January 2008 – Page 10

January 14, 2008

Oh Boy, Reader Suggests Killing All Balding Men to Eliminate Balding Genes – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have come up with a solution for balding just kill all bald males in this world and by then at least there will be a signifcant of ppl who will inherit the genes. The method is slightly extreme but my logic is undenyable. As a proud former bald (thanks to revivogen which you so blantently knock great doctor… not) i say get rid of these hairless idiot so our children can just…….. live better lives, im sure you will find time to read this as you are not a real doctor thanks for your time

I wasn’t going to even bother posting this, as you’re either an unnecessarily angry moron or a just “hilarious” prankster. Hopefully you’re joking, but I’m posting this as a shocking reminder that prejudice and discrimination exists for hair loss. The ironic part is that you stated that you are a “former bald” — meaning you most likely carry the same genes for baldness that the men you want to eliminate have. Talk about self hate!

To give a positive slant to this ridiculous post — of interest, the American Indian has no history of balding and is the only race that has that unique distinction. Some have postulated that in the migration from Alaska (only this group of American Indians have no balding), that ethnic cleansing may be an explanation, but if that happened, it was part of a barbaric process in a primitive people. Your solution falls into this category.

January 14, 2008

I Am Taking Coumadin for the Rest of My Life – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

(female) I am taking coumadin for the rest of my life,Is there any thing that will stop the hair loss?

There are many potential causes of hair loss and you need to be evaluated for the cause of your loss. In your question, you are assuming the hair loss is related to the drug Coumadin (warfarin), but that may not be the case. Get a complete medical work-up for hair loss first. Coumadin is clearly important for your life, so that is not an variable that you can control.

January 11, 2008

Can You Dismiss Propecia Information on the Web? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Dr. Rassman,

I have heard from people on the Internet, especially from the following two websites, that the sexual side effects of Propecia can be permanent, along with many others. Can you dismiss all the information on these websites?

propeciasideeffects.com and propeciahelp.com

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Megaphone Anyone can write and publish anything on the Internet. You can you find contrary evidence to those sites you listed at Propecia.com. I can’t dismiss everything on these anti-Propecia/finasteride websites, because I simply don’t have time to go through every post made there. I’m sure some of the claims made there are based in fact and might have some validity — and those have more than likely been addressed here before (search for “Propecia side effects”). I’m also sure that much of the info on those sites is created by people that have no medical background and simply write what they believe to be true based on FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt).

The people that speak the loudest are usually the people that want their complaints to be heard. In other words, you don’t necessarily see a lot of people visiting message boards just to tell others that Propecia works great for them, but you certainly will see the unsatisfied few going to every website they can find to make their opinions known. When doing your research online, try to find out if you’re getting information from fact-based sources. Are these other sites just shills for the various snake oil products on the market today? What better reason to shoot down a proven treatment like Propecia than to promote your non-proven treatment that sells for double the price. I’m not saying that this is 100% the case, but anything is possible. Take BaldingBlog (this very site), for example — I’m a hair transplant surgeon, yet I’m not trying to “sell” people on hair transplantation procedures. I write a lot about Propecia because I get asked a lot about Propecia, and because I’ve seen first hand what this medication can do to treat hair loss. I don’t want to see anyone go through an unnecessary surgery when a simple daily pill could be the answer to their problem. I, along with the other doctors that write here, are just trying to help.

It seems what you really want is a doctor’s reassurance. Although I am a doctor, I am not your doctor… and you need to discuss these concerns with your doctor. You may not even be a candidate for Propecia.

January 11, 2008

Your Assertion About Normal Hair Loss is Misleading and Quite Untrue – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr. Rassman:

In one of your replies to a question about Scalpmed, you stated that it is “normal” to lose 100-150 hairs per day. While this may be true for people with NW 0, it certainly is not the case
for NW2+. I would imagine that daily hair loss is PROPORTIONAL to the amount of hair left on the head. Your assertion is misleading and quite untrue.

Thank you

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I’ve often said that a “normal” range of 100-150 hairs (sometimes even 200 hairs) are lost some days. While it is true that this is a generalization, the importance of a miniaturization (microscopic) examination of your scalp is all the more relevant if you believe you are losing more hair and not growing it back. For a man who lost 50% of his original hair, for example, the daily loss of hair will be half of the original daily cycling loss, reflecting the population of hairs that remain.

The one thing I stress most on this site is the importance of a miniaturization study and not just making assumptions based on the fixed number of falling hairs you may be seeing.

January 11, 2008

I’m Pregnant and Touched Proscar! – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

How is Proscar “crushed” absorbed through the skin? I touched Proscar crushed diluted in water and my skin is intact (no cuts or tears, etc.) and I am a female and pregnant. Is it only absorbed through the skin if the skin has an open area?

And is the fact it was diluted in water decrease the risk of absorption, if it can be asorbed through intact skin?

I asked my physician and he did not know.

Worried in Ohio…

It is HIGHLY unlikely you will have absorbed any significant amount of the drug by touching it with intact skin. The warning label, in my opinion, is more medical-legal in nature. The risk is so minute I would not even think twice. The impact on the fetus had been noted when women had taken large doses of the natural equivalent of finasteride as it was in their diet. The impact only occurs in the first trimester when it is ingested, as I understand it.

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January 11, 2008

I’m Missing the Connection Between DHT Reduction and Muscle Gain – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Doc,

I’m confused! We all know that finasteride reduces the amount of DHT in a man. This hormone is known to be the cause of secondary male characteristics, like hair growth and muscle development. So with reduced DHT levels, it should be HARDER to gain muscle, right.

Then how come in many of your previous posts you mention that taking finasteride makes it easier to build muscle since it increases testosterone levels by almost 20%? Granted testosterone levels increase since more of it doesn’t convert to DHT, but DHT, which is more responsible for muscle growth than testosterone, decreases!

How do you explain this?

I’m not seeing the connection here.

To clear any confusion, DHT blockage with Propecia may give you a small transient increase (not permanent or persistent) in testosterone levels, reported as high as 15%. These minor changes in hormones will not likely affect muscle mass (gain/loss) and are not long term.

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January 11, 2008

5 Months After Transplant, There’s a Tiny Lump in the Transplanted Area – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

i had a hair transplant about 5 months ago and everything seems to be fine and the hairs are growing fine, however recently i have had a tiny small raised lump on the transplanted area which looks slighlty red and hurts to touch. It doesnt look at all infected. What might this be and will it go its self.

It is probably an inclusion cyst (ingrown hair or a pimple). Warm compresses or a simple incision and drainage (squeeze out the cyst) should do the trick. This should have been a part of your normal post-operative care instructions. You should speak with your surgeon.

January 10, 2008

Hair Loss InformationPersistent Juvenile Hairline in Advanced Balding Man (with Photos) – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

The pictures below are of a man of Indian decent who lost most of the hair on his head, but kept his juvenile hairline intact. We see this rarely in European Caucasians and more frequently amongst people from South Asia. This particular man is in his mid-thirties and may get a good response from Propecia, as his hair loss has just appeared in the past 2-3 years. If he does not benefit from the medication, a hair transplant will be on his agenda.

Note that there was no hair transplant performed on this patient as of the time these photos were taken. This is his natural balding pattern. Click the photos to enlarge.

What is particularly important to note is that this juvenile hairline is just the exact same part that is generally lost in the Caucasian maturing hairline. Please compare the hairline shown here with the one from a previous blog, Maturation of a Hairline — Moving From Juvenile to Mature and imagine that one is just the reverse of the other.

January 10, 2008

Will Hair Dye Cause Cancer? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi doc,
I have a question regarding hair dye. I have found articles on the internet linking hair dye to cancer. Is there any medical truth to this or is a basic dye product, such as Just for Men, safe to use? Thanks

Certain chemical colorings may have potential cancer risks, but that does not necessarily mean you will get cancer. Read the product label for any warnings. Any real risks must be appropriately labeled by law in the United States and most countries.

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January 10, 2008

Is There a Recommended Hairstyle After a Hair Transplant? (with Photos) – Balding Blog

Hi Dr. Rassman,
I am 33 years old former patient. I was wondering what kind of hair style you recommend for patients who have had a procedure done? I have great coverage in the front but it gets a little thinner towards the back which however, is a huge improvement from my balder self. I would love another procedure, but I have had two so far and I think I will have to wait financially to afford the third one. Until then…is longer on top better or is shorter better? I sometimes feel a little more “exposed” on top when I cut my hair short revealing thinner hair. I was also wondering about highlighting my hair for a thicker look? I have dark blonde hair currently.

Thanks and happy holidays

If what you’re asking is for hair style decisions after the new hair growth is starting, look to the photo galleries on NewHair.com to see all types of hair styles used by transplant patients. There isn’t one best way to style your hair. Some opt to keep the hair a little longer to cover thinner areas, but that is really a patient decision, not a doctor decision. In other words, I don’t really have any styling advice.

Since you have had previous procedures, you’re intimately familiar with how the recipient area looks immediately post-op, but I’ll use this opportunity to answer one of the most frequent requests I get from people — to see what a hair transplant looks like just days after it is done. Many are concerned that they will be a walking billboard for surgery, and understandably so. I tell these patients that if they had any hair in front, they could cover the hair transplants. Of course, each person is different and your redness level may differ from the patient below, but here are photos taken just 12 days after a procedure of 1,959 grafts, showing a patient who used his existing hair to cover the transplanted area (only one side is shown in these photos which reflect half of the total number of transplanted grafts he received). Note that when you zoom in on the photo, most of the hair has already fallen out (and will return sometime between 2-5 months).

Click photos to enlarge.