January 2006 – Page 2

January 30, 2006

Will Chemo Cause My Removed Hair to Regrow? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I’ve had Laser treatments to remove the hair on my back and reduce the hair on my chest. I now have very little hair on my back and less on my chest.

Recently I’ve had a CATSCAN. My lymph nodes are irregular and I’m having a biopsy. I’ve been told I may have to do chemo.

I’m aware I can lose much of my hair during these treatments. I realize this is usually temporary. Will this have an effect in reversing any changes made by the Laser on my back and chest?

Thanks.

If the laser succeeded and the hair on the back and chest has been gone for more than a year or two, then the chemotherapy should not impact any regrowth of the body hair that has been removed. The reason I am saying this, is that laser hair removal (when it succeeds) kills the ‘root’ of the hair so that it will not regrow. As you probably know, the laser is about 50% effective at killing each hair, so after one treatment 50% of the hair will return within a few months of the treatment. With each successive treatment 50% of the treated hair dies, so after the second treatment 25% returns, and after the third is 12.5%, then 6%, then 3%, and so on. This assumes that modern hair lasers are used.

Your head hair (if you lose it with chemotherapy) has not been killed off, but rather a chemically induced telogen process will have been precipitated. Chemotherapeutic agents go after the faster growing cells of the body (cancers, hair, certain blood cells, sometimes intestinal cells) and that is the common thread that produces the side effects you may experience with such agents (anemia and white blood cell depletion, bleeding from depleted platelets, diarrhea and nausea from intestinal cell impact). The telogen process from chemotherapy is in the hair follicle and it usually reverses in a few months after the chemo stops. The drugs used vary and not all people lose their hair with some of the chemotherapy agents. Some of the newer chemotherapy agents are more targeted at the cancer and some of these other fast growing cells may not be impacted.

January 30, 2006

Losing Hair from Rogaine – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Dr. Rassman,
I started using Rogaine almost 2 months ago. My hair was getting very thin and each year I had less hair. Before using Rogaine, I never saw a hair in my shower drain, but somehow I was losing hair. After using Rogaine, my hair loss did not get worse in the first 2-3 weeks, but now, after almost 2 months of using Rogaine, I noticed a lot of hair in my shower drain every day. what shoud I do now? should stop using it? or should continue? I use twice a day, a little more than 1ml of 5% Rogaine.
Thank You

Shedding of hair may occur shortly after starting Rogaine. I would suggest that you ride out this phase considering the short period of time.

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January 30, 2006

Hair Loss from Zoloft, Surmontil, Xanax, or Temesta? – Balding Blog

Dear Dr. Rassman

I am 33 and suffered from depression and anxiety attacks over a period of years and took numerous antidepressants including Zoloft and Surmontil. In addition I took sedatives such as Xanax and Temesta. During that time I did not notice any hairloss, even though I experienced a huge amount of stress. I am on the way to recovery now and stopped taking the antidepressants over 6 months ago and am weaning myself off the Xanax. For the last 6 months I have been experiencing mild hair loss, especially noticeable on the front hairline. Gaps are appearing in the hairline, which was normally full. I wash my hair about 4 times a week and comb my hair when washing it. In total I notice about 20-30 hairs on my hands and comb every time, which I never did before. I have no family history on either side of baldness. I have the following questions:

1) Is it possible that I could be experience temporary hair loss as a result of a history of using antidepressants and huge stress, and am having something of a delayed reaction? If so when can I expect hair to start growing back, if at all?

2) Does hair generally become thinner and recede in any case with age?

3) How can the loss of 50-100 hairs a day be normal? It seems like such a huge amount. Even given that new hairs are growing, that is around 30,000 hairs a year.

Thanks for any advice.

Kind Regards

Stress and antidepressent medications can cause hair loss. In some people, the hair shafts become finer (rather than coarser) and develop less densities of the hairs themselves with age. Most people lose about 100 hairs per day and they grow back about the same number of hairs each day.

January 30, 2006

Hair Loss from Propecia – Balding Blog

Hey. I’m 20 years old and I have also had a further back hairline, but only on the side. it looked fine. A year ago i asked my doctor about it because it was a little thin on the right side and he prescribe propecia. Well i had been taking propecia for about 8 months every other day, when all of the sudden my hair was coming out like 15 hairs at a time. when i ran my fingers through my hair tons came out. I lost about an inch and a half on my hairline in 2 to 3 months. My hairline was fine before but it was just thin on the right side. It crazy its bother me alot. So i quit taking the propecia a little less then a month ago. I mean i cant even grow facial hair. so it feels weird that im losing my hair. PLease help. Could this be temporary?

Dealing with someone like you over the internet is very difficult or almost impossible. As I have said many times on this blog, you first need a working diagnosis. Getting your hair and scalp mapped out of miniaturization should at the least establish a proper diagnosis. Having someone with my experience, for example, is critical in making the judgments you need. Questions that stand out for me include:

Are you going through accelerated hair loss?
Do you have other causes of hair loss?

I would want to go through an extensive history on your overall health and the family tree in terms of balding, hair growth (when and where), etc. Get a good doctor and do not treat yourself. It has been said that “A person who treats himself, has a fool for a doctor”.

January 30, 2006

Does Hair Age? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Does hair age?

Of course hair shows the effect of aging and it will often change as we get older. Look at the huge crop of large diameter hairs in the ponytail of a twenty two year old women and think of the meager, thin hair of some 80 year old women. Hair often gets smaller in diameter and fewer in number as we age.

The process of getting finer shafts (or lower densities of the hair) with age occurs insidiously over many years, starting in some people in their early 20s (male and female) and progressively becoming more frequent with each decade. We just notice the changes when we look at an isolated 80 year old in a nursing home and we think ‘Old’. The medical profession calls this type of thinning ’senile alopecia’ (doctors have to use some Latin to create a medical mystique to it). Most people will notice that their adult hair changes in character as their age advances. This change in character may be from wavy to straight, or from thick gorilla hair to a see through appearance where the scalp can be seen in reasonably bright light (htat may never have been the case in that same person when they were 20). I would suspect that the thinning of hair densities occurs in fully 1/3rd of the adult population (male and female) at some time during their lifetime and I see this process in some men who are in their early 20s, which we now call ‘diffuse unpatterned alopecia’, yet another abuse of the latin language of olden days.

By Drs. Jim Arnold and William Rassman

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January 30, 2006

Ayurvedic and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Do you know anything about Ayuervedic? It is being sold to regrow hair.

I have read much about this line of medications/herbs since I received your email. It is like many of the other potions and lotions that are promoted to regrow hair. As a clinical scientist, I always stress the need to see solid proofs before I recommend something. This line of products may work, or it may not work. I can not determine effectiveness of safety, which are not only the FDA requirements for approval of a therapeutic approach to health or cosmetic problems, but mine as well.

January 30, 2006

Are These Side Effects from Propecia or Stress? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dr. Rassman,
I am 23, and have had diffuse thinning for the past three years. I am currently taking propecia and minox and have been for 15 months. During that period, I have not noticed any significant regrowth, but the appearence of my hair has seemed to maintain to some degree. I am also a law student and in December I had my first set of finals. During that time, I can honestly say that I was more stressed then I have ever been in my life. Since december, I have noticed that my hair has appeared to thin significantly.It used to be thin only in the back, now I can see a thinning pattern in the front. Additionally, in the month since finals ended my libido and sex drive have significantly increased. I do not know whether that increase is due to my lack of stress, however I am speculating that the propecia has stopped working for me. I was wonding if these are typical effects if it does stop working; i.e increased thinning and greater sex drive or perhaps I can attribute both the my level of stress and current lack there of. Any help would be greatly appreciated. If propecia has stopped working for me, then I really don’t know what else I could do

Stress impacts everything in our lives. Your hair loss and thinning is certainly (assuming you have genetic hair loss) being made worse by stress. Propecia sounds like it has slowed or stopped the present hair loss, but as male genetic hair loss is a progressive process, it is only a matter of time until you notice more thinning/recession. The sex drive issue relates to many things. Men can find sex to be a good outlet for frustration and hiding from problems. Propecia can initially cause an increased sex drive due to the increase in testosterone levels, but the sex drive of a man your age should already be high, so perhaps your body is just learning to deal with the stress better. Could it be that your normal sex drive is what you are now experiencing?

With regard to your thinning and possible genetic hair loss, you should get your hair mapped out for miniaturization to determine if the hair loss is genetic and to what degree it is progressing. You need a Master Plan for your future hair loss. As you are in Los Angeles, I would be pleased to see you myself at no charge in my LA office. If you are interested, please call my office at 800-NEW-HAIR to set up a free consultation with me.

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January 27, 2006

Hair Loss InformationIs Hair Cloning Right Around the Corner? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I saw this article yesterday about hair cloning on the UK’s Times Online: Baldness cure firm heads for AIM

Here is an example of a business deal coming down the pike shortly which mixes the anticipation of raising a large amount of money with the excitement of hair cloning. Growing hair in a test-tube from parts of the hair follicle that might eventually produce a head of hair in a balding man is the dream. How far from reality is this? I suspect that the clinical trials will tell us that, but as you may know, clinical trials take time to get from testing to fruition and an FDA approved process that is both safe and effective. Many of these processes fail to make the final mark, so this is a high risk deal for those of you wanting to put your money behind the cloning endeavor. It is even a higher risk deal for those of you waiting and waiting and waiting for the cloning answer to your balding prayer.

January 27, 2006

Laser Treatment (LLLT) for Hair Loss (with Photos) – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Update: We are constantly asked about the effects of Low Laser Light Therapy (LLLT) for hair loss. A man who used the laser on our office showed me the impact of the laser on his hair with before and after pictures. He went to a company called Laser Hair Solutions, which uses a proprietary laser (we have one in our Los Angeles office) and a series of solutions which are religiously applied to the scalp. Minoxidil is one of the agents in the solutions that are applied to the scalp. I would like to say that I can tell which of the treatment solutions worked to increase the evident thickness shown in the photographs, but knowing that minoxidil alone could do it (a 3-15% chance of good growth with minoxidil alone), I can not attribute the benefits completely to the laser or to the minoxidil. I have reviewed a substantial number of publications (mostly European) on LLLT, and there is a good basis to show that LLLT does increase blood supply. Possibly when LLLT is added to Minoxidil, there is an additive effect. With that said, the results on this one patient are quite remarkable in just 90 days of using the combined treatment. Again one might ask, would the same effect have occurred with either the laser or minoxidil alone? This man was thrilled and only noted that ‘the’ treatment worked.

The below 1st set of photos were taken on October 10, 2005 before laser treatment. Click the photos to enlarge.

Before_Laser

The below 2nd set of photos were taken on January 9, 2006 after laser treatment. Although I did not take these photos, a comparable set of photos were taken by me which essentially show the same effect as those taken on January 9th. I am comfortable that the photographs show what this man saw and is not a trick of the camera or lighting. Click the photos to enlarge.

After_Laser

January 27, 2006

Hair Loss InformationWhat If I Shave My Head After a Transplant? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

What is the average total cost of a hair transplant and what if I decide to shave my head, will there be noticible scars?

Block Quote

I’m sorry to tell you this, but there is no “average total cost” of a hair transplant. It varies from patient to patient and from doctor to doctor. However, you can usually count on a good hair transplant costing several thousand dollars because it is (or should be) a very detailed and labor intensive process with a highly trained staff.

As for shaving your head, any time the skin is cut, you will have a scar. The degree of your scar will depend both on the skill of your surgeon and how your body heals, but scars can be minimized through multiple techniques. If you plan to “go Marine” you might consider the FUE/FOX Procedure if you are a candidate (see FUE category ). This, too, will leave scars but they will be little white dots versus a thin line which will draw the eye and be more obvious with a shaved head.

For more information about Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE), please take a look at: