August 2006 – Page 9 – Balding Blog

August 17, 2006

If I Get Transplants, I Want a Perfectly Straight Hairline – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

So, I’m one of those losers losing his hair at 24

I hear that after you get hair transplants you will always have a hairline that looks like it is receding. I do not want that- I want the hollywood straight nice hairline.

Is this possible with hair implants if I find the right surgeon?

Please advise

Thanks kindly

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Dracula Generally, transplanted hairlines should not be perfectly straight. To be completely normal you need a transition zone between the forehead and the thicker hair with a gradual appearance of hair, not an abrupt Count Dracula hairline (see right). With that being said, I will transplant a straight “Hollywood” hairline (as you call it), but it will take some convincing that what you want is reasonable and natural. Had I transplanted Dracula’s hairline, I suspect one night when he woke up, he would realize that he was a Vampire. That’s ok for Dracula, but not for one of my patients.

I decided to show you photos of patients that look perfectly natural with a transplanted mature hairline, as opposed to the straight across hairline you’re asking about. They say that pictures are worth a thousand words, so here’s 17 thousand for you…

For what it’s worth, I noted that your location was in Northern California. NHI will also start working out of Oakland next month and I expect to have a Sacramento office shortly thereafter.

August 17, 2006

Hair Loss InformationAny Way to Counter Propecia Side Effects? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have tried Propecia twice for about 15 days each. Both times I stopped as I devleoped breast enlargement. Is there a way I can use Propecia but avoid the side effects (i.e. counter medication)?

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You should consult with your doctor who prescribed you Propecia to address these issues. There are medications to counter abnormal breast enlargement, but I have not personally used them to treat my patients. Most men who have breast lumps from Propecia (about one in 500 users) stop taking the medication.

The interesting part about your question is that you state you have only taken Propecia for about 2 weeks and noticed breast enlargement. This is not typical and it is more the reason why you should follow-up with the doctor who prescribed Propecia to you.

August 17, 2006

Hair Loss InformationPropecia, Minoxidil, and Age for Hair Loss Protection – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

hi dr… do you think you increase you chances of stopping the hairloss if you use minoxidil with propecia???? also does hairloss tend to slow at age 40… please let me know .. thanks

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The combination of minoxidil and Propecia may make a difference in a few patients, but I personally do not recommend its use together unless the Propecia is failing to achieve the goals. Hair loss does slow down (on average) at about 35, more so at 40 and rarely is it very active in the 50s. There are exceptions to this rule and I do see men at the ripe age of 50 who experience hair loss for the first time.

August 17, 2006

Transplanted Hair is Different From Rest of My Hair – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Please do not use my real name. I’m female, aged 54. I was born with a very high wide forehead. 8 years ago I had a scalp advancement which brought my scalp 1/2 inch lower. Two years ago I had hair transplanted from the back of my head to my my hairline. The transplanted hair became infected. Some of it fell out & never came back. The hair that stayed is course, dark, kinky & curly. It doesn’t resemble the rest of my forehead hair which is fine, straight & medium in color. Why is the transplanted hair so different from my natural hair? I also have lumps & red irritated skin where the transplanted hair grows. Did my doctor do something wrong?

Generally, if the technique of transplanting hair is done correctly, the frontal hairline should blend in with the rest of your hair. That being said, on occasion it may grow out a bit more wavy and on rare occasions it can become kinky or frizzy (very rare). Your prior surgery on your forehead and the complication of an infection may have played a part in the overall result. A good examination of the hair with thickness measurements may help understand what you think you are seeing. These are subjects that you need to discuss with your doctor who performed your surgery. If that is not possible, you should seek out another doctor for a formal medical opinion.

August 17, 2006

Scalp Biopsy as Child Resulted in 2 Bald Spots on Side of Head – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

HI, I hope you can help me..im a 22 year old male and i have two bald spots on the sides of my head, one 4 times larger than the other. From what i can gather this is a result from a biopsy i had done when i was a baby due to pimples on the head. My mother took me to the doctor because they would swell up due to the chlorine in the pool. The doctor told my mother the hair would grow back and boy was he lying..to this day i have to wear black eyeshadow and keep my hair longer to keep it hidden..please tell me you know an answer to this..
thanks in advance!

Small scars on the scalp can generally be treated with a hair transplant with good results. It is dependant on the location of the scar, the size, your hair color & characteristics (wavy, curly, and straight). FUE is an easy way to treat small scars.

August 17, 2006

Miniaturized Hair All Over, But Same Hairline As When I Was 16 – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have miniaturized thinning all over my head (top, sides, back, sideburns and facial/chin hair does not seem as thick either) which began about 2-3 years ago. At the same time my thinning began it was accompanied by depression, fatigue. I have been thinning with every growth cycle and feeling depressed, fatigued ever since until this day. I have had my thryoid tsh checked 3 times (TSH- 1st-1.98 2nd- 2.28, 3rd- 2.36) I had testosterone checked 3 times as well (1st- 320, 2nd- 385, 3rd- 360…… ref 250-850) LH hormone levels were all on the very very low side when checked w/ all 3 testosterone testes. I had ferritin checked 105 (ref 22-322) I had knee surgery about 4 months ago (left knee bone graph w/ arthroscopy). Is there anything that is causing my total hair thinning/follicle shrinkage? Is it possible to have shrinking follicles/ thinning diameter hair that is not MPB related? I have absolutely no balding, no recession at all, my hairline is the same as when I was 16! whats the matter with me? should I use minox or propecia? I once tried saw palmetto when I first noticed my thinning about 2 years ago and it gave me ED! so I know I would probably have a tough time using prop or fin! thank you

Simply put, you need a caring doctor and a good doctor/patient relationship. That is the start of surrounding your problem. There is no easy way to get this over the internet.

August 17, 2006

16 Year Old is Losing Hair, Wanting Transplantation – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am a 16 year old male. When i turned 13 I dyed my hair about 5 times, and bleached it once. The following year I began to lose my hair. You can see my scalp on the back of my head, not greatly, but very noticablly. The hair on top of my head is very thin now, and u can almost see through to my scalp. My hair has stopped falling out since then but the damage has been done. I have been to several doctors, and dermatologists, they all say it’s hereditary, since my father is bald. My questions are, if the hair loss is hereditary why did I start losing my hair at such a young age? If my parents and I consider hair transplantation am I guaranteed to have a full head of thick(er) hair? If we decide to have the surgery should I start taking Propecia to prevent any future hair loss? I would love nothing more than to have a full head of thick hair again. This has been a very stressful situation, being in my prime teen years, and entering my junior year of high school in September. I would greatly appreciate it if you respond to my message. Thanks for your time!

You are almost certainly too young to have hair transplants. Seeing through the hair to the scalp means that you hair is probably very, very fine. This is a common look, something that my generation called a towhead. I would not be surprised to hear of balding in your family as 50% of men in their lifetime do have some form of balding. Before you start on a treatment plan, please read Miniaturization: Critical to the Master Plan for Hair Loss and develop a Master Plan for your hair.

August 16, 2006

Using Minoxidil At 15 Years Old – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hey Doc, your site is awesome. I have a question. I am a 15 year old Indian male, and I recently discovered my receding hairline. For a week or so I thought it was a mature hairline since everyone in my family has one (noone is bald though). Anyway I went to see a dermatologist and she said it’s male pattern baldness because of the recession on the sides. She prescribed Minoxidil 5 % for 12 months. I just wanted to know if you think I should take Minoxidil at such an early age or get another opinion. BTW, when I raise my eyebrows my last fold of skin is 3/4 inch away from my hairline. And the recession of my left and right sides are an inch away from my hairline.

I do not have the benefit of examining you in person and this site is not intended for personal medical advice and second opinions. From what you are describing, your hairline may be advancing from a juvenile hairline to a more mature hairline, albeit a bit prematurely. This is generally not considered male pattern hair loss. To be more certain, you should have your scalp hair evaluated for miniaturization with a hair densitometer.

Also, I am curious as to what you mean by “recession on the sides”. Are you saying the the sided temple prominences are a problem as well? If that be the case, then there is more here than meets the eye.

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August 16, 2006

Toppik Could Hide Skin Cancers – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have been using toppic for years and what I thought was a small mole on my scalp was actually a plug formed by the toppic. Now there is a small crater and I would like your oppinion on how to address it. It is now hard to use Toppic because the fibre fills the hole everytime I use it. Thanks Dr Rassman

Using scalp cosmetics like Toppik can be good, but not all good. Occasionally what you reported does happen. Toppik does successfully hide the scalp, reducing contrast between hair and skin. In doing so, however, it can hide things on the scalp (like folliculitis, skin cancer, various skin infections like ringworm). The best way to manage this is to wash it thoroughly at least once a week to get it all the cosmetic off of your scalp. There is no substitute in getting a good look at your scalp and you should examine your scalp periodically. For older men who run the risk of skin cancers, frequent self-examinations are critical. Cleanliness is the best way to prevent what happened to you. Another good scalp cosmetic worth looking at is DermMatch.

I am sure that some people will get a folliculitis and Toppik or DermMatch can be rubbed into any open wound creating a foreign body reaction. You might want to get a good doctor to look at you.

August 16, 2006

Taking Grafts From Side of Head for Small Scar Repair? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi, I was wondering, since my procedure only requires 50 grafts [scalp scar repair], do you think it would be okay for my doctor to make the incision to the side instead of in the middle of my scalp? Because I don’t want any scar to show when I have pig-tales or something. I forgot to ask this at my consoltation, although I doubt you would really be able to see it even if the incision was in the middle of my scalp, because the incision would be so small, and my doctor is using a trichophytic closure, so I doubt it would show anyways, but I just want to be on the safe side. Is the outcome any different if the incision is in the middle of the scalp or to the side?

Most people with a small number of grafts get an FUE harvest so that there will be no easily visible scar, no matter where the grafts come from. Alternatively, you could take the harvest with a strip from the sides, so that it could be parted in the middle without showing a scar. The FUE approach may be better. If you had your consultation here at NHI, please feel free to call 800-NEW-HAIR to schedule another consultation.

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