Month: April 2009

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Dissolving a Minoxidil Tablet – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have dissolved 5mg minoxidil tablet in about a tablespoon of propylene glycol. massage into scalp. Morning and night. Any reasons why this wouldn’t be as good as Commercial stuff ie.Rogaine. or as good as oral admin? I take 1gm finasteride. Thinking of also dissolving an extra 1gm finasteride into mix.

cheers for any advice.

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I’m not sure the formulations are equal, but the ingredients you’re using are the same as the commercial version of liquid minoxidil (the hair loss treatment everyone is familiar with). Experimentation is good, but why experiment with an unknown impact when going the commercial route is a known process with known benefits?

As for dissolving finasteride into it, topical finasteride hasn’t been proven to have the same effects as oral finasteride, so you might end up just wasting it.

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Robot Hair Transplants – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I read a small blurb in MensHealth this month that said there is technology being developed that uses machines or robot like devices to perform transplant surgery without damaging the skin.
It is also stated that the technology is only about two years away from being used. Have you heard of any such technology or have any other information on it?

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The license to use our patent for this was granted to Restoration Robotics a few years ago. I have seen the technology and it works, but far less efficiently than we do in our office (with humans, not robots). The entire process is not perfected yet, so we all wait out the product release when and if it will come out.

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Pubic Hair Colors – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

(female)
Before i was ten i started with little white patches on my left thigh… those went away but the white pubic hair and lighter skin (i have very dark brown hair) didn’t go away completely. I’ve noticed it going away slowly and it’s now only on the left side and i’m growing more dark pubic hair… is this something to be concerned about?

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This is like people who have patches of white hair on the head. It could be purely a genetic thing and is not something you should be concerned about. There’s a hair dye for pubic hair called Betty, though I can’t say I have personal experience with it.

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Hair Loss InformationMy Oily Hairs Stick Together – Is that Normal? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Since childhood I’ve always had very fine hair, every barber I’ve ever been to has commented on it. I’m currently 23 years old, and I have a constant paranoia with my hair, I’m in the military so I’m required to keep my hair short at all times. The only problem is my hair gets oily very easily, and I’m shampooing it every morning. After shampooing and drying my hair it looks fine, but when it gets oily at the end of the day when I look into my vanity mirror and I see my scalp as if my hair were sticking together on my head.

My hair doesn’t seem to be falling out at any alarming rate, I get maybe 3-10 strands in my hands when shampooing, there’s virtually nothing on my pillow in the morning, and I’ve tried the pull test in random areas of my head and at the most have pulled out 1-2 strands in any given area.

I guess my question is, is it normal for my hair to stick together like that, and am I being paranoid over nothing? Thanks

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What you describe sounds like an excess of sebum, and the best way to manage that problem is by frequent shampooing. See How Can I Reduce Excess Sebum? for more.

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Even Today, The Quality of Hair Transplant Work Can Be Less Than Marginal (with Photos) – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am not against capitalism, but last week I met with a young man who took advantage of “special pricing” for hair transplants at just $0.99 cents a graft by a clinic here in Southern California. Yes, you read that price correctly. This is the same facility where a man had died during his transplant procedure a couple of years ago (the only death I know of in the history of this business). This is unlike a 99 cent store that might sell some quality products. This was, of course, a cosmetic procedure that is presented front and center right there on your scalp… and he went with the lowest price he could find.

The patient I met just had a surgery at this clinic and was thrilled at the bargain price he got, but when I saw him (just a day out from his surgery) I was shocked by what I saw! He looked like a victim of a shotgun blast, with blood all over his head and wounds big enough to drive a truck through. Well, maybe not a truck, but you get the idea. This is absolutely NOT the normal look for a person the day after surgery (this is an example of what you should look like a day after surgery). Many of the grafts were hanging out of his head, either partially or fully, and they were embedded in the clots that lay on top of the skin. The patient also reported that the facility was not clean and it was crawling with ants. A real bargain, indeed!

This is one of the more shocking cases I’ve seen in a while and he agreed to let me share his story. I washed off most of the caked clots from his recipient area before these photos were taken. Once again, these photos were taken the day after his surgery at another clinic and I only saw this patient after he came into my office for help. Click to enlarge.

A “bargain” hair transplant

 

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Heavy Drinking, Hard Partying, Hair Thinning – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’ve been drinking heavily and partying hard for the past few years and have lost a substantial amount of hair. I understand that the weight gain issue is controllable, but is the hair loss something i can prevent? Thanks.

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DrunkYour hard partying ways are likely not good for your overall health, but your hair loss is probably unrelated. Genetics is the main reason men lose hair, and I assume that you’re in your 20s or 30s if you’re doing heavy drinking and late night partying (just a shot in the dark), which is around the age many men see their hair begin to thin.

If you’ve got male pattern baldness, your doctor should write you a prescription for Propecia (finasteride), but without knowing much more about you (age, for starters), I can’t really give much more advice than that. The hair loss isn’t necessarily preventable, but you can halt the progressive nature and possibly regrow some of what you lost.

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In the News – Prescriptions Through the Internet; Doctors Need to Watch Out – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

Christian Ellis Hageseth, III, of Fort Collins, Colorado was sentenced to serve nine months in county jail and pay the Medical Board of California over $4,000 to reimburse the cost of its investigation of him. Hageseth also was placed on supervised probation for three years.

Medical Board investigators identified Hageseth after receiving information that while not licensed to practice medicine, he prescribed an antidepressant for the treatment of major depressive disorder to a 19-year-old male in California. The man committed suicide fewer than 60 days after receiving the drug. Hageseth prescribed the medication after reviewing information provided by the customer over the Internet.

The Medical Board referred the case for criminal prosecution and Hageseth was charged with violating Business and Professions Code section 2052, a felony, for practicing medicine in California without a license.

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Read the full text — Former Colorado physician sentenced in case involving death of Californian to whom he illegally prescribed drugs over the Internet

This crime is far more widespread than most of us realize, as doctors try to make money from their ability to write prescriptions. Shameful.

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Woman Told She Has Alopecia – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi, I’m sorry if you’ve already answered a question like mine on the site but I’ve never been on it before so I’m unfamiliar with past questions. I’m 18 years old and a college student and I have been experiencing some hair loss around the lower back of my scalp and above my ears. I’ve been to a dermatologist who said that it was alopecia, but I’m not sure my symptoms truly match it. The area along the base of my scalp now has very sparse hair and has thinned significantly over the past month and a half. The areas above my ears, however, are completely bald circular spots that look much more like alopecia (my sister had alopecia a few years ago so I am familiar with what it looks like). My scalp is also very dry though not particularly itchy.

I am currently using Fluocinonide topical solution on the balding areas and have been doing so for about a month. I also got injections of cortisol (I think?) twice from my dermatologist. Though it hasn’t been very long, I don’t feel like my hair loss is slowing down and it may actually be getting worse. Can you give me any suggestions or at least a confirmation on the alopecia diagnosis? Thanks!

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“Alopecia” is the latin word for “hair loss”. So the answer your doctor gave you is that you have hair loss. There are various types of alopecia (androgenic, areata, universalis, etc), so I’m not sure what your doctor diagnosed you with. If you’re getting spots on various parts of your scalp, it could be alopecia areata. Women are more complex and most cases will require an examination. Without an exam, I really won’t be much help based on the info you described. Sorry.

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How Do I Switch to Half a Propecia? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have decided to half the dosage to see whether this will help. But my problem is that out of the 7-8 months that I have been on propecia, the first 4 were on proper propecia and then I bought a year’s supply of Dr Reddy’s Finax (generic version) during a visit to India in December. I have been very happy with that. So basically I stopped going to the doctor who initially prescribed me the Propecia here in the UK. I was just being over charged and I felt I was being taken advatange of.

So all I need advice on is how to switch from taking 1mg pill a day to half a pill a day. I don’t want to suffer from shock hair loss and loose all the gains plus more if I stop. But I need to stop for a week perhaps or slighlty longer maybe so that my erections and libido issues have a chance to normalise.

I would really appreciate your guidance on this.

Best regards !

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I don’t feel comfortable giving you prescription advice, as I’m not your prescribing physician. Generally speaking, to switch from 1mg to 0.5mg a day, just get a pill cutter and take only half a pill each day. Libido issues should get back to normal on their own with the half dose, and if not, I’d see your doctor again to find out if there’s any other issues at play.

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Reader Warns of Grapefruit Juice Danger with Finasteride and Dutasteride – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Doctor:

This is a follow-up to the post I had sent regarding Cytochrome P-450 enzymes as they relate to drug metabolism, specifically Finasteride and Dutasteride.

As i had mentioned earlier, grapefruit juice is a potent inhibitor of CYP3A4 in the intestines, however, research indicates that it also inhibits hepatic CYP3A4 when 3 250ml (3 8-oz cups) are consumed daily. This is of particular importance to those takeing statin drugs, antihypertensives, antihistamines, and antiepileptics, as GF juice will significantly RAISE serum levels of these drugs. As a result, side effects are magnified.

Now broccoli has been identified as a potent dual inhibitor of both intestinal and hepatic CYP3A4. More precisely, it is the sulforophanes contained within broccoli. As Dutasteride is actively metabolized by CYP3A4, consumption of GF juice and broccoli will elevate serum levels of the drug considerably, as well as Finasteride, as both are substrates of CYP3A4.

I’m sure there are many who are looking for an inexpensive way to elevate serum levels of Dutasteride to get the “better clinical efficacy”. Caution should be taken however. Yes, it would be great to get .5mg of Avodart to be as effective as the 2.5mg through enzyme inhibition. However, most drugs are metabolized by CYP3A4. Those who are considering this approach must take into serious consideration the effect this approach will have on any and all other medications currently being used.

As i stated above, statins, antihypertensives, allergy medications, antiepileptics, and most other drugs are metabolized by the enzyme that GF juice and broccoli inhibit. Elevation of serum concentration of drugs with a low margin of safety may increase negative side effects, or worse, cause death. I would love to get the effect of 2.5mg of Avodart out of only .5mg, however, I would not want to trade my life for it.

Thanks!

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Good review of an interesting subject. Thank you for sending this.