Hair loss.

[SalmaSayyer]

Hello Doctor,
I am 24 years old, my hair loss started 4 years back right after i had hemorrhage dengue fever. i was told id be facing hair loss but i had no idea it would turn out to be so bad! my hair has become very thin. last week i went and saw a dermatologist who looked at my hair and prescribed me with 4 medicines.
he asked me apply Clobestasol Propionate BP 0.05% w/w to my scapl twice daily for a week then give it a break for 3 days and apply minoxidil 3% for those 3 days twice daily, along with which he asked me to take 2 pills bioton 600 and spironolactone 100.
do you think its a safe combination? its just been 2 days that i started using the drugs.  

[SalmaSayyer]

Thank you for your suggestion, i will try and get an appointment with a trichologist soon. my hair loss has reduced significantly but im still worried if i can grow them back. i have been dieting for quite sometimes and i lost over 5 kgs so i think that could have triggered the hair fall, also im studying architecture and am working on my final year thesis which involves a massive amount of stress, my work pressure keeps me up till dawn almost every night and now my sleeping pattern has also altered even when i have nothign to do i sleep at 6am ish. but when i go to bed i do get a solid 6 hours of sleep.  im only 24 i dont want to end up bald, i hope i dont need surgery i dont think i can afford it.  

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms it looks like telogen effluvium. It is nonscarring alopecia characterized by diffuse hair shedding, often with an acute onset. There is a chronic form also which persists for a longer duration and starts with insidious onset.

Treatment consists of medications like Minoxidil, surgical approach(hair transplantation) and improvement in diet.

My sincere advice is to consult a trichologist and get this possibility ruled out. In the meantime take care of your diet, follow up with your doctor and take the medicines regularly and eat a healthy nutritious diet.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.