A case of alopecia

RE: A case of alopecia

Alopecia is male pattern baldness, and it occurs in women as well as men. It can be caused by stress, medications, and also hormonal imbalances. A lot of women lose their hair following pregnancy or due to birth control pills. Be sure to bring it up when you speak with her doctor. It might be caused by either the anxiety or as a side effect of the medication she's taking -- or both -- in which case, her doctor might want to change her medication. Good luck!

RE: A case of alopecia

ORIGINAL: Satori

Alopecia is male pattern baldness,

Excuse me Satori, but no ... alopecia is a generic term for hair loss which can range from the loss of small patches to the total loss of body hair (including nasal hair and eyelashes). Male pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia or AGA) is just one type of this condition. AGA in particular is caused by a fall in the production of a specific type of testosterone. (hair follicles on different parts of the body require different types of testosterone). Many other types are an auto-immune response.

It is too simplistic to suggest that all alopecia follows the androgenetic model. Anxiety, stress, a sudden shock, meds can all play a part, but then so too can environmental, allergenic, immunilogical and genetic factors ... or more commonly a combination of these.

Trish, have a look at http://www.alopeciaonline.org.uk/ for info and links which may be of help.

I'm an Alopecian myself (which sounds like I belong to a strange religion or have peculiar dietary habits!) but despite being hair-free, I'm really quite normal 😀.

derekw

RE: A case of alopecia

ORIGINAL: derekw

ORIGINAL: Satori

Alopecia is male pattern baldness,

Excuse me Satori, but no ... alopecia is a generic term for hair loss which can range from the loss of small patches to the total loss of body hair (including nasal hair and eyelashes). Male pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia or AGA) is just one type of this condition. AGA in particular is caused by a fall in the production of a specific type of testosterone. (hair follicles on different parts of the body require different types of testosterone). Many other types are an auto-immune response.

It is too simplistic to suggest that all alopecia follows the androgenetic model. Anxiety, stress, a sudden shock, meds can all play a part, but then so too can environmental, allergenic, immunilogical and genetic factors ... or more commonly a combination of these.

Trish, have a look at http://www.alopeciaonline.org.uk/ for info and links which may be of help.

I'm an Alopecian myself (which sounds like I belong to a strange religion or have peculiar dietary habits!) but despite being hair-free, I'm really quite normal 😀.

derekw

Hi Derek,

I experienced the exact thing that Trisha posted about, and I was told by all of the doctors I saw that alopecia was male pattern baldness and that it occurred in women as well. Glad you could shed more light on it, however. Thanks for the info.

RE: A case of alopecia

Hi Derek,

I experienced the exact thing that Trisha posted about, and I was told by all of the doctors I saw that alopecia was male pattern baldness and that it occurred in women as well. Glad you could shed more light on it, however. Thanks for the info.

Satori,

Unfortunately alopecia is a condition that many doctors trivialise, yet it can have devastating effects on peoples self-esteem.

derekw

RE: A case of alopecia

ORIGINAL: derekw

Satori,

Unfortunately alopecia is a condition that many doctors trivialise, yet it can have devastating effects on peoples self-esteem.

derekw

You're absolutely right about that. It took me years to discover the true cause of mine. It later turned out to be a result of a hyperactive thyroid and pituitary tumor, following the use of birth control pills. What a mess!

I was surprised to learn recently that men who have undergone hair transplants have regretted it, as it can cause scarring and does not prevent further hair loss. This is the site where I read about it: http://www.baldrus.com . I had no idea. Although, I do think that men who go bald naturally look much better, and I think most women would agree with that.

I learned of that site from a post that someone made on an equestrian forum recently. One of the members posted something about not liking bald men, but then almost every single subsequent post on that two-page thread was made by women who all said they love bald men! lol

Anyway, I'm glad you enlightened us about alopecia. Very much appreciated!
🙂

RE: A case of alopecia

ORIGINAL: derekw

I'm an Alopecian myself (which sounds like I belong to a strange religion or have peculiar dietary habits!) but despite being hair-free, I'm really quite normal 😀.

[sm=rollaugh.gif]

RE: A case of alopecia

I too suffer from hairloss when I am stressed, and for months after the stress has gone. I've been taking 15mg of zinc twice a day, and a multivitamin. The zinc, for me, slows down the hairloss within a week. People say that protein helps your hair, but I don't find that it makes any difference to mine. But everyone is different.

I think that the best suggestion I can make to a stressed person who suffers from hairloss is to remove all sugar from your diet. Sugar increases your need for so many nutrients - so for a teenage body with growth spurts, squillions of hormones, and stress... the demand for nutrients is sky-high. And hence, something has to give - and sadly in your step-daughter's case it is her hair.

Good luck

RE: A case of alopecia

This is very good advice. Sugar depletes B vitamins, which are so important to not only one's nerves but the health of one's hair.

Interesting about zinc!