I am a 30 yo Asian descent female experiencing hair thinning since my early 20's. Just a little bit of a background, I was a vegetarian for about 13 years from the age of 15-28. My mother was/still is a vegetarian and also suffers female pattern baldness for but she had a history of underactive thyroid and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome so I guess she can take a pick of what she can blame that on.

I on the other hand, take a yearly blood test and although my Iron level was often on the low (but still acceptable) side, my thyroid levels have always been normal. My testosterone level however have always been on the high end of the acceptable range.

Just a couple of weeks ago, my doctor got me to get a more comprehensive blood test of all Reproductive hormones and only the below results were highlighted.

Testosterone - 1.8 nmol/L (0.2-1.8) surprise surprise!
RBC Folate - 1634 nmol/L (776-1784)
Prolactin(Total) - 841 mIU/L (85-500)
SHBG - 146 nmol/L (30-110)

My doctor thinks these results are nothing to worry about and suggests that I should just try over the counter Rogaine for my hairloss but I'm not convinced... Can someone please give me some advice or share similar experiences with these results?

Edited: 08/02/2012 at 04:41 AM by Pacey

You might want to take those results to a dermatologist. The testosterone seems high, but I am not a doctor. My testosterone was also high.

What worked for me:

-Treating my Seborrheic dermatitis; looks like dandruff, with ketanozole shampoos and other shampoos for dandruff. Have to wash every day. Did not know I had it until recently; just thought it was oily hair. The dermatitis irritates your scalp and causes hair loss. Read about it at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medline...cy/article/000963.htm
-Hair color: Because of the oiliness associated with the Seborrheic dermatitis, keeping my hair colored HELPS, because the newly colored hair absorbs excess oil at the scalp (check with your doctor).
Iron: Have your levels checked and realize iron within normal range may not be high enough for you.
-Rogaine foam for men (check with your dermatologist). I cannot use the women's due to allergy to propylene glycol. Also, the women's it is greasier than the men's.
-Protein: as you get older and/or have gastric bypass surgery, it is difficult to get enough protein. Try a whey protein low calorie shake.
-Biotin 1,000 mcg (1mg). The 5,000 mcg (5mg) is probably too strong over the long term.
-No tight pony tails or hair styles.
-Menopause WILL and birth control pills might cause hair loss (talk to your doctor).
I lost half my hair after menopause and it is coming back with the combined above treatments.

At 30 years old Female Pattern Baldness (Androgentic Alopecia) is not an issue, as in women this condition starts after menopause and only with a genetic predisposition i.e. passed from parents or grandparents. When we talk about testosterone in connection with hair growth processes it is the level of free testosterone in the blood stream that is of importance, as only that can enter the target cells and do its job i.e. stimulate hair growth. Slightly higher levels of free testosterone will actually have the opposite effect and grow strong healthy hair, albeit with a slightly reduced lifespan, noticeable later in life at around 50 -60 years old.
From what you say diet, and in particular a low iron count may be the issue here. A slighty low iron count may not be an issue medically but you have to be aware that the body will always prioritise its use of essential vitamins and minerals to the vital organs to sustain life - the hair is simply not a priority and may suffer. A microscopic analysis of the hair bulbs would give a definite answer to the cause although I am not sure if this is available where you are.

Lastly I can definitely state that Rogaine does not regrow real hair despite its claims. Minoxidil (Rogaine) though, can produce a hair like growth in follicles which have recently exhausted their potential, but not from long dead follicles which have atrophied and closed.

What must be made clear is that it is not the dermal papilla which is regenerating, but that this growth originates from elsewhere. What is actually happening is that at the bottom of the follicle there are cells which were responsible for providing the hairs protective sheath, the Epithelial, and it is these cells which become stimulated, multiply and produce a fine and thin hair.
This is a process which occurs naturally and this Vellus type hair is just the extreme attempts of the follicle to produce hair after the papilla is exhausted.

It is known now that Minoxidil can stimulate these cells, increasing the amount of vellus like hair on the head. Unfortunately we also now that this hair type is not a true hair but a 'ghost like hair', which is thin and weak, highly de-mineralised, growing no more than a few centimetres in length, with a short life span and only kept alive by the regular use of Minoxidil. Once the applications stop, these hairs quickly fall out.