August 2006 – Page 13

August 9, 2006

If I See White Bulb on the End of Falling Hair, Does That Mean It Is Lost Forever? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am a 22 year old male. I have noticed more shedding than usual in the past months. When I look at the individual hairs, there is definitely a tiny white follicle on the end of each one. My question is, since there is a follicle on the end of the hair that has fallen out, does that mean more hair can never grow back from the location it fell out in? Thank you for your time.

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The white dots you see at the end of the hair shaft do not necessarily mean your hair will never grow back. That is not the way we diagnose hair loss. When you pull on normal hairs, some will come out with a white dot on the end. This is normal, but the key is how many hairs came out with such a pull. More than 10% would be abnormal, requiring an expert to evaluate you (see FPNotebook.com – Hair Pull Test).

August 9, 2006

Why Don’t More People Just Get Hair Transplants? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

hi!

I’m wondering….

Lots of men are slowly getting bald mostly in front areas. In some stage of a life they usually develop “high forehead”. It’s unfortunately a normal course of events for majority of us.

I’m talking about mild baldness classified II to III or IIa to IIIa by Norwood Classes…

So my question is: why don’t these men simply transplant their hair from back to front. As I understood it lasts forever(if I presume that back hair is not sensitive to DHT)

I suppose looking long term it’s safer solution(using chemicals for 10 years might have some consequneces in 30years) and might be even cheaper.

So where is the trick/hoax that people don’t decide for it and instead of this possibility using drugs?

The answer is not clear. Changing people’s attitudes is a difficult task. Adoption of plastic surgery for vanity purposes is believed by many to be a feminine thing, not a manly thing. If you are going to embark upon a hair transplant solution it requires that:

you recognize that you have a problem in the first place and want to do something about it
will not be embarrassed for doing it (the old transplant plugs failed this test and the people are still walking around advertising an obsolete technology that scares most new people)
get the education you need to make an informed decision (few people understand how easy it is to make a bad decision by being impulsive and not doing your shopping).

Did you know that wigs are more expensive than transplants, yet many people use them and avoid the “painful” perception that transplants can always be detected? Most wigs are detected and women make a game of it, trying to pick out those with wigs vs normal hair.

Over and over again, I find the occasional patient who hides the hair transplant from their brother, mother, and significant other. That is just how good they can be. The balding problem is widespread, because 50% of men will have some clinical balding by the time they reach the age of 45, yet less than 1% of men with balding ever start the research process for the transplant option and I suspect that it is less than half of them that go forward with a hait transplant. Tackling the hair transplant option seems to have some negative stigma associated with it. Of course, we all know that the man’s man is not vain about his hair loss, right?

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August 9, 2006

Propecia and NutraSweet Products – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am a male of 39 yrs old with Norwood scale 3 vertex. Have been prescribed propecia and am taking propecia for 8 weeks now but I see no effect.

I have read on the internet that if one is taking propecia to stop hair loss and consuming nutraweet products (artificial sweetner)at the same time than the nutrasweet makes the propecia ineffective because the nutrasweet converts to something in the body which does not allow the propecia to work. Please let me know what you think as I trust your opinion on this much discussed topic.

I looked it up and could not find anything on it. Essentially, I don’t have a clue. Can you send me a point of reference?

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August 9, 2006

How Soon After 1st Transplant Can I Have Another? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

after 2,360 graft transplanted . . . how soon could i have the second session. months?

I generally tell patients to wait a full 8 months so that they can see what they got. Prior to the first transplant, the patient has little real appreciation for what is going to be done and what he will look like. After 8 months (post op), the patient for the first time can appreciate what he got and what any disappointments may be. Often it is touch-ups (some want more bulk and thickness), and other times it is another area that becomes more important after the first area is hairy. Do not rush the second transplant. Take your time and now you can take control of what is happening to you

August 9, 2006

DHT and Follicles That Are Transplanted – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dear Sir/Madam,
I would like to know how a hair follicle falls off. I was told that as DHT accmulates at the bottom of hair follicles hair falls off. This DHT is produmed by male harmones. Is this true? If this is the case even after hair transplantation DHT will be accumulating and it will cause the transplanted follicle to fall off. Then how is hair transplantation a permanent solution?

I think you have it wrong. DHT does accumulate in body tissues, but it has no hair loss impact unless there is a genetic defect in the hair follicles. The hair in the back and around the sides of the head have no genetic defect, so the DHT does not impact these follicles. The follicles are, for all intents and purposes, immune to DHT.

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August 8, 2006

Adult Stem Cell Hair Restoration – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I wanted to know if there have been additional advancements in somatic (adult) stem cell hair restoration, aside from the constantly echoed article from 2004 regarding Stem cell Hair Growth by the U. of PA.

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“It crosses a moral boundary that our decent society needs to respect. So I vetoed it,” US President George W. Bush said of the research that involves tiny human embryos.

Hair cloning may not involve human embryos and it likely will not have any moral boundaries, but from my understanding it has not progressed to a point where you will directly benefit from it. All attempts to push human hair stem cells to invoke a new hair are inconsistent. I hear yields in the 10% range for successful hair product this way, which is much better than the 1% of olden days, but a long way for a replicable process.

August 8, 2006

Senile Alopecia – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’ve been searching your wonderful blog for treatment information on what is apparently termed, “Senile Alopecia.” My still beautiful mother at 84, may be experiencing this. She has been having a rather sudden increase in overall hair loss. Her scalp is showing through mostly on top, but also in the back and sides. I’ve copied your suggestions for possible medical causes in younger women. Once those are eliminated, is there anything at all that might halt this fast progression to almost total balness? Thank you so much for your help.

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Senile alopecia often refers to generalized thinning or alopecia. With women, the female hair loss that we see on over 50% of post menopausal women, is a diffuse alopecia. We see this condition in 1% of men in their 20s. If the medical causes are not there and blood testing has cleared your mom of the the various causes of hair loss, then female genetic hair loss is probably the diagnosis. When it is referred to as senile alopecia, it generally means that the victim is elderly. It’s bad terminology. In the case of your beautiful 84 year old mother, simply put, she may be outliving some of her hair. Also see NHI Frequently Asked Questions.

August 8, 2006

Using Mederma on Donor Scar – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Mederma is proven to make scars softer and smoother, and I was just wondering if I used this on my donor scar, would it impact any hairs from growing through my trichophytic closure?

I know that many people believe that Mederma works well for softening scars, but I can’t say for sure as I have no direct experience with it. That being said, however, I do not see any problem with using it on any donor wound in the healing phase after a week or so.

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August 8, 2006

How Much Avodart Do I Take? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am a 23 year old male and beginning to notice hair thinning and receding hairline. I have been on propecia for 8 months but my hair loss is not stopping at all. I want to switch to Avodart before it’s too late. They only sell it in 5mg. How do you prescribe it? Do you suggest one 5mg once a day? thank you.

I do not have the answer to your question, because effectiveness studies have not been done on an official scale. Also, the drug’s half life is about 5 weeks for blood levels (Propecia is 5 hours) so the drug hangs around for a long time. Those doctors who use it admit confusion over dosing, so it is a guessing game. Is 0.5mg too much? That would be my guess as the best dose, but should it be taken every day, or once a week, or once a month? Perhaps your guess is as good as mine. With Propecia, we know the answer!

August 8, 2006

How Can I Tell If My Hair Loss is MPB or from Accutane? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Comments of Accutane inducing hair loss raised my concern. I’ve been through two sessions of the drug, the first round 5 years ago and the latest last year, and have experienced recession of the hair-line. Attributing the hair loss to genetics, I began splitting Proscar (Finasteride) tablets 3 years ago. Since then, progression of hair loss at least isn’t significant, but may still be worsening. Photos from years ago are difficult to compare to the present. If the hair loss I’ve noticed is along temples in the normal MPB fashion, could the problem be a result of Accutane? If Accutane were the culprit, wouldn’t it cause an overall thinning of scalp and not be so localized at the temples? Further, if the balding is from Accutane, is Finasteride a proper treatment?

Thanks!

Duck If it quacks like it duck, it probably is a duck. If your hair loss is in the pattern of Male Pattern Baldness (MPB) and there are characteristics typical of MPB miniaturization, then your hair loss is probably be due to MPB. Hair loss from Accutane may persist after stopping the drug and may precipitate patterned hair loss in men and generalized decreased hair bulk in men and women.

To have a correct diagnosis, you need your scalp hair evaluated for miniaturization and be able to quantify the “thinning” or the hair loss. It is the best way to follow the effects of finasteride.