November 2010 – Page 7

November 4, 2010

I Have a Hairline Like Joel McHale – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr Rassman and co.,

Firstly, wonderful job on the blog. The content is balanced, informative and insightful to my research – big props! I am early and my research and considering coming to one of your seminars, as I am located close to your San Jose office.

I was hoping you could first give me some perspective. I believe I am around a stage 2 and wanted to get a confirmation on this. My hair line is almost identical to Joel McHale’s pictured here: photo

I am planning on going the FUE route and I am wondering about how many grafts it would take a patient, such as the one in the picture, to have a better hairline upfront.

Thank you in advance.

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The photo you linked to of actor Joel McHale (from the shows “Community” and “The Soup”) might show what appears to be a Norwood class 2 or 3, but we’ve written in the past about his possible hair transplant. Without a close look at his hairline, I can not tell for sure what class he’s at now.

Without seeing you or at least seeing good pictures, I can not give you an opinion about your individual case. Graft needs depend on more than just looking at the size of a bald area. We need to also consider hair character, skin contrast, etc.

I also generally do not advise surgery on Norwood 2 patients or younger patients unless they fully understand they will never have a full hair density they desire. Plus, they need to understand that they may continue to lose hair in the future. In fact, hair transplants may precipitate more hair loss as a direct result of surgery itself.

November 4, 2010

I’ve Seen Significant Hairline Recession Since Starting Finasteride Last Week – Balding Blog

Hi, I’d like to start by thanking you for your blog. I’ve been reading since for around 4 months since I first suspected I may be balding. I’m 20 years old and have long, thin hair. Because it is thin and I have always had a fringe I fear it is more noticable. My father is bald and my brother has also always had thin hair, but he doesn’t seem to be suffering any loss despite being 2 years older than me.

I have been on Finpecia for just over a week and have noticed significant thinning of my hairline above my forehead. I was wondering if it was normal for it to accelerate so quickly after starting to take the pills? Is it normal for my ’shedding period’ to commence this quickly? Also, I know it probably varies from person to person but I was wondering if you could give me any idea as to how much hair I should expect to lose during this period? Do people actually lose ALL their hair during this period?

Thank you.

Rainy Let’s say you were visiting Los Angeles and when you arrived, it started raining and kept doing so for nearly a week straight. You might then conclude that L.A. is a rainy city. Of course, Los Angeles generally gets around 15 inches of rain per year, so you really can not tell anything by looking at just a week of weather. The same analogy applies for your hair loss experience.

Your issue is not normal and I highly doubt it is related to a medication, as you have been on it only ONE week! If anything, it’s possible that you’re just paying more attention to your frontal hairline and are noticing what was always there (or not there).

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November 4, 2010

In the News – The Connection Between MPB and BPH – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

According to Spanish researchers, screenings for urinary symptoms in men with androgenetic alopecia (AGA, more commonly known as male-pattern baldness) could help with earlier identification of those who could benefit from treatment to prevent benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Their rationale: Men with male-pattern baldness have higher than normal levels of 5-alpha-reductase, the chemical that converts the male hormone testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, the active form of male hormone within the prostate.

Male-pattern baldness, which accounts for almost all hair loss in men, results from a genetic malfunction that causes hair follicles to become more susceptible and shrink in the presence of dihydrotestosterone. Over time, the affected hair follicles stop producing hair. The chemical 5-alpha-reductase also plays a key role in the development of BPH. When testosterone is converted to the more potent dihydrotestosterone by 5-alpha-reductase, it can cause the prostate to enlarge, eventually leading to BPH and LUTS.

Read the full story — Male-Pattern Baldness and BPH: What’s the Connection?

In case you don’t want to read the whole thing, here’s a quick two sentence summary: If you’ve got genetic hair loss, you should get screened for prostate problems. The researchers found that in the 30 men they examined, all of them had larger prostates than the control group of men without hair loss.

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November 4, 2010

After Chemo, My Yearly Shedding Has Stopped – Balding Blog

(female)
I have always had yearly autumn hair shedding but since I had chemo 2 years ago this has stopped, do you have any ideas why this might be? Thanks.

Sorry, I’m not familiar with a possible reason for what you’re experiencing.

Just so I’m clear, you’re saying that your hair grew back after chemotherapy, but the seasonal shedding you normally experienced in the past has stopped, right? Have you talked with your oncologist about this?

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November 3, 2010

I Think Propecia Has Thinned My Facial and Body Hair – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello, I have been on propecia for 20 months, never missed a dose. My hair line is intact but hair has continued to thin all over. My presentation is very much that of DUPA in my opinion. My eyebrows, facial hair and body hair have all thinned since the start of this medication. If I titrate down to 1mg propecia every other day will I see facial hair come back as it once was? If I completely stop propecia what can I expect? I don’t feel I have gained much from it approaching the two year mark. I am 35 with no past medical history. Mother is extremely thin, dad is now going bald in the crown. What should I do? Thanks

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I think you might not be on the right track, as you seem confused about what is going on with your body. I highly recommend that you see a physician or follow up with your doctor who prescribed the drug for you.

Propecia is the brand name of a drug called finasteride in 1mg strength, so I do not understand what you mean by when you ask about titrating it. Propecia doesn’t treat diffuse unpatterned alopecia (DUPA)… nor does it cause it. Also, Propecia shouldn’t impact body hair or beard hair.

If you completely stop the medication, you’ll see any benefits disappear in what we refer to as “catch-up” hair loss. Your hair loss would catch-up to the pattern it would be at if you’d never taken the medication. If you haven’t gained much visually from the regrowth side of things, it’s possible the medication just kept your loss from progressing. Again, talk to your doctor.

November 3, 2010

In the News – Prince William’s Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

He’s not the king of England yet, but Prince William might want to start wearing a crown anyway – to cover up his bald spot.

The handsome royal’s ever-expanding bald spot was on display as he saluted sailors recently at a naval base in his naval uniform.

The 28-year-old prince’s bald spot was first visible seven years ago when he turned 21, and his hair has continued to thin, the Daily Mail reports.

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Read the full story at NY Daily News

This young man has been in the public spotlight since birth, and it is no surprise that there are plenty of photos of his progressing hair loss. His brother Prince Harry has a strong head of hair, but who knows if that will last for him.

November 3, 2010

Can Vitamins Cancel Out Hair Loss from Birth Control? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

So by taking a birth control and side effects such as hair loss do occur, if I took a vitamin that increases hair growth and is known to work pretty well.. Would my hair loss stop and actually regrow or will the vitamins have no effect?

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I have no idea what vitamins you’re taking, but if your birth control is causing hair loss, I’d doubt there’s a vitamin to counteract that. Not all women will experience hair loss from birth control, so if you’re speaking in hypotheticals it might not even be an issue. Talk to your doctor.

November 3, 2010

Itchy Scalp and Hair Loss – Balding Blog

Afternoon, this is a real quick query. I am on propecia and i think at least it is maintaining my hair loss. However i seem to have a slight itch at my receding hairline. It isn’t constant, just seems to happen occasionally. Isthis a sign of further hairloss? Is an itchy scalp a symptom of MPB?

We have many readers and patients complain of itchy scalp and believe it is associated with their hair loss, but I do not see a definitive correlation between the two. Scalp itch is not a symptom of male pattern baldness (MPB), and many people have an itchy scalp without experiencing hair loss.

It is possible that as the hair thins, the protective effect of the ’shade’ may make the scalp more vulnerable to drying and as such, this may be the connection that you are looking for.

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November 2, 2010

Teen Girl Losing Hair for Years Since a Crash Diet – Balding Blog

Hi, I am a 19 year old female and ever since a crash diet almost 4 years ago, I have noticed hair loss. It hasn’t bothered me as much till I started losing and shedding like crazy a year and a half ago. It would be on my pillow, on my shirt and just touching my hair will cause hair to fall. The hair is falling from the root with white thick bulbs and some have long white sheaths. I also have dandruff but shampoos like nizoral are making my shedding worse. It is possible that I have have gotten the balding gene from my father who has mpb? or can I still hope that its just telogen effluvium?

Women do not necessarily bald, but they lose hair and they “thin” out. Have you ever seen a bald woman aside from those who had chemotherapy or have a distinct disease like alopecia totalis? The genetic factor may be there in your case, but it can just as well be passed on from your mother as it could your father.

If your hair loss is telogen effluvium (usually stress-induced loss) it can take around a year or so to fully recover. You should also consider getting a complete physical exam by your doctor so that any medical cause of hair loss can be ruled out. The examination should include a complete analysis of your hormones and endocrine glands like the thyroid. For more information on other possible causes of female hair loss, see here.

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November 2, 2010

How Many Grafts Would Be Needed to Fill In a Norwood 7? – Balding Blog

Hello, I’m dealing with MPB and am currently at 3 or 4 on the Norwood scale. I’m considering a transplant sometime soon. I have no allusions of obtaining a pompadour, rather I would just like to cut my hair short after the procedure and have it look like a buzz cut.

My question is, worst case scenerio, if someone came in with a Norwood 7, how many grafts would it roughly take to completely fill in the bald area. I understand there are a lot of contributing factors (ie. available donor area, quality of donor hair, et cetera), but I would just like a rough estimate (3,000-5,000?) if possible. Thanks in advance!

There are many ways to answer this question, but it varies by the quality and the availability of the hair to tackle the job. Every person needs a Master Plan when undergoing any surgical hair restoration procedure. The available supply varies in individuals and some people will never have enough hair to fill in a Class 7 pattern. Everyone is different with their own preference for hair styles.

Generally speaking, hair transplant surgery is limited by the number of grafts (hairs) you can donate. A few thousand hairs will never look like tens of thousands of hairs. Thus, hair transplantation takes advantage of hair color, skin color, hair texture, hairstyle, and hair length. The longer you keep your hair, the more full it will look. In other words, keeping your hair short in a buzz cut will not be the best hair style choice if you are considering a hair transplant surgery. These are the some of the issues you need to discuss with a hair transplant surgeon before you consider the surgery.

Typically a Norwood 7 patient will require 7000+ grafts to cover the entire balding scalp, but I must reiterate that it will NEVER be enough to look full with a buzzed haircut (even if you transplant 8000 grafts). You must understand that a Norwood 7 patient likely lost about 70,000+ hairs from a 100,000 hair starting point.

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