Month: January 2023

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Did Mel Gibson Have a Hair Transplant?

The value of posts such as this on the BaldingBlog are to show the difficulty in detecting modern hair transplants. In my day, when advertisements focused on blondes, the saying was, “Does she or doesn’t she? Only her hair dresser knows for sure.” This would be the case for people who have had hair transplants today. I might take that old ad and change it to ask, “Does he or doesn’t he have a hair transplant? Only his hair transplant surgeon would know for sure!”

This article about Mel Gibson’s possible hair transplant is about 6 or 7 weeks old now, but it is nonetheless interesting (at least to me).

The photo caption states that the below photo on the left is Mel from 2 years ago, and the photo on the right is from today (or July, when the article was published).

(photo: DailyMail.co.uk)

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Did I Get an Infection After My Hair Transplant?

I’m a female, 41 years old.I underwent hair transplantation 10 days ago.Everything was fine, but 2 days ago I started with a clear discharge from the site of the implants. It is oozing non stop now and red. I saw my Dr.yesterday.He assured me it was not infected…How so ????? If it is draining it could not be right.I’m worried sick…Should I be taking antibiotics ?????

You are doing the right thing by seeing your doctor. It is impossible for me to give you any medical advice without examining you myself. Please follow up with your doctor and ask him these questions or if you are not satisfied, get a second opinion. Certainly, recipient sites should not be draining at any time, especially 10 days out of a hair transplant surgery.

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Did Finasteride Stabilize Dr Rassman’s Hair Loss?

Hi.

I seem to recall reading a message of yours where in a reply to a reader you mentioned that you personally discontinued your usage of finasteride. You felt it had stabilized your hair loss.

What confused me is that you seemed to imply finasteride stabilized your hair loss and you could thusly stop treatment. (or at least chose to and wasn’t any worse for it). It was my understanding that hair-loss will always resume once treatment is discontinued. Is this not true? Or did I misunderstand your message?

Thanks.

SeniorYou’re right that once you discontinue Propecia (finasteride 1mg) treatment, your hair loss resumes. For me though, since I originally had crown loss, I tried finasteride to see if I could increase the hair in the crown. At that point, my crown was clearly stable and I did not gain anything from the finasteride.

Considering that I was about 60 years old when I started taking the drug, I probably had as much hair loss as I could expect for my age. There are advantages of being a senior besides discounts in the movie theaters and on public buses. I hope that clears up any confusion!

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Do Cage and Travolta Have Hair Transplants?

I heard nick cage and travolta have hair transplants ,does anyone know what doctor they used? I want to find the best hair transplanter? I heard brazil?

I can not tell a good hair transplant patient from a normal person 95% of the time, even on a close up examination. The best hair transplant surgeons are those that use Follicular Units and adhere to the standards that have been set for Follicular Unit Transplantation. We have published those standards and they are available to read on the New Hair Institute website on the Medical Publications page.

As to your celebrity hair transplant questions, I can only speculate, as I have no first-hand experience with either actors. I would assume that Nicolas Cage was transplanted, because it appears that what he has on his head are the older type of smaller grafts, not the follicular units we use. Some times, people look transplanted even when they are not. If he was transplanted, then I did not do them (if I did, I could not comment on it because it would violate doctor/patient confidentiality). With regard to John Travolta, I have not done transplants on him either, so my best guess is that he found another great hair transplant surgeon, or never had them transplanted in the first place. I have only seen these two actors in films and some interviews that were public, so I might change my mind if I examined either of them in person and they then asked me to make that information public, a doubtful scenario at best.

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Did Actor Joel McHale Have a Hair Transplant?

I just ran across a collection of photos on some celeb gossip site. I never realized Joel McHale from The Soup and Community had hair issues, but his hair looks good now. What do you think, did he have a hair transplant?

Joel McHale

The change you see in the photo on the left (with an isolated forelock and hair loss around it) to the photo on the right (with a full frontal hairline) is often what I see when I do a hair transplant. I would think that he had a good transplant job done. Now it looks like a mature hairline as opposed to someone going through frontal hair loss. If I were the surgeon, I would have produced a slightly less concave shape bringing down the corners about another 1/4 inch.

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Diagnosed With DUPA, But Another Doctor Sees No Balding

Hi Dr. Rassman,

I am a 26 y/o male who has been diagnosed with DUPA by one doctor. I went to get a second opinion from another doctor who said I have no balding at all. I have been on propecia for a year and went as far to say that I should stop treatment. I am so confused, frustrated and depressed b/c I don’t know what is going on. I shed so much hair….some is miniturized, some is not. If I gently tug on my hair, I say that 5 times out of 10 a hair will fall out. Do patients with DUPA always end up looking like a Norwood VII? Is there a certain age where DUPA will show its full effects if you destined to be a Norwood VII? Please help Dr. Rassman, I dont know what else to do. Thanks.

You are getting terrible advice from someone. If any of these doctors did not measure your miniaturization, then I would not trust them. If you have DUPA the diagnosis is not rocket science. With DUPA (diffuse unpatterned alopecia), you will have significantly more than 20% miniaturization in the donor area. If you tug on your hair and more than 10% of the hair comes out, then you have a more complex problem. If you are in California, consider visiting me; if you are on the east coast, I’d recommend Dr. Bernstein in New York.

The progressive course of DUPA is not clearly defined by age, but it is often permanent unless it can be positively influenced by Propecia (finasteride). A small percentage of men with DUPA may have benefit from Propecia.

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Diagnosed with AGA by biopsy by my dermatologist, what should I do?

So Im 26 now. My hairline is good, and I have no visible balding, but I noticed (since im growing my hair long) that I would lose more strands of hair in the shower than norm. In fact my first dermotologist just looked at my hair and told me Im not balding. Decided to get a second opinion, went to a very qualified dermo, had a scalp biopsy, and it turned out to be aga, and she told me I was lucky to have discovered so early, due to the fact I have no visible balding, or recessed hairline. Basically, caught it before any visible damage was done. I was prescribed finasteride, as well as a 7% minoxidil liquid.

My question is, with how little hair loss I have, would I be fine to just take the finasteride daily and ignore the minoxidil? I find the application of minoxidil extremely annoying and uncomfortable, especially since I have shoulder length hair now.

I would recommend that you get a HAIRCHECK test to find out if you are actually balding (losing hair). If you’re not losing hair by this test, starting on a drug for life based on a biopsy alone make no sense to me. See here: https://baldingblog.com/24-year-old-male-receding-hairline-no-change-hair-loss-past-year-haircheck-test/


2019-03-27 08:36:46Diagnosed with AGA by biopsy by my dermatologist, what should I do?

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Diagnosed with cancer and treated with chemotherapy, now have hair loss

I have been diagnsed with an aggressive large-cell non-Hodgkins lymphoma and received chemotherapy from June until September. My chemo included Adriamycin. I had two hair transplant procedure years ago and they have thinned. What should I do?

It might be worth trying minoxidil topically on the area where you lost hair. You will have to give it 8-12 months to see a benefit.


2017-05-02 09:26:28Diagnosed with cancer and treated with chemotherapy, now have hair loss

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DHT and Testosterone Blood Levels and Effectiveness of Finasteride

I’m male, 23. It’s been one month since I started to take finasteride (1/4th of a proscar pill) and my DHT levels are just as high as they were before I started. I still experience shedding, and it seems like it worsened. Scalp is itchy. I don’t have any photos though (it’s not that bad yet)

January 2017: (before fin)

Testosterone 10.000 ng/ml (reference values: 1.420 – 9.230) HIGH

Dihydrotestosterone 832.18 pg/ml (reference values: 250.00 – 990.00)

April 2017: (1 month after taking fin)

Testosterone 9.580 ng/ml (reference values: 1.420 – 9.230) HIGH

Dihydrotestosterone 824.78 pg/ml (reference values: 250.00 – 990.00)

What do you think this might be? A fake fin (proscar)? I will buy a generic produced in Hungary to test this theory.

If new generic fin won’t help me as well, I guess I will try Avodart.

I think that you are on the wrong track. The effect of finasteride is to compete with the effects of DHT at the 5-Alpha Reductase enzyme level in the hair follicles. This competition is generally only 70% effective. Your gene activities is what is propelling your hair loss. Think of it as a ‘tug-of-war’ with one side being the genes + hormones + hair follicles, and the other side being the drug finasteride blocking the hormones through its action on the 5-Alpha Reductase enzyme at the hair follicle level. If the ‘action of the drug’ is stronger than the effects of the genes + hormones + hair follicles, the you can slow down the hair loss or even reverse it. But if your genes are more powerful in this tug-of-war’ you keep losing hair.

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DHT in Women

What can you tell me about a product called Ayuervedic. I am a 57 year old African American Female, who has had extensie hair loss since age 20 after a perm. I have been wearing a wig. I have recently met someone I like very much, but I am so ashamed of him learning that I wear a wig because, I am bald.

When will the FDA make drugs available to be purchased by perscription for hair loss? It is my belief that most people who suffer from hair loss, just like acne suffers, are very stressed. In this society we are so judged by appearences that some of us are getting ill from the stress hair loss can cause.

Also can you eloberate on what chemicals in the body cause imbalance. What chemicals cause DHT.

Thank you

It is my understanding Ayuervedic is a holistic approach to health care. I am not very familiar with it other than it is likely a natural supplement type of product. It is not a medicine.

The only FDA approved hair loss medication is topical minoxidil and oral finasteride (Propecia). Propecia is only approved for male patients because it works by blocking DHT formation. DHT is a naturally occuring hormone that is a breakdown of testosterone. Although women also have DHT and testosterone in their body, most causes of hair loss in women are not related to DHT. Even in rare instances that DHT is a factor in a woman’s hair loss, the use of finasteride (Propecia) is probitited in women due to possible birth defects. At 57 years young, I suspect you may not be thinking of becoming pregnant, but Propecia is still restricted for use in woman. Furthermore, DHT is not likely the cause of your hair loss so Propecia would not work for you.

If you are concerned about hair loss, you should make an appointment with your primary care doctor first to rule of any medical causes. If you are still not satisfied, you may consult with a hair transplant doctor. The most important advice or opinion I have for your case is to be honest with your new friend. It is embarassing especially for women to disclose their hair loss, but if your relationship is to blossom it may be one of the first steps.


2006-04-11 08:37:08DHT in Women