May 2007 – Page 9 – Balding Blog

May 15, 2007

Hair Loss and Autoimmune Diseases – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am 42 years old and have had progressive thinning of my hair for about 12 years. Thinning is mostly on the top of my head. I have been to Rheumatology who has referred me to Dermatology. I am a University of Michigan patient. I have had every lab possible (I think) drawn. Only thing that is positive is my ANA. My nuclear antibody titer is >=1:2560 NAB pattern is HOMO. ADNA is negative. Do you think I should ask to have my androgen levels tested? Should I be asking to be referred to Endocrine? I’m at a loss. I’m ready to visit a hair loss center but before that I want everything else ruled out. I NEED YOUR HELP!

If you have an elevated ANA titer, one might worry about autoimmune diseases that can cause hair loss. Please see Lupus.org – My ANA Is Positive… What Does That Mean?

First, I would get your hair mapped out for miniaturization and see if your pattern shows one that is typical for male patterned loss (I am assuming that you are male, if not then there are many other things that can play in the causes of hair loss). Working with a good rheumatologist should shed light on any autoimmune component. Keep with the good doctors you seem to have and pump them for information, adding to it what you might learn from a miniaturization analysis of your hair shafts.

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May 15, 2007

Can a Tattoo on Your Body Cause Scalp Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I’m 24 and experiencing a lot of thinning. I was going to get a tattoo in honor of a friend that passed but I was told that the ink stored in your body can cause hairloss on the scalp because of the toxins. I’m trying to keep my hair in tact as long as possible. I read your one post about tattoos but I’m still curious. Is it possible for the ink to cause hair loss on the scalp? Thank you doctor. I really appreciate your time!

Look at the rock stars and bikers out there covered in tattoos with long, flowing hair. Or even the ones with short hair. I haven’t read anything that would suggest tattoos would cause scalp hair loss — unless perhaps you were tattooed on the scalp and there was damage to the follicle. Even then, I’ve met people with their scalps tattooed and haven’t seen hair loss. In other words, it is very doubtful.

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May 14, 2007

Hair Loss InformationDoes The Balding Process Ever Stop? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear doctor, good work on the site, it is very helpful.

I have a few questions about hair transplant procedures.

Is a short haircut such as a buzzcut or crew cut probable with a transplant, or would the hair look too thin on top?

Does the balding process ever stop?, does the donor area ever bald?

How many grafts can someone actually have?

Thank you for the help

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When you have a hair transplant, the density of your transplant rarely will exceed 35% in one session, so if you cut it short, the reduced density will show a thinner look. Repeat sessions can solve the problem, but these are only a good idea on people who are not very bald.
Balding is a progressive process over a man’s lifetime if he is genetically prone to balding. It generally slows down in men over 40.
The total number of grafts available for a hair transplant depends upon the donor density (higher densities can provide more grafts), and the scalp laxity (looser scalps are easier to harvest). In patients with very high donor densities, there could be easily 15,000 grafts. In Asians with generally lower normal densities, the number of available grafts could be in the 5,000-6,000 graft range.

May 14, 2007

Diagnosed With DUPA, But Another Doctor Sees No Balding – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Dr. Rassman,

I am a 26 y/o male who has been diagnosed with DUPA by one doctor. I went to get a second opinion from another doctor who said I have no balding at all. I have been on propecia for a year and went as far to say that I should stop treatment. I am so confused, frustrated and depressed b/c I don’t know what is going on. I shed so much hair….some is miniturized, some is not. If I gently tug on my hair, I say that 5 times out of 10 a hair will fall out. Do patients with DUPA always end up looking like a Norwood VII? Is there a certain age where DUPA will show its full effects if you destined to be a Norwood VII? Please help Dr. Rassman, I dont know what else to do. Thanks.

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You are getting terrible advice from someone. If any of these doctors did not measure your miniaturization, then I would not trust them. If you have DUPA the diagnosis is not rocket science. With DUPA (diffuse unpatterned alopecia), you will have significantly more than 20% miniaturization in the donor area. If you tug on your hair and more than 10% of the hair comes out, then you have a more complex problem. If you are in California, consider visiting me; if you are on the east coast, I’d recommend Dr. Bernstein in New York.

The progressive course of DUPA is not clearly defined by age, but it is often permanent unless it can be positively influenced by Propecia (finasteride). A small percentage of men with DUPA may have benefit from Propecia.

May 14, 2007

Hair Thinning Where Hair Extensions Are – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi,
I have been wearing hair extentsions for 3 years now. The areas in which I have been wearing them seem to be thinning. I was wondering if the hair will grow back. Also, my scalp is itchy and burning in these areas. Sometimes it’s even painful. Should I go see a dermatologist?

The hair extensions were clip in so are they safe? I thought clip in extensions were safe and wouldn’t damage my hair.

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If your skin/scalp is irritated and ‘itchy”, you should see a doctor. Hair loss from hair extension is relatively common and is called traction alopecia. Most of the time if the insult has been ongoing, the hair may not grow back. Anything that pulls on the hair, even clip-ons, can cause traction alopecia. If you are now seeing thinning, then it is safe to assume that you are losing hair from the hair extensions. Best to stop using them now.

May 14, 2007

Hair Loss InformationWhy Does It Sometimes Take Longer for Some Patients to Recover from Propecia Side Effects? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Dr Rassman,

I have repeatedly heard you mention that propecia has a half life of 4-5 hours. If finasteride were to leave the body within 5 hours, how long will it take to restore DHT levels and other affected hormones to their initial levels? If the whole process needs 3 days maximum, why does it take some time for some patients to recover from some sexual side effects?

Could you please provide an authorative refernce for finasteride’s half life?

Thank you

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The half life of finasteride is about 4-5 hours. It means that after medication is absorbed and distributed throughout the body, it take about 4-5 hours for your body to get rid of half of it from the blood stream. At the molecular level, finasteride attaches to the enzymes 5 alpha reductase (Type I and II) and makes them less effective. The turn over for the enzyme complex is slow and it takes almost 30 days for Type II and 14 days for Type I enzyme-medication complex. (Source: RxList.com – Propecia)

That is why it takes days until the actual effects of the medication are eliminated.

May 14, 2007

Used Shampoo with Silicone, Now Have Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Please Doctor can you help me. I am a male 27yrs old. 2yrs ago i used a french shampoo which contained silicon. i do not wish to name the brand or company cause i dont know the legal implications. I had nothin wrong with my hair but it always used to be a bit dry after bathing so i decided to use this shampoo to try help it. I really regret using it now my hair is no longer thick and it keeps fallin out. 2yrs have passed now and i hoped it would stop but it seems to slowly be gettin worse. I know they say if something is not broke dont try to fix it and i really regret it now. Is there anything i can do to stop this and why do they let companies sell these things when they dont work and only make things worse. The shampoo said for all hair types and and no side affects please help me.

I doubt that a commercially available shampoo will cause hair loss. Instead, what you may be noticing is coincidental circumstance. Your hair loss may be due to genetic causes.

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May 14, 2007

Hypoandrogenic Reaction to Propecia – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

what are the questions one would ask a doctor if he wanted to be sure he wasnt having a hypoandrogenic reaction to propecia? what would a doctor check, or know to find this out?

im a 25 year old male and ive been on propecia for 15 months or so. Hair has thinned quite alot while on treatment, instead of second guessing myself and reading to many websites.

i just want a medical answer! thanks for the help doc!

You need to tell your doctor what you are experiencing. Testosterone levels transiently go up with Propecia as compensation to the impact of DHT blocking. Are you asking if developing breasts is a problem with Propecia? Your questions are not clear.

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May 14, 2007

Experiencing Scalp Acne – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dear Doctors:
I’m a healthy 25 year old male who has been experiencing mild thinning for the past 3 years in the front area, nothing new there. I’ve been taking Rogaine (now the foam) at night for about 2 years. The problem is that in the past 2 weeks I’ve been experiencing scalp acne, and now my hair in the front is thinning rapidly, in the most bald spots (which are looking patchy), there are small bumps. I use Nizoral (2, but up’ed to 3 times a week) and Head & Shoulders (daily), but my scalp isn’t getting better. I can’t get a doctor’s appointment until late next week, is this serious enough to go the emergency room? Of note, in the two weeks prior I’ve done quite a bit of travel.

If you have an active infection, you need prompt medical care. I can not judge the urgency for a diagnosis by what you told me. Try to get your appointment accelerated.

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May 14, 2007

After Using Rogaine for 2 Months, My Hair Loss is Worse – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi. I have been using rogaine for 2 months now. I only had a small bald spot on the back of my head. But after 2 months of rogaine. I have noticed my hair is thinning all over my head.Front and top. Is it normal for the hair to thin even where you don’t apply it? There was no hair loss in the front of my head. Should I keep using rogaine? Thanks

What you should be doing is get to a good doctor to meet with in person. A bald spot can mean a lot of things, but without knowing your sex, seeing your problem, and examining your scalp, I can not really provide much insight over the internet. With regard to your question about Rogaine in areas of the scalp that did not get it treated, there should be no impact to any other area other than the area where the drug was applied.

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