The segment featured a patient of Dr. Griffin’s, Judy Butler, a real estate broker that was troubled by her excessive hair loss. Concerned about her appearance and frustrated with her progressive hair thinning, Butler even considered scalp prosthesis before she decided to consult with Dr. Griffin.

“What might be very acceptable to men – not acceptable to women,” said Dr. Griffin, when reflecting on Judy’s situation. “Even a slight amount of loss is not acceptable.”

Dr. Griffin says that many women experience hair loss before menopause, but when that hair loss becomes excessive; it is considered a medical condition, known as alopecia. While the root cause of women’s hair loss is often genetic, it can be caused by many factors including a thyroid problem, anemia, reaction to medications, or an autoimmune problem that often requires blood tests or biopsies to diagnose.  According to Dr. Griffin, for each cause of hair loss, there is a different treatment approach that can include everything from oral medications, topical creams, and surgery involving follicular grafting techniques.

For Judy, the recommended treatment was oral medications and topical creams; and she is thankfully experiencing hair growth. However, as the CNN video states, each patient has to be individual diagnosed in order to recommend a treatment plan. If you are a woman experiencing hair loss, contact The Griffin Center to schedule a consultation with Dr. Griffin and discover the best treatment option for you.

Click here to view CNN Health Minute:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/health/2010/01/06/hm.women.and.hair.loss.cnn