Month: March 2011

Posted on

Removing Only Part of the Follicle – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Doctor

There is a dutch clinic that advertizes the following method

“The most significant difference between the HST method and traditional hair tr*nspl*nt techniques is that with HST, only a tiny part of the hair follicle is removed, leaving the majority of it in the donor area where it will produce a new hair. This preserves the donor area for future treatments, which is why this technique should actually be referred to as hair multiplication, rather than tr*nspl*ntation.”

A very famous dutch soccer player ( Snejder ) supposedly undergone this procedure . Anyone who saw the Bayern Munich – Inter Milan game this week definately noticed the difference on his head

Block Quote

I’m not sure why “transplant” is censored on that clinic’s site…

I know who you’re referring to and I have heard this doctor speak on the subject of partial unit extraction. One of the problems — there was never any physicians actually looking at what he was doing, and as such, there is no peer review or comments by other qualified academic doctors that could back up the claims that he actually has growth of full healthy hairs from fragments of hairs. This very subject has been extensively studied by other physicians and the ability to grow full, healthy normal hairs is clearly not possible. I do not believe that what this doctor is reporting is real.

Past posts about this here and here.

Posted on

Would Cosmetic Eyebrow Tattooing Cause Further Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello dr,
I was considering getting my eyebrows filled in with a tattoo. I have a decent amount of hair but have some sparse areas due to overplucking as a teen. I was wondering if tattooing the area will make the hairs fall out? I hear that it doesn’t from the techs who perform it but not sure if they are just saying that to get more business. I would love your thoughts as a hair loss expert on this matter. Thank you

Block Quote

The use of hair transplantation is probably the best solution available today for eyebrow restoration. Take a look at this post from last month and you will see the absolutely natural appearance of an eyebrow transplant.

I wouldn’t expect the tattooing to cause eyebrow loss, but I’d be more concerned about the tattooed eyebrows looking natural, particularly on close inspection. I guess it depends on the color of your brows and how sparse they currently are.

Posted on

In the News – Singer Lady Gaga is Losing Hair? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

Lady GagaLady Gaga has revealed her beauty secrets and confessed she is losing her hair.

The singer, who has become a style icon with her outrageous outfits, said she dyes her hair so much it falls out. Naturally brown the 24 year old is known for her trademark platinum blonde.

Lady Gaga, who has dyed her naturally brown hair since launching her singing career, says she misses her dark hair when she has to ‘get a chemical haircut because my blonde hair is falling out’.

Block Quote

Read the rest — Bottle blonde Lady Gaga reveals her hair is falling out because she dyes it so much

Lady Gaga. Well, there’s a name I didn’t think I’d ever write about on this site. It isn’t a surprise to me that she’s losing hair from chemical damage caused by bleaching her hair, but it generally isn’t talked about by celebrities in the press.

Posted on

If I Can Only Afford 1 Transplant Procedure, But I Might Need More? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Doctor,

I am a hair loss sufferer, but my hair loss is more of a diffused type, with thinning across the scalp. I am considering hair transplant but would like to get your opinion before I make the decision since I am living in India and will be traveling to US for the transplant and want to make sure the trip is worthwhile.

I have been saving for a hair transplant for the last few years and at this point I can afford a little more than 2000 grafts. Do you think hair transplant is the right option for someone if they cannot afford any follow up procedures after the first transplant? Do you think I should keep saving for some more time so that I can get maximum amount of grafts in one go that can last me for a much longer period without having to go for a second surgery for a very long time?

All my calculations are based on $5 per hair graft that I got from your site for prior fixed appointments. Also is the $5 per graft inclusive of all charges or are there some overheads as well.

Thanks

Block Quote

MoneyAt NHI, our fees are fully inclusive without any additional charges. The $5/graft fee you mentioned is for Dr. Pak’s standby rate, so you’d need to be a little flexible with the scheduling. We do offer a travel discount, too.

Indians generally have lower hair densities than Caucasians by about 20%. Assuming that you take the pill finasteride and you are under 30 years old, the following may apply:

  1. Class 3 pattern — may work well with between 1300-1800 grafts, depending upon hair shaft bulk. Coarse hair is better than fine hair.
  2. Class 4A pattern — can be filled nicely with about 2000 grafts.
  3. Class 5, 6, and 7 patterns — you may not have enough hair to cover the crown.

Many men elect to have one surgery and be done with it, or have multiple surgeries over time. It’s up to you. I haven’t seen you, so keep that in mind. I’m not sure how many grafts you’d actually need or what your hair loss pattern even is. You should send me photos if you’re considering surgery and I’ll be able to hopefully tell you a little more.

Photo credit: Origami artist Won Park

Posted on

Hair Loss InformationSMP for High Contrast Scalp and Hair – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr. Rassman,

For patients who have high contrast scalp and hair (ie. dark hair and fair skin). Wouldn’t a combination of SMP and surgery help minimize some of that contrast and maybe achieve a more fuller look?

Block Quote

Yes! It would be advantageous to complement the scalp micro-pigmentation (SMP) with a hair transplant for a full and realistic (3-dimensional) look. No one treatment is perfect. Hair transplantation can never give you the complete fullness you once had, since it is just rearranging what you currently have. But hair transplants can give you a good hairline, adequate coverage, and even almost normal densities if the area covered is small.

SMP can give you the look of fullness but it will not be real hair, since it is like using concealers (think DermMatch or Toppik) but without the daily applications because it is permanent.

Posted on

Hair Loss InformationI Have a Good Amount of Hair and Want SMP To Fill In Thin Areas – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Regarding your new SMP procedure I am very interested. I have been thinking about it for years and actually still have a good amount of hair and have had a hair transplant, which was not a great experience. I feel like the SMP can fill in the areas that are thinner than other, also covering up the linear scars? what is your opinion on that? Also, since I live in NY, what is the likelihood that your friend Dr. Bernstein will be offering this service? Thanks for all your help and keep up the good work!

Block Quote

Scalp micro-pigmentation (SMP) has had great success in camouflaging scars on the scalp (see here).

At this time, we are the only physicians offering SMP in the United States. We have a travel reimbursement program for those who wish to fly out to Los Angeles for a day to have the treatment.

Dr. Bernstein is not presently offering this service.

Posted on

I’m Seeing Increased Hair Loss After Changing to Generic Proscar – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Doctor,
I am 26 years old and have been taking Propecia 5mg for almost 2 years. Till last month I used to get prescription refilled from Duane Reade. Then I came to know about Target Pharmacy they give 30 tablets for 10$ only. To save some bucks, I had last prescription refilled from Target, but for last two days, I am experiencing more hair fall. Is it just a coincidence or something else?

Thanks

Block Quote

PillsI would say it is coincidence, mostly because nothing changes in the matter of days. And generic finasteride 5mg should be same everywhere, unless it is a counterfeit medication that is widely sold through the internet. There was just a segment on the 60 Minutes TV show about the fight against counterfeit drugs. But… seeing as how you bought it at a large New York based pharmacy chain, I wouldn’t think fake meds would make it into their system.

Generic aspirin or Tylenol (acetaminophen) works just the same no matter where you buy it or how much money you spend, but I would assume there is a negative placebo effect where people believe a product is not as good when you pay less. Think about that when you buy expensive brand name shoes or clothes. I have heard from a few readers that say they’ve had similar problems to what you’re experiencing after switching to generic, but there is very little information on it.

Posted on

New Propecia Persistent Sexual Side Effects Study Published – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the study abstract:

Methods. We conducted standardized interviews with 71 otherwise healthy men aged 21–46 years who reported the new onset of sexual side effects associated with the temporal use of finasteride, in which the symptoms persisted for at least 3 months despite the discontinuation of finasteride.

Results.  Subjects reported new-onset persistent sexual dysfunction associated with the use of finasteride: 94% developed low libido, 92% developed erectile dysfunction, 92% developed decreased arousal, and 69% developed problems with orgasm. The mean number of sexual episodes per month dropped and the total sexual dysfunction score increased for before and after finasteride use according to the Arizona Sexual Experience Scale (P < 0.0001 for both). The mean duration of finasteride use was 28 months and the mean duration of persistent sexual side effects was 40 months from the time of finasteride cessation to the interview date. Study limitations include a post hoc approach, selection bias, recall bias for before finasteride data, and no serum hormone levels.

Block Quote

Read the full abstract — Persistent Sexual Side Effects of Finasteride for Male Pattern Hair Loss

This is new to me. We always try to follow publications, but remember that just because an article is published does not mean it is FACT and everyone needs to understand how the results were compiled. This was a paper based only on interviews of 71 men with sexual side effects only. I’m unsure about what lengths they went to find any underlying health issues or even conducting physical exams.

If this is true, then those men who develop sexual side effects will have a difficult decision. This has not been my experience in using and prescribing this drug for over 14 years. We have to make our decisions not just based on what we read, but also the methods of how the conclusions were based.

More info can be found at Time.com.

Posted on

I Wonder If My Forelock Will Remain – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I wonder how persistent the forelock is. My father – 55 now, has a receded hairline (V) shaped. It has thinned in the frontal region in recent years, but no real crown thinning.

My question: I’m 24, and already have a deep V shaped hairline, but I wonder how permanent it will remain? Or, whether the forelock can be expected to disappear as well.

Also, what extend does baldness proceed? Who makes it to a norwood 7 pattern?

Block Quote

You need a good diagnosis, including miniaturization mapping and a solid measurement of the hair bulk in the top and crown of your head. The same can be done for the forelock to let you know if you are actually losing hair in the forelock now. As a generality, if the forelock remains strong by the time you are 30 years old, then you may keep it into the years to come. As for percentages of men that make it to the advanced balding stages, see here.

At 24 years old, you need good metrics that should be repeated every year, and with what you report (your deep V hairline) you should consider finasteride. Talk to your doctor, as it is a prescription medication.