Why Am I Losing Hair from My Entire Head?'

Dominic

Question: i have been suffering from heavy hairloss for past 2 years atleast... i had consulted a dermatologist, the doctor its nothing to worry about and also said it might be genetic. but no one in my family has such problem. the doctor prescribed me some pills and 5% minoxydil.. but nothing worked. eventually i gave up on minoxidil. the doc said it might be male pattern baldness but i am loosing hair not only in particular region but entire head. Now i am wondering if i have some deficiency. should i get my blood tested? if so what do i test for?

Answer: Hi, Dominic. It is hard to diagnose your hair loss properly from this description, however, based on what you say it sounds like one of two possible conditions.

If you are experiencing hair loss in the form of diffusely thinning hair from the whole of your scalp, this could be Chronic Telogen Effluvium. This can be triggered by a number of on-going stressors and hormonal imbalances, including being a side effect of medication, a sign of an underlying illness or from constant stress.

Once the underlying cause has been identified and dealt with the hair will generally regrow naturally. Treatment for Chronic Telogen Effluvium is available and can be used in conjunction with a range of hair growth boosters of which Belgravia's Hair Vitalics are especially popular.

If you are genetically predisposed to male pattern baldness, having Chronic Telogen Effluvium can trigger or exacerbate this hereditary condition so you may need to have your treatment course tweaked to take this into consideration as it is possible to have more than one hair loss condition at once.

It is important to follow your treatment course exactly as directed for as long as directed and to check in with your treatment advisor regularly - we recommend quarterly, or more frequently if you feel this is necessary or have any queries - in order to monitor your progress. You mention that you gave up on minoxidil previously and, given this can take between three and six months to produce noticeable results, it is crucial to stick with it and let it do its job.

The other alternative that sounds possible from your description is Alopecia Areata. The difference between this and Chronic Telogen Effluvium is that, whilst CTE presents as gradual thinning of hair from all over the head, Alopecia Areata initially presents as rounded bald patches which can be as small as a coin. It can also spread or affect the entire scalp. Severe cases - Alopecia Totalis and Alopecia Universalis - can cause total hair loss of the head and body respectively.

These are autoimmune conditions often triggered by sudden trauma, shocking the hair follicles into suspension. Whilst high strength minoxidil can be an effective Alopecia Areata treatment, there are no truly reliable treatments for Alopecia Totalis and Alopecia Universalis, although it sounds unlikely that you have either of these more extreme conditions.

It does sound like you need to get a professional diagnosis to establish the true cause of your shedding so we highly recommend you consult a hair loss specialist for a private consultation. It is unlikely a blood test is required, just a visit to a dedicated hair loss clinic which is used to seeing and treating a range of different conditions. However should your consultant confirm that a blood test is necessary, they will be able to provide you with the necessary information.