December 2006 – Page 10

December 6, 2006

Stopping Minoxidil and Sexual Side Effects of Propecia – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dear Doctor,

I have two questions to ask,

My hair is good so far and safe but from three months ago I started to lose hair and I think this is due to hereditary hair loss, I think of using Minoxidil hopefully to stop the hair fall but i have two questions regarding that,

My first question:
1- is it true that if i use minoxidil for a while and then decide to stop it one day, it would cause my hair to fall out in three months, I mean is it true that it might make the way it loses faster than the normal process of hair loss or do you think that if i stop using it while my hair was good in the first place it would just start to lose as usual (the normal hair loss process)?

my second question is
Do you think Minoxidil is the best choice so far as in Propecia many people suffer from side effects?

Thank you and looking forward to your reply

Withdrawal from long term use of minoxidil only causes you to lose what you gained from the drug, nothing more. Propecia (finasteride) goes after the actual cause of the hair loss, the DHT receptor that kicks the hair out while minoxidil does not. Propecia is better for men and is only approved for use in men. Only about 1% of men suffer from libido effects with Propecia and if you are in the 1%, just stop the drug and the effect goes away in a few days.

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December 6, 2006

Propecia and an Infected Prostate – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am 23 years old and have been losing my hair for nearly two years now. I am very interested in starting on propecia, but I had an infected prostate a few months ago. With anti-biotics it went away after a month. What should I do?

I would think that taking Propecia (finasteride 1mg) after a prostate infection is cured should not be a problem. Please though, check with your doctor.

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December 6, 2006

Melanotan Product and Hair Color – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I’ve read about this new peptide called Melanotan. I don’t think it has yet gained FDA approval, but it’s supposed to change your skin pigment, enabling light skinned people to tan and decrease their chances of skin cancer.

If this drug works the way it claims to, would it also change the patient’s hair color?

I don’t know anything about Melanotan. Sorry! Drugs with claims of specific benefits are controlled by the FDA. The manufacturers could have a problem making any drug claims without FDA approval.

I found some interesting sites for you to look at:

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December 6, 2006

Female Hair Loss After Gastric Bypass Surgery – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I had gastric bypass surgery 2 years ago and my hair is thinning. My hairdresser recommended 1500mg biotin. I am a female 52 yrs. Can this help?

Hair loss, and change in hair color and hair quality after gastric bypass surgery are common problems and typically happen within the first year after the operation. Your body goes through a period of severe starvation and tries to divert nutrients toward more vital organs. Although carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, and vitamins (especially the family of vitamin B) have been blamed for the hair loss, the exact mechanism of this problem is not known and multiple factors might be involved. The good news is that your hair loss after gastric bypass is usually temporary and will be improved when you get out of the rapid weight loss situation. Any patient who had a gastric bypass should have frequent doctor visits following their bypass surgery as the procedure is associated with incidence of iron, vitamin B12, folate, calcium, and vitamin D deficiency. You need to be on supplements of minerals and vitamins and you should also be monitored with regular laboratory tests for these deficiencies. Please keep in mind that gastric bypass produces medically controlled malnutrition to force weight loss.

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December 5, 2006

Balding After 30 Years Old – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Dr,

Great website. I had a question. You have stated in the past that the balding process tends to end at the age of 30. Can you elaborate on this? It has been my experience that most men lose more hair in their 40’s, 50’s and 60’s.

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The very bald person loses most of his hair in his 20s, although this is just a general rule. There are different patterns of balding and these patterns often slow their progression as a person ages. But of course, the older you are, the more balding you will see in the overall male population. That means that the 20 year old with early signs of advanced balding may be that Class 7 pattern man by their late 20s. Some of the patterns of balding do start later in life, but these men rarely get very advanced hair loss patterns. The key to good control of the balding process is early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment. The earlier the treatment for genetic male pattern balding, the better the medication works (like Propecia).

I often see men in their 30s start thinning and then progressing slowly to a balding pattern like the 3V pattern shown below. Over time, the crown balding in these men may expand to a larger area as they get into their 40s and 50s. Propecia works very well at slowing, stopping and possibly reversing the hair loss in those men who have this 3V pattern appear in their 30s or 40s.

For your reference, here is the Norwood Chart that shows the different patterns of male genetic hair loss. One rarely sees the Class 7 pattern start appearing in men past 30 years pf age.

December 5, 2006

My Family Doctor Told Me That After 10 Years, Propecia Users Are as Bald as If Never Taking It – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Doc,

I am 22 years old and I am starting to lose my hair. There is history of baldness in my family, and my older brother is bald as well. I am thinking of going on Propecia, but I am weary about committing to a drug for life. Also, my family doctor said that Propecia tends to lose its potency after five years, and after ten years people who take it end up as bald as they would be without the medication. Any thoughts?

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Your doctor is wrong. For more information about this, including a good example, please see Propecia and Hair Count. Finasteride (Propecia) is a great drug to keep control of the hair loss and it is clearly protective against prostate cancer. Some doctors are just plain foolish about this drug and many patients who read the information online are far more aware than these ignorant doctors.

December 5, 2006

Sunscreen Caused Eyebrows To Fall Out – Balding Blog

I used a sunscreen on my face (one of the new sprays) and while playing tennis, the sunglasses that I was wearing literally disolved and the eyebrow hair underneath the area where the glasses were over a period of three months fell out. In some places, small, very thick black hairs grow, but fall out after about 2-3 weeks. It has been over 6 months now and the area has not filled back in on either side. Is there any hope that this will grow back or should I consider having an eyebrow transplant? Thank you for your response.

Sounds like what you used chemically damaged your hair. I would doubt that it would come back, but wait it out for a year, just to deal with the cycling of the hair to be sure. Transplants are a good option to consider.

December 5, 2006

Recreating the Hairline – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

my hairline seems to be moving back about an inch.. I know you describe this as a maturing hairline.. It seems that my hairline is now more of a zone. where if you pull back my hair the scalp slowly dissapears over the course of another half inch. It seems more of a zone. Have you done treatments where you recreate the line.. I dont wish to move the hairline back down but to just make it more of a line. Can transplants be placed that close together? If so, would you normally do this procedure on a 27 yr old? or would I have to wait until I’m older

There are many patients who have slight thinning of the frontal hair line. Hair transplantation to the thinning frontal line works well, but a correct diagnosis has to be made and the surgeon and the patient would be wise to make a “Master Plan” for future hair loss. At 27 years old, I would suggest that you have your scalp mapped for miniaturization to assess the current health of your hair and possibly determine your future hair loss scenario.

Assuming that the diagnosis of genetic balding is correct, you can increase the fullness of hair in your frontal area by having hair transplants. I generally tell my transplant patients to put the hairline where it belongs, not to shoot for a higher hairline. When high hairlines are created 1-2 inches higher than normal, they do not look natural because a strong higher-than-normal hairline is not normally found in nature.

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December 5, 2006

Olux Foam and Dandruff – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

male – 15
Hey, Ive had dandruff on my hair for quite some time now. it is curly,black and kind of dry and short… recently the dandruff has seemed to be getting worse and my hair thinning ALOT… also it gets REALLy itchy when i start sweating (i do alot of sports..) and it is thinnning alot along the top and sides, it isnt itchy so much all the time, but the hair loss is very visible.. It also is itchy at times. i have been using ‘head and shoulders intensive treatment’ and was prescribed ‘olux foam, 0.05%’ which seemed to help, but havent gotten it re-prescribed for about 6 months to a year.. any help would be helpful.

Olux Foam is a topical steroid and it should not be used frequently as it will be absorbed by the body and eventually it would impact adrenal gland function. This medication is used for psoriasis (a disease which causes dandruff amongst other things). I believe if you read about it, you will learn more about what you are doing: Drugs.com – Olux Foam

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December 5, 2006

Blurred Vision from Minoxidil? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello, I’m using Rogain 5% and I’ve noticed some minor signs of blurred vision, mostly at farsighted objects.

Considering it may be a minox side effect, should I:

– Continue Rogaine 5% and wait weeks/few months because it it’s temporary (and not a really bad blurry vision) and will not damage my permanent vision.
– Change to Rogaine 2%
– Change To Rogaine Foam
– Quit using Rogaine?

Thanks for your help and amazing blog

The purpose of this site is to educate, not to become a treatment substitute for your doctor. With that said, minoxidil is known to cause blurred vision. How you react to it is either to get medical advice from your doctor or experiment as you suggested above. As a doctor, I would want to know what you are treating, whether it is the best medication for you, what your goals are, etc.

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