When Should I See A Doctor About My Hair Loss
Its a good idea to see a healthcare provider if your hair loss lasts more than 6 months or if you have any other symptoms like patches of hair loss, itching, or other irritation. You may need an additional workup for other causes of hair loss such as hormonal causes, nutritional deficiencies, or autoimmune hair loss. There may also be some treatments available while you wait for the hair to regrow.
What Are The Earliest Symptoms Of Telogen Effluvium
It is perfectly normal to lose up to 100 hairs per day. In telogen effluvium, people may lose closer to 300 hairs per day, and this can continue over the course of several months. You may notice that more hair falls out while brushing or when washing your hair in the shower. You may also notice thinning of your hair.
What Are The Types Of Hair Loss
There are three: anagen effluvium, telogen effluvium and FPHL.
- Anagen effluvium: This is caused by medications that poison a growing hair follicle .
- Telogen effluvium: This is caused by an increased number of hair follicles reaching the telogen phase, which is the stage where hair falls out.
- Androgenetic alopecia/female pattern alopecia/female pattern hair loss /baldness: This type is the most common. Hair thins over the top of the head and on the sides.
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Treatments To Help Regrow Your Hair
- Platelet rich plasma treatment PRP treatment is a widely popular treatment to treat hair loss caused due to multiple reasons, including hair loss due to drugs. Once your primary physician has given you the permission, you can consult a dermatologist to see if PRP is a suitable option for your hair loss concerns.The procedure is fairly simple and involves extraction of a tiny amount of your blood. The platelets are separated from this, activated, and injected into your scalp. This ensures direct delivery of important and essential growth factors to the hair matrix cells. Hair growth rate and hair thickness increases after just a few sessions. This treatment possesses no side effects and has absolutely no downtime associated with it.# Watch This Video To Know About PRP Hair Loss Treatment:
- Minoxidil & Finasteride In some cases, when the hair growth has not been restored even after discontinuing the medication for two to three months, a dermatologist may recommend you to use either minoxidil or finasteride on the affected areas on the scalp. The usage of these topical medications reduces hair fall and improves hair growth. Finasteride can only be used by men, whereas minoxidil can be used by both men and women.
Treatment Options For Thyroid Hair Loss
Treating thyroid-related hair loss requires treating the thyroid problem. A doctor will usually prescribe a synthetic hormone containing levothyroxine to treat an underactive thyroid. Treatment for an overactive thyroid varies from person to person. Some of the most common methods include: antithyroid drugs, iodine intake, surgery. In this article we cover how to tackle the symptom of thyroid problems however bear in mind that the root cause needs to be treated as a priority, since the symptoms can only be alleviated to a limited extent. The best approach would be to get your blood tested and understand what is the optimal level of T3 / T4 hormones your hair will return to normal as a result of the treatment and over a course of time.
Meanwhile, home remedies and lifestyle changes available for sufferers of both conditions. Those can take a few weeks or months to work so it is important to approach it with a curious mind and willingness to learn about what works for your body, as opposed to expecting overnight results.
As a general rule, eating a balanced diet can help to promote growth and improve the condition of hair. A healthful and balanced diet is one that contains protein, fruits, vegetables, grains, and a moderate amount of fat.
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Anticoagulants Antihypertensives And Statins
Certain medications used to treat hypertension, heart disease and other cardiovascular health issues may cause hair loss.
For example, telogen effluvium hair loss is a well-known side effect of anticoagulants, or blood thinners, used to prevent blood clots.
Anticoagulants linked to hair loss include:
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Warfarin
Some antihypertensive medications, including beta-blockers, are also linked to telogen effluvium hair loss.
Commonly prescribed beta-blockers include propranolol, atenolol, metoprolol, timolol, nadolol and others.
Commonly prescribed ACE inhibitors include benazepril, captopril, lisinopril, moexipril, ramipril, trandolapril and enalapril/enalaprilat.
Finally, although its uncommon, some statins used to lower cholesterol levels may cause hair loss. According to Harvard Medical School, approximately one percent of people prescribed a statin report some level of hair loss during treatment.
Commonly prescribed statins include atorvastatin, fluvastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin and others.
Vitamins Minerals And Other Supplements
If your blood test reveals that youre not getting enough biotin, iron, or zinc, your dermatologist may recommend taking a supplement. If youre not getting enough protein, your dermatologist can tell you how to boost your intake.
You should only take biotin, iron, or zinc when your blood test shows that you have a deficiency. If your levels are normal, taking a supplement can be harmful. For example, if you take too much iron, you can develop iron poisoning. Early signs of this include stomach pain and vomiting.
Other supplements meant to help with hair loss tend to contain a lot of one nutrient. Because this can cause you to get too much of the nutrient, many dermatologists recommend taking a multivitamin instead.
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How Do Dermatologists Find Out Whats Causing Hair Loss
To pinpoint the cause of your hair loss, a dermatologist begins by gathering information. Your dermatologist will:
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Ask questions. Its important to know how long youve had hair loss and whether it came on quickly.
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Look closely at your scalp, nails, any other area with hair loss. This exam provides vital clues about whats happening.
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Test the health of your hair. Gently pulling on your hair tells your dermatologist a lot about how your hair is growing and whether its prone to breaking.
If your dermatologist suspects that the cause of your hair loss could be a disease, vitamin deficiency, hormone imbalance, or infection, you may need a blood test or scalp biopsy. These tests can be done in your dermatologists office.
Once your dermatologist has this information, its often possible to tell you whats causing your hair loss.
Sometimes, your dermatologist needs more information. This might be the case if someone has more than one cause. For example, a woman may have had a baby a few months ago, and this may be causing obvious hair shedding. She may also have early hereditary loss, which isnt so obvious.
No one hair loss treatment works for everyone
Once your dermatologist finds the cause, your dermatologist will tell you whether treatment is recommended. Sometimes, your hair will regrow on its own, making treatment unnecessary.
Prevent Vitamin D Deficiency
Not having enough Vitamin D has also been implicated in hypothyroidism by some practitioners and experts. As such, taking a supplement or boosting intake of the vitamin through fortified foods helps. Also ensure that you get about 20 to 30 minutes in the sun to help your body produce the vitamin.
This could help with improving thyroid function and overall metabolism. Over time, as function of the thyroid gland is restored, your hair growth may also improve and return to normal.7
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Common Causes Of Hair Loss
Cats may overgroom for many reasons, but itching from allergies, fleas or mites, or even allergies to fleas and mites are some of the most common. In summary, the most common causes of hair loss in cats are as follows:
- Allergies
- Ringworm
Allergies
Environmental things such as dust, grass, pollen, trees, cotton, or wool, or things in food like chicken, or insect bites.
Its actually very common for cats to be allergic to flea bites! This is called Flea Allergy Dermatitis and is one of the most common reasons for hair loss in cats. Cats with this issue can be so allergic that a single flea bite can make them itch and have hair loss for weeks even though you never saw any fleas on them.
Having fleas and mites, even if theyre not allergic to them, can still cause itching and damage to hair and hair follicles, which leads to hair loss. There are several types of mites cats can get, including Mange and Scabies mites.
Stress and Anxiety
Another reason cats commonly over-groom and cause hair loss is stress and anxiety .
Cats love routine, and anything that disrupts routines can be stressful for them. Not all cats get along with other cats or other pets, and that can be a source of stress too. Many cats are predisposed to anxiety and stress, which can lead to excessive grooming and hair loss.
Pain
Ringworm
Other Causes of Hair Loss in Cats
How Do Drugs Cause Hair Loss
Drugs cause hair loss by interfering with the normal cycle of scalp hair growth. During the anagen phase, which lasts for two to seven years, the hair grows. During the telogen phase, which lasts about three months, the hair rests. At the end of the telogen phase, the hair falls out and is replaced by new hair.
Medications can lead to two types of hair loss: telogen effluvium and anagen effluvium. Learn more about other causes of baldness.
Telogen effluvium is the most common form of drug-induced hair loss. It usually appears within 2 to 4 months after taking the drug. This condition causes the hair follicles to go into their resting phase and fall out too early. People with telogen effluvium usually shed between 30% to 70% more than the normal 100 and 150 hairs a day.
Anagen effluvium is hair loss that occurs during the anagen phase of the hair cycle, when the hairs are actively growing. It prevents the matrix cells, which produce new hairs, from dividing normally. This type of hair loss usually occurs within a few days to weeks after taking the medication. It’s most common in people who are taking chemotherapy drugs for cancer and is often severe, causing people to lose most or all of the hair on their head, as well as their eyebrows, eyelashes, and other body hairs.
The severity of drug-induced hair loss depends on the type of drug and dosage, as well as your sensitivity to that drug.
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Patterns Of Female Hair Loss
Clinicians use the Ludwig Classification to describe female pattern hair loss. Type I is minimal thinning that can be camouflaged with hair styling techniques. Type II is characterized by decreased volume and noticeable widening of the mid-line part. Type III describes diffuse thinning, with a see-through appearance on the top of the scalp.
What Questions Might Your Healthcare Provider Ask To Diagnose And Categorize Your Hair Loss
Your healthcare provider might ask about your habits:
- What kinds of hair products do you use?
- What kinds of hair styles do you wear?
- What types of food do you eat ?
- Do you have a habit of pulling your hair out ?
They might ask about your history:
- Has anyone in your immediate family experienced hair loss?
- Is there anything stressful going on in your life?
- What medications and supplements do you take every day?
- Has hair loss ever happened to you before?
- What foods are in your diet?
And, they might ask about your observations:
- How long have you been losing hair?
- Have you been shedding more?
- Have you noticed hair loss in places other than your scalp, like your eyebrows? Leg and arm hair?
- Does anything worsen your hair loss?
- Does anything improve your hair loss?
- Have you noticed hair loss occasionally or has it been going on continuously?
- Have you noticed if your hair growth has changed?
- Has your hair been breaking more often?
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Effective Ways To Treat Hair Loss Due To Hormonal Imbalance
Hormonal imbalance is a problem in human beings, in which the amount of hormones released is either less or more than that is required by the body. The case of hormonal imbalance is increasing in various age groups. It is more common in people reaching 40s. However it can also be seen in teen ages. The case of hormonal imbalance can be detected by sudden weight gain, irregular periods, hair loss and many more. It is very much required to keep the production of hormones under control. Home remedies can be used to take hormonal imbalance under control. They are free from side effects and can provide perfect results.
Treatment For Hair Loss
Most hair loss does not need treatment and is either:
- temporary and it’ll grow back
- a normal part of getting older
Hair loss caused by a medical condition usually stops or grows back once you’ve recovered.
There are things you can try if your hair loss is causing you distress. But most treatments are not available on the NHS, so you’ll have to pay for them.
No treatment is 100% effective.
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Will Your Hair Grow Back
Dr. Carteron says that hair can grow back after the cause of hair loss is identified and medications are adjusted as needed.
With leflunomide I lost a third of the density of my hair, and I was devastated as it fell out so fast, Sue B. told us on Facebook. As soon as I stopped it, my hair began to recover.
Some patients we heard from did say their hair didnt totally regain its former fullness. I didnt stay on methotrexate for long, but my hair just never came back, Rene Marie B. told us. Others said that their hair took a long time to regrow after stopping methotrexate as it slowly leaves the body. Some who stayed on MTX said the hair thinning eventually stopped.
Unfortunately, its hard to know exactly how your medication will affect you until you start it.
Even if your hair does thin, you might be the only one who can tell. I had extremely thick hair to start with so my hairdresser and I are the only ones who notice, Cindy B. told us. I am still on methotrexate because it works and the hair thinning has slowed down.
Medication side effects can be scary and concerning, but the risks need to be balanced with a medications benefits. Dr. Blazer says she reviews the side effects of medications, including hair loss, ahead of time with patients. This empowers patients to look for the symptom and bring it up to me during our subsequent visits, she says.