Alopecia mucinosa, or follicular mucinosis, is a hair loss condition found in three main types. The primary and acute (Pinkus) variety occurs in children and adolescents, the primary and chronic disorder is often found in people over 40 years of age, whilst the secondary disorder affects people with an existing skin disease.
What does it look like?
The condition shows itself through the appearance of mucin, a stringy clear or whitish substance, around hair follicles. You can only really see this by using a microscope. Other noticeable signs of alopecia mucinosa include red plaques on the skin and patchy hair loss.
What causes it?
Whilst the definitive cause of alopecia mucinosa is not yet known, it is believed to be related to the immune system in some way. This is similar to other hair loss conditions such as alopecia areata and telogen effluvium.
Is there treatment available?
Alopecia mucinosa in children often clears up on its own, and hair will grow back once it does so. For cases involving adults, treatments which have shown a degree of success include corticosteroids, oral antibiotics (i.e. minocycline) and photochemotherapy (PUVA).
A lack of nutrients in your diet can cause a range of medical effects on the body, including hair loss. The most serious examples of this kind of dietary deficiency can be seen in people with eating disorders and those on extreme weight loss plans. However, your health and your hair can also be at risk from an excess of certain vitamins and minerals, as well as a deficiency.
Excessive intake of vitamin A can cause a condition known as Hypervitaminosis A, which specifically refers to the class of chemical compounds called retinoids. These retinoids have a number of functions within the body, with roles in everything from bone tissue growth and immune function to vision and the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation.
If you take too much vitamin A and the liver’s stores of retinoids are exceeded, you could face systemic toxicity. This can cause the following effects:
• Liver problems
• Skin discolouration
• Excessive skin peeling/dryness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Headache, dizziness and blurred vision
• Loss of muscular coordination
• Course bone growths
• Reduced bone mineral density
• Hair loss
If you suspect you have Hypervitaminosis A, it is important to make an appointment to see your GP to get a formal diagnosis and treatment.
Losing hair can prove distressing, but it’s important to remember that it is perfectly normal to lose a certain amount. We generally lose around 100-150 strands a day so a little bit on your pillow or in your hair brush is no cause for alarm.
Beyond that, there may be a problem and there are many possible reasons why a person might lose hair. One common reason is pattern hair loss. This is where hair becomes thinner after puberty and it results from hair roots narrowing.
Environmental factors can play a part too, such as diet, stress and treatments such as rebonding and hair colouring, as can deficiencies in certain vitamins and minerals. A lack of vitamin B, zinc or iron could potentially result in hair loss.
Many who suffer hair loss have a genetic predisposition towards doing so and this may be linked to hormonal changes at certain stages of life, such as following childbirth. Illnesses can also bring about a spell of hair loss, as can certain medications.
If you are concerned about the amount of hair which you are losing, the first thing to do is to go and see your doctor. If they cannot diagnose the cause themselves, they will refer you to a dermatologist who should be able to do so. Determining the cause is the first step towards finding a potential cure.
Hair loss has many different causes and while many are simply unavoidable, others can be addressed with simple measures. You may not even be aware that certain things could eventually result in loss of hair. Here are a few tips that could help ensure you retain your hair.
1. Using hair conditioner can help protect hair shafts.
2. Eating a balanced diet is always advisable as lack of nutrients can affect hair growth, as can dieting.
3. Avoiding chemical procedures or leaving a suitable rest period between them is advisable. Leave six months between hair rebondings and a month between colourings.
4. Vitamin B, zinc and iron supplements could help preserve your hair as deficiencies of these can result in loss of hair.
5. Head massages can promote blood circulation which aids hair growth, soothing nerves and relaxing muscles.
6. Excessive blow drying can damage hair.
7. Try and combat stress wherever possible as this is often a cause for hair loss.
If you do find that you are losing hair, consult your GP. With so many possible causes, correct diagnosis is vital in order to properly treat the problem.
A large number of medications have unwanted side effects, however effective they may be at treating and curing medical conditions. One of the most unwelcome of these side effects, particularly in women, is hair loss.
What medications can cause hair loss?
If you take any of the following medications, you may experience hair loss or thinning hair.
• Antibiotics
• Antifungal medications
• Interferons
• Chemotherapy medication
• Anticoagulants (blood thinners)
• Antidepressants
• Anticonvulsants (for epilepsy)
• Medication for lowering cholesterol or blood pressure
• Steroids
• Acne medication
• Hormone replacement therapy
• Thyroid medications
• Oral contraceptives
• Immunosuppressant medications
• Mood stabilisers
• NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication)
• Medications for Parkinson’s disease
Remember though – medication affects different people in different ways, often depending on the dosage and type of medication taken and the person’s sensitivity to it.
What can I do about drug-induced hair loss?
The good news for people experiencing hair loss caused by medication is that it tends to be temporary and will hopefully improve once you stop taking the medication. You should see your doctor as soon as you notice any problems with hair loss, whether you have started a new course of medical treatment or not.
Seeing your hair fall out every day without being able to do a thing to stop it can be terrifying, making you feel like you have no control over your own body. This why female hair loss sufferers are often desperate to find a solution, convinced that there is something they can do to make their hair grow back again.
What to do
The first place to turn is to your family doctor, who will help to see hair loss specialists and get a formal diagnosis of your condition. Once you know what is causing your hair loss, you will then be able to find out if there is anything you can do about it.
You may be recommended to try:
• Medication such as minoxidil (also known as Regaine or Rogaine)
• Changing your diet, if the cause of your condition is a nutritional deficiency or an eating disorder
• Therapy to help alleviate stress and anxiety. Emotional trauma can be a triggering factor for hair loss
• Treatment for thyroid disorders, if this is what is causing your hair loss
What will not work
Although it all depends on what hair loss condition you have, the following methods will not make your hair grow back:
• Standing on your head
• Washing hair in freezing cold water
• Any of the thousands of hair loss ‘miracle cures’ available from disreputable websites
The first and most crucial thing to do if you notice your hair has been thinning or falling out is to get it checked out by a doctor. Once you’ve been formally diagnosed and you know what the medical cause for your hair loss is, you can start to learn about how to cope with the condition.
Hair loss in women has psychological and emotional effects as well as just altering physical appearance. Losing your hair and having no power over what’s happening to you can be frightening and worrying, and it can negatively affect your confidence and self-esteem too.
This is why you need to learn to accept your hair loss condition, do something about it if you can but overall, find ways to live life as normal and feel good about yourself. You have a few options:
• You can try cosmetic treatments and hair replacement techniques such as human hair wigs and super-fine hair extensions
• There are medications for hair loss available such as minoxidil, which is known to be effective in a reasonable number of cases
• The final option is a surgical procedure such as hair transplantation
People often assume that female hair loss is caused by a hereditary condition or as a side-effect of medication, but there are actually many other causes. One of the most overlooked is the thyroid gland, which can play all sorts of havoc with different parts of the body should it under or over perform.
Hair loss can often by a symptom of a thyroid problem, but diagnosing which one can be tricky. This is why you should visit your GP for a formal diagnosis as soon as you notice any problems with hair loss or hair thinning.
What is the thyroid?
The thyroid is an endocrine gland found in the neck. It is responsible for regulating how quickly the body uses energy and makes proteins, and it also controls how sensitive the body is to other hormones.
Hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism
Two of the most common thyroid disorders that can cause hair loss are hyperthyroidism, where the gland is overactive, and hypothyroidism, which means that the thyroid is underactive. It is possible for a person to experience one of these conditions followed by the other, depending on whether they are over or under treated.
One of the most common things women with alopecia areata want to know is when their hair will grow back. Unfortunately, alopecia is an extremely unpredictable disorder. Many factors can combine to cause it, it can start quite suddenly, and the prognosis for each person with the condition will be different.
This rather vague answer can be frustrating for women with alopecia when they hear it from their doctor, but it’s often the only answer available. Doctors can prescribe treatments, and these may even be effective – it’s all about trial and error. Some people may experience hair regrowth after a few months or a year, whilst others may have to wait a lot longer. In some cases, hair may grow back and then fall out again.
It’s hard to accept that you don’t have any control over the disorder or even your own body, but acceptance of what’s happening to you and a healthy dose of positive thinking are some of the only things you can do to cope. Another is to find suitable hair replacement or hair management solutions to help you cover or disguise hair loss until your hair can grow back.
Alternatively, you could shave your remaining hair off and embrace your baldness. It’s all up to you, but you aren’t alone in making your decision. Seek out support groups and other people with alopecia to see how they’ve coped and talk through your concerns.
An auto-immune disorder is one caused by an overactive or excessive response by your body’s immune system to something that is already present in the body. This means that the body mistakes a normal tissue or substance for a pathogen (an infectious agent) and attacks it.
These kinds of diseases can be limited to a particular organ, or it can affect the same tissue in different places of the body. One notable example of this is the hair loss disorder alopecia areata, which can affect hair all over the epidermis (skin).
Although alopecia areata is suspected to have hereditary causes, it is generally considered to be an auto-immune disorder. In people with the condition, the body attacks its own hair follicles, therefore stopping or inhibiting the growth of hair. T-cell lymphocytes are believed to cluster around the affected follicles, which in turn causes inflammation and the loss of hair.
What triggers alopecia?
It is currently thought that a combination of emotional trauma or stress, a pathogen and possibly hereditary factors will trigger the condition. Alopecia areata often starts suddenly, and can be difficult to diagnose due to the many factors that can trigger it.
