Monthly Archives: July 2010

Sue Holderness, who plays Marlene in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses has told of how she has suffered varying degrees of hair loss over the last 20 years.

Well known for her distinctive hair in the hit sitcom and its spin-off, The Green Green Grass, Holderness in fact relied upon wigs and make-up as her hair was at times coming out in handfuls.

Holderness tells of how she relied on make-up artists and how she would sometimes use eye-liner to colour her scalp to hide the thinness of her hair after she started suffering hair loss in her thirties.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Holderness said:

“I have lost hair ever since I had my children in my thirties. Initially, I thought it was maybe part of being an exhausted new mum and didn’t do anything about it. But as I got older, it got worse and, one day, after I turned 40, I woke up and saw a carpet of hair left on my pillow.”

Holderness goes on to describe how frightening this experience was and how she was reluctant to look in the mirror in case she was bald. When she did look, she saw there was a chunk of hair missing and that the rest was unusually thin.

She then took the right decision by going to see her GP. If you are suffering hair loss, this is always the first step that you should take.

Eight genes that play a part in the development of alopecia areata have been identified by scientists. The same genes are also implicated in other autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes.

The fact that there are already drugs in development which target these genes is great news. As Angela Christiano, the professor of dermatology and genetics and development at Columbia University Medical Centre in New York, says:

“This greatly accelerated our ability to think about new drugs for patients with alopecia areata because so much work has already been done in these other diseases. It is a huge advantage.”

Alopecia areata is one of the most common forms of autoimmune disease. It causes hair to fall out, normally in patches, but occasionally over the entire scalp or even the whole body.

The research showed that the number of genes a person had that were associated with alopecia corresponded with the severity of the condition. If a person had more than 16 alopecia-associated genes, they were more likely to experience total hair loss, for example.

One gene in particular seemed to have a big impact. Chistiano said:

“In people with alopecia areata, we see a huge expression of the ULBP3 gene in the outermost layer of the follicle. ULBP3 is a danger signal that signals to T cells to come in and attack the follicle. It’s like putting nectar on the hair follicle, then the ‘bees’ come in and do their damage.”

The woman who played big-haired Marlene in Only Fools and Horses, Sue Holderman, has told of how she lost a substantial amount of hair after pregnancy and later on, possibly as a result of anxiety.

“During my pregnancy, my hair was gorgeous. Then I had Harriet and it all fell out after three months. It did frighten me, but I thought I was just tired and run down as new mothers are.

“After I had Freddie in 1987, my hair fell out again, but not as badly. It was two years later that my hair fell out in earnest and I wondered if I might have to face the future bald.”

Holderman suffered panic attacks and stage fright for several years and thinks this had an impact on her hair loss. She was prescribed beta blockers which she believes helped to a degree. With any instance of hair loss, it is vital that you see your doctor to get properly diagnosed as there are many possible causes and treatment varies accordingly.

BBC make-up artists were aware of Holderman’s condition and worked to disguise it. However, they could do nothing about the distress she felt.

Holderman is currently suffering no hair loss, thanks to different treatments and a change in diet.

“For one of the very first times in my life, my hair is not an issue – and I cannot tell you what a relief that is.”

Many people believe the myths and old wives’ tales surrounding cures for female hair loss, which mainly include home remedies and ways to increase the circulation to your scalp. Unfortunately, improved circulation will not help with hair regrowth if you are suffering from alopecia or pattern baldness.

Female hair loss can be a debilitating condition, causing no end of emotional stress and issues with low self-esteem, so it is no wonder that many women go to incredible lengths to try and get their hair to grow back. They try creams and ointments, standing on their head or washing with ice cold water, and many unusual diets.

This is not the right way to cope with female hair loss. What you need to do is to see your GP and then a hair loss treatment specialist. You need a formal diagnosis so that you can perhaps uncover the cause of your hair loss, and subsequently find the right treatment for it.

There may not always be a cure for your condition, however, which is why there are many hair loss management solutions out there. You can try human hair wigs or even more sophisticated techniques such as the Intralace system, all whilst getting the expert advice and support you need.

According to experts, such as Dr Bessam Farjo from the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS), the hair loss condition traction alopecia may be on the rise, mainly due to the hair extensions sported by a number of celebrities.

Experts believe that many young women are attempting to copy the hairstyles of stars like Naomi Campbell (recently pictured with a bald patch suspected to be a case of traction alopecia), Cheryl Cole and Katie Price.

However, the hair extensions and weaves that celebrities sport can create constant tension and pulling on the scalp, which in turn can cause thinning hair or bald patches. Dr Farjo comments on the recent pictures of supermodel Naomi Campbell, saying:

“We often see this type of hair loss in Afro-Caribbean women as they very commonly wear hair extensions or corn rows. The areas around the hairline are the most prone to permanent damage because the hair in this area is more fragile. The other reason for hair damage in these women is the use of chemicals and heat to straighten the hair. Finally, the use of full hair pieces or wigs can cause friction on the scalp that breaks the hair.”

Telogen effluvium is an interruption to the normal hair growth cycle. Hair follicles enter the resting stage of the cycle simultaneously and there is consequently sudden hair loss. Causes are generally physical or psychological stress.

The stress may result from childbirth, major surgery, illness or any other reason. In addition, too much vitamin A can also trigger the condition, although this is only really likely via the intake of supplements.

Fortunately, the condition is not permanent. The hair follicles will reactivate, but it can take as long as eight months for hair loss to decrease and it will then obviously take a while for the hair to grow back. Hair loss is particularly noticeable when washing hair, but shampoo does not make the condition any worse.

As ever, the important thing to do is to get properly diagnosed by your GP or a qualified dermatologist. Knowing exactly what the problem is, you will be able to get the most appropriate treatment.

In cases where the person has suffered chronic telogen effluvium, management is possible through the use of scalp make-up, Medi Connections (ultra fine hair extensions) or hair replacement.