How Do I Treat My Hair Loss Following a Keratin Treatment?

Name: Aman

Question: I have had a keratin treatment done. Biggest mistake. From.thick wavy hair, my hair is super fine, limp and falling from the root.

I have been to 3 dermatologists and all say it’s telagen efluvium. It has reached a point where the doctor has put me on Propecia (I’m male). I have changed my shampoo to phyto, and clarify once a week.

I am extremely depressed so much so that I have stopped eating much and cannot concentrate at work. I have been for blood tests etc. everything seems fine.

Please please can somebody give me some advice. Has anybody recovered from hairloss after a keratin treatment? I see a lot of ppl posting online about their hairloss post keratin treatment but nobody posts their recovery. I had the keratin done about a month and a half ago. Please help me somebody.

Answer: Hi Aman. Allergic Telogen Effluvium can sometimes occur after a chemical hair treatment, this may be the cause of your hair loss after a keratin treatment.

If you have been diagnosed with just Telogen Effluvium then your hair should regrow naturally in three to six months. However, this time-frame is based on the assumption that any potential underlying causes of your hair loss condition have been addressed; this means not only avoiding more keratin treatments but also dealing with your depression and the negative effects it is having on your diet as these can both cause or exacerbate existing hair loss.

In addition to the Telogen Effluvium, if you also had even the beginnings of Male Pattern Hair Loss before this episode, or are starting to display any of the tell-tale signs now, you may notice that your hair is thinner for six to twelve months following the trigger incident. We mention this as you say you have been prescribed Propecia which is one of the brand names for finasteride 1mg; this is one of the two main treatments for male pattern hair loss. This is not used in the treatment of Telogen Effluvium.

Topical treatment for Telogen Effluvium may help to speed up the regrowth process by boosting your hair out of its resting (Telogen) phase, back into the 'Anagen' growth phase. There are also medically-proven male pattern hair loss treatments available which can help to regrow hair or prevent baldness in those with a genetic predisposition. Hair growth supporting products may also be beneficial, particularly the Hair Vitalics nutritional supplements given you mention your diet is suffering due to the anxiety this incident is causing you, though these are not a replacement for a balanced diet.

We would recommend you visit a hair loss specialist who will be able to diagnose the precise cause, or causes, or your shedding and advise you as to the most effective course of treatment, should you wish to take proactive steps. If you are not based in London, or the UK, you can complete our Online Consultation, where you can upload images as well as providing us with more background information so that our experts can assist you and provide a tailored home-use treatment plan.