July 2009 – Page 9 – Balding Blog

July 9, 2009

Why Doesn’t Rogaine Make a Stronger Formula? – Balding Blog

I’ve been using Propecia along with Rogaine for about 4 months now. It’s slow going, but I’m definitely seeing tiny new hairs coming in, in certain areas. I recently came across a product from Perfect Hair Solutions which is a 10% minoxidil and 5% Azelaic Acid solution and decided to order a bottle. From what I hear, result come in more quickly. I’m just trying to figure out why Rogaine hasn’t put out any thing stronger than the 5% and if it would be a side effect issue or not – also, would too high of a strength be damaging to the hair follicle? I was wondering if you can give me your thoughts on this product. Thank you.

More is not necessarily better. The higher concentration of minoxidil (10% or even 15%, for example) runs a greater risk of side effects, including systemic side effects like dangerously low blood pressure, fainting, and skin irritation.

Azelaic acid does not grow hair. It is more of a marketing hype in my opinion, as the thought process is that the acid will irritate the scalp, causing the minoxidil (Rogaine) to be absorbed better. The truth is, either of these medications can cause irritation and when used together the incidence of irritation and dermatitis goes up. The same concept holds when they mix it with Retin-A (which is also an acid).

July 9, 2009

Thymuskin: Does the Thymus Gland Even Play a Role in Hair Growth? – Balding Blog

I have been using thymuskin a topical shampoo and dropper solution made in Germany by Klett-Loch gmb. The company claims it reduces or inhibits DHT in the scalp, acting as a coating/membrane around the follicules. It is also a synthetic thymus extract/peptide originally from a baby calf, cow but is now synthetic due to cattle health, the German company claims. They say it also acts by boosting the level of thymosin and or boosting the thymus gland which normally shrinks in size. They say it was originally developed for chemotherapy patients that lost their hair after chemo, but soon they say the German doctors who were bald themselves started using the thymus product with success. It is extremely expensive to me @270.00 for a 2 month supply. Does thymosin and or the thymus gland play a role in hair follicule stimulation and or growth? Why did the chemo patients not lose hair when using it while under chemo? I ordered it because I thought with all the products out there, that surely a German company would not lie! It dosen’t suit them based on their history. haha funny. thanks Dr. Rassman

To my knowledge, nothing topical inhibits DHT production on the scalp, though there are some shampoos that claim to reduce scalp DHT. In my humble opinion, it is probably just marketing hype, but if it works as promised, the company can make a fortune selling it at any price worthy of putting in the effort. The Thymuskin North American distributor claims the product was sold for 20 years in Europe, but the amount of years a product is available in the European marketplace really doesn’t have any bearing on its effectiveness. The user reports online vary wildly, and with so many Thymuskin resellers and affiliate links out there looking to cash in, it really makes it hard to distinguish what is a real review and what is a disguised advertisement.

The thymus gland does not play a part in hair growth. There is an association between hair loss and the thymus gland in a special type of inherited disease, but that would not point to the use of any thymus extract in the treatment of the normal genetic hair loss that is common in the general population. I’m not sure what T-cells have to do with hair growth or hair loss, but these cells are in the critical path for autoimmune diseases. Again, in my humble opinion it is just marketing hype, but I will be glad to be proven wrong.

July 9, 2009

Libido Problems — Should I take 0.5mg Finasteride Daily or 1mg Every Other Day? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello Doc,
I have been on finasteride 1mg for a year and now I have switched to 1/4 Proscar. It has been working fine but I suspect little decreased libido and thinking to take half dose. I am not sure that taking finasteride 0.5 mg every day is better or taking 1 mg every other day is better or they both have the same effect?

I am asking this based on the fact that finasteride remains in the blood for only 24 hours so it means that if I am taking it alternate days then I am without finasteride for 24 hours. On the other hand, 0.5 mg finasteride is 80% as effective as 1 mg so taking 0.5 mg everyday would give me 80% cover everyday.

That is what my analysis is, but I want your view on this. Thank you very much for help sir!

I tell my patients who have sexual side effects to reduce the dose to one half a pill per day. That keeps levels of the drug in the blood stream most of the time and it should be more effective than 1 pill every other day.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

July 9, 2009

Finding a Doctor to Prescribe Proscar for Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have a two part question. First, If a person is experiencing hair loss who would you advise them to go see first, a dermatologist or a hair specialist? My other question is about Proscar. I know that some dermatologists as well as other doctors prescribe Proscar to treat men with male pattern baldness even though it is only FDA approved for BPH. I am thinking about taking Proscar instead of Propecia due to the difference in cost and am just wondering if finding a dermatologist that would prescribe Proscar to someone who is 21 years old be akin to trying to find a needle in a haystack

Your first stop for hair loss is best done at a dermatologist’s office provided that he/she shows an interest in this type of problem. Your caring family doctor also works and throughout the US there are many hair transplant doctors who are skilled in diagnosis. I routinely prescribe generic Proscar (5mg finasteride) and instruct the patient to cut the pill into quarters.

I am in Los Angeles, not too far from where you indicated that you live, so I am not a needle in the haystack. I’ll point you now to my website for information, including phone number and address. Take a nice drive and pay me a visit.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

July 9, 2009

Common Blood Tests for Female Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have total head miniaturization and half my sideburns seem to have miniaturized. I was diagnosed with DUPA but I want to be sure that my miniaturization is not being caused by hormonal imbalances or malnutrition. I am going to get the yurine analysis 2 rule out malnutrition as a cause and I’ve already checked my iron and thyroid. Can you give me a list of hormones you think I should check and also could you recommend any doctors that are knowledgeable in this area in the new york area?

I haven’t seen your hair loss, but it is always good to get a second opinion. Some common blood tests for female hair loss:

Sex Hormone tests
SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin) used to test status of male hormones
Estradiol is a sex hormone
FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) *not hair follicle but follicle in the ovary*
LH (Luteinizing Hormone) is a sex hormone
Free Testosterone
Total Testosterone
ANA (Anti Nuclear Antibody) used to test for Lupus or other autoimmune diseases
TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) used to test for hyper or hypo-thyroid disease
Test Iron status
TIBC (Total Iron Binding Capacity)
Ferritin
Iron

In the NY area, I would see Dr. Robert Bernstein. Tell him I said hello!

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

July 8, 2009

Difference in Terms for Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Dr. Rassman, could you tell me what the difference between “thinning hair”, “Hair Loss”, “Miniaturization”, “Low and High Density”?

Also when people say poor nutrition, e.g. anorexia, zinc deficiency etc, causes thinned hair do they mean the shaft diameter of each hair decreases or hair falls out resulting in low density?

Thank You

Block Quote

Dictionary “Thinning hair” means a person is losing hair (usually hair that is miniaturized – i.e. thinning of the hair shaft) and does not have as much hair bulk as they once had. “Miniaturization” of hair means that a person’s hair shaft is not as thick in one area when compared to another area as it should be in its normal/healthy state. It is normal to have around 10% of miniaturized hairs for people who are not balding that may reflect what we call vellus hairs, present in every follicular unit.

“Density of hair” describes how many hairs are in a given area of scalp. For example an average Caucasian male can have a hair density of 2 hairs per square millimeter of scalp (which translated to about 100,000 hairs on a typical head size). If it is found that the density is 3 hairs per square millimeter, than the person is said to have a high hair density (born with about 150,000 hairs on the head). Hair density is variable and may depend on the ethnicity or race of a person as much as the inheritance patterns. Caucasians are born with an average of 100,000 hair on their heads, Asians about 80,000, and Africans about 60,000. These numbers are just averages and do not necessarily apply to what you may have on your head.

July 8, 2009

Terminal Hairs at Hairline – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I read that all persons have peach fuzz and miniaturized hairs in the beginning of their hairlines, but my question is that if it is normal to see solitary terminal hairs 1 cm before the beginning of the hairline

Block Quote

Most hairlines are transition zones between the bare forehead and the thick hair of the scalp. Some people have a wider transition zone than others. Some people have solitary hairs in front of the transition zone, while others have a tight frontal hairline. We are all different. When I create a hairline, I always build a wide transition zone between the forehead and the scalp hair behind it so that the point where the hairline starts does not come on strong. Some patients want a strong hairline so I often find myself negotiating with these patients on this very point as we plan the hairline for the day of surgery.

July 8, 2009

Shampoo Eliminates Sebum, Allowing Follicles to Grow? (Video) – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

What do you make of the video below. It claims excess sebum on the scalp can cause hair loss and that the tincture of herbals and scrubbing (and brushing?) help to allow the hair follicles underneath to grow. Is there any chance that this could work? I am under the impression that shampoo eliminates sebum. Off topic regarding shampoo, should we be shampooing our scalp and our hair or just our hair?

Block Quote

There is hope everywhere (after all, it springs eternal). I would doubt that anything shown here will work for another person as it did for the lady demonstrating the technique in the beginning of the above video from Honolulu’s ABC affiliate. It’s obvious the news anchors have no idea about what they’re talking about when discussing hair loss, and this is quite a puff piece for this herbal maker.

As to your other question — you should shampoo your scalp and hair (the main reason for shampooing is to clean the scalp).

July 8, 2009

Hair Loss InformationIn the News – Pill to Stop Hair Pulling? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

Most everyone plays mindlessly with their hair from time to time. But for some people it becomes such an uncontrollable compulsion that they end up with bald patches or eyebrows plucked bare (called Trichotillomania).

If it’s any comfort, animals too suffer from “grooming compulsions.”

Though the behavior is documented in the Bible and ancient medical texts, treatment for hair-pulling has not been studied much. But now a University of Minnesota researcher might have found an answer in a common, over-the-counter nutritional supplement that costs about $15 for 100 pills.

Block Quote

Read the rest — Pill could end urge to pull your hair out

If this is true, it would be a great, inexpensive way to treat this obsessive behavior. I’ll wait for the larger study to be complete, but the small 50 person study is promising.

July 8, 2009

Female Hair Loss After Stopping Kariva – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I was taking Kariva for a few years for perimenopause. I quit taking it in February and for the last month or more my hair has been shedding. It fell out while I was taking it so my doctor recommended Rogaine 2%. After 2 months my hair got so much better so I tried discontinuing the Kariva. Now my hair is shedding again and I was wondering if it will last for much longer. My doctor said to give it 6 months but I may be bald by then. Should I go to a stronger Rogaine while it’s shedding from stopping the birth control pills? Thank you

Kariva (ethinyl estradiol and desogestrel) is a birth control pill that is a powerful hormone. Listen to your doctor’s advice — he/she knows more than I do about this, as I do not treat many women for birth control. If you want, you can try the over the counter extra strength Rogaine, which is 5%.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):