Is It Alopecia Areata? How To Diagnose This?

[severeHairloss]

Hi all,
I have severe hairfall for past 2 years. It started after I move to a new country.
I moved to the US 2 years back from another country. I had a very long thick hair. Had a huge volume of hair.
After I move to US,I started seeing my hair falling out and thinning gradually from March 2017. I thought it will go off on its own. But it didn't.
Then I visited few doctors. I went to my PCP,OBGYN. They did a few blood work and said all the blood work looks normal and it will go off on it's own.
But nothing changed. I see a lot of hair falling off everyday. So, I visited a dermatologist recently( Dec 2018). She did few blood work and said everything is normal except my vitamin D. My vitamin D is very low and the value is 12.1.
She didn't mention the reason for my hairfall and prescribed me Minoxidil 5%oil. I am applying that everyday. It's been 2 months, I don't see any difference in my hairfall. Its still the same.
I am taking vitamin D3 supplements now to increase my vitamin D level.
Apart from that,I really don't know what's the reason for my hairfall? I almost lost 60 to 70 percent of my hair now. I usually see more hair falling off in the morning after I wake up. If I need to run through my fingers, i can see lots and lots of hair coming off. Also, during shower,combing and through out the day. I can see lots of hair in my floor everyday.
I don't know what to do and how should I treat this? What could be the reason for this?

Anyone please share your inputs. Any input is really appreciated.
Thank you.

 

[dr dhananjay]

Hello,
I can definitely understand your concern, it looks like you are having hair loss due to vitamin D deficiency, which can one of the reasons and low vitamin D can indicate alopecia areata (but not in all cases).

I wanted to mention a blood test which can be helpful for you:

1. Hb level
2. thyroid T3, T4, TSH
3. Iron content
4. ferritin
5. vitamin B12
6. Vitamin D
7. testosterone
8. cortisol
9. bilirubin

This can help you to know the correct condition of hair loss, but genetic is also one of the factors for hair loss. Medication support and treatment support is required to get good results. So doing both together helps for better results.
treatments like:

1. PRP
2. Derma roller
3. micro needling
4. laser helmet
5. laser comb
I hope this will help you for better results.

 

[Christine/M]

Hi I am becoming more concerned about my hair loss .
I have been to two doctors at my surgery one being a specialist in this area .
I have had an under active thyroid for several years now and my hair has periodically over about 30 years developed small balding patches,but this last bowt of hair loss is different.
I have had a lot of scalp iritation ie scratching lumps on the scalp the. Bald patches appeared these after using an antifungle shampoo seamed to subside a bit ,but hair loss is still ongoing ,my hairline is at the back of my head almost up to the opcipital bone on my head and very smooth no sign of regrowth.its been 5/6 months now for this area and I’m wondering if I should be asking for blood to be checked ,I was told I didn’t need a scalp scrape to rule out a bacteria .i feel having been a hairdresser for many years that it should be improving by now unless there is an inbalance in my body .should I go back and can I insist on the bloods to help me .
My doctor was very indifferent to my concerns even though th previous doctor recommended I see him as he specialises in this area.

 

[Raksmey]

For me, I have Alopecia Areata from birth control (self diagnose). How do I know? well I had one bald spot in 2015, then my hair grew back after a year. I didn't think much of it then, but now I have three bald spots, and just a month ago, I came across an article about birth control can cause alopecia. I decided to stop using birth control. a week after stop using birth control, I saw my hair grew back...then I thought about the time I found a bald spot for the first time in 2015, and it clicked, I was taking birth control both time, and the moment I stopped using birth control, my hair just grew back.

 

[FilthyFrancis]

I wanted to mention a blood test which can be helpful for you:

1. Hb level
2. thyroid T3, T4, TSH
(...)
9. bilirinin

Hey boss, little bit late on the matter but why is bilirubin relevant for hair loss?

Cheers

 

[ninarosshairtherapy]

Using a more holistic approach toward your hair and scalp health might benefit you! Visit a functional medicine practitioner near you. The doctor will be able to administer your entire body to figure out what's really going on. He/She will be able to identify the root cause of your hair loss and will create a personalized treatment plan to address any underlying imbalances.

Also, check for the hair products that you are using. Are there any harsh chemicals in them? If yes, I would recommend using more natural and holistic hair products that can help you treat hair loss and will help you regrow new hair.

Thanks! Let me know if this helps!