Month: October 2007

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Hair Loss InformationHypothetical – Hair Cloning Scar Repair – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’m definitely hoping that hair cloning will one day be a reality, but my question is, even if I opt for a hair transplant today, doesn’t mean I cannot benefit from hair cloning in the future when it is available right? the cloned hair can simply be planted back into the donor area?

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Hair cloning is still in its infancy and we do not have much information about the process of a hair transplant with cloned hair, but I believe you are right and if it becomes available we should be able to transplant cloned hair anywhere that we do with conventional hair transplants now. Currently, we can transplant hair into scalp scars of any kind, including the donor scar in patients who have an unusually widened scar. The process should not be different with cloned hair for all types of scar tissue.

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Thyronorm and Female Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello Doctor,
I am 23 year old female and have been losing about 100 hair everyday. I had undergone a thyroid goitre surgery when I was 20 years i.e in 2004 and had lost tremendous amount of hair then due to hormonal imbalance. I have been taking Thyronorm ever since to supplement hormones. After that my hair loss reduced a little bit but never stopped. I have noticed and increase in my hair loss since past 10 months. I got my thyroid tested 8 months ago and it was normal.

I have also started taking iron pills since past one month. I am extremely worried about my situation and don’t understand what I can do. I have heard that there are certain oils in hair that make hair follicles really small and hair never grows back. Is that true? Are there any tests that I can perform to figure out the actual reason for the loss? what medication would you recommend me in my case?

I am eagerly looking forward to hear from you. Please help. Thank you

It is normal to lose around 100+ hairs a day, as about 100 hairs per day are regrown to balance the loss. Medical conditions such as thyroid problems and iron deficiencies are associated with hair loss, but it can still persist despite adequate treatment. There is only one medication FDA approved for treating women with hair loss — minoxidil (marketed as Rogaine).

To my knowledge, the impact of hormones on the size of the hair follicles below the skin has not been demonstrated and that includes oils that are either applied by you or internal to your skin.

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Switching from ScalpMed to Cheaper Minoxidil – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Doc, thanks for the wonderful blog. Amidst all of the information on the internet, it is nice to have a credible source that provides a wide array of information. With that said, I am 23 and tried ScalpMed (their marketing was too good to pass up). I have experienced success with said product and was wondering if switching to a different (cheaper) version of minoxidil would cause unecessary shedding? I am happy with my hair currently and wouldnt want the process to be accelerated. Also would starting propecia cause more shedding or shock loss? Thank you.

I would imagine that switching to standard minoxidil is just as good and should not cause additional hair loss. The use of Rogaine Foam may be better.

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I’m Losing My Hair, But I Don’t Want Hair Restoration! – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello,

I am losing my hair and I am interested in what options you have to fix that. I am not looking just for a hair restoration, I also looking for solution to prevent future hair lose, because doing surgery every year is not an option I am looking for.

I have a Class 3 pattern. Please help me

Norwood Class 4AThere are no easy answers to your problem. We can slow hair loss with drugs like Propecia (finasteride 1mg) and we can force some new hair to grow (or slow down the fall out) in some people with minoxidil. However, putting your hair back to its state prior to losing it, is just not where today’s medical science is. The good news, depending upon your age, is that a Master Plan can be developed to predict the hair loss and treat as appropriate.

Hair transplants do not require a lifetime of yearly surgeries, but it is a fall back position when you lost hair and want it back because it works and lasts your lifetime. Let’s say that you have a Norwood Class 3 pattern right now, but you will eventually migrate to a Norwood 4A pattern (see diagram above at right). You would have to chase the hair loss over the time it takes to evolve, but with good drug treatment, that might be delayed for years and years. I wish we had an answer to your basic question, but medical science is where it is. I am optimistic that sometime in the future we can slow the hair loss down even better, perhaps even reverse it with hair cloning (10+ years away by my estimations), or even develop a much better hair treatment drug. Only time will tell.

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After Moving and Exercising Daily, My Hair Feels Stronger – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dr Rassman,
I am 27 years old and have noticed thinning more on my left side, particularly the left occipito-parietal area, higher up nearer the crown. Since returning from India ( there for 4 years) I have noticed new hair on the frontal hairline, which is more on the left side. Also, hairs are growing longer but not thicker. I jog every other day and have noticed my hair feels a little stronger. Is there any medical basis for this or is it all just psychological?! Thanks

Hair loss in genetic balding people is impacted by stress or even the absence of it. Maybe that is what you are noticing.


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Dr Rassman, You Are So Pessimistic! – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr william
i need to ask you something. why don’t you give people any hope in life? your OPINIONS are so pessimistic. like the one i read that if a father has a balding gene he may not express male pattern baldness in his whole lifetime. so how did you know at the first place that he got a balding gene? and if you know the balding gene please say it’s name to the people here. of course if you have a balding gene you will certainly go bald unless you have a proof. thanks

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If you think that I am negative, that is an interesting observation. Throughout my life, I have been called an optimist, but I must be pragmatic and realistic when writing this blog every day. For example, I can not say that hair cloning will come about shortly as others might say, because my research pointed to a troubled view on the timelines for cloning. Likewise, you state that I’ve said something like, “if a father has a balding gene he may not express male pattern baldness in his whole lifetime.” Using the “if“, I was discussing possible considerations. If you call this pessimistic, the language speaks to itself. It has long been said that writers are accountable by their words. Mine are right in your question. Do you have a personal problem with me?

There are well over 100 genes controlling hair loss and hair growth and hair cycles and hair death. Hair is one of the more complex organs in the body, because it has elements that arise from all three of the germ layers of the embryo and the control and coordination of those three layers and their contributions to grow a single follicular unit is so complex, that we still don’t command it or understand it all. That is the crux of the research going on. I hope that this helps.

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Pink Grapefruit Juice and Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I drink pink grapefruit juice from concentrate everyday which helps to increase my methadone level. Can you tell me if you know of any claims or studies done which show that by drinking grapefruit juice before taking methadone can actually increase one’s methadone blood level ?

I am curious to know if drinking pink grapefruit juice from concentrate can cause one to actually lose hair ? Thank you

GrapefruitPink (or yellow) grapefruit (juice or concentrate or in any from) does not cause hair loss. Grapefruit juice interacts with many prescription drugs, but I am unfamiliar with any connection to methadone.

For more info, see these links from CBS News / WebMD:

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Open House Today (October 4) in Los Angeles – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

New Hair InstituteJust a friendly reminder to those that might be in or around the Los Angeles area today — we’re holding a free open house in my Los Angeles office from 4-7pm. The open house events are unique in that you can observe an actual hair transplant surgery. We’re not keeping secrets. You can see precisely the type of care and quality you get from New Hair Institute. Also, you have the opportunity to meet with patients of NHI — to look at their before/after results, ask them questions, etc. The open house is completely free and we hold them every month.

So if you can make it by today from 4-7pm, our address is:

9911 W. Pico Blvd, Suite 301
Los Angeles, CA 90035  —  Map

If you’re like more information or you’d like to RSVP, you can call my office at 800-NEW-HAIR. Again, the event is completely free. We even have complimentary cookies, as if you needed more incentive to stop by!

For a list of upcoming events, please see our Event Schedule.

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My Hair Spontaneously Falls Out for Hours – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Is there any condition that you know of that would make hair spontaneously fall out. Occasionally after washing my hair my scalp will become very irritated and I will shed like crazy (100-200 hairs) for a few hours. The last time this happened (2 Days ago) I lost about a quarter of the hair I had. Everytime I go to a derm. they don’t know what this is but tell me I have Seborrhoeic Dermatitis and for me to wash my hair MORE! I use Tar Coal and have a prescription for Clobetasol Propionate.

100 to 200 hairs lost daily is not considered massive, as around 100-150 is normal, though that number can be higher or lower for each person. Everyone is different. However, massive hair shedding can be related to certain medical conditions such as chronic telogen effluvium, but if you add up what you are saying, this would suggest that you will lose it all very quickly — something I really doubt. Hair regrows at a rate of a half an inch per month.

Maybe you need to see another doctor who can test you hair for miniaturization and even perform a hair pull test on you. These two steps can point to your diagnosis.