Hair Loss

Walk down the aisle of your local pharmacy store, and you will see hair loss shampoos, hair loss treatments for black hair, a hair loss shampoo and conditioner mix, products for afro-American hair loss, and even a hair loss reversal kit that involves a tincture to use in the evening, a specially heated cap, and a tincture to use in the morning. Walk further down the aisle and you will even see products to stop hair loss in dogs, especially show dogs. One may say that as a society there appears to be a certain preoccupation with the tresses, but when push comes to shove, hair loss is an unsightly symptom and many a patient would like to see this symptom treated alongside the ailment it signifies. Rather than relying on the late night infomercial or the claims of the latest round of SPAM emails you received, here are some tried and true answers for hair loss and its treatment.

Birth control and hair loss have been linked in a number of studies. Certain birth control pills are worse than others, and if you notice that your hair is thinning after going on the pill, it is imperative that you will contact the prescribing doctor immediately. Usually the hair loss will take a little while to be noticed, so do not be discouraged if it will also take a little while to notice its reversal. Generally speaking, if your use of a birth control pill or patch causes hair loss, there are other formulas for those devices out there and a different pill may fix the problem.

Rarely discussed with doctors and never brought up in polite company is pubic hair loss. While it is unclear why this form of hair loss is so seldom discussed, the facts state that pubic hair may be shed in response to telogen effluvium, alopecia areata or lupus. Treatment of the illnesses themselves will oftentimes stop hair loss in the pubic area and allow the follicles to re-grow the hair. If this is not the case after the hair loss is stopped, minoxidil may be applied to this area to stimulate follicular health.

Thyroid hair loss is related to an ailment of the thyroid, usually a low secretion of hormones, and even if your thyroid is treated, the hair loss news is not good; you will need to apply a re-growth product in order to encourage the hair to once again grow. Medications are also often associated with the loss of hair. For some who control their seizures using Topamax, hair loss has become a noted side effect. To some teens that have not been able to treat severe acne with anything but Accutane, hair loss is often the lesser of two evils. Whether you wish to stop hair loss from birth control pills or other meds, talking to your physician before stopping to take the medication is imperative. Another complaint is hair loss after pregnancy and also hair loss due to dye color. Fortunately, these two instances will usually not require intervention but instead over time fix themselves.