infirtility and hailoss

Hi,

since my miscarriage in Dec. 2007, I am experiencing a massive hair loss. At the same time my husband and I have been trying eversince only to get pregnant once and that was a chemicalk pregnancy. I was not on any birthcontrol pills but I have to mention that the year before my hairloss I got pregnant twice and waited to miscarry naturally. It took so long for my hormones to go down both times that I can say  I had pregnancy hormones running through my body for most of the year.
Does anybody know what the cause of my hairloss might be? it has been more than a year since it first started and it has not gotten any better.

thanks

[Elaine Brown, MD]

HI!
Your hairloss is almost certainly caused by hormones.  Hair has a natural growth cycle, so that naturally some is falling out every day.  When a big shift in hormones occurs (like a pregnancy, or starting pills) it synchronizes the cycle so that all the hair falls out at once.  You won't go completely bald, and your hair will re-grow.  There's not much you can do about it, except stay healthy, eat right and take good care of yourself and your remaining hair.  If you are interested, there are lots of web pages about the hair growth cycle--here is one: http://www.pg.com/science/haircare/hair_twh_21.htm

Good luck!
Dr B