August 2010 – Page 7 – Balding Blog

August 10, 2010

I’m Seeing Asymmetric Temple Regrowth from Propecia – Balding Blog

Hey Drs at NHI,
I am currently on my sixth month of finasteride and have been applying rogaine for about a month and a half (once a day). I am a Norwood 3 at 18 years old (turning 19 very soon) and cannot tell if the drugs are working. I have however, noticed growth at the temple area of very small hairs (1/4cm – 3/4cmm). It is growing in asymmetrically though, I have more growing in on my right side than my left and I can see an “outline” of where my hair would be if I had a perfect hairline. I just want to know if it is a good sign? It does seem like my hairline is continuing to recede but I am wondering if it will eventually reverse, despite it being a frontal loss.

And just out of curiosity, Dr.Rassman could you tell me more about your son who had success with frontal regrowth? Like what balding pattern he was at and his age when he started using finasteride?

Thank you your blog is very insightful and has helped me in my high school years.

Asymmetrical hair loss is common with genetic balding when it occurs, and reversal of that loss can also be asymmetrical. I’d say any regrowth is a good sign, particularly at the temples.

I believe my son was in his mid-20s at the time he started on finasteride. He was thinning in a Norwood Class 3A pattern and the drug reversed all signs of miniaturization symmetrically.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

August 10, 2010

Different Genetics for Hairline and Crown Balding? – Balding Blog

Dear Doctor Rassman,

I read a recent post on your blog and it got me thinking.

-Propecia usually does work on the crown.
-Propecia usually doesn’t work on the hairline.
-Propecia blocks DHT.

Is there a posiibility that the genetics of frontal balding and crown balding are different?

-The baldness on the crown is more dependant on adrogens then frontal baldness.
-Maybe crown baldness is more of a result of the androgen receptor mutation then frontal baldness.

It’s just some random thoughts.

Genetics for front balding and crown balding are different, and there is a Norwood classification to describe the differences.

I suspect there are some differences in how the DHT affects the crown versus the front, but I do not think it has anything to do with mutations as you suggest. I think we have not completely solved all the mechanisms of why we bald, and I’m suspicious that much of the different rates of balding has to do with the length of duration of the balding process.

So far only DHT (dihydrotestosterone) is recognized as the hormone that relates to balding, but it does not mean it is the only hormone related to balding. I suspect there are other discoveries to be made.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

August 9, 2010

Could Retin-A Gel On My Face Cause Scalp Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello doctor. About 3-4 weeks ago, I was prescribed tretinoin gel(Vitamin A acid – mild gel 0.01%) for my facial acne. I haven’t noticed anything, but as I was browsing the balding blog entries, I noticed that someone in the past had brought up a question about acne medication causing hair loss.

My question is: does tretinoin gel(Vitamin A acid)cause hair loss if it is applied to the face/cheek region? My doctor did not go over the side effects and the box doesn’t mention anything about side effects. I was told to take one cream and night and another one at morning.

Thank you very much.

Block Quote

Hair loss is listed as a known common side effect of tretinoin (also known as Retin-A), but it is also used by some people in conjunction with minoxidil to grow hair.

Here’s what I wrote in a blog post a few years back — “Retin-A is applied to the skin and can produce burns to the skin. It is believed that a light burn will make the skin more able to absorb other medications (like minoxidil for hair loss), because increased vasculatiry is induced by the burn.”

So will it make you lose hair even if you apply it only to your face? I can’t say for sure, but it is a possibility.

August 9, 2010

Will Razor Burn Inhibit Facial Hair Growth? – Balding Blog

Hello,
I recently shaved (for the first time) and am experiencing pseudofolliculitis barbae. I was wondering if these razor bumps will somehow inhibit my hair growth or cause hair loss in the prospective future?

I thank you in advance for your generous time.

I doubt a bad shave will inhibit hair growth and your pseudofolliculitis barbae should resolve with time. Wait until it heals before you tackle it again. With the second shave of your life, be a bit more gentle and read up on proper shaving techniques.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

August 9, 2010

I’m 20 Years Old, Taken Propecia for 2 Years — When Can I Get a Transplant? – Balding Blog

How many years of MPB does one have to go through before considering an HT considering the following facts: I started to notice hair loss at age 17 and now am 20. I have been using Propecia for 2 years now and it has maintained most of my hair (temples and crown have thinned out a bit since then but nothing cosmetically significant). My father and my grandfather are both NW6 and my uncles are mostly NW5-6. I have been losing my hair for almost 4 years now, how much longer do I have to wait before I go for an HT?

It is not about how long you should wait, but rather it’s more about building a Master Plan with your doctor to address this concern. A good doctor will always work off a Master Plan that you and the physician will create. Your questions will then be answered, because you will have a customized plan to meet your exact problem and address the rate of your hair loss. As you were already prescribed Propecia, stick with it and hope the results continue to be positive.

I don’t know enough about your current hair loss, but hair transplant surgery at 20 years old is not usually recommended. There isn’t a real minimum age for having this procedure, but we generally don’t do these in men under 24 years old, because the hair loss pattern is not clearly defined.

You can read more in these past posts about hair transplants in the young man:

August 6, 2010

In the News – If You Sit, You Die – Balding Blog

Snippet from the non-hair-loss-related article:

A new study from American Cancer Society researchers finds it’s not just how much physical activity you get, but how much time you spend sitting that can affect your risk of death. Researchers say time spent sitting was independently associated with total mortality, regardless of physical activity level. They conclude that public health messages should promote both being physically active and reducing time spent sitting.

The study appears early online in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Read the full story at ScienceDaily — More Time Spent Sitting Linked to Higher Risk of Death; Risk Found to Be Independent of Physical Activity Level

Initially I assumed it had more to do with obesity and lack of any activity, but the article shows that the “association remained virtually unchanged after adjusting for physical activity level“. The study included survey results from over 123k adults with no history of cancer, heart attack, stroke, or emphysema/other lung disease.

So now not only should you worry about how long you sit during the day… when you sleep, you run the risk of Freddy Krueger killing you in your dreams!

August 5, 2010

Revivogen’s Study – Balding Blog

Dear doctor,

Please go through the clinical study URL given below. I want your comments on this:

Revivogen clinical trials

Regards

Revivogen As the article says, the study was conducted on reconstructed tissue samples. In other words, the study was done in a petri dish (not on live humans), in order to “assess the effects of the test compound on the metabolism of testosterone in reconstructed human epidermis.” Nothing about growing hair, stopping hair loss, etc.

The study doesn’t show anything about actual hair loss treatment results on living humans, so if the Revivogen makers are using it as a sales point, I hope people actually take a moment to look at the study first and judge for themselves. I’d expect most consumers would want the treatment they purchased to actually have proof that it works as advertised on living people… not just in theory based on lab results. Also, the study was not peer-reviewed, which means it wasn’t checked for errors or reliability.

I’ve already made it clear about the hair loss treatments I’ll give a thumbs up to (FDA approved finasteride and minoxidil), but if you want to try unproven treatments then please, by all means, do so. Revivogen ingredients include saw palmetto and numerous vitamins in a topical treatment and they claim no side effects. While that could be true, if this was the magic bullet to hair loss treatment it would be universally recommended. Instead, the product is just another in a long line of “all natural” treatments that I wouldn’t expect to provide much help aside from lightening your wallet and dashing your hopes.

August 5, 2010

Remaining Vellus Hairs from My Juvenile Hairline – Balding Blog

As a rule, does miniaturization need to be present behind the frontal hair line to indicate genetic hair loss? What would you say to someone who presented you with an intact, albeit mature, hair line – with no thinning present behind but had noticeable vellus hairs along frontal edge particularly in the corners where the hair line had raised a little bit with age? These “straggler” vellus hairs look to be the remnants of a retreating hair line – from juvenile to mature – but its hard to tell and self-diagnosis is uncertain at best.

(33year old caucasian male, no significant family history of early hair loss)

On occasion, I have seen some men lose hair without going through miniaturization. This is more common in the process of developing a mature hairline, but anything is possible. At times, some vellus hairs remain in the frontal area where the juvenile hairline formerly was.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

August 4, 2010

Hair Loss InformationCan Hair Transplants Completely Cover Up Balding? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello doctors,

I’m a black male with very early stage thinning in a 3v pattern. I’ve been on finasteride for about two years, and am basically satisfied with the results.

I’ve talked to friends and family who might have similar patterns of thinning, and in discussing the options, several of them are skeptical about the effect transplants would have.

My question is this: what is the authoritative opinion on how well transplanting can cover up balding (specifically, can It be made to look like I have virtually no thinning?)

Block Quote

Your question isn’t really fair. You are asking a hair transplant surgeon who thinks about hair transplant surgery as a matter of livelihood. It’s like asking a chef if you should eat their food.

My point is you should be asking these questions to the patients who had hair transplants. You should meet them face-to-face to judge what the value has been based upon the change you see. Looking at some before and after photos has some minimum value, but face-to-face meetings like we have at our monthly Open House events in San Jose and Los Angeles give you the opportunity to see for yourself!

Hair transplants all depend on the supply of donor hair and the size of the balding area. Setting patient expectations is critical to what we do. You will never look like when you were 16 years old with regard to hair fullness. Maybe you can come close, but that depends on the number of grafts, hair color, hair texture, hair style, and skin color. For example, curly black hair on dark skin gives great coverage and fullness over thin straight black hair on while skin.

August 4, 2010

Propecia Stopped My Hair Loss and I Have Less Body Hair! – Balding Blog

Hi.. I’ve seen a lot of people talking about propecia contributing to loss of body hair, yet it’s not really listed as a side effect. I’ve been taking fin for about 5 months now, and the hair on my legs is now patchy and thin, and very short. The hair on my back also seems much thinner, and I think there is less of it in general. I don’t care about either (I guess it’s kind of nice? that may sound weird). I have noticed my hair loss stopped pretty much at the 2 month mark.

Now my question is: Do you think this could be any indication of future regrowth or thickening?

Also is hair thickening considered regrowth (I’ve always wondered this)?

I love your blog by the way!

I have heard from a small number of patients who describe what you are going though with the less body hair growth, but after a few years of Propecia use. At least your scalp hair loss has subsided… and who could be upset about less back hair, right? Regardless, it doesn’t indicate any future regrowth or thickening, but may be one of those rare side effects.

Finally, hair thickening is not considered regrowth. Hair thickening is… hair thickening.