Month: January 2023

Posted on

Can a Younger Patient Have SMP First, Then Have a Hair Transplant Years Later If Hair Loss Progresses?

Hey Doc,

Regarding the order of SMP and a HT (either FUE or Strip) – is an order of procedures preferred or needed? Specifically, if a younger candidate with the beginnings of thinning hair wanted to get SMP first to “fill in” some thin spots while anticipating the need of a HT procedure down the road, would the ink from the SMP hurt the recipient area? Thanks so much!

There is no real anatomical risk to the Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP); however, there is something that we call the Master Plan that you need to discuss with your doctor, which includes planning for SMP and hair transplants.

If you want us to be your doctor, please contact my office at 800-NEW-HAIR and send me some good photos. I will be happy to offer you a free consultation and keep your photos confidential.

Posted on

Can a woman take finasteride for thinning hair?

Post-menopausal women (50% of the feml population) often develop hair loss or diffuse thinning. Finasteride works well in some of these women; however, when a pre-menopausal woman has this condition, it may not work very well. In addition, pre-menopausal women have significant risks with this drug if they become pregnant so they should not take it with that risk over their head.

Posted on

Can a tight bun cause hair loss?

Tight pulling on the hair from a tightly pulled bun, like a tight ponytail, might cause traction alopecia if it is done over a long period of time


2021-10-14 05:49:34Can a tight bun cause hair loss?

Posted on

Can a Straightening Iron Permanently Damage Hair?

Hi, would just like to say firstly that I have found your site really helpful and informative, thanks! I’m an 18 year old female, currently straighten my fringe every day and I’m really concerned that this will cause permanent damage. I know that straightening can make hair brittle, causing it to fall out until a new one grows, but I read somewhere that heat from straightening irons can travel up the hair shaft and burn the follicle, meaning the hair will never grow back. Is it possible to damage the follicles like this? I have had a look through the site but can’t find a definite answer. Thanks.

Straightening your hair everyday will make the hair brittle, as you already know. However, it will not kill your hair follicles, which are below the skin and not impacted by hot irons and the like. On the other hand, chemical straighteners could kill the hair roots if used improperly.

Posted on

Can a Skin Irritation Trigger Alopecia Areata?

Hi Doctor thank you for your help. Can skin irritations trigger Alopecia Areata? I have read many different articles about the triggers of AA but it is still confusing. I see certain chemicals and allergies might trigger another spot. It is hard for me to understand if skin irritations or skin allergies are really enough to do this. Also are there irregular shaped spots or are the spots always round. Thank you for your time.

Alopecia areata can often be spontaneous, but some have tried to connect allergic reactions to it. I really don’t know though, to be honest. The spots can appear singular or at multiple locations, regular or irregular and they can change in size and grow larger.

For more info on alopecia areata, I recommend visiting the National Alopecia Areata Foundation site.


2012-03-23 11:06:40Can a Skin Irritation Trigger Alopecia Areata?

Posted on

Can a person have both Norwood balding + DUPA ?

Yes, both can simultaneously. That means that if you have DUPA, you should never have a hair transplant because the grafts will eventually fail sooner than later.


2020-07-21 14:24:25Can a person have both Norwood balding + DUPA ?

Posted on

Can a Man Have Hairline Lowering at 20 Years Old?

Hello Doctor,

I’m a 20 year-old male with what I consider to be a high hairline (7cms from brow ridge to hairline). I know it falls between the male average of 6-8cms, but I have rather effeminate features that cause it to look disproportionate.

I recently talked to a highly regarded hair transplant specialist in my area to inquire about lowering my hairline with a hair transplant. He told me that my hairline was fine, and if I did go through with a transplant it would look fake and I would be very unhappy with it. Is this true? Or is it just because of the risk of further balding later in life?

Decisions like this are made between the doctor and the patient. As for whether any surgery would look fake, I suppose that depends on the skill of the surgeon. But if your doctor is recommending you not have a procedure, I’d defer to him. If you want a second opinion, I am unable to give you one over the internet.

I am generally averse to doing any hair transplant or hairline lowering process on someone who might be balding in their future. At 20 years old, it probably wouldn’t be in your best interest.

Posted on

Can a Holistic Approach Stop My Hair Loss?

Hi Dr. Rassman,

Thanks so much for your site.

I am a 26 year old male in Toronto, Canada, experiencing what seems to be a Norwood 3V hair loss pattern. When my hair is dry no scalp can be seen but when it is wet the scalp can be seen at the crown. I’ve noticed slow thinning/falling out of the crown hairs over the past 2 years or so. I don’t want the situation to get any worse, but before I get a miniaturization map done or start propecia etc., I wanted to know if a change in diet is likely to either stop the hair loss or even stimulate hair growth. An internet article I found at https://www.holistic-online.com/Remedies/Hair/hair_loss-nutrition.htm says taking high doses of Vitamins B, C, E, Zinc, Magnesium etc. and eliminating animal proteins from the diet has been proven to be effective in many cases in stopping hair loss or even stimulating hair growth. Are these claims true? If not, what are my options?

Also, do you know any good scalp dermatologists who could perform the miniaturization map in Toronto?

Many thanks for your time.

Holistic medicine has not been proven to reverse hair loss. I can not give you a doctor reference, but I would suggest using the physician search at ISHRS.org to find a doctor in your area. Be sure to do your research.

Posted on

Can a higher dose of finasteride sometimes work better than the 1mg dose?

I have seen a few patients who have responded better to finasteride at a higher dose, suggesting that that particular individual just needed a higher dose. If you understand Bell Curves, the 1mg dose determined as the ideal dose by Merck in their original studies used a Bell Curve to make that determination. We can sit on either side of that Bell Curve as we find the ideal dose of finasteride for us.

[If you have any questions, you can reach me at williamrassman33@gmail.com]

Posted on

Can a Hat Cause Hair Loss and Fungus?

Can you get fungus on your head from wearing a hat all the time for too long that results in your hair falling out?

A fungus spreads from person to person. A hat worn by a person with a fungus could transmit the fungus as the hat is shared with another. Fungal infections love warm, moist environments and if you sweat from the hat that is carrying a fungus, you may get it. Depending on the fungus, hair loss could result. These are all longshots, but they are possibilities.


2008-08-20 15:01:05Can a Hat Cause Hair Loss and Fungus?