Sudden Alopecia

[Scarlett]

My friend messaged me this morning completely shocked that when she lifted up her hair at the side, she has a large bald patch. She is, understandable, distraught. She has been suffering from anxiety, so it could be that, but I wondered if there are any other medical reasons why hair would fall out leaving a bald patch. She does dye her hair bright colours but uses only Manic Panic brand which is chemical free. Also I think that would result in thinning rather than a patch. She has recently started to take some supplements like Iron, sublingual methylcobalamin (vit B), advanced multi billion dophilus and glucosamine chondroitin (which has no shell fish). She avoids gluten as a blood test shows she is intolerant to it, as well as dairy, yeast and eggs. I am desperate to help her as I know how I would feel if i suddenly found this. Any advice or opinions very gratefully received.

[woofgang]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telogen_effluvium

btw everything in the known universe is made from chemicals....including people

[Sqad]

"She is, understandable, distraught. She has been suffering from anxiety, so it could be that"

That is by far and away the commonest cause of a local large bald patch.
There are many other causes.....hormonal, infections, drug therapy.....and you name it.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hair-loss/basics/causes/con-20027666

[Scarlett]

Hi Woofgang, I don't think it's that looking at the pics. It's not thinking,
It's a completely shiny clean bald area, in a clean shape like an oval.

[Scarlett]

Sqad, in your experience do you know of people who have had this and their hair has grown back?

[Barsel]

Scarlett,my husbands hair started to fall out in chunks just after I told him we were expecting our first child. He was so embarrassed he wore a hat all the time, even in the hospital when I was giving birth! By the time our daughter was baptised, his hair had grown back so much, he looked like he was wearing a wig.Hope all works out well for your friend.

[Sqad]

LOL......my experience is limited I'm afraid, but it all depends upon the causes ..........infections,hormonal problems and drug side effects if identified and treated can return the hair pattern to normal.
Anxiety states causing localised Alopecia is much more difficult to prognosticate.....the hair might return or it may not.
Not my area of expertise Scarlett.......my big worry for her would be to answer the question......"Will it get worse?"
I can't answer that .

[Peter Pedant]

yes

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3230136/

half grow back within a year

[yeah I know Iam not sqad - I do have some self-awareness]

[mallyh]

I had this 5 bald patches a bit bigger than a half crown ,it grew back .the cause was stress x

[Peter Pedant]

anonymising - Mr R's hair went grey in patches and then fell out in patches whilst Mrs R played away
and it all grew back then she came home to the fold - aaah

midfifties

no he wasnt in his fifties - mid 1950s ( clearly I was a lot younger)
and the cause was kept away from us kids as we hung onto our parents arms and gawped in the street at him

[albaqwerty]

Neighbour of my parents lost his hair, alopecia.

Doctor told him it was stress related, he changed his job eventually and hair was eventually restored as was his SOH and just general all-round nice guy.