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Hair Loss InformationTests to Run for 13 Year Old Girl Losing Hair – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr. Rassman, my 13-year-old daughter (caucasian) has been experiencing thinning hair these past few months. Her dark wavy hair in the past had always been pretty thick. Her pediatrician ran anemia and thyroid tests which came back normal. We then saw a dermatologist who ran free testosterone and DHEAS-these too came back normal. The next step we are doing is seeing a endocrinologist (appt. not available until February). Are there some other tests that ought to be run in the interim, or should we see a hair specialist (do you know of any in the Metro Detroit area with a female (teenage) hair loss specialty?)

Her diet is fairly balanced, she has not experienced any stressful episodes, and she feels fine physically. I have recently been giving her Women’s 1-A Day vitamins since this problem has occurred. In the Spring of 2005, she began taking Cephalexin (Keflex) for acne. The dermatologist gradually reduced her intake, and she has recently stopped taking it entirely. Another note is we visit the Islands every February (during the past 7 years) whereby she has her hair braided. She would generally keep the braids in for a week, which looking back must have caused a lot of stress on her hair, but again, that would be 8 monts after the fact that the problem began. Thank you for any insight you may be able to provide.

-Very concerned parent

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You daughter can go through periods of shedding hair and then reverse and regrow the hair. It is normal to lose up to 100 hairs per day. Now, if she continues to lose more than 100 hairs and she begins to show bald spots or more scalp, then it is a concern. There are many causes for hair loss in women as you outlined she is or has been evaluated for. The list includes: hypothyroidism, alopecia areata, telogen effluvium, androgenic alopecia, repeatedly over plucking, surgery, trichotillomania, stress, chemotherapy, radiation, cancer, eczema, seborrhea, scleroderma, lupus, hormonal imbalance, psoriasis, parasites, fungal, autoimmnune disorders, poor diet, poor nutrient, burn, trauma, leprosy and drugs. The common medications which may cause hair loss are beta-blocker, coumadin, oral contraceptive pill, antibiotics and chemo-medications. Braiding hair could cause permanent hair loss if it is kept for a long period of time and especially when a person has sensitive/weak hairs. I believe visiting a hair doctor in your area is a got start. A full analysis for miniaturization with a good microscopic evaluation of the scalp hair is critical in understanding the process. Continue with your present course and get the scalp mapped out as well.

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Transplanting Eyebrows – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

After using SELECIA 10m (homeopathy overdose), I lost all hair on body, eyebrows and scalp (also had scanty hair anyways…probably due to MPB). I developed thyroid problems after that. Now i am on altroxin 150mg per day. NOW, can i transplant some hair for EYEBROWS???? I have NO EYEBROWS and NO BODY HAIR… just some scanty beard growing…

If you lost hair everywhere, you might have a genetic condition called alopecia universalis. That would impact eyebrows, pubic and underarm hair as well. Whatever the problem, with the complexity you outline above, you need to see an expert in this field. Do not be an amateur treating yourself. The product you are referring to is a known medication that will cause hair loss. I even found a site recommending it to remove hair permanently. Does sound suspicious, yes?

Eyebrow hair transplants work well, but not in a person who might have an autoimmune problem. Please check yourself out for the various conditions that only a good doctor will identify.

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Female Scalp and Temple Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have had a worsening problem for over 2 years now.
I am a woman with have a problem with thinning hair and some recession primarily in the scalp temple and frontal area of my hair line. It appears in a male pattern. I don’t have any balding but do have miniaturized short hairs that no longer grow to their previous length or fullness and they are sparse. The frontal hair strands are fragile and tend to have a fly a way appearance. Some hair strands do fall out with a telogen hair and they do grow back but not to the previous length or fullness and some hairs fall forward and seem to rest on my forehead. This problem started after having a eb virus which I had a rash and took acetate fluocinide ointment for which I noticed seeemed to further aggravate the receding appearance of my hair line. So, I stopped using it long ago. I also have eye brow and leg hair that is sparse and does not grow to its previous fullness and some areas on my legs where hair no longer grows at all. I have tried many medicines and they seem to aggravate and cause my fragile hair in the front to break and have not helped. I notice that the problem is worsen during my menstrual peoriod. I have had a full work up of blood tests etc. and all labs have been returned within normal range. I had a biopsi which did not yield any definitive cause either. I have been to many derm doctors, endocrin, rheum etc. and noone is able to provide a definitive diagnosis or a treatment that will help. Please note I am primary concerned with the scalp hair loss the hair loss in the other areas I can deal with. This is a very odd problem. This has been very frustrating any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. I am ok with out a dx if I can get something that will improve the problem.

It is rare, but women can experience male pattern balding or thinning as you describe. In these women, the miniaturized pattern follows the Norwood Classification, sometimes leaving the very frontal 1/2 inch almost normal. You may be experiencing a Telogen Effluvium which is more common in woman. I am not certain about the association of EB virus causing hair loss unless there is a cross reacting antibody to EB virus which mistakenly attacks your hair follicles at the same time. You have a very interesting problem. I would like to see photos from all angles or if you can, drop by for a free consultation so that I can evaluate in detail using a magnifying video camera of your entire head. Have you tried Rogaine for women?

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Female Hair Loss When Hair Gets Long – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I’m female and I like long hair but I have noticed when my hair gets about 2 inches past my shoulders it starts to fall out. But when its short I don’t have any hairloss at all.

Your hair length is determined by your hair cycle. What that means, is that longer hair may not be possible for you, because your hair cycle ends when the hair gets just beyond shoulder length (let’s say 14 inches). Assuming your hair grows at 1/2 inch per month, at 28 months the hair cycle kicks in and the hair falls out, being replaced by a new hair grown from the scalp. We cycle hair all of the time ‘asynchronously’, which means that we do not shed our hair like furry animals at seasons, but replace hair at about 100 hairs per day. This is a normal process for you. If your hair grew out 3 feet, then your hair cycle would be 6 years rather than 28 months.

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Donor Scars from FUE – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Dr. Rassman,
I have had a FUE procedure from another doctor and have some white donor scars that you show on your website. If there anything that can be done to make this scarring less visible. (permanently and not a coverup). Thank you

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This is unfortunately the reality of FUE. Tattoos can be placed in each one, but do not tattoo the entire white area — just speckle it. Questions to ask:

  1. What size punches did your doctor use? They should have been 1mm or less.
  2. Did your doctor tell you that this was a natural outcome of the surgery? They are obligated to tell you this in the informed consent.
  3. Did you see patients who had an FUE prior to having one? We often show these patients in our monthly open house events at our Los Angeles and San Jose offices.

I personally don’t like surprises. Good reading, shopping, and solid research is needed for anything like FUE or hair transplants.

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Hairline Receding on One Side More than Other – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Doctor Rassman, I’ve read your profile. You’ve made quite a lot of achievements. Congrats!
And now on to my question, I’m 19 years of age and my hairline is receding a lot towards the left than the right. My left side is roundish but the right side is still squared yet receding. I can actually feel the emptiness on the left side and that’s really freaking me out. I am also able to see through the hair…meaning that I’m seeing less hair up there but I dunno if it shrunk in diameter. Its like it went from jungle thick to like how a forest would look after a large fire. There’s also small bald gaps in my hairline. This is all very embarrasing for someone my age as it depicts an unhealthy aging teenager. I tend to wear tuques most of the time and I know I can’t do that all my life. I only work part time a few hours a week therefore I dont think I can afford Propecia. Are there any other drugs or methods you can suggest? Thanks.

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Hair loss is often asymetrical. Usually, when one side becomes worse, the other side catches up with it. Eventaully, if you have male patterned genetic hair loss, you will continue the process. Propecia works well to stop it, slow it down, or reverse it, particularly in young men like you. You need to have your scalp mapped out for miniaturization and get a diagnosis first. Then a good doctor can treat you properly.

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DHEA and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Doc Rassman:
Hope everything’s been going well with you on your end…had a quick question, there’s an over the counter supplement, believe some sort of hormone based supplement, called DHEA that’s supposed to help recuperation after exercise…says essentially that the body manufactures it naturally and starts tapering off in the 20s. Do you know anything about it and if so would I have any concerns about taking it regularly as one of the potential effects I understand would possibly be hair loss although what I’m reading says that side effect would be extremely rare. Does the supplement work and is it worth taking, even at reduced amounts…ps, I’m 35 years now so i was thinking if i were to start taking it I would simply just take half dose. thanks for your time…

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DHEA is one of the medications that may accelerate hair loss, so I would not go that route. There are safety issues related to this very potent medication, which many people use as an anti-aging medication. I have generally been less enthusiastic about things that I do not understand the long term impact of. Some of the literature I’ve read addresses the world of the unknown, and DHEA certainly fits into that world.

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Doctor Recommendation in Boston Area? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Doctor,
Thank you for a great website. I find it very informative. I’m 25, male. I have been losing hair for almost 2 years now. My frontal hair is shaped like an M now. I’m thinking of consulting a dermatologist or some doctor like yourself and find out what’s the best treatment for my case, but not sure who to approach. I live in boston, Massachusetts. Do you know any good doctor or any colleagues of yours in this area that reliable enough that I can go to? Do you think it’s better to consult a dermatologist first or just take the propecia? Greatly appreciated for your help.

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Dr. Robert Bernstein in NY is my favorite, as I have seen his results over and over again through the past years. At least with him, you can go to an open house and get a consultation on the same day. The trip from Boston by train is a nice ride.

Propecia must be prescribed by a doctor, so you’ll need to see someone first. You can generally find doctors who specialize in hair restoration surgery through ISHRS.org. Just be sure to do your research.

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Hair Loss InformationHead & Shoulders Shampoo – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Somebody mentioned losing hair after using Head ‘n Shoulders shampoo. In the fall of 1975, I started using Head ‘n Shoulders shampoo and immediately started losing hair and even though I could not prove the causal relation between the two, I immediately quit using Head ‘n Shoulders. Even though my hair has still receded and thinned somewhat since then, I have always been curious if anyone has taken a look at Head ‘n Shoulders and complaints about that brand of shampoo as a possible cause of hair loss.

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Head and ShouldersHead & Shoulders shampoo, to my knowledge, does not contribute to hair loss. You are the first person who has presented this complaint to me. It is very possible that there was a coincidence between the shampoo and the change in your hair loss status.

Update August 18, 2008 —
Although I initially posted this almost 3 years ago, this has become a very hot topic as of late and the readers have provided some good commentary below.

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8 Months After Transplant Procedure – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Dr. Rassman,
I had a procedure of 1,600 grafts done on my front hairline just over 8 months ago. My situation was exactly like that of Steve Hartman’s, whose pictures are on the NHI website. The growth of my grafts didn’t really begin to show until about 2 months after the procedure. Now, after 8 months, the hairs have grown to length, but are very fine and thin in appearance. To compare, my transplanted area at 8 months looks like Steve Hartman’s photos at 5 months. It seems like everywhere I read, 8 months is roughly a good time to indicate how successful a transplant was. I realize that every situation is different, but I’m just wondering if (according to the averages) can I expect more density and fullness in the coming months? Am I just being impatient?

I’m very pleased with my results so far, I think I was just hoping to see a bigger difference sooner. Thanks for any help and I hope to see you the next time I’m in California!

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At 8 months, the transplants usually show about 80-90% of the results, with more length coming in the following months. Steve Hartman‘s hair was an average thickness and your hair is very fine, so an apples to apples comparison may not be appropriate. You are asking if all of the hair has grown and the answer is effectively most have grown. You may need another transplant, which is not unusual for a person with very fine hair.