Harry: Did it come out in a sort of patch, like a coin?

Tanya: Yes, and my hair is quite thin there.

Harry: So you may have had a condition called alopecia ariata because you had baldness which occurred in a particular area. But there are many other possibilities.

Tanya: About eight months ago I discovered that I have an under-active thyroid.

Harry: That's exactly what I was coming to because I'm listening to your voice and your voice is hoarse. Now one of the symptoms of a lack of thyroid hormone is a hoarse voice.

Tanya: Well I went for an operation on my vocal cords.

Harry: Why did they do an operation? If you've got low thyroid activity then you have a number of symptoms. One of them is a change in your voice and another is a loss of hair. What you need to do is firstly confirm the diagnosis by taking a careful history, doing an examination and then sending off a blood test. It's a very simple diagnosis to make and my junior medical students can make that diagnosis. And then all you have to have thereafter is treatment with Eltroxin and you will be fine.

Tanya: I am on Eltroxin on 0.05mg only, but my doctor has now put me on a higher dosage of two tablets a day.

Harry: Sure, you may have to find the right dose by trial and error. They commonly start with a dose of 0.05mg and if that doesn't work they can give you 0.1mg or they can even give you 0.2mg.

Tanya: So will my hair grow back?

Harry: The chances are that it will grow back but you must give it some time. It may take some months because you've lacked the thyroid hormone for a long time - probably for years.

Tanya: I'm also overweight and that's why I went for the tests.

Harry: Okay, be patient and you will be all right.

Tanya: Great. Thanks very much.