Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Suggest Treatment For Severe Hair Fall
Question: Dear Dr,
Recently when I shampoo , I notice slightly more than usual amount of hair coming out when I rinse and a little more when conditioning .. Is about 30 to 40 strands.. Some days slightly more and less. I recently moved house and the tiles are white and therefore easier to notice. I'm not sure if it's the beginning of hair loss.
When I wake up in the morning , there were about 10 strands of hair on my pillow. Yet again , I'm unsure because i started noticing them or they had been like this all the while. But I'm pretty sure hair on pillow is very seldom even if there is a few strands at most.
My family had no hair loss history not even thinning ... My father is 65 and his hair is thick and full.
I'm having some emotional stress past few days.do u think the amount of hair coming out (as I describe on earlier) due to emotion? I was told if caused by emotions it wil usually be fast and in chunks ..
What can I do to prevent it from worsening?
Do you think I'm beginning to loss hair ?
What can I do now?
Recently when I shampoo , I notice slightly more than usual amount of hair coming out when I rinse and a little more when conditioning .. Is about 30 to 40 strands.. Some days slightly more and less. I recently moved house and the tiles are white and therefore easier to notice. I'm not sure if it's the beginning of hair loss.
When I wake up in the morning , there were about 10 strands of hair on my pillow. Yet again , I'm unsure because i started noticing them or they had been like this all the while. But I'm pretty sure hair on pillow is very seldom even if there is a few strands at most.
My family had no hair loss history not even thinning ... My father is 65 and his hair is thick and full.
I'm having some emotional stress past few days.do u think the amount of hair coming out (as I describe on earlier) due to emotion? I was told if caused by emotions it wil usually be fast and in chunks ..
What can I do to prevent it from worsening?
Do you think I'm beginning to loss hair ?
What can I do now?
Brief Answer:
Kindly elaborate certain points.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome and thanks for posting your query to the forum.
I can understand your concern for hair fall and dandruff. In view to help you best kindly elaborate about the problem of both hair fall and dandruff so that I can help you better.
It would be better if you can elaborate certain points about:
- Since exactly how many days or weeks you are experiencing hair fall.
- Any illness in last 6 months.
- Is there any dandruff present. If yes then as mild flakes or heaps of flakes on the scalp.
- Is there any itching on the scalp. If yes then is it- mild/moderate/severe.
- Your dietary status - any substance abuse like alcohol or smoking
-Your occupation and daily routine with dietary routine.
Hope to hear soon form your side.
Regards,
Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia
MD (Dermatology)
Kindly elaborate certain points.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome and thanks for posting your query to the forum.
I can understand your concern for hair fall and dandruff. In view to help you best kindly elaborate about the problem of both hair fall and dandruff so that I can help you better.
It would be better if you can elaborate certain points about:
- Since exactly how many days or weeks you are experiencing hair fall.
- Any illness in last 6 months.
- Is there any dandruff present. If yes then as mild flakes or heaps of flakes on the scalp.
- Is there any itching on the scalp. If yes then is it- mild/moderate/severe.
- Your dietary status - any substance abuse like alcohol or smoking
-Your occupation and daily routine with dietary routine.
Hope to hear soon form your side.
Regards,
Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia
MD (Dermatology)
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Dear dr thks for your prompt reply.
I noticed the changes about one week ago when I moved house
There were no illness in the past 6 months
I got my wife to check my scalp they were clean and looked normal
No itching of scalp. Last few days I used anti dandruff shampoo it was pretty dry and I woke up in the night to scratch a little
I neither smoke nor drink at all
I'm on long break and my job starts again in next 3 months.
Last month I was having family problems and I had a hard time handling people relation. I broke down several times becos of huge differences with my mum. However I felt manageable and ok emotionally though.
I eat healthy ... Fruits n veges. Except sleeping late at nite about 2am, which had been a habit for many years...I got full 8 hrs of sleep or more most of the time .. However I always had lotsa dreams when I sleep. All sorts of dreams but no nightmares. Feeling tired after sleeping a lot. I swim once in a while.
My wife thinks everything looked normal. I'm worried is the slow beginning of hair dropping.
Family no history at all..
What can I do?
I noticed the changes about one week ago when I moved house
There were no illness in the past 6 months
I got my wife to check my scalp they were clean and looked normal
No itching of scalp. Last few days I used anti dandruff shampoo it was pretty dry and I woke up in the night to scratch a little
I neither smoke nor drink at all
I'm on long break and my job starts again in next 3 months.
Last month I was having family problems and I had a hard time handling people relation. I broke down several times becos of huge differences with my mum. However I felt manageable and ok emotionally though.
I eat healthy ... Fruits n veges. Except sleeping late at nite about 2am, which had been a habit for many years...I got full 8 hrs of sleep or more most of the time .. However I always had lotsa dreams when I sleep. All sorts of dreams but no nightmares. Feeling tired after sleeping a lot. I swim once in a while.
My wife thinks everything looked normal. I'm worried is the slow beginning of hair dropping.
Family no history at all..
What can I do?
Brief Answer:
"Telogen effluvium": Reduce your stress.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Welcome again and thanks a lot for your detailed and swift response.
After analyzing the complete situation I can make out a simple diagnosis of "male pattern baldness" and "Telogen effluvium".
TO tell you simply about "Telogen effluvium" let me explain you some medical facts regarding this type of hair fall. We have a hair cycle divided into three parts:
1. Growing phase (Anagen): more than 85 -90 % of hair are in this phase
2. Senescence phase (Catagen): around less than 10 % of hair are in this phase and is the phase before falling.
3. Falling phase (Telogen ): a very few percentage of hair.
We have almost 1 lac hair on our scalp and amongst them few percent of hair are in falling phase and then another 0.1% (around 50-100) of hair can fall everyday. In certain conditions especially any stressful event, some more of the hair may come in falling phase. These extra of the hair which comes in senescence are actually visible as falling hair.
Medically the number of normal hair falling varies from little hair to up to 50-100 per day. Now if your hair falling more than 100s per day then it is definitely a problem. If it is not then you have to understand hair fall as normal process of day to day life.
In males this is super-added with hormonal influence of testosterone hormone ( the male hormone) which we call as "male pattern baldness". This process of falling can occur any time. So it is quite obvious that you can have this problem of hair fall just because of hormonal influence too.
Nevertheless in hair fall poor diet contribute to increase the hair fall. SO you should eat healthiest of diet.
For the betterment of diet kindly follow the suggestions below:
1. Eat at least 3-4 different fruits saplings per day. Every fruit is good but you can make a combination of sour with sweet fruits such as oranges, papaya and other of seasonal fruits.
2. Pulses are good source of proteins. So everyday have a small bowel full of mixed pulses. Add green leafy vegetables additionally in the pulses which contain lot of iron and vitamins in it.
3. Sprouts are the best source of fibers, minerals especially iron, vitamins and proteins too. So add it at-least alternate day if you can not make in every-day's part of meal.
4. Over night soaked and peeled almonds will give you good vitamin E which is good for the hair growth.
5. Milk and milk products should be included in every-day's schedule.
6.Do light exercises and most importantly reduce your work stress as all these have bit impact on skin so also on scalp skin.
I would like to suggest you to have a good nourishing diet along with all the medicines because that is quite very helpful in retaining the hair and maintaining it better.
If I were your dermatologist then would have prescribed you tablet containing Acetylcysteine, Calcium Pantothenate, Selenium, Zinc, Biotin, Copper as active ingredients. You can take these vitamins in the form of biotin, calicium pantothenate and other vitamin B complexes which are available at your local place (such as Xtraglow or H-vit forte or Essvit forte). Other than this an iron supplementation in diet and in tablet form is also helpful.
Do not worry it is not the age for the falling of more hair and you only have a temporary fall only.
For the part of emotional stress young man, we all in this world are subjected to such kind of issues. But I can make out from our discussion that you are quite understanding and intellectual person so can manage your stressful situation very well….my all best wishes for the same.
Hope these informations will help you. If you have further queries I will be happy to help.
"Wish you good health"
Regards,
Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia
MD (Dermatology)
"Telogen effluvium": Reduce your stress.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Welcome again and thanks a lot for your detailed and swift response.
After analyzing the complete situation I can make out a simple diagnosis of "male pattern baldness" and "Telogen effluvium".
TO tell you simply about "Telogen effluvium" let me explain you some medical facts regarding this type of hair fall. We have a hair cycle divided into three parts:
1. Growing phase (Anagen): more than 85 -90 % of hair are in this phase
2. Senescence phase (Catagen): around less than 10 % of hair are in this phase and is the phase before falling.
3. Falling phase (Telogen ): a very few percentage of hair.
We have almost 1 lac hair on our scalp and amongst them few percent of hair are in falling phase and then another 0.1% (around 50-100) of hair can fall everyday. In certain conditions especially any stressful event, some more of the hair may come in falling phase. These extra of the hair which comes in senescence are actually visible as falling hair.
Medically the number of normal hair falling varies from little hair to up to 50-100 per day. Now if your hair falling more than 100s per day then it is definitely a problem. If it is not then you have to understand hair fall as normal process of day to day life.
In males this is super-added with hormonal influence of testosterone hormone ( the male hormone) which we call as "male pattern baldness". This process of falling can occur any time. So it is quite obvious that you can have this problem of hair fall just because of hormonal influence too.
Nevertheless in hair fall poor diet contribute to increase the hair fall. SO you should eat healthiest of diet.
For the betterment of diet kindly follow the suggestions below:
1. Eat at least 3-4 different fruits saplings per day. Every fruit is good but you can make a combination of sour with sweet fruits such as oranges, papaya and other of seasonal fruits.
2. Pulses are good source of proteins. So everyday have a small bowel full of mixed pulses. Add green leafy vegetables additionally in the pulses which contain lot of iron and vitamins in it.
3. Sprouts are the best source of fibers, minerals especially iron, vitamins and proteins too. So add it at-least alternate day if you can not make in every-day's part of meal.
4. Over night soaked and peeled almonds will give you good vitamin E which is good for the hair growth.
5. Milk and milk products should be included in every-day's schedule.
6.Do light exercises and most importantly reduce your work stress as all these have bit impact on skin so also on scalp skin.
I would like to suggest you to have a good nourishing diet along with all the medicines because that is quite very helpful in retaining the hair and maintaining it better.
If I were your dermatologist then would have prescribed you tablet containing Acetylcysteine, Calcium Pantothenate, Selenium, Zinc, Biotin, Copper as active ingredients. You can take these vitamins in the form of biotin, calicium pantothenate and other vitamin B complexes which are available at your local place (such as Xtraglow or H-vit forte or Essvit forte). Other than this an iron supplementation in diet and in tablet form is also helpful.
Do not worry it is not the age for the falling of more hair and you only have a temporary fall only.
For the part of emotional stress young man, we all in this world are subjected to such kind of issues. But I can make out from our discussion that you are quite understanding and intellectual person so can manage your stressful situation very well….my all best wishes for the same.
Hope these informations will help you. If you have further queries I will be happy to help.
"Wish you good health"
Regards,
Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia
MD (Dermatology)
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Dr XXXXXXX
Thank you for your detailed discussion. I had a very stressful event for about 2 weeks and I broke down several times and cried while driving. I'm lucky to have my wife consolation at that time and recovering from the event.
I hoped that TE is temporary and that I recover soon.
Just a little more on part of male pattern baldness. I would like to ask you what are the symptoms ? And how different are they from temporary hair drop? and if male hormones are the causes , what can we do to reduce the risk? How to prevent these hormones that causes hair loss from fluctuating ?
Thank you for your detailed discussion. I had a very stressful event for about 2 weeks and I broke down several times and cried while driving. I'm lucky to have my wife consolation at that time and recovering from the event.
I hoped that TE is temporary and that I recover soon.
Just a little more on part of male pattern baldness. I would like to ask you what are the symptoms ? And how different are they from temporary hair drop? and if male hormones are the causes , what can we do to reduce the risk? How to prevent these hormones that causes hair loss from fluctuating ?
Brief Answer:
Your hair fall is temporary. So do not worry.
Detailed Answer:
Hello young buddy,
Thanks a lot for your swift response and further details.
Let me first reassure you that your condition is quite simple and self limiting. It is majorly Telogen effluvium (TE) and minorly male pattern baldness (MPB).
In MPB we find more hair falling form front and side portion of scalp and therefore a typical pattern which all of us have on minor and major side. It is contributory in all of us males so is nothing to be worried about.
TE is a temporary self limiting process which remains for 3-6 months and subsides earlier if we curtail its causation factors...that is stress as in your case.
So just relax and do not worry for the part of hair fall. Sometimes the stress of hair fall itself causes more stress and therefore more hair fall. So reduce your stress regarding the same.
Follow the suggestions as provided in previous mail.
For the part of your recent stress, it is with all of us that we have these kind of events in our lives. I am quite confident that you will definitely come out of all the anxieties and stress. In few weeks you would be a father of a lovely baby so concenrtrate your mind towards that. Tell me how's your wife's itching problem. Convey my best wishes to her!!!
Hope these informations will help you. If you have further queries I will be happy to help.
"Wish you good health"
Regards,
Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia
MD (Dermatology)
Your hair fall is temporary. So do not worry.
Detailed Answer:
Hello young buddy,
Thanks a lot for your swift response and further details.
Let me first reassure you that your condition is quite simple and self limiting. It is majorly Telogen effluvium (TE) and minorly male pattern baldness (MPB).
In MPB we find more hair falling form front and side portion of scalp and therefore a typical pattern which all of us have on minor and major side. It is contributory in all of us males so is nothing to be worried about.
TE is a temporary self limiting process which remains for 3-6 months and subsides earlier if we curtail its causation factors...that is stress as in your case.
So just relax and do not worry for the part of hair fall. Sometimes the stress of hair fall itself causes more stress and therefore more hair fall. So reduce your stress regarding the same.
Follow the suggestions as provided in previous mail.
For the part of your recent stress, it is with all of us that we have these kind of events in our lives. I am quite confident that you will definitely come out of all the anxieties and stress. In few weeks you would be a father of a lovely baby so concenrtrate your mind towards that. Tell me how's your wife's itching problem. Convey my best wishes to her!!!
Hope these informations will help you. If you have further queries I will be happy to help.
"Wish you good health"
Regards,
Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia
MD (Dermatology)
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Hi Dr XXXXXXX
I'm surprised and delighted that you remember us! Yes... Both happy and unhappy moments collided at the same time and I'm going thru a period of emotional waves recently.
Your advises on my wife itchy issues were of great help. Although the final permanent solution was to give birth. I'm awaiting for the baby arrival.
Although we might be miles apart, but I can feel your professionalism , care and concerned towards patient . You are a kind of doctor that patients wouldn't forget.
I too wishes you good health and recieve great blessing always.
Once again thank you
I'm surprised and delighted that you remember us! Yes... Both happy and unhappy moments collided at the same time and I'm going thru a period of emotional waves recently.
Your advises on my wife itchy issues were of great help. Although the final permanent solution was to give birth. I'm awaiting for the baby arrival.
Although we might be miles apart, but I can feel your professionalism , care and concerned towards patient . You are a kind of doctor that patients wouldn't forget.
I too wishes you good health and recieve great blessing always.
Once again thank you
Brief Answer:
May God bless you!!!
Detailed Answer:
Hello my dear young buddy,
We might be mile apart XXXXXXX but quite close to our heart. I feel as if I am talking to my younger brother. My all best wishes to both you and your wife.
Don't worry life is full of good surprises...soon you would be blessed with a lovely baby that you will forget all your worries and this baby would bring all the good fortunes as well as rebuilding of all relationships!!!
May God bless you!!!
With regards,
Dr Sanjay
May God bless you!!!
Detailed Answer:
Hello my dear young buddy,
We might be mile apart XXXXXXX but quite close to our heart. I feel as if I am talking to my younger brother. My all best wishes to both you and your wife.
Don't worry life is full of good surprises...soon you would be blessed with a lovely baby that you will forget all your worries and this baby would bring all the good fortunes as well as rebuilding of all relationships!!!
May God bless you!!!
With regards,
Dr Sanjay
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
