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 Dr. Yechiel is the Founder, President, and Director of Research of Elsom Research Co., Inc., maker of the New Equilibrium line of cosmeceuticals which includes the Equisomin Serum anti-aging scalp treatment. He specializes in the biochemistry and biophysics of cellular aging and cell membrane structures, and has developed novel nano-encapsulation and nano-emulsion technologies for topical applications. Dr. Yechiel is also the creator of The Formulator, enabling consumers to select the ingredients for their own custom-made retail-size formulations.
Susan
2007-09-24
Telogen effluvium
I lost 100 lbs in 2003, by reducing calories and exercising. I am 5'9, weigh 156 now. In May 2004, I started Wellbutrin for depression. After approx. 2 weeks on meds, I had major hair loss that lasted for 6 months,and my hair had a different texture. I stopped the meds after about 2 weeks. Stupidly, I started the same med in April 2005 after my mother convinced me it was stress causing hair loss and again after 2 weeks, hair loss started again. Lasted 6-7 months. Then in March 2006, after having candidias several times, I started Diflucan therapy. I took 450mg the 1st wk, 450 mg the 2nd wk, and 150mg a wk for 2 months, I started having heart palpitations for 24-48 hours after taking it so I stopped it after the 10 wks. My hair again for the 3rd time in 3 yrs was falling out like crazy. I have seen 2 dermatologists, one at Wake Forest University, the other at Duke University who both agree it is telogen effluvium. I have also suffered with bulimia for 21/2 years . My thyroid and my iron are normal. The dermatologists both said I could try Rogaine but it irritates my scalp, redness, and burning. My hair is thin all over but I guess its most noticeable around my part at the top because my hair is long. It is thin all over if you move my hair around and look. Sometimes I have a burning sensation across my scalp, especially right before my period. I am on ORtho Cyclen bcp's. I see new growth but not enough to cover the thin areas. I am not bulimic anymore as of August 2006. I take multivitamins and B-50 and zinc. I have no history of balding in my family, I have 3 sisters and a brother, all older than me and they have no hair problems. Do you think this is still telogen effluvium from medication and an eating disorder? How long shold it take to recover a normal head of hair? My hair is pretty thin after the third telogen effluvium. Thanks so much for your response.
Hello, sorry for the late response but I never received a notification of your posting a question and I saw your question only when I opened a question from another poster. I will repeat my general statement; I cannot give you medical advice. I can give you some pointers on what a reasonable approach should be. You seem to be consulting with physicians (and more than one) so that is a very important point which is already covered. Losing 100 pounds in a year is an extreme step and I think that you may want to try practicing whatever you do in moderation so that you have a better chance to recover from any treatment or practice that goes wrong. As you were also bulimic, it is possible that your body resources were overly depleted over several years, so it could be more than a mere coincidence that you were also infected by candida. Taking vitamins and minerals is a very important step in my opinion and you should make sure that you take enough (but be careful not to overdo it; your body can be harmed by excess vitamins as well as by deficient vitamins). If you wish, send us an email and we can advise you on some topicals which may make your scalp feel and look better. The most important thing is not to do something drastic if improvement seems slow or unsatisfactory. Just learn to do things in moderation.
Elishalom Yechiel, Ph.D.
President
Elsom Research Co., Inc.
email: innovation@elsomresearch.com
online:
http://www.elsomresearch.com/ --- to learn about nanotechnologies in skincare
http://www.nanotopicals.com/ --- to order retail products
http://www.the-formulator.com/ --- to order personalized products
http://www.topical-formulations.com/ --- to read the Journal
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