Month: January 2023

Hello sir,
I am an Asian female and I am 24 years old.About 3 years ago, I noticed that my hair had started thinning. That was a period of time when I was under a lot of stress and used to hav a bad diet as well. So I thougt that was the reason for my hairloss and also thought it would come back in time. I have lost hair mostly from the front region of my head.But am not loosing much hair now.My hairloss kind of reduced on its own about few months ago and I also see few hair coming.

So does that mean that I am gonna get back my lost hair? Was the damage irreparable? Should I take treatement?

My mom had lost a lot of hair at a young age,my dad is 60 years old ,but still not bald. Could you please let me know more about my hairloss and whether it will come bacK or not.I would be extremely grateful sir.I am undergoing a lot of pain because of my hair.

You are not alone. Since I started this blog, I have gotten quite a few questions from women about their hair loss problems. Here is a link to the similar questions and answers. The first thing you need to do is to see a physician who can examine you and order tests to make sure that there are no underlying medical reasons for your hair loss. Some of the reasons for female hair loss are: anemia, thyroid disease, connective tissue disease, and various gynecological conditions. These laboratory tests may be useful if underlying medical problems are suspected: CBC, Chem Screen, ANA, T4, TSH, STS, Androstenedione, DHEA-Sulfate, Total and Free Testosterone.

If it is determined that there are no medical reasons for your hair loss, I would suggest that you visit a hair loss specialist. Since you are in New Jersey, I can highly recommend Dr. Robert Bernstein in Fort Lee- his phone number is 866-576-2400.

I’m an existing patient of yours and had great results on the front of my scalp with the last session 2 years ago. I’m starting to get a little thin on the crown of my head and a little forward of that. If it stopped where it is now, I wouldn’t be concerned but continued loss would be unnerving.

My issue now is that I’m pretty much out of donor hair. Has any progress been made with something I read about a couple of years ago called hair cloning? Also, I have a few old fashioned plugs that could be thinned and dispersed I suppose.

Nice to hear from you. Please look at the other comments in this blog on hair cloning. There is nothing new that would apply to you. As you are near our Northern California office, visit me there and I will personally assess your balding pattern. You are correct that taking hair from old plugs works, but the problem is total supply versus need. We would have to determine whether there is enough supply from all sources to meet your need for coverage.

I am a 47 year old female, who has had thick, coarse hair all of my life. Last year, I had a few hot flashes, my gyn gave me some estradiol to take……..I felt better, discontinued it. *this was in April…I took it for a few months. I had a surgery in August…general anesthestic. In December my friend mentioned my hair looked thin. I got some Rogaine…..used for one month until my hair was falling out by the tons and I had noticable thinning in my temples/hairline. Hair looked much, much worse. Stopped using it Jan 21. Gyn gave me estradiol Feb 21st.,,after I saw him complaining of hair loss….he said I was periomenapausal. My hair shed slowed until two weeks ago and is now shedding again. I still have very thin hair in the bang area/temples….you can see my scalp in the sun or bright light. Blood work showed normal levels in all tests. I do have lots of new hair that can be seen over the back of my head…but I don’t see anything in my bang area. I am suffering anxiety and worrying constantly…which I know doesn’t help. How long does it take for hair to get back to normal if it is going to? Am I expecting results too soon? Have you ever heard of Rogaine making the problem worse and does it make it permanently worse?
I would like to consider a hair transplant if it can give me some density back. I am taking vitamins/EFA supplements….don’t smoke, ….also interestingly my once coarse hair is now soft/finer feeling which seems wierd.
thanks for any insight, help.

Your email sounds desperate and you need to be sure that there is no underlying medical condition causing your problem. Assuming that you fully check out (see female hair loss Q&A), then it sounds like much of your process is reversing. The reversal time should be less than a year. You should be evaluated by a doctor like me, who can determine your base line today, the full extent of your miniaturization and then follow your progress. A transplant can solve the ‘bang’ problem, but first let’s clear you of a medical problem.

I am a 33 year old female who visited a dermatologist that specializes in hair loss because of a receding hair line, (frontal hairline thinning). Very much the same why men start receding in the front. I was diagnosed with female patterned baldness and told to take Rogaine. In the past I was told the 2% was not very effective to use the 5% but the nurse has informed me to use the 2% and it will take up to 12 months to see any results. I have used the 5% in the past and have not had any side affects though I am not completely happy with the results. Is there any other medications or options I can take other then the Rogaine? I am feeling a tightness in my chest and shortness of breath which I think is from using Rogaine, but I am not 100% sure. I have had blood work done and everything has come up normal. I take no medications other then the Rogaine. It is just so frustrating to be told to use Rogaine when there has been so many medical advancements for men.

Bells go off for me when I hear about tightness in the chest. Women with heart disease is far more common than most people realize. You must remember that Rogaine is a hypotensive medication and could induce (under certain conditions) a drop in blood pressure and chest pain from Angina. Please, see a good doctor. If you want an opinion on what to do about hair loss, please take a read through the many Female Hair Loss posts on this blog. If you are on the west coast, please come and see us.

Here’s two more eyebrow transplant-related emails I’ve received…

In 2002 I cut my eye brows off. But they grew back very thin some parts did even grow back, like the ends. Only the inner part would grow but not so thick. Anyway to date they are not growing at all. My hair line has also thinned out about an inch. I do not know what is going on but I am tired of drawing it on. Please help.

Eyebrows can be successfully transplanted, if the eyebrows you had have not returned after a couple of years. The eyebrow hair is taken from the scalp hair, and as such will have to be trimmed about three times a week and cut on an angle for hair shape. I posted a blog entry recently about this: Eyebrow Transplants. You need to be evaluated for the hairline loss. Read my responses addressing female hair loss, as they do apply to you.

I am considering eyebrow hair transplantation and I have many questions. Does having permanent makeup interfere with the procedure? Should it be removed first or will it cause scarring to the follicle? Also, does the transplant have to follow the original eyebrow hairline or will it grow in any follicle (if I wanted it slightly raised for a more youthful appearance for instance)? Do eyebrow transplants yield a high success rate? I noticed you listed some special summer prices but they were specified for the strip method. What is the cost for the FOX method. Finally, I live near Riverside Ca, zip code 92313, is there an office near me?

Permanent makeup is cosmetic tattooing and is permanent by its nature. It will not impact an eyebrow hair transplant. You should be evaluated first, before any surgery is considered. Eyebrows can be angled for more lift, but it is difficult to angle them for less lift. The success of eyebrow transplants are high. NHI’s summer fees have been reduced by 10% but the FUE approach has not been discounted and still is priced at about twice the price per hair/graft as a traditional strip method of transplantation. Our closest office to you would be in the Beverly Hills area.

It has been about six weeks since I’ve posted an entry about hair cloning, but I’ll revist the topic again because I get quite a few requests for information. People generally want to believe that cloning is just around the corner.

Why can’t we clone hair, since scientists can clone a sheep? When can we expect to get a cloning treatment and how will it be done?

When it comes to cloning, hair follicles are in a tough spot. They are too complex to be simply cultured because follicles are not whole organisms like Dolly the sheep. The focus of cloning for hair is to move cells that can stimulate growth from a normal hair follicle, to an abnormal (genetically impaired) hair follicle. Although this is not actually cloning, the growth stimulating cells from the normal hair follicle can potentially be multiplied in a Petri dish and then moved to the area of genetically impaired hair. Some of these cells are capable of turning themselves into hair, bone or muscles and this has been shown in what I will call ‘uncontrolled experiments’. Because people who are balding always have some non-genetically impaired normal hair, we do not need a person to person transfer.

There are problems that are yet to be solved. The primary problem is to identify which cells are to be moved. Other problems are once the cells have been identified. We must ask, “Can we successfully create enough of these cells to work with, and is there certainty that the cells that are created and moved will maintain their capability to stimulate growth in the genetically impaired hair follicles?” It is anticipated that whatever process we come up with, there will be a type of medical ‘soup’ which the doctors will inject into the genetically balding areas of the scalp. When they are injected into the balding scalp, they must consistently be able to stimulate hair growth. Unfortunately, the success of this entire process has been relatively low so far. There have been some successes, but these have not been replicable, suggesting that we do not have control of the process. We also have to be 100% sure that this process is safe. Do we know that these cells will not produce a cancer or other problem? Safety and effectiveness is critical for any FDA approval and it will take years for this to be worked out. Don’t hold your breath, no matter what you hear!

For more information, Dr. Bernstein wrote an article about hair cloning in our 2004 NHI Newsletter, available here. Adobe Reader is required to view the file.

To read more newsletters, medical publications, and the PDF version of The Patient’s Guide to Hair Restoration, please see the NHI Medical Publications page.

I receive many questions each day, and because these two are both from young women with hair loss questions, I am posting both questions in this one entry.

I am 21 year old girl. Till now i didnt hav any hair problems . But for the past 4 to > 5 months i am losing my hair like anything. My hairline is gettin broader andn is gettin thin these days.Neither of my parents hav balding problems nor anyone in our whole family.Wat should i do so that i can get my lost hair back? Is this possible to get all the lost hair ?? Which shampoo shd i use?

I would first have a good doctor see you and look for medical causes of hair loss (there are many). The following problems are amongst those that should be considered: anemia, thyroid disease, connective tissue disease, various gynecological conditions and emotional stress. It is also important to review the use of medications that can cause hair loss, such as oral contraceptives, beta-blockers, Vitamin A, thyroid drugs, coumadin and prednisone. Many other medications can also contribute to hair loss so if you are taking any drugs of any type, then that should be looked into as well. The following laboratory tests may be useful if underlying problems are suspected: CBC, Chem Screen, ANA, T4, TSH, STS, Androstenedione, DHEA-Sulfate, Total and Free Testosterone.

It is possible that a medical condition may be the cause of your hair loss, so before you jump to conclusions that you have genetic hair loss, I would have you checked out for these conditions. The shampoo you choose will have no impact on the hair loss so I always tell people to use what they like, what feels good, what smells good and what makes your hair look good. Also, please read my previous blog entries on Female Hair Loss.

I am a 22-yr.-old female and am experiencing thinning hair all over my scalp, with several spots void of any hair. Possibly related elements of my history include irregular periods, dermatitis and eczema (both on-scalp and elsewhere), a family history of thyroid disease, an often-unbalanced diet due to graduate school lifestyle :-), recent emotional stress, and use of 0.1% Tacrolimus ointment (one potential side effect of which is alopecia). I know you cannot diagnose me sight unseen, but I have one question I hope you can answer:

If one’s hair loss is related to use of a medication, stress, or a dietary deficiency, is the hair loss usually only temporary if the behaviors causing it are stopped?

Thank you very much for your time.

Sometimes the hair loss is temporary and sometimes not. The key is quick and accurate diagnosis and taking the proper action to go after the cause of the hair loss. The outline given to the first question above is appropriate for your medical work-up as well. If there is a genetic component, then the hair loss may be additive to the other contributing factors.

Dr,
I recently saw you on channel 4 news describing a new procedure of hair transplantation where there is no incision done.I have had procedures done going back 15yrs.Approximately 5500 of the old grafting technique.my frontal hairline and down the middle needs to be enhanced.I still have gaps and have lost more hair since my last procedure 8 yrs ago.Could you please tell me a little bit about the new procedure or where I can read up about it. I should also set up a consultation appt.
Thanks

You are referring to the news item from April on the FOX Procedure, also known as Follicular Unit Extraction or FUE. This is a technique that I introduced in the medical literature in the summer of 2001, and published in 2002 in an article titled Follicular Unit Extraction: Minimally Invasive Surgery for Hair Transplantation. The procedure essentially removes the follicular unit one by one without a traditional incision. More information can be found on newhair.com: FOX Procedure, FOX Megasession, and Medical Publications. Newhair.com is probably the most comprehensive hair restoration-related site in the world, with the greatest amount of original content and patient photographs, so please poke around the site to see exactly what we offer.

The FOX Procedure is an exciting new technique for minimally invasive hair transplant surgery, but it is not for everyone because:

1. the costs are higher
2. it is better for less bald people
3. it is very difficult to perform and very few doctors are willing to step up and build the expertise
4. not all patients are good candidates for this procedure because of the type of collagen that they have in their connective tissue (10% of people are in the category).

The procedure has the advantage of having almost no post-operative pain, and very fast healing with full activities within days of the surgery.

As you are local, I would recommend that you visit me in my Los Angeles office, which is only about 8 miles away.

I began to lose my hair in the frontal region of my head, shortly after beginning to take accutane. Is there any thing that will help?

Hair loss from Accutane is a known side effect. First you must weigh the options of stopping the Accutane. Your doctor should be able to help you make the right decision. The lost hair may return, so you need some time to observe what happens. If the hair does not come back within 8-12 months, then you might need a complete evaluation with a doctor like me, who specializes in hair loss.

I have previously discussed Accutane on my blog, which can be found below:

• Hair Loss and Accutane
• Hair Loss and Accutane, Part 2

Dr.Rassman,
I’m 22 and have been taking propecia since I’ve been about 19. It has definately slowed or stopped my hair loss, but I am still pretty unhappy with my hairline. I don’t think I would need a very large scale hair transplant at this point, my hair is only thin in the front, and I was wondering whether you thought it would be a very bad idea to get a transplant at my age and given the circumstances.

For starters, please see Hair Transplants in Young Men.

As you see from this previous response, I do not have a problem transplanting a man of your age. It is important to read and understand the above link and we would have to develop a relationship. When both of us are comfortable with the analysis and the depth of understanding I require, then we can consider a hair transplant, provided it is indicated and not harmful to you.