November 2005 – Page 4

November 22, 2005

Hair Loss InformationHair Transplant Before Face Lift? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have a question about possible future hairloss. I have a list of procedures I want to have done and thought I knew the best ordering of them. I plan on having a hair transplant first, this so my hair has time to regrow. About 6 to 7 months later I would have a SMAS Facelift. However, I have been reading about the hairloss common to post face lifting and now I am perplexed. Bear in mind, my eyebrows are to be lifted with a method that doesn’t go near my hairline on top, however, it is the sides of my hairline, the temple region that has me stressed. A facelift will deal in that area and quite truthfully, I can’t afford to lose hair there. It is already thinned out considerably as it is. But, I need to have the facelift. So, is it possible to have a “temple” hair transplant? I don’t see any way around this. Help me by imparting your knowledge so I make an educated choice. I think I can proceed with the transplant on top, to be scheduled in early december, but what about the temples and future facelift?

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my question and solve this.

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Generally, I like to do hair transplants after face lifts, because if there are any problems to the hair caused by the face lift or brow lift, they can be addressed at the time of the hair transplant. A good deal of my practice is this type of surgery. Clearly, the newer face lift procedures spare some, but not all of the problems. You can follow your facelift with a hair transplant after a few weeks to a few months. If there are hair problems following the facelift, they will be evident by month three.

November 22, 2005

Melancor – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hey Dr. Rassman;
Concerning the subject of graying hair…I have look at about everything the internet has to offer on what causes it, and how to stop it, even reverse it. I would like to hear your take on the subject if I may. Do you know anything about Melancor or is it another “snake oil”? And what’s up with gray chest hair?….mine is 3 times as long, seems twice as thick and curlier than my dark brown chest hair. Why is that so? What is taking place here?
Always thankful for you time!

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I know very little about Melancor, but based upon your question, I did research it. The claims appear to me as marketing hype without documented scientific evidence to back up claims of safety or effectiveness that satisfy my scientific mind. That concerns me. The substance is in a pill form and that concerns me even more. I would doubt that this passes FDA or FCC standards and without safety studies, I would not want to risk my health taking an unproven medication.

With regard to your long chest hairs, I can only tell you that this is exactly what I see on my hairy chest. At least there are two observant people watching their chest hair grow far too long for their particular likes.

November 22, 2005

After Care for Scar Revision – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Everything seems very promising at this stage, two weeks after a scar revision procedure. I am wondering whether there is anything proactive that I can do to help minimize the presence of the new scar. (Besides avoiding exercise involving unexpected head-turning.) Such as:
– applying onion-based anti-scarring ointment; or
– not applying onion-based anti-scarring ointment;
– or using or not using some other topical thing.

Thanks for everything!

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I think that patience is a virtue and if the surgery was done well, that should suffice. Applications of any topical ointment may be pointless at this time. If hypertrophic scarring should occur, then you may need to take a look at it as it forms. Stretching of the scar will take time, as stretching usually starts to become evident at about 6 weeks. Keep in touch with your doctor if anything worries you.

November 22, 2005

Genetic Balding in Family History – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello, Im a 16 year old male and i have been experiencing frightening thoughts of a receeding hair line. My hair is currently around 40cm long from the root. Not so long ago I looked in the mirror to notice that my hair was slightly more blonde amongst the corners from my temples up, and the hair seems thinner and smoother. Im probably guessing it is from wearing my hair tight in a bun. There is no form of genetic balding in my family. Is this a Form of balding that can be overcome?

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It sounds like you could have traction alopecia which occurs when one braids his/her hair tightly, causing continuous traction, which over time will cause permanent hair loss. The actual pattern of hair loss will be helpful to view so send me a photo and I can tell you from that (wrassman@newhair.com). Alternatively, receding hairlines in men as they mature is a normal part of the aging process, most notable between the ages of 18-29.

Please note that genetic balding may skip a generation or two, so it is possible that you have a genetic predisposition to lose your hair. I recommend that you see a doctor that specializes in hair, so that he can evaluate you in detail, looking for miniaturization to determine if there is any balding process going on.

November 22, 2005

Can Miniaturization Be Reversed? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dear Doctor,
If you have miniaturization developed in the past 6 months at a rapid pace is it possible to fully reverse it or maybe most part of it ? I Got onto propecia last month once my derm confirmed I have MPB. I am thinking of adding Minoxidil too to the regimen the logic being since the miniaturization/ slight halr loss too has been in the past 6 months Minox might help steer those hair follicles slipping away into complete dormancy. Is my thinking right ? or will propecia and something like a 2% nizoral shampoo be enough to do the job/revive thoseminiaturized follicles ?. My miniaturization is mostly on the top and my hairline is intact. My hairloss history is about 7 months. I am late 20s. Also What is the ideal times a week you should wash hair for a male who has a desk job from 9-5 and works out 4 days a week. ?
I will appreciate your feedback.

In my opinion, I would hold off on the minoxidil and stick to the Propecia for the first 8 months. If the hair loss is as you have defined, then there is a high possibility that it will reverse because it seems to work best for short term genetic hair loss. If you take other drugs like minoxidil and make too many changes at once, then you will never know which one worked best and you’ll be ‘hooked’ on both of them for years. Play your bet out and try the 8 months of Propecia first.

As for washing your hair, I’ll just quote what I said in an earlier blog entry: “Frequent shampooing does not hurt, but aggressive massaging during shampooing and rough brushing will cause fragile hair to break easily.”

To conclude, yes miniaturization can be reversed. The more advanced the balding you have and the longer time you have had it, the less likely will be reversal of the balding process. But the resuls with Propecia (in particular) have at times been very powerful and I have seen a few men who I would have never guessed would reverse, reverse it nevertheless.

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November 21, 2005

Chronic Thyroiditis and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Dr William Rassman,

I’m a woman and I’m 30 years old. I’ve been losing my hair for 13 months, 150 hairs per day and a lot of them when I wash my hair. They have informed me that I have the telogen effluvium and a miniaturization of my hair. I have no problem with my health and hormones. Only a problem (Hashimoto thyroid), but the TSH is normal. What can I do for that? Can I expect that with the time, the hair loss will be stopped? Have I a risk to become bald? I have a lot of hairs, and 10 years ago I have had the same problem and the hair loss had been stopped 2 years later.

Thanks for your help.

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The connection between Chronic thyroiditis (Hashimoto’s disease) and hair loss has been known for some time. Clearly, your thyroid needs to be under good management, then pulling back and looking at the hair loss under the guidance of a good dermatologist would probably be the best way to command what is going on with your hair. I doubt that you will go bald, and you probably will find that control of the hair loss will be like your last episode years earlier. Women almost never go bald, but they can push thinning at times. If it had reversed before, then you might safely assume that it will reverse to some degree again. The focus, as you so rightly concluded, is to stop/contain the hair loss. Like a chicken and an egg scenario, what came first? Chronic thyroiditis may have layered on top of the female balding genetics in your family line.

November 21, 2005

No Hair Loss – Should I Be Taking Finasteride? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hey Dr Rassman! I’m approaching 23 years old, and have experienced some thinning at the temple area, and also some receding of my hair line. Although i guess this could be my hairline maturing, i’ve bought some folligen cream, Nizioral shampoo, and some proscar as a precaution. Are these products still safe to taken, even though i might not actually be experiencing any irregular hair loss? Just thought i would nip it in the bud so to speak! Thanks for your time!

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First of all, you need a proper diagnosis and that requires a good doctor to assess miniaturization of your scalp. Do not assume anything. Your hair is too important to play Russian Roulette with. You should first know what is happening to you, then discuss the options with a good doctor. Taking Proscar without knowing what is going in is a mistake.

November 21, 2005

Bald for 20 Years – Will Propecia Work? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’m 43 and completely bald except around the side of my head-I can grow hair everywhere on my body except the top of my head-lol! I’m wondering if Rogaine or Propecia has worked on guys that are already bald and I have been since I was 22 or so

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Going on Propecia or Rogaine may help prevent further hair loss, but if your skin is smooth and the depth between the skin and the skull is very shallow (atrophic skin), these medications will probably not cause you to grow hair on your ‘runway’. The reason is that when the supportive blood vessels, fat, muscle, glands and nerve tissue atrophy and die off, there is little to stimulate with these medications. If your hair loss process is stable and meets the above criteria, then there may be no point to medications. If your hair loss is not stable (some small hairs are still there and the scalp is not atrophic) then these medications may help. If your fringe area is dropping , then Propecia may stop its migration downward (to your ears). I doubt that minoxidil will have any impact, but you could try it. Propecia or Rogaine will not strengthen the follicles that have already shriveled up and disappeared, but they may help hold or regrow whatever follicles are left that are in the miniaturized state.

November 21, 2005

Permanent Problems from Propecia? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Doc,
Is anything known about the permanence of the sexual side effects of Propecia? I’m concerned about serious fertility problems if I start using this drug, and I’m skeptical of Merck’s claim that all side effects go away quickly once you stop usage (how would they know? Propecia hasn’t been around that long). I’ve just been browsing comments about Propecia on the web and, from reading about various people’s experiences with it, it’s not so clear to me anymore that this drug won’t cause a permanent problem.

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I’ve written a lot about Propecia on this site. Please do a search for Propecia or Propecia side effects to read my many blog entries about this. Quite simply, if you do not trust the drug company or the FDA, then you should not take the drug. In fact, do not take Propecia or any drug unless you have confidence in the information sources; in this case Merck and the FDA.

November 21, 2005

Will Anesthesia Accelerate Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Doctor Rassman,
I am 26 yr old guy having hair thinning since past 10 months. I recently started on a regimen of propecia and Minoxidil 5% since past 1 month. I plan to have an elective surgery next month which will involve Anesthesia with IV sedation. I am worried this could accelerate my hairloss/ thinning. From what I have read any surgery can cause Temporary hairloss or telogen effluvium more so due to psychological stress than light anesthesia. How true is this ? Does any surgery always result in hairloss ? Will the fact that I will be 2 months on propecia and Minox help or decrease the hairloss/thinning that might be caused because of the surgery ? Please advise whether its too risky to go for surgery as I do not want to mess up with my hair. I have had a surgery (accident fracture) before under general anes. 4 years back and did not notice any hairloss but that was because I was not having any hair issues back then.

If you have genetic hair loss, then any stress (like anesthesia and surgery) can accelerate the hair loss process in a young person. Men are less likely to have this happen and your approach wtih Minoxidil and Propecia should reasonably protect you, as much as possible. I have rarely seen hair loss in men with anesthesia and surgery outside of the scalp, but in women with genetic hair loss it is not uncommon. Many women who lose hair will regrow it, but for the few men that lose it with ongoing genetic hair loss, the return of hair is rare. Your approach seems aggressive and well-timed and would encourage you to continue on that track.