My girlfriend doesn’t grow any body hair except on top of her head. Is this a condition? What is it called? Thank you
Does she have eyebrows, eyelashes, pubic hair? I need to know these facts before I understand what is going on.
Hair Loss InformationCortical Steroids and Effects on Hair Loss Medication – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog
I have been reading that many skin problems, such as seborrhoeic dermatitis, may be associated with hair loss in balding males. For instance, the scalp can become itchy/flaky in regions of the hair thinning/loss. The application of cortical steroids (Luxiq, etc.) are often given to ameliorate the symptoms of the dermatitis, however can they have a deleterious effect in furthering your hair loss?? Do you know if these cortical steroids act to aid or hinder the effect of typical hairloss medications, such as Propecia?
Yes, steroids can be a cause of hair loss in some people. Hair is a skin organ, but hair is only part of the skin elements. When the surface of the skin turns over faster than normal (we shed skin slowly and uniformly on a daily basis and replace from below, what is lost on the surface). Compare this to a snake, which sheds its skin all at once and replaces it before the shedding occurs. When skin is shed more rapidly, it builds up flakes of skin and some people call this dandruff. When it gets bad, it is called seborrhoeic dermatitis. It can be caused by external factors such as infections and fungal diseases as well. Steroids work well to control the autoimmune elements of the seborrhea, when it occurs, and antifungal agents or other treatments are needed (for example) when infections are present.
Many people think that seborrhea or dandruff is associated with hair loss, but this is not true unless the person picks on the skin and produces traction alopecia. When a scalp becomes balder, it becomes dry more easily. When there is hair present, flaking builds up in the forest of hair, so that when the skin turnover occurs more rapidly, the dandruff becomes a real social problem. For those interested in the chemistry of the relationship between cortical steroids and hair loss, please see:
Meds for Temple Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog
hi i’m 24 years old male and have noticed a slight loss of hair about an inch long in a triangular shape at both sides of my temple, is there any medication which helps this area, ive been taking procerin for nearly a year but am not sure if its working or not, thanks in advance
I would need to see what you are talking about. There is a genetic disorder called triangular alopecia that you may be describing. If you have this condition, medications probably will not help.
When Would Shock Loss Occur? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog
I’ve been reading your blog and find it a great probable one of the best sources on the web for transplant facts! Thanks!
You recently replied to one user about Shock loss. I’m considering a transplant for my receding hair line at the temples. Though am worried it may damage my surrounding hairline which is healthy and in abundance. If shock loss were to occurr, is there a high risk it could be permanent? When would it kick in – immediately after the operation? And would propecia help several wks after the op?
Shock loss is a dilemma for some of the hair transplant patients. It usually happens in the first 1 to 3 months following the procedure and usually is not reversible in men. Bear in mind that shock loss happens mostly to the hair follicles that have some degree of miniaturization to them and the strong terminal (normal) hairs are quite resistant to shock loss. Several methods have been suggested to eliminate this problem. Many physicians say that topical agents like minoxidil and GraftCyte prevent shock loss, although there is no supporting evidence for this and no such claims in the manufacturer’s product inserts or claims. I had actually studied this use of these two medications on one side of the head many years ago and found no difference between the two sides.
Finasteride (Propecia) would perhaps be the most advantageous medication for reducing shock loss, if patients start taking it before the time of surgery. My recommendation to you is to start finasteride if you haven’t already. It is not well documented in any formal literature, but I believe starting the medication at least two weeks before the procedure is most valuable. If you miss the two week window, starting it anytime will be better than not taking it. The rate of shock loss has significantly dropped in our practice in the years since we have used Propecia, and I believe it has to do with us strongly recommending its use before surgery to all of our male patients.
Hair Grows As It Miniaturizes – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog
In regards to the thread of Low testosterone and low LH……..
Doesnt hair miniaturization happen between growth cycles? When an old hair is shed then a new finer/thinner hair replaces it, correct? The way my hair is progressing is that it is miniaturizing as it is growing… I have no shedding, my hair is continuing to grow as it miniaturizes… is that normal?
The hair that is miniaturized is not the hair that appears between cycles as you postulated. Miniaturized hair grows until it becomes so thin that it is thread-like, but miniaturized hair does grow, albeit slower than normal hairs.
Losing Hair on Back of Head – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman
Doc, I’ve recently taken notice that along with my frontal hair loss, I’ve been losing way more hair from the back side of my head. Since that is the permanent zone, could this have an effect on any future hair transplants? I’ve been on Proscar cut into quarters taken daily since January. And can hair length increase or influenece hairloss (as mine is just about shoulder length)? Thanks
I must sound like a broken record. To make a diagnosis, you need to have your hair mapped out for miniaturization to determine what is actually happening. If you are losing hair from the ‘permanent’ zone and you are a male, then you may have Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA) (see Follicular Transplantation: Patient Evaluation and Surgical Planning?). If you are a female, then this is not unusual, especially if you have genetic female hair loss. Get to a good doctor and find out what it is and then what to do about it.
Texture Change Over 5 Years — Is This a Hair Loss Indicator? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman
As of now I don’t have any apparent signs of male pattern hair loss. However I am 25 now and my hair is definitely not as dense as it was 5 years ago. There is also a texture change from 5 years ago as well. The texture of my hair back then was thicker and harder and now it’s a lot softer. Is this an indication that my hair loss is occurring at a very slow rate? Also why am I able to pull out more hair from the crown vertex area of my scalp when tugging lightly as opposed to the front of my scalp? In the frontal area I can never see as much when lightly tugged on. Is this a sign that I may go bald in this area of the scalp? You’re answers are greatly appreciated. Thank you Doctor.
If there is a ‘texture’ change when you compare the back to the top or crown areas, you may be experiencing early hair loss. The best way to tell is to have your scalp mapped out for miniaturization and then the diagnosis will be evident, one way or the other. The loss of crown hair from pulling or brushing may also be a sign of early hair loss. The drugs like Propecia (finasteride 1mg) for those early in the process in your age group can be miraculous and you should see a change in the amount of daily hair loss within a few months of starting a drug like Propecia, assuming the diagnosis is confirmed.
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My Daughter Had Lice and Is Now Losing Hair Where the Infestation Was the Worst – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman
My 10 year old daughter had head lice at the beginning of the school year-shortly after, like 1 week, I noticed that she was very rapidly losing her hair..It appears to be concentrated around her ears and back of head, where the lice were the worst, and she scratched the most!! I took her to a ped dermatogist..she diagnosed her with alopecia areata..All the lab work was done, and it was negative.. I am not convinced that she has alopecia, I feel it is related to the lice!! Either an infection, or reaction from the Nix!?? Would love your opinion, please!! Thank you
Infestation with lice can cause itching due to an allergic reaction and inflammation to the bites. This is a known cause of hair loss. Any irritation of the skin in patients who are prone to alopecia areata, can aggravate its occurrence. Clearly the differential diagnosis is alopecia areata in conjunction with lice or lice by itself. If you cure the lice (easy to treat) and the hair comes back, then the diagnosis will be evident. Hopefully, if she has been harshly scratching the scalp, that could have caused the hair loss.
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Bumps on Scalp — Dermatologist Said It Was the Hair Follicles – Balding Blog
Hi, I am a female and recently I have been experiencing these bumps on my head and they don’t itch, its just that I know they are there and I want them to go away and so i pick at them and pull the hairs inside the bump out. I am on Adderall for ADHD/ADD and I was wondering if that could have anything to do with this bumps. Also I am wondering if you know what these bumps could be. I also highlight my hair, and I am wondering if you think I might be allergic to the dye or if i could be allergic to the color shampoo I use. I have been to a dermotoligist and she said it had something to do with hair follicles. Thanks for your time!
You did not ask your dermatologist the right questions. Go back to her. If she said that the bumps were hair follicles, then you might have an infection (folliculitis) which she should have treated you for. I really can not tell what is happening to you, but I would be pleased to see you at no charge and give you an opinion if you wanted to come out to my offices in California. Whatever you do, stop picking on it and stay away from the hair dye that you are using to minimize the things it could be.
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I Used Lotion On My Scalp and Hair – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman
Male, age: 27 – question
I naturally have a very high hair line. hair is thin and dirty blonde. it is about 1/2 inch in length now. since its winter, bitter and cold out. after my usual hot shower in the morning before i head off work, giving my head a quick dry from a towel has been leaving my scalp very tight and very itchy in spots throughout the day…so this morning after drying off i got some moisturizing lotion and rubbed it in all over in my scalp and hair, which solved the problem and made it feel at ease…problem was though it made my hair looking greasy…i was wondering, would cheap over-the-counter creams/lotions cause clogging of hair follicles and scalp pores to hinder hair growth and to perhaps cause scalp pimples?
thanks doc
Creams or lotions can’t stop hair growth just through clogging the pores and hair follicles. You could have or develop an allergy to one of the components of the creams or lotions, and this may cause dermatitis (skin inflammation), which can effect your hair. Dermatitis could present with itching and redness of scalp skin with some swelling and eventually may effect hair growth if not treated promptly. Generally though, what you are doing should not cause you a problem, but be wise and react appropriately if it does cause you a problem.