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Hair Loss due to Poor Diet or Genetics? - Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Question:

Balding is on both sides of my family, more so on my father's side, but not by much. I am only 20 years old, and currently abroad in a college program in Tokyo. My diet, etc., here and the adjustment probably account for the fact that my hair is falling out at an alarming rate. It's been going gradually for about two years, but has become an immediate concern only recently. The hair from the hairline all along the top of the head all the way back to the vertex appears to be thinning consistently, though I can still style it in a way that conceals this. I want to act proactively and receive advice.

Especially being that I am in Japan, what is my best option? I think minoxidil is sold in department stores, but I am not sure, and I want to make the absolute best decision, especially since it is most likely impossible to have a productive meeting with a dermatologist in the next 9 months.

Answer:

Though extreme malnutrition may be one of the causes of telogen effluvium, a diffuse thinning of hair all over the scalp or in the affected areas, your hair loss sounds much more like genetic male pattern baldness. Genetic male balding is progressive and can occur over many years. However, it can become more aggressive at certain points in time and cause rapid thinning. If you already have noticeable thinning, the speed of hair loss may seem amplified since you can see changes happening week by week and month by month.

At your young age, consider medical treatments like Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil). I'm not sure whether or not finasteride is available with or without a prescription in Japan, but wherever you purchase it, be sure it's from a legitimate source. While you are researching Propecia, its benefits, limitations, and potential side effects, you may want to pick up some Rogaine and try it for at least 4 to 6 months. An initial hair shedding is typical (but not definite) the first fiew months you use minoxidil and if considered a sign of the mediation working. The hair follicle underneath the scalp should grow newer and healthier hairs.

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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