Ask the expert: I have severe acne and hair fall

I’m a 19-year-old girl and have acne and marks all over my face. I’ve tried everything to reduce it but nothing works. I am also losing hair drastically and my hair has started turning grey.

Your complaints of active acne and marks on your face are interconnected issues. In cases of untreated or late-treated acne most of the sufferers are left with severe acne marks, which in fact represent areas of postinflammatory hyperpigmentation – one of the most commonly seen post-acne effect.

As such, your active acne needs to be treated first and the marks can be treated later. There are many oral and topical treatments for acne; however, you will need to see an experienced dermatologist for an appropriate choice of a particular treatment.

Consumption of oily foods can sometime aggravate pre-existing acne.

Your hair fall also needs to be evaluated by a dermatologist. Increased hair loss can be due to a large list of suspected causes, including hormonal disorders, metabolic disorders, malabsorption disorders, scalp’s skin diseases, consumption of various oral medications, extreme physical stress particularly caused by an acute or chronic systemic illness and above all psychological stresses of all nature. There are many supportive therapies available to slow down the process. However, an effective result can only be achieved by detecting the exact cause if possible, and either treating it or totally eliminating it.

Regarding premature greying of hair, no known physiological mechanism has been established to explain the process of premature greying. However, hereditary factors are generally believed to have a strong causative influence. Among other suspected factors, certain metabolic disorders are also on the list.