I am really interested in the Fox technique, do you think it will go down in price over time?
The FOX Procedure (follicular unit extraction) is heavily labor dependent and takes much more time to harvest grafts than a traditional strip procedure. Without a new breakthrough, I doubt it will go down in price much, as there are not many doctors who are doing the procedure completely.
My son is 19 years old he had a spot the size of a half dollar on his head that went bald. after a few months the hair started growing back, but its real dark. His hair is Blonde.
Patchy spots of hair of a different color may be associated with a genetic predisposition or a mole or can be just normal. He may have had ring worm and the regrowth of the hair came in pigmented differently. You may want to have your son follow up with a dermatologist.
Hi Dr. Rassman,
I had my hair transplant 3 days ago and I was told that i’m a bleeder. so my head was wrapped for 2 days and after washing off the wrap i looked swollen but after the 3rd day after waking up my eye is swollen and bruised is this normal?
The bruising is rare, but it is normal to have swelling after a hair transplant procedure if your surgeon did not use large dose steroids to prevent it. It should be found in the pre-operative or post-operative handout you hopefully received — and more importantly in your operative consent form. Most of the swelling should be gone by the 5th day.
Part of me is honored that you would be turning to me for hair transplant aftercare advice, but the other part of me is shocked that you would not be asking this question to the doctor you trusted to performed your surgery. You really should have an open line of communication with your surgeon. I really can’t stress enough how a good doctor/patient relationship is so very important.
A client I have serviced for almost one year accuses me of causing her hair to fall out after a relaxer I gave her. She called me two days after the relaxer saying her hair was shedding. I am very thorough with my rinsing of chemicals and the shampoos that follow. She said her hair was coming out in strands and that her scalp itched a little. I suggested she see a dermatologist. Her dermatologist told her that there was nothing showing in her bloodwork that would cause her hair to fall out. He prescribed her Luxiq which as you know is for psoriasis of the skin and scalp. Would’nt that not mean that she had a skin condition which caused her hair to fall out and not the relaxer?
It sounds like you may be looking for potential legal advice. I do not know your client or the entire circumstance involving her hair loss. This sounds like an acute episode of hair loss happened within a couple of days of the treatment you gave her. There seems to be a direct link between the use of chemicals and the hair loss, based on what you’re telling me. As I’ve written before, psoriasis will not cause hair loss unless you pick at it enough to develop traction alopecia. This does not seem to be a traction alopecia case, though.
There are many possible reasons for female hair loss, ranging from medical illness to genetics to hormonal to stress. Moreover, even with modern advancement in medical technology, the exact cause and/or cure for female hair loss is still elusive. Your client’s hair loss may have been related to the chemical stress or it may just also be coincidental. I really cannot say.
(female)
Hello,I’m having a hard time with hair loss since a serious surgery in May of 2007 (it lasted approximately 6 hours). It is now April of 2008 and I’ve noticed a steady and very noticeable loss in hair (I can see my scalp from the back- very little coverage of hair).
I have no known genetic hair loss in my family (that I’m aware of) my grandparents and parents have full, very thick, heads of hair and I had a full head of healthy hair prior to my surgery. My Dr. dismissed my concerns as attached to the surgery in May, however, I have not seen any return of hair since then, but rather a continuing loss.
When should I expect the hair to regrow? Is it unusual for hair loss to continue 10 months after surgery (note: the loss didn’t start until a few months after surgery and it was dramatic loss all of a sudden rather than slow shedding). Sometimes I find that my scalp hurts- it’s a hard feeling to explain. It is not severe pain, but rather a dull sort of sensation all over my scalp. I’m very concerned and have tried one treatment (oil and shampoo system -the oil treatment was twice a week for three months-that was supposed to stimulate growth). It did not seem to help at all.
What do you recommend I do? Is this normal or the sign of something irreversible? Thank you for your help. I do hope you can answer my question. I’m desperate to find some solution.
Hair loss after a surgery or from a severe stress is called telogen effluvium. If it lasts less than a year as it normally does, it will reverse after the stress abates. Some people go on to a chronic telogen effluvium. Both forms may be treated with minoxidil while you are waiting for it to reverse. More information about telogen effluvium can be found at eMedicine.
Hello NHI team,
I have recentaly bought Wellman tricologic tablets, are for helping to maintain healthy hair follicles and existing hair growth. The tablets utilises Keratone, a combination of ligans, amino-acids, PABA(para-aminobenzoic acid) and pantothenic acid for the maintenance of natural hair colour. Here is some of what the tablets contain and this is what the box says and their website:KeratoneTM includes;
• Standardised Lignan Extract – lignans (including the special compound Secoisolariciresionol Diglucoside) have been shown to help to naturally balance the conversion of testosterone to Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which is implicated in the male hair growth cycle.
• N-acetyl-cysteine – this amino acid supports hair growth, and hair shaft diameter for fuller hair.
• L-cystine – this amino acid dimer of cystine is integral to disulphide bonding in the keratin of the hair, supporting its strength.
• L-methionine – an essential amino acid that must be provided from the diet and participates in a wide range of hair related biochemical reactions.
• L-lysine – as essential amino acid.
• Choline – a constituent of lecithin in cell membranes. A lack of choline can influence hair growth and hair pigmentation
• Inositol – a constituent of lecithin in cell membranes and a growth factor for rapidly dividing hair cells. A lack of inositol can influence hair growth and skin healthSilicon – Silicon is the third most abundant trace element of the human body and is important in the structure of hair.
Iodine – Iodine plays a role in metabolism and required for hair growth to proceed at optimal levels.
Antioxidant vitamins C, E and Beta-carotene – help to protect against the damaging effects of free radicals, which can lead to premature ageing. Vitamin C is also essential in forming the connective tissue of the skin while Vitamin E may help support skin repair. Beta-carotene provides a source of vitamin A, which helps support scalp oil production and skin health.
B-vitamin complex – Essential in the health and growth of rapidly dividing cells such as those present in the hair follicleRecognising the concerns many men have about hair growth and hair condition, Wellman Tricologic® has been developed by leading scientists. Each specialist formula tablet provides 29 bio-active ingredients including essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients designed to nourish hair by maintaining healthy hair follicle metabolism.
My question is, what are your views on these tablets and how effective would they be. Would they be good if used with propecia/avodart. What is your opinion. Please, please reply. Thank you NHI team.
The list of ingredients excluded the kitchen sink, but I doubt that adding it would help with genetic hair loss. If there were deficiencies in diet in any of these areas, it would impact your overall health, of which your hair is clearly an important element. The problem with many of these ingredients is that the scientific connection between their availability to your body and hair loss or hair regrowth is just not there.
For those interested, a list of how much of each supplement is available here. This product appears to only be sold in the UK and/or European markets.
Hi Dr. Rassman,
I went to see a dermatologist today about my diffuse hair loss, and I asked him if the thinner hairs that are falling out now (as opposed to the thicker hairs that fell out before) necessarily pinpointed miniaturization. He said that a telogen hair is supposed to be miniaturized compared with a anagen hair. Now, I’ve done quite a bit of research on this topic, and I’ve never heard that a telogen hair was supposed to be miniaturized. Can you give some insight into why he might say this? Thanks so much!
I agree with you. Telogen hairs, when they fall out, are normal width. I have no idea why your dermatologist would say otherwise.
I have been told, by a colleague, that under normal circumstances, facial hair does not ‘fall out’ as does hair on your head.
Can you tell me if this is true or false?
Facial hair is different than scalp hair, but ALL hairs go through the growth cycle, resting cycle, and shedding (falling out) cycle.
I am not clear what you are asking. Do you have loss of facial hair or are you asking an academic question? The most common cause of scalp hair loss in men is due to genetic causes, and it is often referred to as androgenic alopecia (AGA), male pattern baldness (MPB), or just genetic balding. About 50% or so of the male population will have some degree of genetic balding at some point in their lifetime. Keep in mind that this does not mean 50% of men will go bald. Facial balding patches may not be genetic and you need to see a dermatologist.
I had breast cancer and my last chemo treatment was in July of 2006. I finished radiation in October 2006. It has been almost two years and my very thick curly hair has not come back. I have a few sparse hairs all over my head, but they are very sparse. I take tamoxifen daily. Will my hair come back and what can I do to help it. I have used Nioxin for two years and just recently started uses minoxidil. Are there vitamins to help? Just what can I do?
I do not know how to help you. My experience is not in the area of chemotherapeutic drugs. Your best information will probably come from the doctors who are managing your chemo. They see many people with hair loss and can probably give you the answers you are looking for. I wish I could offer more, but this is beyond my specialty.
I read your answer to another problem that dandruff is caused by exposure to the elements i.e. the sun, UV rays, etc. I don’t buy this or else similarly situated people would have the same amount of dandruff.
We are all different and we manage our skin differently. Dandruff is caused by the accumulation of dead skin cells on the scalp, often in dry scalps. There are good shampoos for this and I would suggest that you try them serially until you find what works for you.
