Month: March 2006

I’ve read some articles that said smoking can cause vanes to constrict and possibly cause hair loss. I was wondering if there is any truth to that or not? Also do product like skoal and copenhagen also have this same constricting effect?

It is well known that smoking and tobacco products have adverse health effects. Nicotine in tobacco products are known to constrict blood vessels. This could lead to poor circulation and possible hair loss. To see this effect (of poor circulation) squeeze your nail bed until it turns white and see how quickly it returns to its natural pink color (it should be under 2 seconds). Compare the time difference after smoking a cigarette. You will see that the blushing time changes. Some hair transplants surgeons feel strongly that the effect of nicotine on scalp circulation is reduced more significantly when a hair transplant is done, leading to poorer growth of the grafts and less than idealized results.

It is remarkable to see how some people continue to smoke even with the Surgeon General’s Warning Label. I wonder what may happen if there is a Dr. Rassman Warning Label — “Warning: Dr. Rassman Has Determined That Smoking May Cause Baldness“

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Also, on a side note, if hair is lost from shock loss during a hair transplant and doenst grow back, is the hair follicle still there and healthy and just not producing hair? If so, could the laser potentially stimulate those follicles back to making its hair again? Thanks so much and best of wishes to you.

There are some promising studies out there about low laser light therapy treatments for hair loss. There is still, however, a need for better and more appropriate science to back up claims that this therapy can actually grow hair. I’ve written about lasers many times before on this blog, such as here, here, and here.

Shock loss from surgery occurs very rarely, especially when the patient is taking Propecia. The hair that falls out from shock loss will regrow if the hair is not genetically impacted (miniaturized) in which case it may not return. This is why I like to use Propecia in my young patients as it seems to protect the patient against post-hair transplant shock loss. Again with regard to your last question, in shock loss, the role of the laser has not been defined.

Dear Doctor,
I am losing my eyebrows hair (23-male).

1. Can dandruff be a reason for it?
2. Do you always recommend scalp hair for translpanting to eyebrows? Can chest hair be used? Or armpit hair?
3. I have always heard about scarring at donor site. Are there scars or marks at recipient site ever?

Thank You very much indeed.

There are many reasons for eyebrow hair loss, including hypothyroidism, plucking, trichotillomania, psoriasis with scratching, dermatitis, infection, any inflammation process, and a series of autoimmune problems including alopecia areata/totalis. Using hair at the occipital area to transplant by single strands to the eyebrow areas is the best way to do it.

1. Dandruff is not the cause for it.
2. Experience with other body hair (armpit, chest hair, leg hair) is not well documented and must be looked at as experimental at this stage.
3. I have never seen scars in the recipient area.