Month: September 2009

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Hair Loss InformationBoost Hair Vitamins – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

i was just wondering if you heard of a company called “Boost”? They are a vitamin company and a hair care product company. Supposedly there stuff works they say?! Have you heard of them? Their website is worldofhair.com

Can you check out their site and tell me what you think? I basically dont want to start buying there product and realize it’s bogus!!

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BoostVitamins are great, and products that can strengthen hair or make it healthier are good… but they have one product in their Boost line that claims to be good for thinning hair, and even says “guaranteed to stop hair fall”. Most over the counter hair products people ask me about the outlandish hair loss treatment claims (like guaranteeing something that can’t be guaranteed), and unfortunately this one is no different. It appears to just be a vitamin infused shampoo. Which vitamins is it infused with? No idea. However, I’d be skeptical of any product that brags about hair growth abilities and tries to sell the idea by saying it contains, “herbs, proteins, aminos and more“. I want to know if “more” includes leprechaun magic…

Does it work? Again, I have no idea. But when a company uses smooth sounding marketing lingo and doesn’t provide any real substance, it doesn’t fill me with any trust in the products. Don’t expect it to regrow hair, but if you do try it I’d be curious to read your review. The FDA takes a strong position when a company promotes a benefit and can not prove it. They can be told to stop selling the product.

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Hair Loss InformationDeveloped Itching from Minoxidil After a Year! – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Im sorry if you’ve answered this before but what in your opinion would be the best way to tackle hairloss? Would you reccomend using Propecia, Regaine and Nizoral all at the same time or just Propecia or Regaine and Nizoral? I did try using Regaine and was fine with it for a year or so but then for some reason the itching got unbearable! Any tips for that? Thanks

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RegaineItching while using minoxidil may reflect an allergy to the drug, though it is interesting that it developed after using it for a year. Which strength were you using? Perhaps you could try a lesser strength.

As for the best way to tackle hair loss — well, I’ve already written a book on it (Hair Loss and Replacement for Dummies), so I’m not going to rewrite that here. I can tell you that Propecia (finasteride) and minoxidil (commonly sold as Rogaine or Regaine) are the only FDA approved hair loss treatments currently available, and as I’m a US-based physician, I look to the FDA. Another way to tackle hair loss would be hair transplant surgery, but I would not suggest rushing into that. Your question doesn’t really have a cut and dry answer that works perfectly for everyone. You can learn more by searching this blog (search box in the top right) or reading up on hair loss at NewHair.com.

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Hair Loss InformationSerum Testosterone and DHT Conversion – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Dr. Rassman,

Thank you for your willingness and dedication to share your expertise and insights around this very important field of medicine. My question pertains to the relationship b/w serum testosterone levels & DHT. I am 38 and have been on both Proscar 5mg & Avodart.5mg as well as a slew of natural antiandrogens (eg, saw palmetto, etc.). I recenty increased my dose of Avodart to 1mg but have met w/ marketly increased shedding 2-3 months following the dose increase.

My question is if I could have elevated my free testosterone to a level that is allowing for more conversion of DHT in the small amount, say 10%, of DHT receptors that are not blocked. Is there a balance or fine line between the level of serum testosterone and DHT conversion that takes place? I’ve noticed that my hair shafts have thinned in diameter and lost pigmentation at the bottom and it seems to correspond to about 3 months of growth (I.e., aboth the time I increased my dose of Avodart). Could I have raised DHT levels by raising free testosterone or could I have induced a form of telogen effluvium shocking all my hair into a resting state? If so, can I expect subsequent regrowth? Your professional opinon is greatly appreciated.

On a side note, although this is a progressive,unorthodox, and off-label treatment regime, I am tolerating the treatments very well-very little side effects. Just want to try to understand the science better. Thanks-a-million!

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You can not match one piece of a science to another and then create new science. You are doing many things to your hair and your body, all at the same time. You have no measurements taken (mapping out the hair for miniaturization and followed over time area by area). You may be shedding and this may be temporary, but only time will tell you that. I can not heal you with any insight other than what I have written before on this site.

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Hair Loss InformationMy Terrible Shedding from Starting Minoxidil Finally Stopped – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi,

I have been on minoxidil for about 7 months and i just went through a terrible shed about 2-3 months ago that has seem to have ended because I don’t see too many hair falling out anymore. I still use minoxidil but I have not seen an improvement with the hairs growing back yet. Is it because these shed hairs have to grow through several hair cycles before they can become terminal healthy hairs and is it likely that these lost hairs will grow back if i stay on minoxidil?

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To see the value from minoxidil, you must stay on it at least a year. If you stop it at any time, you may lose the hairs that developed minoxidil dependence. Hairs lost from minoxidil induced shedding should return as the hair cycle completes its process.

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Hair Loss InformationMy White Hair is Thinner Than the Dark Hair – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Dr Rassman, I am 55 years old with a reasonably good head of hair. I started propecia and rogaine 10 years ago and am happy with the results.

The hair at my crown/vertex area is a little bit thinner but nothing too bad. Here is my question as I have gotten older my hair has gone from brown to gray and is now turning white in some places. It seems as if the white hair is slightly thinner then the darker hair. does this happen?

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If it is translucent white it can appear thinner, but I have not personally measured the white and black hairs with a caliper to compare. I can’t really tell you why it might happen, though it is probably just genetics.

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Hair Loss InformationThe Masturbation Brigade Returns – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I find your information inaccurate, and I personally disagree. Me and many like me, suffering from many symptoms of excessive masturbation. A major notice sign is thinning hair, and hair loss. Ive noticed that you have photos of older generation, I doubt these people suffering from masturbating addiction. Check this site if you want to know the truth about excessive masturbation. it explains in detail.

ayurvediccure.com

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Door knobI don’t understand people like you. Truly, you confuse me. I seem to get emails like yours in clusters — I’ll read nothing about masturbation and hair loss, then suddenly I’ll get a dozen emails within a couple of days from various people all telling me I’m wrong and trying to prove it by telling me that you notice your hair thinning when you masturbate. I’m sure you also see hair loss after you sleep, so why not avoid that, too?

And what is this you mention of the older generation? Do you think masturbating was invented in the 1980s or 90s? Give me a break. Your “proof” is some holistic “cure” website that states wrong information about masturbating, but includes ordering instructions for a pill that will make you “last longer” and will solve all of your problems. If you believe that, you are ridiculously misguided and I might have a bridge or two to sell you. I don’t know what else I can say to help you or people like you understand that there is simply no link. Just because your mother told you to not masturbate or you’d go bald, it does not make it true. My mother told me that when my hand itched, that meant money was coming to me… and yet I’m smart enough to know to not expect coins to rain down every time I get a tingle in my hand.

I don’t know what more I can write about this topic than I already have. It’s not like I have something to gain by telling you there’s no connection. Last I checked, there was no tax on masturbating, nor do I care if you do it or not. Slam it in a door if you want!

You will also not lose hair from masturbating, nor will you go blind, deaf, and you certainly will not grow hair on your palms. These are old wives tales to prevent kids from touching themselves, many times created for religious reasons. So please read this carefully — there is no link between hair loss and masturbation. The end.

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Hair Loss InformationI’m 22 Years Old and Showing Norwood Class 4 Already! – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

hi dr. william rassman.

i am a 22 year man suffering from male baldness pattern near to stage 4. at this young age i have lost most of my front hair and from front i am almost completely bald. i want to have hair transplant surgery within next a year or two. what is your suggestion? thanks and waiting for your reply soon.

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Norwood 4Without an examination, I can’t tell you whether you are a candidate for transplantation or not. You should have your scalp mapped for miniaturization, which will help determine how advanced your hair loss pattern will get. For example, you wouldn’t want to rush into a surgery at 22 years old only to lose more hair as the years pass, leaving you with an unnatural looking pattern. At your age with class 4 hair loss, your pattern may continue to recede further. You should meet with a doctor that can help you form a Master Plan (an outline of your surgical requirements and plans for the future). The use of Propecia (finasteride) should be an absolute in slowing or stopping the hair loss in its tracks. Don’t get me wrong, even at 22 years old you still might be a candidate for a hair transplant, but you need to have a good doctor focus on building your Master Plan that will protect you for years to come.

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Hair Loss InformationGrowth After Hair Transplant – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I had a hair transplant of 2010 grafts almost going on 5 months ago. My hair stylist tells me that the transplanted hair goes through a cycle and will fall out approx 3-4 months after the procedure then grows back in. Is this true? And why does it look really good in some light then in different light? When I go to work, the lights that are on there make me look like I had nothing done! I’ve been feeling very frustrated at this point.

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LightAny hair (even non-transplanted hair) looks thinner under bright light or certain lighting conditions.

In general, transplanted hair falls out within the first month or so and new hairs start growing in 3 to 4 months later. I tell every patient to wait 7-8 months before judging the results. Patience is a virtue! I can’t tell you if your surgery was a success or not. You need to go back to your doctor and ask to see your before photos to compare for yourself. Also, ask your doctor his/her professional opinion on the matter. Whatever you decide to do, you will not know the results until 7-8 months after the transplant was done.

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Hair Loss InformationIn the News – FDA Warns Allergan About Latisse Website – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

The Web site of Allergan Inc.’s Latisse is misleading because it suggests the company’s eyelash thickener is more safe than proven, federal regulators said.

In a letter to Allergan dated Sept. 10, the Food and Drug Administration said the company’s Web site omits information about how people using Latisse are at risk for contracting bacterial keratitis, which can be blinding. The letter was posted on the FDA’s Web site Wednesday.

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Read the full text at Wall Street Journal.

This problem shows the value of the FDA in protecting our interests. You would not want to go blind and without proper informed consent on drugs, you may not know what you are getting yourself into. Cheers to the FDA.

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Hair Loss InformationCopper Peptides and Hair Growth – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi,

I’ve been here for a few years and have found many of your explanations to the various articles useful. I would like to share this link that was highlighted to me by a friend and to seek your advice on how true it is. SkinBiology.com

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There was some push to use copper peptides in the hair restoration field, but there has been little proven in terms of value. That being said, there’s an interesting article about copper peptides from a couple years ago over at the Regrowhair.com blog.