Skinrepublic

Dear Dr. Jen,

I have a dark line on my nail that the manicurist just can't remove.  Is it something I should worry about?

Sonia

Dear Sonia,

Darkening of the nail or parts of the nail is called melanonychia.  Was there any incident that trauma might have occurred to the nail? Trauma is one of the most obvious cause to a sudden appearance of darkening of nails.

Other causes would include systemic disorders, inflammation, fungal infection and drug reactions.  It would be best to have it checked because some melanoma (malignant) tumors do present as dark nail streaks.  It would be good to rule this out first and foremost.

Dear Dr. Jen,

I started having severe falling hair in the past week.   I see clumps of hair on the shower drain, the pillow and my hairbrush.  I'm afraid I might grow bald.  Please help.

Golda

Dear Golda,

I know how alarming it may be for you to be losing your crowning glory.  First of all calm down and approach your problem step by step.  Before you visit your nearest PDS derma, make sure you've gathered your daily hair loss (from the drain, pillow, combs, etc.) to do a daily count.  Checking if it is indeed more than 100 (less than one hundred being the normal) can give your derma a lead.

Your derma will ask you for a very detailed history.  Thus, a previous thorough mental rundown of any signs and symptoms of sickness you might have experienced in the past six months will assist in a systematic consultation. Lastly, you can bring along a family member or a close friend so you can have some moral support during your visit. Not that it will be traumatic, but a close relative can sometimes identify points in your life when you may have been stressed or undergone a physically rigorous condition that may contribute to hair loss.

Your dermatologist will likely do a hair test, view your shed hair under a microscope, and go through your scalp for any abnormalities.  This will help her determine at what stage your hair has likely started to fall off.  Also, the presence of bald spots will determine the treatment regiment that your doctor will follow.

Usual suspects include previous infections, autoimmune diseases, childbirth, unusual diet, weight loss, radiation and certain medications.  Even a simple case of jetlag can lead to telogen effluvium (one of the causes of falling hair).  Early treatment can make a huge difference in how soon your hair loss can be interrupted.  Best of luck!

Dr. Tan is a diplomate of Philippine Dermatological Society (PDS) and is affiliated with Perpetual Succour Hospital (PSH). For information on PDS, check http://www.pds.org.ph/. For questions or concerns, please text to: 0932 857 7070; or email to: [email protected]; or call The Freeman: (032) 2531276, or PSH: (032) 233 8620 and 232 5929. Your inquiries will be forwarded to Dr. Tan.