"I Am Losing My Hair"

By Sharleen St. Surin-Lord, MD

Visage Dermatology and Aesthetic Center

. http://www.visagederm.com/

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"I Am Losing My Hair"

So, why are you losing your hair? There are so many reasons why you could be losing your hair hormonal changes (menopause, medications), anemia, thyroid disease, stress (physical stress, mental stress, childbirth, surgery, tragedy), medications, chemotherapy, an overactive immune system (thyroid, lupus), and age (female-pattern and male-pattern hair loss).

“My hair is as important to me as a limb.” Please remember that you are more than your hair, and that your hair is not the only thing that makes you beautiful. However, if you have been taught that your hair is your crowning glory, how are you to feel when you begin to lose it? “I am not my hair. I am not this skin. I am the soul that lives within.” India Arie's lyrics are true. If you feel that your hair loss is changing your definition of self, it's okay. Your hair is a part of your body. Hair styles are a part of our identity. They are how we express our creativity, and they make a statement to the world about how proud we are, how glamorous we feel, and how bold we can be. To some people “it's just hair” and that is okay too.

If your hair is affecting the way that you feel about yourself, then do something about it. Visit a dermatologist who can determine whether you have a scarring hair loss or a non-scarring hair loss. This may require a scalp biopsy, where after numbing the skin, a small piece of skin is removed and sent to the lab for examination. Non-scarring hair loss includes alopecia areata (round, bald patches), telogen effluvium (stress hair loss), and female pattern as well as male pattern baldness. With these types of hair loss, you have a great chance of getting your hair back. These can be treated with topical medications, nutraceuticals (oral nutrients with pharmaceutical effects), and even with procedures such as platelet rich plasma (PRP).

“They told me there was nothing they could do”. So, what do you do when a physician tells you that there is nothing that can be done about your hair loss? This normally means that you may have a scarring hair loss, what we call a cicatricial alopecia. Inflammation of the scalp causes scarring. A scar destroys everything in its path including hair follicles, and once a hair follicle is destroyed, no hair can grow from it. At this point, treatment options are geared at helping you keep the hair you have and preventing the inflammation from spreading.

Get informed by asking what type of hair loss you have. Ask what types of treatments are available to you at this stage. If you don't like the answer you are given or if you need more re-assurance, it is okay to get a second opinion.

If you are a black woman or man and you have hair loss at the crown of your scalp accompanied by soreness, intense itching, or shedding, or just hair breaking at the scalp crown, it is important to visit a dermatologist early. Those are signs of central centrifugal, cicatricial alopecia (CCCA), which is a scarring hair loss predominantly affecting black women and men. Teenagers with CCCA have also been treated. Early intervention with cortisone injections (it is not as bad as it sounds), and topical steroids to the scalp, can prevent further hair loss and even allow your hair to re-grow. Nutraceuticals and PRP can also complement these treatments.

If you or a loved one are experiencing hair loss, it is important to seek the advice of a dermatologist, and the earlier you do this, the better. Don't just “throw in the towel.” Hair loss is real. It is complicated. It can make you cry, but it can be treated.