It doesn’t seem fair. You’re working on finding answers to your skin condition, and now your hair is thinning and falling out! Unfortunately, whatever is bothering the skin on other parts of your body, may also be affecting your scalp and the health of your hair follicles. Or, it may be completely unrelated. Whichever it may be, hair loss is a sign that it’s time to see your doctor.
Which Skin Conditions Can Cause Hair Loss
While your hair loss may or may not be related to your skin condition, here are skin disorders that can cause alopecia (hair loss):
- Fungal infections such as ringworm
- Viral or bacterial infections such as staphylococcus, herpes, or shingles
- Inflammation of the hair follicles known as folliculitis
- Seborrheic Dermatitis, which causes itchiness and flaking of the scalp due to an overproduction of sebum combined with naturally occurring yeast.
- Lichen Planopilaris, an autoimmune condition that attacks the hair follicles, causing redness, itching, and scarring.
- Psoriasis, which can cause a rapid build-up of skin on the scalp that results in hair loss
- Eczema or TSW can cause hair loss by the constant inflammation and itching, both of which can damage the hair follicles and scar the skin. Certain cases of eczema also have an autoimmune component, which can inflame and damage the scalp.
Time for a Check-Up
While many causes of hair loss are temporary with no permanent effect, it’s important to diagnose and hopefully resolve hair loss quickly. If hair loss is due to severe inflammation or causes itching, it can result in scarring of the scalp. Scar tissue cannot support hair regrowth. In other cases, a bacterial infection can be so severe that it destroys the hair follicle, which also prevents regrowth.
As we mentioned above, losing your hair isn’t always due to a skin condition. It’s important to discuss your hair loss with your doctor so that they can evaluate the symptom along with other pieces of your medical history.
Why? Hair loss can be caused by nutritional deficiencies (iron, zinc, and biotin deficiencies can all cause hair loss), as well as stress or trauma. It can also be caused by serious diseases such as syphilis, tuberculosis, hyper or hypothyroidism, and autoimmune disorders such as lupus. Hair loss can also be a side effect of certain prescriptions, such as antidepressants, blood thinners, antibiotics, and chemotherapy drugs. Many women may notice hair loss during hormonal changes such as pregnancy, post-partum, or menopause. Certain mental health conditions can trigger bad habits like mindlessly twisting or pulling your own hair.
Taking into account all the factors of your hair loss, including any pre-existing skin condition, will help your doctor understand what’s going on.
Conclusion
Since hair loss can be caused by such a wide variety of factors, it’s important not to jump to conclusions that it’s just your genes or your skin condition causing the problem. Instead, discuss your hair loss with your medical professional to find the cause and hopefully protect your scalp so that your hair can regrow. If your hair loss is a result of your skin condition, working with treatments that address the root cause —such as TCM herbal medicine— will simultaneously help heal your scalp as well.
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About the Author
Olivia Hsu Friedman, LAc, Dipl.OM, DACM, Cert. TCMDerm, is the owner of Amethyst Holistic Skin Solutions and treats Acne, Eczema, Psoriasis, and TSW. Dr. Olivia treats patients via video conferencing using only herbal medicine. Dr. Olivia is chair of the board of directors of the American Society of Acupuncturists, serves on the Advisory Board of LearnSkin, and is a faculty member of the Chicago Integrative Eczema Group sponsored by the National Eczema Association.