Month: January 2023

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If I take Finasteride, What Can I Expect?

Normally, I tell my patients that finasteride is a lifetime commitment. It takes about a year to see the benefits. Some see it earlier and a few see it later. Most people will find that it slows or stops the hair loss as opposed to reversing it. The younger you are when you start it, the better is the result so men who start it in their late teens probably see less long term balding than men who start it in their late 20s.


2019-12-11 09:24:29If I take Finasteride, What Can I Expect?

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I along with hundreds of thousands of men suffer from PFS

I and hundreds of thousands of young men like me got PFS from a single pill, doctor – from the first pill. How would your self-rationalization deal with that inconveninient truth? Oh, I know how:

Denial.

If that is true, I can’t understand the physiology of it. If there were hundreds of thousands of men suffering from PFS from a single pill, I would have seen it in my practice. A single pill? What is the mechanism for it? I am a clinical scientist and I look to science for answers to questions.

A physician wrote: “I have personally been taking finasteride for 14 years and will be taking it for the rest of my life. I have never had a patient in my practice have long term side effects from finasteride [he has prescribed it to thousands of men]. I have only seen a positive psychological influence on my patients’ lives since they realize they are slowing a progressive aging process. I would bet my retirement that there is a lowering depression/suicide rate for patients on finasteride compared to their peer group not on finasteride with similar Norwood pattern hair loss (if this study could ever be performed since there are so many confounding variables).”

All the doctors in my field are struggling with the PFS problem as you told us here. In my practice I have not seen PFS in my patients except one man who reported impotence within 2 hours of taking the first dose and I told him to stop it. Like the doctor I quoted above, I too have been taking finasteride for years with no ED or libido problems. What is in it for me to prescribe it if it didn’t help my patient?

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2020-11-04 09:53:02I along with hundreds of thousands of men suffer from PFS

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Hypothyroidism and Hair Loss

Good day doctor, I was reading a short article about hypothyroidism, and I was left with a few lingering thoughts. Perhaps you might be able to answer my questions:

a) Would you say that hair loss due to hypothyroidism is a common or a rare incidence among those who suffer from hair loss?
b) Or, among the various symptoms of hypothyroidism, is hair loss a common or rare occurrence?

I understand that there may not be good statistics to answer these questions, but perhaps you might be able to shed some light, based on your experience.

Hair loss is one of many symptoms of hypothyroidism, but the frequency of it is not reported. Patients suffering from hypothyroidism usually have other symptoms along with hair loss, including weight gain, cold intolerance, fatigue, weakness, constipation, and depression. The diagnosis of hypothyroidism is made through blood testing for the level of T4 (the main thyroid hormone) and TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone).

Most of the patients in our practice suffer from male pattern baldness (MPB). Patients concerned about hair loss should have a miniaturization study to determine if the pattern is consistent with MPB or if there is an underlying medical condition causing the hair loss.


2008-02-12 14:16:27Hypothyroidism and Hair Loss

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Hypothyroid Condition and Hair Loss

I have been told thet i have a hypothyroid condition. I take synthroid. Since I have been on this medication my hair has had severe breakage at the top and middle of my head. I have been using olux foam and selseb shampoo. I still continue to have sore spots in my head and several bumps to come in these spots. I am a 59 year old afro american female. I have also had injections in my head. My hair still does not seem to be starting to grow back. Do you think I am on the right track or should I talk to my doctor about some other type of treatment.

Unfortunately, it is impossible for me to really know what is happening to you just by reading an email. Hypothyroidism can produce hair loss and changes in the character of your hair. Apparently you are under the management of someone who is injecting something into your scalp. I can guess what that is, but rather than do that, I would suggest that you ask the doctor who is treating you the question you asked me. Any good doctor will discuss the treatment plan and his/her expectations with regard to that treatment plan. These bumps you are getting need a professional opinion, not something I can do competently over the internet.

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Hypothetical Graft Requirements for Norwood 6 to 1

I am just curious to know how many grafts would it take for a Norwood 6 to return back to a Norwood 1? I know this is not possible, but suppose hair multiplication became possible in the next decade, can you give us an estimate of how many grafts it would take for a Norwood 6 to return back to Norwood 1 ?

HypotheticalIn general, you need about 15% of your original hair density to achieve the appearance of non-balding if you have an average hair density. Please note that this will give you a non-balding look (somewhere between a Class 2 and 3 pattern), but not the complete original density. Moreover it is NOT all about the numbers. Factors such as hair color, skin color, texture, etc are of great importance. For more, check out the Assessing Hair Loss page at the NHI site (scroll down to “How Much Hair Do I Need?”).

But if you want to know how many grafts you need to replace (hair for hair) of hairs lost, it could be in the 30 to 50 thousand hairs range. This is based on a general assumption that you are born with about 100,000 hairs. Remember, grafts are made up of 1-4 hairs.

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Hypoandrogenic Reaction to Propecia

what are the questions one would ask a doctor if he wanted to be sure he wasnt having a hypoandrogenic reaction to propecia? what would a doctor check, or know to find this out?

im a 25 year old male and ive been on propecia for 15 months or so. Hair has thinned quite alot while on treatment, instead of second guessing myself and reading to many websites.

i just want a medical answer! thanks for the help doc!

You need to tell your doctor what you are experiencing. Testosterone levels transiently go up with Propecia as compensation to the impact of DHT blocking. Are you asking if developing breasts is a problem with Propecia? Your questions are not clear.

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Hypertrichosis treated with laser

I am contemplating laser hair removal, but i think that traditional laser doesn’t destroy the entire follicle, so it might regrow if i keep taking the treatment. You don’t have patient with this concern of hypertrichosis with low dose OM?

I have only started it recently on patients so I know more about what I read than my personal experience. Laser hair removal only removes anagen hair and for most body hair, half of these hairs are in telogen at any one time so at most you get half of the hair follicles with the laser


2021-05-31 08:26:35Hypertrichosis treated with laser

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Hypertrichosis from minoxidil, will my body hair grow 10 inches

If I say on the minoxidil, will my body hair keep growing longer, like 10 cm? That is scary…

Body hair rarely grows that long because it undergoes telogen at about 6-8 months and falls out, only to regrow after. Telogen is the sleep phase and in all hair follicles go through it. These body hairs may stay in the sleep phase for up to 6 months before a new hair appears crating a new beginning of its new anagen hair cycling.


2020-12-15 10:26:52Hypertrichosis from minoxidil, will my body hair grow 10 inches

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Hypertrichosis and minoxidil

Will the hypertrichosis caused by minoxidil stop at one time if I stop minoxidil, Or will the unwanted hair all over the body keep growing longer and darker if I keep taking minoxidil? Here in France, no doctor have knowledge about this issue….

If you are getting hypertrichosis with minoxidil, then as long as you take the drug, it will continue. When you stop it, the hypertrichosis should go away in a matter of months


2020-12-15 10:22:36Hypertrichosis and minoxidil

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Hyperthyroid and Hair Loss

Thank you Doctor for a great blog and for taking my question. I am a healthy 44yo male and have been shedding hair for almost 9 months now. I have seen a GP, a Derm. and a Endo. doctor who all found my thyroid to be slightly hyper. ( 3.4 , range 0.40-4.50) My derm. said I do not have MPB and diagnosed me with global telogen effluvium and feels my thyroid MAY be causing my hair loss. My DHT level is 29 (range 25-75). The GP and Endo. state that my thyroid is only a little hyper and that is not the reason for my hair loss and will not treat me for it.

My question Doctor is can a slightly hyperthyroid cause hair loss and is that loss permanent? Also, is there anything I can do for it aside from avoiding caffine, soy and shellfish. Thank you very much for your time.

Thyroid issues can lead to hair loss, and it can be permanent, particularly if you’re genetically inclined to lose hair anyway. Of course I would have to see you to determine if you have hair loss with miniaturization present in a pattern that reflects the genetic process.

There is also a genetic test to determine if you are carrying the gene for hair loss which, if negative, would rule out that as a cause. If your genetic test is positive and the miniaturization testing shows a pattern of hair loss, then drugs like finasteride (Propecia) should work and is something that is worth considering assuming that you have a doctor willing to abide by my plan. For more about the genetic test, see HairDX.com.


2009-04-28 13:50:43Hyperthyroid and Hair Loss