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Category Archive for Diseases

 

Hair Regrew After Chemo, Then Fell Out Again

I hope you can help me…I finished chemo about 15months ago & my hair did start to grow back, a little thinner but at least it was growing..in the last 2 to 3 months it’s started to fall out again, not clumps but a few strands at a time, mainly on the top & very noticeable. I have been using Nioxin shampoo & conditioner for the last month but nothing seems to be happening…have you heard of this before??? Please can you help me.

I would need to see you and learn what kind of cancer was being treated, what medications you were taking, what medications are you now taking, etc. Your best answer to the question you posed is to have a deep conversation with you oncologist. Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful, but I’m afraid you gave me no information to work with.

 

Vitamin D and Alopecia Areata

Hi Doc,
I am wondering if there any current links between supplementation of Vitamin D and potential hair issues. I am looking to try to minimize my acne and supplement with 2000 IU Vitamin D daily.

I also found an old study dating to 1937 entitled “Vitamin D in Acne” [PDF file]. In the study, I noticed a mention that “Three patients with alopecia areata grew their hair without other treatment” except supplementation with Viosterol (pre-Vitamin D). Is this method ever used today to ever treat hair disorders??

Thanks

The thing about alopecia areata is that even with NO treatment, the hairs usually grow back in a substantial number of patients, so I really cannot comment on the 3 patients that grew their hair back.

I do not know of any vitamin or pre-vitamin treatments for hair loss that works, and I suspect that in the 74 years since that study was conducted, if there was some actual evidence that it worked, it would be a common treatment by now.

 

Hair Loss After Complications from Stem Cell Transplant

I had an allo stem cell transplant in 2007 for lymphoma and had graft versus host disease(GVHD) of the skin amongst other things. GVHD attacked my hair follicles all over my body and scalp while sparing some areas on the scalp with a non uniform (male balding) pattern. I have to constantly shave my head as if i let it grow; its very weird the places the hair grow. Is there any hope for me regrowing my very full and thick head of hair?

I would want to examine you, but GVHD can produce permanent partial hair loss.

So the question then is whether the balding spots support a transplanted hair graft. FUE placed into the affected area will address that issue. If the test transplant works, then the analysis of supply vs need of hair can be analyzed. The use of transplants in a test area (10 grafts harvested with FUE) will tell much about the spontaneous reversibility of the process and the existence of a scarring alopecia in the impacted areas.

 

Rogaine and Diabetes?

I would like to know if rogaine (5%) is contraindicated for use in type 2 diabetics, if so then why? thank you in advance.

(BTW the site is very well done, nice to see doctors who are in touch with technology.)

Rogaine (minoxidil) is not contraindicated for diabetics. Rogaine is for hair growth and has nothing to do with insulin production or diabetes.

Always check with your doctor before starting or stopping any medication as BaldingBlog is not a source for personal medical information or recommendations.

 

Is There Anything a Woman Can Do for Alopecia Universalis?

i am a 62year old african american and i have universal alopecia. I am a female i was wondering if there is anything out there that could grow my hair back or could i get a hair transplant. I haven’t tried anything for it, i only wear wigs.

For men, I might recommend scalp micro-pigmentation (SMP), as this can give the appearance of a closely cropped traditionally male hairstyle… but for women, unless this type of style is an option for you, I wouldn’t recommend it. There is unfortunately nothing available (aside from wigs) today. You couldn’t get a hair transplant, as you have no hair to move.

 

Lichen Planopilaris Scarring

I am 52 years old and have been diagnosed with Lichen Planopilaris.

I have been shaving my head since 1997 so the baldness caused by this condition is not an issue…what is an issue is the scarring left behind by the disease. Is there any way to remove the redish purple scarring?

Generally, scarring on the skin is relatively permanent. I don’t recall seeing patients with lichen planopilaris in my practice, so I really couldn’t comment based on experience. I would consult with a dermatologist for possible treatments. Sorry.

 

Hair Loss and Hashimoto’s Disease

(female)
in 2007 my thyroid gland was removed due to Hashimoto. ever since i suffer severe hairloss. take Euthyrox 150 and Tertroxin 30. TSH/T4/T3 normal. normal estrogin, low Progesterone. Iron normal. take lots of vitamins and amino’s. lost eyelashes below as well.

It has not been unusual to see women who have had hair loss associated with a variety of thyroid diseases, not return to their normal state, even after treatment and cure of the thyroid problem. These diseases may have induced genetic female balding as the cause of the hair loss. I just can’t be sure.

Have you followed up with your physician, who has a better knowledge of your case and treatment history?

 

In the News - Early Hair Loss = Higher Prostate Cancer Risk?

Snippet from the article:

Men with prostate cancer may be twice as likely to have started showing signs of male pattern baldness at the age of 20 than those without prostate cancer, a new French study suggests.

Men who start losing their hair in their 30s or 40s do not appear to face a similar boost in prostate cancer risk. And those whose hair loss starts in their 20s do not face a higher risk of developing the cancer at an early age or of developing more aggressive tumors, the research team noted.

Whether or not men who experience youthful hair loss may benefit from prostate cancer screening is yet to be determined, the study authors added.

Read the full story — Could Hair Loss at 20 Signal Higher Prostate Cancer Risk?

Researchers say it is too early to conclude that hair loss and prostate cancer are definitively linked, but they do point out that of the 388 men with prostate cancer enrolled in the study, statistics showed any form of hair loss at age 20 was linked to a doubling of prostate cancer risk.

 

Plagiocephaly and Hair Transplants?

I have plagiocephaly and feel very uncomfortable with my head ever since I started to bald. I feel that since it has bothered me more with my balding, is hair transplantation a good solution?

Flatened headFor those that aren’t familiar with plagiocephaly, it is when the skull is misshapened and flat. This usually occurs when a baby spends too much time laying on his/her back in one position.

As you’re aware, this condition can be hidden by good hair styles… so a hair transplant is an excellent approach to your problem. Whether or not you’re a candidate, I couldn’t say without an examination. But generally speaking, transplantation should help you become more comfortable with your appearance.

 

Hair Transplant for Woman with Central Centrifugal Cicatrical Alopecia?

I am a 24 year old African American female who was just diagnosed with CCCA on yesterday. I have no idea what it is that I can do other than take the steroids that were prescribed in order to slow down the progression of the condition. Would I not be a candidate for hair transplantation or a scalp reduction?

If you were just diagnosed with central centrifugal cicatrical alopecia (CCCA) and didn’t get your questions answered by your doctor, you can find a lot more information at the Ciicatricial Alopecia Research Foundation site.

It’s possible steroid treatment would help, because steroids can alleviate the inflammatory reaction associated with CCCA… but there’s no specific cure. Hair transplants are not recommended for patients with CCCA.