March 2008 – Page 10 – Balding Blog

March 12, 2008

Desloratadine to Treat My Itchy Scalp – Balding Blog

Hey,
I just wanted your readers to know of a change ive had to my scalp. Alot of people have itchy and flaky scalps coming with hair loss. I had this too, and I thought both were linked together because they came at the same time. Well I was wrong but I did manage to fix my itching by taking desloratadine 5mg. Apparently my itching came from an allergy and it fixed the problem completely.

So for all your readers having itchy scalps they should check they might be allergic! Thanks alot for the site

Desloratadine is a drug that is used to treat hay fever and allergy symptoms. When one uses a medication for symptomatic relief, it does not get down to what you are allergic to and will only be a temporary solution until you solve the cause of the itch.

March 11, 2008

Sarcoidosis and Female Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am an African American female who has been diagnosed with Sarcoid of the skin. I have since lost 85% of my hair and it is NOT growing back. When I was first diagnosed, I would see these scaly flaky spots which would peel away (along with my hair). By the way, I am also taking Prednisone to treat my Rhumatoid Arthritis. I would however like very much to have my natural hair as the wigs are hot, unnatural and unattractive.

There is no cure for sarcoidosis. Treatments sometimes exploit the use of systemic and topical steroids. Local steroid injections into specific lesions sometimes help; the use of methotrexate (an immunosupressive agent) also helps in some people. I have little experience in this awful disease. You need an expert in this arena for treatment, but don’t blame your doctor if the treatments do not work.

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March 11, 2008

LaserComb and the Probability of Success – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have not had any growth due to long-term use of the LaserComb. As with many drugs and devices, some people benefit, others don’t. The real issue is: what is the probability of technical success? Unfortunately, the manufacturer has not published articles or studies in peer-reviewed journals, and thus has not enabled prospective users to evaluate the risk/benefit and answer this question. In addition, the regulatory designation of the LaserComb as a medical device also precludes finding the level of detailed information on the FDA web page that is usually reserved for drugs/biologics. In the absence of such information, one can only rely on anecdotal observations and your (Dr Rassman) experiences have been helpful in raising the prospect of questionable cosmetic improvement with this device. One also has to have a skeptical eye for any drug or device claiming benefit where detailed data usually available to evaluate is either missing or difficult to locate.

Thank you! I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Sometimes these products can be muddled in with the financial gain of selling a product and media hype and not have much to do with actual results (i.e. “buyer beware”).

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March 11, 2008

I Wasn’t Losing Hair Before I Started Taking Propecia – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

i have been taking propecia, and generic propecia for about six months. i have a lot of hair but since i have been taking this, my hair seens to be thinning. why? the reason i started to take this product is, because my father is bald, and my mother has hair loss. what should i do. im going to a dermatologist to se what caused this so fast. it seem since i stared taking this its making things not work. my hair was alot thicker before i started taking this product and i have had a rash on my leg four month now. please, help me

If you were NOT losing hair, then why in world did you start taking Propecia? This drug is not to be used as a preventive treatment when there is no hair loss present. Propecia is a prescription medication used for the treatment of androgenic alopecia. Please follow up with the doctor that prescribed you the medication. You should also follow up with a dermatologist about the rash on your leg, which is probably not related to Propecia.

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March 11, 2008

I Have a Limited Amount of Propecia — Should I Split the Pill or Take It Until It Runs Out? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

hi there again balding blog team

just a quick question… I have been on propecia for the last 6 months and have had good results. the clinic that I got the medication from (london’s best apparently) suggested going on minoxidil, and propecia, and azaliac acid, and they would have thrown in a lazer comb! ..but after doing a lot of my own research (mostly on your page) I decided to just go with the simple one pill a day. the thought of medicating and lazering, applying lotions was all to much for me. needless to say i am more than happy that propecia is doing its job great and im happy.

However im out of town at the moment for a month on business but just realised I only have a 2 week supply ! I dont want to mess with my regime to much, but had an idea that if I split the pill into 2 it would last a month, as ive read it is almost as effective (70%)? or do you think i should just take the full dose, then miss a couple of weeks …. ??

also how effective can propecia be at arresting hairline recession? the clinic said “it would halt hairline recession” and I know its not known to work well in that area but read different things in different places! it seems to have stopped mine ! in your experience with the drug what would you say about it?

Thanks for a fantastic site !

It sounds like you’ve done your research and are very well informed to make good scientific decisions. For example, if you started Propecia, minoxidil, azelaic acid, and laser therapy all at once, you would never know which one worked (or which ones didn’t work) and would likely end up spending thousands of dollars unnecessarily. Plus, you’d be stuck with the fear of stopping any therapy without knowing which provided the results.

With respect to limited quantity of Propecia, why is it so difficult to get a refill of the medication? A refill would be your best bet, as it is available in most countries. If you cannot get a refill, I would take 1/2 pill a day to extend the limited quantity you have left, as a half pill is about 70% as effective as a full pill. This ensures that you have the effects in your system consistently.

March 11, 2008

Hypersensitive to Minoxidil? — I Experienced Heart Palpitations – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello-

I started using Minoxidil 5% twice a day in January or February of 2006. I didn’t experience any side effects, so a year later, I substituted the 5% Minoxidil with 12.5% at night. I still didn’t feel any side effects. I switched to Xandrox 5% (minoxidil with azaelic acid) last December since I have PCOS and it was recommended to help stop the miniaturization of my hair. Within a couple of weeks (maybe even a week), I experienced heart palpitations. Is it possible that people can become hypersensitive to Minoxidil after a period of time (for me, 2 years)? Or could it be coincidental and related to something else?

Thanks

I would never recommend 12.5% topical minoxidil, as it can have serious systemic side effects (just as you described). More importantly, heart palpitations can be a harbinger to a serious and life threatening condition. I strongly recommend that you follow up with a physician for an examination. Minoxidil can cause a drop in blood pressure in a limited number of people.

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March 11, 2008

High Prolactin Levels, Masturbation, and Hair Loss – Balding Blog

“An abnormally high level of prolactin (hyperprolactinemia) is a condition characterized by elevated serum levels of the hormone prolactin in non-pregnant individuals. Hyperprolactinemia may cause progressive pattern hair loss due to an indirect effect on increasing free testosterone level.”

I’ve read this in one of your post…So you say high prolactin levels are responsible for some degree of hair loss.Prolactin levels are usually very high after masturbation,yet you said masturbation had no effect on hair loss.

Any connection between masturbation and prolactin levels can not possibly have an impact on hair loss (if that is where you are taking this question).

It has also been shown that prolactin levels after sex are 4x higher than prolactin levels after masturbation (see PubMed). So I suppose you’re suggesting that:

Having sexual intercourse will lead to a 400% greater chance of hair loss over those that masturbate
Masturbating (instead of sex) results in a lesser chance of hair loss

I realize the two bullet points are the same thing just worded different ways, but I really want to make sure your points on masturbation were clearly outlined. There is simply no connection between hair loss and masturbation, as many of these hormonal changes are very short term.

March 11, 2008

Cool Laser – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have seen advertisements, and have listened to radio advertisement raving about the cool laser for the treatment of baldness. Are there any statistically valid studies that have shown that they work to either stop hairloss or grow new hair?

There are studies, but they were done by people connected with the business, so I will not believe them until they are done by a completely independent source. See my prior posts on lasers here.

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March 10, 2008

Using Probabilities to Assess Future Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Dr Rassman,

Do you use probabilities when assessing future hairloss in a man who has MPB? I’m 23 and on Propecia. Men on my mothers side and fathers side are basically Norwood 7: both of my uncles were Norwood 6. My father is Norwood 7. His father was Norwood 7. My mother’s father was Norwood 7. If you had a patient that has a similar history of balding as me, what would you tell him? Would you say there is a high probability that he’ll become a Norwood 7?

To let you know how much balding I currently have:

I definitely have reduced hair density all over (not actual visible balding yet). There is some slight visible balding in my crown. My hairline is starting to recede past the “mature hairline” area. I’ve been on Propecia for about 1 1/2 years and it’s slowed down the balding significantly but it hasn’t stopped and grown hairs. I understand it might be difficult to answer my question without seeing my hair but any information you provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

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There is now a blood test which will look at your genetics to assess your risk for hair loss (see HairDX Genetic Hair Loss Test System). Predicting possibility through a test like this, however, has minimal value in my eyes, because it does not tell you what is happening to you, but it makes it known that you carry the genetic marker. Getting your hair mapped out for miniaturization will tell you what is happening now and it will allow you to follow your hair loss over time and judge the effectiveness of the treatments. Or, why not do both?

As hair loss can skip generations, I couldn’t say what the probability is for losing your hair without an exam.

March 10, 2008

Hair Loss InformationCan Shaved Hair Grow Under a Hair System? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

do you have to be completely bald to wear a hair system? what if you are just thinned out and have a few bald patches? when you shave your head, does it grow back under the hair peice?

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Yes, your hair may grow under a hair system. The reason you wear a hair system, though, is because you are thinning or balding… and because of that you may notice less and less growth as time goes on as the natural balding process is ongoing. In addition, some hair systems that use glues or tapes to attach can put traction on your scalp that may in turn put traction to the growing hair and cause them to fall out, possibly permanently.