Posts Tagged: Stress

Why is Hair Loss in Women Difficult to Diagnosis?

August 4th, 2009

Q: Why is hair loss in women difficult to diagnosis?

A: The majority of hair loss in women is diffuse. This means that the hair thins all over the scalp, rather than on the front and top characteristic of balding in men.

Diffuse hair loss can be caused by a number of things besides genetics; including medical problems such as anemia, thyroid disease, and polycystic ovaries; and medications such as birth control pills, blood pressure pills, seizure medications and blood thinners. Stress and pregnancy can also cause this type of diffuse hair loss.

The hallmark of genetic female pattern hair loss is miniaturization (change in hair shaft diameter).

Hair shedding is characteristic of many of the other conditions, but is less commonly seen in genetic hair loss.

For a complete discussion on hair loss in women, visit the pages for the diagnosis, causes, and classification of female hair loss. Or view photos of our female hair restoration patients for examples of Dr. Bernstein’s work on restoring hairlines, hair at the temples, and eyebrows.

Also, a reminder, Bernstein Medical – Center for Hair Restoration will be holding a Women’s Hair Loss Open House at our facility in Midtown Manhattan, New York City on Wednesday, August 12th, 2009 (4-6pm). You can register to attend the open house by following this link. We look forward to seeing you there!

Topic: Women

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Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 8:10 am

Can Stress Cause Diffuse Unpatterned Hair Loss (DUPA)?

October 30th, 2007

Q: Can stress produce diffuse unpatterned hair loss (DUPA), or was it bound to happen anyway?

A: Both DPA (diffuse patterned hair loss) and DUPA (diffuse unpatterned hair loss) are genetic conditions, unrelated to stress and would have happened anyway. These types of hair loss are characterized by a high percentage of mininiaturized hair in broad areas of the scalp. See the Classification of Hair Loss in Men and Classification of Hair Loss in Women pages on the Bernstein Medical – Center for Hair Restoration website for more information on this topic.

In contrast, stress generally presents as increased hair shedding, a reversible condition referred to as telogen effluvium. It is called this because the normal growing hair is shifted to a resting (telogen) phase before it temporarily falls out. Increased miniaturization is not associated with telogen effluvium.

Topic: Causes of Hair Loss

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Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 8:24 am

Can Stress Cause Hair Loss or is that a Myth?

September 6th, 2007

Q: I’ve been dealing with daily mental stress for the past few months. I’ve notice that during that time, I’ve experience a lot of frontal hair loss and thinning. I thought stress was a myth for causing hair loss.

A: Stress may cause temporary shedding, but it generally does not affect the long-term course of genetic hair loss.

It seems that women’s hair is affected by stress more commonly than men’s hair, but the reason is not clear.

Topic: Causes of Hair Loss

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Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 12:46 pm

Which Contributes More to Hair Loss: Stress or Genetics?

September 26th, 2006

Q: Can stress accelerate hair loss? I am 25 and there is balding on my dad’s side of the family. I never had any thinning or hair loss till this year. I guess you can say I’ve been under a lot of stress. When I did notice shortly after my 25th birthday I started stressing even more, which led to more hair loss. It is thinner up front and it is thin on top. I have heard of some hair docs mapping your head for miniaturization, do you do this too?

A: Yes. The presence of miniaturization (decreased hair diameter) in the areas of thinning allows us to distinguish between hair loss due to heredity (i.e. androgenetic alopecia) in which hair progressively decreases in diameter under the influence of DHT and other causes such as stress where there is no miniaturization. The degree of miniaturization can be assessed using a hand-held instrument called a densitometer.

The pattern of hair loss and the family history are also important in the diagnosis.

Stress more commonly produces telogen effluvium, a generalized shedding that is not associated with miniaturization and is often reversible without treatment.

Topic: Hair Loss

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Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 11:22 am

Is Asymmetrical Hair Loss from Telogen Effluvium or Androgenetic Alopecia?

September 12th, 2006

Q: Over the past three months, my hair seems to be thinning more on one side. Is it common in male pattern hair loss for it to be more on one side? I had a lot of stress about three months ago and have heard that this could be the cause. Is this possible? Should I use Rogaine to treat it?

A: Regardless of the cause, hair loss is usually not perfectly symmetric. This applies to male pattern hair loss as well.

In your case, it is important to distinguish between telogen effluvium (shedding that can be due to stress) and hereditary or common baldness. The three month interval from the stressful period to the onset of hair loss is characteristic telogen effluvium, but you may have androgenetic alopecia as an underlying problem.

The two conditions are differentiated by identifying club hairs in telogen effluvium and miniaturized hair in androgenetic alopecia. In addition, a hair pull will be positive in telogen effluvium (when a clump of hair is grasped with the fingers, more than five hairs pull out of the scalp at one time) and will be negative in common baldness. The hair loss diagnosis can be made by a dermatologist.

Hair cuts do not affect either condition.

Rogaine (Minoxidil) is only effective in androgenetic hair loss and only marginally so. Finasteride is the preferred treatment if your hair loss is genetic when it is early and a hair transplant may be indicated if the hair loss progresses.

Shedding from telogen effluvium is reversible and does not require specific treatment.

Topic: Hair Loss

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Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 10:08 am





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