Dr Lam's Hair Restoration Forum

Dear Dr Lam

I hope you are keeping well and my email finds you in good health
What a great website and videos, very interesting.

I was hoping you could share some advice- I am very distraught regarding my hairloss. I was hoping you could guide me with some rational advice. I have a bit of an anxiety disorder and the thought of losing my hair is most properly on the worst top 5 list for me.

Too get you in the loop what has transpired I will summarize the happenings:

1. In December 2010 I started taking cipralex for my anxiety.
2. About 4 weeks after into the treatment I started I started to noticed a unusual amount of hairloss. Big clumps in the shower. It was not progressive, but very aggressive.
3. I went to a dermatologist and they indicated I had telegen effluviam. It really felt like this, I I had lots and lots of small spikes on my head, ( New hairs). I took a photo (Photo 1) with slightly wet hair. The photo is a attached to this post Please see the photo called Hair.
5. This photo was taken 4 months ago. I am not an expert but on the sides and corener of my hair line I see a lot of hair loss. Under that light there is also a reddish tinge to my scalp. Like an irritation.
6. I was reading that when a person has telegen effluviam the scalp gets a bit irritaed like that. Is this true? Or could my stress and anxiety be causing eczema on my scalp and that leading to the hairloss?

My Question: My hairloss has slowed down a lot over the past 2 months. But After all this I have been left with a lot less hair than what I usually had. I have a higher hairline and a lot less hair on the sides and top. I am paranoid I am in the early stages of a receding hairline. However the hair loss in the picture does not look normal to me and hopefully that is thr cause of the higher hair line

Should I think about treating my itchy scalp and in the hope that I can promote hairline and should I think about looking into rogain or propecia?
I have attached a few pictures of myself. Here is the summary of them:
Picture 1: is my hair when the Dermatologist said I have Telogen Effluviam and scalp exzema.
Picture 2: Is my hairline During this time
Picture 3 and 3.1 is my hair about 6 months after picture 1 and 2.
Picture 4 is my hair before this whole event,
I am 26years old and my dad has a good amount of hair for a man of 56. My moms father however was bald. My moms sisters suffer from FPB but not my moms brother.

Thanks Dr Lam any advice of what you make of this situation will be greatly appreciated. Will really help with the anxiety.

Regards

hi,
i truly appreciate the question. however, your question really should be directed at a dermatologist since i am a surgeon who understands basic hair loss but not at the level of a dermatologist. it does very much sound like TE. if that is the case, then the hair should come back. i believe you are a woman based on the photos. if so, you have to evaluate causes for TE, most commonly heavy menses, low thyroid (although this usually causes just thinning), severe fast weight loss especially protein deficiency, recent pregnancy and delivery, general anesthesia, severe sickness, etc.-- the timing would typically be 6 weeks to 4 months following one of the above cases. minoxidil will help to stabilize things and even regrow some hair but you really should ask your dermatologist what is going on and what could be done better than my answer can offer.

Thanks Dr Lam,
I am a man of 26 I am wondering if my hairline is at a normal position after this event?
Thanks

it does not look grossly abnormal to me. again, you need to see a physician in person for a more accurate reading but i do not see any issues.