May 2006 – Page 8 – Balding Blog

May 17, 2006

Took Accutane Years Ago, Now Hair Sheds and Grows Back – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Dr. Rassman,

I have been experiencing a problem with hair shedding ever since I took accutane 3 years ago. It seems to be cyclical in nature. It sheds every 3-4 months but then grows right back. I’ve looked this up on the internet and what I’ve concluded is that I have chronic telogen effluvium brought on by accutane. I don’t have much miniturization…that’s when the hair falls out and is replaced by a thinner hair and then by a thinner hair right? Each strand of hair on my head is still as thick as it always was it’s just that I keep shedding massive amounts of hair every 3-4 months. Everytime I think it’s stopped for good, it starts shedding again. Also i have very straight hair and ever since I took accutane it seems that I now have hairs that are kind of curly or bent looking if that makes any sense. I don’t know what to do…I’m tired of it falling out. Please help.`

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I have heard of problems like yours from Accutane, but I do not have a suggestion in the short term. In the long term, I would expect that this cyclical process will become less and less of a problem, but you will have to wait it out. If I become aware of any solutions, I will let everyone know through this blog and write to you as well. If any of my readers have a solution, please share.

May 17, 2006

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

hi im 23, female and for 3 years now my hair has gradually become noticly thin all over my head i have been told by a dermatologist my scalp is ok and that my hair has only thinned out due to stress but i feel its through dht, as my hair falls out from the root and regrows finner especailly the sides where it was effected first. my hair around the sides of my head to the back of my ears look near enough bald now even though theres hair there. please HELP i feel like i cant cope with my hair loss its effecting my life so much im highly thinking about taking propecia cause my hair is so important to me i dont wont to where a wig the thought of it makes me sick. please note i have polycistic overies and have been told that can cause thinning of the hair, i have also had alot of blood tests except dht which have all come back normal once again pease help me. regards kelly. x

ps, the loss of my hair has caused me to look so unatractive, and was applying to be a model but i now feel it can only be a dream. i wish and wish for a mirical every day.

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Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) can produce some masculine hormonal changes, including hair loss on the scalp and hair growth in areas like the face (i.e. upper lip) and some body hair growth. You need to get your hair mapped out for miniaturization to outline just what is happening to your scalp hair, where on the head it is happening, and to what degree. Drugs like finasteride (Propecia) may work, but if you should become pregnant on this drug, there is a likelihood that your child will develop abnormal sexual characteristics like hermaphroditic changes. There is a report in the literature that women with PCOS and hair loss have been helped by finasteride, but be warned not to get pregnant if you go that route. The metrics obtained with mapping of your scalp hair will show the value of any treatment modality, therefore it is critical to get the measurements in hand before any treatment is started. With that positive note, you probably have genetic female hair loss which can impact the course of treatments as well, and just like men with hair loss and finasteride treatments, there are no guarantees that it can work. Any approach to this requires a really good doctor to manage your hormonal problems.

For more info on PCOS, see:

May 17, 2006

Ultra Nourish Hair – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am taking a GNC product called Ultra Nourish Hair which contains 1200 grams of biotin along with other vitamins, and the box says to take 2 pills a day. My question is, would this product help me alot to grow my hair longer, faster, and stronger? Please let me know if I’m using a good product or not!

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I don’t have personal experience with Ultra Nourish Hair, so I can’t tell you for sure if this will help your hair grow stronger or faster, but there are plenty of online reviews that seem to be positive. Keep in mind that there are numerous products out there that claim to give the best hair growth results, so finding one that actually does what it says can feel like an impossible task. While I really have my doubts about many of the commercial products out there on the market making hair growth claims, Ultra Nourish does contain biotin in it (which has marginal value, if any, in people who are well nourished).

Please note that this product will not treat male pattern baldness (genetic hair loss), but aims to grow your existing hair faster.

May 17, 2006

Acupuncture on Scalp Caused Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Dr Rassman,

I had Alopecia problem a year ago and tried acupuncture treatment. The acupunturist used plum blossom hammer (this is a small hammer with five tiny needle points) to hit my scalp. My scalp soon got infected and red. In the end, I lost all hair on the scalp. I was so dismayed. Recently I found that some hair grow but these are thinner and diffuse than before. I am wondering of I should use a product Recapeen or any other product you recommended?

I am in my twenties and a female. I really hope that you can give me some suggestion. I am really in despair. Please reply me.

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I am assuming that you have been diagnosed with alopecia areata? If so, your hair may grow back to normal sometime down the line. Steroid injections may help, but not always. The acupuncture experience with the infection you reported may have contributed to the acceleration of the hair loss seen with alopecia areata. If you have alopecia areata, then there are dermatologists who specializes in this disease who are worth seeing. You might check with your family doctor and ask him/her to investigate the dermatologists in your area who have a special interest in treating people with this disease. I would not recommend any treatments without a diagnosis in hand.

May 17, 2006

Technical Term for Itchy, Dry Scalp – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I was wondering what do you call itchy, dry scalp so I can try to find products for it. I have flakes of dry skin, (not actually flakes) but i know it’s not dandruff, and dandruff has a name of it’s own so I was trying to figure out the name of just itchy, REALLY dry scalp.

Medical term for itchy is puritis. Medical term for dry flaky skin is scaly. Sometimes those medical terms are used in combination to describe a fungal infection of the skin such ring worms, which is a misnomer because there are no real worms. This does not mean you have ring worms. You may want to see your primary care doctor if you are concerned. Please note, I am not diagnosing you or implying you have ringworm.

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May 17, 2006

Miniaturization Test With Long Hair? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Can I Have a Miniaturization Test With Long Hair or do you need to cut your hair first ? And how will the procedure continue after for example one year ? Do you need marks or some fixpoints on your scalp to measure from ?

Thanks for an informative and important blog !

I’m glad you find this so blog useful. The mapping out of the head can be done without cutting your hair at all. Regions of the scalp miniaturize and the degree of this miniaturization process can be estimated by a skilled person without cutting the hair. Provided that regions are covered in an organized way, markers on the scalp are not necessary. The best of all worlds would be to tattoo a few areas (fine dot) and re-look at the same exact spot each and every time the scalp is mapped out, but for many people this may be impractical.

May 17, 2006

Eucapil – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello Dr. Rassman.

What, in your opinion, would be the best medical option for treating/preventing hairloss?

I have stumbled across a product called Eucapil (fluridil) which claims to be a potent topical anti-androgen. Informaton about the drug can be found at http://www.eucapil.com/. It seems a product such as this one might be a great addition to an internal AR inhibitor. Can you please give it a look? Most importantly, are there any exisiting products or others in development that have a similar method of action?

Thanks very much.

Eucapil is stated to be a cosmetic and is available only in the Czech and Slovak countries. By stating that is a cosmetic, that means that no medical claim will have any value whatsoever. Products like these may do good things for the appearance of hair, but there is no suggestion or proof that it will grow hair or reverse hair loss. It is well known that herbal and natural supplements have wide variability in their manufactured ingredients and the owners of these product seem to push claims that may not be valid far too often. As I have stated many times on this site, it is a buyer beware market. That is my medical opinion. There are medical solutions available, which are finasteride 1mg (Propecia) taken orally, minoxidil (Rogaine) applied topically, or a hair transplant procedure — all of which require a medical examination by a qualified doctor.

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May 16, 2006

Propecia Shedding vs Regular Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I read alot of posts from medical experts and bloggers about shedding on Propecia and how it is a good sign that the drug is working. My question really is what is the difference between shedding on a drug like propecia and actual hairloss? How can you tell which one is occuring and at what point in your treatment do you accept your shedding as hairloss. Hope this is clear. I just don’t understand the difference. If 17% of males that use Propecia get no benefit did they experience hairloss that they believed was just shedding?

There is no way to distinguish shedding from Propecia (rare) vs normal shedding from continuation of male genetic hair loss. Hair loss shedding will be continuing at the same rate that you saw it prior to starting the drug if the drug is not working. Any shedding caused by Propecia should pass within 3-4 months so that by the 8th month, the benefits should be clear one way or the other.

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May 16, 2006

My Hair Suddenly Got Curly in the Back – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am a 64 year old women, suddenly my hair is getting curly in the back of my head. What is causing this? I do have a small pea size cyst on my brain stem. Dr. is not concerned unless it grows. Could this cause the problem?

I don’t know the cause of the sudden change in the character of your hair, but most people would love to be in your situation. As we age, the hair often gets finer with less character, rather than more character. Change in diet could be responsible, but this is pure conjecture on my part. It is possible that a gene for curly hair may not express until later in life due to certain environmental factors. I would doubt that the pea-sized cyst on your brain stem has anything to with it.

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May 16, 2006

I Had Increased Libido From Propecia, Then Lost All Sex Drive – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Dr. Rassmann,

I am 22 and started taking propecia around 8 months ago and had some side effects that I did not mind much at all, increased libido and increased ejaculate volume. But a few weeks ago out of nowhere I completely lost all sex drive, it was a very drastic decrease in libido. I can still get myself to have good erections but it is very hard without sex drive. Since I had “beneficial” sexual side effects from propecia, yet still sexual side effects, I stopped its use a few days ago and will see if I return to normal, otherwise it means I have ED and will resume propecia as it has been working well to maintain my hair (I might have even gained some hair). I guess my questions are, how long before I should see a reversal of the sexual side effects? and if I return to normal should I resume the 1mg dose and stay on it until I lose my sex drive once again (hopefully I won’t)? or should I take 1/2mg a day? Thank you for your help. Have a nice day.

The effects of Propecia should be out of your body in a couple of days. Some of it may be bound to some tissue receptors, but within a week, I would expect to see you return to your normal libido. Taking 1/2mg each day will not be as effective as the 1mg, but it is better than taking none at all. Go off of it until the libido returns to normal and then try a half pill. That has worked for half of the patients who reported libido problem to me.

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