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Painful scalp and diffuse thinning (telogen effluvium) for 8 months- is there ANYTHING out there that could help me?

tmoliverJul 17, 2015
Good afternoon. I've been dealing with painful nerve impulses in my scalp and diffuse hair thinning since applying a hair dye in Nov 2014. I have seen a myriad of doctors about these issues. I've been prescribed everything from topical steroids to antidepressants- causing many side effects, I might add. I'm now off all meds and supplementing with Sunflower Lecithin& Brewers yeast for B vitamins. Is there anything else out there that can relieve my scalp pain and stop the thinning? Please help.

Answers (3)

From board-certified doctors and trusted medical professionals
Dr. Jason Emer, MD
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Dr. Jason Emer, MD
Dermatologic Surgeon, Board Certified in Dermatology
4.7 | 522 Reviews
Answered on Jul 20, 2015
Answer
1 person found this helpful
Dr. Jae Pak, MD
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Dr. Jae Pak, MD
Hair Restoration Surgeon, Board Certified in Emergency Medicine
4.9 | 234 Reviews
Answered on Jul 21, 2015
Answer
Dr. Jeff Donovan, MD, PhD
Dr. Jeff Donovan, MD, PhD
Certified Dermatologist
Answered on Jul 18, 2015
Answer
1 person found this helpful

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Jason Emer, MD

If you have thinning hair you really need an evaluation to see if it is genetic or from another cause like stress or autoimmune. If it is determined to be genetic there are many options and traditional treatments like rogaine foam and propecia pills can be used. I have great success in my...

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You can take any supplements you think may help.  Biotin is associated with hair health but it will likely not keep your hair from falling out if your hair loss is genetic.  

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The very hormone that helps you produce breast milk (prolactin) may cause diffuse hair loss as many postpartum women complain of this phenomenon.  How this may affect a hair transplant surgery is not clear. I personally would not like to be the doctor who performs your surgery to have you...

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Use common sense.  If you cut your hair "extremely" close as you state, you will naturally see your scalp.  If your hair grows "significantly since" you may still see your scalp "slightly".  If you have harsh lighting, you will see your scalp more than if you're in low lighting...

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Jae Pak, MD

In general hair loss as you describe it is usually male pattern balding (since you lose hair in a certain pattern).You need an exam and diagnosis to confirm this.  Your doctor can test for vitamin deficiency.

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Facial hair is a genetic trait.  If you weren't born with the genes for facial hair, medications will not likely help.Hair transplant may be an option.

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