female hair loss, tx plan, ideas?

[Susan in Indiana]

Hi all,

 

I'd love some input... am I forgetting anything?

 

I have hit that 1/2 a century mark and am having hideous frontal thinning. I got a shock the other day when i used a bathroom with a large window..... and with good side lighting

I was appalled by how much worse my thinning

has gotten.

 

I have been using nizoral, & msm, (may start biotin, i'm not sure)and just started saw palmetto.

 

I used rogaine once in the past but never got results from it until I started using emu oil with saw palmetto in it.. and that was just too

greasy to keep up and I didn't like the idea of

having to use rogaine forever to keep the new

hair from falling out. (now I wish I had kept that up!)

 

well, now, I'll do anything! to keep my hair and of course, I'd love to have some back.

I restarted rogaine today.

 

I recently got a script for spironolactone and was going to do oral spiro but I'm not a pill person and would prefer to do a topical so if i can figure out a good easy way to do that, I"ll

do that. Otherwise I'll try to work up to

100 mg twice daily (there is some research showing regrowth at 200 mg daily in women).

 

I'm normally a use one product at a time person so i can know what is working/not working, but right now, I am in a "throw everything and the kitchen sink at it" mode because this hair loss is really awful.

 

I am not adverse to using drugs off label.

 

the only other thing I can think of is the laser comb.

 

any suggestions?

 

Susan

I want my mind and my hair back!! this getting older is not for sissies!

[Susan in Indiana]

Hi all,

 

I'd love some input... am I forgetting anything?

 

I have hit that 1/2 a century mark and am having hideous frontal thinning. I got a shock the other day when i used a bathroom with a large window..... and with good side lighting

I was appalled by how much worse my thinning

has gotten.

 

I have been using nizoral, & msm, (may start biotin, i'm not sure)and just started saw palmetto.

 

I used rogaine once in the past but never got results from it until I started using emu oil with saw palmetto in it.. and that was just too

greasy to keep up and I didn't like the idea of

having to use rogaine forever to keep the new

hair from falling out. (now I wish I had kept that up!)

 

well, now, I'll do anything! to keep my hair and of course, I'd love to have some back.

I restarted rogaine today.

 

I recently got a script for spironolactone and was going to do oral spiro but I'm not a pill person and would prefer to do a topical so if i can figure out a good easy way to do that, I"ll

do that. Otherwise I'll try to work up to

100 mg twice daily (there is some research showing regrowth at 200 mg daily in women).

 

I'm normally a use one product at a time person so i can know what is working/not working, but right now, I am in a "throw everything and the kitchen sink at it" mode because this hair loss is really awful.

 

I am not adverse to using drugs off label.

 

the only other thing I can think of is the laser comb.

 

any suggestions?

 

Susan

I want my mind and my hair back!! this getting older is not for sissies!

[Mrs Hair]

Hey Susun..

 

It sure is frustrating.I'am 27 and started losing my hair pretty early.It was'nt that noticible for others but you know how women get at times.Hair started thinning over the top part and got worse.Finally I dcided on a hair transplant.I am one month post up and so all wud say the ugly duckling stage.Hoping to get thrugh this phase ASAP.I was using rogaine for over two yrs but that did'nt help a lot.

[Mrs Hair]

heard mixed reviews abt the laser comb!!

[Susan in Indiana]

You have my empathy! Starting to lose your hair at 27 would be awful. I hope your "ugly duckling" phase passes very soon!

 

Susan

[Bill - Seemiller]

Susan in Indiana,

 

Welcome to our forum community.

 

The first thing to do is to find out the cause of your hair loss condition. The best way to do this is to consult with a dermatologist or hair restoration specialist.

 

From the sounds of it, you are losing hair from the hairline area only? Are you experiencing extensive shedding? Has the hair loss become noticeable as in a thinner appearance?

 

Hereditary hair loss is the most common type of hair loss for men and women. It is genetically linked to either side, mother's or father's and men and women (not just women). Rapid hair shedding in certain areas can indicate genetic hair loss but loss of hair is typically more gradual overtime in a particular pattern such as the Norwood scale or ludwig scale. Diffuse pattern baldness (hair loss all over the top of the scalp) can also occur.

 

There are other forms of hair loss not genetically related including: Diffuse Alopecia such as telogen effluvium (characterized by hair loss all over the entire scalp). This is not a genetic type of loss and can be caused by things such as

 

"?? Hormonal changes in the body (thyroid disorders)

"?? Pregnancy or shortly thereafter

"?? Certain medications (anticoagulants - blood thinning drugs)

"?? Scalp dermatitis or other inflammation of the scalp

"?? Severe infections such as pneumonia

"?? Traumatic Stress (physical or emotional)

"?? Iron deficiency

 

Typically treating the condition causing the hair loss will reverse this hair loss process. In most cases, the majority of lost hair returns.

 

Other types of hair loss exist such as traction alopecia (loss in the frontal zone caused by extensive hair pulling and stress on the scalp) and Alopecia Areata (bald spots in random areas of the scalp).

 

Genetic hair loss for women can be treated with minoxidil. However, to date there is no hair loss cure and reasonable expectations must be developed. Though Rogaine typically works better for the crown, it is possible that it might have some benefit for the hairline. Hair transplantation is also a viable option for some candidates. Education, research, and choosing the right hair restoration physician is vital to ensure a successful and natural looking hair transplant.

 

Nizoral or Revita shampoo which contain active ingredient ketoconazole has also been indicated as a weak dihydrotestosterone (DHT) inhibitor - the hormone responsible for genetic hair loss and may be worth a try as an adjunct hair loss treatment.

 

Laser therapy has been heavily debated on our hair restoration forum, but many well respected physicians believe that it may have some benefit to increase overall hair quality. Lasers supposedly work by increasing circulation and adding nutrients to the scalp causing cellular metabolic changes. These cellular changes are said to rejuvenate hair follicles promoting healthy hair growth. Whether or not this does anything to stop female or male pattern baldness however, is debated amongst physicians. Results also seem to vary from patient to patient. I have been in touch with Dr. Williams who intends to send me some before/after photos using solely laser therapy. He believes the primary benefit is overall increased hair shaft diamater to weakened hairs.

 

As I said, determining the cause of your hair loss condition is vital in order to determine the proper hair loss treatment.

 

I hope this helps get you started.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[Smoothy]

Susan,

Fal addresses it pretty much in detail. Women and men although not talked about much, experience huge hormone changes and different HRT drugs act different with each person--much like birth control pills. I would consult both a dermatologists and your OBGYN. Also a nutrienist might be able to access your daily minerial intake and offer suggestions on your diet. Make sure you are getting enough folic acid and fatty acids (Omega fish ect). In addition, women need more protien in there shampoos than men-- so make sure your shampoo has a protien treatment once a week.

With HT, more and more women are having HT. I would suggest going to one who has experient with women.

Best of luck.

SMOOTHY

Shapiro

Propecia/Rogaine xtra

MSM/Saw Palmetto

Nioxin Shampoo

Zrii 3oz daily