Hair Health Check
As we are not permitted to offer medical advise we do not offer these questions to provide any diagnosis but prompt a full consideration of other possible reasons for hair loss before accepting that it is perhaps male pattern baldness (MPB).
Hair Questions
Are you on any current prescribed medicines?
Certain medications are well known for causing hair loss such prednisone and chemotherapy medications but there are others that can block the correct functioning of the body. These might not be directly known to be related to hair issues but if they affect the use or absorption of certain other vitamins or minerals in the body, it could have an impact.
Have you suffered from any unusual stress, such as bereavement, redundancy or medical surgery in the last 6 months?
Stress is a common cause of hair loss
How is your scalp condition? Is it red, itchy, inflamed?
If your scalp is in poor shape, it is a good indicator that other things regarding your overall health may need to be reviewed. Start by ensuring that your shampoo does not include common ‘nasties’ such as SLS and parabens. If your scalp does not feel good, changing your shampoo is a good place to start. Your doctor can recommend a medicated shampoo for any serious issues with your scalp.
Have you been using any strong/medicated hair products which could irritate or block the scalp?
In addition to shampoos, take a look at all other products that you put on your head. Look into what they contain and at the common side effects people may have reported for those products.
Do you style your hair in, for example, braids, tied/scraped back?
Traction alopecia is a condition caused by hair being constantly under tension due to the obove reasons or possible from wearing tight headwear. This causes the hair to become brittle and snap off.
Have you seen your doctor to rule out any ‘h’ imbalances. We used to say the actual relevant word here but now we can’t as the nanny state says that we can’t use that word to help point you in the right direction sorry.
However, what we are trying to say is that it might be worth getting your h levels checked.
Is your diet generally healthy? Iron and other vitamin deficiencies can also affect hair health.
Your body relies on what you put into it to stay healthy. If you don’t give it a certain element that it needs to maintain its correct functioning, there is a good chance that something may go wrong at some point. Therefore, it makes sense to take a close look at your diet and check that you have a healthy balanced diet.
How long have you suffered from or noticed hair loss?
If the hair loss is sudden or extreme you should probably see your GP.
Have you had any serious accidents or undergone any recent surgery?
Some surgical procedures can cause severe stress to the mind and body. These things can take a while to recover from and can affect hair production and also colour.
How severe is your hair loss?
Please see the Norwood Scale below to evaluate. Your position on this scale should give you an indication of the possible progression of your hair loss and how long it might take for any corrective action to become effective.
