Month: January 2023

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Aminexil and Ovarian Cysts?

Hi Doctor,

Is there a relationship between Aminexil and ovarian cysts? I had an ovarian cystectomy last year and I started using aminexil recently which greatly improved my hair loss situation. However, lately, I’ve been feeling that the cyst may have returned.

I didn’t get it checked yet but I need to know whether to stop Aminexil or not.

I can’t blindly recommend taking or stopping a medication to someone other than my own patients. While many women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) use this drug, it is the condition that tends to produce ovarian cysts, not the aminexil. You’re already under the care of a doctor, so I’d ask him/her what you should do next.

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Americans Haven’t Voted a Bald President Into Office in 51 Years

Lincoln (bald)
16th U.S. President Abraham Lincoln (image manipulated)

In the November 5th issue of TIME Magazine there is an interesting article titled ‘The Bald Truth‘, which talks despairingly about the absence of a full head of hair for a presidential candidate. Not since Dwight Eisenhower in the 1950s and Martin Van Buren in 1836 has any bald man been elected to be president of the United States.

From the article — “The country’s most prolifically failed presidential candidate, Harold Stassen, ran nine times, and in many of those elections he wore a toupee so alarming that the Washington Post thought it resembled a ‘sullen possum that had been dipped in bronze.’”

The essay by Steve Rushin is well written and shows society’s strong prejudice against bald men for political office. Many other such articles back up this position on the need for hair and it is pointed out that “the last time Giuliani was elected to anything (re-elected as mayor of New York City in 1997), he had a scalp full of hair“.

Some years ago when I was doing my radio show, The Inner Man, we had a caller who was vice president of sales for a rather large company. He said that although he was bald, he would never hire a bald man for a senior position. What does that say?

Full article — TIME Magazine – The Bald Truth

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Ambien and Hair Loss

I have been taking Ambien for about 5 month. Over the past 5 months, my hair has receded almost 2 inches from hair line. I could not figure out why until my husband advised me to Google the medicine I was taking. It’s such a relief to see that I am not alone and I have the same symptoms with the tingling, sometimes itchy, scalp. Please tell me that the hair will grow back?

There are no reports indicating that Ambien causes hair loss. Many people taking Ambien may be stressed or have other conditions that can cause hair loss.


2018-08-03 09:25:12Ambien and Hair Loss

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Ambien as a Cause of Hair Loss

In my case, Ambien caused excessive hair loss with scalp irritation. I don’t believe my alarming hair loss and tingly, itchy scalp problems, which began precisely at the same time I started taking Ambien, is just a coincidence. The shedding slowed down dramatically after I stopped taking Ambien as did the scalp discomfort. If this is a generic drug issue versus brand we’ll never know, but I’m willing to bet it is not the latter given it’s unaffordable cost for most of us and the 0% coverage with even the priciest of insurance plans. Try stopping for a week. You have nothing to lose except your hair.

Yes, Ambien is known to cause hair loss. Since you stopped taking Ambien, it seems to prove the cause and effect.


2018-10-10 11:41:49Ambien as a Cause of Hair Loss

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Amazing transplant on a very complicated patient (photo)

This is a remarkable injury from a car accident where this woman lost most of her scalp. The initial surgery to address the loss of her scalp was with the use of split-thickness skin grafts (left photo), probably taken from her thigh or abdomen. The grafts covered the skull so that the skull didn’t die off; however, her look was clearly abnormal as you can tell in the middle photo. You can see the brusing of the split-thickness grafts. I imagine she probably used a wig to cover the deformity shown below.

Dr. Felix Popescu, from Bucharest, did approximately 3500 grafts to cover the deformity and give her back her hair. The photos below only show before and after extending 2 days, but the skin looks viable, suggesting this surgery might work. The zoomed-in view shows that a good blood supply is available to the grafts. Split-thickness skin grafts don’t have an infrastructure to support much beyond the skin grafts. I hope he will send me follow-up photos over the next few days and eventually of the final results. I greatly admire his skill and courage in tackling such a difficult case.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Surgery performed by Felix Popescu, M.D.

Dr. Felix Hair Implant
Soseaua Nordului, No. 98 G
Bucharest, Romania, 14104

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Am I Under-Qualified to Be a Hair Restoration Technician?

I have received a job offer that seams to good to be true. I responded to and add for an administrative assistant listing and at the interview they offered me a position as a hair restoration technician. I believe that I am under- qualified with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Business. Is it customary to only hire women technicians? How do I know if this job is legit?

Training for a hair transplant technician takes considerable time and to become proficient once the skills are learned, may take a few years. If the doctor has experience training technicians and you like the detailed work that is involved, then you can embark on this as a career move. I would hope that the doctor who offered you the position does not let you loose and expect that you will become an instant member of the surgical team, making many mistakes along the learning path. It often helps if you have some medical assistant training so you understand the sterile technique process.


2009-07-01 10:16:28Am I Under-Qualified to Be a Hair Restoration Technician?