Diffuse thinning-please advice

Hello to everyone,

i found this forum few months ago and i would to share my hairloss problem and its particularities...

my hairloss (diffuse thining) strarted when i was 18, now i am 33 (have lost a big percentage of my hair), i went to many doctors, they gave my regaine and propecia and it did nothing for me...
the strange thing for me is that my hairloss started at the same time i started sweating when i was eating (some foods affect sweating more than others). before 18 never had problem with sweating!!!
I am sweating A LOT ONLY on my crown (not at the sides or back), where i have diffuse hairloss.
When i am a bit drunk and eat the same type of foods i dont sweat.
I am not allergic as i did some test in some foods.
At 26 i also find out that i had hypothyroid problem, taking pills now it is ok.

I think that in order to fight against my hairloss problem i should solve this problem, i went to so many doctors and they told me i cannot do anything about it.

Do you guys have any thoughts on my problem??

i cannot describe to you how frustrating it is not to be able to understand why i sweat only on my crown and try to solve it

Any hairline recession? Have you tried minoxidil or finasteride? Knowing whether they help could fill in part of the puzzle.

heavy metal poisoning would explain why your body is excessively sweating because it is trying to excrete those toxins. Heavy metals are also known to supress thyroid so that would explain your hypothyroidism. Get tested for mercury/lead poisoning.

moby wrote:heavy metal poisoning would explain why your body is excessively sweating because it is trying to excrete those toxins. Heavy metals are also known to supress thyroid so that would explain your hypothyroidism. Get tested for mercury/lead poisoning.

smart post

M

I used to sweat heavily from my scalp (chiefly from my temples). I no longer suffer from any sweating from my scalp because I stopped doing the following:

Drinking too many hot drinks (this was a major problem).
Taking hot showers (I now switch to warm, and especially avoid hot water to the scalp).
Wearing thick tight fitting clothing (this prevents heat being released from the sweat glands of the body, not to mention causing the skin to retain heat). This also includes reducing the number of blankets in bed.
Stopped eating spicy foods.
Allowing myself to become stressed and anxious. Stress and anxiety causes a sharp increase in body temperature, which leads to excessive sweating.
Excessive exercise. I now only do 20 mins per day. If you do enjoy excessive exercise, then I'd suggest that you drink more cold drinks.
Excessive masturbating. This was a major cause of my hairloss over the years.

Since doing this, not only have the hot flashes / sweating subsided, my hair has also become noticeably thicker and healthier (no shedding at all).

Excessive body heat is known to suppress growth factors and can cause inflammation. Sweat also releases toxins, so if the scalp is sweating excessively, then it's plausible to suggest that an excess of inflammatory toxins will likely deposit in scalp tissue -- especially within the follicles, given their close proximity to the sweat glands. Excessive heat also causes an increase in sebum, which breeds inflammatory p.acnes.

I can tell you, if I do a workout... sweat from my scalp and don't wash my hair afterwards, then my scalp will inflame really badly.

In addition to the previous poster's advice, you might want to try out what I've suggested above. It really helped improve my hair health.

takingaction wrote:Any hairline recession? Have you tried minoxidil or finasteride? Knowing whether they help could fill in part of the puzzle.

i tried minoxidil and finasteride with no results for at least 3 years, at that time i also had major shedding...

i dont have hairline recession at all...

my head starts sweating, only at the crown, as soon as i put food in my mouth(especially with some foods)...of course the more i eat the worst it gets...

also i have noticed at periods when my sweating is not so intense my hairloss problem also is not so intense

i sometimes think it could be psychological...although i have to say when i eat some foods like fish i dont sweat at all !!

moby and xenon thanks for the advice...i will check your recommendations

povos wrote:

takingaction wrote:Any hairline recession? Have you tried minoxidil or finasteride? Knowing whether they help could fill in part of the puzzle.

i tried minoxidil and finasteride with no results for at least 3 years, at that time i also had major shedding...

i dont have hairline recession at all...

my head starts sweating, only at the crown, as soon as i put food in my mouth(especially with some foods)...of course the more i eat the worst it gets...

also i have noticed at periods when my sweating is not so intense my hairloss problem also is not so intense

i sometimes think it could be psychological...although i have to say when i eat some foods like fish i dont sweat at all !!

Yes, you might want to look into 'gustatory sweating'. This form of sweating occurs in relation to specific foods. I'm not completely savvy on this subject, but I know that hot foods and drinks can trigger this kind of sweating.

Also, could you provide some feedback on the kinds of foods you eat, that are triggering this excessive sweating?

Gustatory sweating:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/431617_3

P.S. It's interesting to note that you have only lost hair in the area where you sweat the most (the crown), and likewise in the area where I used to sweat the most (the temples). Regular shampoos do not remove scalp bacteria in the same way soap does. If you've ever tried washing smelly armpits with shampoo, you'll find that your armpits still stink afterwards, but the smell completely disappears if you use soap because soap is great at removing bacterial toxins. So, instead of using shampoo, I now use soap or shower gel. This gets my scalp completely clean, but I don't ever use too much soap, as this can leave the skin dry and flaky.

I'd also like to add; I think it's imperative to make sure that pillows and pillow cases are kept clean as much as possible, otherwise it will become a breeding ground for bacteria. When your scalp is pressed against a pillow for the whole time you're asleep, it's likely that bacteria enters the follicle and infects the papilla, which then leads to increased inflammation.

This, IMO, is just one of many precautions to take.

Here is an article you might find of interest:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2006760/Pillows-breeding-grounds-pests-diseases.html

You guys covered the issues very well  If it's gustatory sweating, then it is autonomic and alpha lipoic acid could help. I think the fact that the vertex is the problem area points to pillow hygiene as a factor, if that part of the head gets the most contact with the pillow. Autonomic issues, like many other health conditions, often don't develop until the teens or early adulthood. In this case, it could be linked to the thyroid and raises the question whether that's fully under control:
http://www.ijem.in/article.asp?issn=2230-8210;year=2013;volume=17;issue=3;spage=460;epage=464;aulast=Mahajan