Hello! I posted this on the sleep apnea board but there didn't look to be alot of activity there so I thought I'd post this hear. I know this may sound stupid but I am trying to get to the bottom of my hair loss. In the last month or so I have started loosing gobs of hair and I don't know why. At first I thought it was from a change in medicine so I quit taking it about 2 or 3 wks ago but I still am loosing my hair. So I got to thinking about the headgear that I wear and wondered if that could be the cause....has anyone started loosing hair as a result of wearing the headgear? I have long hair so usually I will put it in a ponytail before I put my gear on. I know that some men loose their hair when they wear hats all the time so I wondered about this. Thanks in advance for your input! Kellie

Hi Kellie, I've worn my headgear for sleep apnea for about 9 - 10 years and I have never experienced hair loss.  I hope you can find the cause.  Good luck.  Julie

Thanks Julie! This has been driving me crazy and I guess I am grasping at straws now. I am going to call my doctor tomorrow and see what she thinks.  Thanks again. Kellie

Hi Kellie, the only way your cpap could cause you to lose hair is from the straps rubbing and making your hair fragile so that it breaks off in mid strand. It would not cause your hair to fall out from the hair folicle. Hair loss can be caused by many things including medication, stress (physical and/or mental) and hormones etc. It can be difficult to find the cause or to treat so you should discuss it with your PCP. Good luck and hopefully it will stop soon. Skylar

The reason I was thinking of the cpap is because the headgear goes over my head and connects in several sections plus I put my hair in a ponytail too at night. I can't be for sure if its coming out at the hair folicle because I have long hair, it just could be breaking off. I know that men who wear hats all the time lose hair because of that and that's why I thought of the headgear. I also thought about it being medication too I know that at least 2 of my medicines list hair loss as a side affect, I quit one because of that and the other is my blood pressure medicine. I have been taking the bp medicine for years until recently when my doctor gave me a different pill which has both of my medications in one. I stayed on this for maybe 2 or 3 wks. and it didn't work as well as taking each medication individually so I switched back. So maybe because I was off of this medicine for a couple weeks, my body has to get readjusted to the medicine once again and one I am suffering the side affects until I get use to it...I dunno.  Thanks for your help!

I wore my head gear for a long time and never lost a hair.....I suppose it is possible.

Thanks Leticia!!!

If you have had your surgery already this is normal espically a few months after.  If this is the case you will see alot of scary hair lost.  It will stop eventually.  It can be a very thinning event.  Start bioten.  Some people swear by it and get your protein in.

I haven't had surgery yet and you know that is really bothering me because I know that I will lose hair then, I'm terrified I'll be bald after surgery when that hair loss kicks in. What is bioten? I will have to look that up. I know there is vitamins you can take but I am not sure which ones they are. I've also already started my prenatal vitamins so I'd have it well into my system by the time I had surgery.  Thanks!

Hi,

I wear a sleep cap over my hair and it serves as a barrier between my head gear and my hair.  I started wearing it because my head gear's velcro kept pulling at my hair.  They sell sleep caps at beauty supply stores and sometimes even in the grocery store.  You might try it out and see if it helps.

Best of Luck to you,

N. 

 

Thats a great idea, I had been using an elastic hair thing to put my hair in a ponytail and then putting a headband on as well but the headband didn't work. I will get me one and give it a try. Thanks for the advice.

Hi, This is very intersting. I have wondered about this as well. I wear the over the top type mask. The plastic part rubs on my head. The last few years my hair has thinned out in this area. I have wondered if it was from the headgear myself. Maybe it is just that I am getting older (40)? I have 4 brothers and none of them have thinning hair. Interesting..... Thanks for your post. -Van

It does make sense....my ex use to wear a ballcap all the time and he started losing hair and he went to the doctor and the doc told him it was because he was wearing a ballcap too much. It makes me feel better to know I am not the only one! Thanks!

Do you by any chance have a thyroid condition?? Hypothyroidism is notorious for causing hair loss.  Maybe you should have your PCP order some thyroid labs. I have lived with hypothyroidism for the past 10 years.  It is not a pleasant thing to deal with, but it can be dealt with with proper diagnoses and medication. Just an idea. I have wore my cpap mask for the past year and half, and it doesn't cause hair loss for me. Missy

Hi Missy, That was one of the things I thought about when I started looking for reasons I'd lose my hair. My doctor tested me almost a year ago and normal. She had tested me before that and I was borderline so she said she'd do another one in a couples and if it was normal not to worry and like I said it was normal. I do have alot of the symptoms associated with thyroid disease but my doctor doesn't seem to be concerned. Thanks!

Often times the first few times that thyroid labs are done, they end up having a "normal" result. I have a really good friend who started complaining about thinning hair, weight gain, constipation, forgetfulness ect.... I told her then to have her doctor check her thyroid levels as it sounded to me like she was suffering with hypothyroidism.  Well she did, and her level came back at the high end of normal.

I told her to keep an eye on her symptoms and make sure the doctor tests again later.  I told her to insist on it.  She followed my advise and sure enough, 6 months after the first test, her level was off.

My surgeon ordered a ton of pre op labs and they included thyroid levels.  I am sure that most surgeons do, but you may want to call your surgeons office and ask.  If I was you I would get it tested before then so that if it is the problem you can get started on medication. Off thyroid levels can and will contribute to slow healing from any illness or surgery. Missy