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Treating Female Hair Loss from Excessive Hair Pulling and Styling- Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Question:

I am suffering from female hair loss and want some help deciding on a hair transplant surgeon. I have been tested for thyroid and vitamin deficiencies in the past and all came back normal, but honestly, that was quite some years ago, and I am probably due for new testing. I do believe that my hair loss is contributed to excess styling, pulling and dying. I do not have random bald patches, so its not alopecia areata. My father's side of the family, especially my father and aunt, has considerable thinning hair, so between the excess styling, etc. and a bit of hereditary thinning, I believe it's a combination. I always had fine / thin hair. When I was born my hair was so fine, my mother said when she would put a barrette in my hair it would just fall out. Just talking about this really helps, but I really want to restore my hair.

Answer:

Well you have come to the right place for education and support. I can certainly relate to some degree to what you are going through. Hair loss really impacted my life for some time. And even though hair transplant surgery cannot restore a "full head of hair", I have restored a good portion of my hair with full coverage and decent hair density. Without hair replacement surgery, I'd be completely bald on tope of my head.

Before considering hair restoration surgery, I feel it is important to determine with certainty what causes hair loss in your case. It might be due time for some new and in-depth testing by a dermatologist that can give you a better idea the reason for your balding condition. Though androgenetic alopecia (male and female pattern baldness) is the most common, it is very important for a woman to rule out all other causes.

If you believe excessive styling and pulling is the problem, then you may very likely have traction alopecia. Stopping the hair pulling in most cases may help hair growth continue as normal. Scarring of the scalp from excessive pulling will unfortunately minimize your chance of normal hair regrowth.

By the way, what does your hair loss pattern look like? Are you thinning only in some areas on top of the head or are you thinning everywhere including the sides and back? Does your loss look like any of these on the ludwig scale or norwood scale?

Remember that there are no perfect hair loss solutions, but options to exist to help treat it. Feel free to consult with an elite hair restoration physician who can more thoroughly evaluate you and recommend a treatment that is right for you.

Bill (Falceros) - Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog.
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