Month: August 2007

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I’m an Athlete, and Finasteride is Banned – How Can I Take It But Not Test Positive? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am currently a college athlete taking 2.5 mg/daily of finasteride. I just noticed that it had been added to the NCAA’s list of banned substances. I do not take any performance enhancing substances. How long would I need to be off finasteride in order not to test positive? Any suggestions? I would usually know of the test a half day in advance. Thank you.

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NCAAFirst of all, you do not need to be taking 2.5mg of finsteride for the treatment of male pattern hair loss. 1mg is the ideal dose.

Second, the half life of finasteride in your blood stream is 4-5 hrs. So it should be out of your blood stream within a day, but it may still remain in the tissues. When I say it is out of your blood stream after a day, you can calculate how much remains by taking off half the impact with each successive 4 hour period. For example, at 4 hours 50% is gone from the blood stream, at 8 hours 75% is gone, at 12 hours 87.5%, etc. This does not necessarily mean it will not be detected after a day, because they may not be testing for finasteride in your blood stream and I do not know what they are really testing for. In other words, without knowing more about the testing process, I don’t know what to tell you. I will research this further and repost at another time.

Although I do believe Propecia (finasteride 1mg) to be the best FDA approved treatment for hair loss currently, in your particular case it might be smarter to stick to the NCAA guidelines and stay away from this prohibited substance to maintain your athletic career. It is up to you.

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Plastic Surgeon Specializing in Facial Scar Repair? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I trust your opinion and was wondering if you could recommend me a Dr. that deals with scar revisions on the face or a publication that might rate plastics surgeons who do this type of work.

Kind Regards.

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All plastic surgeons can perform facial scar revision surgery. On a simple scar, it is a relatively easy surgery. I do not know of any specific ratings of doctors based on scar revision success.

You need to please keep in mind that all cuts on the skin will result in a scar to some degree. Thus, a scar revision surgery will still produce a scar. While the goal is to minimize the scar as much as possible, this is limited by the individual patient’s propensity to heal well. In other words, scar revision is not solely dependent on the surgeon’s skill or expertise.

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Women Taking Avodart (Dutasteride) – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am an emotional wreck about my hair loss, just down the road from suicidal. When I look in the mirror, I see an attractive, fit 47 year old female with thinning hair. I found a website yesterday, a female blog about hair loss and read everything I could. Most of the visitors use medications some in combination with Rogaine and have hair regrowth. The one medication frequently mentioned is Avodart but is considered to be harsher then others. Reading this gave me hope- that there is something I can use to stop the loss. Also, I am a type 1 diabetic (for 35 years) and believe some of my hair loss may be a result of poor diet and uncontrolled sugars. Can you tell me what tests I should have a doctor do to rule things out and if you might happen to know a dermatologist willing to do these tests in DC? Thank you for your site.

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The use of Avodart (dutasteride) or Propecia (finasteride) in women is not FDA approved and has no proven value. With that said, more and more doctors are prescribing it, possibly because in some women it may work. There are a series of studies that have been discussed here (see Treatments Available for Female Hair Loss), which are valuable to review. There are risks that are not clearly defined so safety of the drugs have not been defined in women.

As for tests, see Female Genetic Hair Loss is Different from Male Genetic Hair Loss. Sorry, I don’t have a dermatologist recommendation in Washington DC.

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Woman Hates Her Widow’s Peak – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am a 22 yr. old female with a terrible widow’s peak, and I have hated my forehead for my entire life. Some people think that widow’s peaks are unique, but trust me-mine is ugly and awful and makes me feel bald. It is very prominent and severe and it makes me feel like I have a man’s receding hairline more than anything else. I would do nearly anything to have a round, even hairline like most women do. I have considered methods such as rogaine and hair transplants. Is there any hope for me to ever have a normal hairline?

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First and foremost, you may have a widow’s peak that you do not like, but it is a “normal” hairline. If you want to remove the widow’s peak, you can try laser hair removal, which is fairly successful. There is a patient of mine who had his widow’s peak removed with great results. Unfortunately, he changed his mind a few years later and had a hair transplant to put it back. He decided he liked it after all, because it changed his appearance too much for his liking. Your other option is to have a hair transplant around the widow’s peak to round out your hairline. So, you do have options!

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Scalp Is So Itchy, It Feels Like Something Is Crawling in My Hair – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

My scalp is very itchy like is something is crawling in my hair. I am loosing hair very rapidly. I had a biopsy of my scalp done about 7 months ago where nothing was found wrong. I don’ know know what to do next. I have use most over the counter and RX shampoos and nothing has helped. Please advise. Thank you.

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Maybe you have dandruff? I really cannot tell you what is wrong. It sounds like you need to see a dermatologist. Aside from the biopsy, have you checked to see if something is really crawling in your hair, like body lice? There is no substitute for a good, thorough examination by a caring doctor.

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I Was Told I Should Stop Minoxidil Use 2 Months Before a Hair Transplant – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I was told that one should discontinue minoxidil 2 months before hair transplant as it can adversely affect outcome. I was told it can be started again two weeks after the procedure. Is this medically sound or is someone trying to create a more obvious gap between before and after pictures?

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I have never heard of this. There is no medical reason why you should stop minoxidil 2 weeks or 2 months prior to a hair transplant surgery. Furthermore, stopping minoxidil may cause the loss of hairs that have built dependence on the drug.

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Drinking Beer and Taking Propecia – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hey doc, I have just recently started to lose some of my hair and my doctor prescribed Propecia. He warned me against drinking too much while taking the medication and told me to keep it to 3 or 4 beers during the weekend. Seeing as how I am still in college, I see this as a potential problem. Ignoring all the other health related issues with binge drinking, what could happen if the two were combined? I haven’t been able to find anything on the web that warns against this.

Also, is there any chance of my insurance covering this? I don’t see myself paying $60/month for this.

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BeerAs far as I know, insurance companies do not cover any drugs for male pattern hair loss, since it is a cosmetic issue from their point of view.

If you are concerned about the cost, you can ask your doctor for a prescription for generic finasteride in 5mg strength and then split the pill in four to five pieces, taking each piece daily. Propecia is a brand name for finasteride in 1mg strength (the recommended dose for the treatment of male pattern hair loss). Currently there is no generic finasteride in 1mg strength legally available in the US. Taking more finasteride per dosage does not mean it will work better.

Binge drinking is never good and keeping to 3 to 4 beers a weekend is good medical advice. This may conflict with your college lifestyle, but I do not see any physicians condoning excessive drinking. With that said, using Propecia in the morning and drinking in the evenings should not cause you any problem with the Propecia.

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My Doctor Says High Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5) Can Reverse Premature Graying – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Dr,
I am 27 years old. I started going grey @ age 18. Now, I’ve spotted a few white hairs on my beard. In total panic I consulted a few doctors and was told that a daily high dose of calcium
pantothenate can reverse hair premature greying. I want to know if this works?

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Calcium pantothenate is also known as vitamin B5. Vitamin B5 has been associated with hair pigmentation changes in mouse models deficient in vitamin B5, but it is EXTREMELY RARE to be deficient in vitamin B5. I personally doubt a high dose of vitamin B5 (calcium pantothenate) will reverse or slow they graying of hair. For more on vitamin B5 / pantothenic acid, see Wikipedia.

This may not be most relevant, but a chemical known as Retinol (also known as vitamin A) is associated with healthy vision. However, taking large amounts of vitamin A does not mean your eyesight will improve. On the contrary it may be harmful — too much vitamin A (toxicity) can cause hair loss as one of its many overdose side effects.

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Hair Loss Stopped with Propecia – But My Hairline is Still Getting Less Dense – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Dr. Rassman,

I’m 22. I’ve been on Propecia for 9 months. I have more or less stopped my hair recession (I had some visible balding in the crown and temples, and slight miniaturization all over my head). I have no hair regrowth yet. BUT now I can see the front inch of my hairline start to get less dense and the hair follicles are becoming more miniaturized.

What are my options?

I’ve had a hair consultation with a hair transplant specialist (in Vancouver). From that discussion I determined that my worst case scenerio is a Norwood 7. I’m 22, my hairline is starting to recede, and I’m stressed. PLEASE HELP!

Thanks in advance.

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Well anyone’s worse case scenario would be a Norwood Class 7.

There is a huge difference with respect to hair transplant surgery planning if you may only progress to a Norwood Class 3V or a 7, though. You need a good examination, including a miniaturization study to help with this decision and planning. This is what I often refer to a Master Plan in tackling hair loss options. At 22 years old, it is a very difficult, but critical process to get that Master Plan done. The transplant process may or may not be your correct next step so go cautiously. Take a look at this 22 year old with a near Class 7 balding pattern — Dr Rassman on The Great American Dream Vote.

Propecia (finasteride 1mg) is not a magic pill. It does not reverse hair loss or prevent hair loss 100% of the time. As with all mediations, it has limitations.