Hair Loss Not Always Genetic
July 17, 2007
Q: After each of my surgeries, I have experienced hair loss. Does this come from the use of anesthesia? Is there anything one can do to alleviate the problem?
A: It’s unlikely that the anesthesia had anything to do with your hair loss. What you’re describing sounds like a temporary hair loss problem called “telogen effluvium.” Not all that unusual or uncommon, it’s something totally different from genetic hair loss (androgenic alopecia). Emotional/physical stress from surgery; a sudden life change (e.g.- divorce or childbirth); sudden and marked weight loss; illness (esp. with high fever); depression; and discontinuing birth control medication can all cause the patches of hair loss seen in telogen effluvium.
Here’s how: the average scalp has about 100,000 hairs. Each of these hairs grows from a single hair follicle in a cycle of “life” that lasts anywhere from 3 to 5 years. There are three major stages to this cycle: 1) the “anagen” stage — the stage of active hair growth; 2) the “catagen” stage — the stage where hair growth stops and the follicle rests; and 3) the “telogen” stage — where the hair follicle releases its strand of hair. Roughly 15 percent of hairs are in the telogen stage at any given moment, with a normal daily hair loss of about 100 hairs. When the new hair starts its growth, the old hair is pushed out. A shock to the body may cause many of the hairs in the anagen growth stage to shift into the catagen stage and then into the telogen stage, where they’ll fall out. This process takes about 4 months, so sudden hair loss appears several months after the initial precipitating event. Beyond recovering the particular event, there’s not a whole lot that can be done. I’d recommend lots of good nutrition; a good quality multivitamin/mineral supplement may be helpful. Biotin may enhance hair and nail growth. Make sure that thyroid function, serum iron, and vitamin B12/folate levels are normal. Rest assured that this problem is only temporary. Be gentle when brushing or combing your hair. If hair recovery doesn’t seem to be occurring, or it’s getting worse, see a dermatologist.
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Q: I have diverticulitis that comes and goes. I had a colonoscopy this past fall that showed nothing serious. The doctor said as I was leaving, “No seeds.” Why? Could you please tell me which foods I should avoid?
A: Let’s clear up a bit of confusion: Diverticulosis refers to those “nook and crannies” that are tiny finger-like outpocketings ballooning out through the colon’s muscular wall. Some people have none, and others have dozens. Diverticulitis is an infection of one or more of those diverticuli sacs. Diverticuli don’t empty well; stool can get trapped in those sacs and then become infected and inflamed. This causes abdominal pain, typically in the left lower abdomen. Diverticuli usually are present on that side.
When there’s diverticulosis, eating large amounts of fiber and roughage help to keep the pipes clean. In fact, it’s a Western low-fiber diet (low in veggies and fruit) that increases the chances of developing diverticular disease.
It’s been the teaching for years that nuts, popcorn and anything with seeds should be avoided in diverticulosis or diverticulitis. Because obstruction of the diverticular sac is associated with complications, it has been suggested that avoiding foods with seeds or nuts (such as popcorn, pomegranates or strawberries) will reduce the risk of complications. However, a recently released 18 year study of more than 47,000 men done by researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle and a number of Boston hospitals concluded that popcorn, corn, seeds and nuts actually reduce the incidence of diverticulitis (28 percent lower risk in twice-weekly popcorn eaters; 20 percent lower risk in nut eaters) in folks with known diverticulosis. Perhaps they help to “keep the pipes clean”.
However, during an acute bout of diverticulitis infection, it’s probably best to avoid them along with high fiber foods due to the likelihood for roughage to further irritate an inflamed colon lining.
Posted by toshko under Hair Loss News |