Month: January 2014

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If My Father is a Class 5, Will I Have at Least That Same Pattern? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

hello doctor

is it likely for young balding men to have a more severe pattern of baldness or does it depend on their genetics? i’m 24 male started to lose my hair at 21. my father and my uncle are norwood class 5. Am i likely to follow their pattern or have more severe pattern? thank you

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You could follow a similar pattern, or you could have a more severe pattern, or you could have a lesser pattern. There’s just no way for me to know what your end balding pattern will be just based on what your father and uncle have shown.

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Since My Hair is Short, Would My Propecia Regrowth Results Come in Faster? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Doctor,

I have a question that I don’t think you’ve gotten before, it has to do with when I should expect to see results with Propecia.

I understand it takes about 6+ Months to start to see results, I assume time line is meant for people with average length hair. However; I have very very short hair, I crop it pretty close. Since my hair is short enough that mere buds would be noticeable…when do you think I should start to see new hairs?

How long would it take for the budding hair to just start to show itself on an almost bald head?

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LawnFirst, hair length won’t make the hair regrow faster or slower.

Propecia doesn’t always grow new hair, though it can thicken existing miniaturized hair. If your hair is short, I suppose you will be able to see new hairs (if there are new hairs that grow)… but I doubt you are that observant to see a few hairs out of thousands of existing ones. It’s like trying to see new grass grow from an existing field of grass. Long or short, it would be pretty hard.

If Propecia is really working, you will see it overall in your appearance, not at the individual hair level.

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Hair Loss InformationFacial Surgery Required Me to Take Steroids, But I’m Worried About Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Six ago I had follicular hair transplant surgery for female pattern baldness. The procedure worked really well. Two days ago, I had orthagnatic surgery to correct an extreme under bite on my lower jaw. While I was at the hospital, they started me on a short term dose of heavy steroids, to combat facial swelling. I didn’t want to take them, but was sort of out of it and couldn’t remember that steroids have always caused hair loss for me in the past. Should I stop the steroids immediately? I’m panicked. I also have a laser comb. Do you think the laser comb can couteract the effects of the steroids? I’d appreciate any advice you have.

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I would follow the advice of your doctor. I am not your doctor. In general, steroids can cause hair loss, though they don’t always cause hair loss. Your doctor will explain this to you and give you a better balance of your personal risks as well as benefits. The internet is a horrible place to find personalized medical advice, as you will likely end up more confused with general information that may not fit your own personal issues.

As for the LaserComb, I wouldn’t put too much hope into that achieving anything.

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Hair Loss InformationMy Child Had Hair Pulled Out By a Toy 6 Months Ago – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

My 2 1/2 year old son had his hair pulled out by a toy. He has now turned 3 and his hair has not grown back. The scalp appears to have extremely fine hair that is growing and a maybe five strains of normal hair. Does this mean his follicles are damaged and the hair will never return?

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I do not know. Your son may have had a traumatic traction hair loss and it may never return, but you really cannot tell if the hairs will grow back until one full year has passed. Give it a bit more time to regrow.

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Hair Loss InformationWhat Is Hair Pitting? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

What exactly does hair pitting mean and how is it caused and is there any way to fix it?

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I believe what you may be asking is the possible scarring that occurs after a hair transplant. It should not happen with modern day hair transplantation, but I still see it on occasion when patients come in for a consultation.

The “pitting” you are referring to is just what it sounds like: an inward indent into the scalp – a pockmark on your head about 1/8 inch in diameter (or more). This happens when the surgeon or the staff is inexperienced. It can also happen if the patient does not heal very well. Or even a combination of both.

You really cannot fix it completely. Some have tried steroid injections, dermal fillers, or even micro-abrasion, but in my experience it never really works the way you intended and patients are left dissatisfied. The best advice is not to get yourself into a situation where you may end up with pitting. To start, you should research whichever surgeon you decide to go with. Don’t go bargain hunting for cheap surgery, because like a bad nose job, it will stand out and you’ll end up spending years and spending thousands of dollars trying to fix it.

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I Wore a Hat After My Transplant and Some Grafts Fell Out – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

hello doc, I have two questions

I had a hair transplant 5 days ago, and in that time I have been wearing a hat. I just realized that my hat was breaking off a few transplanted grafts. When I look closely the stub of transplanted hair is still in my scalp but the rest of it has broken off. Do you think I killed my grafts this way?

Also, I washed my hair the day after my HT procedure but then i read somewhere that I wasn’t supposed to wash it for 3 days. Could washing my grafts with a sponge and water next day after HT damage the grafts completely?

Thank you for your time

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Please follow up with your doctor on aftercare instructions. Every doctor is different with the post-surgical care. I do not now what you really did or if the grafts were actually lost. I’m not sure what you should be doing after your surgery, as I was not your surgeon and don’t know anything about your procedure or case.

In general, most patients (at least here at NHI) wash their hair the next day and wear loose hats without an issue.

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Hair Loss InformationIn the News – Brazil Senate President Used Air Force Jet for Hair Transplant Travel – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

Renan CalheirosThe president of Brazil’s senate, Renan Calheiros, will repay the cost of using an air force jet for a trip during which he reportedly had a hair transplant, his spokesman said Tuesday.

“The president is to repay the costs of this flight. He is waiting for the air force to calculate the bill before doing so,” he said. “I don’t know if the president has had a hair transplant.”

The Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper had reported that Calheiros had flown 1,980 kilometers (1,230 miles) from Brasilia to Recife to have 10,000 hairs implanted while purportedly on a business trip.

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Read the rest — Brazil senate chief to repay ‘hair transplant’ flight

Corruption in politics? Unheard of!

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I Appear to Be a Norwood 6 or 7 at Just 21 Years Old – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have been losing my hair since age 15, I am 21 now. My hair loss pattern appears to be NW 6/7 and I have lost significant density on sides and back as well. I have three older brothers and none of them has any visible hair loss. My dad lost his hair only in his 40s. I am thinking about getting my blood checked. My question is that the deficiency of what elements in blood cause hair loss?

I am going to ask the clinic to include the details about the potential hair loss causing elements in blood. So, Please provide the list of all those hair loss related elements in blood. Thanks

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Norwood 7The diagnosis of male pattern baldness is made with a physical exam, not a blood test. Blood tests are used to test for other illness that can cause diffuse hair loss (not patterned hair loss).

Male pattern hair loss can start as early as puberty, and in general, the men who go completely bald to a Norwood 6 or 7 pattern will notice their balding by their early twenties. While possible, it is rare for men to go bald all of a sudden in their 50s.

The “element” that causes male pattern (Norwood 6/7) balding was sealed when you were created 21 years ago in your genetic make up. It is genetic.

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Any Info About Spironolactone Cream for Treating Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

What do you know about the spiro cream being touted all over the Internet as a DHT inhibitor for men and women?

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I have stated in past posts that topical spironolactone probably does not work for treating hair loss. Spironolactone in (real world) practice does not solve the hair loss problem from its touted anti-androgen property, which is more theoretical in my opinion. There’s no conclusive evidence that I’m aware of.

I realize some doctors and commercial websites will market this as an anti-hair loss medication, but I personally have not used it in my practice.

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Hair Loss InformationNot Hair Loss News – New Tool to Determine Risk of Prostate Cancer Overdiagnosis – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

Studies have found that prostate cancer is over-diagnosed in up to 42 percent of cases, prompting men to receive unnecessary treatment that can cause devastating side effects, including impotence and incontinence.

Now, researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington have developed a personalized tool that can predict the likelihood of prostate cancer over-diagnosis. They announced their findings this week in the online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

An over-diagnosed cancer is defined as one that would never cause symptoms or pose a risk to the patient, therefore not require treatment. Treatment of such cancers provides no benefit and can only cause harm. The researchers created a nomogram, a graphical calculating device, that incorporates a patient’s age, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level and Gleason score — which grades prostate cancer tissue based on how it looks under a microscope — to determine the likelihood that screening-detected prostate cancer has been over-diagnosed.

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Read the rest — Researchers Develop Tool to Determine Individual Risk of Prostate Cancer Overdiagnosis