How Can I Treat Female Pattern Hair Loss and Diffuse Thinning?'

Filipa

Question: Hi, my name is Filipa and I am 36 years old. I have been diagnosed with Female Pattern Hair Loss two and half years ago and since then my therapeutic was high strength minoxidil (5mg/dl) once a day, Saw Palmetto (320mg/day), hair supplement (Anacaps) and a booster hair lotion as well. However, I need Belgravia clarification, I keep losing hair constantly.

As well as Female Pattern Hair Loss I also have Chronic Telogen Effluvium. I had no emotional or diet triggers, and my GP explored all analytical markers, iron, thyroid issues, vitamin D, etc., and everything was normal. What should I do? I am feeling quite desperate since I never fail the treatment. Please Belgravia, give me some guidance.

Answer: Hi, Filipa. As you have permanent genetic hair loss your hair should shed from the top of the scalp only, however, the Chronic Telogen Effluvium causes thinning from all over the scalp. This in turn makes the Female Pattern Hair Loss appear worse. When you first start using minoxidil the shedding can be worse for a short period of time but your doctor should have explained this to you so we will assume that this is not the case here.

Although you say you have no emotional triggers, you do mention that you are feeling quite desperate about your hair loss and this could be key.

Stress is a well known cause of hair thinning and can influence both Female Pattern Hair Loss as well as diffuse thinning or Chronic Telogen Effluvium. It could be that you have discounted this type of day-to-day anxiety despite its potential to cause excessive shedding from each of the hair loss conditions you say you have been diagnosed with. Many of us live such busy and stressful lives these days that it can be easy to accept this as 'normal'. Stress can be physical as well as emotional and it is widely accepted that this can speed up the rate at which the hair sheds. As you note that your GP has already tested you for underlying health issues and dietary deficiencies, this is definitely worth considering.

Are you getting enough sleep on a regular basis? Sleep deprivation - or even just getting less than the recommended seven to nine hours per night - can have a knock on effect on the body. It is a form of stress that many people suffer from yet turn a blind eye to, but regularly getting enough sleep is part of living a healthy and balanced lifestyle and any frequent or long-term blips can show in your hair.

Click to View Belgravia's Chronic Telogen Effluvium Female Pattern Hair Loss Treatment Success Stories

If you are sure there is no stress involved, and assuming that you are using your treatments exactly as instructed, it may be worth switching your treatment products to ensure that you are using the most effective components for your thinning hair.

As you are not one of our clients we cannot comment on the medication and supplements you are using other than to say that you may benefit from a different formulation of high strength minoxidil. At Belgravia we offer clients a number of different formulations via our in-clinic pharmacies and provide them with recommendations for additional hair growth boosters which can help to maximise results. These include a number of approaches such as clinical therapies and home-use LLLT.

As you are looking to treat two hair loss conditions simultaneously we would highly recommend having a consultation so that one of our specialists can give you personalised recommendations for the most appropriate hair loss treatment course components based on your pattern and level of shedding. They can also flag any other concerns and offer advice as to what may be contributing to your shedding.