April 2007 – Page 6 – Balding Blog

April 20, 2007

PAN Colitis, Prednisone, and Asacal – Balding Blog

Hi. I am a 31 year old female w/PAN Colitis. I was hospitalized in October 2006 due to my condition. Prior to hospitalization I was taking 800 mg. of Asacol 3xs per day.

After hospitalization, I was put on predinsone (varying doses — weened off in March 2006), asacal (1600 Mg 4xs per day — still on) & 6MP (50mg). After I stopped the prednisone, my hair started to shed, excessively. My docter told me to stop 6mp, which I did. Now three weeks later, my hair is still shedding. I know hair loss is a side effect of Asacal, however, is it possible after being on the medication for over a year? Or, does the 6mp take a while to clear the system? Any other thoughts on what it could be?

Both 6MP and steroids can cause hair loss. Chronic illness can also cause hair loss. Until you get on top of your medical problems, you may not get relief from your hair loss.

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April 20, 2007

Nortriptyline, Migraines, and Hair Loss – Balding Blog

(female) I have been taking nortipyline for several yrs (20+), due to migraine headaches. I also had 3 months course of accutane 6 yrs ago. I have noticed for the last 3 yrs a significant hair thinning/ hair loss around my temple, left side greater than on the right. Is possible this is due to accutane from 6 yrs ago side effect or the nortipyline? I have taken extreme measures to care for my hair, weekly shampoos and conditioners. Please help.

If you stopped using Accutane 6 years ago, I highly doubt that it is the cause of your recent hair loss. Furthermore, before you consider your medications (nortriptyline) as the cause of your hair loss, you should explore other medical causes with your primary care doctor. Hair loss in women can be a sign of a medical condition (thyroid disease, anemia, etc…).

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April 20, 2007

I’m Going to Miss 5-7 Doses of Propecia – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Due to shipping problems, it looks like I am going to miss 5-7 doses of Propecia after never missing a beat for the last 3.5 years or so… I know it is not reccommended to miss doses, but will this brief gap do me much harm, if it is a one time deal? I’m getting stressed about it because it has been very helpful for me and I know that after a day or so it is completely out of your bloodstream…. Thoughts?

It is probably alright to miss 5-7 doses. There will be a minimal impact, I suspect. Your stress will probably do you more harm. It usually takes a few months to lose the benefits gained from Propecia. You must also understand that bloodstream levels and tissue levels are different. Tissue levels are more important and they probably hold for a few days.

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April 20, 2007

Applying Instant Coffee and Aloe Vera to Crown – Balding Blog

Dear Doctor:
I have read interesting information regarding the use of caffeine and the stimulation of hair growth. I understand that the ammount needed to affect hair growth would require massive ammounts of caffinated beverages. I have been applying a teaspoon of instant coffee mixed with aloe vera gel to my thinning crown in an attempt to stimulate growth because the hair on my crown is MUCH shorter than the surrounding hair. I have ordered anhydrous caffeine powder and will discontinue the coffee. Chances are, there will be no appreciable effect. Am I damaging anything? Is there any evidence that you know of to support the idea that caffeine, applied topically, can dammage hair? Here is the link I am referencing:

PubMed – Effect of caffeine and testosterone on the proliferation of human hair follicles in vitro.

Thanks!

You are a creative person, but being creative will not (statistically) discover the cure for balding. Caffeine applied to the scalp should have no effect on your hair (unless you pour burning hot coffee on your head — which I am sure you know not to do).

April 19, 2007

Transplanting the Frontal Corner, 6 Months Post-Op (with Photos) – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

See the dramatic change in just one session to the right frontal hairline of this celebrity (nameless of course). His hair is brown and medium fine thickness with dense packing of the grafts just behind the hairline. Please note that the hairline is not an actual line, and there is a transition zone that takes you from forehead to the thicker hair so that this does not look like a transplanted hairline. That is where the ‘art’ comes into play. When looking at the densitometer (magnified view of the scalp hair), I can see that there is still new hair just starting to grow from the scalp so that in another 2 months or so, he should show even greater fullness than he shows here. I placed about 500 follicular units in this corner.

The photo on the left is before, the two photos on the right is after 6 months. Click the photos to enlarge.

April 19, 2007

Performed a Strength Test By Pulling My Hair – Now It is Thinning – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello, I for some reason began pulling at my hair – pretty roughly and would pull out some hairs – I was doing this to “test its strength” – anyways I few weeks of this and I noticed my hair to be thinner on the back of my head near the two cowlicks I have. I have stopped the nervous pulling- If I pulled out hair how long will it take to grow back? What is the quickest regeneration rate of the hair considering I provide my body with plenty of protein and nutrients? Thanks for the answer!

Block Quote

No two people respond the same way. In some people, hair pulling will become irreversible quicker than in other people. The condition is called trichotillomania.

Wait out at least one telogen cycle of about 6 months. If it does not come back, see someone about hair transplantation. The doctor may want you to wait out a year and get assurance that the pulling has stopped. The ability to make that diagnosis is easy under microscopic examination of the area in the scalp that was pulled upon. A good diet is important, but the need to stop the cause (the pulling) is critical.

April 19, 2007

Splitting Follicles? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi!

Please review this surgery for me. http://www.ghoclinicpraha.cz/hair-loss/

What do u have to say about techniques claiming to split follicles and later transplant them sucessfully back on to head?

The GHO method is, I believe, the standard FUE procedure that I published in 2002. Dr. Gho just named it after himself. I have heard him speak and have spoken with him, so I use this as my authority on making such statements. There is a tendency to infer more than there is in his marketing efforts. Splitting hairs takes on many meaning. Dr. Kim in Japan/Korea cut hair follicles in sections, trying to get more than one hair for each. He failed to do so, often yielding hairs with less bulk when they regrow. Splitting hairs down the center rarely produces one hair, let alone two or more. Don’t believe everything you read on a website.

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April 19, 2007

Nutricap – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

hi
im 17 yrs old. lately i have noticed my hair falling out more and more increasingly. i have no stress, i get enough sleep and my diet is fairly balanced. however i have used the hair dryer and straightener very often, do i need to stop their use?

is taking NUTRICAP tablets enough to stop/reduce my hair loss? do i have to complement this medication with NUTRICAP serum and shampoo? thanking u in advance!

A hairdryer and hair straighteners in general will not cause you to lose your hair.

Nutricap, supplements, and shampoos may claim benefit for hair loss, but there are no medical studies that prove they actually work. You are free to try these products but from a medical perspective, I cannot recommend these products over anything else. Hair straighteners can damage hair, so be careful with their use.

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April 19, 2007

Hair Loss After Total Hysterectomy – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I had a total hysterectomy 5 years ago. I immediately started HRT. I take Premarin and a testosterone cream. My beautiful thick hair is disappearing. It won’t stop thinning. What can I do?

Hormone Replacement Therapy can precipitate hair loss in genetically prone women. You might consult with the doctor who is prescribing the medications you are taking. The response to different medications vary with the person, so adjustments in the HRT may help.

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April 19, 2007

Female Hair Loss After Stevens-Johnson Syndrome – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I hope you can help me. My 83 year old mother has just recovered from Stevens Johnson Syndrome. While hospitalized and for 2 weeks after she got home (December 2006) she was on high doses of steroids. Her hair has been falling out. My question is…will this hair loss slow down? Will the hair that has fallen out grow back? Is there anything we can do? Your help is very much appreciated.

Any protracted illness can precipitate female hair loss. So can systemic steroids. To find out if it will grow back, one complete telogen cycle must occur (up to 6 months). If she is still sick, the clock on regrowth starts at the time that the illness is history. See WrongDiagnosis.com – Stevens-Johnson Syndrome for more.