Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Dermatology (Expert Forum)
Red spots on scalp - losing hair
Answered by
Alan Rockoff, MD - dermatology, Child Skin Problems
The Rockoff Dermatology Center
Brookline - MA
Welcome to the DERMATOLOGY FORUM! Questions in this forum are answered by Dermatologists from St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital, under the direction of Andrew Alexis, M.D., M.P.H.
Red spots on scalp - losing hair
by pappubhai, May 08, 2004 12:00AM
i had itchy scalp and bumps (1 or 2) which when scratched bled. so i went to a skin specialist and he told me to use IONIL T-Plus (similiar to coal tar). i told him i have had this problem since i was 17 (i am 23 now) and that nutrogena coal tar has no effect on me. anyway i have been using the ionil for 1 month with very little results. rarely do i get bumps on the head but now i see little red spots and my hair falling rapidly. my family (grand parents) have no history of hair loss. i do have dry skin all over - knuckles, face etc. the dermatologist did not do any skin tests - just a look and tell. should i talk to some other doc? what could be causing all the hair loss. since i was 17, my hair has been thinning but now its been falling a lot faster. when i see a differnt doc, should i ask him todo any tests? the hair falling problem is seriously effecting my life. any help is appreciated. thanks.
Doctor's Answer
by Alan Rockoff, MD, May 09, 2004 12:00AM
, May 09, 2004 12:00AM
People who have itchy bumps on the scalp that they pick at are hard to treat. Basically, you need to stop scratching, but that's easier for me to say than for you to do.
More important is this: even if you scratch at your scalp, you can't lose hair more than temporarily, because the roots remain. If you're losing hair and it's not growing back, it's almost certainly male-pattern baldness (I assume you're male.) You can't really tell much by looking at your family.
You may be picking at your scalp at least in part because you're upset over your hair loss.
Either way, there isn't any blood test which is likely to shed light on the matter. I suggest you speak to a dermatologist about getting a specific diagnosis. At that point you can consider a course of topical minoxidil or oral Propecia, which is quite helpful at slowing down male hair loss (again, I assume you're male.)
Meantime, do your best not to pick.
Take care.
Dr. Rockoff
More important is this: even if you scratch at your scalp, you can't lose hair more than temporarily, because the roots remain. If you're losing hair and it's not growing back, it's almost certainly male-pattern baldness (I assume you're male.) You can't really tell much by looking at your family.
You may be picking at your scalp at least in part because you're upset over your hair loss.
Either way, there isn't any blood test which is likely to shed light on the matter. I suggest you speak to a dermatologist about getting a specific diagnosis. At that point you can consider a course of topical minoxidil or oral Propecia, which is quite helpful at slowing down male hair loss (again, I assume you're male.)
Meantime, do your best not to pick.
Take care.
Dr. Rockoff
Member Comments (1)
by 090909, Mar 16, 2008 07:29PM
A related discussion, scalp pain hair loss was started.
by chwabo, May 09, 2008 10:57AM
A related discussion, non-itchy red spots on scalp was started.
by wheeets, Jun 04, 2008 02:24PM
A related discussion, Red spots on scalp was started.
