At 17, taking Dutasteride puts you at risk of becoming sterile, since it is one of the known complications of this drug. Are you sure you want to do this? Dutasteride is not FDA cleared for hair loss.
Dutasteride 1 year (photos)
DUPA (Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia) and genetic balding
I was wondering if someone who started with DUPA can later on develop male pattern baldness in there life? i have a second question if i may? In those DUPA patients who react to finasteride, was their progression moving faster than who did not react to finasteride?
We really don’t understand DUPA but yes, I have seen people with genetic balding who have DUPA, so the reverse is highly possible.
DUPA and Propecia
In earlier posts you mention that half of men with DUPA receive benefits from propecia, but in more recent posts you seem less certain. In the past few years have you seen DUPA patients receive worse results with propecia, causing your optimism to diminish?
Also, you mention that propecia MAY have a better chance if the underlying cause of DUPA is genetic-what does this mean? In your experience, does the presentation of DUPA differ when “the underlying cause is genetic”?
(My brother, only two years older than me, is losing his hair in a traditional MPB fashion, while I am experiencing DUPA in a presentation similar to FPB). Any insight, at all, would be helpful. Thank you.
With more and more exposure to diffuse unpatterned alopecia (DUPA) patients, I am less convinced that Propecia works for them. If there are no side effects seen though, maybe there is value in taking it. Other industry experts tend to have adopted that view as well.
DUPA and Propecia
hello i have Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA) and was wondering if propecia worked for me would it thinken the existing hair or would it have to shed and grow again as a new hair? and if possible could you tell me how long i’d have to wait to see if the propecia was working for me?
Propecia works by blocking DHT effects on scalp hair that is affected by male pattern hair loss (androgenic hair loss). Hair loss from DUPA (diffuse unpatterned alopecia) is not related to male pattern hair loss and it may not be affected by DHT. Thus, Propecia may not work, but it is the only drug that can be used. That being said, some doctors (include me in this group) will prescribe Propecia to patients with DUPA in case there is an underlying androgenic component to hair loss. In some patients with DUPA, I have seen improvement with Propecia.
2007-07-10 13:33:092007-07-10 13:33:10DUPA and Propecia
DUPA and Body Hair Transplants?
Are people with DUPA candidates for a body hair transplant?
Body hair transplants (BHT) are not considered a standard method of hair transplantation and may not give you a normal amount of bulk. I realize some doctors perform BHT with success (depending on how you define it), but the visual appearance of the hair that grows is clearly not normal. Body hair simply does not grow like scalp hair and is not the same texture.
In my opinion, even if you are desperate for hair, I would be cautious with this approach and demand to see patients who have had it done before you agree to such a radical approach to your DUPA problem. Any surgery can make the situation worse, and that risk is real.
2010-12-17 12:50:182010-12-14 12:22:03DUPA and Body Hair Transplants?
DUPA and Aging, are they the same?
Are Dupa (Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia) and Age related thinning the same condition, just that the former name is applied if it develops in a young person whereas the latter name is applied when it develops in a person of advanced age?
No, these are not the same. DUPA usually has miniaturization well over 50%, if not 70% or more, while aging expresses itself in two manners, (1) Age Related Thnning. This appears with thinning of the hair shafts that are universal and uniform of (2) loss of hair follicles in the follicular unit. This appears as a drop in total hair count per follicular unit and the entire head.
Dry Skin Build-Up on Scalp
Dr Rassman,
I am 24 years old and have been experiencing hair loss since last Sept. I have been on Propecia since Oct. and have since seen less shedding and some slight improvement. What is the most distressing is that I have diffuse thinning all over the top and crown of my head and, most terrifying, no family history of hair loss. My question is this, I have a lot of material build up in my scalp, what I think is white, dry skin, or it could be i’m just not washing my hair thoroughly enough, whatever it is, it’s very noticable and when i try to brush it out, hair sheds along with it, especially when I try to style hair in the front and on the bangs. I have been using T-Gel and the amount of build-up is less however there is still some on the scalp. Is this affecting my chances of hair regrowth? And do you have any recommendations?
Thanks
Sorry, I cannot diagnose your condition over the internet with just descriptions. You need to see a doctor who specializes in hair (like hair transplant doctor) or a dermatologist if you feel you have a skin problem.
Drug-induced Hypertrichosis
The pathomechanism for omeprazole-induced hypertrichosis is not known. Omeprazole significantly increases duodenal prostaglandin (PG)E2 synthesis and elevates the expression levels of cyclooxygenase-2 protein and PGE2. Prostaglandin F2 alpha analogues, such as latanoprost, can increase pigmentation, thickness, length, and number of eyelashes. Prostaglandins are involved in hair growth regulation; PGE2 and PGF2 alpha stimulate hair growth, whereas PGD2 has an inhibitory effect. It has been suggested that a balance between PGE2 and PGD2 controls hair growth in mouse and human skin, whereas drugs that stimulate hair growth may exert their effects by acting on prostaglandin pathways. It has been suggested that minoxidil increases production of PGE2, and topical cetirizine, which has been reported to be beneficial in androgenetic alopecia, decreasing inflammatory cell infiltrate and PGD2 production. Prostaglandins may have an action on hair growth regulation through their vasomotor effects in the dermis, inducing blood flow in the perifollicular vessels, and by inducing DNA replication and stimulation of cell division and growth.
There is a solution in this disease because vellus hairs are turned into real terminal hairs. Can it be identified?
2018-06-15 06:03:172018-06-19 08:57:46Drug-induced Hypertrichosis
Drs Rassman and Pak Take Propecia
I just have a quick question,
I know that both you, and Dr. Pak have used, respectively, several of the treatment options that you recommend. Why don’t you use before and after pictures of yourselves to disarm the pessimists, while at the same time making a very compelling case as to why you feel so strongly that finasteride is the strongest treatment option available at this time?
The only oral medication that has been FDA approved for treating genetic balding in men (androgenic alopecia) is Propecia. So as the default, I guess it is the “strongest” medical treatment option at this time. This does not mean it will reverse or cure balding. In fact there is no cure! We are physicians. We prescribe medications based on scientific evidence as well as clinical evidence we see day to day. In the end the consumer (the patient) has the choice to take this medication, but he should consult with the prescribing doctor instead of strictly reading Internet postings that may (or may not) be true!
As you mentioned both Dr. Pak and I have personally taken Propecia daily (as well as our family members and friends) without any of side effects. Neither of us has seen dramatic hair growth, but we haven’t seen dramatic hair loss either. In the end, you are looking at the after pictures (on the right). Ultimately though, we cannot satisfy everyone. If you think something bad will happen, then it just may. The power of suggestion can be quite powerful. If you think the medication will not work, then its your choice to simply not take it. We’re talking about hair loss here, and as important as hair is to many men, it isn’t a death sentence if left untreated. We’re educating and informing about a proven treatment and I’ll leave disarming pessimists up to the drug manufacturers.
2009-03-18 15:36:242009-03-10 10:53:37Drs Rassman and Pak Take Propecia