Worsening Hair Loss: Causes and Solutions
If your hair loss is becoming worse and worse, you may be seeking a solution to make you feel better about how you look. You may even feel a bit overwhelmed and uneducated about all of the possible ways to get your hair back, to stop your hair loss from continuing, or just to cosmetically cover it up without needing to resort to surgery or invasive treatments.
A doctor who specializes in treating hair loss is your best bet when finding your ideal solution. Let’s talk about some of the possible reasons for your hair loss, what solutions you may receive, and where you can go for a personalized hair evaluation and treatment options that will work for you.
Common Causes of Hair Loss
Certain health conditions and medications can lead to an increase in hair loss, even if your hair loss began as hereditary-pattern baldness:
Medications and Treatments
If you take anticoagulants (blood thinners), they can cause your hair follicles to remain in the resting phase, so the follicles stop growing hair. Similarly, blood-pressure medications may damage the hair follicles, and some psoriasis medications are known to cause hair loss in some patients. Most people are also highly aware of the potential of hair loss associated with chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
Nutrient Deficiency
If you have certain deficiencies of vitamins and minerals in your body, you may lose hair or stop growing hair.
- An iron deficiency can cause you to lose your hair – this is actually the most common nutrient deficiency in the world.
- A vitamin D deficiency could also cause your hair to become thinner or not grow.
- A zinc deficiency can cause you to experience hair loss all across your scalp.
Stress
If you’ve been under a considerable amount of stress, then that could be the cause of your recent hair loss. The stress may have caused your hair to shift into a resting phase, and the affected hair then falls out within one or two months.
Events such as the death of a loved one, a job loss, and even moving to a new location can all cause an enormous amount of stress to your body. The subconscious is a powerful thing, and stress can affect many things from your hair to your digestive system.
How to Regrow or Replace Hair
To provide a solution to your hair loss, your hair doctor will explain your treatment options. They may include injection treatments into the scalp, oral treatments to facilitate hair growth, laser treatment, and hair restoration surgery.
Oral Treatment
If your hair will not regrow, your hair doctor may suggest that you take minoxidil (e.g., Rogaine) – a prescription oral medication that helps regrow hair. It’s used on both men and women. Note that finasteride (e.g., Propecia) is a good hair treatment for men but shouldn’t be used or even touched by women.
Hair Transplant
Your doctor may recommend that you consider having a hair transplant. During this procedure, the doctor will extract your own hair follicles from a populated area of your head (usually the nape of your neck) and surgically place them into the area where you want more hair to grow.
Hair Doctor Serving Greater Kansas City
If your hair loss is bothering you to the point that you’re ready for a professional evaluation, have a consultation with Dr. Scott Darling. He has many years of success in restoring his patients’ hair, and he can make your hair look the way you want it to look.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment to see Dr. Darling, contact our friendly staff today by calling us at (816) 792-3400 or by filling out our easy-to-use online appointment request form. We look forward to seeing you!
