Androgenetic Alopecia vs. Telogen Effluvium

[Anita]

So, as I posted earlier, my derm told me that I have Telogen Effluvium. I did have bloodwork done: iron, thyroid, testosterone, DHEAS (no female hormones, however). All were normal. So, does this mean that there is no way I have Androgenetic Alopecia, because there is no hormonal imbalance? Because I thought I read somewhere that though the male hormones may all test normal, a woman can still have Androgenetic Alopecia. Does anyone know?

Thanks!

 

[Guest]

Telogen Effluvium has a specific cause. Its typically not a mystery. Telogen Effluvium in its truest form is not something that just happens out of the blue with no apparent source. Telogen Effluvium is typically a result of crash dieting, a severely (SEVERELY) emotional breakdown that involves stress, extreme malnutrition, or more frequently medications. Antidepressants and the like.

The best thing you can do at this point to prove or disprove that your derm is right, is to ask him or her point blank, since he/she feels you have Telogen Effluvium, what exactly triggered it.

Doctors have a god complex, and I am quite sure the doctor will say this in response: "I don't know what caused it but your hormone panel looks normal". At which point you can say "Telogen Effluvium by its very nature has a cause. It's not something that just happens out of the blue with no known reason. If it does happen in that matter, it is almost always not Telogen Effluvium. It has a different cause. Besides, even someone with Androgenetic Alopecia can go through shedding and be told they have Telogen Effluvium, and it has been established that women with Androgenetic Alopecia can have normal blood panel results". Your doctor will probably be lost at that point and have nothing to offer. Expect it.

Either way anita, as Ive mentioned before, the treatment is the same. Start using Rogaine and give it at least 6 months.

Laura

 

[Guest]

I had to run to class when I wrote my last post in this thread, but now that I'm home I can add something that I forgot to address.

To your inquiry about women having normal hormones but still having androgenetic alopecia, it is possible. In fact, the majority of women who have Androgenetic Alopecia have completely normal levels of testosterone, etc. In this case, it is that these women have hair follicles that are just more sensitive to DHT, thus causing hair loss.

Unfortunately, it is also known that an episode of Telogen Effluvium can very likely jumpstart or trigger previously unnoticed or underlying Androgenetic Alopecia if you have the genetic predisposition.

What exactly was your iron/ferritin level? Being normal in that respect has such a wide reference range, but even the levels within normal can contribute to hair loss.

On top of the Rogaine and such, Stinger's advice on supplements is a very good list to start out with. Do you have a balanced diet?

Hope this helps a little!

Laura

 

[Humpty Dumpty]

>>>So, does this mean that there is no way I have Androgenetic Alopecia, because there is no hormonal imbalance? Because I thought I read somewhere that though the male hormones may all test normal, a woman can still have Androgenetic Alopecia. Does anyone know?

I am 25, have normal bloodwork, and an aggressive form of Androgenetic Alopecia. Thus the baldness was put down to hypersensitivity to the effects of DHT and has proved resistent to (and was exacerbated by) the birth control pill, Dianette. So yes, apparently its very possible, as I now well know.

 

[Anita]

Thanks Laura!

Yeah, the doctor was humble enough to say that he didn't know what the cause of the hairloss was but he seemed confident that it would go away within the year. He also didn't think the loss was too bad. To be fair, my hair is shedding a lot less now, even before my visit, and I see new growth. At the same time, however, I am still discovering new areas of visible scalp when I part my hair in certain ways. Strange...

I will most likely never return to this particular doctor so won't be asking him about the Androgenetic Alopecia vs. Telogen Effluvium issue. I'm going to try my own approaches, and if there's no improvement I will search for another doctor. But really, it seems that nobody on this board has found a doctor they like. It seems we are all on our own.

My iron levels were well within normal. I've actually had them checked 3 times in the last month, as I was participating in a research study. And I have the actual results in hand.

Thanks!
Anita