Hair Loss Causes – Page 274

November 16, 2006

My Hair Has Become Thinner Over the Years – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I’m a 37 year old male who has a full head of hair, however my hair has always been very fine and frizzy/slightly curly. As a result, I shampoo it daily and I’ve always applied gel and then used a blow dryer daily to straighten it too.

In the last few years, my hair has gotten much more fine, and overall it is less thick than it used to be and much more prone to static, especially if i let it dry naturally and don’t use product/blow dry. It’s clearly changed in thickness during my mid thirties, however I don’t seem to be receding dramatically or anything like that. Does this the fact that my hair has gotten much more fine mean that I might be beginning to go bald and is it likely that this process will continue? Do I need to take steps now to prevent it getting more fine?

Thanks for the help!

Great site.

Some people will see a change in the hair shaft diameter towards finer as they get older. That could explain what you are telling me. You want to be sure, however, that the finer hair is uniform all over the head (including the sides and back). The lack of uniformity could suggest a problem, so we generally like to map out the hair throughout the entire scalp for miniaturization to determine if you have some condition that is causing it. If uniformity is seen, then using styling agents to thicken the hair shaft is the way to go.

November 15, 2006

Bald Spots on Neck – Balding Blog

I am a 28 yr old active male in is great physical condition. Recently I have been noticing bald spots appearing on my neck where hair use to grow. Then spots where the hair use to grow are completely bald now. I am trying to find out what may be the cause of this.

This could be some peculiar genetic trait, or something like Ringworm (a fungus infection). You also might have alopecia areata. Alopecia areata can cause circular patches of baldness and could be seen almost anywhere in body, including scalp, beard, eyebrow and even eyelashes. The outcome is usually good and in most cases hair re-grows within several months. Occasionally the baldness could be permanent. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease and typically recovers in most cases without any treatments.

There are far too many possibilities, so you should see a dermatologist and get an opinion as well as a thorough examination of your body and scalp hair. Let an expert give you an opinion after an examination, something I simply can not do over the internet.

November 14, 2006

Regrow Hair Lost from Triangular Alopecia? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello,
I believe i have since my 20s (now 38) triangular alopecia – a small bald spot on one side of my head (above the ear). Thinning on top since early 20s. Been on minox 5% and finasteride for 1 yr. No change in bald spot apart from lots of vellus hair. Will it ever grow or is a transplant into that area the only solution. Many thanks

I would doubt that it would regrow from minoxidil. Hair transplants work well. See this previous post for more on triangular alopecia.

November 14, 2006

Scalp Bumps on Top of Head, Mostly Near Temples – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello,

I am a male 26 years old…About a year ago I noticed acne like bumps on the crown of my head and generally all over my scalp, I went to a doctor and he prescribed a shampoo (tar) and the bumps went away temporarily, I have noticed that my hair is thinning out on top of my head and quite alot near my temples. Can the acne like bumps be a sign of hair loss? I am really concerned especially about my hair loss in my temples, and on top of my head….

Thank You

You need to have these bumps evaluated by a competent doctor. Any good dermatologist and many good family doctors are able to make that assessment. For the thinning of your hair, I would recommend that you get your hair mapped out for miniaturization to determine what is causing your hair loss.

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November 13, 2006

Hair Loss Information6-OXO Steroid Caused Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Your info site is really helpful. I am currently taking a nutritional supplement which is called 6-OXO. It is supposed to increase your testosterone levels. after taking it for 4 weeks, I definitely noticed something, (increased energy, strength, better mood, increased libido, muscle hardness and mass) but I also noticed an excess loss of hair. Now I’m 31 and have a full set of hair, but I’ve noticed this excessive hair loss start about 3 weeks into me taking the 6 OXO. Should I seek medical advice? What doctors specialize in these types of problems, and do you have any referrals in the LA or Orange County area in California.

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The symptoms you present do reflect increased testosterone, including the hair loss you are experiencing. We have offices local to you in Newport Beach and Los Angeles. You should get your scalp mapped out for miniaturization at the time of your visit to shed light on the underlying cause of the hair loss and the possibility that you have a latent genetic balding problem brought on by the increased testosterone.

November 13, 2006

Hair Loss Information » Vitamin A Poisoning? – Balding Blog

Hi,

I am a 21 year old male, and I’ve had a very healthy scalp and a full head of hair, until this month. I started taking multivitamins, which contain what I now see as too much Vitamin A (10,000 IU; my weight is low, so that dose is high for me, I weigh 57kg).

There is now a small bald spot (about 1.5in diameter) on the back of my head, and its onset was sudden enough that I do not think this is male pattern baldness. My hairline has not begun to recede.

I’ve stopped taking the pills today, as I’m quite sure the excess Vitamin A is the cause of this, but I would like to ask you if I am right about this.

Also, in the event that this was Vitamin A poisoning, can you tell me if it’s possible for my hair to start growing in that bald spot again? I’m worried this might be permanent.

Thank you for your time.

Hair loss is seen in both vitamin A deficiency, and vitamin A excess. I think you are right about the fact that your hair loss could be related to overuse of vitamin A. It is good that you stopped taking the pills. You may want to use other multivitamin pills with lower doses of vitamins A in the future or the ones without vitamin A. The hair loss is usually reversible and disappears with discontinuing the medication but one always must be aware that anything that causes hair loss can ‘flip the genetic switch’ and it may not be reversible. Give it a few months and your hair will hopefully grow back if you don’t have any other underlying causes.

November 10, 2006

2 Weeks After Using Hair Dye, My Hair Is Falling Out! – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I’m a 28 year old female who has always had very long, thick and strong hair. I’ve dyed it for YEARS. Now, suddenly, my hair is falling out and baldness is not found on the woman’s side of my family. After I brush and after I wash I can literally pull out the hair by the handful. It’s scaring me to death. I dyed my hair about 5 weeks ago, and 3 weeks ago is when I began to notice this. Could it be connected? My scalp didn’t feel burned or hurt, so origially didn’t think it could be related to the coloring. However, I at a loss and I’m loosing my cool. Please help! Thanks so much.

It is normal to lose 100 hairs a day. You might consider stopping the hair coloring process to try to surround what is happening. That being said, I am sure you are noticing more hair falling out than what you are used to. It may be a phase or it may be a sign of a medical illness or a genetic balding process. Genetic balding does not necessary mean that your mother or father were balding. Hair loss in women can sometimes be caused by underlying medical conditions, so it is important for you to be evaluated by your own physician before we proceed. If clinically appropriate, the following disease processes should be considered: anemia, thyroid disease, connective tissue disease, gynecological conditions and emotional stress. It is also important to review the use of medications that can cause hair loss, such as oral contraceptives, beta-blockers, Vitamin A, thyroid drugs, coumadin and prednisone. The following laboratory tests are often useful if underlying problems are suspected: Estradiol, FSH, LH, SHBG, Prolactin, T4, TSH, ANA, Iron, TIBC, Ferritin, Free and Total Testosterone. You may benefit from a miniaturization study to examine your hair under a hair densitometer to document the health of your hair.

November 10, 2006

Hemorrhoids and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Excessive bleeding from hemorrhoids for a period of four days triggered hair loss which has persisted and has fallen out over a period of four months. I have an iron deficiency although I am not anaemic. Worringly, my hair loss has not occurred on the back and sides (a characteristic of AGA). Do you think my hair will regrow?

Iron loss from acute and chronic bleeding can cause hair loss. It is a controversial issue. A link between iron deficiency and hair loss is not fully shown in every study and that is why iron-deficiency screening is not routine for people with hair loss. However, studies show that whatever the cause of hair loss, having too little iron in the blood makes it worse.

Treatment of iron deficiency is easy and patients with accelerated hair loss due to iron deficiency will respond beautifully to correction of their iron deficiency. You may also be predisposed to AGA and iron deficiency has just triggered the ‘genetic switch’. The good news is, even if this is the case, your hair loss should improve considerably with treatment of iron deficiency.

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November 8, 2006

Hair Loss Potential from Prescription Drugs – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello,
I Have a question regarding prescription based drugs and thier potential to cause accelerated hair loss. For many years I have had a very mild thinning throughout my crown and front (not very noticable). I never really considered going bald, as it is not in my family.

I work out a lot and started using phentermine as an energy booster and to help keep me on a very strick diet. I ended up going a few weeks only eating a small portion of vegetables, rice, and nuts (very little). I was also taking Xanax to help me sleep at night.

During this time I noticed an incredible loss of hair just at the top of my head. Picture a skunk, that is kind of like the very thin line of hair I have right down the top (form front to mid section).

Could this be the drugs? Now that I have stopped, will this possibly grow back?

Thanks

You described some of the causes of hair loss — diet and weight loss, drugs possibly with androgenic bents, drugs known to possibly contribute to hair loss, and stress. You may also have turned on the switch for male pattern hair loss with a thinning pattern on the top of your head. If you triggered the genetic switch, then you should have your scalp hair mapped out for miniaturization. Once your diagnosis of male patterned hair loss is in hand, consider starting on Propecia. If the genetic switch was turned on, you may not get your hair back, but Propecia might help with that agenda. In any event, if you do nothing you will know in less than a year if the hair will grow back by just watching it.

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November 7, 2006

Crash Diet and Female Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

In the passed 3 weeks my hair has been falling out. I know it is from crash dieting. Last week I started eating better (more calories) and taking vitimins. How long is my hair going to continue to fall out in large quantities. I am 46 years old, female. I have always had beautiful thick hair. It is at least 50% thinner now than it was three weeks ago. Please help me with this.

Thank you very much

A crash diet, as you have found out the hard way, is unhealthy. It can lead to malnutrition and stress your body in many ways — in your case, your hair fell out. Unfortunately, such stress can set off a cascade of events that may be hard to reverse. If you were genetically predisposed to hair loss, the stress of the crash diet may have kicked started your hair loss. If this is the case, this is hard to reverse. The only thing you can do is get yourself on a balanced diet and even consider getting a regular physical exam by your doctor. I cannot say if your hair will grow back but you will know in about 6 months or so. Only time can tell.