Month: October 2012

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Patient Results – Amazing Change in Just 9 Months After 2781 Grafts (with Photos) – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

This patient is a doctor and appreciates the radical change in his hair over the past 9 months since he had his hair transplant. He told me that no one specifically noticed the change as his hair was growing in, but knew there was something going on that made him look around 10 years younger.

Some thought he was just exercising and eating better. He said that even when friends looked at his head, it wasn’t apparent to any of them that he had been growing hair where he was previously bald. But comparing his current look to his before photos, the change is quite apparent now.

Click the photos to enlarge.

After (2781 grafts in 1 procedure):

 

Before:

 

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Is Dutasteride Any Better Than Propecia for Treating Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Doctor Rassman/Pak thank you guys for the blog, you guys are truly amazing.

My question is, is Dutasteride really better than propecia? I know its no fda approved for hairloss, but in your opinion do you guys think it is better and more effective? Doctor Rassman/Pak I know you guys rarely prescribe dutasteride, but do you guys have any patients that are on it and have had better results than they did with propecia first? also do you have patients that did not respond to propecia at all, then went on dutasteride and had good response? or at the end of the day avodart and propecia are both the same, and the more dht reduction from avodart does not make any impact more than propecia in terms of hair?

thanks guys

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You are correct in stating that we at NHI rarely, if ever, prescribe dutasteride. Some doctors in our community prescribe dutasteride and believe that they gets better results with it versus finasteride. There may be differences in their efficacy, but the higher risk of side effects and long term effects are unclear, especially the risks of sterility that have been reported.

I have occasionally seen patients who have taken dutasteride after taking finasteride, but in my opinion their results are equivocal.

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My Crown Hair Loss Started at 36 Years Old – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Doctor. I have not found a satisfactory answer to my question. Please help me.

I am a 43 year old Caucasian male. I started losing hair at the crown at 36 years old. I have baldness on the crown (8cm in diameter). I have a few strands at the crown that are healthy. I’ve always had great hairline corners that have advanced very little (especially at the temples). My baldness would crown with NW2 NW3. I still have very straight hair, bulky, and heavy on my head. I have plans to have surgery at 46 years old because it will be the best time for me.

My questions are:

1) My crown will increase in size?
2) At what age can I feel safer?

Please, I know that the answers are hypothetical. But I wonder if baldness never ends.

Congratulations for your work. Thanks for your replies. Sorry my english.

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You may continue to lose more hair in the crown, but I have no way to know for sure without examinations. There’s also no way for me to give you an age at which your hair loss will stop. Everyone is different, and there’s no math that will tell me exactly how long someone loses hair for.

The best treatment for crown loss is the drug finasteride, which is available by a doctor’s prescription (talk to your doctor).

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I Pulled Out Some Kinked and Coarse Hairs I Found Amongst My Normal Scalp Hair – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

A quick question that I haven’t seen addressed on here.

I had a bout of trichotillomania that lasted a few years and left a small sparsely populated patch just to the left of my crown. The reason I pulled from that area was that I had some hairs there that grew in very kinked and coarse; they were jet black and sort of twisty. My hair is normally dark brown and straight.

What causes those differently-textured hairs? Do they forecast hair loss?

Thank you!

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Sometimes hair color and characteristics may vary in individuals. It can be totally normal. Kinked or coarse hairs do not forecast hair loss.

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I Have Short Hairs in the Temples (with Photos) – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello, I’m 21 and I always had much hair loss. I’ve gone 2 times (on 2010 and 2008) to a dermatologist who said it was a normal hair loss (and the fact that I have very long hair makes it even more normal). However I have always been quite nervous about it, I wash my hair every other day, the day I don’t wash it I lose about 45 to 65 hair all day, and on the days I wash it I lose between 165 to 190. I have some shorter hairs in the temples and I’m afraid that it may be a sign of miniaturization (they appear to be as thick as the other hairs tho).

I’ll send some pictures of my hairline (two from 2010 and the rest of them I took a couple of days ago), feel free to use them in your blog, and sorry for the bad grammar.

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Thank you for allowing us to post your photos. Click them to enlarge.

 

Your pictures shows changes that are consistent with a developing mature hairline, but it does look more ‘ratty’ than I would expect it to look.

Losing 100-150 hairs per day is average as another 100-150 hairs grow out per day. These start off very short as they emerge from the scalp and then grow out at a rate of about 1/2 inch per month, so if you see short hairs, those probably reflect these new hairs. Between the hairs that fall out and then regrow there is a short 3 month cycle where the hairs rest before regrowing.

Miniaturization is where the hair shafts get thinner and thinner over time. I suspect that you need to see a doctor who can look for miniaturization and also do hair bulk measurements which will clearly tell you if you are balding. So I would need to have full access to your scalp and frontal hairline to determine what is actually going on.

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Radio Interview with Dr. George Cotsarelis – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Here is a radio show where doctor George Cotsarelis showed up and talked about hair loss. Although nothing new was mentioned it is an interesting study of psychological affects that baldness can cause

Link: Hair and who we are

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I haven’t had time to listen to the show, but I thought I’d post this for those that are interested (thanks for sending us the link).

The description of the radio show says they talked with Albert Mannes (the author of the “bald men are dominant” study), interviewed Dr. Cotsarelis (one of the doctors that is researching PGD2), and spoke to a salon manager that lost her hair from chemotherapy.

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Should I Try Every Non-Surgical Treatment Before Going for a Hair Transplant at the Hairline? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Dr. Rassman. I am in my early thirties and thinking of getting a transplant done. I have been on finasteride for quite some time with decent results. However, in the last few years my hair loss picked up in the front hair line but has slowed down up to this date. Should an individual, like myself, try ALL the available non surgery options like avodart, minoxodil, nizorol etc before going the hair transplant route?

Most of my hair loss im the frontal area. I still have decent coverage but I am thinning. Would I be at risk for severe shock loss even though I am on finasteride? Thank you.

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Medications do not usually work to regrow hair in the frontal hairline, but hair transplant surgery generally address this area well. Whether you are ready or should undergo hair transplant surgery is between you and your doctor, and part of the Master Plan. Each and every patient is different, with different goals and expectations. There is no right answer to your question.

Many patients come to me and worry about shock hair loss, but this is part of the individual risk versus the benefit… as we discuss in the Master Plan. Most men in their 30’s with long term finasteride (Propecia) use and who are not rapidly losing hair, do not usually have shock loss. An ethical doctor would not recommend surgery to a patient if they feel the risk of shock loss is significant. I know I am a broken record on this, but this is why choosing a doctor and having a good Master Plan is very important.

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Swiss Clinic Offers Stem Cell Transplants to Regrow Hair – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello,

I found a website about Ars Medical, a clinic in Switzerland that does stem cells autologous transplantation in order to regrow lost hair. Here is an excerpt: “In ARS Medical, the physicians perform Autologous Transplantation of your own Stem Cells that are harvested from your fat and are activated by specific technique before use. This hair treatment is absolutely natural and safe. There is no risk of side affects of other treatments , such as allergic reactions, infection or irritation to the skin of the scalp.”

Their website is available here: ardsmedical.info

Could you please tell me what is your opinion about this technique? Is is safe and effective?

I have read several articles and from what I could understand, the research is still in progress and not yet reliable.

Best regards

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I do not know if it is safe or effective. I wonder if they will be publishing their research or results in peer reviewed journals. Without such publications I would put their claims into the trash heap, and coming to market prior to proof in the medical establishment is borderline scam territory. The site doesn’t show any photos of patients, doesn’t list any doctors that work there, and looks to focus more on selling their shampoos.

I think you said it best yourself, “not yet reliable.” What more can I add to that?

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Why Am I Losing My Eyebrows and Eyelashes? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello,
Can Androgenic Miniaturization occur in the eyebrows and eyelashes. I hear many reports that hair loss in these areas must be something else. I have exhausted all other possibilities; hormone checks, diet, fitness training, you name it. The hairs fell out in unison and the ones that grew back grew in thin and fragile. Could you tell me if Telogen Effluvium can present with the loss if thick hairs being replaced with thin (shaft diameter) slow growing hairs

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I don’t know much about you and I obviously cannot diagnose your condition, but telogen effluvium can causes eyebrow loss in some cases. Some people just lose the outer 1/3 of their eyebrows as they age. If you have exhausted all possibilities and ruled out all medical issues, eyebrow hair transplantation may be an option. Have you seen a doctor?