January 2008 – Page 14

January 3, 2008

Transplanting Back Hair to Your Scalp – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have heard that you can take hair from you back, yes “Back” and put it on your head for transplants?? Is this true and how does it work?

I have had transplants from the normal donor sites – but have never seen or heard of it from the back. I have a hairy back and would use such if this was viable.

Block Quote

In theory, you can move hairs from the scalp or the back and transplant it to any part of your body. In my opinion, body hair transplantation is not as effective as scalp hair transplant, because the life cycle or the growth phase of body hair is very different from scalp hair. Think about it — you need to get a hair cut every month or so. When is the last time you had a body hair cut? Body hair is finer, so it has less value and its growth phase is not 90+% like scalp hair, but 30-60%, which means that far less of the hair that is transplanted will be visible all of the time. There are doctors who perform body hair transplants and some report moderate success. I personally have not been impressed with the results on most of the ones I have seen, but I have seen one patient with nice results, and as it is an exception to the rule, I want to see more to be converted.

January 3, 2008

My Hair Is Miniaturizing All Over – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Doctor. I have been reading on your website about miniaturization. I was under the impression that it just occurred on the top of the head but I believe that it is affecting me on my whole head. Is this possible? I am already on Propecia and Rogaine, and I know that you don’t endorse any other products, but a doctor told me to try Biotin. Is it possible that this would help with thickness at all? I also would like to start taking a multivitamin in morning (when I take Propecia). Would either of these take away from the benefits of Propecia? Thank you for all of your help doctor!

Block Quote

It is possible that miniaturization can occur all over, but how do you know your hair is actually miniaturizing? Miniaturization can only be seen under a microscope, so getting a detailed microscopic assessment of your hair throughout your scalp is the way to confirm what you are suspecting, if it is true. If you are miniaturizing all over the head then you probably do not have male pattern baldness (as a male you might have diffuse unpatterned alopecia, also known as DUPA) and drugs such as Propecia will likely not help!

I don’t see a problem taking biotin or a multivitamin with Propecia in the morning.

January 3, 2008

My 18 Year Old Daughter Is Losing Hair – What Should I Do For Her? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Could you please tell me what type of doctor you should take your 18 yro daughter to if they are experiencing considerable hairloss. Her hair is thinning all over her head, and especially on top in the front. Our general practitioner sent us to a derminatologist. We went to the dermatologist for around 6 months without any progress. He tried to tell us it was hereditary hairloss, yet no women in the family on either side has thin hair.

They finally ordered blood work that I got a copy of. They never even called us with the results. It showed her MPV was low, 6.4 fL and her Ferritin was only 12ng/ml. Not sure what MPV is, but I know ferritin is iron. I’m having her take a multivitamin in the morning and an iron supplement at night. I would like to get her into a good doctor who gives a darn and could help her out. She is very athletic and does a lot of working out and sports. Any reccomendations would be greatly appreciated.

Also, should I have her give Mens 5% Rogaine foam a try to see if we can accelerate the progress?

Block Quote

Ferritin of 12 is in the low side of the normal range. The best thing you can do is to see a good internist to treat iron deficiency if present and also to check for other medical conditions that can cause hair loss in women, including thyroid disorders, immune diseases, and PCOS. If there is a genetic component, then having her hair mapped out for miniaturization will show the classic signs of the genetic process in women.

January 3, 2008

Seeing Results from Rogaine Foam After 2 Weeks? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

hi,
i have been using the foam for about 2 weeks on my receding hairline to see if it will work and there has been shedding. i heard that was normal for some. i don’t know if I’m crazy but i feel like there are hairs already growing in my receding hairline somehow even though its not intended for that area. can this be true or am i just seeing things?

Block Quote

I highly doubt that you are seeing any effect of Rogaine Foam after 2 weeks. These things take months to notice. You may be seeing fine vellus hairs (also known as “peach fuzz”) that were already there, but only now are you paying more close attention to them. If I am wrong and you are seeing effects from the minoxidil after only 2 weeks, then you should have outstanding results over the next few months.

January 3, 2008

Will Minoxidil Have Any Effect Now That I’m In My 60s? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’ve read that minoxidil works best in the early stages of balding and when someone is in their 20s into the mid-30s. After the mid-30s it is less effective. I’m in the mid-60s and began loosing hair when I was in the Navy in my late teens and early 20s. What’s the chance that minoxidil will have any effect? Is there anything else available other than an expensive transplant?

Block Quote

It is true that minoxidil and finasteride work best in the early stages of balding, but this is more true for finasteride (Propecia) than minoxidil. If you do not have any hair at all, minoxidil may not work as well, however, it may still be worth a try, as there is very little to lose.

January 3, 2008

My Hair Sheds in the Winter – Balding Blog

I have very healthy hair and whenever I consistently go to a hair dresser it grows to a considerable length. Instead of me paying the money to a hair dresser, I decided to do my hair myself at home and save money this way, however I notice that during the winter months my hair sheds a lot. Is this normal among African Americans? My hair will not grow to a considerable length because it sheds so much during the winter. Is there anything I can do to prevent this?

Humans have asynchronous hair growth, which means that we do not shed in seasons, but do so relatively uniformly over the year. I can not explain your situation, but an examination is a good start, because your time frame view may not go back to every winter.

January 2, 2008

Hair Loss Information17 Year Old Concerned About His Hairline (with Photos) – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr. Rassman,

I am a 17 year old male concerned about hairloss. I have not noticed any receding or thinning or extreme shedding or any typical symptoms of hairloss. However, I have always had a very high hairline ever since I was 2. And from the front my hairline looks like a U shape when I pull my hair back. However, as you can see from the pictures my hairline lines up perfectly even with the side of my hair and does not go farther back like the diagram of the “receding” hairline does. I just want you to tell me if my hairline is a receding one or if it is the normal mature hairline that 95% of all caucasians get. What do you think? I have always and still do have a very thick head of hair, I just need to know if you think my hairline is abnormal or balding, or does there appear to be nothing to worry about. PLEASE Respond. YOU MAY USE MY PICTURES ON YOUR SITE!

Thank YOU SO Much!

Block Quote

Thank you for your permission to post your photos.

A high hairline at your age is most likely genetic and not a sign of hair recession or balding, particularly since you’ve had it since childhood. If you look back at your family tree, you could probably find someone in the family (either side) with a similar hairline. If you are happy with your hairline and there is no sign of hair loss in the area immediately behind it you don’t need to do anything. If you are unhappy with having a high forehead or you think the appearance of recession make you look older, you can treat it with either a hairline lowering procedure or hair transplants — but these solutions are not for a 19 year old male who may bald as he matures. This restriction does not include women.

January 2, 2008

Hair Loss InformationDid Propecia Effect My Liver? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am a 25 year old male experiencing signs of thinning in my temples and hairline region.

I took propecia for about 6 months with no noticeable side effects. After 6 months I had to have a minor surgery, and they had me do a routine pre op exam with my doctor. My blood work came back with elevated liver enzymes (the were elevated to a level that made my doctor cancel my surgery date.) I have no history of liver disease, or any past issues with my liver at all. They tested me for all the usual liver problems and they all came back negative.

The only medication I was on was Propecia, so my doctor told me to stop taking it, and they would redo my blood work in a couple of weeks. Over the next month and a half (after discontinuing Propecia) my doctor monitored my liver enzymes on a weekly basis as they slowly returned to normal.

My doctor told me not to take propecia any longer because it obviously was the cause of the elevated liver enzymes…and that was very dangerous to have them that high.

I was wondering, is this a common occurrence? Are there any reported cases of this? If so, how come it is not listed as a possible side effect to propecia?

Since propecia seems out of the question for me, what other options are there for long term goals of maintaining the hair I have now (In both the temples/hairline and the vertex? ) Perhaps another form of dht inhibitor that does not metabolize in the liver (if such a thing even exists)?

Thank you

Block Quote

I cannot be sure if Propecia (finasteride 1mg) was the cause of your elevated liver enzymes. Propecia is not associated with liver problems, but this has been addressed in the past on this site a couple of times:

There are may other causes of elevated liver problems, including lab error, alcohol, genetic liver disease (which you may not be aware of), recent viral illness, hepatitis, gall stones, etc. I am sure your doctor considered these and other factors. In the end you should confer and follow your doctors recommendations.

January 2, 2008

I Stopped Washing My Hair Because I’m Worried About Losing It! – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello, I started receding about a year ago and recently its getting worse, everytime i go in the shower and wash my hair there is about fifty or so hairs on my hands which didnt happen about three months ago, my scalp also itches but i dont want to wash it too hard because more and more hair will fall out, i need help bad, im avoiding washing it at the moment, there is also some white stuff on my scalp in some places which i can scrap off with my nail and doesnt smell too good. can you give me some advice please. thanks

Block Quote

You need to see a dermatologist soon. Several conditions could be causing your hair loss. Having extensive dandruff and scalp itching is a sign of inflammation of the scalp and seborrheic dermatitis. Seborrheic dermatitis is an inflammatory disease that can involve scalp skin and other areas. Although seborrheic dermatitis does not generally cause hair loss, if you are genetically predisposed to baldness, inflammation can accelerate your patterned hair loss. Some other inflammatory conditions, such as infectious disorders of the scalp, can do the same to the follicles. Find a good physician who can diagnose and treat the condition so that you can limit your hair loss or even regrow your hair. For an accurate diagnosis of genetic hair loss, if that is what you have, you need to get your scalp mapped out for miniaturization.

January 2, 2008

Within a Year, My Widow’s Peak Disappeared – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Something VERY weird has happened to my hairline the last year! I have searched many many forums and blogs like this but I haven’t found the answer.

This is my problem:
I always had a widows peak till my 17, one year later my widows peak has almost completely dissappeared..? I can see small hairs but that’s it. The left side of my hairline is still perfectly intact while the right side has receded for 1 or 2 mm.

the rest of my hair is extremely thick and healthy. my father has a full head of hear and he is almost 50, my mother too.

Thx in advance

Block Quote

Have you considered the possibility that you may have early signs of male pattern balding? It is also possible that the widow’s peak you had may have a different genetic code, and as such, came out because it had genes that were expressed at that time. Male pattern baldness (MPB) is genetic, so even if your father or grandparents (both from mother’s or father’s side) has a full head of hair, it can skip generations and it can also be from your mother’s side. There is really nothing “VERY weird” about it. Hair loss to a certain degree occurs in more than 50% of men.