Thinning Hair: Causes & Treatments

[x]   Tags: hair falling out, minoxidil, propecia, natural hair loss, why my hair is falling out, hair in the drain, receding hairline, hair thinning, what to do when hair is falling out : thinning, balding, brush, drain, strands, follicles, clumps, natural, hair tips, health tips, hair myths, haircare advice, shampoo, shower, bath, bathing : Health, Health video, Medical videos, Medical, Video

[x]   Transcript: Our hair will thin out as we age. It's a fact we ALL have to accept. But sometimes thinning hair isn't JUST the result of time marching on. The most COMMON cause of hair loss is male and female pattern hair loss, also known as androgenetic alopecia. People who inherit a sensitivity to the hormone DI-hydro-testosterone-DHT-experience this type of alopecia. DHT slowly SHRINKS the hair follicles until they're too small to grow normal strands. In men, this causes baldness at the crown and receding hairlines. In WOMEN, the first sign will often be a WIDENING part and then gradual thinning all over. A woman's best option for treating androgenetic alopecia is Rogaine, a topical medication with an active ingredient called minoxidil. It's applied directly to the scalp twice daily. Men can use either minoxidil OR propecia, also known as finasteride-propecia is a lower dose of a medication used to treat prostate disease.. and is NOT FDA approved for women. But it is not ALWAYS necessary to use medication to stop your hair from thinning. You may get good results just by changing your styling habits. If you style your hair every day, you MIGHT want to back off a little bit. Excessive blow drying, hair straightening and hair BRUSHING will damage your strands, causing breakage. Dermatologists recommend letting your hair AIR dry. Sometimes your hair will grow back if you simply change your hair care habits. Coloring your hair can also do damage.Besides male and female pattern hair loss, which is an inherited trait, there are other causes of thinning hair. If you're experiencing telogen effluvium, your hair started suddenly falling out about 3 months after the follicles switched from the growing stage to the telogen-or resting-stage. There are a MULTITUDE of physical or emotional stressors that could've triggered this switch.Vitamin deficiencies, EXCESS Vitamin A, weight loss, medications such as blood thinners, antidepressants, isotretinoin, birth control pills and performance enhancing steroids can ALL trigger telogen effluvium. Ask your doctor to evaluate if any of your medications are to blame. Stressful events such as a very bad breakup may also set off this type of hair loss. And finally-and I don't want to scare you-telogen effluvium is also associated with around 30 diseases, including anemia and thyroid disease. That's why it's VERY important to head to the doctor if you're experiencing rapid hair loss. If you're experiencing telogen effluvium, your hair will grow back at the rate of a half inch per month after the stressor is removed.For more hair loss info, check out the other videos in this series!

[x]   Bio: Dr. Hanjani graduated from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 2002. She completed her residency training at the University of Rochester in New York. Dr. Hanjani has clinical interest in hair and hair disorders. She provides education support to dermatology residency program as the Director of the Allen Pavilion Consultation Service. Dr. Hanjani is a Diplomat of the American Board of Dermatology and a Fellow of the American Board of Dermatology. She joined the Department of Dermatology at Columbia in 2006.