Dr. Rassman,
When I met with you earlier in the year, we decided the best course of action for me right now is not hair transplants but rather to take Propecia as you thought that I would get good benefit from the drug alone. I have been taking it every day since. So far, I am pleased with the results and the fact that my hair loss isn’t progressing. I have read that a major cause of hair loss is sebum buildup and that sebum contains high concentrations of DHT that accelerate hair loss and that is why we need to get a shampoo that will get rid of the sebum. Is this true?
I’ve read your book and understand that a good shampoo will clean your hair but no shampoo will stop the balding process. In my efforts to take every precaution possible, I did some additional research and found four commonly used shampoos to aid in slowing hair loss.
Here are the four I found and a little information from various websites on each:
- Nioxin: Can improve the hair’s health by cleansing the scalp’s skin, strengthening the hair follicle and energizing the cellular activity. Nioxin has not been found to have any effect on DHT. However, by keeping the follicles healthy, these products may help delay hair loss. Because there are no side effects, the products can be used everyday.
- Nizoral: The Propecia FDA trial participants all used a shampoo like Nizoral for the duration of the trial. This was required, as the increased sebum production, inflammation, and irritation caused by the balding process can limit the effectiveness of any treatment. This is why it is strongly recommended that a regimen including Propecia also include Nizoral shampoo used once every 3 days in rotation with your normal shampoo. You will not see optimum results without Nizoral, or a shampoo like it, in your regimen.
- Neutrogena T/Gels: Another study said that all men, whether receiving Propecia or placebo, were given the medicated shampoo, Neutrogena T/Gel Shampoo.
- Tricomin: Formulated to efficiently deliver vital micronutrients to the hair follicle environment. Tricomin works by strengthening and revitalizing your hair. While Tricomin’s cosmetic benefits will be realized in the short term, the added benefits of younger; fuller healthier hair may require longer use. Tricomin can be used effectively with other hair treatments including Rogaine and Propecia.
I realize this may only be for the comfort of doing something else proactively, but if it could provide any benefit I’d like to take advantage of that. Could you recommend the best and most likely to make any difference of the above four or any other one that I might have missed in my research? Thank you for your time.
My opinion on cleaning out sebum is that there is no value in doing this, because claims that sebum contains high concentrations of DHT that kills hair is just not supported by today’s science. I have heard these claims particularly by various clinics that sell shampoos for women with hair loss or thinning. If sebum build-up caused hair loss in women, then certainly more women would be bald like us men.
I have no real preference on shampoos, as they will not grow back hair or even slow down the loss. If it is a good shampoo, you should not worry about things in there that can harm your hair. My opinion on this matter is not always shared by other doctors, many of whom, as I mentioned above, sell shampoos in their office with their own label on it. You must experiment yourself, for what works for one person (likes and dislikes) does not always work for another. If you believe that one of these shampoos are reversing your hair loss, let me know.
