I’m still getting inquiries about the LaserComb, and there’s really not much else left to say about it at this point, but I did find some new links worth sharing:
Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):
Can you show me a typical donor wound scar?
Here’s a photo of a typical donor wound scar after a single surgery in a person who heals normally. The scar measures 1mm (in the ruler, each line is 1/2mm). He came in for a second surgery this week and I am hoping that the scar from this week’s procedure will turn out as well today as it did before. The risk of significant scarring (greater than 3mm) is 5% for the first surgery, 10% for the second surgery, and higher still for a third surgery. Usually the combed hair in the back will cover most scars.
I apologize that the photo isn’t perfectly focused, but the scar still shows well here. Click to enlarge.
Hi, I heard from someone that tattoos can cause hair loss. Is this true, or a myth?
Tattoos can potentially cause hair loss, because the needle and the ink may damage the hair follicle. In general though, it does not.
Dear Doctor:
If a person takes .5mg Avodart daily for crown loss for 1 year with no appreciable result, would switching to Propecia have any effect. I know Dutasteride is a more complete DHT blocker than Finasteride. That being said, would shedding be an issue switching from Avodart to Propecia? Thanks!
We don’t know the answer to the questions you asked regarding Avodart (dutasteride), because it is not studied on a large number of patients for prevention or treatment of hair loss. There are more studies underway now, however, so hopefully this information will be available at some point. If I had to guess though, I would say that there would be no shedding.
Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):
First two years of finasteride use is the best one’s ((for most users). After that the drug is still effective (for most users) but slightly losses it’s effectivity over a period of 5-15 years..
It his is true, should I put my mind into analyze when the right time is for me? I know I have MPB but I think I have the slow version, I started out when I was around 15 years old..and now, almost 10 years later I’ve countinued balding but still has around a NW2 with slightly more damage to vertex (no bald spot though).
Should I start right now with finasteride or wait until the loss gets more apparent?
You should first get your hair mapped out for miniaturization and if that shows early genetic hair loss, then yes, you should go on finasteride. You need a proper diagnosis before you start laying out all of that money and putting yourself on a drug for life.
Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):
I’m a 19-year-old male. Dr., my life is constantly affected by my high hairline. I literally don’t go out as often as I used to, I hesitate to get a job, and my self-image is at an all-time low. I’m OCD to begin with, so I constantly mess with my hair every time I see a mirror (or any reflective surface). This constant brushing and twisting of my fingers through my hair, undoubtedly, is a huge factor. Although, my parents used to call me “pumpkin-head” even as a young child. I’ve always had a big head/forehead. I’ve also had 2 instances of major crash-diets in the last year and 1/2, (one of them being brought-on by adderall) which is obviously not helping either.
My mother’s side has high hairlines, but they don’t go bald. It just recedes to a certain point. So my hair is thick, but still embarrassing. Ever since seeing a special about the daily treatment of beautiful and ugly people on some show, and how your looks affect the way you’re treated on a daily basis, I’ve been utterly terrified about the way I look.
Suggested treatments? And a very (General) price-estimate of each?
First, with your overall description, you should seek psychological help. There are medications that may help. Addressing a high hairline with a wide forehead can be evaluated by a hair restoration expert, but at your age (because of an unknown balding pattern that might develop) it is not a good idea to undergo a surgical procedure. Still, get an in-person opinion from a doctor. One can not price out costs until the problem is defined. But with a poor self-image, your primary concern might be what is inside your head not outside of it.
I had a Hair Transplant 14 months ago. There is no noticable growth. Infact, there is less hair than befpre the 2000+ grafts… all done at one time. Is there still a chance of it growing or is it over?
I would first wonder if your lost your native hair and suffered shock loss. That would be my first guess. If your doctor was sophisticated and experienced, there should be good growth evident in about 8 months. If there is really no growth, this is a set of questions you need to ask the doctor. A second opinion would have value.
Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):
Hi Dr. Rassman, I have seen postings on discussion boards from patients who have had transplants that did not grow. What are the factors in determing if transplanted hair will grow and is there any way of pretermining probability of growth?
A hair transplant will grow almost 100% of the time. When they do no,t the failure to grow can be segmented into:
What most people do not understand is that this is a team process and like any team process, the surgery is only as good as its weakest member. In training a good team, the surgeon must have a tight quality control process in place to be assured of consistency.
Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):
I just read a complaint about me on the internet from a former patient. I figured out who he was and reviewed his medical record. He originally came to me angry with hair transplants by another clinic that left him a bit pluggy (from older type of work) and scars in the donor area (also from many years earlier). Some 7 months after I performed his surgery, I found a post on a bulletin board, which said: “Dr. Rassman does truly exceptional work…. Dr. Rassman helped me with the money and is honest and was generous to me. … never lied or exaggerated. I am disappointed, however, because I evidently had unreasonable expectations.”
‘Unreasonable expectations’ are the Achilles’ heel of cosmetic surgical procedures. In hair restoration surgery, unhappy patients are often running out of both money and hair. Some patient will continuously look for new doctors to improve their situation, or sets up the expectations in hope that their situation will be better than reality will allow.
Patients come to cosmetic surgeons with a vision of what they want. Unlike a photographer, the cosmetic surgeon is more like a portrait painter who tries to create the image, the ‘look’, that the client wants. Patients undergoing cosmetic surgery of any type need to establish realistic expectations for what the process can accomplish, so the burden on the surgeon is to help the patient get a dose of reality. Reality, in hair restoration surgery, can be challenging when it is offset against:
When repairing some of the old sub-standard work, there is an added challenge when the patient starts off angry. Anger (often with passive aggressive behavior) can be transferred to each downstream doctor and distort expectations. To address this problem, I have created a format where we have Open House events (which I have held monthly for over 14 years) and this has been an exceptional opportunity for prospective patients to see what their results will be like by meeting other patients who had gone through the process. Even for those patients who have the deformities from the old plugs, these Open House events allow prospective patients to examine subjects who have had repair work as well and see the nuances associated with these repairs. This becomes a large dose of reality. I find that patients who go that extra-step to come to an open house event are more reality based, so if they do participate in this event, disappointment is rare.
After I see a patient, I always write a letter summarizing the visit and send that letter to the patient. I have come to learn that despite these efforts, I can not satisfy 100% of the people I work on 100% of the time. I do not always read people well enough and when I think that we communicated, I may be the one with unrealistic expectation.
Hi,
I’ve been using 5% Rogaine (prescribed by my doctor) for 6 weeks now. I was told it might cause more shedding than usual for 1-3 weeks but it’s been 6 weeks and almost all of the hair in the area I’ve been applying the Rogaine has fallen out. I need a hair transplant more than ever now. But I’m wondering….should I stop taking the Rogaine or do I need to be more patient and hope that eventually some of it will grow back? I know Rogaine doesn’t work for everyone but at what point do you know that it doesn’t for you? Is it abnormal to fall out this much week after week? Thanks!
Approximately six percent of the patients using Rogaine experience shedding within the first few months of using this medication. You report that you are experiencing shedding for six weeks after starting the medication. You might consider stopping the medication. Seeing an expert in the field is better than trying to do this over the internet. You should rule out other underlying factors that could have precipitated your hair loss.
Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):
