Does SMP cause haïr shock loss ? As thousands of needles are inserted into the skin . Is this preventable ?
Thanks
We have not seen a single case of shock loss from Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP); however, because we do use anesthesia for the procedure, some loss is theoretically possible in a young man not on Propecia (finasteride 1mg).
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Hello Doc,
I’m 27 year old male on finasteride (aprx 1 mg) for the past 3 years. I have thinning in the Frontal and Crown area. Before starting finasteride I use to lose approximately 100 hairs per day (aprx 30 hairs /day now). I don’t see great results with finasteride however I have retained most of my hair. I’m in the same stage as I was 3 years ago which is a good thing.
A year ago I also started using Rogaine liquid and I haven’t seen any results as well. I’m very consistent with my medication and haven’t missed my dose(99% of time). With respect to side effects I can say may be mild to moderate decrease in Libido, lost some hair in my legs but nothing major.
I’m considering hair transplant to the frontal and crown region to add thickness to my existing hair. I hope there wont be any shock loss as I have been on finasteride for a long time and will continue to do.
I was wondering what else I can do to retain all my hair and maybe grow some in frontal/crown/sides/back area as sometimes I feel my side and back region are also thinning.
Thank you very much.
I think you are doing pretty much all the right things. Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil) are the only medications approved by the FDA for the treatment of androgenic alopecia. The next step may (or may not be) a hair transplant, but that would be decided on by a consultation with a doctor.
If the sides and back of your head are also thinning, this isn’t typical of male pattern baldness, so your doctor will have to determine whether you’re even a surgical candidate. Good luck!
Snippet from the article:
Around 200 Bruins and members of the UCLA community dropped by campus for free haircuts Thursday to donate more than 2,300 inches of their tresses to make children’s wigs.
The UCLA Alumni Scholars Club sponsored the fundraiser, partnering for the sixth year in a row with the nonprofit Locks of Love, which turns the hair into wigs for children who have lost their hair due to illness. Long-locked Bruins with 10 or more inches to spare donated their hair with the help of supervised student stylists from the Vidal Sassoon Academy and the Aveda Institute.
Read the rest — Bruins make a difference for children with hair loss
Hello Dr Rassman, I have a question about Acell. No it is not in regards to the effectiveness of the compound, or whether other physicians are still trying to get it to clone hairs. It is in regards to whether the claims made about Acell constitute fraud.
The physicians who popularized the product claimed that it cloned or duplicated plucked hairs. You claimed that you had a in depth discussion with the doctors about their claims where they “retracted” their initial statements about the product be capable of duplicating plucked hair follicles. Is that not distorting experimental results? Is that not illegal?
This whole situation kind of reminds me about Dr Wakefield, a well known researcher notoriously acknowledged for making the outrageous claim that vaccines for measles and mumps cause autism. Vaccines clearly dont cause autism and Wakefields journal entry was retracted by the publishers (something rare I thought). While the situation with Acell maybe a little bit different, doesnt the fact still remain that scientific data was misrepresented here?
I know this blog is not some place to criticize other surgeons/researcher and I am aware that you do not slander other physicians here (an obvious and ethical choice), but I know I am not the only one who thinks that the whole Acell things was borderline fraud. The claims about it were just not scientifically valid. Im out of line here?
Sometimes doctors jump the gun and get excited about something before it becomes vetted properly in scientific journals, where it can be reviewed by experts in the field. Consumers pay the price as they read hyped Internet advertisements. I said it many times — it is a buyer beware market — and this case is no different. What you read in the Internet is not always the truth.
We tried to adhere to the scientific method and attempted to duplicate the claim by getting approval from the medical board. When we offered it to select patients, we got approval from an institutional review board and never profited from these trials. We actually lost out with the expense from the application fees, materials cost, and our time.
I’m a 19 year old female. I’ve wanted to change my hair color for quiet some time. I wanted to go blonde. When I went to my hairdresser, he told me the implications but I thought oh well let’s do it. I had to peroxide it…I didn’t like the end result so I immediately ordered him to change it…to light brown. I did and my hair was okay until 2 weeks later growth appeared really badly so I decided to relax.
Ever since then, my hair has been falling off. I do apply olive oil and coconut oils & have been treating it for only 3weeks now. I don’t know what to do and I’m afraid of cutting it all of. Is there no other way I can stop it from breaking & having it grow again? HELP
Hair coloring and chemicals, when used in excess or inappropriately, can cause hair loss. This can be temporary or permanent. If it is temporary, it could take 6-12 months for it to reverse. It all depends upon the degree of burn with the chemicals used. You will know within about one year.
It is a difficult and emotional process to go through and there is no easy answer to this.
Have had a thinning hairline for the past few years (I’m 27). I take propecia and rogaine to slow it down, but lately it has been getting a bit more noticeable.
I am considering getting a hair transplant, I have a question regarding future treatment though. Lets say I get a hair transplant now and eventually a topical or injectable solution comes out to reverse hairloss. Would there be a conflict between the transplanted follicles, and the follicles in the same area that are miniaturized/dormant that are now being revitalized? Would getting a hair transplant mean I couldn’t use those future treatments?
Thanks.
We always advocate having a Master Plan made, which means you need a consultation with a doctor.
I do not know the future of hair restoration technology, but a hair transplant surgery would not be a contraindication to any future developments. That is, unless you end up with a bad hair transplant surgery… so choose your doctor wisely.
Last week, I met with a patient who had two follicular unit extraction (FUE) procedures at a clinic, but came to see me to find out why his grafts hadn’t grown in. After an examination, I’d estimate that 90% of the grafts did not grow. The patient told me that his surgeon thinks there might be a problem with his skin, but I told him the real problem was the doctor couldn’t deliver what he was supposed to give him with a good survival.
In another conversation on the same day, I called one of the most prominent hair transplant surgeons in North America about another issue. Our conversation drifted to FUE failures, and he named three doctors who are FUE promoters whose patients have been in his office because of high failure rates. I know about these same three doctors. There are no secrets to the community of skilled and honorable surgeons of who are the unreliable doctors; however, I can not come out with their names publicly here or I would be the subject of a slander lawsuit. I can only be vague, which I know isn’t always the most helpful, but I needed to post something.
I’m disappointed that I can’t name names, because I know that many patients will be harmed by those less-than-honorable doctors. All I can do is continue to post about what you should do to become a more knowledgeable shopper — research the doctor you choose, ask to meet with his/her patients so you can see the results in person, and remember that this is a surgery that will be with you for the rest of your life (for better or worse).
See this post for more about FUE failures.
Hi Doc,
I am already on Finasteride 1 mg. I had bought Minoxidil for application on temple region. Since i am not able to maintain the medication schedule (twice a day forever till one wants to maintain hair), i discontinued after applying for 5 – 7 days. I plan to apply it whenever my busy schedule permits me (maybe once / twice a week during weekends).
Do you think there would be any benefits in doing so OR would i be doing more harm than good (like accelerated hair-loss for the first few days while applying Minoxidil)? Thanks.
A couple things that should be pointed out —
1. Minoxidil is indicated for top/crown hair loss. It really does not work all that well for frontal hairline or temple areas.
2. Minoxidil is recommended for use twice a day everyday for several months before you see some improvement.
If you know the two facts above, you can make an educated and informed decision about whether random applications to an area that the medication isn’t intended to regrow hair in will be beneficial for you or not.
(female)
I have been getting my thick hair dyed for 20 years. I usually go every month. I have been using an Aveda salon where they use products with high ammonia content. I have been noticing the last few months that my hair is no longer thick.I feel I did not realize this because I have a different style that is has very choppy layers and just naturally makes it look thinner. So, the last 3 times she put a toner on the highlights (bleach over bleach process) my scalped burned and felt numb. The times before this happened also, and I told her about it. I did not see any redness to my scalp. It just felt numb for more than a week and then it itched. I have seen my hair on my pillow and in the filter after a shower. It is noticeably thinner now and I am very distressed and worried that this is a PERMANENT loss, with having sustained death to the hair follicles.
Please help!!! My sister lives in LA and I could come to see you. What do you recommend?
The use of hair dyes have risks and can impact hair permanently, which is why you must go to a reputable hair stylist to hopefully avoid the types of damage that these chemicals can induce. You are welcome to visit us for an opinion.
In general, it may take a full year before you can tell if the damage was permanent.
