Bald Spot in Head! The Possible Cause and Treatment Options

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or nutritionist. I do not give professional medical advice. The suggestions made below are based on my own experience.

The Discovery

In a previous post, I discussed my eddggess starting to thin and how to regrow them.

Little did I know that after treating them, I would discover a bald spot in my head!

I took down one of my protective styles in preparation to wash and I put my hands in my hair. Since the scalp tends to itch after the hair has been away, I rubbed it using the pads of my fingertips and noticed that my hair felt a bit thin on the left side. I didn’t go into panic mode just yet. I went on with my wash day. After I wash and deep condition, I usually go for a twist out.

I set my hair in the twists, added my rods, and there was the spot clear as day. I was in denial at first. Then I took my handheld mirror to view the spot.

First shot. And please excuse all the product on the perm rods. I was tryna get all that I can get with my products. I know all of my heavy-handed naturals out there can relate. ?

     Let’s take a closer look. ?

How did this happen?!!

As I assume that most would do, I did some research on bald spots and how to regrow. Then I thought about my diet and overall health.

I am anemic and I believe that my bald spot is likely linked to this. I was diagnosed in December 2018. It was discovered during an annual physical exam for preventative care for health coverage. I stopped eating meat for 7 months – April 2018 to October 2018 and I had not been taking vitamins sufficiently to replace the nutrients that my body was getting from meat.

I had no idea that I was anemic because I had not been experiencing any of the classic symptoms:

• Tiredness
• Headaches
• Heavier periods

So my doctor put me on iron 65mg to take daily as well as vitamin C and stool softener (my apologies if this is TMI). Everyone is different so if you’re suffering from thinning or balding spots, please do your research and get down to the root of the issue.

Now, onto the Solution

Panic, worry, and screaming whyyyyyyy isn’t a sufficient method to regrow hair right? So let’s use some rationale to get some answers!

Internal Fix

If you’re anemic as well or low on iron, eating more iron enriched food instead of taking the supplement may help stop the hair loss. A few foods are as follows:

• Spinach
• Quinoa
• Beans
• Seafood
• Red Meat, Pork, Poultry
• Tofu
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Dark Chocolate

Reducing or eliminating processed foods, sugary drinks, and adding more water into the diet may also help to maximize hair growth.

I took iron supplements from December 2018 to July 2019 daily and it became toxic to my body. I had too much of it in my system and it also caused my scalp to have a tingling, burning sensation. A wreck is what I was. Now I rarely take iron supplements. I now eat clean foods that contain iron and I have not had any scalp sensations since.

External Fix

I started doing scalp massages DAILY for about 5-10 minutes, with or without oil. I also stopped wearing tight styles. I’ll still wear it up, but the elastic band used just holds the hair in place for volume. No tightness at all.

After the discovery, I chose to style my hair into a high puff with twists. This was in the A.M. – all up in the workplace mirror tending to my passion.?

Below I am on my way to an evening class to work it out!

The Takeaway

I found a bald spot in my head and I decided to reverse engineer my regimen and research symptoms to get to the possible cause. That spot felt like a major setback, but my hair is still full and so is my glass. In other words, I have the glass half full method outlook on this situation. I am still grateful!

I will provide an update of my bald spot and edges as they improve.

What are your experiences with hair loss and/or some of the methods that you have used to get your hair back on track? Please leave your tips and/or words of encouragement below! ?