Month: July 2008

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How Deep Do You Make the Holes When Placing Hairs? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Thanks for the great site and the time you put into it. I have a couple questions. First of all, I watched the episode of John and Kate plus Eight and thought it was very informative.

I would like to ask that when you make the sites for the grafts, how deep do you go into the scalp? Second question, I receive finasteride from a doctor here in Canada. The pills are a capsule not a tablet. Do you have any knowledge of finasteride being sold in capsules? I’m just curious if i’m getting the real thing.

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PropeciaI do not know about the capsule form of finasteride. There are many phony drugs on the market. Only Propecia, which has a distinct look (see photo at right), is guaranteed to contain 1mg of finasteride, because the drug company Merck controls the patent on it and no one else can legally manufacture and sell it in North America. The only way is to send it off to a laboratory for analysis.

With respect to how deep I make the incision (or holes) — they are about 5mm-6mm deep, which is about the length of the hair follicle. Some people (like Asians) have longer follicles than Caucasians. One of the most important jobs of the surgeon is to make sure that the incisions are uniform and deep enough to take the full follicular unit, as well as control the direction and the angle of the incisions. The hairs will grow in the direction that the incision was made. Sometimes when doctors do not make the correct angle, your hair may grow out in an improper direction making it difficult to manage and may be unnatural looking.

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Itchy Bald Spots – Is This Regrowth of Hair or the Cause of the Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am a Pacific Islander who had dreadlocks for about 6 years. I noticed small, developing bald spots approximately a year ago. I recently cut my dreads since I noticed that the bald spot is growing. Is it abnormal for my scalp to be itchy? I have always had dandruff, could this be to blame? Sometimes it is particulary itchy at the bald spot? Could this be new growth or perhaps the cause of my baldness? Are there any treatments that can be sought for traction Alopecia?

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Having dreads or braids can cause traction alopecia, which is not reversible unless it is caught early enough. For those who are lucky enough to catch it before it becomes irreversible and the dreads or braids were not in for extended periods of time, you may experience regrowth of hair. If this is the case, it could take up to year for hair to regrow.

Your scalp should not itch with new growing hair. I do not believe there is a correlation with itchy scalp and new hair growth. As you mentioned, this may be dandruff or other skin/scalp problem and I agree with that belief.

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Hair Loss InformationTerrible Burning Sensation After Applying Hair System Glue – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I recently went to have a system put on.The guy who put it on used something similar to crazy glue.Needless to say my head had terrible itching and burning within a week.I had a watery discharge that ran down my forehead.I went to an emergency room but left because they took to long.Anyway, I saw a skin doctor that same day who pulled the system off (it was halfway off).After pulling it off my head was red as a tomato and smelled burned.The doctor took photographs and gave me special soap and ointment.I believe that this burn will cause disfiguration and will be clearly visible if I decided to shave my hair off.I recently found out this “doctor”needs a license as a cosmetologist to apply chemicals.With or without a license is there any liablity for this man for burning my scalp with this adhesive should I decide to file a lawsuit?

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It seems you are seeking a medical-legal advice in which I cannot provide for you. In general it seems you had some sort of reaction to the hair system glue. I do not know the extent of physical harm it has caused, but it seems you were able to see a doctor who was able to treat your medical issues. In general, before thinking of a lawsuit, I would approach the facility that applied the hair system and tell them you are unhappy with the outcome and try to work out some form of mutual resolution. That will take far less time than going the legal route, which is costly in time and money.

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I Have Long Bushy Eyebrows, and Half of My Left Eyebrow Just Disappeared! – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi
Im 53 years old. Always have had a full head of hair and VERY long bushey eye brows. Yesterday I noticed that the left half of my left eyebrow has almost dissappeared. I take .2 mg Levothyroxine, 10 mg Lisinopril, and 40mg pravastatin each day. I also take 3000 mg Flax seed Oil, 2000 mg Vitamin C and 1 Centrum Silver vitamin per day. any Ideals??
Thank You

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If I was able to examine you, I might find some other areas (like in the scalp) that have patchy hair loss. If it did, then it would be easier to tell you what is happening. Some cases of alopecia areata, for example, will cause a patchy hair loss. Ringworm (tinea corporis), although unusual in your age, can also do it. Too much guessing on my part without seeing you. Although some of the medications are associated with hair loss, for a patch to appear, the cause may be more local than systemic.

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Tight Pony Tail and Female Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am a 39 yr old female and I’ve been slowly balding for the past two years. One thing that is confusing me is that my scalp is always sensitive; and it’s only where my hair is thinning. The only way I can explain this sensitivity is that it feels like I had my hair pulled back in a pony tail all day and than took the pony tail out. Anyone who’s worn their hair in a pony tail would understand the feeling after you take out the pony tail (the scalp feels sore/sensitive from pulling back the hair). The confusing thing is that I never put my hair back; I always wear it down with nothing in it. I have no idea why it feels this way (and only where I’m having the hair loss). I’ve told this to two dermatologists and my doctor; they were just as confused as I am. I’m hoping you have heard of this before and can help me resolve it. Does this sound like it might be a circulation problem? Would a lack of circulation cause a sensitive scalp?

Thank you

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Pulling your hair in a pony tail can product traction alopecia and on the way to getting the alopecia, you will have some hair damage showing. Stop the use of a pony tail completely as this can be causing your hair loss. You should also see a doctor for a full medical workup, which I advise in most women. See Female Genetic Hair Loss Is Different From Male Genetic Hair Loss for info.

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Rapid Hair Loss in Just 4 Months – Could Propecia Even Help Me? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’m 22 years old and noticed my hair thinning out about 4 months ago. Back then it was just some one my left side. Now about over a month I noticed some thinning in my forelock and after examining my whole frontal area it seems over all less dense. How can I have such fast hair loss. Is it common to be caught by surprise so fast? If my hair loss is so fast I don’t think Propecia can even help me so fast. I had my hair mapped a few weeks ago and the doc said it’s significant for my age.

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For the young man with short term hair loss from genetics, Propecia has the best chance of working in the front. There is of course, no guarantee, but what it does not reverse may just thicken and the best part is that it may very well stop the hair loss. If you go on it, it will take months to see any impact and once started you should stay on it for life. Going bald is the alternative.

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My Dermatologist Just Told Me to Use Minoxidil and Didn’t Run Any Tests for My Female Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello – I hope I’m not being redundant with this question but I didn’t see a similar question on your site or on the many others I’ve searched (have also read lots of books). I’m 54, female and am not yet in menopause. About 4 years ago, I noticed that a relatively thick layer of my bangs would no longer grow past my eyebrows. In general, this layer of shorter hair extends to both temples and stops at the front of the ears (although it is obviously most noticeable right in front and makes styling a hassle). I have become much more careful with heat styling and have been taking supplements (Black Currant Oil, Bio Available Silica , EFA’s, Multi-Vitamins, Special Hair Formula Vitamins, Calcium, and have recently adjusted my diet to include salmon, nuts, good fats, etc — and I’ve seen some overall thickening and lengthening.

I recently went to a local dermatologist who is a specialist in hair and he diagnosed me with androgenic alopecia and prescribed rogaine for the small area at the hairline. If I recall correctly, he said I had a brief anagen phase. I show no signs of shedding or thinning and I have a very thick head of fine hairs (I know I’d be an excellent candidate for transplants should I need them!). I asked him about whether I could take birth control pills (low androgen ones) or spirodactone instead of or in addition to the Rogaine (which seems like a mess and hassle — for the rest of my life). He said no no no and wouldn’t run any tests for ferritin, hormonal issues, etc. I would think that the fact that I’m 54 and still menstruating (and have a very large uterine fibroid that’s still being fed by estrogen; I’m being watched by my ob/gyn) would suggest some hormonal atypicality for my age, but what do I know?. Although he was very nice and kind, I’m not 100% confident in his diagnosis because the hair has improved significantly since this problem began. Is it possible that I have a different problem? Could I first try to treat this issue with anti-androgen medications before I sign on for life with Rogaine?

Thank you for time and best wishes.

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Your dermatologist is probably correct with his assessment. Many people will have a shorter anagen phase as they age. This means that as hair grows at about 1/2 inch per month, if your anagen phase is shorter (let’s say to the tip of your nose in the front), then you can calculate backwards the length of the anagen cycle by dividing that distance by 1/2 inch.

You should have the battery of tests run, which will rule out other causes of changes in the anagen cycle other than genetic causes. These blood tests include:

  • Sex Hormone tests
  • SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin) used to test status of male hormones
  • Estradiol is a sex hormone
  • FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) *not hair follicle but follicle in the ovary*
  • LH (Luteinizing Hormone) is a sex hormone
  • Free Testosterone
  • Total Testosterone
  • ANA (Anti Nuclear Antibody) used to test for Lupus or other autoimmune diseases
  • TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) used to test for hyper or hypo-thyroid disease
  • Test Iron status
  • TIBC (Total Iron Binding Capacity)
  • Ferritin
  • Iron

As you are using a variety of other substances, I can not tell you what has worked, but clearly it sounds like something is working to increase that cycle time. Go back to your dermatologist and be more forceful with getting him/her involved in the diagnosis. For more information, please see Female Genetic Hair Loss Is Different From Male Genetic Hair Loss.

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Took Propecia for Years, Stopped for 6 Months, Saw a Ton of Hair Loss, Restarted It Again to No Avail – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi,

I’ve been reading your blogs for a while now but have finally got the nerve to send you an email to ask a question. I’m 28 yr old male. I have been taking Propecia since I was 24 yrs old. Actually I first started taking Propecia, I was told by my dermatologist to take it just three times a week because he felt that my hair loss was very minor. I did that for about 3 months or so then I went on one pill a day from the time I turned 25 and took a pill a day for about 1 year and a half. By the time I was 26 and half, I was reading that Propecia could affect my ability to have children so I stopped taking the pill. I started to see heavy amounts of shedding of my hair but I thought it might be due to the amount of stress I go through. However, after a six month stint off Propecia, I met with a doctor and decided to go back on it until now. Since the time I started back on it last February (2007) I’ve noticed my hair is substanitally thinner than it was last year even though I’ve been taking Propoecia. Its thin to the point where I can see my scalp in most angles of light. Does this mean that Propecia is not working for me? I’m actually going through a stressful time in my life right now, does that have anything to do with it or cause Propecia not to work? I lose about 30 hairs everytime I shampoo my hair and there is basically hair everywhere over my pillow case. Are there any suggestions you may have for me?

Thanks

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On again and off again Propecia (finasteride 1mg) does not get you all of the hair back that you lost when you stopped the drug. You need to stick with a knowledgeable doctor and maintain taking the drug daily. Taking Propecia should be a lifetime commitment. Anything less will eventually push you into what I have discussed many times on this blog — “catch-up hair loss”. There is also no comparable “catch up hair growth” that equals the value when you first started to take the drug and during the first full year of treatment.

Regarding whether Propecia is working for you, you should be able to ask your prescribing physician, who I hope has measurements of your hair loss at the time you restarted the drug over a year ago to be able to compare them to now.

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How Understanding Are Hair Transplant Doctors to Patients with Pre-Procedure Anxiety? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi, I had two HT’s done previously by FUE. I am one of these people that gets the ‘white coat syndrome’ just going to the doctors so going for a HT twice was very hard. I am a fit and healthy 38 with a good BMI and when they took my blood pressure i could feel myself get anxious both times which caused adrenalin to raise the heart rate and give a slightly higher B.P reading but once I got in the chair and had a valium I was relaxed and felt good and it was better than the dentist. the surgery went well and I had no bleeding. I will be needing another small procedure in the next 12-18 months with a different doctor and the worst part for me is the pre-procedure nerves that only last from the time I enter the clinic to getting in the chair. Have you seen this before in your patients ? and are HT doctors generally understanding of the healthy people like myself who have low risk of complications whos blood pressure is raised only before a procedure because of temporary anxiety and excitement, not a medical condition that requires treatment? I would appreciate your opinion on this. The actual surgery is the easy part for me. thanks for your time.

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Any doctor who is worth anything at all, must be compassionate and caring. I would stay away from doctors who are not that way. Most of my patients are anxious when they come in for the hair transplant and many will have elevated blood pressure when there is no history of high blood pressure. The rise in blood pressure is the result of anxiety and calming words and some good jokes go a long way to calm my patients down. Good drugs also work to accomplish the same effect.