Hormonal Hair Loss vs Pattern Hair Thinning, Birth Control and Medications
I have been requested to do an article on hormonal hair loss. This is quite complex as there are a few different causes here and common misconception. Let’s get started with what hair loss is. Hair loss is physical hair loss when more than normal hair is falling out. Normal daily hair loss is 70-160 strands and is part of a healthy hair cycle. Diffuse hair loss meaning scattered all over the scalp hair loss, when triggered by changes can result in 200-300 hairs lost per day, but generally collected on the hair washing day.
This type of diffuse hair loss, also called telogen effluvium, happens three months after the change in the body, which can be from starting, changing, and stopping birth control which have a hormonal impact on the body. Other medications used to manage hormones of the Endocrine System can also have the same impact on the hair cycle, these can relate to thyroid and diabetes. In addition, any medication that makes a significant change in your body, such as antibiotics, antidepressants, can indeed disturb the hair cycle. If these medications are required to assist managing a health concern, we can help you to prepare for the hair loss, even avoid the hair loss, and if you find us once you are already experiencing the hair loss, we cannot stop it, but we can check all your other healthy markers to make sure everything is on track for the hair loss to stop and for the hair to regrow normally, where possible.
Once the hair loss has started, it will continue for three months, so we have to be honest and prepare you for that. We can help by making sure things like your iron, ferritin, Vitamin D and B12 are all in the right levels for the hair loss to stop and for the hair to regrow. Naturally it can take up to 12 months for the hair to regrow, so we can assist to bring the hair back into the growing cycle sooner if you want help with hair regrowth after 4 months.
The misconception here is the huge difference between physical hair loss and pattern hair thinning. Female pattern hair thinning and male pattern hair thinning, are a gradual miniaturisation of the hair, only in the pattern thinning areas which are the recessions, front, top and crown of scalp. Pattern hair thinning is NOT physical hair loss and is not diffuse.
When experiencing physical hair loss, you will notice your natural hair line at the front is thinning as it is the thinnest part of hair on most heads. The hair line also has recessions, we all have them, and baby hairs there, so it is easy to think your hair loss is only happening in this area, but that is not the case. It is easy to think your hair loss is pattern hair thinning based on the online information you may see; this is because they group all types of hair thinning and hair loss into one word ‘Hair Loss’. The key to the right treatment for you is understanding if you have physical hair loss or pattern hair thinning, then you can also have diffuse hair thinning and other types of alopecia, which we will discuss in separate articles. For information on our recommended hair loss treatment GRN and how it could work for you to help with hair loss, hair regrowth and pattern hair thinning, email Absolique Trichologist at ua.mo1787440309c.euq1787440309ilosb1787440309a@ofn1787440309i1787440309. Trichology services are available online and in clinic Brisbane Australia.
Copyright © 2021 Absolique Hair Health Clinic. All Rights Reserved