I’ve had this for over 20 years. It’s been a very slow progression until the last 5 years. I didn’t have a diagnoses until about 8 years ago and even today there are so many physicians who know nothing about this type of alopecia. Thank you for talking about it.
Dr. Dray, I can't thank you enough for this video. It showed up in my feed the evening of my diagnosis (& I didn't Google anything). I will rewatch it because I spent most of the time saying out loud, "oh my God! That's me!" I am also sharing this video with my family, friends, & long-time hair stylist. My FFA started in 2021 with me awaking one morning to most of my left eyebrow being gone. I had NO visible irritation: no rash; no itchiness; no redness. I chalked it up to my hypothyroidism (controlled with daily meds), & asked my PCP about it. He had me go for a blood draw to check my thyroid levels. They were well within range. He suggested I try a brow serum. I tried 2 different drugstore brow serums. They did nothing. I bought some brow makeup & continued on. I'm of the menopausal age now, & have been prematurely gray since 18YO. After tinting my hair recently, I noticed that my left hairline on the side of my face seemed not as colored as my right. I chalked that up to not properly applying the tint. The next time I tinted my hair, I had the same result. I then noticed a horizontal "line" of scalp above my left ear. I chalked that up to my need to wear glasses. I also noticed the scalp of my bangs being a more pinky-red color than the rest of my scalp, & the bangs hair near my scalp feeling almost like hair plugs. I noticed no other visible irritation (flakes, scabs, bumps). I just figured it was drier & I should use conditioner there. About 3 weeks ago, I went for a consultation with an electrologist for my unwanted facial hair (hello menopause). During her consultation with her highly-magnified specialty glasses, she said, "it looks like you have some hair loss here." Now, I have very thick hair that has always been in great shape. I thought she was nuts. I couldn't possibly have hair loss. Nonetheless, I had an appointment with a dermatologist the next day for something unrelated. After the dermatologist finished her exam for which I made the appointment, she asked if I had any other concerns. I told her about the hair loss (that I couldn't possibly have). She checked it out, confirmed the hair loss, told me a couple of words (started with "lichen"), & asked me to come back for a biopsy of the area. She also explained that it's not anything life threatening, so that put me at ease. I just received the biopsy results earlier in the day that I saw this video in my feed. I ordered my compounded topical solution today, & I'm hopeful that it will work. I hope my story helps others. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU.
I'm glad I found this. I have been to 12 dermatologists and they keep dismissing my concerns for over 10 years and this sounds like what might be going on. 10 years ago, I caught a virus and, overnight, I developed seb derm, rosacea, an unspecified full-body inflammatory condition, and an immunodeficiency (non-HIV). Along with this, I lost a third of my hair and a third of my eyebrows. I kept getting told this was from stress and it would regrow back. There were these weird bumps in my eyebrows too and it my face was so itchy all the time. Most of the original hair loss was only in my hairline, which made my forehead look higher. Derms kept telling me to wait until it grew back. It never did. Then they said it was seb derm, and I treated it, but things still did not improve. It seemed like my hairline had permanently receded half an inch. I requested biopsies of anything-- face, scalp, and was refused because "i was overreacting and it would leave a scar.". My hair also turned two shades darker, which made no sense. A year into this odyssey, I had a medical emergency for my autoimmune disease and was hospitalized. As steroids are contraindicated for me, I was put on a permanent low dose of subcutaneous gamma globulin. After 3 doses, 75% of the problems began to stop. My hair grew back fuller and its original color, but the hairline never went as low as it had been (maybe some scarring). During the chaos of the pandemic, I lost access to my gammaglobulin. This has caused systemic inflammation throughout my body. Last year, the hair loss began MUCH worse than before in the same pattern as before, and it changed colors again to darken. Now I am in perimenopause as well, so I'm sure the hormones are accelerating everything. My scalp is so unbelievably tender I can't even sleep on parts of it or tie my hair up in any tight styles. I've been trying to get my treatment restored but many doctors are so burned out they don't want to take complicated cases. I never knew about this condition, so I am so glad I found out. This has really lit an extra fire under me to find someone who will diagnose it (or whatever the inflammation is) and treat it ASAP. In the span of 1 year my hairline has receded so far my widow's peak has almost disappeared and it's moving into my temples. Thank you for this info. ❤
This sounds like what I went through when I had Lyme disease and co-infections, as well as EBV. I went to dermatologists and was told to use minoxidil. My scalp was so very tender and pruritic. I had co-morbid androgenetic alopecia, as well. I saw naturopathic and functional medicine doctors who helped me. I had by then lost too much of the frontal hairline to save it, so even wearing toppers wasn’t possible by that point.
@@hiannahgus574 Oh my god, I am so sorry to hear it. And I really appreciate the comment bc I have Lyme and the EBV comorbid stuff which all reactivated by the other virus too. It's terrible what we have gone through in the medical system with these systemic illnesses. There is no quality of care except if you have $$$. I hope you are doing better. Thank you for the suggestion about also talking to NDs/FMeds. I think that is part of the solution.
Sounds like you live where I live and I'm so sorry this is happening to you. After having ignored your concerns for so long, they will eventually tell you that you waited too long to Halt the condition. In my case I did not, I had been seeing dermatologist from when I first noticed a problem but no one would do anything, there was no concern on the doctor's part.
I have a similiar story. After years of doctors telling me I was overreacting, a scalp biopsy in 2002 confirmed lichen planopilaris and now the frontal hair loss. I’d likely be bald if I hadn’t found a couple of great dermatologists. It’s distressing as a female to have hair loss and know the scarring prevents regrowth. But I’m hanging in there as I hope you do too.
I just saw a dermatologist for a neck rash and this type of hair loss. She did mention alopecia, but the information you have provided has been way more helpful . She did mention brow injections but did not explain what exactly it would be for.. ugh. We need more doctors like you! Thank you for sharing!! ❤
This video is pure gold, thank you so much. A problem is that some doctors shut down on the patient when we go in the office with some idea of what's the problem... They say we shouldn't use Dr. Google and quickly dismiss us, like they don't allow people to be educated about the body, conditions and treatment. I'm already dreading visiting a doctor and have to deal with that kind of pride when I mean no disrespect by being informed, all I really want is to be healthy =(
Very important video. I am 33 and was diagnosed with this condition 6 months ago. The first sign was hair loss on my arms, and my dermatologist didn’t think anything of it. I sought a second opinion (several months later because it’s so hard to get an appointment) and she noticed my scalp was red and did the biopsy. I’m on all of the treatments mentioned now after seeing a hair loss specialist last week. Fingers crossed for no further loss.
I stumbled on this video while desparately looking for answers for FFA. I think my hairline receded 1/100 of an inch while watching! Seriously, it's that bad. I am so thankful to finally find someone who knows exactly what to do and that there is hope to stop this craziness.
It’s like you’re in my home and listening to my conversations. I’m going through this exact scenario now. My doctor thinks the loss is because I’ve been in a long term lupus flare and I’m going to my dermatologist for a biopsy. Thank you for this great information, I hope it’s not too late.
Very informative video. I went through surgical menopause at age 30 plus I don’t have a thyroid. My eyebrows don’t have an end , they go halfway & stop. I’ve noticed when I wash my hair quite a bit comes out. I see my Dermatologist next month for my yearly body exam & I think I will talk with her about this! Thank you & have a great week!🥰
So happy you discussed this topic. I was diagnosed with this condition since my mid-thirties- no risk factors present. I am now 49. I first lost all my brow hairs. I also have very little hair on my arms and legs. Have lost about an inch of my hairline. Treatment over the years has included hydroxychloriquine (which I still take), finasteride, and tacrolimus. My dermatologist uses steroid injections when there is a lot of inflammation but the injections have not led to regrowth. I am currently on Xeljanz which is actually a drug prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis. There has been some growth but patchy. One or two strands can be seen on the brow area🙂. I also take oral minoxidil. Fortunately I have not experienced any pain or discomfort with the condition. I hate having to pencil in my brows every morning though. Tried micro blading twice without success.
Hi, I have FFA and like you am REALLY sick of having to do my brows completely every day. Would you tell me the issues you had with microblading? I feel like that is my only option! Thank you :)
Thank you for sharing this. So many people have never heard of it. I had not until I was diagnosed with it in 2024. I went in for a skin check and had noticed that I had redness and little bumps in my eyebrows and had lost alot of them. Lucky for me, I have always had over thick hair, but it was receeding some. The Dermatologist did a punch biopsy in my brow and it came back as Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia. I tried some different things but nothing seemed to work. I have now been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis which is another autoimmune disease. My brows have scarred and I have lost more of them but now I can really tell it in my scalp by the feel of it. It is getting more itchy and painful. Maybe it is time to go see another Dermatologist and see what is new now in the form of treatments.
I also have Rheumatoid Arthritis and I was wondering if that would be one of the autoimmune diseases that cause this. Obviously it's inflammatory. I stopped having to pluck my eyebrows, I just thought hair growth slows down as we age. I have an itchy scalp but I thought that's from my dandruff. I've noticed thinning of my hairline but I thought that's from wearing my hair up often and from age. Hard to know if it's these things or the alopecia she mentioned or all of the above 🤷♀️
Thank you for this video. I wish I had known that the hair loss & scarring could have been prevented & went to a dermatologist earlier. This is the type that I have been diagnosed with. It's very stressful. I lost all of my widows peak and lost most of my eyebrows & edges. Lots of fun 🙄 meds, potions & injections to use for it. I was told that I couldn't even transplant hair to those places which was disappointing.
I have frontal fibrosing alopecia. The treatment that has the most effective has been taking hydroxychloroquine twice a day. It takes a bit to see results, but my hair loss has haulted.
I a, so thankful I watched this video. I have Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia which my doctor and I thought had finally burned out but I have recently noticed dark hairs along my forehead in my otherwise white hair so I guess I had better start back with the Hydroxychloroquine and steroid lotions. Ugh. I quit minoxidil because of facial hair, especially around my eyes, like eyelashes growing everywhere. That disappeared within a week of quitting. So thank you Dr Dray for this timely video!
I believe this is what I've been struggling with for over a year now. I've gone to my GP and dermatologist, used steroids, gone for allergy testing, and still no diagnosis. I'm distraught about my hair loss and frustrated by how often I've been fluffed off about it.
Nowadays depression and degradation of quality of life is a serious and continuous matter that concerns every state and country in general so the thing i want to say is whatever the problem may be (Health problem or whatever sort of problem that may be) you are not alone there are groups and your friends and family that are here to support. Talk talk talk dialogue is essential for most of the cases trust your doctor or doctors speak and together you will find a way to deal with what bothers you so much or if it's another type of problem not a health type one the speak dialogue is key 😊❤. Have a great week Doctor Andrea 😊❤🎉 and thanks for informing us on such a not so well discussed matter such as this 😊.
It takes absolute minimum 4 months to get a 10 minute dermatologist appointments so “see your dermatologist right away” and “sooner is critical” which is everywhere, is just painful and frustrating to hear over and over. It’s not posible. Permanent damage is unavoidable. 😞
The dermatologist in my area really don't do anything, really seem not to care. No removing of clothing no blood work, etcetera. Thanks for confirming my thought that you can have more than one type of alopecia at a time. That is one reason why I decided to go ahead and try The Red Light and Laser helmet. This information was very valuable to me add to some others that I know. Thank you.
@@KM-os8lb they say that you should notice something in 3 to 6 months and I am almost at 6 months, however I did not or have not as of yet use the shampoo and conditioner and the serum that came with it but I did take the bottle of saw palmetto pills for the month that it lasted and haven't purchased anymore. I wanted to see what the helmet would do on its own given the fact that supposedly I have the type of alopecia it will not work on, as I mentioned earlier without any blood work or anything I was just told I had scarring alopecia. I missed a couple of days because I didn't take it with me when I traveled recently for fear of breaking it and just having too much to carry and once I used it 2 days in a row which I don't know if it's good or bad because I texted to inquire as to what should I do skip a day? No response, don't really think anyone reads the text messages although they contact me via text periodically to find out how I am doing . While away and the bright bright lights of a hotel room I tried to take pictures and I can truly say that I do think that I am seeing something. I would say that in a couple more months I should be certain of that and at that point I will start using the shampoo and the serum and perhaps considered the pills again incorporate more scalp massages and just see what happens before that one year money back guarantee is up. My only issue is that my battery pack didn't hold up very well at all but they have since replaced it. It is truly convenient for me to have that but I was a little disappointed in the speed it took and getting me a new one.
Thanks so much for your informative video, i went trougth years of dermatologist wich did not listen to me, the third one finally gave me a diagnosis and startet treatment . Is so sad they dont take your concerns seriously, becuase the early you start treatment and try to stop the condition , the better. I lost all my eyebrows and have microblading. i hope to stopt it. Good luck to all the women wich are battling this, is distressing. but we keep trying.
I know this information will be helpful to so many. You are a wealth of knowledge and so generous to share it. Happy Monday, Dr Dray! I hope you have a tranquil evening. 💟
I don't think I had Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia, but I was having hairline and eyebrow loss and scalp psoriasis in my mid forties. I stopped dyeing my hair and saw some immediate hair growth. I started treating my rosacea and even more hair grew with with regular use of shampoo with Zinc Pyrithione and/or sulfur. My scalp has always been tender so no tight hairstyles -ever in my life. I'm a Fitzpatrick 1 with extremely sensitive dry skin. I'm especially sun-sensitive. Such a great video I will share with friends and family - thanks Dr. Dray
d3/k2 drops, omega 3 ideally triple strength if you can get it, those two definitely, sea kelp for iodine possibly. All helped my psoriasis and rosacea.
Thank you for this brilliant video. I have just been diagnosed and am waiting to have a consultation for how it will be treated. Health care is very slow in the UK and I so wish I had consulted my gp earlier. Some years ago, I lost all the hair on my legs and forearms but, of course, was not upset by this. 2 years ago, my eyebrows became very patchy and now my right eyebrow is almost none existent. But again, I ignored it and had my eyebrows micro bladed in. Last year I noticed how much my hairline is receding and, at that point, I consulted my gp. It has taken 35 weeks from referral to consultation to biopsy to getting a diagnosis. All I can say to any other sufferers is DON’T DELAY and don’t ignore the other signs. Hair loss, for a woman, is devastating. One question - I have very bumpy skim on my cheeks, cheekbones and brow. This appeared at around the same time I started losing my eyebrows. You said this may be present in some patients. Is this part of the autoimmune condition and will treatment help this too? Thank you again.
أرجوك هل ممكن أن تلخص لي ماقالته دكتورة لانني لا أتكلم إنجليزية وعندي تساقط شعر في مقدمة شعر وأيضا حاجبي ولم أعرف سبب دهبت عند طبيب فوجدت نقص في حديد ولكن مناعة عندي جيدة وشكرا لك
My heart went out to a lady I saw just two days ago, who appeared to have frontal fibrosing alopecia. She also had a very sundamaged skin, including her face which was heavily freckled. This made both conditions much more obvious, because there was a clearly defined line on her forehead where the freckles stopped (where her hairline used to be) and where her scalp started (which was just evenly toned fair skin). This gave her face a mask like appearance. I am not shaming her in any way, but it did actually make think that if her skin was healthier her chances of (the hair folicals' scars) healing would probably be much better. I was also hoping that she doesn't receive unsolicited comments (& advice) from tactless strangers, aquaintances, family members etc. Dr Dray has previously discussed how ill-mannered some people can be when they decide to tell someone that they have noticed their skin condition (acne for instance). Most people have a mirror and already know they have a skin concern; so they don't need to be reminded (even in a supposedly caring way), as it may further add to a persons psychological distress. 👱🏻♀️❤️
Interesting. There are many types of Alopecia that only Trichologists know about. Minoxidil tablets and finesteride that I've just started are useful for Andro Alopecia.
I was diagnosed 5 years ago… I lost my window. I wasn’t diagnosed for 2 years… by the time I found a derm who knew what it was. And, they had any idea what to do…. You can now see my crown
I'd love if you did a video on how to communicate with your dermatologist. We get so little time with them but as patients struggling we have so many concerns and questions. How do we make our appointments as productive as possible? And what do we do or how can we help get our doctors to listen?
Does the risk of developing frontal fibrosing alopecia increase (or change) when stopping birth control? And could the hairloss occur assimetrically? Like just the left side of the hairline, for example. Thank you! ❤
Hey Dr. Dray, can you talk about growing back fingernails after losing them? Should you keep it moisturized to help a new one grow or just leave it, there’s not much info and it’s not often talked about 😢
You forgot the biggest reason for having no eye brows… growing up in the 90s and early 2000s and deciding it was a good idea to try to have brows like Gwen Stefani.
I’m not a huge follower of trends, thankfully because for this I was way too lazy to pluck much (if at all!) I still have all of my brows, even with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis 🎉
I struggled with receding hairline - esp on the temples and side of head after being in surgical menopause for about 12 years, nothing helped - supplements (with way too much biotin that would trigger acne), topical minoxidil (which irritated my scalp like crazy), red light treatments and a variety of other scalp serums and shampoos. What finally helped was a very very low dose of oral minoxidil (2.5mg!) and after 3 months not only am I seeing a tremendous improvement in hair loss, my hair line is back and thriving!! My dr just forgot to mention the crazy amt of shedding the first few weeks which freaked me out. Now my brows are growing too! 🎉
My primary is refusing to prescribe it! He keeps quoting the risk of affecting blood pressure. I was like NO that’s at normal doses, not the micro doses for hair growth. I have a derm now that will try it next month if the Spirno med I’m on doesn’t help. 🤞 It’s so depressing. My hair at the bottom is so thin because I waited way too long to get this dealt with professionally.
I recently stopped taking topical minoxidil because I believe that it was promoting scalp psoriasis, it’s been a week without it and using medicated shampoos and the problem seems to have greatly reduced but it still exists. Are there additional things I can do to help the condition? (Ketoconazole shampoo, salicylic acid shampoo, hyaluronic acid shampoo/conditioner)
سلام اللي نفعني أنا هو ماء بصل كنحكها في حكاكة وآخذ عصير وأضعه على حاجبي وفي بعض الأحيان أضع توم وينمو مجددا وهدا يساعدني في بقاء شعر حاجبي أما بالنسبة لمقدمة شعر رأسي فلم تنفع معه هده الوصفة
Hi Dr. Dray, thanks for this video! I had never heard of frontal fribrosing alopecia before this. So if I understand correctly, is this about inflammation and scarring causing hair loss? How is this different from the hair loss coming from seborrheic dermatitis? Thanks again for an interesting and informative video.
Interesting stuff. I had a receding hairline at the corners of my hairline; went back quite a bit. Then it all grew back to where it originally was! it was due to severe stress due to a shitty life event at the time. My bloodwork was also a little off, with my thyroid and other stuff, and then months later with the follow-up, all the bloodwork was completely back to the normal ranges. Doctor was very confused with that one, especially since the stress didn't even come to mind at the time, because that was a while ago (takes a while for these things to happen as far as symptoms, and then also for it to revert back to normal).
I used Rosemary Shampoo and it worked for me anyway My hair was in back near the cap and it well was without a lot of hair which I managed to cover up However using the shampoo after I think it was 3 weeks I was noticing my hair coming back!
thank you for all this information. On a side note I just want to mention that the ring style light you are using causes a very disturbing or at least to me type of catch light in your eyes. Perhaps repositioning would diminish the effect
Hi Dr. Dray. Thank you for another excellent video. Could you please tell me if it's okay to get your greying hair dyed if you have this condition and are already being treated for it?
What do you think about constant scalp stinging with hair loss? I started using Nizoral to get rid of the stinging (thinking it's from buildup) but I don't know if the shampoo is making it worse. Would the T-Sal would be better? Or should those not be used when someone has hair loss? My biopsy was negative, bloodwork was normal except ANA which was on the low end of positive - not high enough to be lupus. Also menopausal with rosacea. Ticks AND fleas lol. I have no body hair due to IPL treatments 😊 Thank you so much for this video! You have cleared up a lot of my confusion behind all the treatment options my derm threw at me during the quickie exam that you mentioned. It left me feeling less than confident in her 35 second advice but I understand how medical professionals are pressured into seeing patients faster and faster.
I was considering t/sal shampoo as well. Nizoral has a psoriasis shampoo that seems to be essentially the same thing with tea tree oil and salicylic acid. I read the Nizoral Ketoconazole shampoo for dandruff shouldn't be used on an inflamed scalp, so I stopped. I'm on many of the medications listed in this video but I still have inflammation even after 6 months.
Thank you for sharing, I was gonna stop the finasteride but after listening to you I will continue process. I just didn't think it was working, it's only been 1 month
I have the issue of my hair regaining colour along with the painful, itchy, inflamed feeling scalp. Symptoms also tend to occur after a period of stress related hair loss. Definitely need to see my derm. Has red light therapy been studied for this condition?
Dealing with this now postpartum and it's the worst. My derm told me to take Nutrafol and give it a year. Have also been doing scalp massages with a rosemary oil blend.
My granddaughter always had thin hair. When she got pregnant and was on prescription prenatal vitamins, her hair became thick and long. Now that her baby is almost a year old, I thought for sure she would go back to thin hair. She has been taking over the counter prenatal vitamins and her hair has not shed. It is as thick and long as it was when she was pregnant.
Hello Dr. Dray! Thank you so much for covering this uncommon topic and bringing awareness to this specific type of alopecia. I will get straight to the point. I’ve been dealing with FFA for many years now, and my dermatologist has determined that my FFA has “burned out”. My hairline has remained more-or-less in the same state for a couple of years. Can a patient such as myself be a candidate for a hair transplant procedure and reintroduce hair into the hairline? Thank you so much for all that you do. I truly appreciate you.
Are there other causes to sore hair follicles? I have definitely had this for years, but thought it was due to me only washing my hair once every 7 to 14 days due to limitations resulting from autoimmune disease. After hearing everything you have to say, given my health/health history, and that I'm recently losing hair, I'm concerned. But sore hair follicles have been a part of my life for awhile.
Diet will not change this. Once the immune system goes on a particular path, it does what it does. The amount of misinformation out there on “healing autoimmunity” with diet is absurd, and comes from people who couldn’t explain the difference between a T cell and a B cell, let alone clarify what autoimmune process they have “healed”
Hi Jackie! Happy Monday!! I hope you had a nice day and that you are continuing to feel better. You know I always worry about you. 💗 It was a chilly day here with light rain all day. A perfect evening for a hot cup of tea with my dear, sweet friend. Let's get cozy, gather the kitties and have a relaxing cup together. I hope you have a lovely evening and enjoy sweet dreams. Peace, joy and many blessings to you always. 💖🙏💖🕊💖☕☕🐈🐈💖❄☔
Thank you for addressing this issue. Everything you said is spot on. I have this condition and it can get you down but I try to do what I can to stop/ slow it down. I do wish I would have started sooner. I am using liquid steroids on my scalp and this fall started hydroxychloroquine and now...... am wondering if it's helping? Like you said, these things can take time. I will ask my derm about the scalp injections as well. I try to style my hair as best as I can to hide the hairline that I have lost . I am considering buying a hair topper but I worry that may irritate my scalp. I wish anyone else out there the best of luck in treating this and maybe someday there will be a cure !
I have frontal hairloss, but had a scalp biopsy and came back as female pattern hairloss. I wonder why mine looks more like this... But my biopsy was 15 years ago, but i wonder if now i have this type.
I have lost so much hair since I got Covid-19 (before the first vaccine roll-out!). I have researched that inflamation in the human body is one of the causes of illness. I am a huge sugar addict, and I know processed sugar is soooooooooooooooooo bad. I also have to stop wearing ponytails and buns in my hair. Thank-you for this. I have the traction type. It is very distressing.
Greetings Dr Dray hope u r well n 🖐Hello Every1 n Happy Monday😀n what a Wonderful Vid…. thanks n This is Gonna b so Important🔥👍n Continued Blessings to All💜….
Hey Dr Dray, I've been having problems for the past few months. I am having too much acne and I never had this problem before. My dermatologist told me to use facewash only and said I should stop using other products, even moisturiser and sunscreen. I am confused. What should I do?
I was diagnosed with FFA last year and I was immediately freaked out about it, and then decided to dismiss it since the prescription side effects scared me. I decided not to treat it, but after watching this video - I am now reconsidering…I do hate to hear that I have to apply steroids and stay on the meds forever…THIS is why I decided to not treat…ugh -wigs are so much cheaper and so pretty now a days…I’m almost 60…does it really matter if I lose my hair?
what dosage of hydroxychlorequin is effective? My dermatologist say she doesn't know and also do you think the red light therapy is good for this condition. I'm taking oral minoxidil and topical steroid
Hello, I have Kaiser and my dermatologist won’t do a biopsy. 😢 Only thing they suggested is to take a specific blood pressure med that has a possible side effect of hair growth (note: I don’t have high blood pressure 🤦♀️). I don’t know what kind of hair loss I’m dealing with, but I barely have eyebrows and now I’m starting to get a receding hairline. I do have thyroid issues (Hashimoto’s) and I also have all over snow white hair even though I’m only 47. One thing I’ve considered is starting Nutrafol, but if I have this type of hair loss would Nutrafol make it worse?
Have you done alopecia barbae/ alopecia areata of the beard, i have that and im not sure if its been caused by stress, sunscreen or cologne or maybe all 3 effecting hormones
Revitalash supposedly has a product for thinning hair (and I seem to remember a channel talking about using a lash serum for her hair loss but I can't remember the channel).
I've had this since 2012 😢. Its never grew back on my eyebrows or hairline. I had steroid injections & it left me with dented hairline right at the front which made things look way worse. I think i have scaring because its never grew back
Hello! How do you know if you have frontal fibrosing alopecia or just a form of psoriasis or dermatitis? How apparent/unique is the scaring for frontal fibrosing alopecia versus how psoriasis presents? I’m fairly young but I worry about my hairline already getting funky :(
@sable7114 if I may, seek for a trichologist as soon as possible and do not google your symptoms. When I had my diagnosis, I read on Google that treatments were not effective and I was likely to lose my hair for good. I trusted my trichologist and thought the treatments require consistency, today I can say I haven't developed new scars and the two existing look even smaller thanks to a bit of regrowth. I don't have pain anymore, just a bit of itching every now and then but treatment is not over yet, so maybe it will get better as well.
This is a great talk, I take both Steroids & Hydroxychloroquine for my SLE LUPUS. My hair started dropping out about 10 years ago before I was diagnosed. And I have very little hair left on my legs and arms (but I’m ok with that part LOL). My lupus meds have slowed down the hair and brow loss. Before diagnosis with lupus, I often said, “ My hair hurts.” 🙏
I had those i took finasterise 5mg dutasteride i was complaining for years to dermatologists i had seborrhic dermatitis and every ketokonzone selenium solphide coal tar salisalic acid cortisone whatever anti fungal oral or topical I tried everything it get resistant to all treatments and i still 😢 no success 4 years later I need your help doctor please 🙏🏻
I would do a full hormone panel and addition to that checking cardiovascular and metabolic health. Metabolic syndrome in particular is strongly associated with early hairloss. I managed to get my hair situation under control by improving my diet, drastic cuts in seed oils and sugar, they sneak it into so many products nowadays so pay attention.
I’ve had this for over 20 years. It’s been a very slow progression until the last 5 years. I didn’t have a diagnoses until about 8 years ago and even today there are so many physicians who know nothing about this type of alopecia. Thank you for talking about it.
Dr. Dray, I can't thank you enough for this video. It showed up in my feed the evening of my diagnosis (& I didn't Google anything). I will rewatch it because I spent most of the time saying out loud, "oh my God! That's me!" I am also sharing this video with my family, friends, & long-time hair stylist. My FFA started in 2021 with me awaking one morning to most of my left eyebrow being gone. I had NO visible irritation: no rash; no itchiness; no redness. I chalked it up to my hypothyroidism (controlled with daily meds), & asked my PCP about it. He had me go for a blood draw to check my thyroid levels. They were well within range. He suggested I try a brow serum. I tried 2 different drugstore brow serums. They did nothing. I bought some brow makeup & continued on. I'm of the menopausal age now, & have been prematurely gray since 18YO. After tinting my hair recently, I noticed that my left hairline on the side of my face seemed not as colored as my right. I chalked that up to not properly applying the tint. The next time I tinted my hair, I had the same result. I then noticed a horizontal "line" of scalp above my left ear. I chalked that up to my need to wear glasses. I also noticed the scalp of my bangs being a more pinky-red color than the rest of my scalp, & the bangs hair near my scalp feeling almost like hair plugs. I noticed no other visible irritation (flakes, scabs, bumps). I just figured it was drier & I should use conditioner there. About 3 weeks ago, I went for a consultation with an electrologist for my unwanted facial hair (hello menopause). During her consultation with her highly-magnified specialty glasses, she said, "it looks like you have some hair loss here." Now, I have very thick hair that has always been in great shape. I thought she was nuts. I couldn't possibly have hair loss. Nonetheless, I had an appointment with a dermatologist the next day for something unrelated. After the dermatologist finished her exam for which I made the appointment, she asked if I had any other concerns. I told her about the hair loss (that I couldn't possibly have). She checked it out, confirmed the hair loss, told me a couple of words (started with "lichen"), & asked me to come back for a biopsy of the area. She also explained that it's not anything life threatening, so that put me at ease. I just received the biopsy results earlier in the day that I saw this video in my feed. I ordered my compounded topical solution today, & I'm hopeful that it will work. I hope my story helps others. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU.
Amazing how inflammation is the hidden cause of all problems. 🤔
Omg, I have this!!! I’ve been to a dermatologist, 2x and they never said anything…. I will go back with this new info…
I'm glad I found this. I have been to 12 dermatologists and they keep dismissing my concerns for over 10 years and this sounds like what might be going on.
10 years ago, I caught a virus and, overnight, I developed seb derm, rosacea, an unspecified full-body inflammatory condition, and an immunodeficiency (non-HIV). Along with this, I lost a third of my hair and a third of my eyebrows. I kept getting told this was from stress and it would regrow back. There were these weird bumps in my eyebrows too and it my face was so itchy all the time. Most of the original hair loss was only in my hairline, which made my forehead look higher.
Derms kept telling me to wait until it grew back. It never did. Then they said it was seb derm, and I treated it, but things still did not improve. It seemed like my hairline had permanently receded half an inch. I requested biopsies of anything-- face, scalp, and was refused because "i was overreacting and it would leave a scar.". My hair also turned two shades darker, which made no sense.
A year into this odyssey, I had a medical emergency for my autoimmune disease and was hospitalized. As steroids are contraindicated for me, I was put on a permanent low dose of subcutaneous gamma globulin. After 3 doses, 75% of the problems began to stop. My hair grew back fuller and its original color, but the hairline never went as low as it had been (maybe some scarring).
During the chaos of the pandemic, I lost access to my gammaglobulin. This has caused systemic inflammation throughout my body. Last year, the hair loss began MUCH worse than before in the same pattern as before, and it changed colors again to darken. Now I am in perimenopause as well, so I'm sure the hormones are accelerating everything. My scalp is so unbelievably tender I can't even sleep on parts of it or tie my hair up in any tight styles. I've been trying to get my treatment restored but many doctors are so burned out they don't want to take complicated cases.
I never knew about this condition, so I am so glad I found out. This has really lit an extra fire under me to find someone who will diagnose it (or whatever the inflammation is) and treat it ASAP. In the span of 1 year my hairline has receded so far my widow's peak has almost disappeared and it's moving into my temples.
Thank you for this info. ❤
This sounds like what I went through when I had Lyme disease and co-infections, as well as EBV. I went to dermatologists and was told to use minoxidil. My scalp was so very tender and pruritic. I had co-morbid androgenetic alopecia, as well. I saw naturopathic and functional medicine doctors who helped me. I had by then lost too much of the frontal hairline to save it, so even wearing toppers wasn’t possible by that point.
@@hiannahgus574 Oh my god, I am so sorry to hear it. And I really appreciate the comment bc I have Lyme and the EBV comorbid stuff which all reactivated by the other virus too. It's terrible what we have gone through in the medical system with these systemic illnesses. There is no quality of care except if you have $$$.
I hope you are doing better. Thank you for the suggestion about also talking to NDs/FMeds. I think that is part of the solution.
Sounds like you live where I live and I'm so sorry this is happening to you. After having ignored your concerns for so long, they will eventually tell you that you waited too long to Halt the condition. In my case I did not, I had been seeing dermatologist from when I first noticed a problem but no one would do anything, there was no concern on the doctor's part.
I have a similiar story. After years of doctors telling me I was overreacting, a scalp biopsy in 2002 confirmed lichen planopilaris and now the frontal hair loss. I’d likely be bald if I hadn’t found a couple of great dermatologists. It’s distressing as a female to have hair loss and know the scarring prevents regrowth. But I’m hanging in there as I hope you do too.
I’m going through a similar situation. I have Hashimoto’s, PsA, and UCTD and an IgA deficiency.
I just saw a dermatologist for a neck rash and this type of hair loss. She did mention alopecia, but the information you have provided has been way more helpful . She did mention brow injections but did not explain what exactly it would be for.. ugh. We need more doctors like you! Thank you for sharing!! ❤
You know you can ask questions until you understand? Open your mouth.
This video is pure gold, thank you so much.
A problem is that some doctors shut down on the patient when we go in the office with some idea of what's the problem... They say we shouldn't use Dr. Google and quickly dismiss us, like they don't allow people to be educated about the body, conditions and treatment. I'm already dreading visiting a doctor and have to deal with that kind of pride when I mean no disrespect by being informed, all I really want is to be healthy =(
Very important video. I am 33 and was diagnosed with this condition 6 months ago. The first sign was hair loss on my arms, and my dermatologist didn’t think anything of it. I sought a second opinion (several months later because it’s so hard to get an appointment) and she noticed my scalp was red and did the biopsy. I’m on all of the treatments mentioned now after seeing a hair loss specialist last week. Fingers crossed for no further loss.
I stumbled on this video while desparately looking for answers for FFA. I think my hairline receded 1/100 of an inch while watching! Seriously, it's that bad. I am so thankful to finally find someone who knows exactly what to do and that there is hope to stop this craziness.
It’s like you’re in my home and listening to my conversations. I’m going through this exact scenario now. My doctor thinks the loss is because I’ve been in a long term lupus flare and I’m going to my dermatologist for a biopsy. Thank you for this great information, I hope it’s not too late.
Thank you so much for this! I feel I waited too long to see a dermatologist. Don't wait people!.
Very informative video. I went through surgical menopause at age 30 plus I don’t have a thyroid. My eyebrows don’t have an end , they go halfway & stop. I’ve noticed when I wash my hair quite a bit comes out. I see my Dermatologist next month for my yearly body exam & I think I will talk with her about this! Thank you & have a great week!🥰
So happy you discussed this topic. I was diagnosed with this condition since my mid-thirties- no risk factors present. I am now 49. I first lost all my brow hairs. I also have very little hair on my arms and legs. Have lost about an inch of my hairline. Treatment over the years has included hydroxychloriquine (which I still take), finasteride, and tacrolimus. My dermatologist uses steroid injections when there is a lot of inflammation but the injections have not led to regrowth.
I am currently on Xeljanz which is actually a drug prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis. There has been some growth but patchy. One or two strands can be seen on the brow area🙂. I also take oral minoxidil.
Fortunately I have not experienced any pain or discomfort with the condition. I hate having to pencil in my brows every morning though. Tried micro blading twice without success.
Hi, I have FFA and like you am REALLY sick of having to do my brows completely every day. Would you tell me the issues you had with microblading? I feel like that is my only option! Thank you :)
Have you tried temporary tattoos
I just started using them so much
Better then trying to do brows every morning I used baldie beanie
She has alopecia
No I haven't. Will check it out. Thank you so much!@@aliciadelanodesigns
Did the lost of the hairline can stop at some phase?
Thank you for sharing this. So many people have never heard of it. I had not until I was diagnosed with it in 2024. I went in for a skin check and had noticed that I had redness and little bumps in my eyebrows and had lost alot of them. Lucky for me, I have always had over thick hair, but it was receeding some. The Dermatologist did a punch biopsy in my brow and it came back as Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia. I tried some different things but nothing seemed to work. I have now been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis which is another autoimmune disease. My brows have scarred and I have lost more of them but now I can really tell it in my scalp by the feel of it. It is getting more itchy and painful. Maybe it is time to go see another Dermatologist and see what is new now in the form of treatments.
latter can be helped with d3/k2 drops, look into it?
I also have Rheumatoid Arthritis and I was wondering if that would be one of the autoimmune diseases that cause this. Obviously it's inflammatory. I stopped having to pluck my eyebrows, I just thought hair growth slows down as we age. I have an itchy scalp but I thought that's from my dandruff. I've noticed thinning of my hairline but I thought that's from wearing my hair up often and from age. Hard to know if it's these things or the alopecia she mentioned or all of the above 🤷♀️
Thank you for this video. I wish I had known that the hair loss & scarring could have been prevented & went to a dermatologist earlier. This is the type that I have been diagnosed with. It's very stressful. I lost all of my widows peak and lost most of my eyebrows & edges. Lots of fun 🙄 meds, potions & injections to use for it. I was told that I couldn't even transplant hair to those places which was disappointing.
I have frontal fibrosing alopecia. The treatment that has the most effective has been taking hydroxychloroquine twice a day. It takes a bit to see results, but my hair loss has haulted.
@Su-be5gg I take it orally
How did it take for your hair to come back?
Is this a prescription? Thanks kindly!💕
@@jayscott5618 my hair didn't come back, it just slowed any more loss dramatically
@@kellyvendrasco1945 yes it's a prescription
I a, so thankful I watched this video. I have Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia which my doctor and I thought had finally burned out but I have recently noticed dark hairs along my forehead in my otherwise white hair so I guess I had better start back with the Hydroxychloroquine and steroid lotions. Ugh. I quit minoxidil because of facial hair, especially around my eyes, like eyelashes growing everywhere. That disappeared within a week of quitting. So thank you Dr Dray for this timely video!
I believe this is what I've been struggling with for over a year now. I've gone to my GP and dermatologist, used steroids, gone for allergy testing, and still no diagnosis. I'm distraught about my hair loss and frustrated by how often I've been fluffed off about it.
Nowadays depression and degradation of quality of life is a serious and continuous matter that concerns every state and country in general so the thing i want to say is whatever the problem may be (Health problem or whatever sort of problem that may be) you are not alone there are groups and your friends and family that are here to support. Talk talk talk dialogue is essential for most of the cases trust your doctor or doctors speak and together you will find a way to deal with what bothers you so much or if it's another type of problem not a health type one the speak dialogue is key 😊❤. Have a great week Doctor Andrea 😊❤🎉 and thanks for informing us on such a not so well discussed matter such as this 😊.
We are all like that because of the overwork imposed by capitalism
It takes absolute minimum 4 months to get a 10 minute dermatologist appointments so “see your dermatologist right away” and “sooner is critical” which is everywhere, is just painful and frustrating to hear over and over. It’s not posible. Permanent damage is unavoidable. 😞
it depends on your country.
@@Sky10811 absolutely
And when you finally get there, they just dismiss you and say that you are depressed 😵💫
The dermatologist in my area really don't do anything, really seem not to care. No removing of clothing no blood work, etcetera. Thanks for confirming my thought that you can have more than one type of alopecia at a time. That is one reason why I decided to go ahead and try The Red Light and Laser helmet. This information was very valuable to me add to some others that I know. Thank you.
Was The Red Light and Laser helmet helpful in restoring your hair?
@@KM-os8lb they say that you should notice something in 3 to 6 months and I am almost at 6 months, however I did not or have not as of yet use the shampoo and conditioner and the serum that came with it but I did take the bottle of saw palmetto pills for the month that it lasted and haven't purchased anymore. I wanted to see what the helmet would do on its own given the fact that supposedly I have the type of alopecia it will not work on, as I mentioned earlier without any blood work or anything I was just told I had scarring alopecia. I missed a couple of days because I didn't take it with me when I traveled recently for fear of breaking it and just having too much to carry and once I used it 2 days in a row which I don't know if it's good or bad because I texted to inquire as to what should I do skip a day? No response, don't really think anyone reads the text messages although they contact me via text periodically to find out how I am doing . While away and the bright bright lights of a hotel room I tried to take pictures and I can truly say that I do think that I am seeing something. I would say that in a couple more months I should be certain of that and at that point I will start using the shampoo and the serum and perhaps considered the pills again incorporate more scalp massages and just see what happens before that one year money back guarantee is up. My only issue is that my battery pack didn't hold up very well at all but they have since replaced it. It is truly convenient for me to have that but I was a little disappointed in the speed it took and getting me a new one.
My Derm also!🤬
Thanks so much for your informative video, i went trougth years of dermatologist wich did not listen to me, the third one finally gave me a diagnosis and startet treatment . Is so sad they dont take your concerns seriously, becuase the early you start treatment and try to stop the condition , the better. I lost all my eyebrows and have microblading.
i hope to stopt it. Good luck to all the women wich are battling this, is distressing. but we keep trying.
ماهو التشخيص الذي أعطاك الطبيب لانني لم أفهم .شكرا مسبقا
I know this information will be helpful to so many. You are a wealth of knowledge and so generous to share it. Happy Monday, Dr Dray! I hope you have a tranquil evening. 💟
🙏❤️🩷🌷🐈🐈🫖☕️☕️🍰💕❤️🙏
I don't think I had Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia, but I was having hairline and eyebrow loss and scalp psoriasis in my mid forties. I stopped dyeing my hair and saw some immediate hair growth. I started treating my rosacea and even more hair grew with with regular use of shampoo with Zinc Pyrithione and/or sulfur. My scalp has always been tender so no tight hairstyles -ever in my life. I'm a Fitzpatrick 1 with extremely sensitive dry skin. I'm especially sun-sensitive. Such a great video I will share with friends and family - thanks Dr. Dray
Could you share the shampoo you use?
d3/k2 drops, omega 3 ideally triple strength if you can get it, those two definitely, sea kelp for iodine possibly. All helped my psoriasis and rosacea.
Love love love this. Even better that you’re a popular science commentator
Hi Dr Dray so excited to be here I live for this ❤️
Morning!
@@DrDrayzday ❤
Greetings David Shabas hope u r well n Happy Monday😀👍💜….
@@whitneybrown4067 Happy Monday Whitney😀👍
Thank you for this brilliant video. I have just been diagnosed and am waiting to have a consultation for how it will be treated. Health care is very slow in the UK and I so wish I had consulted my gp earlier. Some years ago, I lost all the hair on my legs and forearms but, of course, was not upset by this. 2 years ago, my eyebrows became very patchy and now my right eyebrow is almost none existent. But again, I ignored it and had my eyebrows micro bladed in. Last year I noticed how much my hairline is receding and, at that point, I consulted my gp. It has taken 35 weeks from referral to consultation to biopsy to getting a diagnosis. All I can say to any other sufferers is DON’T DELAY and don’t ignore the other signs. Hair loss, for a woman, is devastating. One question - I have very bumpy skim on my cheeks, cheekbones and brow. This appeared at around the same time I started losing my eyebrows. You said this may be present in some patients. Is this part of the autoimmune condition and will treatment help this too? Thank you again.
أرجوك هل ممكن أن تلخص لي ماقالته دكتورة لانني لا أتكلم إنجليزية وعندي تساقط شعر في مقدمة شعر وأيضا حاجبي ولم أعرف سبب دهبت عند طبيب فوجدت نقص في حديد ولكن مناعة عندي جيدة وشكرا لك
My heart went out to a lady I saw just two days ago, who appeared to have frontal fibrosing alopecia. She also had a very sundamaged skin, including her face which was heavily freckled. This made both conditions much more obvious, because there was a clearly defined line on her forehead where the freckles stopped (where her hairline used to be) and where her scalp started (which was just evenly toned fair skin). This gave her face a mask like appearance.
I am not shaming her in any way, but it did actually make think that if her skin was healthier her chances of (the hair folicals' scars) healing would probably be much better.
I was also hoping that she doesn't receive unsolicited comments (& advice) from tactless strangers, aquaintances, family members etc.
Dr Dray has previously discussed how ill-mannered some people can be when they decide to tell someone that they have noticed their skin condition (acne for instance). Most people have a mirror and already know they have a skin concern; so they don't need to be reminded (even in a supposedly caring way), as it may further add to a persons psychological distress.
👱🏻♀️❤️
Interesting. There are many types of Alopecia that only Trichologists know about.
Minoxidil tablets and finesteride that I've just started are useful for Andro Alopecia.
I was diagnosed 5 years ago… I lost my window. I wasn’t diagnosed for 2 years… by the time I found a derm who knew what it was. And, they had any idea what to do…. You can now see my crown
I'd love if you did a video on how to communicate with your dermatologist. We get so little time with them but as patients struggling we have so many concerns and questions. How do we make our appointments as productive as possible? And what do we do or how can we help get our doctors to listen?
Does the risk of developing frontal fibrosing alopecia increase (or change) when stopping birth control?
And could the hairloss occur assimetrically? Like just the left side of the hairline, for example.
Thank you! ❤
Morning Dr Dray! Great video as always!
Hey Dr. Dray, can you talk about growing back fingernails after losing them? Should you keep it moisturized to help a new one grow or just leave it, there’s not much info and it’s not often talked about 😢
Thank you! I’ve had this dx for about 2 years and it seems to be becoming more prevalent. Appreciate the evidence based recommendations!
You forgot the biggest reason for having no eye brows… growing up in the 90s and early 2000s and deciding it was a good idea to try to have brows like Gwen Stefani.
For me it was Drew Barrymore 😅
I’m not a huge follower of trends, thankfully because for this I was way too lazy to pluck much (if at all!)
I still have all of my brows, even with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis 🎉
We've all been there. Why did no one tell us that the "pencil eyebrow" trend would come back to haunt us forever 😂
😅
I struggled with receding hairline - esp on the temples and side of head after being in surgical menopause for about 12 years, nothing helped - supplements (with way too much biotin that would trigger acne), topical minoxidil (which irritated my scalp like crazy), red light treatments and a variety of other scalp serums and shampoos.
What finally helped was a very very low dose of oral minoxidil (2.5mg!) and after 3 months not only am I seeing a tremendous improvement in hair loss, my hair line is back and thriving!! My dr just forgot to mention the crazy amt of shedding the first few weeks which freaked me out.
Now my brows are growing too! 🎉
My primary is refusing to prescribe it! He keeps quoting the risk of affecting blood pressure. I was like NO that’s at normal doses, not the micro doses for hair growth. I have a derm now that will try it next month if the Spirno med I’m on doesn’t help. 🤞 It’s so depressing. My hair at the bottom is so thin because I waited way too long to get this dealt with professionally.
Dr. Dray. Thank you. I wish my board certified dermatologist had an interest in alopecia. Her focus: Botox, fillers, peels. 😢
I recently stopped taking topical minoxidil because I believe that it was promoting scalp psoriasis, it’s been a week without it and using medicated shampoos and the problem seems to have greatly reduced but it still exists. Are there additional things I can do to help the condition? (Ketoconazole shampoo, salicylic acid shampoo, hyaluronic acid shampoo/conditioner)
Thanks. My eyebrows are thinning like crazy. My cousin was alarmed when she saw me in the morning, before I filled in my brows.
سلام اللي نفعني أنا هو ماء بصل كنحكها في حكاكة وآخذ عصير وأضعه على حاجبي وفي بعض الأحيان أضع توم وينمو مجددا وهدا يساعدني في بقاء شعر حاجبي أما بالنسبة لمقدمة شعر رأسي فلم تنفع معه هده الوصفة
Hi Dr. Dray, thanks for this video! I had never heard of frontal fribrosing alopecia before this. So if I understand correctly, is this about inflammation and scarring causing hair loss? How is this different from the hair loss coming from seborrheic dermatitis? Thanks again for an interesting and informative video.
Happy Monday, Dr. Dray❤
What are your thoughts on use of hair fiber products along the hairline. Can it cause hair loss over time ?
Thank you so much for this information! Do those silk sleep bonnets everyone is wearing cause friction and traction at the hairline? Should we avoid??
Thankyou so much for helping people with these conditions x
Interesting stuff. I had a receding hairline at the corners of my hairline; went back quite a bit. Then it all grew back to where it originally was! it was due to severe stress due to a shitty life event at the time. My bloodwork was also a little off, with my thyroid and other stuff, and then months later with the follow-up, all the bloodwork was completely back to the normal ranges. Doctor was very confused with that one, especially since the stress didn't even come to mind at the time, because that was a while ago (takes a while for these things to happen as far as symptoms, and then also for it to revert back to normal).
I used Rosemary Shampoo and it worked for me anyway My hair was in back near the cap and it well was without a lot of hair which I managed to cover up However using the shampoo after I think it was 3 weeks I was noticing my hair coming back!
Putting rosemary essential oil in your shampoo definitely works.
Which shampoo did you use?
thank you for all this information. On a side note I just want to mention that the ring style light you are using causes a very disturbing or at least to me type of catch light in your eyes. Perhaps repositioning would diminish the effect
Hi Dr. Dray. Thank you for another excellent video.
Could you please tell me if it's okay to get your greying hair dyed if you have this condition and are already being treated for it?
Great topic thanks and have a great weeek everyone ! Do
Thanks, you too!
Thank You have a Great Day!!🖐🌻
Thank you. What about IRestore? Will the heat aggravate the condition? Thank you.
I might check her iRestore videos (and several other dermatologist channels).
What do you think about constant scalp stinging with hair loss? I started using Nizoral to get rid of the stinging (thinking it's from buildup) but I don't know if the shampoo is making it worse. Would the T-Sal would be better? Or should those not be used when someone has hair loss?
My biopsy was negative, bloodwork was normal except ANA which was on the low end of positive - not high enough to be lupus. Also menopausal with rosacea. Ticks AND fleas lol. I have no body hair due to IPL treatments 😊
Thank you so much for this video! You have cleared up a lot of my confusion behind all the treatment options my derm threw at me during the quickie exam that you mentioned. It left me feeling less than confident in her 35 second advice but I understand how medical professionals are pressured into seeing patients faster and faster.
I was considering t/sal shampoo as well. Nizoral has a psoriasis shampoo that seems to be essentially the same thing with tea tree oil and salicylic acid. I read the Nizoral Ketoconazole shampoo for dandruff shouldn't be used on an inflamed scalp, so I stopped. I'm on many of the medications listed in this video but I still have inflammation even after 6 months.
Thank you for sharing, I was gonna stop the finasteride but after listening to you I will continue process. I just didn't think it was working, it's only been 1 month
I have the issue of my hair regaining colour along with the painful, itchy, inflamed feeling scalp. Symptoms also tend to occur after a period of stress related hair loss.
Definitely need to see my derm.
Has red light therapy been studied for this condition?
very good video, many Thanks and have a good week
thanks for watching!
Dealing with this now postpartum and it's the worst. My derm told me to take Nutrafol and give it a year. Have also been doing scalp massages with a rosemary oil blend.
I've heard good things about nutrafol.
My granddaughter always had thin hair. When she got pregnant and was on prescription prenatal vitamins, her hair became thick and long. Now that her baby is almost a year old, I thought for sure she would go back to thin hair. She has been taking over the counter prenatal vitamins and her hair has not shed. It is as thick and long as it was when she was pregnant.
@@kathystclair9485 I never stopped my prenatals since I’m nursing. What brand does she take? I’m glad it worked out for her!
Highly doubt it's FFA. You just have telogen effluvium. Completely different, unrelated issue that does not scar the hair follicle.
@@dermlover1 ok thanks I was worried because my scalp was very tender and painful like described in the video! And it’s only at the hairline.
Hello Dr. Dray! Thank you so much for covering this uncommon topic and bringing awareness to this specific type of alopecia.
I will get straight to the point. I’ve been dealing with FFA for many years now, and my dermatologist has determined that my FFA has “burned out”. My hairline has remained more-or-less in the same state for a couple of years.
Can a patient such as myself be a candidate for a hair transplant procedure and reintroduce hair into the hairline?
Thank you so much for all that you do. I truly appreciate you.
Are there other causes to sore hair follicles? I have definitely had this for years, but thought it was due to me only washing my hair once every 7 to 14 days due to limitations resulting from autoimmune disease.
After hearing everything you have to say, given my health/health history, and that I'm recently losing hair, I'm concerned. But sore hair follicles have been a part of my life for awhile.
What about changing the diet to eating anti-inflammatory foods, would that be helpful? If it is a systemic inflammation I would think that it would.
Diet will not change this. Once the immune system goes on a particular path, it does what it does. The amount of misinformation out there on “healing autoimmunity” with diet is absurd, and comes from people who couldn’t explain the difference between a T cell and a B cell, let alone clarify what autoimmune process they have “healed”
This is the first time I have heard about follicle scarring! Can bleaching/treating your hair cause follicles to scar as well?
The Hair Loss Show (Australia) has a video, effects of bleack on your scalp and hair.
Hi Dr. Dray!! Thank You Always for this Video, Very Interesting!! Happy Monday!! Have a Wonderful Day and Weekend!!🙏💕🌷🙏
Morning!
Greetings Jackie Marsh hope u r well n Happy Monday😀👍💜….
@@DrDrayzday🙏❤️🌷❤️🙏
@@whitneybrown4067🙏🦋💜💜💜💜🦋🙏
Hi Jackie! Happy Monday!! I hope you had a nice day and that you are continuing to feel better. You know I always worry about you. 💗 It was a chilly day here with light rain all day. A perfect evening for a hot cup of tea with my dear, sweet friend. Let's get cozy, gather the kitties and have a relaxing cup together. I hope you have a lovely evening and enjoy sweet dreams. Peace, joy and many blessings to you always. 💖🙏💖🕊💖☕☕🐈🐈💖❄☔
Good morning Dr Dray ❤
Morning!
What causes the internal inflammation? Seems like the medication is a bandaid as the inflammation comes back if the medication isn't used?
Thank you for addressing this issue. Everything you said is spot on. I have this condition and it can get you down but I try to do what I can to stop/ slow it down. I do wish I would have started sooner. I am using liquid steroids on my scalp and this fall started hydroxychloroquine and now...... am wondering if it's helping? Like you said, these things can take time. I will ask my derm about the scalp injections as well. I try to style my hair as best as I can to hide the hairline that I have lost . I am considering buying a hair topper but I worry that may irritate my scalp. I wish anyone else out there the best of luck in treating this and maybe someday there will be a cure !
Thank you Dr Dray. My Dermatologist is useless. I’ll check into this with my new Doctor.
ممكن أحد منكم ان يلخص لي ماقالته دكتورة لأن الأمر يهمني عندي تساقط شعر في مقدمة الشعر وشكرا لكم
I have frontal hairloss, but had a scalp biopsy and came back as female pattern hairloss. I wonder why mine looks more like this... But my biopsy was 15 years ago, but i wonder if now i have this type.
I have lost so much hair since I got Covid-19 (before the first vaccine roll-out!). I have researched that inflamation in the human body is one of the causes of illness. I am a huge sugar addict, and I know processed sugar is soooooooooooooooooo bad. I also have to stop wearing ponytails and buns in my hair. Thank-you for this. I have the traction type. It is very distressing.
Happy Monday Dr Dray…see you tomorrow x💙🤩
Excellent video - thank you.
Greetings Dr Dray hope u r well n 🖐Hello Every1 n Happy Monday😀n what a Wonderful Vid…. thanks n This is Gonna b so Important🔥👍n Continued Blessings to All💜….
Morning!
Happy Monday Whitney Brown. Hope you're well and having a lovely day.
Greetings d b hope u r well n Happy Monday😀👍💜….
Happy Monday my Friend!! I Hope Your Day is Going Amazing!! Biggest Hugs and Many Blessings Always!!🙏🌻💜💜💜🌻🙏
Could verteporfin reverse the scarring since its new treatment just was discovered
Hey Dr Dray, I've been having problems for the past few months. I am having too much acne and I never had this problem before. My dermatologist told me to use facewash only and said I should stop using other products, even moisturiser and sunscreen. I am confused. What should I do?
Dr. Dray, does using red light therapy irritate FFA?
I am listening to this video and noticed I do have an itch and pain in my crown area.
I was diagnosed with FFA last year and I was immediately freaked out about it, and then decided to dismiss it since the prescription side effects scared me. I decided not to treat it, but after watching this video - I am now reconsidering…I do hate to hear that I have to apply steroids and stay on the meds forever…THIS is why I decided to not treat…ugh -wigs are so much cheaper and so pretty now a days…I’m almost 60…does it really matter if I lose my hair?
Is it not normal to have reduced hair all over the body due to menopause ??
Esp. eyebrow & pubic area ?
what dosage of hydroxychlorequin is effective? My dermatologist say she doesn't know and also do you think the red light therapy is good for this condition. I'm taking oral minoxidil and topical steroid
I damaged my hairline in my early 20s with a 40 % bleach. My grew very thin after.
My derm said so many people are now being diagnosed with those.
I'm fair, 47 years old, with a history of multiple bad sunburns in my youth. At what point/age do I need to see a dermatologist for a full skin exam?
Yesterday. Seriously.
Im wearing a wig and using a wig band for my AA. Could this be contributing to my receding hairline? Thanks kindly!💕
Hello, I have Kaiser and my dermatologist won’t do a biopsy. 😢 Only thing they suggested is to take a specific blood pressure med that has a possible side effect of hair growth (note: I don’t have high blood pressure 🤦♀️). I don’t know what kind of hair loss I’m dealing with, but I barely have eyebrows and now I’m starting to get a receding hairline. I do have thyroid issues (Hashimoto’s) and I also have all over snow white hair even though I’m only 47. One thing I’ve considered is starting Nutrafol, but if I have this type of hair loss would Nutrafol make it worse?
Is there any science behind hair pigment retention while on minoxidil?
What about Micro needling on the scalp to help hair growth?
My derm told me microneedling is not recommended for scarring alopecia like it can be for other kinds of alopecia.
Have you done alopecia barbae/ alopecia areata of the beard, i have that and im not sure if its been caused by stress, sunscreen or cologne or maybe all 3 effecting hormones
She does have a video, why I don't recommend minoxidil for brow & beard growth.
Can jade rollers(Gua Sha tools) help with frontal fibrosing alopecia?
My mom told me that hitting 60 body hair would become like a pre-puberty stage. Is this wrong?
It’s wrong . I’m 60 . Everyone is different
So, Nizoral is not good in this situation?
thank you for the information !
I had quite a bit of regrowth on doxycycline.
@drdray can you have a receding hairline with androgenetic alopecia. I have AA and a receding hairline. Thanks kindly!💕
I hope I dont have this kind of Alopecia. 😫
Will eyelash serums with prostaglandins grow the hair on your head/around your hairline?
Revitalash supposedly has a product for thinning hair (and I seem to remember a channel talking about using a lash serum for her hair loss but I can't remember the channel).
I've had this since 2012 😢. Its never grew back on my eyebrows or hairline. I had steroid injections & it left me with dented hairline right at the front which made things look way worse. I think i have scaring because its never grew back
Hello! How do you know if you have frontal fibrosing alopecia or just a form of psoriasis or dermatitis? How apparent/unique is the scaring for frontal fibrosing alopecia versus how psoriasis presents? I’m fairly young but I worry about my hairline already getting funky :(
Can you also make a video about lichen and discoid lupus of the scalp?
Excellent topic
@@sable7114 just because I'm dealing with it 😂
@@chiara3480 I'm sorry. I'm hopeful it will help me to determine what's going on with myself as well.
@sable7114 if I may, seek for a trichologist as soon as possible and do not google your symptoms.
When I had my diagnosis, I read on Google that treatments were not effective and I was likely to lose my hair for good.
I trusted my trichologist and thought the treatments require consistency, today I can say I haven't developed new scars and the two existing look even smaller thanks to a bit of regrowth. I don't have pain anymore, just a bit of itching every now and then but treatment is not over yet, so maybe it will get better as well.
This is a great talk, I take both Steroids & Hydroxychloroquine for my SLE LUPUS. My hair started dropping out about 10 years ago before I was diagnosed. And I have very little hair left on my legs and arms (but I’m ok with that part LOL). My lupus meds have slowed down the hair and brow loss. Before diagnosis with lupus, I often said, “ My hair hurts.” 🙏
You're my hero
I can't even get the referral to dermatologist, and I've scarred up my whole scalp because of painful, itchy ingrown hairs.
I had those i took finasterise 5mg dutasteride i was complaining for years to dermatologists i had seborrhic dermatitis and every ketokonzone selenium solphide coal tar salisalic acid cortisone whatever anti fungal oral or topical I tried everything it get resistant to all treatments and i still 😢 no success 4 years later I need your help doctor please 🙏🏻
I would do a full hormone panel and addition to that checking cardiovascular and metabolic health. Metabolic syndrome in particular is strongly associated with early hairloss. I managed to get my hair situation under control by improving my diet, drastic cuts in seed oils and sugar, they sneak it into so many products nowadays so pay attention.