Month: June 2009

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Microwaves and Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Doc.First of all, congratulations for this website.
My question is the following: Can an exposure to common microwave-oven rays cause hair-loss? If so, to what extent? Thank you for your help

Common microwave oven rays should not cause hair loss, but I am not a physicist. I would like to believe common microwave ovens are safe as long as you use it as it is intended according to manufacturer’s instruction. According to the United States Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) microwave (MW) radiation are electromagnetic radiation in the frequency ranges 300 MHz – 300 gigahertz (GHz), respectively.

Most of what I find on microwave radiation is from commercial applications such as cellular phones and radar (not microwave ovens). Some sites have quoted a 1998 book, “The Body Electric“, that mentions a Russian study concluding that hair loss occurs from microwave ovens, but I can’t vouch for this. I would also check out the U.S. FDA site on microwave oven radiation.

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If I Miss a Day of Finasteride, Does It Negate Everything? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Dr. Rassman,

Quick question: What happens if you miss a day(or two) of your finasteride dosage? Can the benefits quickly be reversed? If you miss a week, do you start from scratch when you start taking it again? Thanks a lot.

A day should not make a difference, but skipping many days may make a difference and many weeks will make a difference that may not be reversed by taking proper doses of finasteride.

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I Want More Density — Should I Get FUE or FUT? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

FUE VS FUT…

I am 28 year old male, i am planning for hair plantation never had it before and very confused to what method should i pick…strip or fue…i want denser and more hairs ofcourse..my donor area is pretty dense and good..

Please suggest

Either technique (FUT or FUE) can produce the density you may need. The choice of harvesting should include:

  1. The doctor and his/her skills
  2. The quantity of grafts needed
  3. The costs (usually FUE is more expensive that FUT)

Either technique can produce great densities and hundreds of these can be seen on our website here.

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Wnt Treatments Lead to Cancer? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr Rassman, Lately i have heard talk of the possiblity that WNT/regenerative treatments may lead to cancer. Could you please clarify this topic and offer any opinions? thank you

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It seems like Wnt stimulated follicular neogenesis is hot area of biotech now (Histogen, Follica), but it is something that I do not understand enough to speak with authority. This is straight from Wikipedia, which is sourced from a July 2005 article in the scientific journal Nature: “The Wnt signaling pathway describes a complex network of proteins most well known for their roles in embryogenesis and cancer, but also involved in normal physiological processes in adult animals.”

I do not think I can clarify much more for you aside from what is stated. From the little research I’ve done, Wnt signaling has been associated with cancer in some tissues. How that relates to what they’re doing with hair, I haven’t a clue.

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What Harm Is There In Taking Hair Loss Medications If I’m Not Balding? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

What are the side effects (Other than the ones easily available through literature) of taking something like propecia, rogaine, or saw palmetto when there isn’t any hair loss evident? What I mean is there any extra harm one can do to themselves if they choose to take one as a preventative measure?

As a matter of point, the side effects of taking nothing are less than taking something. Why take a medication that has no proven value for you as a young man? One can make an argument that Propecia can reduce the risks of prostate cancer, although it is not the reason used today to take it in a normal young man. It will not prevent hair loss if you do not have the gene for hair loss.

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Is There a Norwood Class 2V? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dr. Rassman,

Thank you for your very informative blog. I have a question about the pattern of hair loss. I am a 26 year old white male with a normal hairline, and a thinning crown. My father has suffered a similar kind of hair loss: His hairline hasn’t receded, but he has a bald patch in his crown about 2.5 inches in diameter. However, it seems to me that the Norwood scale indicates that MPB always involves some frontal loss (receding hairline), and that frontal hair loss usually precedes vertex hair loss.

So my question is: Is there a such thing as a Norwood 2V pattern (no frontal hair loss, but a balding vertex area)? If not, how is this kind of hair loss assessed/dealt with?

My hair loss was similar to your description, with progressive crown loss and no frontal loss, but Dr. Norwood never defined a Norwood 2V entity in the published classification system we see everywhere. The hair loss can be treated with medication (Propecia and/or minoxidil), and surgery is likely a possibility if the medication doesn’t work as well as hoped.

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I Want to Turn My Hair White! – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

hello there, i was wondering if you could help me, i wondered if there was any way to make my natural hair colour white because my natural colour has no reflection on my personality, please can you help me?

I don’t know much about your personality but if you are uncomfortable with your hair color and want white hair, it can be bleached (best by a professional who knows how to do it).

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Does Rogaine Lose Effectiveness? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

hey doc(s) There have been a lot of questions about if propecia will lose it’s effectiveness, but I haven’t seen any on if rogaine will too. Can you shed (pardon the pun) some light on that?

Thanks lots

I am not sure about the loss of effectiveness for Rogaine or Propecia. It is my opinion that these medications continue to work. In other words, they do not stop working as long as you use as directed. The reason I say this is because I have seen patients who have been on Rogaine and/or Propecia for many years and decide to stop the medication for their personal reasons (as they may believe it is not worth it or has lost effectiveness). These patients often come to me expressing regret for their decision to stop the medication, as they notice an increase in their hair loss within a few weeks. The main issue here is that hair loss is a continuing process that can accelerate at times, but the dose of these medications is constant.

There is no single medication that STOPS hair loss forever. At this point there is no cure, however, the medication does slow it down or minimize the loss. It is just that medications do a better job for certain patients and at certain times in their hair loss process.

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In the News – Best Facial Hair in the World – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

There was a hairy moment or two at the weekend as the biennial World Beard and Moustache Competition got underway.

After a few bristly rounds, David Traver from Anchorage, Alaska, was crowned the victor for his stunning woven beard and down-turned moustache.

The prize beard measures over 20 inches long and was cultivated over a period of two-and-a-half years, before being plaited into the shape of a snowshoe.

Beards

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Read the full text and see the great photos at Daily Mail UK – Bearded wonders gather for the hairiest contest in the world