Month: December 2014

i started to take finax(finasteride) 3 and the half year ago.after 6 months it showed wonderful result.but at 1 year mark i again started to shed hairs.my doctor prescribed me dutas(dutasteride)after switching to dutasteride about 2 years ago my hair loss progression got slowdow(just within 5 months).then 8 months ago i again switched to finastride and now i am experiencing massive hair loss.shedding all of the time with vertex and frontal region getting worse.now ,my doctor again prescribed me dutasteride as well as finasteride both(1
pill of each daily ) in conjunction with minoxidil 5%. i want to know would it work or is he just trying different things on me hopelessly??????

We’ve said this many times here on BaldingBlog. There is no cure for genetic male pattern balding -MPB (androgenic alopecia – AGA). Drugs such as Propecia and Rogain helps slow the hair loss down. For some it even reverses hair loss and slows down the hair loss dramatically. Overall everyone slowly loses their hair as it is pre-programmed in to their genetic make up. Finasteride and Dutasteride work in similar fashion by blocking the DHT hormone but it is not a complete solution. Some think Dutasteride may work better but it is not approved by the FDA and the negative side effects are usually higher than Propecia. The answer to the MPB does not reside solely on Propecia, Dutasteride, or Rogaine. You need to find a good doctor who can give you options and a better explanation on the Master Plan of how to go about addressing your MPB.

In a recent post by Dr. Bernard Nusbaum from a series of conversations with varying doctors, he noted that people who use Low Laser Light Therapy who use minoxidil may develop a residue on their hair that mimics hair graying.

A retrospective study examining data show an increased number of visit to the emergency room (from the US Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project). These visits to the Emergency Room grew 50.4% between 2007 and 2012 in Colorado, one of the first two states to legalize both medical and recreational use of marijuana. Also increasing were visits related to opioids (by 42%), hallucinogens (40.4%), sedatives (40%), and amphetamines (20.6%).

i’ll be turning 18 in February . when i was approx 2 years old my aunty accidentally dropped boiled water on my head resulting in completely burning my hair and scalp of forehead and half head. my skin was wiped off after burning causing no hair regrowth on the affected area. my parents consulted many doctors for my hairs regrowth as em a girl . but all the doctors used to say the only way is to do a hair transplant and em too young for it. and yeah i make a hair style which doesnt expose much of my burned area but still some people notice it anyway so now that i’ll be 18 em planning to have a hair transplant . so can you help and guide me with it. thanks.

We have treated several patients (some as young as 10 years old) who have had similar stories of burns to the scalp. Hair transplants will help with covering the bald area from burns and if the burn scars are large, there are other surgical treatments that can succssfully even these extreme cases. Each case is different and you need to first start by making an appointment with a hair transplant surgeon. You can always call my office (800) NEW-HAIR for a consultation with me.

I am part of a group of doctors who discussed the value of long term finasteride. There is a general consensus that this drug has good long term effects, even if it just in slowing hair loss ‘progression’ however, a few patients pop up periodically who actual start losing hair while on the drug long-term. Some patients switch from Propecia to Proscar 5mgs tablets cut in quarters, or genetic 5mg tablets cut in quarters. These people, as a general rule, do not see changes in their hair loss from these switches. On the other hand, some doctors are reporting that a switch to the 1mg finasteride is causing more shedding within a month of that switch, suggesting that either the 1mg is counterfeit or not pure finasteride. So if you see shedding after switching your routine finasteride, then think seriously about going back to your doctor and going back on the real finasteride Either Propecia of Proscar in quarter tablets).

Suggestions for those who are really experiencing hair loss after long term use of finasteride, include combining minoxidil with the finasteride (Propecia) as there are different effects when the drugs are worked in combination. This is worth a try if you are disappointed in the results of the finasteride or if it is losing effectiveness over time. On rare occasion, a few doctors may prescribe dutasteride (Avodart) but must doctors are reluctant to do so, as I am since there is no clear evidence that it is better drug for hair loss.

Six years ago, when I was 24, my doctor prescribed Propecia. I had some early loss in my crown and I could see through it and my frontal corners were thinning. Within a year, I saw an increased amount of hair in my crown, but still had a see through look and my frontal corners continued to disappear leaving me today with a full Frontal Class 3 pattern in the front. Should I continue with the drug or can I assume that it has done its job?

Have you considered that maybe if you did not take the drug, you would have even less hair now with a completely bald crown area? The original studies by Merck (drug company) showed that the drug may peak at 5 years showing a stabilization of hair loss. In men not on the drug (placebo group), the visible effects of progressive hair loss showed and they were more bald than those on the drug. The fact that the value of the drug over the 5 year study showed that some men actually benefited more, the more time they were on the drug. Unfortunately, the study was stopped at 5 years. From my clinical experience of prescribing the drug since it was introduced in the mid-1990s, my sense was that if men stopped it, at any time even after the 5 year period, they would develop what we have coined “catch-up hair loss” so as a result of that, we advise all of our patients to stay on the drug. The official study in the 5 year term showed that those not on the drug, became progressively more bald each and every year, suggesting that those that were treated, even if they had some progressive balding during the follow-up treated period, that it was less than if they never took the drug. We do see some men who lose hair while on the drug and I am convinced that if they were not on the drug, or stopped it after some number of years, the hair loss will eventually reflect the progressive nature of the genetic balding pattern. I am convinced that those who stay on the drug will have more hair than those who stop it. OF interest, that may not apply to all men of all ages, as men over 50, probably have less progressive hair loss than men under 30, but my general advice to most of our patients is: If you are not having symptoms or side effects from the drug and you sexual function is acceptable to you, to stay on the drug no matter what age you are. Even if you are losing hair and are on the drug, stopping it may make ‘catch-up hair loss’ a reality that you may not want to face. Also, long term use of finesteride may have a preventive impact on prostate cancer especially if you are over 50. Hopefully, you will eventually get to 50, so stick to the plan, stay on the drug.

This is exciting as it identifies stem cell heretofore not understood. Read the links HERE and HERE

Dr. Stuart Gitlow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine says “we’ve known that people who use marijuana when they are younger tend to have cognitive abnormalities”. He studied were people in their 40s who smoked about 6 joints a week when they were 18-20. Brain scans were done which showed volume, shape and density changes in two key regions of the brain. These areas deal with emotion, motivation and decision-making…. “This is the part of the brain you don’t want to mess with”. says Northeastern University psychiatrist Hans Breiter……” The more marijuana that users smoked, the more their brains differed from normal brains…..

As we move to more and more legalization of this drug, we should ask ourselves what is the price we will pay? This will obviously impact schooling, and everyday life. Can you afford to take this risk?

I recently saw a lot of posts here about the asymmetrical hairline or hairline receding, however, I am wondering as many people part their hair in one side for a long time, is it possible to cause asymmetrical hairline receding due to the parting? If people do not change their parting place regularly, I guess it may result in the hair loss in parting point so that the hairline looks uneven for both side, or can we call it a similar form of traction alopecia?

Parting your hair on one side does not cause hair loss or asymmetric hair line. In general hair does look thinner on the side of the part because there is no overlap of hairs and you can see through to the scalp easier. Parting the hair does not cause traction alopecia but some doctors feel that exposure to the sun on the parted side, especially when the parted side is on the driver’s side of the car, may promote balding from UV/sun damage.

The following was sent to us from the author of the book.

Alopecia Uncovered is a fine art photography book that explores the therapeutic potential of the portrait through a series of arresting black and white images, essays and journeys of those affected by the condition.

Daniel Regan’s Alopecia Project, in which he invited sufferers to be photographed as and how they wished to be represented, was shot over a three year period. For some of his subjects it involved baring all and showing their natural selves, whilst others wished to retain their eyelashes or eyebrows. However the true message of this project is that it’s OK being you, but most importantly being the you that you choose.

Now combined with analytical texts by art psychotherapist Jennifer Chambers, Alopecia Uncovered encapsulates the emotional difficulties of sufferers by allowing subjects to reclaim their sense of self by confronting these images of themselves. This book investigates issues of self-esteem, fractured identities and perceptions of illness, illustrated through the use of empowering yet vulnerable photography that challenges the social constructs of beauty.