I have been on propecia for about 18 months and I it seems to have done good things for my hair. However, I noticed that I have more body hair than before. My arms are more hairy, and so is my nose and ears. Is this a known side effect?
I think I’ve gotten only a few emails over the years about seeing increased body hair after taking Propecia, but that is not a known side effect. I do hear anecdotal stories of decreased body hair from Propecia probably a little more often.
I want to respond to some questions and comments I’ve received about our previous post about the ACell study we’re starting. The presentation at the ISHRS meeting was clear that the use of the ACell matrix with plucked hairs can stimulate growth. The process of doing this may not be as simple as it appears to be for many physicians.
First of all, the plucked hairs are usually a single hair with minimal tissue to protect it from harm when they are handled and/or exposed to the air during the transfer process. The surgeons who offer this have to be skilled to manage one-hair grafts without killing them. The application of the ACell Matrix has may nuances associated with it, so the doctors who “experiment” with this technique must build a process that works over and over again. It is also important to understand that the newly formed follicles will contain tissue from the donor area (the plucked hair) and tissue from the recipient area (the part of the follicle induced by the hair/ACell/tissue interaction). Since some of the follicle is derived the recipient area, we can’t be sure that it will cycle as a normal hair or even be totally permanent.
Over the years we have developed many processes that have led to many of today’s standards in hair transplantation, such as FUE, FUT, megasessions, and dense packing. We have consistently published our work in peer reviewed medical journals and have brought science to the world of clinical hair transplantation, advancing the standard of care over and over again. Our team (Dr. Jae Pak and myself in LA, Dr. Robert Bernstein and Dr. Eric Schweiger in NY) have put our heads together to build a process that, we believe, will afford our patients the best opportunity to benefit from the hair multiplication process and help the industry command the process better and with more certainty.
We are not of the belief that what we are doing with regard to hair multiplication is for everyone, or that everyone should rush into the process before the results of our work (and that of others) are completed. For select patients who are interested in participating in clinical trials or being treated outside the studies at this time, we would be happy to evaluate you to discuss this during a consultation. Remember, this process may not be for everyone at this time.
Snippet from the article:
Unihair of Japan, the world’s biggest wigmaker, is hoping for a big increase in sales through what might be regarded as the ultimate cutting-edge technology – a method to “grow” luxuriant displays of new hair on a person’s scalp.
The method uses cell-generation processes derived from pharmaceuticals research. “We see a tremendous number of possibilities [from the new process],” said Tadao Otsuki, Unihair’s chief executive. “It adds up to a fundamental shift in how the world can combat problems of baldness.”
With the help of the new techniques, based on ideas developed in the US and which are now undergoing clinical trials, Unihair is hoping to increase its annual sales roughly three-fold, from Y57.3bn ($706m) in the year to February 2010, to about Y150bn in 2017.
Read the full story from the Financial Times — Unihair gets a grip on baldness
There is a big difference between what we hope to achieve with using ACell in hair transplantation to multiply hairs in an ‘auto-cloning’ manner and what Unihair (formerly Aderans prior to September of this year) is trying to do with cloning hair outside of the head in a lab.
It’s in the best interest of patients that these technologies work, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
Is there anything that can be done for lichen planus? Had it on my legs and arms for over 2 years and its now on my scalp. I’m losing hair in patches and i’m afraid it will never return. How can i combat this to make sure i keep my hair? Thanks
Unfortunately, lichen planus is a chronic medical condition in which there is no definitive cure. When it affects the hair, it may grow back in time. There’s really not much help I can offer. There are treatments for the disease, but nothing that works 100% of the time for everyone. Please follow up with your primary care doctor or a dermatologist.
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I believe Wellbutrin (an antidepressant) has caused my thinning hair. I’ve read that wellbutrin increases testosterone (DHT) in women. What could I use to block the DHT or stop it so I can continue using this medication which works well for me.
Thank you
Hair loss in women is a bit more complex than in men, as women tend to have other medical issues such as low-thyroid hormone levels, hormonal changes, and even anemia that can impact hair. We created a partial list of female hair loss causes here.
That being said, Wellbutrin (and many other antidepressants) is known to cause hair loss, though I’m not clear if the reason for this is due to increased DHT production. I did find one site that says, “It is believed that the increased dopamine function due to Wellbutrin may lead to an increase in the testosterone levels. This in turn causes over production of DHT, a metabolite of testosterone, which can be the reason for hair loss.” The problem I’m having is that I can’t seem to find any study backing that up, nor can I find any other sites discussing it. I am not discounting the information completely, but if I can’t find science to corroborate these claims I’m not going to entertain them as true.
You should talk to your doctor about it, who may know more since he/she prescribed the medication. Similarly, if someone out there knows of a study showing a link between Wellbutrin (bupropion) and DHT, please pass it on my way.
i have scar on my scalp. can i do hair transplant on my newly 1 month scar??
I don’t know what your scar is from, the placement of it, or even the size of it. You never know, you may have some hair grow back around the scar. Many people will show redness at the scar which fades over weeks and months. I generally advise patients to wait at least 6 months when the redness is also minimal. Sometimes up to a year.
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Last week I wrote about the ACell presentation at the recent International Society for Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) meeting that may have opened the possibility for a patient’s hair to be multiplied in his or her own scalp. ACell’s MatriStem has had some early success with growing hairs that were plucked and then placed into recipient sites on the patient’s scalp, and although this is a major breakthrough, significant work remains before this becomes a practical hair loss treatment.
For those that missed my post from last week, here is a little background —
We are currently studying the use of ACell for scalp hair multiplication (auto-cloning) as well as the facilitation of wound healing in follicular unit transplantation procedures. For those individuals interested in auto-cloning, we will be happy to see you in the office for a more in-depth discussion of the opportunity. Details will not be discussed over the phone but will be covered by the doctor during your consultation.
People interested in working with us in a study can participate at no cost, but because of the newness of the process, we will be selective as to which patients we accept. A limited number of patients who are not selected for a study may be eligible to obtain this procedure as well for a special fee. We will also be using ACell in the donor area of on our traditional strip surgery patients to promote better wound healing at no additional cost. Please call my office at 310-553-9113 to set up an appointment for a qualifying examination.
I’m a 17 year old kid who had alopecia areata starting at 15 years old. I shaved my head (all the way to the skin, shaving cream and all) and did this for 2 years. Recently i stopped and my hair has grown again (YAY!) Its back to normal but for the past month, my hair has started falling again. Can alopecia areata come back again? Or is it another problem? and if please what will be a solution for it!
Thank you very much!
There is no cure for alopecia areata, and as such, it can regress and then come right back. If it comes back again, another such experience it is not predicable. Alopecia areata is a lifelong condition. Please the see National Alopecia Areata Foundation site for much, much more information on this condition.
Hello Doctor,
I am a male in my late 20’s and had a question regarding the relation between your hairline and whether or not you will go bald like your father. Looking at past photos of my father when he was in his early 20’s I have his hairline rather than my mother’s. However, I seem to have more hair (pretty full head with just a little loss around temple area) than my father did when he was in his late 20’s. My father is now in his late 60’s and has just a little on top (basically bald). My mom is in her late 50’s and has very thick full head hair.
Is it possible to inherit the same hairline as your father but not go bald like him?
Thanks for your help.
Hair loss is genetic, but it does not always follow your father’s pattern either in the hairline or elsewhere on your scalp. It is just that in general your father’s hairline/recession is a good reference point, as may be your grandfather on both sides of the family and possibly your uncles as well. But as you are finding out, it is not always the case. Anything is possible.
If you’re fine with your current hair situation, keep your fingers crossed that it doesn’t progress… or talk to a physician about medication to slow it down.
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Dear Dr. Rassman
During my full time obsession with male pattern baldness, I have observed the hairline of quite a lot of people. I came to notice that some people have hairlines that give the impression that they wont never recede, e.g.: Maradona; Colin Farrel.These people with this particular hairline appear to be immune to baldness (at least frontal). My brother happens to be a case, when he was a child he had a fuzzy and very low inserted hairline that matured into that particular pattern. My question is could be hair distribution be associated with baldness?
You are doing exactly what Dr. O’Tar Norwood did many years back when he came up with his Norwood classification. You’re observing hairlines.
The pictures you see in the Norwood chart is NOT a scale of hair loss progression, but rather it is observations of how men’s hair can be classified. The thing is, not ALL men go bald. It is roughly estimated that only 50% of men will have some degree of balding. Of those 50%, only a small percentage (around 8% of total male population) will go completely bald. The other 50% will have a full head of hair (maybe like your brother).
So to answer your question more pointedly, hairline placement in youth isn’t an indicator of future hair loss plans.
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