Hello I am a 25 yr old female and I took accutane two years ago and a couple of months ago for two months only due to a money run out. I have been experienced some hair loss more than normal. Is it possible to recieve a hair transplant for this problem or drugs such as avodor or proscar.

Accutane is known to cause hair loss in some people. To date, there are no FDA approved oral medications for female hair loss. There are many, many risks for women taking finasteride (Proscar/Propecia) or dutasteride (Avodart), and it is highly recommended that you do not do this, particularly at your age. Furthermore if Accutane was the cause of your hair loss, drugs would not help. You should wait at least a year to see if your hair grows back. If your loss is not Accutane related, minoxidil might help.

Hi Doc, just wanted to let you know that costco carries the generic finasteride. It’s manufactured by some Israeli pharm company. I believe the name is TEVTEV. The pills are completely circular and therefore very easy to cut into quarters. The cost was about $54 for 30 pills. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the tip!

I just received a prescription to start taking Propecia. I am still very young, 21, and have only mild hair loss. This is more of a proactive attempt to make sure things do not get any worse. My question to you is at my age, and with only mild hair loss, does it make sense to maybe take a smaller dosage each day? Maybe taking .5mg instead of 1mg. I have been reading many opinions online but would love to know yours. Thanks for your time.

Assuming you really do have genetic hair loss (without a good solid diagnosis, you really do not know), why would you take less than a fully effective dose that is proven to be effective? It makes little sense to me. Some people do suggest taking lesser dosages and even on this blog I have referenced such information. You are in command of your own destiny and that is what separates the men from the boys.

Dear DR.
I have longer hair (down to chin) and i haven’t been able to find a hair gel to make it stand straight up. i was reading an article earlier today about got2b glued (hair product). do you know of any hair loss that can be caused by this product? i also saw this in an article:

“Yep, glue. Seriously… go with any stong hold gel and mix it 2:1 with good old Elmer’s. Remember those guys in the 80’s with the two-foot spiked mohawks? Elmer’s was key.”

is it safe to add elmers glue to hair gel? if so is this the right ratio? will glue cause hair loss?

i also read the comment about how “good commercail grade hair products” don’t cause hair loss. please explain this. Plz respond asap. thx soo much

I do not have experience with Elmer’s Glue mixed with hair gel and don’t know if there would be any effect on hair loss. I haven’t had a spiked mohawk since… well, actually, never.

With respect to your last question, any regular hair products should not cause hair loss (unless they advertise that it does). If it helps any, one of my staff members told me that he uses the Got2B Glued product in his hair every day and has not seen any problems.

My 62 year old wife had heart valve replacement surgery over a year ago. Since that time she has been steadily losing hair — not in clumps, but rather over her entire head. Her dermatologist advised that this may well be due to the stress of the surgery.

a) Do you agree? if so

b) then what can she do about this,and how long should it last before the hair
grows back?

Thanks

I agree with the dermatologist that the stress of the surgery may be causing your wife’s hair loss. We know that those people who carry the genetic hair loss genetics, can precipitate hair loss from stress. Furthermore, certain medications that your wife is probably taking (after the valve replacement) may also be contributing to the hair loss. There is not much you can do about this type of medication induced hair loss if these medications are critical to your overall health. Explore the medications with your dermatologist. You should never change or stop any medication without discussing it with your doctor first.

There is a good chance that the hair will return after the hair goes through its sleep (telogen) cycle. That generally takes 3-6 months. Minoxidil may help as well.

A couple of years ago, I noticed a bald spot in my head and got shots for the hair to grow back. I just got another one, but not as big. What is the cause of this? Can I prevent it from happening again?

What kind of shot did you get? Did your hair grow back after you got a shot a few years ago? I would hope a doctor gave you this shot. You should ask him/her these questions and ask him/her what they were treating so that you have a working diagnosis. Doctors have the obligation to educate their patients and communicate with them so that they are able to understand that is going on with their bodies. I would strongly suggest that you go back to your doctor and ask what was he/she was treating. I cannot diagnose your condition or even give you advise on your treatment since I do not have the advantage of examining you in person.

hi, i have been using proscar and minoxidil 7% for over 4yrs. while the results have been satisfactory, i have been told that there is no such thing as minoxidol 7%, and i should just use the 5%. I would like to know if i am getting scammed by paying $250 a bottle for 100mls of minoxidil 7%. and should i just go to my pharmacy and buy minoxdil 5% which is so much cheaper? by the way my bottle claims to have retinoic acid 0.01% which is suppose to make a difference. One other thing i was considering having surgery done on the front hairline, as there doesn’t seem to be any other solution. thank you for your insight. i am also 28yrs old male. thank you

I do not know of a minoxidil 7% solution that is commercially sold, but it may be privately labeled. I am more familiar with the standard minoxidil 5% solution. This does not mean the 7% solution does not exist. Moreover, a stronger concentration (such as the 7%) does not necessarily mean you will have more benefit and grow more hair. Higher and higher doses may produce negative side effect such as dizziness, fatigue, and dangerously low blood pressure as your body absorbs more of it into the blood stream. The use of retinoic acid essentially causes irritation to the skin (it is an acid and produces a low burn) which, in theory, is supposed to increase the blood supply to the scalp and hence the absorption of the minoxidil. I am not a proponent of this approach. Producing a burn just does not seem like the right thing to do.