Pubic Hair Loss

Hi I am 18 and have noticed I am loosing my Pubics hairs at a VERY fast rate! Does anyone know what might cause this?? I have also been sick for the last year so this makes me all the more scared. I have had a low temp, abdominal pain, joint pain, dizziness, light headedness, loss of concentracion..and so on. I have been to see a Dr. and she tried to send me to see I gynecologist but I am having problems with insurance and can't see her so we have yet to know what is wrong. Anyway I just was wondering about the pubic hair loss, can anyone help?? I'm very scared right now!

Rarely there can be pubic hair loss in some women due to high androgen or low estrogen activity. Alopecia areata can rarely develop in the pubic region alone. Othwise a local infection could be the cause. You might see pubic loss with other causes of telogen effluvium such as thyroid disorders and similar. However, in these cases you would normally epxect to see hair loss elsewhere and not just restricted to the pubic hair region. The other symptoms suggest hormones may be involved.
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Kevin - The management - keratin.com

Hi,
I 28 and expereinceing some hear loss problem. I have not been to the doctor but friends are advising me to use TINADERM. I have these two small spots on my head. I am scared and don't know what to do. Any body advise.

Tinaderm is a treatment for athletes foot and ringworm. It should work for hair loss caused by a local tinea infection - and that may be what your friends think you have. Certainly ringworm can produce patches of hair loss. Only way to know for sure is to go to the doc who can test the bald patches for infectious agents. However, bald patches don't have to be local infections - they might be alopecia areata for example.
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Kevin - The management - keratin.com

Kevin, can you please share any information/knowledge/opinions??

About a year ago, I had supposed TE- very rapid, diffuse hair loss following some weight loss, stress. They tested my ferritin and my thyroid. My ferritin was 68, and my TSH was 2.8. They said it'd stop soon and grow back. Two and a half months later, it was still falling out rapidly, and I had lost an incredible amount of hair. I went back, they retested my thyroid, TSH was .4 My hair loss continued, and my TSH remained at .4 for another eight or nine months (doctors all felt that my thyroid was fine). I then had numerous tests ran, and my Thyroid was still .4, my B12 was at the bottom of normal, my folic acid was very high, and my ferritin was 34. By this time, I was losing eyebrows, eyelashes, pubic hair, leg hair. I started taking B12 supplements, iron, and a low dose of PTU. My B12 is now in good shape at over 700, my ferritin is 54, my TSH is 1.1, my folic acid is still high, but I have very little left of eyebrows, eyelashes, scalp hair. My pubic hair is thinned. I've lost a lot of leg hair, and even arm hair. The doctors are unsure of what is causing it. I exercise, eat right, am not a vegetarian, don't drink or smoke. How in the world can I be so UNhealthy as to lose so much hair?

My main question is this: Is it possible to lose this much BODY hair with TE??? What are the chances that this is REALLY TE?? I'm becoming more and more concerned about the situation.

Can you please share your thoughts on body hair loss, and TE vs. some form of areata in body hair loss, given my tests, etc.?? They doctors think there was never much wrong with me.

Thank you very, very much.

Go to another doctor! You may have a thyroid condition. With TE you can loose body hair. It is rare though but does happen.

Hi, anon2- thanks for your response. I've been to several doctors, and they all just Hmmm around. Hmmm, maybe it's thyroid... Hmmm... I don't know... Hmmm... it'll grow back. Really, the doctors have spent hours, with no conclusion. I just don't know what to do anymore. If I had to guess, I'd say that my problem is a combination of thyroid, B12, and iron. Maybe high folic acid even contributes. However, it's not improving, and it's SCARY. Maybe areata diffusa? That's rare, right? I really don't want that, either!

Diffuse body hair loss- what in the world is it??

Any input is much appreciated.

Ellen,
Do you live in the USA?Have you gone to a reputable hospital for tests? I think you have not found the right doctors. I have a friend with thyroid problems and even though her tests can back normal, her doctor was observant enough to know that just because a test says normal it might not be. What tests have you had? Maybe you have low iron, a hormone imbalance?Don't give up hope.

Ellen
are you eating soy or soy related products? i was once , now !!!!

Hi to Anon2 and Bob-

I do live in the USA. I've been to one good hospital, to the endocrinologist there (I had gone to two other endos before that, and they said I was fine.) The endo at the good hospital said that I may have the beginnings of Grave's Disease. I have a diffuse goiter- it's 1.5 times normal size. All my other hormones look good, as far as I can see. My iron dropped down to 34 (rapidly), and my B12 was low, so I'm taking iron and B12. The endo at the hospital let me try a low dose of PTU (I begged him), and it has made a world of difference in how I feel (although it's "not supposed to", because I'm not supposed to have symptoms with a TSH of .4). I had heart palpitations, anxiety, was hot all the time (used to be a colder temped person), etc. Everything test-wise has levelled out, and I do feel better, but I'm still loosing scalp and body hair, and not growing much hair.

I worry that my thyroid really has always been fine, and that I'm making a mistake (it's hard to know if you've done the right thing when you had to beg several doctors before you were allowed to try a low dose of antithyroid). I worry that I have not found any cause for such extreme hair loss.

I do eat some soy- used to eat a lot more, several years ago. I don't eat all that much, though. Maybe I should do away with it entirely?

Sorry if I've rambled.

Thanks to everybody. I do appreciate your responses a great deal.
Ellen