November 2006 – Page 12

November 8, 2006

FUE vs FIT — Which Technique is Recommended? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Overall what would be your recommendations for a procedure that would better serve the interest of the patient the FUE or the FIT?

The difference between FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) and FIT (Follicular Isolation Technique) is essentially in a name. The originators of the technique called FIT, in my opinion, could not get credit for an inventive breakthrough, so they simply changed the name. With that said, the FIT doctors use what they think is a different instrument (a sharp punch with a depth guard), something I used in the early days when I was originally exploring the technique and found no real advantage because any alteration in the angle of a sharp punch will cut through the graft and kill is. I believe that the use of a sharp punch of any type causes too much damage, so I rarely use it except for special cases where my biopsy shows that it has value and will not damage the hair. The best interest in patients is served by the least damage in the extraction process when these procedures are selected. There is enough difference between the tissues of one patient vs another patient that fine tuning the instrument (which instrument will be best for that particular patient) is critical (my opinion).

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November 8, 2006

Dry Skin and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Dr., I recently had a consultation and I think I was told that retin A caused hair loss. I believe the doctor sai that it dries out your skin and this causes hair loss. I have recently began using minoxodil on the sides of my head and for some reason it causes my face to dry up and I was wondering even though minox. is prescribed to treat hair loss, can it cause it by drying out my skin.

Is that correct? Thank you.

Rogaine Foam Minoxidil (Rogaine) can be a skin irritant for some patients and Retin A is an acid which burns the skin and will cause dryness. Some patients have told me they stopped using minoxidil because of this side effect.

BUT… there is a new form of minoxidil that just came to market called Rogaine Foam which should not cause the dryness that other topical minoxidil may. I do not have personal experience in using it (I take Propecia), but some readers of this site have written to let me know that they do like the foam better due to ease of application and less of a skin annoyance. Reports by experts indicate that there is better absorption and better blood levels with the foam whihc should translate into better results over time.

November 8, 2006

Cigarettes and Hair Transplantation – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Done hair transplant 20 days ago. i have started smoking again but my doc advised against it. will smoking stop the growth of newly implanted grafts?

Smoking is bad for your health in general and it contributes to poor wound healing and poor circulation. If you are saying that you recently had a hair transplant and are now smoking, it might impact growth as the circulation does go down in the scalp with smoking. It is impossible to state that smoking will stop the growth of your implanted grafts, but why risk it? I can say that of those people who may have had less than targeted end-results, most were smokers. Maybe it is a good time to stop smoking.

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November 7, 2006

Topical Treatment for Regrowing Eyebrows? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Is there a product of rogaine that is safe for eyebrows?

Medically speaking, there have been no studies that examined the effects of Rogaine on the eyebrow, but this medication will grow hair to skin that it is applied to, in some situations. You can try it, but stay on it a full 8 months before drawing any conclusion about effectiveness.

November 7, 2006

The Used Car Sales Tactics in the Hair Transplant Field – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dr. Rassman,
I know you can’t mention this company directly in any response on your blog, but I thought you’d find this example of used car hair transplant sales techniques atrocious and a perfect example of what the buyer should beware of. A free digital camera for scheduling a last minute surgery!

I removed the link you included, but I’m sure some people can figure out who you are referring to. I have heard your sentiments from quite a few of my patients. It is a shame that the practice of medicine is being compared to car sales, but many patients like you will see this tactic and will stay away. It’s a very cheesy, splashy thing to offer some kind of freebie like that to entice someone into choosing one clinic over another, or rushing one to make a decision prematurely for a deal that might close at midnight tonight. Your questions and probes should be about the quality of the procedure, not the giveaway or inducements to get you to ‘book’ a surgery. But that’s just my opinion — obviously what works for them is not what I would agree with doing. It is unfortunate, but I have seen many patients taken in by these practices. As I’ve said time and time again, this is a buyer beware business and I am disappointed and saddened to see that even my profession is not beyond used car sales tactics.

(My apologies to the readers out there in the pre-owned auto sales field.)

[tags]hairtransplant, hair transplant, tactic,

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November 7, 2006

Is Generic Finasteride as Good as Propecia? – Balding Blog

Hello Doctor,

I am a 29 year old male who has been taking propecia for around 8 years. It has worked well at halting my hairloss. Recently, my dermatologist told me I should try generic finasteride to save money. Will generic finasteride work as well as propecia?

Yes, the generic finasteride will work as well as the non-generic finasteride. It is the same drug – just that the generic is available in 5mg tablets (same as Proscar), where Propecia is in 1mg pills. The 5mg pills should be cut down to 1/4 tablet taken each day to minimize side effects. For more about cutting the 5mg tablets down to the dosage used for treating hair loss, please see:

November 7, 2006

I Scalped Myself! – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

In the summer of 05 I scalped myself by running my head into a porch. The flap was sewn back on and I experienced hair loss a month later. The majority of the hair grew back, however on the left side the scar was still quite prominent. This past summer (july of 06) I had scar revision surgery. The doctor used a gentle type of cauterization and staples. A month after surgery hair around the scar fell out. Some is growing back, however currently the bald area is worse than it was before surgery. My question is how long until I know whether the hair will grow back or not? And is there anything I can do to help it grow back? I’m a female and almost 23 years old. Thanks.

Hair usually does not grow back on a scar or on the edges of a scar – especially after cauterization. The best way to deal with your scar is to minimize it as much as possible (as you have done). Wait out a full 6 months to see the final result and then you may need a follow up with a small hair transplant along the scar, or possibly another revision of the scar. Scar repairs of the scalp are a real art, so I hope that the doctor who did it had considerable experience with scalp scars. Between the doctor’s experience and good surgery, you should have a good idea on what the results are after 6 months or so. We routinely do these type of procedures at NHI with great results. You may consider sending pictures and I would be happy to look at them for a better assessment.

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November 7, 2006

I Had My Transplanted Hair Removed By Laser – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Dr. Rassman …I had two hair transplant procedures done. One in 96′ and another in 98′ totaling about 1200 micro/mingrafts. I’ve had 9 laser hair removal sessions to eliminate the hair..it seems to be gone. I also had 3 micro laser peels wich seemed to help my scalp complexion..However I am not satisfied completely with the results and am wondering what alternatives i have at this point excluding another transplant

You probably have some cobble stoning type of scarring around the old hair transplants. Just removing the hair with a laser will not likely change the “bumpy” character of your scalp if that is what you are tell me. This bumpy character is partially due to the extra tissue transplanted with your hair that is the result of the minigrafting techniques used in the 1990s. I routinely remove excess skin when I do a hair transplant to minimize any scalp abnormalities. I would have to see what your problem is before giving you the advice you really need. Send photos to the address on the contact page, and please reference this blog posting when sending.

November 7, 2006

I Developed a Mature Hairline at 13 Years Old – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Well, I’m 27 years old, I developed my mature hair line at the age of 13. I remember other children in the class joking saying I was going bald… I guess my question is because I developed it at such a young age, if I was going bald would it occur sooner. My Father began balding before my age, my mothers father had a full head of hair, my brothers and I still have our hair ages ranging 31 to 27. I guess I’m just a bit worried about it, What age do you really start going bald.

If you lost your child hairline at 13 years old and your classmates laughed at you, you will now have the last laugh at those who were cruel. Hair loss can start in the teens, although it is highly unusual. The usual story is that there are two things going on at one time. The maturing hairline can start to appears as the frontal juvenile hairline recedes somewhere between 17-29 years old, on average. The balding process can start as early as late teens, but if it does and there is appreciable hair loss in the teens, it is a predictor that severe balding may occur. The later the balding starts, the better off you would be and the less advanced will be the patterned hair loss. If you have no signs of balding now, you probably will not bald and follow the pattern of your father. I hope that is the way the story unfolds over time.

Good luck (that is what you need a little of here), and thanks for sharing this with us.

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November 7, 2006

Hair Was Pulled, I’m Afraid It Loosened – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi,
During an unfortunate incident,about 2 days ago, someone pulled my hair very hard and she didn’t let go for quite a while. I have long hair, so she wrapped her fingers into it and maintained a strong grip. It really hurt and a lot of hair came out afterward. The hair on that side seems much thinner now, and my scalp really hurts. I am really upset and I am not sure of what to do. I have been extra gentle with my hair since then. I am wondering if it will grow back, and I am afraid that other hairs may have been loosened. What can I do to help it to grow back? Are there any suppliments or topical treatments that might help?

Also, I am 35 (female) and have some gray hairs. I am worried that more of the hair might come in gray. Is there anything I can do to keep my hair’s natural color if it grows back?
Thank you.

You may have some local trauma associated with the hair pulling and may lose some hair, but it is more than likely that your hair will grow back. It is just a matter of time (which can be weeks to as long as 6 months). I have seen one patient who had his hair transplants pulled out in a mugging. It all grew back within 6 months. As for the color when it grows back — if it grows in gray, you can color it. That’s the only solution I can recommend for “treating” gray hair.

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