Potential causes of hair loss

[Guest Posts]

Dear Sir/Madam

I have been experiencing hair loss for over a year now.

Could you please ask the experts if this is due to my mental illness and the medication I take for same. Finally, in the past I used to rub excess shaving foam into my hair after a shave. Does this harm my hair or is this not the case?

Thank you

[Dr Anton Alexandroff]

Thank you for your question. I am sorry to hear about this. Yes hair shedding can be due to stress, illness or medications. It is also useful to check thyroid function blood test and consider iron supplements if ferritin blood test in below 70 mcg/L.
No rubbing shaving cream into your hair should not make much difference.
I hope this is helpful.
Kind regards,
Dr Anton Alexandroff

[professor andrew r thompson]

Thank you for your question. Our recent research that examined primary care records indicates that a significant minority of people with alopecia have pre-existing psychological distress prior to developing alopecia, and in addition a significant minority go on to develop psychological distress for the first time. So the relationship between the mind and the hair is complex, and distress and stress may for some people play a triggering role. Many studies and clinical experience also demonstrate that once developed alopecia can be related to distress, particularly social type anxiety. As such it is really important for your holistic health to seek out good quality psychological treatment. There is mounting evidence for the successful use of a range of talking based therapies with alopecia, and our own pilot research indicates that mindfulness based cognitive behavioural therapy (MBCT) may be of benefit, particularly in improving mood. With this in mind I'd always encourage people to be open with their dermatology care team and primary care clinician about their potential need for psychological treatment. With best wishes,