Month: August 2010

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Hair Loss InformationIs My Hairline Receding Because of High Iron in the Water? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Doctor, This is a hairline receding question. I have witnessed hair thinning and the hairline receding on the far right side of the temple. I’m certain that the same is making it’s way to the otherside and I’m not quite sure what to make of it. I am 25 years old and this thinning has gained pace ever since I moved to the eastern part of the country, some people say it’s because of the high iron content in the water here while others say it’s because I travel a lot being in marketing.

I have dense thick hair but this thinning is occuring rather quickly. We don’t have many good doctors where I’m currently working which is why I’m a bit hesitant to take their advice. I would really appreciate if you could help me out with this. Thanks.

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WaterWhile I can’t positively say what is causing your hair loss, my educated assumption would be that this is your genetics…. not iron levels in the water. It’s not uncommon for one side of the hairline to recede before the other, and while stress from travel might contribute to acceleration of the loss, I’d expect this is simply your genetics at play.

There are two proven medications to treat hair loss in men — Propecia (finasteride 1mg) and Rogaine (minoxidil). Propecia is by prescription only and both medications do have their limitations. In other words, you shouldn’t expect full regrowth (particularly in the hairline), but the hair loss may be halted from progressing for some time.

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Hair Loss InformationIn the News – Microneedles to Replace Syringes? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

MicroneedlesIn a move that could spell disaster for the lollipop industry, scientists have reported progress in designing pain-free vaccines that people might be able to use at home. Someday that might mean fewer jabs at the doctor’s office — and fewer crying kids needing a sweet to comfort them.

The Band-Aid-like patches, coated with microscopic needles, generally don’t hurt. Moreover, they may actually work better at delivering vaccines and some medications, according to recent research.

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Read the rest of the story at LA Times — Microneedles could replace the syringe

While not hair loss related, I wonder if these could eventually be used at the start of a hair transplant to remove any and all pain from the initial injections. Regardless, even as a new way for delivering vaccines, it’s worth reporting here.

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Hair Loss InformationPsychological Effects of a Wig Wearer? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have been reading your blog for quite some time and i see you repeatedly emphasis not to hold your breath on the baldness cure. I totally agree with you, my dad went to Europe in the 70s to talk with doctors and find a cure for his baldness the doctors then told him there may be a cure in 2 or 3 years! It has been 40years since then and i must admit he still has hopes that those 2 or 3 years is not far away!! Me on the other hand have no hope of seeing anything new at least till 2020 considering if the trials succeed by 2013 go for FDA approval.

So i have considered going for a wig or a hair piece, i just wanted to know what is the psychological effects that you noticed with an average person(non-celebrity) who uses a wig? Do they get addicted to it and would they be able to live without it after awards if they choose to lose it? Also how much emotional scare does it do if it comes of in a public place like a swimming pool?

What is your advice on the best hair piece available, which would look real and shows the scalp and not something that looks like a thick road kill.

Thanks.

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HairpieceWhile I do hope we see a cure for hair loss at some point, we’ve all been hearing the same story for decades. Who knows — 30 years from now, people might be having a conversation about how foolish we were in 2010 for hoping the cure was right around the corner.

As for the wigs / hairpieces… well, people all respond differently. There’s possibly the initial wave of confidence, but with that comes new problems you have to deal with.

The attachments used are critical, because you do not want to make the hair loss worse from traction alopecia caused by pulling of the hair under the hair system. Most people will shave the head under the hair system to minimize the impact of traction. There are clearly limitations with a hairpiece (like swimming).

Interaction with women is a problem if the lady wants to run her fingers through your hair… and gets the hair system instead. Most men who wear these pieces realize that there is a “no-touch zone” around their head and watch people carefully when they approach (especially women or relatives).

I really don’t have advice on where to buy them or what to buy, but judging by the amount of spam I get from wig vendors that read this site, I’m sure plenty of them will offer their 2 cents.

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Diffuse Patterned Alopecia vs Male Pattern Baldness – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Dr,

I was wondering what the percentages are for DPA vs regular progression of male patterned baldness? I am 30 years old and have a norwood 2 or 3 pattern but most of the men in my family are bald to a large degree. Only my father has a complete head of hair.

Regards

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I don’t have statistics directly comparing diffuse patterned alopecia (DPA) to male pattern baldness (MPB). We don’t get asked all that much about DPA here, so check out this link for more info.

Essentially… if you are balding from genetic causes, the hair can fall out without thinning in a specific pattern (DPA) or it can thin according to a specific pattern (MPB). In either case, the final pattern will be determined by your genes.

There is also a condition defined by us in the medical literature called diffuse unpatterned alopecia (DUPA) which reflects that the hair all over the head shows miniaturization, including the sacred donor area that is usually genetically protected in men. Most genetic female hair loss appears similar to DUPA, in that it is diffuse and over the entirety of the scalp.

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Hair Loss InformationDo Propecia Haters Have an Agenda? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Dr. Rassman, I was just curious if you’ve ever come upon this web site: mypropeciasideeffects.com. This guy doesn’t seem real pleased with his Propecia experience. I’m not sure if he’s got an agenda or if he’s just a worst case scenerio. Any legitimacy to his claims?

Thank-you for your time

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Not everyone will be happy with every choice they make. Propecia is an elective medication to treat a cosmetic issue. If someone is concerned about the possible risks from the medication, simply don’t take it. The fact is, I’ve yet to see a good clinical study that shows any side effect is permanent and studies have shown the side effects are seen in less than 2% of men. I have no idea if he’s got an agenda, but I’ve written about this issue many times before:

  1. Recommending Finasteride Despite Web Forum Outrage
  2. Can You Dismiss Propecia Information on the Web?
  3. Propecia Causes Damage to the Penis — If It’s on the Internet, It Must Be True!
  4. Propecia Info on the Internet Has Me Worried!

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Hair Loss InformationItchy Scalp After Stopping, Restarting, and Stopping Propecia Again – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Doctor, I recently quit taking Propecia 1mg after about 4 months when I noticed some breast pain and possible enlargement. I went about a week without it, and then restarted with a half a pill per day, hoping the side effects would not pop up again. Unfortunately, about after a week, I experienced the breast soreness again.

Now, a week after quitting Propecia for the second time, I am experiencing a very itchy scalp on the top of my head. What could this mean? Is it a sign that the Propecia was working and more hair is about to fall out? If so, what are my options to stop this? Could taking 1/4 of a Propecia pill daily be an option? Obviously I don’t want to lose more hair as I am only 22 years old. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

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You have two separate issues:

  1. Breast enlargement / pain. This is a rare side effect of Propecia and I would follow your prescribing doctor’s recommendations. A lower dose might help, but you may not be a candidate for Propecia.
  2. Itchy scalp. I really do not know how this relates with stopping Propecia or any relation to hair loss. I would follow up with your doctor for other treatment options.

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Hair Loss InformationHair Transplants and Progressive Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Dr.

I was hoping you could answer a quick question for me about hair transplantation. If I were to get surgery to repair some of the loss I have in the temple region, but genetically I’m predisposed to lose more (and possibly at a rapid rate). How would that work? I would get some hair transplanted and then immediately the rest would be lost? Do you have to wait until you’ve lost everything before getting the surgery?

I really appreciate your website, I think you’ve really helped a lot of people.

Best

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You ask a good question, and this is exactly why we advocate a good examination that includes a miniaturization study.

Depending on your age, your family history, miniaturization of hair, etc a good doctor should be able to assess the degree of hair loss an individual may have in the future. Doctors are not fortune tellers (or in this case misfortune), but if one is balding, it does not necessarily mean that they will go completely bald. Usually, a pattern emerges that you can see in the Norwood classification chart (see here). The Class 7 pattern patient is only present in 7% of the general population and most of these young men see that pattern emerging by the time they are 25 years old.

A good doctor would be able to advise you on how to go about the treatment process. If the doctor is concerned you may completely go bald, he may recommend a treatment plan differently.

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Hair Loss InformationIn the News – Actor Jackie Chan Shills for Poison Hair Loss Shampoo? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

Judging from billboards and television commercials in China, film star Jackie Chan has never met a product he wouldn’t endorse. Travel the country and you’ll see the Hong Kong native’s handsome visage hawking electric bikes, anti-virus software, even frozen dumplings.

But although the Chan name has translated to big bucks at the box office, not every product he touches turns to gold. In fact, when news broke last month that an anti- hair-loss shampoo he promoted allegedly contained carcinogens, Chinese cyberspace and media were buzzing about the “Jackie Chan curse.”

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Jackie ChanRead the full story at LA Times: If Jackie Chan says it’s good — well, get a second opinion

The article isn’t so much about the cancer-risk-increasing hair loss shampoo that actor and martial artist Jackie Chan was putting his stamp of approval on, but more about how he takes just about every paycheck to endorse products that he can get… and he has an unusually high rate of failure.

The shampoo is mentioned again later in the article, though: “Few know whether Chan actually uses the shampoo, called BaWang, which its manufacturer claims keeps hair roots strong and black. BaWang Group stock has tanked since the scandal broke, even though government regulators deemed the product safe.”

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Is Hair Cloning a Viable Option in My Lifetime? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Doctor,

I was speaking with my grandfather the other day about our family history concerning hairloss. He’s been at about a 6 on the Norwood Scale for as long as I can remember. I am 19 years old and I’m starting to see the first signs of recession at the temples. He mentioned something he heard about hair cloning. What is your opinion on the technique, and do you think it will be a viable alternative to finasteride and hair transplantation in the near future? Thanks for your time.

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We have written about hair cloning (or lack thereof) many times before. There are groups that are working on it, but people have been flocking to message boards to show their excitement prematurely. Hair cloning is in the very early stages, and while there have been some promising advances it is still far too early to suggest this is a winner. There are still many more years of testing to go.

I would like to hope that hair cloning will be a reality in our lifetime, but I really do not have a guess as to when.

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Hair Loss InformationMy Hair Was Pulled Out and the Bald Patch Keeps Increasing – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

hi. I would be most grateful if you could help me…My hair was pulled out 4 weeks ago. It hurt and bled a tiny bit. The bald area pretty much immediately grew (sparse) stubble, so I am assuming this will eventually regrow. However, the bald patch has increased in size (about half an inch forward and back), and the hair surrounding it still falls very easily.

Is it possible these hairs were disturbed in the follicle (a big handful of hair was pulled) or could there be an underlying problem? Or could this be a localised anagen effluvium (if this even exists). In the beginning the area and whole scalp ‘burned’ intermittently for about 3 wks although now just the ‘patch’ burns occasionally. I find if the surrounding area itches and I scratch thats normally when the hair comes out (1-8 hairs at a time). I have looked all over for an answer but I think this must be unusual which I find worrying.

Thank you for your time.

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If you are really worried, I’d have a doctor examine your scalp. I would expect, however, that if you wait up to 8 months, the problem will take care of itself. Generally, a one time hair pull will not result in permanent loss.

Perhaps the surrounding hairs became weakened after the hair was yanked out and that’s why you see loss in that area. Without seeing what you’re talking about, I am having a hard time understanding what you are describing.