November 2008 – Page 3

November 24, 2008

Clumpy Ejaculate from Propecia? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have read a few posts about this issue and it concerns me as it should be listed as a side effect for the use of Propecia if it happening even in a small % of people.

I am 32 years old, I started taking Propecia about 7 weeks ago. For the past few weeks I have noticed mild pain when I ejaculate. Also, very noticeable is the consistancy of my ejaculate. Some of it appears normal but there are small jelly-like ‘clumps’ in my ejaculate. It seems to be getting worse and I am concerned it will affect my ability to reproduce which I plan on in the near future.

If you could offer any advice I would really appreciate it.

Urologists are capable of examining your ejaculate and your sperm for motility. Considering your observations, you may want to go that route if you continue to be concerned.

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November 21, 2008

My Doctor Wrote Me a Prescription for Propecia – Should I Take It? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello!

First i’d like to say thank you for begin such wonderful source information on hair loss.

I went to see a dermatologist to find out why i’m losing my hair. All the Dr. did was look at my hair very quickly ( i believe i’m a norwood 3 , and i’m ok with that) no miniaturization test was given and told me its hereditary . The Dr. said that I will most likely lose a good amount of hair , I’m 34 years old .

He told me about propecia and wrote me a prescription. In your opinion should the Dr. have done other tests? Would it be ok for me to start the propecia ? I’d really like to move on and be happy that i’ve done what i can to stop or slow my hair loss .

Thank you for your time.

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According to you, your doctor did not use his skills in the diagnosis in your case. While it’s likely the hair loss is due to your genetics and your doctor was right (particularly if you had a pattern develop corresponding to the Norwood Classification for hair loss), I assume that you paid for the doctor’s visit and expected a little more from him. Assuming that his diagnosis is correct, Propecia would be the right choice, but you seem to feel strongly that the doctor should do more than wave his hand over your head like a wand and be able to tell you the hair loss was hereditary. You have a responsibility, of course, to ask questions of your doctor. Questions like, “How do you know it is genetic?” and “Is Propecia the right choice?” Since I’m not your prescribing doctor, I can’t really answer that.

I feel strongly that we need to have a firm diagnosis and that good measurements are important to establishing that and possibly in keeping tabs on the progress of the balding if there is no visual change with regard to growth and fullness in 8-12 months. A miniaturization study isn’t going to replace any treatment for your hair loss — it’s just to initially get a baseline measurement so that you can follow-up in 6 months to a year to see if the treatment is actually doing anything for you. Some doctors just don’t want to be bothered with giving you a microscopic view of your hair loss, and that is disappointing to me and should be disappointing to any patient that experiences that. I recently wrote about performing this exam on your own head (you’ll need a video microscope that costs under $100), and you can read about that in Mapping Your Own Scalp for Miniaturization.

Some emails lately have suggested that they don’t think a mapping of your scalp really matters, and that’s fine if that’s your view. I suppose you also don’t like a mechanic to check out the problem in your engine before deciding you need a new transmission or even your dermatologist to run a biopsy before telling you that the mole on your body has become cancerous. I like to give people value for their money, and especially considering that at the present time I’m still doing these exams at no charge, I’d say people are getting a pretty good value.

We have developed a take charge approach to empower men and women to map out their own scalps and determine if balding is really present. I will review all miniaturization studies that are posted to BaldingForum.com and if you also upload a photo of yourself (and it’s fine if your face is blurred or cropped out) I am even willing to speak with you over the phone at no charge to help you decide what you have and what you should be doing about it.

November 21, 2008

How Long Do I Keep Minoxidil Applied During the Day? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Doctor I read one of your posts and have a related question. In the post you indicate at-least 1 hour to keep minoxidil before taking a shower. I want to clarify this as I too don’t like keeping the medication all day because of its greasy and sticky look.

In addition, I have searched your blog in regards to a good Shampoo…Can you suggest one besides Nizoral, as i use it once every week as suggested by the manufacturer. But want to pick a good brand for daily cleansing….You have suggested to pick the one which suits, however i was wondering if you can still suggest some ingredients or brand to help.

In addition, I want to indicate that I have been on Propecia for 4-5 months and Strongly believe its helping me slow my hair loss. I’m 28/m and now have started using Minoxidil.

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Minoxidil should be applied after a shower when the pores on the scalp are open and the circulation from a hot shower increases the blood circulation. The use of minoxidil foam in the morning will solve the greasy feeling and many people prefer it to the liquid. It is also reported that the foam (5%) works better. If you let the medication absorb for at least an hour or so (I’d say 2-3 hours to be safe), you can wipe it off.

I have no suggestion on a shampoo at this time, but I am considering bowing to requests to write reviews for the various hair loss products out there in the marketplace.

November 21, 2008

Elpecia? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

have you ever heard of Elpecia? it is suppose to be a generic version of Propecia. i ordered it from a canadian pharmacy but the shipment came from India

thanks

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Elpecia There’s a lot of names that generic finasteride is sold as, with many of them being of Indian origin. I haven’t heard of Elpecia before, but it wouldn’t be shocking to know that yet another generic 1mg finasteride pill is being sold (illegally). I did a Google search and could only find a single reference to Elpecia being a name for generic finasteride, but I couldn’t say whether what you bought is even legitimate.

Note: The “logo” there is my great Photoshop work. Do not confuse that with the real logo, if there is one.

November 21, 2008

Mapping Your Own Scalp for Miniaturization — The Video! – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

As promised, I’ve uploaded a tutorial video for the miniaturization mapping. You can find the thread with the video at BaldingForum. I encourage you to sign up at the forum to post any questions you might have about the video or the process, as well as posting your miniaturization results if you’d like me to analyze them.

See the video at BaldingForum.com!

If you missed the first 2 parts, be sure to read up!

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November 21, 2008

Half the Face Grows a Fuller Beard – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

My boyfriend is always concerned that he grows more hair on one side of his face and then the other side is more sparse. It’s like someone drew a line down the center vertically and the left half grows more and thicker hair than the right- he says. I don’t really notice but it always bothers him- is there something he can do to fix this? He is 25 years old and has no other hair issues (like on his head or rest of body). Is there a term for what happens on his face? and how to fix it? Please respond!! I can’t find anything on the internet about it! Thanks!

I would want to examine him and count the density of the hairs on one side and compare it to the other side. He might try minoxidil on one side of his face to see if that evens out the growth. A scientific term for hair growing more sparse on one side of the face doesn’t come to mind, though.

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November 21, 2008

Fibrosis of the Scalp? – Balding Blog

What is fibrosis of the scalp for woman. Is it something that can be cured and how can you prevent this from happening?

Honestly, I do not know what this term is reflecting. I assume it has something to do with the thickening of the scalp tissue, but I need it put into context so that it is a question that I can try to respond to.

November 21, 2008

Any Patient Results from Avodart Treatment? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dear Dr Rassman
You have said that you have given some of your patients Avodart. Can you tell me what results you saw and what was the strength that you used? Thanks

Avodart The few times I’ve prescribed 0.5mg of Avodart (dutasteride) for off-label use in treating hair loss, it has been successful but I must tell you that I did not do this with a research minded scientific approach. I didn’t see any substantial regrowth, but essentially the drug ceased further loss in patients that saw their hair loss start again after a number of years on Propecia. Again, this is just for a limited few that I’ve prescribed the medication to. I haven’t had reports of any side effects, but those patients had no side effects from Propecia either. I’m still concerned about long term use and safety when taken for treating hair loss. Like everyone else, I’m awaiting the results of the clinical trials completed earlier this year in Korea.

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November 20, 2008

Time Between Minoxidil Applications? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

how long is minoxidil need to be apart after a application. Is 8 hours apart ok?

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Cow The recommended application for minoxidil is twice a day. I suppose 12 hours apart is best, but that may not be practical to fit into your day.

Many years ago I had a dairy farm with nearly 150 cows. If you think about nursing mothers, they feed their babies every few hours and get their best milk production based upon the need to keep up with the close feeding schedules. For my farm, I figured that we would get the best milk production if we milked the cows every 8 hours, but I could not afford to do that and few workers would cooperate with me on this idea. Most of my farming neighbors started milking at 7am and then at 3pm so that they could have breakfast and dinner with the family on a reasonable time schedule that coordinated with their childrens school schedule. By spacing the milking 16 hours at night, the cows filled up with milk for overnight, which in the world of ‘biologic feedback’, they were telling their bodies to slow down milk production. As a compulsive person and to solve the problem, I decided to milk the cows at 3am and 3pm, but because of my heavy surgical schedule I just could not do that. Instead, I woke my wife up at 3am so she could milk the cows until 6am at which time the day crew came in and took over. What I’m saying is, life is full of compromises. If you can’t get that perfect “every 12 hours” between minoxidil applications, then yes, 8 hours apart (like the dairy farmer) should be fine.

And for the record, I am presently divorced.

November 20, 2008

My Dermatologist Said My High Testosterone Is Causing My Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am 23yrs, male losing hair from 8th months. I don’t have any bald spots. Right now I might fit into NORWOOD II classification( I can easily cover my frontals with the hair). Though I am losing hair all over I can notice more hair loss at sides and back. When ever I put my fingers thru the hair I see atleast 2 hairs come out. Most of my colleagues say I still had pretty much hair, but I know how much I lost from last 10 months or so..

I went to dermatologist last month and she ordered some tests, my testosterone level is high, which is 869 ng/dL (normal 241-827) she said this was the reason for my hair loss. I am not totally convinced since it is DHT that cause hair loss but not high testosterone. Shall I go for DHT test? If so do I need to have any other tests along with DHT? They suggested me to take Propecia which I am concerned of side effects. When I asked her about Miniaturization she said that she never heard about it. Is there any doctor you know in Denver Location that does this Miniaturization.

And also one more thing, while I am searching internet I found these DHT blocker shampoos. Do you think that these shampoos really work? Please tell me what to do. It is been so hard for me to concentrate on other things due to this problem. I really appreciate your advise. Thanks

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If you do not have the balding genetics, a high testosterone level will not cause genetic hair loss. If you’re losing your hair, it is in your genetic makeup, not due to your testosterone level. If you have balding, then map out your hair for miniaturization and make the diagnosis. That’s really the best “test” you can have done — and it’s a simple task. You can even do it yourself — see Mapping Your Own Scalp for Miniaturization. I’m not sure if there’s a doctor in Denver that does it, as some doctors unfortunately have difficulty understanding the importance of such a study.

There are two types of DHT (Type I and Type II), and I believe most of the DHT blocking shampoos only take care of one of those types. Taking finasteride under a good doctor’s guidance will be your best course.