AboutPeter J. Panagotacos, <B>M.D.</B> Expertise I have 30 years experience in the field of medical and surgical Hair Restoration and am Board Certified
in Dermatology and Hair Restoration Surgery.
Experience I have 30 years experience in the field of medical and surgical Hair Restoration and am Board Certified
in Dermatology and Hair Restoration Surgery.
More information can be found at my website
www.hairdoc.com
Question Ok, so I am not quite bald, yet! After a VERY stressful time in my life I got depressed and lost about 22 pounds in a month, I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, I was a wreck. I started to get better but then my hair started to fall out, EVERYWHERE! 300+ hairs a day. I have seen 4 Doctors, two MDs and two Dermatologist, all agree it is telogen effluvium, I have had my thyroid and iron test. Thyroid was fine, iron was 35 (ferritin). I am now on iron pills, I am also eating better, have put back on most of the weight I lost. BUT, I am STILL losing about 100 hairs a day. I have some pretty bold thin areas, and as this goes on I just want to cry. It has been about 3 months now. When will it stop? What if they are wrong and it is female pattern baldness?
I am using t/gel, nizoral, and head and shoulders on a rotation as during this my head got real greasy, I have never had greasy hair before.
I do see some new hairs but they can not grow fast enough to keep up and replace what I lost.
Do you have any suggestions for me?
Answer It takes four to six months for the hairs to change cycles and to see regrowth due to ANY change in therapy. My advice is to use a 1% zinc pyrithione shampoo daily and 5% Rogaine Foam twice a day sto stimulate the hairs to grow back faster. The greasy hair is an indicator of continued stress. If you are still feeling stressed out you may want to ask your doctor if you can have some anti anxiety pills to take at bedtime ( stay away from SSRI anti depressant medications if you can as they can increase hair loss). This is so that you can start to get normal sleep hours, normal eating habits three times a day at set hours, a plan for regular physical activity daily and in general a regulated regimen. This makes it easier on your body to deal with stress. 50 to 100 hairs lost per day is normal and you will just have to be patient to wait for the TE to stop and the regrowth to start. That may take you six months to see results.
