June 2012 – Page 3 – Balding Blog

June 22, 2012

Hair Loss InformationCan SMP Cause Shock Loss Like a Hair Transplant? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Does SMP scalp micropigmentation cause shock fallout or shedding, similar to the shedding that occurs after hair transplant procedure? Does the shock or trauma caused by SMP have any negative impact on thining hair? If it does, what area is likely to shed the most? Thank you.

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Yes, there is always a risk of shock hair loss with SMP, but we have not seen any significant hair loss in our experience (I recall one female patient, but it was minimal). Most people who choose to have SMP are already balding and made the decision to shave their head. We are very selective on who we recommend SMP to.

With respect to long term effect on thinning hair, in my opinion SMP should not be a factor. People with thinning hair in the long term lose their hair — that is why they choose to have SMP or a hair transplant or take medication.

June 22, 2012

In the News – Viruses that Kill Cancers – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the non-hair-loss article:

A laboratory-grown virus that can infect humans and evade the immune system might sound like it belongs on a bioterrorist’s must-have list, but in fact it’s what some cancer researchers have been waiting for. The viruses in question, including the one used by Melcher and colleagues, are adept at killing cancer cells but leave healthy tissue alone. “Often tumors get rid of genes to become immortal, and when they do that they actually become weak when it comes to viral infection,” explained John Bell, a specialist in Cancer Therapeutics at Ottawa Hospital Research Institute in Canada, who was not involved in the work.

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Read the rest at The Scientist — Cancer-Fighting Virus

This is a virus that can target tumors, and then destroys the cancerous cells. Amazing!

Discoveries like this article discloses are an exciting frontier in medical research and offers great promise for the future treatment of cancers that are often out of the reach of conventional therapy. As the article also points out, large trials are going to be needed and this is still early in the research.

June 22, 2012

Hair Loss InformationCould SMP Be Used for Beards? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Thanks for the great website and all the effort you and the rest of the team put to answer questions on a regular basis.

My question is regarding SMP. Could the same method be used to artificially create a stubble for men with patchy facial hair? I understand that it is a permanent look, but could the technique (or something similar) be used on the face?

Thanks again for your time.

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I guess it sounds like a reasonable thing to do when small bald spots exist in a beard and the patient does not want hair transplants. But you’re going to limit yourself to always having the same facial hair length forever, or you’ll have tattooed spots on your face. Having said that we have done a small size spot (1cm) for a former patient.

June 21, 2012

Mixing Latisse and Minoxidil? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have been reading a lot about the drug Latisse as a possible use for MPB. My doctor prescribed me a generic version to try.

Do you think I could mix it in a bottle of minoxidil and use it or do you think it might need a different carrier agent or a stronger version to work.
I know you are not involved in this kind of research but I would appreciate your opinion

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While I am not directly involved with this type of research, I have seen patients who have tried Latisse (bimatoprost) on their own scalps without success. I also have been told by a scientist (a patient) who is familiar with Latisse that just applying it to the scalp does not work. If only it was that simple.

As Latisse is packaged in very small quantities for use on the eyelashes, the costs for applying it to the scalp are out of reach for most people. I’m not aware that a generic version is available for sale in the US. The last I remember reading, a generic drug manufacturer was seeking FDA approval to market a generic bimatoprost, but it was being challenged by Allergan (makers of Latisse). If there’s anything more recent about this, I’m not aware of it.

As for your question about mixing Latisse and minoxidil — this isn’t something I’ve heard done before, and I don’t know what kind of results could be attained by going this approach. Have you talked to your prescribing doctor about it?

June 21, 2012

Any Great Propecia Results to Post? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Doc, Id like to ask you if you have any pictures of the best results of propecia on any of your patients that you could show us. Thanks a lot. I love your blog.

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I just searched for “propecia results photos” using the box in the top corner of the site and found these —

There’s more on the site, but these are the first ones I found. There’s a lot more great results I’ve seen in my practice, but I can only publish the photos when I’ve been given permission. Hope this helps!

June 21, 2012

Hair Loss InformationTopical Steroids and Male Pattern Baldness? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Dr. Rassman,

It’s well known that steroids injected into the human system can exacerbate MPB. But what about topical steroids (prescribed by a dermatologist) applied to the skin? In my case, to an area just above the eyebrows (so not even close to the scalp area)?

(I wish I could tell you the name of the steroid but my dermatologist appointment won’t be till Tuesday – I’m just ANTICIPATING what the derm will prescribe).

Thanks!

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To answer this, I would have to know why you are using topical steroids and for what period of time you expect to use them. For example, when topical steroids are used for psoriasis and applied in short bursts over a three time application, the treatment works well and will not cause acceleration of your MPB.

June 21, 2012

A Thank You Goes a Long Way for Doctors – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

This patient flew halfway around the world to come to us for a hair transplant in Los Angeles. He sent me this nice email after his surgery, and I wanted to share.

I am doing really well. The back of my head as well as the region where the grafts were placed is virtually pain free and surprisingly I feel really good. I did make it home ok, although the flight home was terrible due to the lack of consideration by the person who was sitting next to me (he was a New Yorker).

I wanted to say a big thanks to all you guys at NHI. I couldn’t believe how little pain there was and how easy the entire process was. You helped with every aspect of the process which was very much appreciated. Hopefully the hair grows well and I get great result. A big thanks again and i will be sure to visit the next time i am in town in late December early January.

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It’s always good to hear from patients, and this is a testimonial to our staff and procedures.

June 20, 2012

In the News – The Human Body Is Largely Not Human – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the non-hair-loss article:

The human body is largely not human. It contains trillions of microbes that outnumber our own cells 10 to 1, affecting our health and behavior. Now, an international consortium of around 200 scientists has mapped this diverse microbial community at an unprecedented level of detail, and shown just how much it varies from person to person.

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Read the rest in The Scientist — Microbial Menagerie

We (the scientific community) are accumulating massive amounts of data on what grows in our mouths and our gut, and learning that our guts contain a microbial menagerie of organisms that are different in each of us. They change within our guts often as mutations create variations in these bacteria. In disease, they are different than in normal people. We know that people with Chron’s disease and colitis have developed an “unhealthy” relationship with their gut bacteria.

We are also starting to believe that our gut bacteria may be useful in the diagnosis of impending problems in our health. Our bacteria carry out overlapping jobs, including creating and breaking down nutrients for us, and the population, even in newborns, may dictate the baby’s health. Babies show that microbiotic diversity changes very rapidly in the few days after birth, and the acquisition of unculturable bacteria expanded rapidly after the third day and probably contribute to the development of the baby’s immune system.

Some people proclaim that we are what we eat, but maybe we are what we grow and nurture inside our mouth and our gut, as much as what we eat.

June 20, 2012

Smoking Before and After Hair Transplant – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi,

Am going for FUE at the end of this month. Doc says its better to stop smoking one week before and two weeks after surgery so that maximum oxygen is carried in capillaries. is this true?

Also, anything else I need to check on or ask before going?

Doc told me no need to take finpecia for shock loss, but would it help if i took it 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after surgery?

I am 39 (40 in a few months). If I have my HT in 2 weeks, when should I start and stop propecia to minimize shock loss?

Also, at my age, is propecia helpful?

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Smoking may be deleterious to graft growth and your health, so I would always advise against it.

Finasteride (Propecia) is a lifelong medication and generally people start taking it before the surgery as recommended by their doctors. The need for Propecia reflects your risk for accelerated balding. This is a judgment call based upon the doctor’s experience with your level of balding and miniaturization. The more miniaturization, the higher the risk. In other words, I don’t know about your hair loss, so I don’t know if Propecia will be helpful.

June 20, 2012

Does Norwood 3 Have Crown Thinning? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi,

Do most Norwood 3’s usually have crown thinning? The reason I ask is because I’m a Norwood 3 and would like to know my chances of progressing to the Norwood 6/7 pattern.

Aside from the hairline my hair has the exact same thickness and shape as I’ve had since my early teens. I performed the miniaturisation test with a digital microscope you decribed in previous posts, and found no miniaturisation on anywhere on my head except on the edge of the hairline.

Thank You.

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Class 3V The Norwood classification system was designed to report patterns of hair loss. The class 3 and 3V both have frontal loss, but the 3V patterns have some element of crown thinning/balding. The best way to know if you have the crown component, is to get bulk measurement of the hair in the crown and compare it to your donor area bulk (a doctor office visit is required). This will show even early crown thinning. In many men, the crown loss is slower to show up, so you are rightly concerned.