out at a time and would not stop until I have pulled out an average of 10-15 strands. This happened every morning in the shower. It has somewhat slowed down, but now I am seeing some hairs come out that underwent miniaturization. Maybe I am experiencing a combo of both Telogen Effluvium and MPB. But has there been cases where men only experience balding in the vertex only?

My father is balding at the age of 59 (typical horseshoe). My mother’s side shows no signs of hairloss from anyone. He informed me that he experienced loss in the front first. If I inherited his baldness, would I follow his pattern?

Detailed feedback would be appreciated. Is consultation by appt only?

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Yes, consultations are by appointment only. Your case, like many, are not as cut-and-dry as you’d like it to be, so it would be difficult to just make random assumptions about your hair loss without an exam. I’m not trying to “rope” you into coming in, but I’m also not trying to steer you in the wrong direction. This does require an exam, which can and should be done locally. When I see a patient for the first time (let’s say you, for example), I would plan on spending an hour with you, which gives me time to:

  • Get to know you
  • Listen to the problem you will be defining
  • Examine your scalp and hair in detail
  • Discuss a ‘plan of attack’ based upon a Master Plan we would setup to manage your hair loss problem

MPB can be limited to only the vertex (crown), or it may start in the front and progress backward. Genetic hair loss generally occurs in patterns (see Norwood Chart). Telogen effluvium, on the other hand, would be diffuse and not only limited to a patterned area.

If you’d like to setup a free consultation, you can either call my office at 800-NEW-HAIR or fill out the form on my site to Request Additional Info and someone from my staff will get in contact with you.

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Atopic Dermatitis in Baby – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

My 9mos.baby has Atopic Dermatitis, Doctor prescribed use of Cetaphil Lotion as shampoo. Now her hair is falling and she has itchy scalp.If it is allergy to the lotion how can i treat it to return to normal condition?

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It seems that you are asking for a second medical opinion. This is not a place for such advice. If it is an allergy, it is very important for you need to go back to the doctor who prescribed the medication and ask him/her about your concerns. Your baby’s relationship with the doctor did not end with a prescription and the doctor needs to be kept in the loop if something is not going well.

I am not evading your question, but you should know that my practice is basically hair loss in adults with a leaning to surgery as a solution (when necessary). Clearly, the area of a 9 month old with atopic dermatitis is outside my relm of expertise.

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Sweaty Scalp and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

my scalp has been ictching and feels burning for about 1 1/2 years.i also get spots on my scalp which are really sore.my hair is thining quite bad.i have the same symtoms all over my body. i sweat a lot on my scalp,underarms and groin.when i sqeeze a spot on my face i get a white sticky discarge which smells like vomit please help as i am a single dad of 2 and also have a bad deformed head an do,nt what to lost my hair.

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“White sticky discharge which smells like vomit”…? I think losing hair should be the last of your worries. Please see a doctor for an examination of your problems.

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Castration Proves that Masturbation and Hair Loss Are Linked. Wait… WHAT?! – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

You have stated that masturbation has no effect on hair loss, However i cant see this being true. Castration prevents male patern baldness for people who are genetically predestined to go bald. This shows us that if our testes which produce sex cells enabling us to masturbate are castrated this cancels out testosterone inturn DHT and other androgens which may play a role in MPB. So if u no longer masturbate your ruducing testosterone and DHT dramatically. Which in a sense by not masturbating which castration prevents you from doing you are trying to create a castrated form. What i mean by this is that if i dont masturbate for a number of years i am helping stop part of the role that castration does. There is an undeniable link between masturbation and MPB, castration proves this by the fact that it stops us being able to masturbate proving that if we dont masturbate we will reduce balding dramatically (Or as far as not being castrated will take us).

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Apparently I’ve struck a nerve with the former chronic masturbators out there. When you search for “masturbation” and “hair loss” in most search engines, this site comes up pretty high on the list. While that is good, it leads to waaaaaaay too many emails from people wanting to tell me how masturbation and hair loss are linked, then trying to piece it together with some flimsy logic. Please, please, please think!

It is normal for men to have sex often — daily, twice a day, twice a week. We are all different with our sexual habits and routines. Having sex with a partner or masturbating is the same thing with regard to the way your body reacts. If you are having sex often (with yourself or another person), then that is normal. Hair loss and sexual activity should not be related, but clearly you believe otherwise. This is not the forum to discuss this and if you believe it to be true, then show me the connection in a well controlled study.

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Cut My Head on a Shelf – Will I Lose Hair Around the Wound Now? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Sir,

This may sound a trifling worry compared to some of the scenarios that I´ve glanced at,so I shan´t be long. This morning I cut my head on shelf at home, removing a section of scalp with hair in it. I´m unsure how deep it is, though the bleeding was not particuarly profuse and stopped after pressure was applied. I´m worried that the skin and hair particles shan´t heal and growback, and fear a small bald patch occuring. Do you have any advice or information that could be helpful? Many thanks
Best regards

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ShelfMy advice to you would be to go see a doctor to make sure there are no foreign bodies embedded in the wound and make sure there is no infection occurring. From the timing of this post, the window to have it sutured will be too late (>24hrs). If your injury caused separation of the edges of the scalp, your wound may heal with a scar, producing a small bald patch. If that bald patch bothers you, you can always get a small, minimally invasive Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) hair transplant to cover it. If you see a doctor, he/she may determine that closing the wound may still have value, but the longer you wait, the less likely will be this scenario.

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Are Hair Characteristics a Factor in Genetic Balding? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

It is my understanding that hair characteristics (e.g. thickness, color, etc) are resultant from the properties of the hair follicle. Therefore, can hair characteristics be considered a factor in determining the likelihood of someone developing genetic balding? For instance, if one has hair like that of a non-balding relative, would this be considered a factor?

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Nope. Hair characteristics (thickness, color, wave) are result from genes. Male pattern baldness is also a result from genes. However, they do not correlate.

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Ceramic Hair Straightener and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi,

I’m 19 years old and I am wondering whether ceramic hair straighteners (overuse) can cause hair to fall out. I had long hair and i used it almost daily without heat protection and I wasn’t exactly incredibly careful when I was straightening my hair. However I have recently developed a small thinning area on my crown, actually teh hair all over my head has thinned. I have therefore cut my hair short and have started taking specially extra potent vitamins recommended by my dad who is a pharmacist and so somewhat knowledgeable. How long would new growth take?

I am worried actually that I might just be going prematurely bald due to bad genes as well as the fact that from teh age of 15 i noticed a lot of hair fall however it is only now (my hair is/was extremely thick) that it has become noticeable.

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Ceramic hair straightenerDamage to hair with heat from curling irons, ceramic hair straighteners, etc, can potentially make your hair brittle and cause loss due to heat damage, but it should not cause balding. If your hair grows back it can take as long a one year, as hair goes through cycles of growth.

Vitamins do not grow hair.

If you are female, I highly doubt you will go bald at the age of 15 from using a ceramic hair straightener. There may be a rare instance where you may have other medical conditions that you may not be aware of that is causing your hair loss. In that case you need to see your primary care doctor for further work up.

If you are male, I also highly doubt you will go bald at the age of 15 from using a ceramic hair straightener. If you are balding, it may be due to genetic male pattern hair loss, as it starts at the onset of puberty.

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Bald Spots Appearing on Face and Scalp Over the Past Month – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

About a month ago I noticed two spots of hair not growning on my face and then a week later another on my cheek. Now I have a small spot on the bad of my head missing hair also. My girlfriend thinks it’s because of stress. What do you think it is?

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You need to see a good dermatologist. Amongst the things that the doctor will evaluate is the possibility of alopecia areata or ringworm (the two most common causes of what you are talking about). It is not reasonable to expect me to make a diagnosis over the internet from a few lines of description.

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How Does Stress Kick Start Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

In one of your responses, you state that stress can precipitate genetic balding. Can you explain your understanding for how that could happen? I’m a 32 yr old male who had great hair and no recession last year, and after some severe stress, my hair has thinned and receded. How does stress “kick it off?”

StressI cannot say if anyone really knows why stress can “kick start” genetic hair loss. If your body is predisposed to genetic male pattern baldness you will have male pattern baldness. The exact timing of when that will occur is variable and reflects how your genes are expressed, but a stressful event, like an emotional or physical stress (illness) can trigger the process. Usually, male pattern baldness starts with puberty (another stressful period from an emotional and physical point of view as your hormones are revved up).

Keep in mind that hair loss from stress can be diffuse and not necessarily associated with the genetic male pattern baldness. In this type of hair loss your hair should generally grow back in about a year. However, if you have genetic male pattern baldness, you will lose hair in a specific pattern, as the term implies “male pattern baldness”, and this is irreversible. You seem to be talking about a genetic male pattern baldness as you mentioned receding, but without an examination including a miniaturization study, I cannot give you a definite answer.

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