female hair loss

[Tracy C]

I can't say that I have much faith in herbal remedies, but why don't you tell me what it is anyways.

I do take Natures Bounty's "Hair, Skin & Nails" multi-vitamin formula. I don't know if it actually helps or not, but it is inexpensive and I figured it can't hurt.

[Tracy C]

Now I feel really silly because the posts I was responding to in my posts above have been deleted.

[angelina22]

This could result in severe baldness so better you could consult to the doctor that would be better for you.

[35YrsAfter]

I am 47 and I have always had thin hair since I was 19 but haven't gone bald. Recently, I started losing more hair and I am afraid I may go bald so started worrying about it. Besides surgery, is there any other way to prevent more hair loss and promote hair growth?
Please let me know. I hope to get a response.

The following is from a *.PDF document we provide to women considering hair transplant surgery:

There is a strong chance that women with hair loss have a deficiency of some kind that may be helped through nutrition or supplements. In some cases these women can be helped before menopause through other means. Such things as low iron and hormones may be causing their hair loss.
1. Before we consult with female patients, they must show documentation and test results that they have seen a nutritionist, an endocrinologist, and hormone and thyroid levels should be fine. They will also need a referral for a hair transplant from their physician.
2. Hair loss in women is a specialized category. One must first check for anemia, excessive male hormones, thyroid function, rheumatoid diseases, and other medical problems. I like to know if a woman has facial hair, do they have children, have they gained weight, lost weight, do they have a rash, joint problems?
3. We always consider a hyper-active thyroid, a hypo-active thyroid, anemia, and hormonal issues. Usually we do not find them. If you have children, this suggests normal hormones, but we still look for a hyper androgen state such as over active adrenal glands. Tests we request include a hemoglobin to check for anemia, a T4 and TSH to check the thyroid, and then we look for male features such as facial hair. If there is some, Dehydroepiandrosterone needs to be checked.
4. Often to we request female patients to have 2 biopsies done. It is very important to have a dermatopathologist read the biopsies. You must do two 4mm biopsies and they must have some hair in them. If there is no hair, only skin, then the biopsies will not tell us anything. Therefore, the person who takes the biopsy must know what they are doing and the person who reads the biopsy must know what they are doing.
5. We look at the pattern of hair loss. If it mimics a man's loss, male hormone levels need to be checked. Usually it resembles a female pattern. This means you have a normal frontal hair line with loss behind it. Loss in the crown or vertex is a much later problem in women typically.
6. The donor area density is critical. We must look at the density over the ears and the back of the head. Many times women loose hair all over including the normal donor area. When this occurs, we have less to work with and at times hair transplants are contra-indicated.
7. The tests required are as follows: Hormone levels (DHEAS, Testosterone, Androstenedione, Prolactin, Follicular Stimulating Hormone, and Leutinizing Hormone) Serum Iron, Serum Ferritin, TIBC (Total Iron Binding capacity)
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) VDRL Complete Blood Count (CBC)
Clinical History:
Are you on any medications? If so, what?
How long has this problem been occurring?
Is the hair falling out fully intact, or is it breaking?
Family history of diabetes, asthma, arthritis, lupus, vitiligo, anemia, or Addison's disease?
Have you recently given birth, or gone through menopause?

35YrsAfter also posts as CITNews and works at Dr. Cole's office - forhair.com - Cole Hair Transplant 1070 Powers Place Alpharetta, Georgia 30009 - Phone 678-566-1011 - email 35YrsAfter at chuck@forhair.com
The contents of my posts are my opinions and not medical advice. Please feel free to call or email me with any questions. Ask for Chuck

[Aphrodite]

Female hair loss has more recently become a topic of great interest among hair restoration specialists. Scalp dermascopy is recognized as an invaluable tool for diagnosing and distinguishing the different types of alopecias. Physicians often use HairCheck and cross-section hair bundle measurements to track patient progress on therapy. While only two products have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of alopecia in women, several off-label treatments have shown success in treating female pattern hair loss (FPHL). Topical minoxidil and low level laser therapy remain the two FDA approved treatments. 60% of women suffering from FPHL have been treated successfully with topical minoxidil solution in 2% and 5% strengths. One thing that makes this treatment so appealing is its availability without a prescription, making it easily accessible. Low level laser therapy (LLLT) has also shown great success in a recent multicenter, double-blind, randomized study. LLLT was shown to provide statistically significant increases in hair density compared to the sham device at the end of the 26-week study. Other treatments, including spironolactone, a potassium sparing diuretic and aldosterone antagonist, some birth controls like Yaz and Yasmin, even Finasteride are some off-label treatments that have had positive results in treating alopecia in women. Ketoconazole 2% shampoo is an antifungal shampoo that when used in combination with topical minoxidil has greatly improved hair density compared to just minoxidil use alone. Often, patients respond well to combination therapy. According to a recent article written by Dr. Bernard Nusbaum, tackling inflammation, an underlying feature of hair loss, may also be beneficial in treating FPHL. For example, he mentioned compounding a topical corticosteroid and minoxidil formula. When used together, they may provide more favorable outcomes. Adding on LLLT in addition to the topical regimen could improve the results as well. FPHL patients should be treated on a patient-by-patient basis. Not everyone will respond the same way or be open to the same treatments. Tracking patient progress using HairCheck is crucial. Frequently, patients do not believe treatments are working, however, when they can look at old photos and compare the progress, patient satisfaction is significantly enhanced, and this is the ultimate goal.

Aphrodite also posts as rapunzel and works at Dr. Cole's office - forhair.com - Cole Hair Transplant - 1070 Powers Place Alpharetta, Georgia 30009 - Phone 678-566-1011.
* The contents of my posts are my opinions and not medical advice.

[RobertoMcGurk]

Growth of hair is different fro every individual, there is no gurantee that you prevent your hair from loosing but you can use some precautions and steps to stop hair loss, females are suffering from hair loss but they are not having the problem of baldness, to stop hair fall you can use the coconut as it is best for hair, be careful while doing any hairstyle, wash your hair 2-3 times in a week, avoid brusing on wet hair, be aware of using different protein enhanced shampoo and conditioner they will not stop your hair from falling, eat healthy food add few things in your daily routine like Iron, Protein, Vitamin, Omega-3, Zinc etc, take a coplete sleep of 7 to 8 hours. By applying the above you may stop your hair from falling.

[dimpy3157]

There are two ways to stop hair loss problem
Herbal treatment
Medical Treatment
Herbal treatment : Use can use herbal shampoo, oil, conditioner, drink lots of water etc . You can use shikakai as herbal shampoo and coconut oil for hair massage
Medical Treatment: Hair transplant is based on medical treatment. Which is divided into two part. FUE and FUT.

[Tara101]

Yes. Herbal treatment and medical treatments are two available options. Herbal treatments take time to show results while medical treatments gives you instant result. One can opt for herbal treatment and can use hair systems like wigs, or hair volumizing products, hair thickeners till herbal treatment start to show some improvements.

[BarbaraCory]

I think you should use some herbal supplement to cure your hair loss naturally. One of the best supplement for hair is royal jelly, which contains protein and vitamins essential of hair growth. I am also using royal jelly and it improved my hair. You can directly apply it to your scalp or can take as a supplement.

[ashleysummer]

it was really useful!