The use of JAK inhibitor drugs have been shown to be effective in the treatment of Alopecia Areata. Janus Kinase Inhibitors (JAK) are drugs which supress the functions of the JAK enzyme, a critical en\This is an inherited ‘autoimmune’ disease that causes the body to reject regional areas of hair in various parts of the body. It is usually found in the scalp, but face and other body parts can show this problem. Two drug have been tested effectively, they are (1) ruxolitinib, a medication used in the treatment of certain malignancies such as bone marrow cancers and (2) tofacitinib, a drug used in the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis. This is an early report from the Journal of Investimationo/Insights 2016.
I’ve Been Using Rogaine and Got a Headache from It. Should I Stop Using It?
A headache could be a sign of reduced blood pressure from the Rogaine (minoxidil), so I recommend speaking with your doctor and to get your blood pressure checked out. Minoxidil was originally developed as a treatment for high blood pressure, so if you have normal blood pressure and the blood pressure becomes low while on the drug, then you can get headaches as the first symptom of the medication.
2018-11-02 06:49:132018-10-25 07:39:27I’ve Been Using Rogaine and Got a Headache from It. Should I Stop Using It?
I’ve Used Propecia for a Decade, But Should I Be Worried About Breast Cancer Risks?
Hi. I am using Propecia 1mg for around 10 years now with good results (no hair loss) and no adverse effects (e.g. less sex drive). Lately I read a report that says there is a slight risk of Male Breast Cancer in people using Finasteride. I understand that only 3 (inconclusive) breast cancer cases worldwide have been reported using Finasteride 1mg. I have read that your opinion is that there is no risk from from using Finasteride 1mg in terms of Male Breast cancer. Is this correct? If you were in my shoes would you continue the usage of Propecia, without any concern? Thanks a lot.
There is no evidence of breast cancer from the use of Propecia, as far as I am aware. The reports are not clear and inconclusive of a direct correlation. If you are worried about your risk, it is best discussed with your doctor where he/she can assess your family and past medical history, as well provide a good physical exam to give you a professional opinion.
The Internet is a great source of information, but it can be very confusing with a sea of equal misinformation and facts taken out of context.
2013-04-17 12:10:442013-04-16 13:13:34I’ve Used Propecia for a Decade, But Should I Be Worried About Breast Cancer Risks?
I’ve Tried Propecia 3 Different Times and Keep Getting Side Effects
Dear Dr. Rassman,
Thank you for this informative website. I visit everyday, and my wife just gave me your book for the holidays. Unfortunately, I am one of the few who have experienced side effects with Propecia. I was orginally on 1mg per day, and then I tried 1mg every other day, and .5 every day. But everytime I had to stop. Luckily, all three times the side effects disappeared after I stopped taking it (the last time I was on propecia, was about a year ago). I would like to try to get back on the medication again, but I was wondering if you had any advice on how I should approach this. I am only 25 years ago, and plan on getting a transplant in the near future, but would like to stabilize my hair as much as possible before hand. Thank you for your help.
I hope you enjoy the book, and I’m glad you find this site useful… but I am afraid that I have no good news for you. Those few patients who have sexual side effects or breast pain and/or enlargement that persist after numerous attempts to restart their drug program, will continue with the same outcome.
Be sure that your hair transplant surgeon maps out your worse case hair loss with miniaturization studies before you start the transplant process. A good Master Plan is critical to looking good for the long term.
I’ve Been Thinking of Suicide After Getting My Hair Transplant in Turkey (From Reddit)
Suicide? Whatever is wrong, I can fix. Contact me (wrassman@newhair.com).
I have often reached out to young men who are thinking about suicide because of hair issues, often caused by a bad hair transplant on an immature male who didn’t do his research. I am aware of two suicides over my career on patients who have called me from out-of-state and had bad hair transplants. On both occasions, I reached out to the parents of these men, established some help for them, and after their son’s died, they both called me to thank me for reaching out to them. I was not the operating surgeon on these two cases.
I have been thinking of suicide after terrible hair transplant in Turkey (update) from tressless
2019-01-21 04:35:212019-02-14 10:47:36I’ve Been Thinking of Suicide After Getting My Hair Transplant in Turkey (From Reddit)
I’ve Taken Propecia for a Decade and Now I Need a Higher Dose for BPH
I have been taking Propecia for over 10 years, and it has been great for slowing my hair loss. Now my doctor is recommending that I try a higher dose of finasteride for BPH. Will a 5mg daily dose of finasteride still have the effect of slowing my hair loss?
1mg strength (Propecia) is all the finasteride you need for treating androgenic alopecia (AGA). Taking a higher dose of finateride will not be of benefit with respect to treating your hair loss. I do realize that there are a minority of patients who choose to take a higher dose, but the results are equivocal at best.
Please follow up with your physician and address your BPH issues. A higher dose may give you a slightly higher risk of side effects, but it would not have a negative impact with respect to your hair loss. Essentially, taking the 5mg for BPH treatment would also give you hair loss treatment benefits.
I’ve Taken Propecia for 6 Years with No Side Effects!
Dr. Rassman,
I really can’t think of any other industry – medical or professional – that has a preeminent member so willing to directly interact with the general public. You do a great service (and a excellent technical execution of it with your website) and I wanted to start off by thanking you for your contribution. Imagine a world that had this sort of “hands-on” information from the most knowledgeable people available on other life and business topics.
Just a quick note – I recently turned 30 and marked my 6th year with Propecia. I’ve never had a single side effect, and I wanted to highlight your point about the internet being filled with the loud minority that have problems. Us folks with happy results tend to keep quiet and go about our business. I was certain when I started I would be bald by now, but happy to report a full head of hair – it really does dramatically stop the speed of genetic MPB. Good thing smart Doc’s like you are not afraid to stick up for it.
Cheers!
I’m glad the medication has been successful in maintaining your hair and I’m also pleased that you enjoy the site. I really appreciate emails like yours (we all like a pat on the back once in a while), so thank you for your kind words.
2010-03-05 08:34:092010-03-04 11:07:14I’ve Taken Propecia for 6 Years with No Side Effects!
I’ve Taken Finasteride Since I Was 17 Years Old, But I Don’t Know If It’s Working
Hello!
I’ve been losing my hair since I was 14. I’m now 20. I was told I had MPB and the doctor said to take finasteride 1mg everyday. I’ve been taking finasteride for 3 years, and I don’t know if it’s really helping. No person have hair loss in my family. My dad started to develop temples at his 50’s. All my family have thin straight hair, but no sign of balding.I have right now big temples and diffuse hair loss all over the top. I also can see small (1 cm) thick hairs all over my head that never grow. I have some problems like anxiety, stress, and I guess bad diet. Also I have very little appetite and I’m under my weight. But I’m working on solving it. I did a blood test and I got high bilirrubine levels. I’m trying to trigger my problem and see if it’s really MPB. So, I was thinking I could get another opinion from you. What do you think?
Thanks for your attention
The key is establishing a measurement (metric) on the degree of miniaturization you have. No miniaturization present would mean that you are not balding from genetic male hair loss; progressive miniaturization extending from just the corners of your hairline to the top and back would indicate progression of the balding process.
Men who take Propecia (finasteride) can see if they slowed, stopped, or reversed the hair loss process when the scalp miniaturization map is compared over time. You need to get an expert to help you manage this process.
I’ve Taken Finasteride for a Year, So Is it Too Late to Map for Miniaturization?
Hello Doc,
Within the next days, I’ll map my own scalp for miniaturization for the first time. However, I have been taking finasteride for one year. (It kept most of my hairline but didnt regrow anything.) So without having done the test before, how accurate can the results be after such a long time?
Besides, currently only my left corner is receding (between NW 1 and 2) and the whole side is more see-through than other, where my hairline has already receded 3 years ago and then stopped at a Norwood 2. Is it common to see one side go up because of maturation, while 2 years later the other catches up by MPB? Or do hair characteristics (such as curliness or color) vary in diff areas, create the see through appearance, and will these hairs thus look differently under a microscope? Thanks again
A miniaturization study is an attempt to objectively quantify the degree of thinning and place a metric to different areas on the scalp so that you can compare one spot to another, as well as compare the measurements over a period of time. It is better than just looking in the mirror or running your fingers over your hair to judge the degree of thinning.
Ideally, one should get a baseline miniaturization measurement and even a photograph before starting on any hair loss treatment. If you have been on finasteride for about a year, I would at least get one objective measurement to record for comparison at another date.
If you are categorizing yourself as a Norwood 1 or 2 and the degree of thinning is on the front corner hairlines, I would point out that finasteride is taken mainly for men with thinning on the top / crown areas. Any hairline asymmetry will likely even out eventually. I generally like to get bulk measurements in people like you to establish a baseline from which future comparisons can be made.
I seem to repeat this theme over and over, but you need to follow up with the doctor who is prescribing you the medication and understand your treatment goal and Master Plan.
I’ve Taken Finasteride 5mg for MPB, And I Had Total Impotence and Penis Shrinkage in 3 Months
Hi doctor, I’ve been using finasteride 5 mg for MPB, but in the third month I had total impotence and shrinkage, i stopped, sexual organs returned to normal size hear some gain libido,but erectile Dysfunction persists even after 6 months ( no morning erections, or nocturnal) and and I also have pain in the prostate, what should I do? ( I used previously for 2 years finasteride of 1mg without side effects.
We never recommend taking the 5mg dose of finasteride for the treatment of hair loss. Did you increase the dosage on your own to 5 times the normal amount for treating hair loss, or did your doctor prescribe this to you? And if you took the recommended 1mg dose for years without side effects, why was your dosage even increased?
In any case, you should see a urologist. These are prescription medications, and I don’t know enough about you (medical history, age) to really have an idea of what is going on.