Any remedy for hair loss

[Jessica]

I was wondering if anybody out there has any recommedations for early hairloss. I am a 30 year old make and have noticed that my hairline has been slowly receeding..

[smg1978]

I take something called Spronolactone. I believe it is a blood thinner but one of the side effects is that it makes your hair grow. My doctor recommended it because I did not want to take Rogaine because once you start it you cannot stop. I also use Nioxin products. I also take Biotin everyday. Good luck!

[Janeen]

Hi Jessica,

2 years ago (at age 37) I noticed that my hair started thinning. Then it went from thinning to falling out. I had some bald spots to go with it. The first thing that I'd suggest is seeing your primary care doctor to get some blood work done to make sure that there isn't an underlying health issue that is causing your hair loss (such as thyroid, vitamin deficiency, hormone imbalance, etc.). If there aren't any problems showing up and your primary care doc doesn't have any suggestions, then I'd suggest seeing a dermatologist. That is where I'm at right now and the dermatologist can see if there are medications that can be used to reverse the hair loss or at least halt it where it's at.
I know for me, losing my hair was very stressful. I hope you find the answers you need!

[Ellen S]

Hi Jessica,

I'm so sorry you're experiencing this. Janeen is a doll and her advice is really important. Hair loss is usually caused by something... the trick is figuring out what that something is. I've gone thru this myself. First it was thyroid trouble, then meds I took, now Lupus is getting the blame. All I know is that I fill my hair brush every day, and it looks very bad because it's so thin. Each day I go back and forth between the desire to keep it long so it hides any patchiness, and wanting to whack it short and be done with it.

Some things to consider include:

*Is your hair coming out in patches or handfuls, or is it getting thinner all over?

*Is it only your hairline that is receding?

*Was this loss sudden, or did it happen over a long period of time?

*Is there any history of hair loss in your family?

*What do your skin and nails look like? Have they changed too?


It's likely that, if your dermatologist can't find anything to cause hair loss, you may be referred to a rheumatologist. A rheumy deals with some autoimmune conditions, which often cause hair loss. Another potential specialist is an endocrinologist - fluctuations in hormones including testosterone can cause hair loss. If you're female, your OB/GYN might be someone else to see, as PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome) can cause hair loss. I'm told the hormonal imbalances of PCOS can also affect males even tho they don't have ovaries, so perhaps this could result in hair loss as well.

In the meantime, do your very best to be as healthy as possible. Relieve stress if you can. Exercise and eat healthy foods throughout the day to alleviate blood sugar and metabolic fluctuations. Stay away from chemicals and additional OTC meds, supplements and herbs etc your doctor doesn't know about, at least until your doctor gets a chance to check on you. If you have stomach or intestinal upset, be sure to tell them that too, okay?

In the end, it may come down to simple genetics. When you're a male, 30 yrs old isn't too early for this to have hit you fairly hard I'm afraid. All the guys in my life had this by 30, tho rarely admitted it. :) Even women can be hit with a type of male patterned baldness. I'd be more concerned with sudden hair loss than a gradual onset.

You should know that your hair has a cycle of growth too. After it is shed, it goes into a period of resting where it will not grow. Eventually, it comes out of this resting period and takes off as it did in the past. For this reason, it can be discouraging for those of us experiencing loss caused by "something" identifiable. It can take many months after fixing the problem to see a positive difference. We often lose patience.

I hope your doctor is able to help you find answers. In the meantime, know that you are not alone and there are many people - male and female - dealing with this very issue.... today!

[Janeen]

Great suggestions Ellen! There are so many different things that can cause hair loss. It can take many doctors and many months (years!) to figure out what causes someones hair to fall out. And like you said, it may just be genetics.

Jessica, I hope you found some helpful information here!

For more information see:
MSNBC article- Getting to the root of female hair loss.

Familydoctor.org - Hair loss and it's causes.

Female Pattern Hair Loss

WebMD- Women hairloss causes

YouTube video from the show The Doctors and Dr. Craig Ziering - this is really great!

[Jessica]

Thanks Janeen, Ellen and smg1978 for the suggestions. I'm anaemic and I wonder whether this is also a cause though.

[Ellen S]

Oh Jessica, very definitely a resounding "YES"!

Anemia is more than just a disorder by itself. It is a sign that all is not well within your body, just as hair loss is a sign that something is not right. I'm so glad you're seeing your doctor, and I have high hopes that taking action and opening up a discussion with him/her will yield some answers for you. Hang in there!

[Jessica]

I got an appointment with my doctor and ohh that was disgusting. I had to just run away from there. I had to wait for hours. Someone has suggested me over here for hairplugs. I was wondering whether you can get help on the internet. Hair loss is very depressing especially when you are young. You feel embarrassed to go for any social gatherings.