Month: February 2012

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Body Hair and MPB Link? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello, thanks for being a boat of sanity on a sea of panic driven nonsense. I have a question about risk of balding. I remember before that you said body hair and MPB were genetically distinct processes. Now I have found a new entry on Wikipedia (not always accurate I know) saying there is a correlation between body hair and head hair thinning.

Given I am quite hairy myself (but have made it to 35 with a full head of thick hair) this is a bit of a worry. Do you have any thoughts on the matter.

Wikipedia

(I couldn’t find the source for this – on the androgenic hair page there is a reference to a 1947 article but no link)

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As you said, Wikipedia is not always accurate. Anyone can post information there. For that matter, I just noticed that the post of follicular unit extraction (FUE) on Wikipedia is not completely accurate either.

Body hair is not necessarily linked with MPB, but even if it is, what would you do and how would that information help us/you? I wish I could give you answers on the presence of a link between head and body hair loss, but I haven’t seen anything reliable that ties the two together.

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Scar Revision Patient Results, Follow Up – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr. Rassman,
Re: Patient Results – 7846 grafts & scar revision. Very impressive images! Please provide more information regarding the patient and the procedure:-
– Patient’s age and history?
– Norwood class?
– Hair density?
– Hair weight?
– Scalp laxity?
– Donor hair depletion?
– Propecia and/or Regaine user?
– Time span of treatment?
– Further surgery required?
– Did you carry out all three procedures?
– etc.
Thank you.

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This is the post you’re referring to — Patient Results – Over 7800 Grafts and a Scar Revision.

His hair weight was medium-fine, his scalp laxity was good, his hair density was slightly above average, and he was placed on Propecia. I don’t remember if he continued with the drug. He was a Norwood class 6 evolving pattern balding patient when he started the transplant process. The treatment spanned 6 years and I personally performed the surgery on him.

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I Had No Side Effects Before I Stopped Propecia, Now I Have Them After Restarting It! – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

i quit propecia for 3yrs i did not get sides back then i tolerated the drug well but now im restarting i got sexual sides after a week of taking it which decided me to quit. i do not understand why did this happen? got no sides on first use but when i take again i get sides for the first time.

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I am not sure how it is related. It is possible you can have side effects now even though you didn’t have side effects 3 years ago. It is also possible the side effects may be unrelated and you have other medical issues. I don’t know why you stopped the medication 3 years ago or which side effects you’re seeing now, so please discuss this with your prescribing doctor.

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Can The Horseshoe Pattern of Hair Loss Eventually Bald? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Dr. Rassman,

I will try to keep this simple: Once a man with hairloss can make out his “horseshoe” pattern, is it possible or common for any of the “horseshoe” hair to bald at a later point?

I am 26 and, while I don’t have any bald spots, the hair on top of my head is thinner and more limp than the hair on the sides and back of my head. My “horseshoe” hair goes all the way up the sides of my head, and does not dip down low at the back of my head. Given that this hair has remained unaffected for the past 8 years since I’ve been thinning, is this indicative of hair that will remain unaffected for the remainder of my life?

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The thinning in a young man at 26 years old which can produce an apparent horseshoe pattern, may be stable for years in the horseshoe itself. I have seen men that have a horseshoe pattern which is much more narrow than most Class 7 pattern patients. I often classify them as a Class 8 pattern to reflect the narrow band.

The normal height of the posterior part of the horseshoe is somewhere between 2 1/2 and 3 inches high (not counting neck hair). If this Class 8 patient was to have a hair transplant to cover his entire head (assuming the Class 7 pattern) he will likely have moved some of his non-permanent hair in the procedures. With the strip method of harvesting, the scars can be vary bad for cases this large. I have unfortunately seen this type of pattern with the scars produced by overly aggressive surgeons, and each one is a real challenge.

I couldn’t tell if it’ll dip down further as the years progress, but measuring the bulk of the remaining hair should be able to tell you if that area is continuing to thin.

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Switching from Propylene Glycol-Free 5% to 2% Minoxidil – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Doc..

I can’t take the PG in minoxidil formulas and the foam seems to get more on my hair than my scalp. I have been taking 5% non PG Formulas from Dr. Lee who is now out of business. How much hair can one expect to lose going from a 5% formula for years to 2%.. which I’m assuming has less PG. is that a correct assumption?

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You can get 2% minoxidil from the drug store without propylene glycol (woman’s version of the product). I can not predict what the effect of reducing the dose would be, but I might suggest more frequent use than just twice a day as you ‘crank’ down the dose. As everyone is different in their response to minoxidil, I really can’t tell just will happen.

Although this isn’t a prescription medication, talk to your doctor about changing dosage, as there may be other effects that can occur based on your medical history.

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What Happened to Merck’s Propecia Website? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi,

I have been advised by a doctor to begin taking Propecia, and have been researching it A LOT. I have read both horror stories and great success stories and agree that people should stop scaremongering. Just because you happen to have been taking Propecia does not mean all your ailments were caused by it! I bet 100% of those things happen to people who do not take it too.

My only concern is that the Propecia website has been all but closed down. Do you have any idea why this is? It is now the only thing stopping me from going ahead with the treatment. It just seems a bit strange? It makes me wonder, what if Merck were to go out of business and Propecia stops being made. What happens to all those people who have been taking it for years?

Thanks for all your great responses, this is a great place of understanding and comfort, when it seems nobody else does!

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Your guess is as good as mine. Initially, I thought it may have to do with the Propecia patent expiring, but that doesn’t occur until November 2013. Once that happens, you wouldn’t have to worry about Merck going out of business (which I doubt would happen anytime soon, regardless).

Hair loss message boards have speculated about why the site was pulled down, but it’s just that — speculation. I really have no idea.

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SMP and Hair Transplant Combo for Men with Norwood 5+ – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr. Rassman,

I was wondering if you could shine some light on this in effort to give hope to NW5+ men. I think a great option for high NW men would be to obtain a low density (30/cm) transplant and supplement it with SMP.

What do you think? Also, with this strategy, would it be possible to keep hair at a 2 guard without it looking funny/weird?

Thanks!

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A low density hair transplant with SMP (Scalp MicroPigmentation) in the scalp may or may not be enough to achieve a fully normal appearance. There is certainly a threshold where where too few transplants will not be adequately augmented by SMP.