December 2005 – Page 10

December 14, 2005

Hairline Receding on One Side More than Other – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Doctor Rassman, I’ve read your profile. You’ve made quite a lot of achievements. Congrats!
And now on to my question, I’m 19 years of age and my hairline is receding a lot towards the left than the right. My left side is roundish but the right side is still squared yet receding. I can actually feel the emptiness on the left side and that’s really freaking me out. I am also able to see through the hair…meaning that I’m seeing less hair up there but I dunno if it shrunk in diameter. Its like it went from jungle thick to like how a forest would look after a large fire. There’s also small bald gaps in my hairline. This is all very embarrasing for someone my age as it depicts an unhealthy aging teenager. I tend to wear tuques most of the time and I know I can’t do that all my life. I only work part time a few hours a week therefore I dont think I can afford Propecia. Are there any other drugs or methods you can suggest? Thanks.

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Hair loss is often asymetrical. Usually, when one side becomes worse, the other side catches up with it. Eventaully, if you have male patterned genetic hair loss, you will continue the process. Propecia works well to stop it, slow it down, or reverse it, particularly in young men like you. You need to have your scalp mapped out for miniaturization and get a diagnosis first. Then a good doctor can treat you properly.

December 14, 2005

DHEA and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Doc Rassman:
Hope everything’s been going well with you on your end…had a quick question, there’s an over the counter supplement, believe some sort of hormone based supplement, called DHEA that’s supposed to help recuperation after exercise…says essentially that the body manufactures it naturally and starts tapering off in the 20s. Do you know anything about it and if so would I have any concerns about taking it regularly as one of the potential effects I understand would possibly be hair loss although what I’m reading says that side effect would be extremely rare. Does the supplement work and is it worth taking, even at reduced amounts…ps, I’m 35 years now so i was thinking if i were to start taking it I would simply just take half dose. thanks for your time…

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DHEA is one of the medications that may accelerate hair loss, so I would not go that route. There are safety issues related to this very potent medication, which many people use as an anti-aging medication. I have generally been less enthusiastic about things that I do not understand the long term impact of. Some of the literature I’ve read addresses the world of the unknown, and DHEA certainly fits into that world.

December 14, 2005

Doctor Recommendation in Boston Area? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Doctor,
Thank you for a great website. I find it very informative. I’m 25, male. I have been losing hair for almost 2 years now. My frontal hair is shaped like an M now. I’m thinking of consulting a dermatologist or some doctor like yourself and find out what’s the best treatment for my case, but not sure who to approach. I live in boston, Massachusetts. Do you know any good doctor or any colleagues of yours in this area that reliable enough that I can go to? Do you think it’s better to consult a dermatologist first or just take the propecia? Greatly appreciated for your help.

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Dr. Robert Bernstein in NY is my favorite, as I have seen his results over and over again through the past years. At least with him, you can go to an open house and get a consultation on the same day. The trip from Boston by train is a nice ride.

Propecia must be prescribed by a doctor, so you’ll need to see someone first. You can generally find doctors who specialize in hair restoration surgery through ISHRS.org. Just be sure to do your research.

December 14, 2005

Hair Loss InformationHead & Shoulders Shampoo – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Somebody mentioned losing hair after using Head ‘n Shoulders shampoo. In the fall of 1975, I started using Head ‘n Shoulders shampoo and immediately started losing hair and even though I could not prove the causal relation between the two, I immediately quit using Head ‘n Shoulders. Even though my hair has still receded and thinned somewhat since then, I have always been curious if anyone has taken a look at Head ‘n Shoulders and complaints about that brand of shampoo as a possible cause of hair loss.

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Head and Shoulders Head & Shoulders shampoo, to my knowledge, does not contribute to hair loss. You are the first person who has presented this complaint to me. It is very possible that there was a coincidence between the shampoo and the change in your hair loss status.

Update August 18, 2008 —
Although I initially posted this almost 3 years ago, this has become a very hot topic as of late and the readers have provided some good commentary below.

December 14, 2005

8 Months After Transplant Procedure – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Dr. Rassman,
I had a procedure of 1,600 grafts done on my front hairline just over 8 months ago. My situation was exactly like that of Steve Hartman’s, whose pictures are on the NHI website. The growth of my grafts didn’t really begin to show until about 2 months after the procedure. Now, after 8 months, the hairs have grown to length, but are very fine and thin in appearance. To compare, my transplanted area at 8 months looks like Steve Hartman’s photos at 5 months. It seems like everywhere I read, 8 months is roughly a good time to indicate how successful a transplant was. I realize that every situation is different, but I’m just wondering if (according to the averages) can I expect more density and fullness in the coming months? Am I just being impatient?

I’m very pleased with my results so far, I think I was just hoping to see a bigger difference sooner. Thanks for any help and I hope to see you the next time I’m in California!

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At 8 months, the transplants usually show about 80-90% of the results, with more length coming in the following months. Steve Hartman‘s hair was an average thickness and your hair is very fine, so an apples to apples comparison may not be appropriate. You are asking if all of the hair has grown and the answer is effectively most have grown. You may need another transplant, which is not unusual for a person with very fine hair.

December 14, 2005

Itch on Scalp from Rat Mites? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

For a couple of months now, my head has been extremely itchy, and my hair is falling out much more than it should be. I don’t have any bald spots, the hair just falls out all over the head. The itch is so intense and sometimes it feels 100 times worse than the itch from headlice. I’ve been to the dr’s twice, and hairdresser and many friends have checked, all have confirmed that i don’t have headlice. My 2 teenagers just told me tonight that they have been having the same symptoms. Hair also can just pull out without feeling a thing. I’m making another dr’s appointment, but i think the dr might think it’s all in my head (no pun intended). He says my scalp is in great shape, no flaking or anything. I’m just more concerned now that 2 of my kids are complaining of the same thing. Someone suggested it could be something called rat mites. We do have a lot of mice in our house, as we live in the country, now i’m wondering if rat mites could be the problem. Thanking You in advance for your reply

That certainly is an interesting one. You should look into finding someone that specializes in skin problems, rather than just a general practitioner. I would see a good dermatologist and have your scalp and hair evaluated. There is a hair pull test that the doctor can do for you, which I would recommend having done rather than going to the Orkin or Terminex folks to get your head fumigated. Clearly, fomr my answer, you can see that this is not an area of my expertise.

December 14, 2005

Does Hair Transplantation Hurt? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hair transplanting looks like it hurts! Does it hurt is my question? I saw the video and almost threw up. So please respond to my question! Does it hurt? Especially with at least a couple of thousand grafts! Please respond! Thank you for your time.

Yes, part of the process is painful. The first part (with anesthesia) hurts for about 1 minute. This part can be subsidized with appropriate medications to reduce the pain and possibly eliminate it if you choose this option. The more medications, the slightly more risk you may experience with side effects. Pain is also present after the surgery. If you elect to have an FUE procedure, the pain is very minimal and rarely takes any medications after surgery. If you have a strip harvesting procedure, then there is pain in the donor area, particularly more on the first night, which is easily treated with strong medications that are supplied by us. Some doctors do not like to use the word ‘pain’ because its meaning might frighten patients away, so the word discomfort is used instead. Discomfort = Pain!

On the other hand. there is also the pain of hair loss. This pain is often described by our patients as far worse than anything that they experienced in the surgery. As the old saying goes, “No Pain, No Gain” which essentially means that you need to weigh what you are willing to experience against what you are not willing to experience. A 2,000 graft procedure does not really hurt more than a 500 graft procedure. I prefer the larger procedures, because the patient has to invest less time and have less surgeries to get the final end product of their hair restoration desires.

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December 13, 2005

Prostate Cancer, Diabetes, and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am 72 and have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and diabetes. My hair is thinning rapidly and my scalp is itchy and greasy. Washing only accelerates the loss. Do you think there is any connection and is there anythig that can be done about the hair problem.(It is very fine and “flyaway”).

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Many people with prostate cancer will be treated with finasteride. If your doctor is willing to add this to your treatment, the hair loss may slow, stop, or reverse. If the cancer is not under control, it might contribute to hair loss. Stress is a major cause of hair loss and I can only imagine that the stress you are going through is adding to this process. Diabetes, if it gets out of control, can contribute to hair loss as well.

December 13, 2005

Where to Apply Minoxidil? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello Dear Doctor:
I’ve been using Proscar for several years and it works for me. A year ago I started to use Minoxidil 5%, twice a day. It works too, noticiablly in the topical area, and possibly thickening other areas. But recently, I started to apply Minoxidil 5% once a day. I’ve been doing so for about 2 months, didn’t see any bad effect. Should I continue to apply it once a day, or change back to twice a day? Another important question, I usually try to apply it everywhere not only the topical area. Do you think that helps more? if not, I wouldn’t waste the time. Or, even if I only apply it to the topical area, it works the same as I apply it in other areas too? Can you define the topical area more precisely for me? You answer will save me lots of time each day, so change my life significantly, I appreciate it.

Apply the minoxidil twice a day to the area that you want to see the benefit from it. Although there is some systemic absorption, minoxidil’s greatest impact is at the point it is applied regularly.

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December 13, 2005

Taking Multivitamins with Propecia – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dr,
I was wondering if a multivitamin or calcium citrate pill would interfere with the workings of a propecia pill. Would it be safe to take all three pills together in the morning? Also, because of my schedule I find it impossible to take propecia the same time every day. Am I doing myself a disservice? I’ll appreciate any comments, take care

You can take multivitamins or calcium citrate with Propecia. The time of day you take Propecia is not critical, but mornings are best because testosterone levels are highest then.