Month: January 2009

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Could Side Effects Show Up Over a Year After Starting Propecia? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have been on Propecia for around 15 months will no problems and good results – however I am very concerned that I may be experiencing side effects (maintenance of erection) !!!

Are side effects likely after such a prolonged period of use with no notable problems??? Or are side effects likely to show themselves within the first few months of being on the medication???

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Side effects from Propecia like erectile dysfunction (ED) can appear over time, particularly if you are over 40 years old when ED is more common. I also have been told that libido or ED problems do show up late and I can not tell for sure if there is a cause and effect from the drug. The use of drugs like Viagra can help most people with these side effects and allows them to keep their hair. Check with your doctor and see if there are other causes of ED in your situation, as this may be caused by something other than Propecia.

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Using Minoxidil After Hair Loss from Chemical Burn? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Dr. Rassman,
about 3 weeks ago I had a procedure done called l’oreal x-tenso which is basically a hair relaxing (rebonding) treatment. The original goal was to grow my hair longer, which is normally not an easy thing given that my hair is normally very thick and wavy/curly. Anyway, a couple of weeks after the procedures I decided to get my hair cut and a couple of days after that my hair started to shed a lot and has continued to do so over the past week, although it seems that the shedding is somewhat decreaing over the last couple of days. I’ve seen 3 different trichologists here in London and they all seem to think that the chemical from the relaxer cause some bad breakage but that should reverse once new hair grows out. Instead they all seem to agree that I also exhibit signs of androgenetic alopecia. There is no history of hair loss on both side of my family, isn’t genetic baldness always hereditary? The trichologists that I have seen here in London are suggesting that I use different topical solutions, Minoxidil has also been suggested. If the hair loss is caused mainly by breakage and it is not a genetic condition, would it still be safe for me to use Minoxidil? Also, looking at my hair when it falls, some of it but not most of it, has the bulb attached. Is that a bad sign, i.e not simple breakage but damage to the follicle? I’m a 38 year old Italian male. Thanks in advance for your reply

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Without seeing you there is little I can do or diagnose. Yes, genetic hair loss is hereditary. Minoxidil will grow hair even if you’re not losing it by genetic factors, but you shouldn’t use a medication that you don’t need, even if it is available over the counter. Stay with someone in your area that you trust. See a doctor and find out if what you’re seeing is genetics or a chemical problem.

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If I Have No Facial Hair, Will I Have Less Scalp Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I know that DHT causes both hair loss and facial hair growth. I’m 17 with no facial hair-does that possibly indicate that I will experience lesser hair loss?

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Your lack of facial hair doesn’t have anything to do with future scalp hair loss. Your facial hair will probably just grow in later than your peers. Wait it out (up to 5 years or so). I would expect that you still might also grow chest hair. I wish I went back in time when I had no body or beard hair. Consider yourself lucky.

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Hepatitis B and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Doc,
A while ago I asked if a Heb B jab could cause hairloss (here)

You replied that it could in rare circumstances. What I wanted to ask is what kind of hairloss are we talking about? Would all the hair fall out because of alopecia? Or is it possible that the jab could kickstart male pattern baldness speeding up my hairloss or is that just impossible from a jab? Thank you for a very informative blog!

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Diseases of any significance can bring on hair loss. For men who have genetic hair loss, a disease and the associated stress can make it worse. In women, it is even more the case, as the connection of diseases and hair loss is more common.

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What Percentage of a Chance Do You Give Laser Treatment of Working? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Doc,

I am going to be starting the LUCE lds 100 laser treatment soon. Ive been losing hair for about a yr and half. I am currently 22. From your experience, what chances do you see of the treatment working on me? I’ve been on propecia for 5 months. Thinning on my crown is noticeable if pointed out. And the temples have receded slightly.

Thank you

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LaserIn my personal opinion, lasers do not work to regrow hair. I base this on my experience with seeing many patients who have tried all sorts of lasers (from the big ones in clinics to the handheld models), and I have not seen it work. As I’ve mentioned before, I had a medical grade laser in my office for a year and offered free treatment, of which some patients chose to take advantage. None objectively grew any hair unless they used some medication like finasteride or minoxidil. I recall one patient who spent nearly $5000 on such laser treatments with another doctor for over a year, and as much as he wished and hoped that his money wasn’t wasted, the laser simply didn’t work for him.

If you are balding, there is no simple cure. You wanted a statistical assessment, so I’ll say that my best guess is a 0% chance of laser treatment working to regrow your hair. There are medications and/or surgery to address it, but there are always limitations.

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Taking Propecia for Over a Year – Should I Add Minoxidil? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have a question about medication.

I am a 23 year old male who has been on Propecia for 1.5 years. I am in the very early stages of hair loss with just general thinning at the temples leading back. When I initially began the medication I felt a decreased sex-drive, so I decided to take 1mg every other day. Since then I have just had the same thinning with the miniaturized areas about the same or slightly thinner than two years ago. There was no reversal of miniaturized hairs.

I went to the doctor and he recommended I begin using Rogaine in addition. My question is: do you think changing the dose of Propecia might make a difference? When do you recommend using Minoxidil? Is there any reason not to use Minoxidil other than the fact that it is more difficult to use every day?

Thanks for your time.

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The only time I’d say to not use minoxidil with Propecia would be when just starting treatment. If you use both at the start of your hair loss treatment, you won’t know which one is providing benefits and you’ll be stuck using both for life (unless you want to risk losing hair by stopping one). In your case, having taken Propecia for over a year, adding minoxidil shouldn’t be a problem. Some people do experience irritation from minoxidil, and I’ve heard from my patients that Rogaine Foam is easier to apply than the liquid.

Just because you didn’t see the miniaturization reverse with Propecia doesn’t mean it didn’t do anything for you — it could’ve very well just prevented further hair loss from occurring, stopping your loss where it was at. You could try taking just 0.5mg daily (instead of the recommended 1mg) if you experience a decreased sex drive, but check with your prescribing doctor before making any changes like that.

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19 Year Old Isn’t Sure if His Doctor Just Doesn’t Know About Maturing Hairlines – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Doc,
Hi, I’m a 19 year old male who just went in for miniaturization mapping. This is basically what I was told: there was no thinning on the crown and not much on the front, but there was thinning on the corners. Now already my corners have gone back quite a bit (about 1.5 inches, maybe a bit more, maybe a bit less). The front has gone back almost 0.5 inches.

When I left, the doctor recommended that I start propecia and start massaging my scalp with minoxidil once a day. Now I read what you had on “mature hairlines” and am wondering whether or not I have a mature hairline and if this treatment that the doctor recommended could cause more harm than help…

On the other hand I’m worried that maybe this is the beginning stages of balding. Should I go ahead with the treatment or is it likely that this is simply a mature hairline and that my recession won’t go much farther than it already is?

Thanks

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As I have nothing to base an opinion on, I can not tell you what I think, but if you show me a photo of your frontal view from the eyebrows up and your brow lifted as high as you can get it so that the wrinkles in the forehead appear clearly, I will give you an opinion if this is a maturing hairline or early Norwood Class 3 balding.

Want to get the photo to me for review? Sign up at BaldingForum.com, upload your photo (or photos) there, then create a thread asking about your hairline in the Hair Loss Open Discussion category. It’s easier than it sounds, trust me.

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Hair Loss Started When I Began Taking Ambien – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have been taking ambien for an extended period to aid in getting enough sleep. I go to sleep okay, but wake up after about two hours and cannot go back to sleep without the medication. I first took sonata and then ambien CR, but realized that, in my case, ambien worked just as well. However, I have noticed that my rate of hair loss has noticeably increased beyond the normal aging process. In looking back, the hair loss started soon after the time that I started taking the ambien. In addition, I have had itching scalp as well as one infected place on the crown of my head. I had never had these issues before. Could this result from the use of ambien products?

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There seems to be many people who have personal experiences with Ambien (zolpidem) that suggest hair loss from it, although the literature does not state this relationship. You might probably reconsider taking the medication and see if stopping it stops the hair loss. As Ambien is a prescription drug, you should discuss the change with your prescribing doctor. I also couldn’t find anything in the literature relating scalp itch or skin irritation with this medication.

See our previous blog post about Ambien here.

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I Have Red Hair, but Some Fallen Hairs Are Nearly Black – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi there lately ive been shedding alot of weird hairs there small and discolored. i have red hair and the hair strands are kinda thin but not really. they’re brown and they have white tips on them and ive had a few where at the bottom of the strand the bulb is completely white and towards the top of the strand its completely black almost. could this be some sort of deficiency? or maybe a auto immune problem?

Write back soon.

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White bulbs are what we normally see with rotational shedding from hair cycling. There’s nothing unusual there. If you are female, you need to have a doctor’s examination and opinion, as there are too many possible reasons for hair loss in women. If you are male, then a miniaturization mapping is appropriate, as genetics is the most likely cause. I do not know what to make of the hairs that come out from a different color perspective.

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Hair Loss InformationIs Hair Normally Thinner Towards the Root? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Is it normal for a hair under an inch long to be noticably thinner towards the root? i see hairs that fall out that look kinda like an exclamation mark, thick at top and thin at the root. my hair is around 2cm long.

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The exclamation point hair you’re describing usually points to a variety of conditions, such as allergic disorders, thyroid disease, vitiligo, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and ulcerative colitis (see Exclamation point hair). Normally hair is uniform in width.