Hair Loss Causes – Page 311

January 30, 2006

Hair Loss from Zoloft, Surmontil, Xanax, or Temesta? – Balding Blog

Dear Dr. Rassman

I am 33 and suffered from depression and anxiety attacks over a period of years and took numerous antidepressants including Zoloft and Surmontil. In addition I took sedatives such as Xanax and Temesta. During that time I did not notice any hairloss, even though I experienced a huge amount of stress. I am on the way to recovery now and stopped taking the antidepressants over 6 months ago and am weaning myself off the Xanax. For the last 6 months I have been experiencing mild hair loss, especially noticeable on the front hairline. Gaps are appearing in the hairline, which was normally full. I wash my hair about 4 times a week and comb my hair when washing it. In total I notice about 20-30 hairs on my hands and comb every time, which I never did before. I have no family history on either side of baldness. I have the following questions:

1) Is it possible that I could be experience temporary hair loss as a result of a history of using antidepressants and huge stress, and am having something of a delayed reaction? If so when can I expect hair to start growing back, if at all?

2) Does hair generally become thinner and recede in any case with age?

3) How can the loss of 50-100 hairs a day be normal? It seems like such a huge amount. Even given that new hairs are growing, that is around 30,000 hairs a year.

Thanks for any advice.

Kind Regards

Stress and antidepressent medications can cause hair loss. In some people, the hair shafts become finer (rather than coarser) and develop less densities of the hairs themselves with age. Most people lose about 100 hairs per day and they grow back about the same number of hairs each day.

January 27, 2006

My Son Has Been Losing Hair Since 18 Months Old – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Dr. Rassman.

My son began to lose patches of hair since he was 18 months old. Doctors say that can be due to stress or Alopecia Areata. His father was diagnosed with that a few years ago and he was also told that his own father had it too when he was stressed. My son’s grandfather and father recovered their hair, but they didn’t begin so young. I am extremely concerned about this. My son has also dark lines under his eyes and is a very picky eater. The only thing he loves is milk. My son began losing hair in his top right side, it spread down then it happened in the left side, after that he lost a couple of patches on the back of his head, and now, he lost a big patch in the middle of the frontal part and the last is on the top of his head… Please give me your advice. Thank you very much.

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Alopecia Areata is found in family lines, like yours. The treatment of this disease must be done by experts who specialize in this. Check with a good Dermatologist for the appropriate referral. I have little to offer you via the internet for this problem.

January 27, 2006

Can Toppik Accelerate Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello Dr. Rassman
Again, thank you thank you thank you for spending the time to provide this blog. It is an oasis in the desert of misinformation on MPB. I have a quick question:

Can products like toppik / couvre and / or hairsprays accelerate hair loss? Are there any negative repurcussions to using such products? I havent noticed any accelerated hairloss but I use toppik and hairspray everyday and wondered if they could be damaging my hair in any way?

Aside from my concern, I strongley recomend toppik to anyone with thinning hair. I’ve found it really helps for cover up / concealing purposes.

Thanks Again

I totally agree. Toppik (color-matched keratin protein fibers) and hair spray (glue, basically) are excellent additions to any hair loss sufferer’s cosmetic arsenal. I also highly recommend trying different styles to maximize the hair that you have (one of the reasons women’s hair loss is underdiagnosed is because they take the time and try different tricks to camoflage it well). As for these adjuncts causing hair loss the answer is “No” – there is no evidence that these affect your loss in any way. Chemical hair loss CAN occur with chronically chemicaly treated hair, but these two products do not fall into this category so you can continue to use them without fear.

January 25, 2006

Am I Going Bald? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

When I was younger, I always had very thick hair. Never a concern at all. Recently, I ran my fingers through my hair and noticed that I could see my scalp quite easily by pulling the hair vertically or to the side. I usually have a very short haircut, not military style but certainly less than an inch in length. I’ve been paying more attention to my hair lately because I’ve been growing it out, and that’s really the only reason I’ve noticed. It seems like the hair on the side is thinning more…I’m not really noticing a maturation pattern where it’s receding, just thinning.

My uncle on my mother’s side is almost entirely bald, my father has a bald spot on the back of his head and thin hair…so genetic predisposition is possible/probable. I’m wondering what I should do at this point. I may be over-reacting but I’d like to find out. I use gel/comb my hair regularly, but I’ve never seen hair fall out. I can run my hand through my hair several times without seeing any hair fall off.

I’ve also started wearing a hat recently, which is reasonably tight…and may only be coincidence. I’m just not sure what to do/who to see.

Thanks for your help/site…it’s much appreciated.

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To determine if you are balding, you need to have your head mapped out for miniaturization which will show if your have developed or are developing a pattern of thinning that will eventually lead to frank balding. Any topicals you place for combing your hair may make it look fuller, but it will not change the process that is going on. Propecia is the best medication to slow or stop the hair loss and some times it even reverses it, but first you need a diagnosis. The hat will not make a difference in the hair loss, unless is is very tight and causes pulling of the hair.

January 25, 2006

Post-Operative Questions About Telogen – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

First, I would like to appreciate your online service, for freely accepting questions and comments and for your valuable answers. Thank You.

I have had my hair transplant about 12weeks ago of approx. 1,650 grafts. My donor area took quite some time to heal, approx. 9-10weeks, before the occasional swelling in a few spots which have now completely subsided. During the first 10 days I had some grafts fall out, which I was told was normal, over the next few weeks I lost more of these transplanted grafts as has been considered normal procedure after a hair transplant. I have had to deal with pimples/puss modules in the transplanted region occasionally and again I read that this is normal. I have used Neospirin ointment to treat these modules and it has helped quite a bit. I am also taking finasteride 1mg for about 17weeks (started 5weeks prior to the procedure as recommended by the Doctor). It is now 12 weeks, and my questions are:

Is it possible that not all the transplanted hair has fallen out? Because when I touch the transplanted region with the palm of my hand, I still feel a few spikes here and there. Just today I noticed a couple of hairs with scab attached at the bottom fall out. Should i be concerned that even after 12 weeks not all of the transplanted hairs have fallen out?

As I do not see much new hair in the transplanted area as yet after 12 weeks, should I be concerned, when I have been reading that by 2-3 months the new hair would start appearing.

I am considered type VI and 35yrs of age. Even with taking Finasteride, I seem to lose at least 50-75 hair everyday after the two daily showers. Do HOT water showers have a negative impact?

Your valuable comments are much appreciated. Thank You

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I am fairly sure that you are not losing hair transplants, but what you are seeing may reflect poor cleansing of the recipient area where the scabs stayed on too long. Without seeing you, I am assuming that what you are seeing is the hair from within the old grafts that is coming out (the hair that should have fallen out earlier). The ‘root’ of the transplanted graft is secure in a couple of days after a transplant until the scabs are all off. Rarely will a transplanted graft come out after the scabs are gone (in our hands in just a few days the wounds lock the hair graft into position because of the small needles we use). We have researched this extensively, and found that they can not be pulled out the earlier of (1) after 10-12 days, even if you try to pull them out, or (2) the disappearance of the scabs (usually a couple of days in our practice). In patients who do not comply with our washing protocol, the scabs may last for weeks.

Hair roots start taking hold and growing hair in 10-20 weeks after the transplant procedure, so I would not worry at this stage in the transplant growth cycle.

Hot showers will not cause hair loss, but if you are losing hair, then there may be a shock effect from the original surgery which should be about over shortly. You need to ask your doctor to map out your remaining hair for miniaturization to determine if your class 6 pattern will progress to a more advanced pattern. That should have been in the discussion when you and your doctor made a Master Plan for what was about to happen to you with a hair transplant.

January 25, 2006

Hair Loss in Young Teen Male – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Doctor,
I have this very close friend who is 15 years old. He is suffering from hair loss and has been since about the age of 11. I’ve talked to him about it many times and he says that the amount of hair he loses after showers is unbelievable. Even when he runs his fingers through his hair strands come out. I really would like to do what I can to help him, he has trouble talking to people so I’m basically the only one who can help. He also gets made fun of at school sometimes and no one likes to be teased. I’ve read up on different causes of hair loss but nothing really is directed to younger teens. Please help me help him.

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Young men as young as 13 can have genetic hair loss. He needs to see a good doctor, get his hair and scalp mapped out for miniaturization and find out if he is genetically balding. Assuming it is genetic hair loss, then the drug that is best to hold on to his hair is Propecia. He must get help and get proper management; the price of premature balding is too grave a consequence for denying the problem.

January 25, 2006

Hair Loss InformationXanax and Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am a 33 year old male and am convinced that I am losing my hair at the front of my head. I have thick hair, but it is certainly thinner, i.e. I seem to have less hairs per square cm. I can also see my scalp at the front, which I could not around 1 year ago. When I comb my hair, or wash it I notice hair in my hands or in the comb. I would say that the number of hairs is around 5 or 6. This is also something pretty new to me. What I would like to know is, am i going bald and how can I determine the rate? Also I take Xanax in small doses and what like to know if this has an effect. Would Rogaine help for frontal hair loss?Finally, how long should I wait before I have a hair transplant. I don’t want to go bald before I do. Thanks.

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Xanax can cause hair loss, but I would think that if you are thinner in the frontal area, then you may be having genetic male patterned hair loss. As I have said many times in this blog, a diagnosis includes an examination for miniaturization, which would be evaluated throughout the head to determine what your genetic pattern might be. At 33 years old, your pattern should be evident when your scalp hair is mapped out. I am ingorning your 6 hairs per day loss as that is low and probably a wrong estimate, but the thinning of the hair in the front is more of a concern for me. If you have male pattern balding, the hair in the front will be heavily miniaturized and will show up nicely on magnification imaging. If that is the correct assessment, then Propecia may help slow or stop the hair loss.

January 24, 2006

Hair Loss InformationDoes DHT Cause All Genetic Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Is DHT the cause of all genetic hair loss? I ask because I have DUPA similar to my mothers type of hairloss which is hairloss all over with not balding pattern. Whats the best way to attack this, thanks.

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The answer is different for each sex.

Male: DHT is the cause for almost 100% of genetic male pattern hair loss. There are other genetic diseases and other weaker male hormones made in the adrenal glands that can cause hair loss. Other diseases include the various alopecias (e.g. areata and totalis) and unique diseases that are generally not found in the United States. We know that if your testicles are cut off (this was done in mental institutions in the U.S. many years ago when we did not understand mental diseases) hair loss can be prevented. When these men were given testosterone, they lost all of their hair in months, as was typical for the family pattern.

Female: Women have some male hormones just like men have some female hormones. When these ‘male’ hormones are produced in high amounts in some women (example would be tumors that secrete such hormones), we have observed the impact of these hormones as they contribute to hair loss in genetically prone women. With women, our understanding is not quite as good as with men, because in men we have recognized the role of a single hormone (DHT) as the major cause of most hair loss. You need to have a complete medical workup for hair loss before assuming that this is a genetic process. There are many conditions that cause hair loss in women and it is dangerous to assume that it is genetic unless you take the right tests to rule them out.

January 23, 2006

Bald Spots on 6 Year Old – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

My 6 year old son has developed bald patches in his head. It began with one bald spot this summer and then traveled to the opposite side of his head. So now there are two bald spots. Now it looks as another bald spot is forming on top of one of the other spots. We have taken them to him to the dermatologist and they stated that is was nothing to worry about. They tested the spots and informed us that no fungus was located and that the patches should fill in on there own. I don’t see any impovement and want to that him to another dermatologist.

Do you have any idea what this could be and could you provide some suggestions.

Thanks in advance

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I have addressed this type of question a few times before (search for “child”). There are many causes of hair loss including fungal and bacterial infections. In children, fungal infections are not uncommon. The presence of conditions such as alopecia areata are amongst the many possibilities, but if it just goes away as your doctor said, then waiting sounds like the thing to do. Most of these conditions are not life threatening. I wish I had more advice to give, but without seeing the child, it would be very hard to try to come to a conclusion over the internet.

January 23, 2006

15 Year Old Losing Hair – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’m only 15 years old and I’m starting toI started to lose my hair about month ago.I had mentined it to my mom when I first noticed it.She had told me that it might be from stress.I don’t know what I should do.Can you please help me.Thank you so much.

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Where are you losing your hair? Any bald spots? How many hairs are you losing per day? Is it receding? It is normal to lose up to 100 hairs per day. Sometime, you may go through a shedding phase where you lose a significant amounts of hair and then stop. There are many causes to hair loss like Male Pattern Baldness (adrogenous alopecia), alopecia areata, hypothyroidism, eczema, telogen effluvium and stress. Send me your photos or come by for a free consult so that I can better evaluate your scalp.

Sometimes, assuming you are male, the genetic balding process can start early, even younger boys than you can develop it. You will need your scalp mapped out for miniaturization and a diagnosis for genetic hair loss must be made by an expert. The use of Propecia is not an unreasonable approach, as long as your parents are involved with making the decision.