Question about Spiro and Hormones

I would greatly appreciate your advice. I am a 51 year old woman in perimenopause. I have lost half my hair in the last 2 years, I had a lot to begin with, fortunately for me. I have overhauled my health in the last 2 years. My allergies are nearly gone and I have gone to a CHinese herbalist who treated me for deficient kidney chi and my energy level is now better than it has been in years, and I am calmer and can concentrate better. But the hair is only growing in a little bit. I am impatient. I also started on a progesterone cream very recently as I read Dr. Lee’s book who says it helps with hair loss, to reduce the production of androstenedione. I am loathe to try Minoxidil, I am afraid it would all fall out if I stopped it and I don’t seee the point in taking something that isn’t designed to fix what is the casue of the problem. I have another derm appt this week, am considering asking for a spironolactone prescription. DOes anyone have any advice or ideas for me? Thanks for your help.

» I would greatly appreciate your advice. I am a 51 year old woman in
» perimenopause. I have lost half my hair in the last 2 years, I had a lot
» to begin with, fortunately for me. I have overhauled my health in the last
» 2 years. My allergies are nearly gone and I have gone to a CHinese
» herbalist who treated me for deficient kidney chi and my energy level is
» now better than it has been in years, and I am calmer and can concentrate
» better. But the hair is only growing in a little bit. I am impatient. I
» also started on a progesterone cream very recently as I read Dr. Lee’s
» book who says it helps with hair loss, to reduce the production of
» androstenedione. I am loathe to try Minoxidil, I am afraid it would all
» fall out if I stopped it and I don’t seee the point in taking something
» that isn’t designed to fix what is the casue of the problem. I have
» another derm appt this week, am considering asking for a spironolactone
» prescription. DOes anyone have any advice or ideas for me? Thanks for
» your help.

Samantha,

Be very careful with any advice; I imagine that most of the men here (me included) only research male hair loss and a woman’s biochemistry is very different.

You might want to focus on the obvious first, e.g. a good hair vitamin/mineral
supplement; these are available at Vitamin Shoppe, etc.

Hairsite should probably have a separate forum for women.

Spiro is commonly recommended for female pattern baldness by doctors. It is very well tolerated by most and is worth a try, of course with your doctor’s recommendation. However, be prepared to wait at least 4-6 months before you notice any diference, if any.

There is a recurring theme among women that minox is bad because if you stop using minox, all your hair will fall out. Please note that it’s only the minox induced hair that will fall out, not ALL YOUR existing hair. There is a big difference.

Yes, there is one. It’s been around for as long as the men’s forum:
http://www.hairsite.com/female/dissgroup.htm

» Spiro is commonly recommended for female pattern baldness by doctors. It is
» very well tolerated by most and is worth a try, of course with your
» doctor’s recommendation. However, be prepared to wait at least 4-6 months
» before you notice any diference, if any.
»
» There is a recurring theme among women that minox is bad because if you
» stop using minox, all your hair will fall out. Please note that it’s only
» the minox induced hair that will fall out, not ALL YOUR existing
» hair. There is a big difference.

Thanks for your help. I will post on the women’s forum too. I still hate the idea of losing the hair that you have regrown if you stop it. It sounds awful. I just don’t see the logic in spending all that time on it and then you stop and you lose it all.

» Thanks for your help. I will post on the women’s forum too. I still hate
» the idea of losing the hair that you have regrown if you stop it. It
» sounds awful. I just don’t see the logic in spending all that time on it
» and then you stop and you lose it all.

May I ask if you use any lotions or creams for wrinkles or dry skin? What about hair color products?

samantha6,

Has your derm or even your PCP ever done a complete blood work-up when this began to happen several years ago? Do you know if you have any other isuues with thyroid conditions?

Has any doctor given you a formal diagnoses icluding female MPB? Does MPB run in either side of your family history including any other females with hairloss? This would include those who are thinning similiar to the common Ludwig pattern.

I truly understand your concern of not wanting to use something that does not have permanent resolve, but that’s the nature of the beast with hairloss, and especially so with MPB because it is progressive in nature without any known cure.

Any of the medicinal products treating hairloss are only buying us time at best.

» samantha6,
»
» Has your derm or even your PCP ever done a complete blood work-up when
» this began to happen several years ago? Do you know if you have any other
» isuues with thyroid conditions?
»
» Has any doctor given you a formal diagnoses icluding female MPB? Does MPB
» run in either side of your family history including any other females with
» hairloss? This would include those who are thinning similiar to the
» common Ludwig pattern.
»
» I truly understand your concern of not wanting to use something that does
» not have permanent resolve, but that’s the nature of the beast with
» hairloss, and especially so with MPB because it is progressive in nature
» without any known cure.
»
» Any of the medicinal products treating hairloss are only buying us time at
» best.

I would definitely get your thyroid tested. My hypothyroidism caused acceleration of MPB. After about ten months of thryoid medication I’m seeing some minor regrowth in the temple areas and my overall density is better. Not extreme regrowth, but my hair is about 100 times more healthy, less dry and brittle. Overall my hair loss has slowed to just about nothing. Definite signs of hypothyroidism is the thinning of the ends of your eyebrows and sudden extreme weight gain. After getting meds I’ve also dropped about forty pounds. Get checked! If I had a few years ago I might have a lot more hair!

You could get a negative reaction to it & end the inflammatory response to the negative reaction would result in further hair loss.
Chinese medicine wont cure you either.
Checking the thyroid gland is great advice.
Best not to do anything until you have seen your dermatologist.