DEAR DR. GOTT:
I got a perm recently and my hair is slowly falling out every day. I saw on television that some women even go bald as a result of getting a perm. Is it the chemicals in the product that cause this to happen?
DEAR READER:
The average healthy scalp contains 100,000 hairs and each strand survives about 4 ½ years. Oddly enough, approximately 100 hairs are lost from the average head daily.
A perm will produce waves or curls and can be done at home or professionally by a beautician. Those sold for home use are full of chemicals and can be extremely harsh, especially on fine-textured hair. In fact, a great deal of hair can fall out following a home perm during the simple act of combing. Those done by beauticians are safer and not as harsh.
There are several reasons for hair loss. Some medications can weaken hair, causing it to fall out or break, resulting in split ends. Chemo and radiation therapy can cause hair loss, but both are vital treatments for fighting cancer. Emotional or physical stress, thyroid disease, hormonal changes, excessive shampooing, and blow drying are also linked to hair loss. Speak with your physician to determine if the perm is, indeed, the cause of your problem.
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