Month: May 2010

Hi Dr. Rassman,

I am 24 and I know I have MPB. However, I’ve been having a poor diet over the last 4-5 months, which I already stopped and started getting a proper diet. However, during those months I noticed my hair getting thinner.

My question is simple: with a proper diet will I have my hair as thick as it was before the poor diet began? I do not expect an exact answer of course but just an idea based on your experience.

Thanks

Will your hair get as thick as it was before your bad food habits? Likely not. If you are sure you have genetic male pattern baldness (diagnosed by a doctor?), the poor diet might’ve exacerbated the hair loss. It could regrow somewhat, but I don’t know enough about your hair loss pattern or history to really speculate too much more.

You need to be seen by an expert, and you should consider getting on Propecia to slow down the loss if you are indeed experiencing MPB.

I work in a small hotel where we have many Asian guests. Without a doubt, both Asian men & women shed far more hair on a daily basis than any other group. Is there a reason for this?

There is no ethnic variation in hair loss, except in a select minority of American Indians who generally do not lose any hair. For more on that, see Racial Differences in Hair Loss.

If I had to guess why you’re seeing more hair shed from Asians, it’s probably because you see the black hair a lot easier on the white bed sheets that are common in hotels, rather than blonde or light brown hair.

Hello Doctor! I am an eighteen year old suffering from hair loss. I guess my story started 3 years ago, back when I was 15. I took accutane, 10MG in the morning, 20at night, for about I would say, eight-ten months. During this time I lost a lot of hair, according to my mother, who had the chore of changing my bed sheets and thus, obviously noticed the hair left behind on the pillow.

So I guess its safe to say that I started going bald since I was 16. Both my mother’s brothers are bald, and ALL FIVE of my father’s brothers are bald, hence I know, the probability of me going down the route is ,I dare say, inevitable. But,I am ONLY eighteen! I KNOW it can happen at such a young age, but I am hoping that at this age, I can reverse it.

I dont want to take propecia due to the sexual side effects, and the fact it is permanent in some patients, so I guess my only choice is rogaine,(or is it?) My question is, in your opinion and experience, is it helpful for someone my age and situation?

oh btw, I am norwood scale 2. hope that helps, thank you very much!

We generally do not consider a Norwood Class 2 pattern to be balding, just a maturing hairline in its early stage. However, if your mother saw the results of your heavy hair loss for 3 years I’d expect your pattern to be greater than NW2. Maybe what she saw was the normal loss from hair cycling we all see each and every day? If you used a product like styling gel in your hair, it’s possible that those hairs that would’ve normally fallen out throughout the day became trapped, only to be loosened when you slept on your pillow. I’m just guessing here, as there are just way too many variables to consider, and since I haven’t seen any photos nor have I examined you, I’m totally grasping at straws.

It doesn’t even sound like you have seen a doctor or obtained a diagnosis from a professional, which I’d recommend before starting any treatments. You’re 18 years old with what you describe as early hair loss, which means you could potentially be a good candidate for Propecia (finasteride). Besides Propecia, the only other FDA-approved hair loss medication is Rogaine (minoxidil). Propecia works much better than Rogaine in cases of early hair loss, but if you’re afraid of a safe and effective medication like Propecia, I’m not going to waste my time trying to convince you otherwise. There’s enough scientific proof available if you’re interested in seeking it out. Every medication has some level of risks (we’re all different), but the Propecia side effects are not permanent and are incredibly rare. Perhaps you’re also scared of drugs like Advil (ibuprofen) too, because the side effects list that you can cough up blood and have seizures.

Your Accutane (isotretinoin) history coupled with your family hair loss history does make it seem likely that you’re going to follow the family loss pattern at some point, if it hasn’t started already. My recommendation is to see a doctor, get a diagnosis, and evaluate all your options.

I am going through a divorce and heard that stress can cause hair loss but it will probably grow back when the stress subsides. Is this true? Is there anything that can be taken to prevent this?

Some people do lose hair all over the scalp due to extreme stress, but there’s no pill to take to treat or prevent this. Stress management is an art and a science. You should contact your family doctor if you believe that your stress is impacting you with hair loss.