October 2009 – Page 8

October 12, 2009

Is 15% Minoxidil Causing Me to Bleed More During Minor Surgeries? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dear Dr,

Have been using topical minoxidil for 5 to 7 years or so now, however have recently more concerned it may cause long lasting damage. Have had some minor surgeries were I have bled more then expected. Could this be due to the minoxidil having a systemic effect through vasodilation ? Have also noticed a slight increase in trembling of fingers again if the topical minoxidil is getting into my system, could it be playing havoc on my CV system. I recently came across a journal from the 80’s claiming topical minoxidil at 2% was affecting LV volume. So What are your thoughts overall ? I am 29 year old male and the topical minoxidil I use is at 15%.

Topical minoxidil for treating hair loss should be 5%. In my opinion, 15% is way too much and it probably does not have much more impact on hair growth. I would think it would have unwanted negative side effects, as it would be absorbed in to your circulation. In other words, I wouldn’t be using 15% minoxidil.

The cause of your bleeding issue might be related to minoxidil, but I doubt it. People who take minoxidil orally for blood pressure problems do not really have bleeding issues. Bleeding problems are most likely related to something else. It may even be hereditary (for example, von Willebrand disease being one of the most common inherited bleeding disorders). Also, taking aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil/Motrin) can affect bleeding.

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October 12, 2009

Alfatradiol for Treating Hair Loss? – Balding Blog

What is your opinion on the german products pantostin and ell cranell? They contain Alfatradiol, could this be effective for AGA. Thanks.

Take a look at this study I found. It is not the best study, nor is it the most promising… but it is something. Personally, I don’t think alfatradiol is effective for AGA (androgenic alopecia).

October 9, 2009

Losing Hair on Inner Thighs – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’ve recently lost a large circle on my inner thighs. The spots are just below my inseam and are the exact same on both legs. What could this be? I’ve also been getting stabbing pains in mostly my left leg but some in my right.

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I suppose it could be your thighs rubbing together or rubbing on the material of your pants, creating traction alopecia in that area. The pain might be unrelated. I’d get examined by your doctor though, as this isn’t something I could even guess on via the Internet.

October 9, 2009

Why Do People Switch from Propecia to Proscar? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi,

I’ve been on Propecia for 5 months now. I’ve noticed a lot of the people who write in say they switch to Proscar after about a year. Why the change, isn’t it the same drug? Is Proscar a higher dose of finasteride per amount taken?

Many people switch because of the cost difference. Proscar (5mg finasteride) is the same drug, but you can cut it into 4 pieces to get about the same dosage as Propecia (1mg finasteride). Generic 5mg finasteride is legally available in the US, but generic 1mg finasteride is not here yet, as it is still under patent protection. I believe generic 1mg finasteride will be out of patent in 2013. Remember, you need to have a doctor’s prescription for either medication.

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October 9, 2009

My Fine, Straight Hair is Thinning on One Side of My Head! – Balding Blog

I am 19 years old and I have fine, straight hair. The hair growing on the right side of my head is significantly thinner than the left side. I don’t remember having this problem as a child, but I have had it for awhile. I used to have such pretty hair, so it’s really upsetting. I think I have had this problem since I was about 11 or 12 years old, which is a pretty young age for hair loss. I remember getting my hair pulled really hard on the right side by a girl when I was in 7th grade, but I don’t know if that is the cause.

Also, I used to wash my hair everyday since about 12 years of age until earlier this year. I stopped after I realized how bad it is for your hair. I’ve been eating pretty healthy for the past 2 years(mostly fruits, veggies, and fish) and I take vitamins. Will that help at all? I switched to an all natural brand of shampoo and conditioner that is made of aloe vera, and I’ve stopped using harsh chemicals, however I still have problems with dry, irritated scalp. I have pretty low self esteem because of this, and I just don’t know what to do. I’m going to see a dermatologist soon, but according to this information, what do you think the cause is and can it be reversed?

Also, do you know of any good hair specialists in my area (Austin, TX)?

I am assuming that you are a male, since you didn’t specify…

Your diet won’t help regrow your hairline, but a healthy diet is always good practice anyway. First, as always, you need a diagnosis. This is likely your genetics, but you are doing the right thing by seeing a dermatologist, particularly with your irritated scalp condition. The genetic balding problem may play a role in the asymmetry, which is common in those going through male patterned hair loss. I don’t have referrals in Austin at this point, but you can review ISHRS.org to find a doctor in your area.

At 19 years old, I wouldn’t rush into a hair transplant surgery to balance out the hairline, but for those readers with a similar problem (that are a bit older than this young man), hairlines that are out-of-balance in men can be easily fixed with hair transplants.

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October 9, 2009

I’m Planning on Getting Pregnant Soon, So Should I Stop Minoxidil Now? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am experiencing hair loss for the past 6 months. I approached a skin specialist and cosmetologist a month ago. she suggested to use minoxidil 5%. I am using it for one month, but now i lose more hair than earlier. My marriage is in the next month, but she is asking me to use for 3months. I have a plan of becoming pregnant, but once if i stop using minoxidil after the third month, wont i get in to the hairloss trouble again? i am totally worried. please help me out.

You might experience some initial shedding from the medication, but if you stick with it those hairs should regrow. However, if you stop the medication any benefits you see will disappear.

Pregnancy changes things, though. Since you’re planning on starting a family, you might want to stop it now, particularly since you have not been on it long enough to see benefits. There are warnings about using minoxidil when you are pregnant, so if you do become pregnant you should stop using it until after you’ve given birth (and if you plan on breastfeeding, you should wait until that is complete, too).

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October 8, 2009

Follica Product Name? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi,

i’d like to ask you if you know the name they are using for their future product from follica. for example Histogen, they are using Regenica and Interctex ICX-TRC, so what Follica is using as a name? and it is known in what stage of their study they are? for example Aderans are in phase 2 of the process.

thanks

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Follica Follica hasn’t been too forthcoming with information. I don’t believe anything has been announced as far as a name, though I’d assume there are some codenames at the very least that they use internally. According to their site, “Follica, Inc. is developing novel therapies for conditions and disorders of the hair follicle“.

To me, that indicates that they’re developing multiple products at once… and perhaps they won’t announce a name until one of the treatments progresses further than the rest. That’s pure speculation though!

October 8, 2009

Roxithromycin to Treat Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Doc,

I was wondering if you had heard of any new information regarding Neosil’s NEOSH101? This seemed fairly promising for a while but it seems like things have gone silent on this one, has this one bitten the dust?

Also in my travels around the internet i found this, a study based around using roxithromycin lotion to treat baldness. What are your thoughts on it?

Finally i hear a fair amount about Saw Palmetto and how great it is as a natural alternative to Finasteride but if this where true why hasn’t there been any decent studies on it? And why aren’t the producers of it funding studies to prove it works? That indicates to me that perhaps using Saw Palmetto for hairloss is a load of bunk. Surely if they had a product that could potentially help fight baldness you’d think they’d want to be able to prove it scientifically.

Cheers

I haven’t seen any news about Neosil or the NEOSH101 product they were working on. Last I remember, Neosil was bought out by Peplin, who in turn put NEOSH101 on the backburner to focus on their other products (though they said their hair loss treatment would be a future product). I can’t find anything since then…

Regarding using roxithromycin (a drug used to treat infections) as a hair loss treatment, your guess is as good as mine. I’ve never seen such study and the clinical trial link basically says to me that if there was a study they were starting to conduct, it didn’t go anywhere. They haven’t updated any information in years and there are no results or info available. I’ve not even seen any information about why this medication might work as a hair loss treatment.

The saw palmetto / hair loss treatment controversy has yet to be proven. Saw palmetto does not work like finasteride to treat hair loss. People jumped on the bandwagon because saw palmetto is used for prostate treatment, and as you probably know, finasteride is also used for prostate treatment. People put the two together to create pseudoscience through association. The thing is, it is an over-the-counter herbal that is readily available, so nobody is going to take the time or money to fund a proper study. They figure — why prove it when people will buy it regardless? When it comes to hair loss treatments, unfortunately people are willing to spend their money on just about anything with a hint of a promise.

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October 8, 2009

My Hair Isn’t Growing as Fast Anymore – Balding Blog

hi. i have fine hair but have always worn my hair long. so i first noticed it was going when i seen it wasnt growing as fast and what does grow is really stringy. i was wondering would propecia reverse this so that when it grows its thicker? im also 24 years old so hopefully i fall into the younger crowd that gets really good results!

Propecia does not grow hair any faster. It is a medication to treat androgenic alopecia. You need to see a doctor who can examine your hair for miniaturization and for signs of androgenic alopecia if you are to be a candidate for such medication. If you are actually losing some hair due to genetic causes and your doctor prescribes Propecia, I still wouldn’t know if you’d fall into that crowd that gets really good results. Each person is different. Some people get headache relief from one ibuprofen pill, some people will need to take a couple. But keep your fingers crossed!

October 8, 2009

AdiStem – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dr Rassman, have you heard of a company called adistem before? adistem.com

i only ask because i have come across a “vendor” in Thailand and i can’t decide myself if this is a genuine hair multiplication company releasing the product in a medically unregulated/less regulated area (like what the major HM companies say they are going to do) or if this is a well planned and neatly dressed scam?

The site and information is interesting, but there are few, if any, clinically reliable studies to hang your hat on. I was suspicious when, along with everything else, the fat you can inject in your scalp to supposedly regrow your hair is also being used for penis enlargement. Sounds like they are undermining their cause with this outlier treatment.

I’ll try to find out more about AdiStem and will post about it in the future if something presents itself. All I can seem to find is a press release from about a year ago that announces the distribution deal between AdiStem and the Thai company. I doubt something like this will ever be available legally in the US until stringent testing can prove safety and efficacy, but it all remains to be seen. I’m skeptical, of course.

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