A (7:42)
Gina, thank you so much. And I really appreciate you listening. Thank you for calling in. Look, hair loss is a sensitive issue and we get a lot of questions about this. So let me give you some context. First of all, according to the American Hair Loss association, by age 35, 2/3 of American men will have some degree of hair loss. And when it comes to women, they make up about 40% of people with hair loss. So this affects men and women both. As many as 2/3 of menopausal women experience some thinning or even bald patches. And that has an impact beyond just Physical looks. It impacts self image, emotional well being and can cause a lot of distress according to these surveys, in addition to anxiety and depression. So let me give you some quick facts. Healthy adults have about 80 to 120,000 strands of hair on their heads. We normally shed normally about 50 to 100 strands of hair every day. Hair is constantly going through these growth stages. There's four phases. The first and the longest is what's known as the anagen or growth phase. Next is the catagen or transitional phase, followed by the telogen or resting phase. And remember that word, telogen. We'll come back to that. And finally there is the exogen or shedding phase. But to answer your question, where do you go to find the cause of your hair loss? Well, your first stop should probably, probably be your dermatologist's office. They can examine your scalp. They can tell you what kind of hair loss you are experiencing. There are different types of hair loss. Some common types include androgenetic alopecia, that's age related pattern baldness. This is the most common cause of hair loss. It's hereditary and it happens with aging usually occurs gradually and in predictable patterns. In men, a receding hairline, a bald spot. In women, more diffuse thinning on the top of the head, often including a widening part. There is something known as traction alopecia. And that's caused by excessive hair styling or hairstyles that pull the hair tight, such as buns and ponytails or braids and cornrows using hot oil. Hair treatments and permanents can also cause the hair to fall out, as can heat damage. There is telogen effluvium, remember that word, telogen. Again, that's diffuse and significant shedding. That happens when a trigger such as stress or medication or pregnancy even forces a large percentage of hair follicles into that telogen phase, that resting phase. And this happens at once. And then hair loss will tend to happen two to three months after the stressor event. And then there's frontal fibrosing alopecia. This is a bit more uncommon than the others. It's typically diagn in postmenopausal women. Starting slowly at the hairline, working its way back. And can also affect the eyebrows and other parts of the body. Autoimmune diseases, genetics, hormones, environmental factors. In people who are genetically susceptible, those are believed to play a causal role. Now there are various common causes of hair loss and some of the ones I just mentioned may overlap a bit as well. But again, a dermatologist can run tests and help you pinpoint the underlying reasons. Aging, genetics, some chronic conditions including Things like type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, psoriasis, eczema. Some medications. In particular medications for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart arrhythmias and also the new class of weight loss drugs, GLP1 drugs. They have been linked to hair loss and some people, although it's not clear if it's the medication itself or the significant weight loss some patients experience, keep an eye on certain dietary deficiencies such as protein, iron, zinc and vitamins B7, also known as biotin, B12 and D. Stress, as I mentioned, both mental and physical. Another cause of hair loss, events like grief or bereavement illness, inflammation, Surgery. One dermatologist told us when the body is stressed it has to shift priority from non essential things to more essential things. And hair, as important as it is for looks, is a non essential appendage. So this brings us to treatments and again talk to your dermatologist about this. They can help guide you to the best solution or solutions for you. Specifically, let me throw a couple medication names at you, some of which you may already know. Minoxidil. This comes in different forms. Liquid foam cream comes in two strengths, 2% and 5%. And it's also now available as a pill. Spironolactone. That's an antiandrogen medication available to women as a topical or a pill. It blocks dihydrotestosterone which can shrink hair follicles. There are two medications out there that are not approved for use in women. But for the men who may be listening to this episode, they are finasteride and dutasteride. They both block dht. There's ketoconazole. Shampoo which can help reduce inflammation, has been shown to prevent hair loss. And for that condition that I mentioned earlier, telogen effluvium. It might be enough to correct the underlying cause like inflammation or a hormonal imbalance, remove the underlying stressor and oftentimes the hair regrowth will get back on track. Some dermatologists recommend peptide based serums to stimulate growth factors, improve follicle health and reduce inflammation. They don't require FDA approval, they often contain multiple ingredients and as Gina noted, the information from the Internet can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to peptides and things like that. According to dermatologists we spoke to, some ingredients are worth Rosemary extract, saw, palmetto, antioxidants, caffeine, castor oil. Now there are some other treatments you may have heard of that have had success in some people. Red light therapy that's essentially using laser light to increase blood flow and cellular activity and stimulate hair follicles. And also platelet rich plasma injections that involves processing a patient's own blood to concentrate the growth factors and platelets and then injecting that into the scalp. And finally, don't underestimate the role of lifestyle factors. This is going to be a big thing for most people. Adopt proper hair grooming techniques. Avoid tight hairstyles, minimize heat damage and stay away from processes like bleaching and coloring. Also, don't smoke. Studies have shown a link between baldness and smoking. Eat well balanced meals to get enough protein and micronutrients needed to support healthy hair. Drink lots of water. Dehydration can be a problem. Get sleep. Reduce stress. Look, I know it can be stressful just to think about hair loss, but as one dermatologist said, the sooner you address shedding or thinning, the easier it is to maintain your hair because it is easier to prevent loss than to regrow hair. Gina, I hope that helps. And that's all the time we have for today's episode. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions. Your curiosity, your stories, your voices. That's what brings the show to life. So keep the great questions coming. If there's something health related you've been wondering about, send it to us and we might answer it next week. Record a voice memo, email it to pagingdrgupta.com that's pagingdrgoupta.com or give us a call the old fashioned way 470-396-0832 and leave a message. Thanks so much for listening.
