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Show look better than ever, because the hormonalchangesin your body favor hair growth. However, somehair may fall out after you've had your baby. This loss can continue for about six months, after which normal growth resumes. Whenyou enter menopause,the changein hormonalstatus also can cause temporaryhair loss. Hormone-replacementtherapyoftenis effective. e Medication. Hair growth canbe affected by a variety of drugs, supplements or herbs—from vitamins(especially vitamin A) to heart medications (diuretics), blood pressure-lowering agents, painkillers, antidepressants, blood thinners and antibiotics. Radiation and chemotherapy cause ex- If you can't tensive hair loss, although the hair does grow back af-. @jgcover ter the therapy is completed. © Anemia. Iron deficiency the root of maycause hairloss. Perhaps you're not getting enough your hair-loss iron in yourdiet, or you're problem, losing it in your blood (as during a heavy menstrual consult a flow). or you aren't ab. sorbing the iron youeat. dermatologist. Treating the anemia and taking iron supplementswill cure the problem. ¢ Birth-controlpills. If you lose hair whenyoustart taking the Pill, switching brands may solve the problem. Occasionally, yourhair doesn’t fall out until you've stopped taking an oral contraceptive for twoor three months. Don’t panic. It will growback in about six months. e Alopecia areata. This condition affects adults and childrenofboth sexes.(There is no knowncause, but it’s probablyadisorder of the autoimmunesystem.) There are discrete round baldpatchesthesize ofsilver dollars on the scalp or, in severe cases. loss ofall body hair, Treatmentsare available, though not always effective. However. hair may growbackonits own. ¢ Ringworm. This is a fungus mostoftenseenin children. (Despite the name, it has nothing to do with worms, ) Affected areasin the scalp may becomebald. Ringwormis contagious andalso can be spread by pets. Treatment with topical antifungal creams oroint- mentsalongwith oral agents is simple-andsuccessful. PARADE MAGAZINE + JUNE 18, 2000 + PAGE T in hereditary male-pattern baldness, there is typically hair loss on top of the head together with a receding hairline. HAIR TRANSPLANTS If your hair problem(whatever the cause) has not respondedto the foregoing measures. considera hair transplant. Hair from somewhere on your head where you canspareit (the “donorsite”) is movedto the bald spotthat needsit. Thereare severaldifferent procedures available. such as punch grafts. scalp reductionandflap surgery. depending onthe geography ofyourscalp. They're usually done by a dermatologist--Be-sure to checkthe cost before you decideto gothis route. It’s expensive andnot usually covered by insurance. Ik Dr. Rosenfeld’s No. 1 best-seller. “Live Now. Age Later,” has just been releasedin paperback. |
