June 2009 – Page 10 – Balding Blog

June 9, 2009

Hair Cubed – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have been looking into some concealers and I have come across this site haircubed.com and it seems no one here has heard or even referenced this product. Do you have any ideas about it or the validity of the results in the videos? Thank you for any feedback you can supply.

Hair Cubed Everything I know about HairCubed has come from the site you referenced. In other words, I’ve never heard of it before. It looks like a spray on concealer, and I have no reason to doubt the validity of the video.

You can certainly try it. I generally suggest that you try a few different concealers (like Toppik, DermMatch, etc) and then pick the one you like best. The investment is nominal and the gain can be substantial. Try it before going to bed, playing with the styling options and then showering it off.

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June 9, 2009

Finasteride Frontal Study – Balding Blog

Hello;

I read your blog from time to time and I remember you saying that propecia doesn’t really work in the frontal area. As someone who is hoping for regrowth in the front that’s a gloomy assessment. However there are a few studies that offer hope, here is one and if you google search “finasteride frontal study” you’ll find more.

Finasteride in the treatment of men with frontal male pattern hair loss — “RESULTS: There was a significant increase in hair count in the frontal scalp of finasteride-treated patients”

From what I am understanding, it doesn’t work in on the temples but it’s common to see results in the frontal area as well as the back. As someone who is on 1/4 Proscar every other day I can tell you I am seeing some regrowth nearing month 3 now and I am hopeful that by month 6 I will have achieved even more. Also, for what it’s worth…not a single side effect.

I know that finasteride does slow or stop frontal hair loss. With regard to regrowth, in many men who have visual frontal balding, the degree of growth in my experience has been less than enough to produce hair that can be combed. I have had hundreds of patients on finasteride, and although a very small subset of them have grown enough hair to see a difference in the hairline, most have not. The drug will work the same on any hair follicle that is undergoing genetic hair loss, but the frontal area is often ahead in its balding (more so than the crown), so maybe the failure to see substantial grown in the frontal area reflects where the balding is by region. All I can report is what I see in my patient population and although I have seen remarkable frontal hair growth in some, the percentage of patients who show it is very small.

June 8, 2009

The Hairs I’m Losing Are Thin and Short – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

The hairs I see fall off during brushing are thin and short, between 1 and 3 inches, as compared to my ‘normal’ hairs on the side and back of my head. Is this an unmistakable indication of miniaturization and evidence for MPB? If Propecia and Rogaine are working (I’ve been on them for a year), should I expect to see increase in thickness and length in those fall-off hairs? Thanks

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Hair loss does occur on Propecia and it could be ‘accelerated cycling’ of your existing hair. That being said, I don’t know what is happening to you, since there is no way for me to tell over the internet.

When people lose hair, the hair may be lost early in a cycle, but there is no way to tell. When hairs are miniaturized, they frequently slow down their growth rate and may just start growing in the beginning of its cycle when the “genetic axe falls”.

June 8, 2009

Hair Loss InformationPropecia Shedding Indicates That It’s Working? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hey Doc Thank you in advance for such an informative sight. I found this excerpt from a web page concerning shedding from propecia. I was wondering what was your take on it as I have experienced a considerbale shed within 4 weeks of starting propecia. The hairs come from not just the balding areas but from the back and sides as well. Just curious as to your assumptions.

Myth: Shedding is an indication that Propecia is working

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I have heard that in some patients, there is a period of increased shedding after starting Propecia, but this will stop within a few months in almost every one experiencing the problem. Some doctors believe that Propecia increases the cycling of hair, but I have no way to ascertain if this is the cause or not.

June 8, 2009

Did I Experience Shock Loss Months After My Hair Transplant? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Doctor,

thank you for the fantastic work you do helping people with their hairloss concerns.

I have had 3 surgeries (1500, 1500, 1000). The last being back in Febuary and the one before that about 11 months prior to the last. Anyway, Im on finasteride 1.25 mg daily, and i use regaine foam daily.

My question is that my hair was looking remarkably thick in the front and temples up until a month ago (2 months after my last surgery) . The last 1 month for some reason has led to some thinning in front….I may be crazy but it seems like Ive lost a decent amount of coverage/thickness. Im chalking this up to post surgical shock…but the hairs that are being lost are full length hairs. Is this normal 3 months post op ? My hair was looking really good!…and now…just “pretty good” I hoping that my new transplanted hair plus my shock loss hair will grow and get me back to “great” status.

Also, im considering going on .5 mg avodart to replace the finasteride. Ive been on Fin for 7 years…and have recently felt that the results have been stagnated (also, do you recommend 0.5 mg Dut vs. Fin 2.5 mg?)

Thank you so much.

Maybe you are having shock loss… or maybe you are having ongoing natural genetic balding. Usually shock induced loss occurs in months 4-5. I don’t really know what is happening to you without an examination.

I generally discourage Avodart (dutasteride) at this point, because it has not yet been FDA approved for the treatment of hair loss (some doctors prescribe it for off-label use). In patients that are seeing Propecia not retain as much hair in the later years, doubling the dose of finasteride (1/2 of a 5mg pill, provided there are no side negative sexual effects) has been what I’ve recommended. Talk to your prescribing doctor about this. Keep in mind finasteride is not going to completely stop genetic balding.

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June 8, 2009

Can I Just Drink Minoxidil? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dear dr. Rassman,

I hope you answer my question.I am at a very desperate stage in my hairloss. The daily appplication of minoxidil is making me look horribly bald. Can I drink the minoxildil solution twice per day rather than put it in my scalp? will it give the same results? I do not care about the heart side effects as looking into the mirror is enough to give me chest pains and anxiety attacks. Please answer my desperate plea.

Loniten The stomach will probably destroy the minoxidil when taken orally unless it was put into some compounds for oral ingestion. Minoxidil was originally on the market for blood pressure control many years ago, sold as a pill called Loniten… but for the best results as a hair loss treatment, topical is the way to go.

I wouldn’t expect the topical form to be safe to ingest, considering it contains propylene glycol (which may cause gastrointestinal irritation with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea). Plus I doubt it would be effective. I think that you need to meet with a doctor and get your problem surrounded.

To sum it all up though, do not drink the minoxidil.

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June 8, 2009

Can a Man Have a Female Hair Loss Pattern? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Again DR. Rassman

It is in my opinion by looking at my pattern of hairloss that it resembles a female type pattern of loss. I have compared myself to both the Norwood scale and the female Ludwig scale. I’m curious if this is possible and have you seen it with any of you othe patients?? Just curious. Also could you reccomend a hair specialist in the New York, New Jersey area. Thanks in advance…

Yep, it’s possible and I have seen this condition in some male patients. In the NY area, I would recommend Dr. Robert Bernstein.

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June 5, 2009

Jon Gosselin’s Hair Transplant Looks Awesome! – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

People Mag The story that everyone seems to be talking about lately in the entertainment world is about Jon Gosselin. I’ve got at least half a dozen magazines in my office lobby with his face on the cover. Last week, Life & Style Magazine even had a blurb about his hair transplant (see it here). This week, Jon’s the cover story on the June 15 issue of People magazine, and I’ve scanned a great image from that issue and posted it below. A few weeks back I wrote about Jon’s personal troubles only after receiving a number of inquiring emails, and while I’m still not going to discuss that stuff further, I don’t see anything wrong with taking the opportunity to use his increased spotlight as a way to see photos of his awesome hair!

It should be no surprise that Jon Gosselin has had a hair transplant — there was an entire episode of Jon and Kate Plus Eight devoted to it — but as I’ve yet to get good After shots from Jon, I’ve been relying on paparazzi shots and magazine photo shoots to see how it turned out. The angle and lighting of the photos below aren’t exactly the same, but the result still looks great and you can click here to see other Before photos.

Jon Gosselin - Before and After Hair Transplant

Note: After photo from June 15, 2009 issue of People Magazine, by Melanie Dunea.
Patient had one procedure of 2087 grafts performed by Dr. Jae Pak at New Hair Institute in Los Angeles.

June 5, 2009

Did Writer Dean Koontz Have a Hair Transplant? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Dr. Rassman! I am a big fan of horror writer Dean Koonz. According to his biography, he had a hair transplant because he was “tired of looking like G. Gordon Liddy.” His “before” picture is here and his “after” picture is here

I don’t know, I’m having trouble believing that those results are from a hair transplant. I’m thinking hairpiece but I thought I’d get an expert’s opinion. I see his picture on the book jacket every day and I can’t help but wonder!

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Based on the photos you sent (which I’ve cropped and shown at right), author Dean Koontz’s hairstyle sure is shaped like a bad hairpiece… but that reflects personal taste and maybe it does the trick for him. I don’t know any details about his procedure so I couldn’t really guess as to what is actually going on there. Former Illinois state governor Rod Blagojevich has a similar look and I do not believe that he has a hairpiece.

In the years that I have been involved in hair treatment, I have seen everything imaginable with regard to what the consumer wants his look to be like. It is not unusual for balding men to have facial hair and when many of them get their hair back, the facial hair goes away. With regard to hair pieces, almost nothing shocks me anymore!

June 5, 2009

Panic Attacks and Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Sometimes, i panic (over nothing really), and because of that, it gets difficult to breath and in some cases, i feel anxiety and get dizzy (because of the panic). Could that contribute to hair loss? I am a male diffusing on the scalp (not sides), shedding very much, and shedded stripes have a clear (big) white bulb at the end.

Yes, you can certainly lose hair from stress caused from your extreme anxiety. It could precipitate your genetic balding earlier than it would’ve, as is generally the case for men that have stress induced loss. It sounds like you need a good, caring doctor to get your anxiety under control.

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