I've been through this before, but now want to know the cause.

by BlueE
(Ohio)

I've had 2 pregnancies, both high risk and hard on my body (Severe hyperemesis gravidarum). I lost lots of hair after both of them, but it was much worse after my second. My thick bangs (that regularly had to be thinned by my hair cutter) had dwindled to wisps of nearly nothing. I attributed the difference to the steroids I had taken through most of my pregnancy and for several weeks beyond. The good news is that my hair grew back both times and my bangs needed thinning again. (If you want to feel better, pull your hair back and look along your hair line. Do you see lots of new hairs growing in?)

Now, almost 4-5 years later, I'm losing a lot of hair again and I want to know why. I did have a tonsillectomy in April 2009, at age 35. Then I had a sinus surgery in July of 2009. That surgery required me to take oral steroids twice - once for about 20 days before the surgery and again for about 20 days after the surgery. Then, in early November, I started noticing lots of hair coming out in my comb.

I'm hoping that it will all grow back in again (and I'm seeing hair wisps along my hair line, so I'm encouraged). But now I want to know the likely cause. Do you think it could be due to stopping the oral steroids since this is the second time I've lost a lot of hair post-steroid? Or is it more likely that the hard pregnancy in the earlier bout and the surgery caused the current episode?


Editor’s Comments,

Sudden hair thinning is usually caused by an immediate factor or trigger that occurs within a period of 3-4 months before the onset of excessive hair loss. This is the time where your hair receives the shock and shuts down. After three months, the affected hairs will fall out all over and that is when you will notice sudden hair loss.

Chronic shock can be another factor of continuous hair thinning as your body constantly for a long period of time suffer from excessive stress that causes more hair follicles to shut down. If that happens, your hair can continue to thin for months until your body returns to normal.

For your case, there are many possible reasons that lead to your hair loss condition. It could likely be caused by steroids as they can influence your body’s hormone levels, an influential cause for hair loss. Even a short treatment period of steroids can greatly impact your body’s regular rhythm, leading to sudden hair loss. There are many forms of steroids including hormone steroids, corticosteroids and anabolic steroids and they are all capable of causing hair loss to its users.

Your bouts with multiple surgeries might also have taken a toll on your body. Physical shock from the surgery, medications and post surgery treatments are all possible factors for your thinning hair. In my opinion, it’s unlikely that your earlier case of hyperemesis gravidarum you had 4-5 years ago played any part in your current shedding now.

Nevertheless, it’s glad to know that your hair is growing back and that is a very positive indication that your body is recovering and is returning to normal. If your hair continues to grow back, then you shouldn’t need to worry about it anymore. If you are looking for ways for a speedy recovery, seeing a nutritionist or checking out the Preventing Hair Loss section might offer your more insights on how you can improve your hair growth rate.