Month: May 2006

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Hair Transplant for Pro Soccer Player – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello Dr Rassman,
Your site is very helpfull and I appreciate what you are doing to help and support those who are suffering with hair loss.

I am a 22 yr ol male and I play professional soccer in the UK and am seriously considering coming over to you for a consultation in hope of having a hair transplant. I was wondering however if the surgery will affect in the long term my ability to head the ball and my sporting performance and also if taking propecia will affect my performance. I look forward to hearing from you.

SoccerFirst, be aware that Propecia is banned for many professional sports players, because it masks steroid use. A hair transplant will not stop you from engaging in full sports within a couple of weeks after the surgery. “Heading” the ball should not be a problem either. If you want to get to full sports in a few days after surgery, you might be a candidate for FUE as a harvesting approach.

Please send me pictures showing the degree of balding and I can be more informative. Your confidentiality is convered under laws that protect you when dealing with a doctor.

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Hair Color and Gene Inheritance – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello Dr. Rassman,
I dont want to seem ignorant to the questions and answers that you have already provided because i believe paranoia gets the best of everyone and no matter how much information they have or hear they will always want more or doubt. With that said, I am 22 years old and i am VERY fearful of going bold. My father is completely bald and he had very thin hair at a young age as i have very thick. My hair color is a reddish blonde, from my fathers grandmother. He had blonde. Is haircolor a factor in gene inheritance? I am not seeing signs now but i get paranoid to the point where i believe i am and friends remind me that im not. Please provide any information you have concerning my personal issue. Thankyou!

There is no connection between hair color and the inherited gene for hair loss. If your father is very bald, he would have seen significant balding at your age. Very bald men have much of their hair loss complete in their 20s and at your age I would expect that he would have been thinning a great deal with some transparancy (see through look) of his hair. Considering that you do not show these signs, I would guess that you will not follow in his balding pattern. To be sure, get your hair mapped out for miniaturization and instead of guessing, you will know the answer addressing much of your fears.


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African Hair and Noses – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am an African American man and I want my frontal hair loss fixed and a nose job. I do notice that more white people get these types of surgery than black people. Why is that?

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The kinky hair of African individuals makes it slightly more difficult for hair transplants if the surgical team is not able to manage the hair grafts that are not straight below the skin. Hair transplantation is a peg in a hole skill (like fine needle work), but when the grafts are not straight, it is more difficult to put them into a straight hole. With the right skills, the team can coax the hair into the needle holes created in the recipient area.

I’ve asked Beverly Hills based plastic surgeon and UCLA Medical Center’s Clinical Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery, Jon Perlman, MD, to answer the nose question. Here’s his response:

Black people’s noses are more difficult due to a general lack of cartilage available from the septum to build up the height of the missing bridge. Some doctors (not myself) prefer to use silicone grafts however though not unreasonable, it is associated with a much higher risk of future extrusion from within the nose. The advantage is that it comes in a package and can be relatively easily placed on the bridge of the nose to build it up.

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Rogaine on Eyebrows? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Dr. Rassman,

I have started losing my eyebrow, I am on both propecia and rogaine, they work fine on my hair, what can I do to stop eyebrow loss?

Can I use Rogaine on my eyebrow?

There are many causes of eyebrow hair loss such plucking, hypothyroidism, anemia, contraceptives, psoriasis, and any skin inflammatory process going on. Rogaine may help for some of these. Get yourself in the hands of a good doctor to make the diagnosis. If eyebrows are lost, a hair transplant can work to restore them, provided that there is no autoimmune cause of the hair loss and you are in good health.

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Propecia Prescription Questions – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I want to start taking propecia. I just need to know how to get it. Do I make a appointment with a regular doctor and he’ll give me a prescription or do I need to see a dermatologist? and how long can the prescriptions be? finally about how much does a 30 day prescription cost? Thank you

Propecia is a prescription item and requires a doctor to write it in the United States and Canada. Any doctor can write it. I always tell a patient that wants to take it to get his hair mapped out for miniaturization in order to be sure that (1) he is really balding and (2) what is his baseline miniaturization from which we can measure improvement or worsening of his situation and (3) what pattern of hair loss can he expect in the future. Measurements are at the foundation of clinical science and you need to know what you are treating and where you are going. A prescription written by a doctor should be good for a year or so, depending upon laws that can vary from state to state. Propecia costs range from $60/month to as high as $120/month in some pharmacies, so shop carefully.

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Lyme Disease, Female Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am female, 46 years old. I do have many lyme disease symptoms from neurological to joint and cartilage problems to nervousness…too many to list. I was previously on intravenous twice for months at a time. I was diagnosed at least 6 years too late. I have alot of raciness inside of me and I am always thinking of too many things ata time. I am so miserable about my hair. All my hormones are great and my blood tests are fine. Now what? My hair falls out all over, short and long. How do I know if it is Lyme? Can stress cause a diffuse hair loss all the timne for years? What can I do? Is there a world famous hair Dr.? I am so frustrated and unhappy. Please help, thanks!

It is not clear if Lyme Disease is associated with your hair loss, but it may have triggered a stress response that may have set off a cascade that may not be reversible. Stress in itself can be a cause of hair loss. It seems to be a vicious cycle, and unfortunately there is no “cure” for hair loss in women about 80% of the time. If you are this concerned you may want to see a good dermatologist or possibly even a hair transplant surgeon who will map your scalp for miniaturization to make a diagnosis. Be wary of eager doctors who want to sell you a hair transplant surgery.

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Livon for Dry Hair – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

i have been losing hair from either side of my forehead.now im using minoxidil 5%.i was using other oil and wash it was before using minoxidil.but i came to know that if we use other oil it wont allow minoxidil to penetrate into scalp.so i stopped using it.but now my hair has become dry and is difficult to comb.there is a hair fluid called livon which instantly smoothens and softens dry hair.it is usually used on towel-dried hair.so i wanted to know whether i can use it and if i use will it stop minoxidil to enter into scalp or should i use the hair fluid after applying minoxidil.please advise.

There is no way to be sure. I would think using minoxidil at least 30 minutes prior to using the softening product would be the best compromise.

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Is Triangular Alopecia Genetic? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dr. RASSMAN

I am 24 years old, female, and I have triangular alopecia, two questions that I have for you are will transplant stay in or continue to fall out and will I pass this on to my children. My hair loss began when I was 15. Thank you for being concerned about a disease which may not be terminal and to some people not that big of a deal. To me sir it has destroyed my self esteem,and in so many ways left feeling all alone.

Triangular alopecia is an inherited genetic defect in the area near where the temple prominences are located. Sometimes it is on just one side and sometimes it is on both sides. It tends to run in families, but not always and it does not often ‘express’ itself in the first generation of those who have it. It may skip many generations so those that have it can not find the family link to it. It might be spontaneous, but there is no way to be sure that it is not somewhere in the family line. This condition is easy to diagnose because of its characteristic appearance and can be transplanted quite effectively. There is no need to have your self esteem destroyed, just get a hair transplant by a good physician who knows how to work with the temple prominences.

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Fungus on Eyebrows – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

i’ve been having my right eyebrow loss since a month ago. i dont know what is the real cause. both my parents had some fungal infections on their head and moustage but with treatment and applying lime juice the area affected had recovered. i’ve tried to apply the same technique but it didn’t work. i’ve met my clinician and he prescribed me with some antifungal tablets and some vitamins and still it is in bad condition. i do have some occasional itch on the eyebrow affected. i’m very worried as my right eyebrows also started to fall off . both my eyebrows appear oily and i don’t use any special cleansing foams please help me what should i do

How long have you been taking the antifungal medication? Do you truly have a fungal infection on your eyebrows? Do you have any other type of skin problem such as eczema, psoriasis, or another inflammatory disease? Have you done any blood work to rule out hypothyroidism, anemia, and other chemical inbalances which can effect your eyebrows? You may want to see a dermatologist for this problem and have some blood worked up. If there is no regrowth of your eyebrows after you have seen the dermatologist and you continue with your treatment plan as prescribed for around 6 to 8 months, then look at a transplant as a possible option.