The Psychological Impact of H... Video Transcript

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Is it recommended that they seek counseling, usually? Do you even broach that subject with your patients? Peter, I'll start with you, and then Marc.

PETER HALPERIN, MD: It depends where they are. If they're just so tearful and it just is causing an inability to work, an inability to socialize, changing their life in a real negative way, then yes, we would broach that subject, recommend some type of intervention by a psychiatrist or psychologist. It all depends how they accept it. Everybody's different. Marc said that, and it's absolutely true.

DAVID FOLK THOMAS: Marc can wrap it up. I'll give you the last word.

MARC AVRAM, MD: I agree. That's why I think often patients -- Peter sees this also -- often if you just sit down and listen to someone who's losing their hair, really listen to what they're saying and understand what they're explaining, that alone will help a lot of people, because again, particularly in women, often hair loss is dismissed. You don't see baldness, you don't see the thinning hair. You see a hairline attacked. You look across, the husband says, "Honey, what's the problem? Look at my head." The doctor says -- her family practitioner, OB/GYN -- says, "Who cares? You still have hair up there," and you kind of dismiss it. It makes people more and more anxious. It's often just listening to someone, and acknowledging they have a problem helps. And if someone has a bigger problem, like Peter says, they absolutely should seek further counseling.

DAVID FOLK THOMAS: This just came to me, but we have less than a minute or 30 seconds to wrap it up. You know, Michael Jordan and famous athletes shaving their heads, and that seems to come more in style. Would you say you see patients that when they start to lose their hair say, "Well, I'm just going to shave it all off," and what's that phenomenon about?

MARC AVRAM, MD: I actually think one of the things people do is the opposite, which is a big mistake cosmetically. When people's hair starts thinning, they actually grow their hair longer and do the comb-over, which cosmetically is a disaster. It draws more attention to the thinning. If there's anything to do, it's to keep your hair short and balanced. It does make your hair appear fuller. So shorter hair, actually, if you're thinning, works cosmetically.

DAVID FOLK THOMAS: Thank you, both of you, Peter and Marc for taking time. That's all the time we have today. My name is David Folk Thomas, and we will see you next time.

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