Month: January 2014

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Hair Loss InformationPress Release – RepliCel Receives Japanese Patent – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the press release:

RepliCel Life Sciences Inc. today announced that it has been granted a patent by Japan’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry for hair follicle mesenchymal stem cells and their use thereof. These cells are used in RepliCel’s RCH-01 treatment for androgenetic alopecia, also known as pattern hair loss. With the issuance of this patent, RepliCel now has patents issued in Japan, the United States, Australia and the European Union protecting its technology with other jurisdictions still pending.

This patent approval is an important milestone as RepliCel’s licensing partner, Shiseido Company, prepares to conduct human clinical trials using RCH-01. Shiseido has an exclusive license to use RCH-01 in Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan and the ASEAN countries representing a population of approximately 2.1 billion people. According to the International Society of Hair Restoration (ISHR), the leading authority on hair loss treatment and restoration, almost one million patients sought treatment for hair loss in 2012. Of this number, 41% of the patients were from Asia, representing the largest single region, surpassing the United States by 15%.

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Read the rest — RepliCel Receives Japanese Patent Covering its Hair Regeneration Technology

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Hair Loss InformationWould My Body Adjust Quickly If I Increased My Finasteride Dosage? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

If one were to up their daily dosage of proscar could side effects like loss of libido, morning erections, and loss of sex drive happen right away and then quickly go back to normal a few days later. In other words, can the body adjust to the increased dosage of the drug in a matter of days and all the things I mentioned above return to normal?

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In general, higher doses of medication can cause an increase in side effects. I usually do not endorse higher than the recommended dose of finasteride for treating hair loss, which is 1mg a day. A higher dose does not equate to better results.

If you’re taking Proscar, that is already a 5mg tablet, so I am hoping you’re taking a split pill, otherwise you’re already getting way more medication daily than necessary. Propecia is 1mg finasteride (for hair loss), Proscar is 5mg finasteride (for prostate). In any case, talk to your prescribing doctor about any changes in dosing.

With respect to your body adjusting for changes in dosage, it is not so specific and everyone’s response is different. I have no way to know how your body will respond to a medication increase.

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Hair Loss InformationIf Caffeine Raises Cortisol Levels (Which Produces Stress) Then Could Coffee Cause Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

hello Doctor,

I have reviewed your position on caffeine not effecting hair loss. Now it you would be safe to say that everyone’s body would react differently to all sorts of different substances. Like a lactose intolerant person reacts to milk, like the reaction to a person consuming nuts who is allergic, or even as simple as someone whose stomach reacts harshly to certain foods. So when you say that you would be bald by now because you drink 5 cups a coffee a day, your personal reaction can not be regarded as good scientific data.

In my case, (which may be completely different then others) i have noticed this; After consuming my daily coffee pick me up, I feel motivated, determined and willpowered to carry on my day to the best of my ability. But in reality I have read that caffeine is actually creating higher cortisol levels in my body. And that is why I feel that way. Cortisol is what is in our bodies that creates stress. Don’t get me wrong, we need cortisol in certain area in our lives to protect us from being too careless. But wouldn’t the constant consumption of caffeine, which increases cortisol levels which produces stress, accelerate someone’s hair loss problem?

Also taking into consideration that many peoples bodies react differently to the substances we consume.

Thanks

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I know people tend to want to find outside reasons for their hair loss rather than admitting that their genetics are the most likely culprit for their hairline betraying them…. but I will make this very short. Caffeine does not cause hair loss. I’ve written about this before here.

You can be as theoretical and debate this all you want, but in the end if you believe this to be true, the simple solution would be to stop drinking coffee and see if your hair regrows. My guess is that it won’t.

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Does Propecia Have Any Heart Related Side Effects? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello,
are there any side effects on Propecia that affects the heart? I know that right now it’s not part of the official listing on Propecia’s side effects, but as an expert, I believe you hear a lot from people who’s taking it and might have any information regarding it.

I started taking propecia about 2-3 weeks ago. Since yesterday I started to feel a strong pump in my heart every now and then, specially at night, and it seems to intensify when I lay down. The strong pump is a bit odd, it feels like an uncomfortable tension in my chest, and it’s also slightly respiratory.

Ps: I’m 25 years old, weight 175 pounds. Don’t have any heart issues, and never felt this before. I also take another medicine, an anti-depressant: Zoloft.

Congratulations for the blog! Thank you.

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I have not had any patients in the years I’ve been prescribing Propecia that developed heart related side effects. If you have heart related issues, you need to speak with your doctor ASAP. It probably is unrelated to Propecia and can be a very serious medical condition.

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Hair Loss InformationI Had Almost Total Success with Rogaine Regrowing My Hairline After 4 Months! – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Doctor:
Enjoy your site very much. I’ve used Rogaine 5% for four months. I’ve had almost total success in the hairline area (almost complete restoration). About 70% return in the crown area. (I’m 44 and was just beginning to thin).

Do follicles develop a tolerance over time? Should I stop for about two weeks every year or so? Will Rogaine work as long as it’s used?

Thanks

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It’s rare to hear about a near-complete hairline restoration after just four months of using minoxidil, but hey… that’s great to hear about your results! Why don’t you send us your before and after photos? I’ll blur out your face if you’d allow us to publish the results.

As for stopping — why would you want to stop something that gave you great results? Why would you not use the product as it was intended? There’s no evidence that I’m aware of that shows a tolerance built up after using minoxidil (Rogaine) over time.

I will point out that since Rogaine isn’t actually blocking DHT, your hair loss may continue over time as it is a progressive process. That doesn’t mean the Rogaine stopped working, but just that your genetics are continuing to thin your hair.

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Hair Loss and Scalp Blood Flow – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I was talking to this guy from a natural hair loss website on the phone, and he seemed really knowledgeable about natural remedies. He told me that the idea that lack of blood flow to the scalp causing hair loss is a partial truth. You say that blood flow is not a problem because transplanted hairs there grow fine. His rebuttal to that is that transplanted hairs pierce through the fibrosis that develops on the scalp, and that fibrosis is what causes the constricting of the capillaries. Thoughts?

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You can believe what you want and engage in all the mental gymnastics about blood flow, hair loss supplements, natural remedies, hair loss cures, etc, etc. If there is really a natural product that works for treating hair loss, we would have heard about it by now and there would be a lot less bald men. Unfortunately, most natural “remedies” for treating genetic hair loss are pretty worthless.

The hair loss doesn’t occur because of the decreased blood flow, the blood flow may decreases because of the hair loss (which is caused by genetics in most cases). Either way bald men bleed just as much as men with a full head of hair.

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Hair Loss InformationCan One Side of My Hairline Remain Juvenile? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr. Rassman,

I’m 30 and I know a mature hairline ideally matures around 30 and hairlines can be asymmetrical. My question is can one side of your hairline (top corner not the temples) remain juvenile while the other side is a norwood 3. Have you seen or dealt with cases like this? One side of my hairline is still juvenile while the other has crept up to a norwood 3.

Thanks

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If you know that hairlines can be asymmetrical, then I think you just answered your question. The issue is whether you’re happy with that hairline or not. If you’re not OK with it, you can have surgery to correct it. Otherwise, you can accept the asymmetrical hairline. Or the other side of your hairline may even itself out over time.

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If I’m Losing Hair, Will My Newly Grown Hairs Come in Miniaturized? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi, I am a 20 years old male and recently I have notice my hair become finer and smoother all over my head even on the back and permanent area. Can miniaturization affect both existing hair and new grow hair in the same time?

Thank you very much.

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Maybe, but if you are indeed thinning in the back (permanent) area, then you probably do not have genetic male pattern hair loss. Hair loss in the permanent zone is likely something else, so it sounds like you need a good examination and a diagnosis.

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Hair Loss InformationClass 2/3 Patient Just 5 Days After FUE Procedure (with Photos) – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

This patient is clearly not balding, or marginally so. He is in his mid 30’s and he did not like the corner ‘recession’. At worst, he may be a Norwood class 2 or 3. He just wanted a cosmetic improvement to lower his hairline the way it always was before it moved upward. His hair was medium coarse so only 800 grafts were needed and the probability will be that this one session might meet his orbjective because of the medium-coarse hair. The risk of shock loss was discussed and was considered minimum. He is not on Propecia (finasteride). He did not experience any shock loss anytime after the procedure.

The following results photos were taken only 5 days after follicular unit extraction (FUE) surgery of 800 grafts. What you see are small scabs with short hair stubble. These scabs and hairs will fall out within a week from the date of surgery and he will look like he never had surgery by that time. The transplanted hairs will start to grow in the coming months.

The reason I wanted to show these photos is to point out how easy it was for the patient and his recovery. You can barely notice anything in his donor or his recipient areas.

Click the photos to enlarge.

After (just 5 days post-surgery):

 

Before:

 

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Why Am I Getting Chest Pains and Difficulty Breathing from Minoxidil? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Dr. Rassman,

For 2 years I’ve take minoxidil 5% and experienced chest pain and difficulty in breathing twice previously. Both times it happened when I mixed minoxidil with retinoic or azelaic acid and used a little bit too much acid. The first time it lasted like 3-4 days. I had chest pain, difficulty breathing, rapid heart etc.

And today, when I came home I was a little bit tired, I hesitated applying minoxidil (I use rogaine foam in the morning, kirkland in the evening). Firstly I applied azelaic acid (drug name Azelderm, %20 azelaic acid) and then the daily dosage of minoxidil to the crown area. After 20 minutes I had side effects. This is rare, only the 3rd time in 2 years. I urgently washed my hair in order to send away the minoxidil and dried it and then I went to the hospital. My blood pressure was 12/7. It was ok and the heartbeats were ok. 4 hours after applying it I feel better, but still some heart pain.

Why does this drug causes chest pain and difficulties in breathing even though my blood pressure is ok? If you have an opinion I’ll appreciate it, thank you for everything.

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Minoxidil applied topically shouldn’t cause chest pain in most cases, though if you are experiencing it, I suspect your body is absorbing too much of the medication. Your chest pain sounds more like a heart attack / unstable angina type of pain. I would take this seriously and go see your doctor or go to your local ER to get your heart checked out.

Even if you still believe your chest pain is related to your minoxidil use, you cannot afford to not rule out that your chest pain can be an underlying serious condition.