Hi, Does using Rogaine 5% liquid has a better absorption into the scalp than Rogaine 5% foam ? which one do you recommend?
thanks
It has generally been said that the 5% Rogaine Foam absorbs better than the liquid. I suspect a possible reason for this is that it stays on your scalp better as a foam rather than a liquid that could run off.
Hi doctor,
you said before that you took propecia but when you stopped you did not have catch up loss. Why is that? shouldn’t the hairs propecia was keeping be lost when you stopped?
I previously wrote about why I stopped taking Propecia, and for those curious about my own hair loss I explain here and here.
When I (Dr. Rassman) started my hair transplant process for my thinning crown, Propecia was not available. As the medication made it to market, I took it with hopes that I’d grow back some hair, even though I wasn’t actively losing any hair at that point. My hair loss had been negligible at the time and it still is… and I doubt I will lose more hair in the future. So I stopped taking the medication, as it really didn’t add or regrow hair for me. In the end, there was really nothing to “catch-up” with.
For those who are actively losing hair, Propecia should slow it down and in some instances regrow some hairs. Over the course of time, the hair loss will continue at a slower rate. This does not mean Propecia has stopped or will stop working, and for those men that decide to stop the medication, the “catch-up” hair loss will bring their hair loss to a state as if they never took the medication in the first place.
Hello,
I currently think I’m in the early stages of hereditary baldness. I have recently been researching if there is any products I can use early to prevent it from getting worse. Is there any products you would recommend?
I have recently read a about a product called “Profollica” which seems to have legit reviews but I’m skeptic. What is your opinion? Will this product work? I have also read about a product called “Procerin” & “Provillus”. Do any of the above products work?
I have Also red websites that have Said to get plenty of calcium in your Body as this helps the hair folicle. Your advise would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
There are 2 medications that are proven to work — finasteride (Propecia) and minoxidil (Rogaine). Minoxidil is available in a generic form and over the counter, so it may be included in various products sold in stores as boutique brands. These brands are sometimes mixed with vitamins that likely won’t help treat your hair loss (particularly if your loss is due to genetic causes). Propecia is still a prescription medication and you’ll need to talk to your doctor about it.
As for the products you mentioned, if they contain finasteride or minoxidil they’ll probably help to some degree. If not, there’s no scientific proof that they’ll do what they claim. I’m sure I’ve written about each of them before if you use the search box in the top right of the site. Also, calcium won’t prevent genetic hair loss.
firstly thanks for spending so much of your time giving us advice we can trust this really is a great resource.
ive been on propecia for 3 years with good results. ive been diagnosed with a tumour in one of my testicles and need to have it removed next week. Could you please tell me if you think this will have any effect on my hairloss and DHT levels. would just like to know what to expect be it good or bad thanks again.
I would defer this question to your doctor who is treating you. Personally, I would worry more about the tumor on the testicle over hair loss.
Take a person like bicyclist Lance Armstrong who had one testicle removed for cancer. I’m sure the second testicle got larger and compensated for the body’s need for testosterone. One testicle will produce the same amount of hormones that two testicles would produce if one was removed for any reason.
hey Dr Rassman
In a recent post you discussed Unihair a Japanese company working on a different cloning procedure for androgenic alopecia then what experts in North America are hoping to achieve with ACell.
My question is what are you guys planning to do with ACell? the newness of the procedure has caught a lot of people by surprise in my opinion. If ACell does replicate hairs even to a moderate degree wouldn’t that theoretically solve the issue of finite donor supply as well as offer patients an ability to wear shorter hair styles due to its extraordinary healing ability ?
We really don’t know what to expect just yet. We are trying our best to carry out a study to find out if there is a foundation for a new way of treating hair loss. Ideally, if ACell works with plucked hairs and our clinical research shows this, then the infinite donor supply could be a reality. But let us not get ahead of ourselves.
We promise to keep everyone informed!
I have undergone my 3rd hair transplant surgery in March 2010 and I am at the 8 month mark. I am mostly satisfied with my results, but hoping for some more growth and increased density. I was wondering if the transplanted hair takes longer to emerge and mature when you have had successive hair transplants. I was told by my doctor that the hair transplants take longer to emerge after the third hair transplant and i should expect some more hair growth and increase in density.
I would like to get your thoughts around this. Thank you.
I’m not sure why your surgeon would’ve told you it takes longer for hair to grow after the multiple procedures, because the growth period is roughly the same for each surgery. The third surgery should grow at about the same time as the first one did. If you are concerned about growth, speak with your doctor again. I occasionally see some growth occur between 8-12 months, but that is usually in addition to what is grown by the 8th month.
You should be alarmed if there is no growth within the one year time frame, but less concerned if it has only been under 6 months. In your case at 8 months, you should see some good growth by now with hopefully a little more in the coming months.
If you get a hair transplant and later get diagnosed with cancer, need chemotherapy and lose your hair, what do you do about the scarring and dots where the transplanted hair previously was?
I would think that if you have cancer, a hair transplant or its scar would be one of the last things on your mind. If you do end up going through chemotherapy and lose all your hair, you will see the scarring.
But while most of us do not plan on having cancer or chemo in our lifetime, if it happens to you and you are worried about the scar, you can wear a hat or a wig as most chemo patients do.
Rogaine recommends applying twice daily but it does not say it needs to be every 12hrs. Does that mean I can apply it at 8pm then again at midnight and that would be just as effective as morning and night? Thanks in advance
Equally spread applications twice a day (every 12 hours) is better than an 8 and 16 hour schedule, but it is not practical for most people. I would try to space it out a little more than the 4 hour window you described. Usually it is applied when you get up and then again before you go to bed (just allow it to dry first).
Doctors. Thank you for your time.
I am a male aged 37. Perhaps 15 years ago my girlfriend shaved my head. She lost interest. To finish the job, and do it “correctly” I lathered my head in Nair (a product used mostly by women to remove unwanted hair ). The “balding” pattern I experience is not shared by the men in my family……father, grandfather etc.
I have the same weak point on the spot for roughly ten years now. The quality and quantity degenerate, but not at the same pace as those who seem to bald genetically. I have new growth, baby hairs, but nothing aggressive like on the rest of my head. Would the hair remover have damaged the growth indefinitely or am I able to find a silver bullet?
I too consider HGH as a lifestyle / quality supplement. Would this assist in refocusing the follicles energies if the reason for the hair loss is the result of the hair removal cream.
Kind Regards
I doubt your hair loss is related to what you did with Nair 15 years ago. Nair doesn’t cause permanent loss, especially after one application. There might’ve been some kind of chemical burn in the area, but I can’t imagine it would last for this long (and you didn’t mention experiencing any prolonged skin irritation either).
My bet is on genetic male pattern balding, as it in 99% of men who are losing hair. I doubt HGH will help this, but it sounds like you’re already using it anyway.
Snippet from the article (unrelated to hair loss):
In a dramatic breakthrough that could affect millions of lives, scientists have been able to show for the first time that the body’s immune defences can destroy the common cold virus after it has actually invaded the inner sanctum of a human cell, a feat that was believed until now to be impossible.
The discovery opens the door to the development of a new class of antiviral drugs that work by enhancing this natural virus-killing machinery of the cell. Scientists believe the first clinical trials of new drugs based on the findings could begin within two to five years.
Read the full story — A cure for the common cold may finally be achieved as a result of a remarkable discovery in a Cambridge laboratory
We’ve all gotten sick from time to time, but could the common cold be a thing of the past within the next decade? We’ll have to wait and see. Lots of speculation considering the clinical trials won’t start for years from now.
