I get a lot of emails from people telling me they’re pretty alarmed that they’re noticing more and more scalp showing through their thinning hair. Sometimes this has been a gradual slide and sometimes it is sudden. But no matter how it happened, it is alarming because for the people it happens to, it can be seen as the first step towards baldness. And, in his opinion, it only makes the hair loss or thinning that much more noticeable, which makes the treatment or camouflage that much more dire. There are many reasons why this happens and I’ll go over some of the causes, treatments and camouflages in the next article.
Genetic causes of thinning hair on the scalp: Probably the most common cause of hair thinning so severely that it can be seen directly is genetics or sensitivity to androgens or DHT (called AGA or androgenic alopecia). And you don’t need a bald father or grandfather to have this and women are not excluded. There are many people with this condition with no family history of any kind. What happens in this cycle is that the healthy follicles that produce and maintain hair quality are affected and eventually choked by androgens. Therefore, more hair will fall out or lose prematurely and what grows back is finer and thinner, thus not enough to offer enough coverage to fully cover and darken the scalp.
The treatment for AGA is really twofold. First of all, you need to drastically reduce the loss. A lot of people will do this through DHT blockers, but I’m a firm believer that you can’t eliminate all androgens and since you have that sensitivity, you’re better off addressing the sensitivity. Because even a little bit of androgens left will still wreak havoc. Second, you need to be able to successfully stimulate your scalp to produce healthy hair again. Often hair cycles are affected so much that you will have to go through several improvement cycles until everything is back to normal.
Medical causes of severe thinking:There are some medical conditions that cause hair to thin so much that the scalp shows through. In addition to the obvious (like chemotherapy and radiation), there are thyroid and adrenal problems, serious illness or stress, and autoimmune reactions. Occasionally people have reactions to medications, foods, or products, but this is quite rare. The obvious treatment for this type of hair loss is to treat the underlying medical condition. And, after that, it doesn’t hurt to continue aggressively stimulating new growth and reducing the inflammation that often accompanies this type of hair loss.
Chronic Shedding (or CTE:) The loss of more than 100 strands per day over a period of less than six months is called telogen effluvium, or TE. Having this condition for more than half a year is called CTE (the chronic variety). And, if this condition goes on long enough, it can look like AGA because the new growth just doesn’t get a chance to catch up or do any good. because everything is spilling fast. CTE is often caused by a trigger that has not been identified or adequately treated. The best way to manage it is to remove the trigger for good, but this is also easier said than done because people with CTE are often very vulnerable hormonally, and treatments can often cause a new round of hair loss. That’s why I really recommend very gradual topicals so you don’t affect anything internally that might cause you to lose more hair. CTE usually has an inflammation component (inflammation is not the cause, but the result), so it never hurts to reduce inflammation and stimulate the scalp.
Camouflage A See Through Scalp: If the problem is not that serious yet, you can try combing around it. Lifting it up at the roots, combing it forward or to the side, or wearing the hair in a ponytail or adding waves and curls can help. If you’re beyond this because your hair has gotten too thin, there are powders that match your hair color that will help blend the white of your scalp (toppik, covers, etc.) I’ve actually heard of people that dye or color their scalps, but I think this would cause a lot of inflammation. Finally, there are toppers that are hairpieces that just cover the problem area and blend in with the rest of your hair. You may have to search for a while to find one that looks absolutely realistic, but it’s not impossible.
Best case scenarios: Of course, it is better to eliminate the problem rather than cover it up. I always urge people to never give up trying to find out the real cause and effective solution for hair loss. You’re never out of the game until you give up, so don’t give up. Cover it up as best you can, but keep looking for a workable solution that will help stop hair loss and grow hair back.
