Month: June 2011

Posted on

I Read That Scalp Exercises Will Stop My Receding Hairline – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi
I am a 17 year old male and have just started to notice that my hairline has just started to recede (to about just before a norwood 2 I would say) and starting to thin a bit on top. I’m getting a bit worried as my dad is bald. I have been researching ways to stop my receding hairline going any further and came across this thing called scalp excercises. Apparently they allow more blood to flow to the scalp which stimulates the hair follicles and makes them stronger. Just wondering if u think that may work?

And also I found a drug called procerin it is a natural drug that has had lots of good feedback and it says it works best for people aged between 18 and 35. I would just like your opinion on if u think this may work for me. This problem has been haunting me for a while so any information u have for me would be greatly appreciated thank you.

Block Quote

Procerin is a boutique version of the herbal saw palmetto. Some people swear by it, others say it doesn’t work. There have been two studies that I’m aware of to determine the effectiveness of saw palmetto as a hair loss treatment, and they were inconclusive. What I know works for early hair loss is Propecia (finasteride). It’s a prescription medication and FDA approved to treat hair loss. Talk to your doctor.

Scalp exercises won’t stop your hairline from receding. You have a family history of hair loss, so while trying out things you read about on the internet might seem like a good idea, the genetic expression of your hair loss won’t be stopped by rubbing your head.

Posted on

Hair Loss InformationIn the News – The Gray Hair Switch Identified in Rats – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

Gray hair is, along with premature balding, one of the greatest fears of image-conscious men and women everywhere, but it may soon be a thing of the past. Scientists at the Ito Lab at New York University’s Langone Medical Center have identified the proteins that cause gray hair, which could lead to an eventual cure.

Scientists have known for years that hair color is determined by the stem cells that guide the development of hair follicles working together with color-producing stem cells called melanocytes. Today, NYU researchers announced they had isolated the wnt protein, which serves to coordinate pigmentation between the two types of stem cells.

Block Quote

Read the rest — NYU Scientists Find Possible Cure for Gray Hair

Protein manipulations are getting closer and maybe what we learned from these rats will be available to humans in the future. Of course, we need assurances that it will be safe, so the breakthrough will have to grind through the FDA process… which might take years.

Posted on

Does Darker Skin Have More Natural Looking Results from SMP? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Doctor,

I’m really interested in scalp micro-pigmentation, but browsing on the internet looking for before/after pictures I noticed something strange. The men with a brown skin color seem to have better (more natural) results than the caucasian men. Not only did the SMP ‘grafts’ look more the same as their own remaining hair, the transition between the pigmented area and the natural hair area looked more seamless.

Is this maybe because brown men tend to have coarser, thicker hair?

Block Quote

You may be correct, but shaved heads are more common in the African-American community so we are more accustomed to that look. Light skin and dark hair accentuate any balding pattern, but Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP) does work well. The key is choosing the right shade of SMP, since every patient is different.

Posted on

Counterpoint to Dr Rassman’s War on Drugs Opinion – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

This was received in response to my post — The Economic Impact of Illicit Drug Use on American Society:

I am surprised to see your post on the issue of The War On Drugs. I believe there are a lot of opinions on this matter some in favor of yours (Ron Paul for example) and many who would disagree with you mainly people of a substance abuse history who are now recovering. You use the words lives lost and lives ruined. These words can fit perfectly with a opposing argument in which lives have been lost and families ruined from a love one overdosing or simply using certain drugs.

I for one do not believe legalizing and taxing and distributing meth or any other lethal drug would solve the ultimate problem at hand. And that is that our nation at its present state could possibly have the biggest drug abuse problem in the world, and this is not counting the millions on prescription medication. Its a shame that government has to step in and help us or hurt us, depending on how you look at it, but do you really think that having a legal distributor supplying an addict with a harmful substance and making money so we all can benefit from it is such a good idea? I was taught that the bad guy was the drug dealer and that drugs ruin lives.

Block Quote

There is no easy answer. Our prisons are filled with drug victims and I would not want to promote that we let them out of prison and then encourage them to overdose on legalized drugs. I know that we can not stop people from doing what they will do, one way or the other, legally or illegally. I just see what is not working… and what we are doing is not working.

I agree with you that our drug dependent society goes all the way into the doctor’s office. People demand the prescription medications that they see advertised on TV and some of the problems like “restless leg syndrome” were not even taught to me in my medical school curriculum, yet the industry that surrounds all of the restless legs out there is growing and growing and growing.

When I see patients in my hair transplant practice, I encourage the use of Tylenol, aspirin, and other non-narcotic medications to use after surgery and with the power of my suggestions, my patients seem to manage without heavy use of narcotics. Some of my patients call to ask for antibiotics when they sneeze, sniffle, or cough and I tell them that their body can handle the sneeze, sniffle, or cough without prescription antibiotics, as most of the sneezes, sniffles, or coughs are caused by allergies or viruses that will not respond to antibiotics. I try to be proactive.

Posted on

Hair Loss InformationHow Can You Say Testosterone Doesn’t Cause Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Dr. Rassman!

First of all I would just like to thank you for a really good blog, I am a frequent reader and very much appreciate the time you put into it. I have read several times that you say that testosterone does not cause hair loss. However in theory I believe this is wrong, but I would also like to hear what you have to say about it in practice:

As you most certainly do know, testosterone and DHT bind to the same receptor – generating the same type of response. Therefore they both have the potential to cause hair loss. However, as DHT is more biologically active and binds with more affinity to the receptor, it is seen as the main culprit in hair loss. And as long as a person has normal DHT levels, the testosterone probably does not play a big role in hair loss.

But in a person with aggressive hair loss who blocks most of the conversion from testosterone to DHT with finasteride or maybe even dutasteride. Wouldn’t it be fair to assume that the testosterone (which will also be somewhat elevated when on these meds) actually contributes to the continuous loss while on these medication?

And that this could, in fact, explain how a persons hair loss can actually progress even though they might be blocking 90-something % of their DHT with dutasteride? Any input on this will be highly appreciated.

Block Quote

It is a mixed bag, since testosterone is converted by the liver to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which then gets to circulate in the blood stream. Increasing testosterone levels will increase DHT as well, so which is the cause of balding on those people with genetic balding?

We can not really separate what is happening neatly as you described, as the human body is a “bag” of chemicals mixed together. I realize how elegant that sounds, but that’s the most simple way to describe it. If testosterone levels rise, DHT levels also rise and in this bag of chemicals (the human body) any change in testosterone will absolutely impact DHT levels comparably.

Posted on

My 5 Year Old Has a Bald Spot at His Hairline – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

My 5 year old has a bald spot right on his hair line, about a 1 1/2 by 2 in. area. It seemed to have occurred when his mother was cutting his hair short with scissors so i could buzz it short later for the summer time. She cut a little too short in that and some other areas (down to the scalp). The other areas all grew back normally except the one on the back of his head. Could the hair follicles have been damaged enough to where they wont grow back any more or is a waiting game? Its been almost a year now and nothing. Should we try some type of stimulation? Any help would be appreciated.

Block Quote

I find this story difficult to surround. Short haircuts do not cause bald spots. I mean, I’ve never seen balding created from a fully shaved scalp, so the idea that a haircut could cause loss just doesn’t make sense. There might’ve been a scar revealed from previous trauma, which you didn’t see until the hair was cut really short.

This is a situation that requires a one-on-one consultation and after doing that, digging into the history and examining the 5 year old, I might then be able to help.

Posted on

Hair Loss InformationAre We Getting Closer to Solving the Donor Supply Problem? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr Rassman and company,

With all of the recent advances in hair cloning technology: Intercytex, Aderans, Histogen, Acell, WNT proteins, and etc., are you becoming more convinced that we’re getting closer to solving the donor supply problem and thus the hair loss problem?

Block Quote

I don’t have the answer to your question. Ten years ago, we were told that the answers would be seen in under 5 years… and now a decade later we hear the same thing. That says much about the real answer. It’s still a big question mark, though there’s some progress being made.

Posted on

If I Have FUE Surgery, Do I Need to Keep Using My Hair Meds? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am considering surgery – FUE. I have been on propecia for 3 years now and it’s difficult to tell the effect it’s had. I mean it could be working, I haven’t seen any more hair loss really. It may have stabilised the hair loss. Or has the hair loss could have simply gone into some kind of rest bite!? If I go for FUE, would you recommend I stay on propecia – I would rather be safe than sorry! Although it does cost a lot, I currently purchase my medication for £62 per month.

On another note, about a year ago I started minoxidil to improve the density of my hair. I think it’s had some kind of small positive effect, not much though. But here’s the issue I have. If I decide on a FUE, do I have to continue on minoxidil – because I cannot afford to both this and propecia.

Block Quote

You need to continue Propecia and minoxidil to see their benefits. As soon as you stop one or the other (or both), the benefits from that medication will be gone. In other words, you’ll see hair loss. The transplanted hair won’t be the issue, as it is permanent if taken from the donor area, but it is the remaining hair around the transplant area that will be unprotected. Propecia also helps protect from shock loss following transplant surgery.

Some patients choose to use generic finasteride in 5mg (prostate medication) and cut it to smaller pieces. Propecia is 1mg finasteride and not available (at least in the US) as a generic. The 5mg generic will be a lot cheaper than the 1mg name brand. You just need to find a doctor to prescribe this to you. Or if the 1mg generic is available in your country, that might be a way to save money. Also, your doctor should be able to show you some analysis from before you started Propecia and compare it to today to find out if there are real results. Hopefully your doctor has such information for you.

Posted on

In the News – Adonia Hair Removal Cream – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

A cream which slows the growth of hair by 70 per cent could result in men shaving just once every three weeks. It works on both men and women, meaning five o’clock shadows and girls spending hours in the bath shaving their legs could soon be a thing of the past.

Adonia hair serum uses organic plant oils to weaken hair formation and is being hailed as a healthy alternative to expensive hair removal treatments such as electrolysis.

More than 10,000 people have already put their names on a waiting list for the product. During trials in the U.S. the hair reducer showed an impressive 46 per cent reduction in hair growth after 21 days with a 70 per cent reduction after six weeks.

Block Quote

Read the full story — The gel that slows hair growth and lets men shave every THREE WEEKS

I can’t tell you how tired I am of shaving my facial hair, so if this is real, it would be very welcome. I can imagine women would love to give this a try, rather than shaving their legs.

The product, Adonia Hair Reducer, is for sale via a 3rd party seller on Amazon.com, but there are a few reviews that are highly suspect. Three of the four reviews were posted on the same day, and the reviewers have only written about products sold by that 3rd party seller. Glowing reviews, of course. I don’t know whether the cream actually does what it says, but the reviews I’ve found are more than likely phony, and I can’t find any other mentions of the product actually being used.

Posted on

Hair Transplant for Woman with Polycystic Ovarian Disease? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Dr. Rassman,
I was wondering about hair transplant in a female with active PCOD. I would really appreciate if you can share your experience in treating hair loss in PCOD both surgical and medical.

thank you

Block Quote

I do not have much experience treating women with Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD or PCOS). Women with this disease tend to have hair loss that resembles male pattern balding, so I might treat them like men, addressing the pattern and the complaints that are given to me.

I’ve written about this before here.