Hair Loss

[tamborine]

awww, 73y sis has hair loss. Its falling in clumps every day. She's really worried as her hair is shoulder length & pride & glory (was).

Any remedy or prognosis welcome ?

[MargoTester]

Is this a sudden thing? There may well be an underlying cause, has she been ill recently or had something bad happen in her life?

[tamborine]

It is sudden. Her OH had a cancer scare recently but recovered. Are you alluding to stress Margo? She's happy, healthy & on another shopping jaunt today, spending her Oz dollars in London.

[MallyJ]

Thyroid problems can result in hair loss... a visit to the doctor and a blood test might help to give a diagnosis and therefore a cure

[Buenchico]

Your sister needs to see her GP in order to find out if any underlying cause can be identified. (Hair loss can be associated with thyroid problems, diabetes and many other medical conditions or it can just be unexplained).

Other than that, this might help:
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/hairloss/Pages/Womenandhairloss.aspx

[MargoTester]

Tambo - yes I did wonder if it may be stress related, but it would seem not. I would agree with the others that a trip to the doctor may be called for. Possibly a shorter hair cut would 'conceal' some of the thinning. I think most women have a fear of hair loss so I sympathise with her.

[Sqad]

This sudden hairless is most commonly due to stress or a psychosomatic problem. Difficult to treat with a poor prognosis.

Yes, thyroid problems may cause hairless, but not as a presenting sign and is usually a change in hair condition rather than hair loss.

[tamborine]

If its not thyroid, will the lost hair grow back? She has no GP in UK & is only here for another week.

[Mamyalynne]

There's no definitive answer to that Tambo - it may do,it may not.

She may be best having a shorter cut and making the best of what she has to look and feel good.

[Sqad]

Mamy is correct ^^^^

[woofgang]

telogen effluvium happens after the stress is over
http://patient.info/health/telogen-effluvium

[tamborine]

Thats encouraging Woof! She teaches English to foreigners & has just gained an honour award after assessment at her academy. The hair shows regrowth but she is anxious at her students noticing. I told her they'd sing 'Youre so vain' ;)