Since birth, I’ve had a large bone/lump where my head meets the neck. I think its called the occipital bone? I was wondering if I could still have a FUT surgery? My concern was basically would the area be more difficult to close after the strip was removed?
No problem at all! We see larger occipital bones in many patients who have had FUT (strip surger). We just saw a patient in the office with this same question and there is no issue.
Hello dr.Rassman
Is this true? TwinsHairLoss.com
Can dutasteride be so effective on maintaining hair? Or is it photoshop?
I hadn’t seen this site before. After reviewing the photos, my first thought was that they were fraternal (not identical) twins, but they claim they are identical twins and post pictures of their childhood years. I have no way to 100% verify that the photos were not doctored, but you can use your best judgment there.
Taking everything at face value, the difference in hair growth/loss seems remarkable between the twins and shows that dutasteride works for androgenic alopecia (male pattern baldness). But the misleading point (which I do not think was intentional) is that the casual readers may infer that dutasteride is “THE” drug to take. Propecia (finasteride) works in the similar manner as dutasteride in targeting DHT.
At this time, only Propecia is approved by the FDA for treating androgenic alopecia. Dutasteride is a drug prescribed for men with certain prostate issues and the long term side effects on young men are not clearly established. Proper dosage of dutateride for treating hair loss is also not clear. For those interested in taking dutasteride, you’ll need to find a doctor willing to prescribe it to you for off-label use. It should be noted that Propecia has its own fiercely debated side effect discussion on this site and the Internet, and dutasteride side effects are likely to occur in those that experience side effects from Propecia.
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My question is in regards to the SMP (scalp micropigmentation) procedure. I’ve been taking propecia about four years now-started when I was 18. My hair has halted the balding process, but I cant tell it’s slowly creeping back up, which is what I expected anyways. I’m very interested in the SMP procedure, since scarring (even minimal) and a life-time commitment to propecia just isn’t for me. My questions are:
1) As opposed to hair transplant, how old does one have to be to become a good candidate for SMP?
2) If the procedure was done, would constantly shaving the head destroy the tattooed “hair”?
3) If after SMP, one would to stop propecia and lose their hair that was retained from the drug, would the loss of natural hair be noticeable even with SMP?
4) Lastly, are there any more recent photos you could share with us other than the ones already listed?Thanks
Any age above 18 years old will work for me if the patient understands the positive and negatives associated with the process. There’s a list of frequently asked questions at the SMP site.
Many people will shave the head every day or every other day. This is a personal preference. Shaving your head shouldn’t destroy the SMP.
If you stopped the Propecia, you would lose all benefits of the drug and the hair loss will play ‘catch up’ to what it would have been.
We only post the photos of patients that grant us permission, but we keep updating the SMP site with new photos all the time. Keep watch on it.
Hello. I had busted my head from a starbucks cappuccino bottle(Please don’t ask how It’s a personal issue..) And I was bleeding harshly from my head so my parents wrapped my head with some bandage really tight and put some healing glue over the scar. In like a week in a half it healed and the glue came off like a scab and I was left with a very smooth scar on the back of my head near the root of my head about the size of a quarter, the top part of your pointer finger(the first line part and up cant explain it good). I know hair isn’t growing back because its been three years.
I want to have the scar removed from my head, the surgery is they cut it out then sew your scalp back together and your left with a lined scar that is barely visible when hair is grown a little. I do NOT want hair transplant please don’t give me information about it. Please explain as much as you can about the “scar removal” surgery I have in mind and also a cost for this.
What I would like to have is have a surgeon cut out the scar since its a little smaller than a quarter and stitch the scalp back together leaving me with just a tiny thin line scar that would be. No wider that the original sizer of the sizer or length. Also since I am african american, I want to cut my hair down low to about a 2 but I can’t cause of this baldspot, my dad is willing to try surgery but not until its reasonable. Remember it is about the size of a quarter which is very small compared to others.
Thank you please help me with my problem. Also the color of the scar is about my skin color maybe even a bit darker, I have black indian hair so a big brown baldspot sticks out. Please fill me in with everything you possibly can.
Scar removal from the scalp sometimes works well… and sometime doesn’t work well. That depends upon:
I would have to see your scars to determine what I would do. From what you described here, I am at a loss. You need to see a cosmetic surgeon with experience in scar revision.
Dear Balding Blog,
With so much conflicting evidence, how many times do you recommend washing your hair per week for optimum hair regrowth/restoration? The reason I ask is because I ride a motorcycle and my scalp gets quite oily, particularly during summer.Thank you.
If your hair gets oily, then wash as often as you like to keep it feeling good and clean. Once or twice a day (when you ride your motorcycle) should meet your needs. It will not cause hair loss, nor will shampooing your hair cause it to regrow.
Hello doctor,
I want to start by commenting on this awesome blog to educate people on hair loss topics.
I’m 23 and I have had (noticeable) hair loss for about one year now. I saw a doctor that prescribed me 1mg of Propecia and I’ve taken it everyday since. In my family, my father and my uncle (mom’s side) both experience hair loss. But on both sides of my family, my grandparents have/had full heads of hair.
It’s been about one year since I started taking Propecia and I’m still thinning and losing hair. What are my options from here?
I look forward to your response. Thank you
See a doctor who will measure your hair bulk and map this out on your scalp. This will give you a metric on hair loss and if you compare this measurement over time, you will know if you are losing the battle or not.
If you are indeed losing hair continuously (and at the same pace), it’s possible Propecia isn’t working for you… and in that case, your options are even more limited. Minoxidil might be worth a try. Have you taken the HairDX Test for Finasteride Response?
I’ve been using Rogaine for the past 6 months and I’ve notice that since I’ve been using the product I get erections, especially at night. Is this normal?
Maybe you feel better taking Rogaine and that is your now, normal state. Rogaine (minoxidil) does not produce erections.
Does having an FUE procedure to hairline and mid scalp make it artistically unpleasant to shave your entire head? I like to wear my head closely cropped, but I’m unsure if the punctate scars from FUE are extremely visible when you closely shave your head
There are many variables that produce different scars with follicular unit extraction (FUE). These variables include:
What I am referring to here is shaving your head bald, not clipping it to a #1 length. Shaving the head will almost always show the punctate scars. There’s an extreme photo example shown at this page to give you an idea of scarring from a large FUE session.
Is it safe to use minoxigel 5% after hair transplantation? my transplanted hair falling down. its just second month after my transplantation.
It’s very common for transplanted hair to fall out after the surgery and go through a dormant phase. It will regrow in a few months. Talk to your surgeon about aftercare. I’m surprised your doctor didn’t explain what to expect following your hair transplant.
I’m not familiar with minoxigel (unless you mean minoxidil), but if you’re two months out of surgery it should be safe.
I am getting good results from Propecia. My question is: would using a testosterone gel for low testosterone overwhelm the therapeutic benefits of Propecia and speed hair loss, or would the DHT inhibitor deal with this increased but now clinically normal amount of testosterone?
Probably not a problem if it returns your testosterone to normal levels.
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(On an unrelated note, this is the 10,000th post on BaldingBlog!)
