When Balding (Hair Loss) Can Kill?!

When Hair Loss is No Laughing Matter? It Could Kill, Literally!

By Dr Khoo Lee Seng

Many people view hair loss as innocuous part and parcel of aging. Some men who undergo hair transplant surgery or with Minoxidil & Finasteride medication are seen as vain pots. Men such as Donald Trump and Bobby Charlton attempt the comb over to hide their balding to become embarrassing internet me-mes.

But what if I tell you hair loss can be deadly is the cause isn't picked up by your doctor?

The following case is no fiction and where hair loss can kill, literally.

A 25 year old man was referred over to the skin specialist with sudden diffuse hair loss. His hair loss was so severe that gentle tug over remaining hair resulted in painless extraction of over tufts of 50 hair follicles.

This gentleman had no previous known medical illness or allergies. However, for the past 2 months he had been in and out of the Emergency Room presenting with episodes of headaches ,blurred vision and occasional pins and needles in his fingers and toes.

On examination, he had a rapid pulse (Heart Rate 125 beats/minute). He had high blood pressure (180/110 mm Hg). He had a normal brain MRI and spinal tap.

On further questioning, this gentleman reveals that he is a teacher, married, no children and he says his marriage is pretty rocky. They are arguing all the time.

However, he was actually concerned more about his sudden hair loss which he attributes to life stressor. On closer microscopic examination , his hair shafts were in a state of anagen effluvium which is hair shedding during anagen (normal growing hairs not resting hairs). Normally this only happens when patients are placed on chemotherapy or are exposed to heavy metals (lead, arsenic etc).

He is losing growing hair and this was an extreme example.

When you hear hoofbeats, do you think Horses or Zebras?

The emergency room (ER) doctors and neurologists were clueless as to what was his diagnosis. 

What's happening to him? What is suggested by this symptom set?

So, he has a rocky marriage and he has these other signs and symptoms. Remember that heavy metal poisoning is associated with neuropathy and eye abnormalities. When you throw is the tachycardia (rapid pulse) and hypertension (high blood pressure), you have a constellation of symptoms associated with heavy metal thalium poisoning which a seasoned doctor can detect.

It was kind of hard to say, "Is your spouse trying to kill you?".

You would have to have some sort of basis to start that. And of course she is at the bedside and being solicitous asking "Oh, what's wrong with my husband and why he has lost all his hair etc"

So, a urine sample for Thallium was sent and there behold, this gentleman was being poisoned with Thallium. As events later unfold , it is revealed that the wife got the radionuclide Thallium online from India and she was trying to kill him.

Thallium sulfate is colorless, odorless and can be easily dissolved in water and comes close to a perfect poison! In the past, Thallium was popular as a rat poison.

The murder mystery writer Agatha Christie has been implicated in bringing Thallium to the attention to many would be poisoners in her 1961 novel, The Pale Horse of which she wrote about attributing the poisonous effect of Thallium to black magic.

Unbelievable!

The wife was found guilty of attempted murder, and this case was tried in Texas where the District Attorney pressed the charge of "attempted murder with a deadly weapon" as she wanted the jury to take into account the very deadly weapon which was of course the heavy metal Thallium. She was sentenced to 20 years behind bars.

As for the husband? He made an uneventful full recovery after treatment with Prussian blue and now has a full head of hair again (and is married again). Who says there are no happy endings?

The above case was recounted by Theodore Rosen MD , a dermatologist from the Baylor College of Medicine where he was also called to testify in this attempted homicide case.

REFERENCES

(1) Yumoto, T. (2017). A Successfully Treated Case of Criminal Thallium Poisoning. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND DIAGNOSTIC RESEARCH.

(2) Senthilkumaran, S., Balamurugan, N., Jena, N.N., Menezes, R.G. and Thirumalaikolundusubramanian, P. (2017). Acute Alopecia: Evidence to Thallium Poisoning. International Journal of Trichology, 9(1), pp.30–32.

(3) Yang, G., Li, C., Long, Y. and Sheng, L. (2018). Hair Loss: Evidence to Thallium Poisoning. [online] Case Reports in Emergency Medicine

(4) Campbell, C., Bahrami, S. and Owen, C. (2016). Anagen Effluvium Caused by Thallium Poisoning. JAMA Dermatology, [online] 152(6), pp.724–726.

Sincerely Yours,

Dr Khoo Lee Seng 

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FENG SHUI OF THE FACE AND IMPROVING LUCK WITH PLASTIC SURGERY (PART 1- THE FOREHEAD)

 

FENG SHUI OF THE FACE AND IMPROVING LUCK WITH PLASTIC SURGERY (PART 1- THE FOREHEAD)

(INTRODUCTION TO MING XIAN- CHINESE FACE READING)

French fashion designer Coco Chanel (1883–1971) remarked, “Nature gives you the face you have at 20. Life shapes the face you have at 30. But at 50 you get the face you deserve.”

Have you ever met someone for the first time and thought “Well, this person is good natured and trustworthy” Or maybe, “Wow, this chap is definitely a conman!” Sometimes we may meet somebody for the first time and feel instant repulsion or attraction to their facial features. We do judge books from its cover, however rightly or wrongly.

Based on the Chinese art of face reading, known as Mian Xian, the Chinese believe your face is a map of your past, present and future. Over time, the changes in your face reveal all about your physical health, intellectual and emotional characteristics.

Face reading known as physiognomy in Western culture is still prominent in the field of criminology. During the mid‐19th century, Lombroso claimed that criminals could be identified by physical defects, for example, murderers had “big hawk‐like noses,” and rapists had “jug ears,” and that criminality was an inherited trait.

            

JUG EARS

       

HAWK  NOSE

Lombroso C. Criminal Man. Duke University Press Books; 2006.

Born GM. Born to crime: Cesare Lombroso and the origins of biological criminology: JSTOR. 2002.

Prominent writers use character design, facial appearance, and characteristics in order to communicate various aspects of a character’s personality. For example, Disney villains and villainesses have certain facial characteristics that make them look “evil.” Traditionally and unfairly, dermatologic disease on the face and scalp have been used in media to indicate immoral character.

Hooded Cobra Eyes – A convicted serial killer. “Coldness” can be seen in his eyes. The Japanese styled moustache denotes vanity and a certain element of cruelty.

Face reading practitioners however believe that it is possible to change your fate by altering facial features of the face. Although a person’s fate is already decided at the time of a person’s birth, there is an opportunity to transcend our fate or destiny by our own efforts (and maybe some plastic surgery). These can often influence and alter the course of your life.

There is a strong connection between our emotions and the lines on our face for example.

    

    Emotions & Development of Wrinkles & Lines on The Face

 

The 12 Palaces (Houses) of the Face

 

Facial Features & Ways of Improving Feng Shui (Luck)

 

Clear & Radiant Forehead

An ideal forehead should be round, bright and smooth with no prominent marks or scars.

A round, smooth forehead indicates power, wealth and great authority.

It is important that your forehead remains clear of blemishes, spots and unsightly pimples. Moles right in the centre of the forehead should be removed as they are deemed inauspicious. Some lines on the forehead depict character and thinking depth. However, having too much wrinkles on the forehead and brow could mean worrying incessantly and a personality quick to anger.

Jean Claude Van Damme with a prominent lipoma on the forehead indicating financial and marital problems in life.

 

Treatments for a radiant and clear forehead

(1) Mole and skin lesion removal 

In Chinese Face Reading, this mole is on Position 19 on the Career Palace which indicates poor career progression and an unhappy marriage. Best removed.

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(2) Botulinum Toxin treatment for frown and forehead lines

In Chinese Face Reading, this vertical wrinkle line is called “Needle Piercing Through the Heavenly Heart” and it is treated successfully with Botox.

Caveats

The total absence of forehead creases is not considered good Face Feng Shui as there is nothing to give mental strength to a person. The doctor should not paralyze all the muscles of the forehead to give a frozen look but tailor the dose to allow animation of the face to give and allow “character”.

Try relaxing your face by conjuring up in your mind’s eye a pleasant scene whenever you feel your brows bunching up. This will enhance your Face Feng Shui tremendously.

(3) Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)

Qi (chi) or simply termed prajnic energy lacking on the face means the person will have less auspicious luck in life. PRP can restore “chi” and “luck” to the owner.

 

(4) Fat grafting to improve sunken temples and forehead contour

Sunken temples indicate unfulfilling sex and marital life with current partner/spouse.

(5) Forehead/Brow Lift with hidden scars

Patient with “Lines Locking the Life Palace” successfully treated with a brow lift and myotomy (weakening) of wrinkle muscles.

 

Take a look at this picture, watch the video below and see the difference in the face structure and skull of the warrior and the wimp. The personality and character is seen on the face.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb1MXQ5TqtM

 

This ends PART 1 of FENG SHUI OF THE FACE AND IMPROVING LUCK WITH PLASTIC SURGERY.

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Sincerely yours,

 

Dr Lee Seng Khoo