Bald spot in my hair, not sure what to do.

[Laurel32]

:( LHC, I'm freaking out a bit and I need some advice.

Yesterday morning I noticed a rather large bald spot on the back of my head. I'm not really sure what to compare it to, but I'd say its about the size of 2 quarters.

Feeling the said spot, I do feel some stubble of new growth. This has gave me some comfort, but I'm just really worried that my hair either won't grow back, (meaning the stubble won't grow any further), or this will happen again.

I tend to scratch that specific place as a nervous habit (and because I have an itchy scalp). Could my scratching be the cause? What else could this be?

I use a natural shampoo every two days, with an occasional SLS shampoo when my hair feels gunky. And I let my hair air dry.

Is there anything I should be doing or can I do?

[ccmuffingirl]

Hi. I'm suffering from the same problem. Due to some irresponsible handling on my part, I am dealing with a section of my hair that is vastly shorter than the rest of my hair. This happened about 3 or 4 months ago. At first it was a bald spot larger than the size of a golf ball, now it's growing in nicely. I've been taking Biotin, MSM, and Fish Oil internally, and I've been applying Castor Oil to my scalp externally. The main ingredients in most hair, skin, and nail vitamins are Biotin and/or MSM, which directly increase hair growth. Fish Oil provides essential Omega-3 fatty acids, which increase overall health and therefore aid in hair growth. The castor oil also increases hair growth, but is quite greasy, so if you decide to use it, you may just want to apply it to the one section of your hair. Regular scalp massages help as well.

[Cholera]

It sounds like the bald spot is caused by your itching, and I'd recommend you try an apple cider vinegar rinse (a couple table spoons of vinegar in cup or so of water), as it can soothe the itching. If that doesn't work, there are lots of home-remedy type things for an itchy scalp on here, but you may want to consult your doctor. I hope it grows back!

[countryhopper]

Did it fall out all of the sudden or do you think it was happening little by little and you just now noticed it? Is there anything abnormal about the area (i.e. discolored, bumpy, flaky, etc)?

I think the vinegar is a good idea, along with possibly trimming your nails to keep from scratching again (since you say is a habit). If you have any doubts that there might me a fungal infection, maybe talk to a doctor to see about a possible cream to apply to the area. I think if it were me I'd want to get it checked by a doctor since many things are more easily treated when they are caught early on versus self-medicating.

Just my two cents. I'm very sorry to hear that this happened to you, I hope you get some new growth soon!!