New Possible Reason For Hair Loss
Generally, people who lose their hair think it is probably caused by such problems as Psoriasis. However, recently one lady from Northampton found there was another reason – Ulcerative Colitis.
The story begins when the lady in question (we’ll call her Charlotte) went to see her doctor about bald patches on her scalp. Her doctor suggested it was Psoriasis of the scalp. But Charlotte wasn’t so sure so she decided to consult a trichologist, who asked her what can only be described as an odd question. Charlotte was asked: “Did something happen to you about three months ago?”
She told the therapist she had been in hospital with Ulcerative Colitis. Speaking with local reporters Charlotte said: “I was on a lot of drugs and it was about New Year when I noticed I was losing a bit of hair. Then I noticed I had bald patches under my hair.”
She added: “I was highly embarrassed by the hair loss and initially no one could give me answers. My doctor had known I had been in hospital and made no connection to that at all.”
The most well known medical reason for hair loss is chemotherapy. But the trichologist suggested that in Charlotte’s case the hair was being starved of nutrients by the drug treatment for Ulcerative Colitis. The trichologist told reporters: “When people lose their hair I have to try to find out why they lose their hair, I do a consultation in which I go into their general health and any changes in their health.”
She added: “If you can find the cause you can do something about it, and perhaps help to reintroduce it (the hair), although that isn’t always the case.
“There may be something people can buy at the chemist but the cause could be something they are taking already. Blood tests are really important too. A lack of ferritin (a protein which stores iron in the body) will affect hair loss. Hair loss can be stress related, linked to vitamins and health, even something like IBS can affect the absorption of nutrients. Then there are health changes like the menopause and a change in weight range you need to consider; perhaps someone will be suffering from anorexia or have been on a diet; even losing something like three stones very quickly can cause hair loss.”
As for Charlotte, her hair is growing back nicely.