How to Stop Hair from Shedding?

Years ago, we as MD's were very frustrated when a patient came in because of hair loss.  Options were limited and balding was inevitable as the patient often had to watch the hair go down the drain forever.

The GREAT news today for patients with this condition is: Hair loss is optional.

When it comes to reversing thinning/ shedding hair, we have had very good results with the infrared light therapy called Luce.  Luce will not create a new hair follicle, but if caught early, can turn the weak hair that is on it's way out back to a strong growing hair.

Some other modalities that can help reduce shedding would be Rogaine and or Propecia. These also seem to boost the strength of Luce when used together.

It's important to find out why you are shedding. 

There is a genetic test called Hair DX that can shed some light on whether the hair loss is genetic in nature. (male/female pattern baldness)

You should have a proper examination by a doctor in person if you want to know why you are losing hair.  If you know why you are losing hair, you can receive treatment options.

It is normal to lose 50 to 100 hairs per day. If you feel you are losing more than that you should consult your physician. The first step in finding out how to stop hair loss is to determine what's causing it. A doctor will run specific blood tests for this purpose. While pattern baldness is the leading cause of hair loss, there are many other causes, which include: pregnancy, stress, malnourishment, sleep deprivation, anemia, thyroid dysfunction, diabetes, telogen effluvium, drug use, and lupus. For hair health (and good overall health) it is always wise to eat well, take a daily multivitamin, and get adequate sleep.

Before considering any treatment whatsoever, you need a diagnosis. Certainly undiagnosed acute telogen effluvium, chronic telogen effluvium and androgenetic alopecia are the top diagnoses but other conditions like cicatricial alopecia need to be ruled out. You need a full examination, and blood tests. Be sure to get a complete evaluation and understand the diagnosis completely.

Most people naturally shed about 50 to 100 hairs a day, but sometimes men and women can shed much more, leading to thinning hair, hair loss, and over time, baldness. The causes of this hair loss can be a result of hormones, underlying medical conditions, and even certain medications like antidepressants, high-blood pressure medications, and NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications). Sometimes, hair loss is purely genetic and can run in families.What’s important to know: the cause of hair loss is specific to each individual, which is why it is so important to have a board-certified dermatologist examine, diagnose, and treat your condition. We will review your symptoms, examine your scalp, perform a possible scalp biopsy, and/or order medical and blood tests if an underlying medical condition (like thyroid disease, diabetes, or autoimmune diseases like lupus) is suspected.

There are so many conditions that cause hair shedding. It is important to perform 2 evaluations for you: one by a dermatologist to see what is going on and the second by an internist or primary care physician as needed to evaluate potential hormonal causes. You also want to see temporarily when it occurred. For example, with a telogen effluvium, it would occur several months after pregnancy, surgery, an illness, etc.
Beyond these basics, please consult your physician, preferably a dermatologist. ere is a video on telogen effluvium. However, if hair is breaking off, that is classically not a telogen condition. That indicates either an infection, hair styling issue, or some kind of anagen problem.

Losing hair and shedding heavily for more than 6-12 months is the perfect time to have a hair loss consultation with an expert who will take a detailed history of you, a family history , medical and medicaton history. Then he will examine your hair and scalp and note any abnormalities, laboratory tests will be done, and photographs of you will be taken. After these results are analysed, you will be given a diagnosis and a treatment plan to help start improvement on your own.