July 2007 – Page 9 – Balding Blog

July 12, 2007

Young Daughter’s Hair Has Turned Brighter and Thinned – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

My 3-year-old daughter has had a beautiful head of blonde hair. In the last 3 months her hair color has brightened and thinned significantly. It’s not thinning in patches, but there is definitely less of it all over. She is otherwise healthy and takes multi-vitamins regularly. Do you have any idea what the problem may be?

Hair character does change. We see such changes from ‘baby’ hair in the newborn, to hair in the child, to teenagers, to adulthood, to older age. I would suspect if she is healthy, that she is just experiencing a change in hair thickness. It is not unusual for blonde children to see changes. My children started off blonde (my three boys) and ended brown. My oldest had fine, platinum blonde hair as a young child and now he has coarse, brown hair.

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July 12, 2007

Woods Technique, Follow-Up? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dear Dr. Rassman,

I read your comments regarding the “Woods Technique” (posted September 16, 2005). I am on the verge of scheduling a transplant with Dr. Woods, and I was troubled by what you said. You say that doctors in Australia have told you of “significant failures” in the hands of Dr. Woods. Could you elaborate on the nature and extent of these failures? Who are the doctors? – I would like to talk to them.

You also said that you have seen some of Dr. Woods’ patients, and that he creates larger recipient site wounds than you. Are these wounds something I should be concerned about – or do they heal? I’m 37 years old and live in Australia, which makes Dr Woods the easiest choice for me – but I am NOT willing to compromise. If his approach is flawed, I will travel to the US.

I have seen many impressive images of Dr. Woods’ work on the Internet. The only criticism I have found is on your website. I do, however, take your views very seriously. If Dr Woods’ failures are not appearing on the Internet, perhaps because of patient embarrassment, I want to know about it before I make a terrible decision. I agree that Dr Woods’ secrecy is not in the best interest of the public – and that it is inconsistent with the advancement of medical science. Please help me make the right decision on this most serious issue.

Regards

The original post you’re referring to is here.

It is best to visit local doctors who are known in this field and ask them directly. This site is for general information only. Ask Dr. Woods to meet a few of his patients and then look at the donor scars yourself. I have always had patients willing to meet people like you to help build their confidence in what I do. In my practice, I am open to such inspections. Secrecy surrounding Dr. Woods and his technique/results makes an analysis difficult.

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July 12, 2007

Scalp Testosterone Increase with Dutasteride – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

According to Phase II FDA trials of Dutasteride as a treatment for hair loss, inhibition of scalp DHT was superior to that of finasteride, but it also caused levels of scalp testosterone to skyrocket. To quote:

“Scalp Testosterone rose 24% for Finasteride, 46% for 0.05mg Dutasteride, 44% for 0.1mg Dutasteride, 104% for 0.5mg Dutasteride, and 154% for 2.5mg Dutasteride.”

What are the implications, if any, for this huge increase in scalp testosterone? Is testosterone injurious to hair in the same way that DHT is? Does it affect it in some other way?

The offending hormone is DHT, not testosterone. I do not know the implications, but from a practical level, dutasteride seems to work better by the experience of some doctors who have been using it for years. In reality, however, until the FDA study is complete, we really will not know (scientifically) for sure.

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July 12, 2007

How Many Hairs Does a Man Lose From His Beard Each Day? – Balding Blog

I’ve looked ALL over the ‘ net for the answer to ONE simple question: How many hairs a day does a man lose from his beard? I know it’s 50 to 100 for the HEAD — What about the beard, assuming you have a thick one, ( and I do ). Thanks.

I do not have a definite answer to your question, but lets try to examine your question scientifically:

Beard

Natural beard hair loss should be definitely less than the standard 100 scalp hair loss a day from observation alone.
The total number of beard hairs is significantly less than the total number of scalp hairs.
If you have a very thick beard, you can roughly estimate the total area of beard coverage is approximately 1/5th of the total area of scalp hair coverage.
If you assume the life cycle of beard hair is similar to the life cycle of scalp hair, then the adjusted ratio of 1/5th will dictate that you lose at least 20 beard hair a day.
However, this is a big assumption (to assume beard hair and scalp hair has the same life cycle).
Nevertheless, from direct observation, I have never seen my own beard hair loss on my pillow or in the sink or on my towel (and I too can have a very thick beard).

So I would guess that we lose a range of 0 to 20 beard hair a day.

Photo: World Beard and Moustache Championships

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July 12, 2007

Hair Relaxer Caused Chemical Burn? – Balding Blog

Hallo! I used a “no-lye relaxer” about 2 months ago on my hair and it caused a bald spot on my scalp where no hair is to be seen. It has begun to ache a little bit since yesterday too. It is probably a chemical burn isn’t it? How could something like that occur? How can I treat this problem now? I am worried,that the hair won’t grow there anymore. Is it possible? Could you please advice me about how to treat this so that it will be healed soon? It is worrying me very much.
Thank You.

Chemical burns from relaxers are a common complaint. If the burn went down to the hair root level, it may not return. You must wait this out for about 8 months and you will then know.

July 12, 2007

Female Hair Loss After Steroid Shots to Scalp – Balding Blog

Hi Doctor,

I see that you replied to another curious Jane that steriod shots to the scalp exacerbated hair loss in one of your patients. I have recently had such shots injected and have noticed an abnormal influx in hair loss near injection sites. Will this loss be potentially recovered or is it permanent?

Thank you!

Injection of steroids is not one of the proven treatment methods for treatment of male or female pattern baldness. The only indication for treating hair loss with steroid injections is in the treatment of autoimmune diseases like alopecia areata, in which the patient has patchy hair loss in the scalp and other hairy areas of the body. I have seen too many patients that lost hair in and around the area of steroid injections. Hair loss could be permanent in some of these cases.

July 12, 2007

Bald Spot from Chewing Gum Incident Years Ago – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi my soon to be 7 year old daughter has a bald spot close to her natural part in the front of her head due to a gum incident—some three years ago-the hair is very fine if at all present and her bald spot is shiny now—what I want to know is how do I begin to fix this for her before she is a teenager. We can cover it -but I would like to do something more to help her.-I can’t find anything on gum and hair loss-and what to do now three years later…..

Gum It is not very clear to me how your daughter lost her hair. Did she have gum stuck on her hair and you pulled on it and now her hair is not growing back? If so, it must have been a very bad gum incident! In general, depending on the size of the bald area, she may be a candidate for hair transplantation to that area (that is, if the hair did not grow back over an 8 month period)… but, I am still having a difficult time understanding how gum caused her hair loss. I have not seen gum-related hair loss in all my years of practice. Most of the time when hair is pulled out, it returns months later.

July 11, 2007

Dislodging a Graft After Hair Transplant – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Dr. Rassman:

Is this a good rule of thumb for any stage post op? “If there is no bleeding then you did not dislodge a graft”

Thanks

Block Quote

The highest chance of graft dislodgement is within the first few days after surgery. As you go farther from the time of surgery, the chance of graft dislodgement decreases. When you pass day 5 you generally can not dislodge the graft with simple traction of the hair and even if you can pull the hair out, the graft stays in and is capable of making a new hair (see PDF file: Graft anchoring in hair transplantation. Dermatol Surg 2006; 32: 198-204 Â© 2006 R M Bernstein, MD, W R Rassman, MD). Dr. Bernstein and I published a paper that allowed us to pull out hair follicles from 1-10 days after surgery and then send off what was pulled out to find out if the growth centers of the grafts came out. What we found out was that after a few days they were generally secure, but that was when there was no crusting on the skin edge of the graft. If there was crusting, it would take up to about 10 days to risk losing a hair growth center when it is pulled out. But really now, who in his right mind other than Dr. Bernstein for experimental reasons, would want to pull hair out? Not any patient I know of.

Presence or absence of bleeding does not have to do with the survivability of a graft.

July 11, 2007

Silica Plus and Zulvera – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi…I was just wondering about a product called SILICA PLUS which can be found at a website called www.ghtdirect.com, I believe….I was just wondering if this would be a good product to take for making one’s hair stronger….also, I know Silica can come in pill form and was wondering if there’s any special brand or if all Silica pills from all different labels are more or less the same?

Also, there’s this shampoo called ZULVERA, I believe….and it can be found at www.herbalhairshampoo.com

the website looks stupid, the pictures stupider, but damn it, when you’re desperate, you’re desperate….just wanted to know if the shampoo has any good things to be said about it in regards to its ingredients.

thanks

Ok… you made an astute observation that the website “looks stupid” and the “pictures stupider”. You also have a insight that you are “desperate”. I would encourage you to take it one last step further to realize that perhaps you already know the answer to the question you pose.

I really do not know if Silica in shampoo or pill form helps deal with hair loss or makes hair stronger. As I have mentioned numerous times on this site, it is a “buyer beware” market and if something looks too good (or stupid) to be true… it probably is.

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July 11, 2007

If The LaserComb Doesn’t Regrow Hair, Can It At Least Thicken Hair? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello Dr.

From your investigation into the micro pictures on the official website of the Hairmax laser comb, it can be determined that the product cannot be promising in regrowing new hair. Your count on the follicles show there was actual loss in one of their own examples. However, in regards to the thickining of the hair, can it be conclusive that comb actually works in this
respect?

There is this video on youtube of a man who claims to have gotten good results: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw3QDhX8ef0

I am skeptical however, because he posted a video around the same time he claims he began using the product(March 2007) and he has a full head of hair in that video. Anyways, I would like your perspective on the issue of the comb thickening hair, since the claim to regrow hair seems false.

I do not know the answer to that question. My personal opinion is that it probably will not thicken hair.

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