Hairy Situation.

Our veterinarian explains what to do if your hair is falling out.

Courtesy of weheartit.com

The horror! Hairs on the pillow, hairs clogging the drain, hairs in your food. When will it end? Hair loss is a common issue among both men and women as the years progress but what about now? It usually occurs in cycles lasting months and sometimes the turnover rate can change drastically. If it’s not due to your changing health (pregnancy), medication (birth control pill), stress or other illnesses, then there are other reasons you may not have considered yet:

Firstly, is it due to damage from colouring or pulling the hair into tight bands? This will show hair breakage and loss at the front of the head.

Secondly, is the scalp fine? Are there any bald spots? This may be treatable so it’s definitely worth getting it checked out by a doctor sooner rather than later.

Thirdly, do you have any problems with anemia, thyroid disease, polycystic ovaries or lupus? Something else that you could get checked out with blood tests.

Lastly, is the hair thinning on the top? Or receding at the sides? If so then it may be male pattern balding found in both men and women. The men have an advantage here in that there is oral medication to possibly help (Propecia). Otherwise there is a topical treatment: Rogaine (now available without a prescription), however this only gives improvement about 30-40% of the time and requires a three month trial. The only other cure is to do hair transplants which are expensive but can be done gradually over time involving single follicle transplants. It sounds like something Beetlejuice might have done but in reality, it’s quite a realistic-looking procedure.

Most hair-loss treatments are expensive so start saving! Wigs on women can look amazingly real, but they are itchy, hot and confining. Let’s hope you don’t have to turn to that as a last hope option.

– The Veterinarian.