Connection between alergies and hairloss

[fallenfeather]

Hi chaps, I don't post alot on this forum but earlier this morning whilst I was sitting on the loo doing what many people tend to do on loos, I had a thought. That's the third thought I've had this week!

I'm wondering could people with alergies be more prone to hairloss? I myself am alergic to alot of furry animals such as dogs, cats, horses and donkeys and I also have an alergy to some foods such as egg and honey.

I have recently moved into a cottage and inherited a cat and over the last fews weeks since moving in I've been a little alergic, suffereing mile sneezing and a mildly swollen mouth and thoat (symptons of animal allergies) but Ive also noticed an increase in shedding (me not the cat).

So, what do you guys think?

When the body has an alergy to something, say cat hair for example, does it trigger an immune attack on the little gremlins in the cat hair that I'm inhaling and subsequently does this cause an increased attack on hair follicles due to my immune system being hyperactive?

I could be totally clueless here but that's why I'm coming to you guys to find out. Any thoughts are welcome.

 

[tchehov]

It's possible you could lose hair due to an allergy, but if you're losing hair in a a classic male pattern baldness pattern then it's almost certainly due to genes rather than allergies.

Everyone loses hair - what you have to watch for is miniaturisation over the period of several growth cycles. I don't think an allergy could cause miniaturisation, but it might accelerate it if you are prone. It's important that you should be using Nizoral shampoo to deal with any inflammation in your scalp.

I won't suggest gettting rid of the cat, but if you do - to a good home please.

 

[fallenfeather]

What I meant was, I understand that I have classic male pattern baldness but one strong theory of the cause of hairloss is the immune attack on vulnerable follicles and so I'm wondering if having allergies makes you more seceptible to hairloss or at least an increase in hairloss when you are around the cause of your allergies.

 

[Johnny24601]

re:

The cyclic nature of hair growth usually means that what we experience today doesn't effect our hairloss for a few weeks. Therefore, if you experienced shedding directly after being exposed to the furry animal, it is most likely associated strictly with normal male pattern baldness and not allergies. Remember, temporary periods of shedding can occur anytime especially if you are using finasteride or minoxidil. IMO, a common mistake by men with male pattern baldness is to constantly be on the "hunt" for some outside cause of their genetic condition. Now that does not mean that outside factors cannot influence the rate in which male pattern baldness progresses or even the look of one's hair, because I believe it can. However, the primary cause of male pattern baldness is genetics and only through photographs and documented studies can one make a conclusion that any outside factors are contributing to one's hairloss. We DO have many many case studies connecting male pattern baldness to androgens and also have many many photo-graphical evidence that show a distinct pattern of hairloss for men with male pattern baldness.

 

[s.a.f]

Re: re:

IMO, a common mistake by men with male pattern baldness is to constantly be on the "hunt" for some outside cause of their genetic condition. Now that does not mean that outside factors cannot influence the rate in which male pattern baldness progresses or even the look of one's hair, because I believe it can. However, the primary cause of male pattern baldness is genetics.

Thats an understatement, I could'nt agree more. But it often takes years for the sufferer to accept this.

 

[abcdefg]

Is any hair miniaturizing considered hairloss? or is it normal to have a little hair miniaturize as we get older?