Hair Loss Causes – Page 275

November 7, 2006

Hair Was Pulled, I’m Afraid It Loosened – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi,
During an unfortunate incident,about 2 days ago, someone pulled my hair very hard and she didn’t let go for quite a while. I have long hair, so she wrapped her fingers into it and maintained a strong grip. It really hurt and a lot of hair came out afterward. The hair on that side seems much thinner now, and my scalp really hurts. I am really upset and I am not sure of what to do. I have been extra gentle with my hair since then. I am wondering if it will grow back, and I am afraid that other hairs may have been loosened. What can I do to help it to grow back? Are there any suppliments or topical treatments that might help?

Also, I am 35 (female) and have some gray hairs. I am worried that more of the hair might come in gray. Is there anything I can do to keep my hair’s natural color if it grows back?
Thank you.

You may have some local trauma associated with the hair pulling and may lose some hair, but it is more than likely that your hair will grow back. It is just a matter of time (which can be weeks to as long as 6 months). I have seen one patient who had his hair transplants pulled out in a mugging. It all grew back within 6 months. As for the color when it grows back — if it grows in gray, you can color it. That’s the only solution I can recommend for “treating” gray hair.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

November 7, 2006

I Developed a Mature Hairline at 13 Years Old – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Well, I’m 27 years old, I developed my mature hair line at the age of 13. I remember other children in the class joking saying I was going bald… I guess my question is because I developed it at such a young age, if I was going bald would it occur sooner. My Father began balding before my age, my mothers father had a full head of hair, my brothers and I still have our hair ages ranging 31 to 27. I guess I’m just a bit worried about it, What age do you really start going bald.

If you lost your child hairline at 13 years old and your classmates laughed at you, you will now have the last laugh at those who were cruel. Hair loss can start in the teens, although it is highly unusual. The usual story is that there are two things going on at one time. The maturing hairline can start to appears as the frontal juvenile hairline recedes somewhere between 17-29 years old, on average. The balding process can start as early as late teens, but if it does and there is appreciable hair loss in the teens, it is a predictor that severe balding may occur. The later the balding starts, the better off you would be and the less advanced will be the patterned hair loss. If you have no signs of balding now, you probably will not bald and follow the pattern of your father. I hope that is the way the story unfolds over time.

Good luck (that is what you need a little of here), and thanks for sharing this with us.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

November 3, 2006

Healthy, Thick Hairs Are Falling Out – Balding Blog

Hi Dr. Rassman and Dr. Pak,

I am 29 years old male, taking Propecia for about 4 months now, and have 10% miniaturization, hair loss is not really noticeable. Also I am using a shampoo called Nioxin. But I see that a lot of hairs fall out when I am taking showers, combing my hair and just generally during the day. The hairs that fall out are healthy, thick hairs, but there are a lot of them, 200, maybe more! My questions are:

Why is this happening? And is there any way to stop shredding so much hair?

Another question I have is that, in recent years, my hair density seems to be thinner at the top of my head compared to the sides and back, even though the hair strands themselves are of same thickness. Is there a method to increase the density besides just taking Propecia?

Thanks very much!

You need to see your hair stylist for compounds that thicken the hair. Many of these compounds add water to thicken the hair as it is hydrophilic (water loving) and substances that cling to the hair follicle will increase the value of what you have. Usually, miniaturization of less than 10% is not really the classic miniaturization that we see in balding conditions. These miniaturized hairs may actually be the normal vellus hairs that are part of the follicular units in everyone. You should not be losing 200 hairs per day. If that keeps up you need to be evaluated by a hair expert as there may be a reason for that degree of hair loss. You say that the hairs that you are losing are healthy, thick hairs — well, healthy, thick hairs that fall out will not fall out in that quantity. There is a hair pull test which can be performed by an expert that will define if you are really losing hair at the rate you think.

November 3, 2006

Is Propecia Stopping My Beard from Growing? – Balding Blog

Dear Dr. Rassman
I’m 20 years old, and I’ve been using propecia for one year. I would like to know, if one side effect of propecia is stopping the development of my beard-hair. I’ve heard that DHT is responsible for the development of beard hair and finasteride stops the production of DHT. Is this right?

That is an interesting question. Beard hair develops as you go through puberty as a secondary sex characteristic and DHT is one of the agents that cause its growth at puberty and beyond it. I have heard reports from a few patients that beard growth has been slowed by finasteride as was a maturing hairline slowed. It would not be what I would expect and neither are reported as a known side effect of finasteride. When I started Propecia, it did not reverse my nose hair, ear hair, my beard (which I hate) or my excessive chest hair (although one patient did report to me that his chest hair went away with Propecia).

November 3, 2006

Too Much Chlorine and Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello doctor,

My building water supply has too much chlorine in it in the ‘hot’ water. I have to take head bath with luke warm water so I have to mix hot and cold.

Is this the cause of my increased hair loss and thinning on the crown since moving to this building?

Does your opinion agree with traditional Ayurveda on this?

Swimmer Chlorine in our tap water and hot water should not cause hair loss or increase your hair loss. It is an urban myth. If it was true, a disproportionate number of professional swimmers would be bald, as they are in a chlorinated pool all day long.

For readers that aren’t familiar with Ayurveda, it is a traditional, holistic treatment of medicine from India. From Wikipedia — “Ayurveda deals with the measures of healthy living, along with therapeutic measures that relate to physical, mental, social and spiritual harmony. Ayurveda is also one among the few traditional systems of medicine involving surgery.”

So if you’re asking if I agree with Ayurveda that chlorine is causing your hair loss — no, I do not.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

November 3, 2006

What Can I Ask My Doctor? Nobody Has Any Clue How to Help Me! – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

(female) I think the biggest frustration is the fact that we search sites and find answers like: You should ask a local doctor… but the problem is that doctors either don’t know or don’t take the time to find out. I have been “undiagnosed” for almost 2 years. Severe hair loss (50%) burning scalp after hair fall, outer eyebrow loss, fatigue, hair growth on arms, visual changes, etc. but no abnormal hormone tests, no thyroid issues. It makes no sense and I can’t just keep asking doctors because they truly don’t know. I need to find out if I had TE and I was genetically predispositioned to FPB and it is DHT I need to be targeting or whatever. It gets very old when you watch your hair fall with no hope of stopping it. Please let me know if there is anything else (disease) I can research. Thank you.

I am sorry to read of your frustration and its unfortunate that this isn’t the first time I’ve read or heard similar stories. Its quite often, in fact. Even as a hair specialist, I sometimes do not have all the answers as to what is causing the hair loss. Many times doctors are just acting like mechanics. They fix a problem without fully understanding the cause.

In your case, the symptoms of visual changes, hair growth on your arms, fatigue, and burning sensation are very troubling to me. You need to find a doctor (I realize that is the hard part) that can sit down with you and find what is going on with you and explore all possibilities from Lupis to Multiple Sclerosis to Sarcoidosis to other female diseases like Chronic Telogen Effluvium. Many of these conditions require a biopsy and the diagnosis can be made under a microscope. There’s little I can do via the internet without examining you, and I don’t have any local recommendations in your area. I wish there was more I could say to help, but at this point my hands are tied.

November 2, 2006

Bald Spot Just Appeared on Back of My Head – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am a 21 year old Male who up until a few months ago had no problem with balding. I was getting my hair cut relativly short and my hair dresser noticied I had a bald spot on the back of me head about the size of a quarter. I kinda ignored it figuring it would grow back but it has been about 5 months now and my hair is longer but the bald spot is balder then bald and seems to be getting bigger according to other people (as I cannot see the back of my head). I was just wondering what the cause for this is and if it can be anything serious or just stress related possibly? Thank You very much.

Block Quote

Send me a photo of the spot you’re talking about so I can see what you’re referring to. At 21, you are relatively young for crown balding. I have some important questions for you:

Is the spot in the center of the head where the swirl is located or is it off to the side?
Is there still some hair present in this bald spot?
Is there any balding or thinning any place else on your head?
Do you have a family history of balding in the crown (back) of your head and if so, at what age did it happen?

A good doctor may be able to diagnose a possible cause, such as ringworm, alopecia areata, etc. There is not substitute to a good doctor’s examination for you. If this is genetic balding, you would want to get your hair mapped out for miniaturization, as genetic hair loss has patterns of thinning which appear before developing a bald spot.

November 1, 2006

Hair Loss InformationHair and the Effects of Flat Irons – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi I am 29 years old, male. Do flat irons cause permanent hair loss? My hair dresser started using a flat iron on my hair 3 years ago, since my hair was wavy, he showed me how I can make it straight. About 2 months after using it (usually once or twice a week) I noticed that my hair was drying out. I stopped, only to use it once in a while. Today I find that my hair is receding on the sides and my crown is thinning. Is this from the use of the flat iron? I’ve stopped using it for about 6 months now but I still find that my hair falls out everytime I wash and style it. I researching on the net about the side effects of flat irons but never found any concrete proof about the consequences of using them. I hope I didn’t ruin my hair for good! What can I do?

Block Quote

Let’s think logically about this. When hair has grown beyond the scalp, it is no longer a living tissue. Only the hair organ below the skin is living. Hair is made of compressed fibers and a shingle type of structure made up of shed skin cells called cutin. These shed skin cells are in effect the same ‘stuff’ that produces the scales we see in dandruff and may reflect higher turnover of the skin on our scalps. As these shed cells are compressed above the fibers in the hair shaft, they form a layered array just like the shingles on a roof would form to keep out the water. But below the skin, the hair organ puts lipoproetin layers into these scales of cutin that give the hair the character that you have. The presence of fat on the outside of the hair shaft is what brings out ‘luster’ in the hair. Once the hair exits the skin as it grows , it enters the hostile environment of air, wind, weather, heat, etc… and it no longer is subject to what your body can do for it. As the hair exits the surface of the skin, the sebaceous glands secret a waxy sebum that may find its way onto the hair shaft, giving some people an oily hair.

When you iron your hair with heat, you do change the character of the hair and change the configuration of the varying layers of compacted cutin and the fibers that make up the structure of your hair. Heat takes away the luster (shine) from hair, burns away the waxy covering, may denature the lipoproteins on the surface of the hair shaft and it is this that protects the hair from the environment. Heat may damage the core of the fibers inside the hair as well. High heat applications can damage the hair so that it cracks, breaks, and even become fragile, producing broken ends from hair that breaks too easily. Take a look at this illustration of an enlarged hair shaft here (illustrated by Norm Nason). Note the layering of the cutin shingles. Look at the center of the shaft and see the fibers that form the backbone and the strength of the hair shaft. When these fibers are broken, or the shingled cutin is removed, damaged or burned, a pealing process may begin which would reflect the damage to the foundation of the hair shaft, and it can become permanent. When the hair is damaged, then gentle handling is critical to maintain and hold it on your head. You can, of course, cut it off and new hair coming from below the skin which should not grow out damaged, will eventually replace the weak hair. The hair exiting the skin is normal and undamaged so you can and should expect that once you cut off the damaged hair, the new hair will grow to whatever your normal should be. Good cosmetology can hydrate the hair and it might bring back some of its luster and strength. For those of you interested in high powered microscopic views of the hair system below the skin, see here.

So, if you have hair loss or thinning of new hair, it is possibly a new problem, and you need to have your hair analyzed by a doctor like me.

November 1, 2006

Hair Loss InformationJust Started Losing Hair a Year After Pregnancy – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am a 31 year old female with a 17 month old son. At about the time he turned one, I started to notice hair loss. It’s all over my head, and has caused my hair to thin a lot. It is still happening. I have been to the doctor and was tested for thyroid. It was negative. What I am wondering is, could this hair loss still be related to my pregnancy? It has also been an extremely stressful time – but could this long period of hairloss be related to stress? Will my hair grow back? And can continued stress mean continued hair loss?

Block Quote

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. 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. Your scalp should also be mapped out for miniaturization to define patterns in genetic hair loss that are typical for women. Pregnancy can activate genetic hair loss in some women.

November 1, 2006

Man Unaware of Shock Loss After Transplant – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am 37 years old male and I had hair transplant with 800 grafts four years ago. after hair transplant i lost my original hair which i had before transplant and now i left with only the hair which i transplanted. i have two question. first, is it normal for everybody that once you did hairtransplant you will lose your original hairs due to shock that our scalp get. my other question is regarding after transplant. since last year after getting shower the next day when i touch my scalp i notice the dead hair bulb ( i think it is called hair bulb or hair follicule, the material which hair grows from it ). it scared me alot. i have oily skin and when i touch my scalp i notice them it is like more then 10 per day. would you please give me some idea that why i lose my hair bulb besides my hair. and what should i do to prevent it.
thank you

Block Quote

Shock loss after a hair transplant occurs in some patients and it is best prevented by taking Propecia (which I prescribe to everyone having a hair transplant just to minimize this possibility). It is probably related to the degree of miniaturized or weak hairs that were in active loss phase when you had your transplant.

Regarding your second question of a ‘dead hair bulb’, I do not know what you are describing. It is normal to lose up to 100 hairs a day. What you are probably seeing is a hair shaft with a little sebum (mucus) plug attached at the end.