Hair follicles

[cricket67]

I am a female, 40.  At the end of last year, I experienced depression and couldn't eat.  I lost 40 pounds in 2 months.  About a month or so after I was able to start eating again and feeling so much better, my hair started falling out. Pretty much diffuse thinning, but of course more shows at crown and part.  It started coming out in early January and seems to be thickening up a little now.  I am eating healthy, taking biotin and good multi vitamins and my ferritin levels are back to normal....120 as before it was down to 14.  I have had tests on thyroid, hormones, etc.  Everything comes back normal.  Derm thinks it is Telogen Effluvium, maybe Andro Alopecia as well.  He said he sees new growth on sides and back and that the follicles at my crown are dilated.....but doesn't see any new growth yet at crown.   My question is....does dilated follicles mean that there may be hair that just hasn't popped the suface yet?

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

A dilated follicle would mean that the socket from which the hair roots and grows is bigger in size than normal.

Has your doctor ruled out the other causes of your symptoms?

A number of things can cause excessive hair loss. For example, about 3 or 4 months after an illness or a major surgery, you may suddenly lose a large amount of hair. This hair loss is related to the stress of the illness and is temporary.

Hormonal problems may cause hair loss. If your thyroid gland is overactive or underactive, your hair may fall out. This hair loss usually can be helped by treatment thyroid disease. Hair loss may occur if male or female hormones, known as androgens and estrogens, are out of balance. Correcting the hormone imbalance may stop your hair loss.

Many women notice hair loss about 3 months after they've had a baby. This loss is also related to hormones. During pregnancy, high levels of certain hormones cause the body to keep hair that would normally fall out. When the hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels, that hair falls out and the normal cycle of growth and loss starts again.

Some medicines can cause hair loss. This type of hair loss improves when you stop taking the medicine. Medicines that can cause hair loss include blood thinners (also called anticoagulants), medicines used for gout, medicines used in chemotherapy to treat cancer, vitamin A (if too much is taken), birth control pills and antidepressants.

Certain infections can cause hair loss. Fungal infections of the scalp can cause hair loss in children. The infection is easily treated with antifungal medicines.

Finally, hair loss may occur as part of an underlying disease, such as lupus or diabetes. Since hair loss may be an early sign of a disease, it is important to find the cause so that it can be treated.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hair-loss/DS00278

It would be advisable to consult a skin specialist for this and then decide the cause and further plan of management.

Let us know if you need any other information.

Regards.