What Can Be Done for All-Over Hair Loss?'

Patricia

Question: What can be done for global hair loss?

Answer: Hi, Patricia. When you say 'global hair loss' we are assuming you are referring to hair loss which affects the whole head; there are two likely causes for this.

Telogen Effluvium (TE) causes diffuse thinning from all over the scalp. There are a number of wide-ranging reasons that TE can come on including stress, having a poor or unbalanced diet, certain illnesses and as a side effect of some medications.

It is a temporary condition and the hair should regrow naturally, although treatment is available to help speed up the process which can take up to 12 months. It is important, however, to address the underlying cause of your hair loss as if the trigger remains unaddressed it is possible for the condition to worsen, leading to the longer-term Chronic Telogen Effluvium.

There are two more severe forms of the autoimmune condition Alopecia Areata which can cause hair to fall out in clumps resulting in total baldness of the head. These are Alopecia Totalis and Alopecia Universalis, the latter also causes hair loss from the entire body. If this is what you mean by 'global hair loss' then Alopecia Universalis is the most likely diagnosis although we would recommend you speak to your GP or dermatologist to confirm this as we are only able to treat the mild-to-moderate stages of Alopecia Areata.

There is currently no truly effective treatment for Alopecia Totalis and Alopecia Universalis although various potential products are in clinical trial stages at present. However, there are a number of organisations and hair loss charities offering support which you may find helpful once you have had a professional assessment.