March 2007 – Page 9 – Balding Blog

March 15, 2007

When Should Propecia Be Out of My System? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I’m 25yrs old and have taken Propecia for 2 weeks before I noticed a severe drop in my libido. I have been off it for a week and it appears to be the same. How long does it take to run its course and exit your system? Is there any chance this is permanent like horror stories on the internet?

It leaves your blood stream in about a day or two. There is some tissue fixation which might last for up to a month (wild guess), but I would expect that everything should go back to normal well before a month. You should consult with the doctor who prescribed the medication for you.

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March 15, 2007

Nitrix from GNC and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Dr Rassman,

I recently saw a neurologist because of fainting, everything came back good, however she did say (im paraphrasing and ill try to get the technical terms right) that my red blood cells were very mildly high & that this was normally seen with people who live in the mountains not at sea level and that its cause is possibly due to high testosterone levels and then i told her that I am taking creatine and nitrix (both purchased from GNC)and I spoke with a rep from gnc and he said the nitrix could have a link to increasing testosterone levels. my question is can the high testosterone levels possibly cause hair loss?

Thank you

High testosterone levels may very well cause hair loss in those genetically prone to male pattern balding.

March 15, 2007

Lipoxidil, Topical Dutasteride, and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Could you please give me your opinion of the products being sold at lipoxidil.com?

The MGF formula combines a lot of ingredients and in theory it looks like it would be very effective. The price is very expensive though. I would also like to know what your opinion on topical Dutasteride is as these products do contain it.

From what I’ve read, Lipoxidil contains minoxidil as its main active ingredient. As minoxidil is an over the counter drug, it is probably less expensive that Lipoxidil . I have no experience with topical dutasteride that is mentioned on that site.

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March 15, 2007

Kidney Stones and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

hello doctor,
i’m a 27 yrs old Sri Lankan woman and have always had thin, fine and flyaway hair (no bald spots). In 2005, I went to Canada for a project and stayed there for a year. During this time, my hair fall was alarming. I came back to my home country in early 2006 and eventually learned that I had kidney stones, which could have been the reason for my hair loss. But that was a year back, and in the past 6 months I have become bald near the crown. I have been to so many dermatologist, but none are able to pinpoint a definite cause for my problem. One says it is telogen effluem, another says it’s just chronic dandruff, and an ayurvedic practitioner told me that it could be bcos of aggravated sinusitis. I am simply lost. Everyday I lost about 100 hairs. Please help… what should I do now?

You need to be examined by an expert. I would doubt dandruff, kidney stones, or sinusitis as a cause. Sounds like you have a problem that under good medical care, a diagnosis can be understood.

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March 15, 2007

Hair Falls Out When Running My Hand Through It – Balding Blog

I’ve noticed recently when I run my had through my hair that there will be a few single hairs on my hand. I don’t know if this is a sign of going bald or just natural? My older brother is bald, but started going bald when he was about 23 or 24, I’m 27 and this is the first I’ve noticed hair falling out. I don’t see hair falling out in clumps, but could this be an early sign of balding?

Hair loss in a 27 year old man may start the way you are telling me about. You need to get your hair examination and mapped for miniaturization and that will tell you if you have genetic balding in its early stage.

March 14, 2007

Regulation for Wig / Hair Transplant Facilities – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Wig From Shakopee Valley News in Shakopee, Minnesota

“YOU’LL FLIP YOUR WIG: Rep. Frank Hornstein (D-Minneapolis) wants to create a new state bureaucracy to regulate “hair transplant facilities.” One of the purposes of investigating hair-weave artists is top make sure there is no “conduct which is likely to deceive, defraud, or harm the public.” (House File 1069) Maybe it’s time to bring back Ron Popeil’s spray-on baldness remover.”

I think what the author is trying to say, is that there are facilities/clinics/wig salesmen who pray on unsuspecting men. This is a consumer protection issue. These facilities may have deceived the public, which can result in a fraud that might harm them. The regulation of wig-makers may be at the root of the problem and although some hair transplant doctors may be also a focus of such legislation, I would like to believe that doctors would not be included in this group. There are laws that regulate what the doctor can and can not do. These laws exist in every state and these laws require the doctor to fully inform patients as to what can be done and what can’t be done with any particular treatment as well as alternatives to any suggested treatment (it is called ‘informed consent’).

I have been told horror stories by young men who respond to an ad in the newspaper (or TV) promising hair. Desperate for a solution to balding, the young, unsuspecting man goes into a wig facility and is sold some solution to his balding problem which is poorly defined. Before he knows it, he finds that the hair in the front of his hairline has been shaved off. The salesman says: “Don’t worry” and a wig is placed over the shaved area. There is no obligation to purchase a ‘system’, of course, but if the young man does not buy it, he must leave with a partly shaved head. The sale is easily made under such duress. This wig ‘system’ is attached with glue and it pulls out the hair the longer a person uses it. In effect such ‘systems’ accelerate the balding process and many wig salesmen understand that and make their money from the recurrent revenue produced by monthly adjustments to the systems and replacement systems. Sales are commission driven, so the sale is all important. The costs for the wig is a big business with wigs that sell for thousands of dollars. Everyone needs two wigs — one to use while one is being washed or repaired. I have been told that the cost for such hair systems run well over $10,000 over a five year period.

Could that be what this legislation is about?

March 14, 2007

Would a Testicle Infection Cause Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

no family history.except half brother.(we have same mother.)he went bald early from the crown first.no one else on mothers side is bald at all.could infection in testicle produce high testosterone.And my head has been itching alot throughout the day for a couple months now.would rogaine damage what i have there if i tried it just to ease my self conciensce?

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I do not think that your testicle infection should be the cause of high testosterone or your hair loss. If you have a high testosterone level, I would want to know why. Your hair loss pattern from the pictures you sent show an incomplete Norwood Class 4A pattern. That is fairly extensive in your frontal area. Rogaine may help, but finasteride (Propecia) would probably be better for you. Usually frontal hair loss does not respond to medications and only wigs or hair transplants will give you the coverage that looks full. African hair is generally better than Caucasian hair because of the curly nature of it (it wants to cover better). If you are in California, consider visiting me at either my San Jose office or my Los Angeles office.

March 14, 2007

Should I Discontinue Using An Herbal Product On My Hair After Transplantation? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello Dr. I had a hair transplant in first week of december 06. Its about 3 months now and haven’t seen any growth. This is my second procedure (2200 grafts). My first one gave moderate results (1500 grafts).

I gave up on rogaine as it did more harm than good and I am currently using a herbal product to keep my preexisting hair and it works well.

Should I be concerned about using it on a transplanted area? I started using this after all my scabs were gone(15 days after surgery). I hope this would not interefere with growth of transplanted hair as I see only beneficial results out of it. My doc said it cannot possibly cause any harm as the transplanted hair bears the same identity as the ones in the back of my head.

Your response will be highly appreciated and thanks for your time.

I do not know what is in the herbal substance you are using, but I would generally agree with your doctor that it will not probably make a difference. It is my belief that most herbals do not impact hair growth. At 3 months, most people are just entering into the growth phase which will become evident over the 4-5th month. See Patient’s Guide — How Many Grafts Will I Need? for more.

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March 14, 2007

ElectroTrichoGenesis (ETG) Treatments for Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi doc, I want to give a try to ETG treatment. What do you think about it. I was told they had a success 96.7% percent in stopping hairloss after 4 months. Thank you.

ElectroTrichoGenesis treatments produce pulsed electrostatic energy through a hood that goes over the head (see Current-Technology.com). I do not have any experience with this modality of treatment. The statistics you quote are impressive if they can be validated.

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March 14, 2007

A 22 Year Old’s Propecia Experience – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi there just would like to say thanks for this great site. I am a 22 yr old male from england and have noticed over the last couple of years my hair thinning slightly. my dad, granddad, and uncles are all now bald and some of my cousins of the same age are really receding. i have been taking propecia for about 3 months now and its been great. i will have to send you some pictures but my hair is really thickining up on top, at the front, and the back. it really instills more confidence in you when your not thinking about it as much. also i know its not a cure but it has made a great difference

Thanks for sharing your experience with us. It is important for people who are where you were to understand what the possibilities are, good and bad. I would encourage others to write about their experiences. Information is powerful and men who are balding can never get enough information about the process that they are going through.