Dr. William Rassman – Page 1099

May 9, 2011

Hair Regrew After Chemo, Then Fell Out Again – Balding Blog

I hope you can help me…I finished chemo about 15months ago & my hair did start to grow back, a little thinner but at least it was growing..in the last 2 to 3 months it’s started to fall out again, not clumps but a few strands at a time, mainly on the top & very noticeable. I have been using Nioxin shampoo & conditioner for the last month but nothing seems to be happening…have you heard of this before??? Please can you help me.

I would need to see you and learn what kind of cancer was being treated, what medications you were taking, what medications are you now taking, etc. Your best answer to the question you posed is to have a deep conversation with you oncologist. Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful, but I’m afraid you gave me no information to work with.

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May 9, 2011

I’m Worried My Japanese Shampoo Could Have Radiation! – Balding Blog

hi
I have a serious hair loss problem and recently i came to know about kamino moto and i’ve been using it so far and i feel really good about it because it is a good solution for my dandruff but my question is now i am little bit scared to use it because it comes from japan and don’t know whether this product has been contaminated by radiation so please let me know all about this situation.
thank you

Unless your shampoo was made in close proximity to the Fukushima nuclear plant, I think you are overreacting and contributing to the hype of unfounded radiation scare. But if you are scared, there is a simple solution: Don’t use it. Does the bottle have a manufactured date on it? When did you purchase it? That might help set your mind at ease.

Also worth noting — the US FDA has been testing products imported from Japan, and other countries also considered radiation testing (the article is from right after the earthquake in Japan, so I don’t know what testing has taken place in the past couple months).

May 6, 2011

Hair Loss InformationIn the News – Experimenting with Latisse – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

“I just put three or four drops on each side of my temple once a day,” said Mr. Paduda, 32, an insurance worker from Boca Raton, Fla. “The hair in that area, which was real thin and wispy — all those hairs got thick again, dark.”

Mr. Paduda is one of a growing number of men experimenting with Latisse as an antidote to encroaching baldness. Made by Allergan, the drug has already won a following among women for helping them grow long, fluttery eyelashes. It was only a matter of time before it made the leap to denuded pates.

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Read the full story at NY Times – New Stratagems in the Quest for Hair

Latisse Latisse (bimatoprost) is expensive and comes in small quantities (it’s an eyelash growth medication), but people are experimenting with using it for hair growth. It’s a prescription medication, so you’ll need to find a doctor willing to prescribe it… and have the financial means necessary to keep up with the $150/mo cost for a small quantity.

The article also briefly gets into hair cloning, and mentions that my colleague Dr. Robert Bernstein believes hair cloning to be commercially available within a decade.

May 6, 2011

Hair Loss InformationEasiest Color for SMP? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hey Dr. Rassman,

Is it easier to treat a scalp with micropigmentation if the hair is black?

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There is no color that is easier to apply than another. Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP) does tend to look better on darker (black, brown, olive) skinned men with darker hair (black or brown), as the contrast difference between hair and skin color is lower than if the skin was white.

Men with red hair or blond hair still have grey follicles that you see when they shave their beard and scalp hair.

For more information see our SMP FAQ.

May 6, 2011

Does Any Surgeon Do the Entire Transplant Without Techs? – Balding Blog

I’m looking for a hair transplant surgeon who does both harvesting and transplanting. I don’t want a doctor who harvests only and lets technicians do the transplanting, as happened in my wife’s case.

Surgical staff In the United States, virtually all hair transplant surgery is done with a doctor and his staff of technicians. The doctor harvests the donor hair grafts and makes the recipient sites. The technicians process the donor grafts (under a microscope) and feeds it into the recipient sites that that doctor has premade. Without this teamwork the entire surgery would be too cumbersome for one doctor to accomplish. There is a misconception that the technicians are controlling where the hairs are implanted, but the direction, the angle, and the distribution of hair is predetermined by the doctor.

In short, the planning is more important than the execution and to succeed you need great teamwork. Thus, the consumers (patients) should be aware that when they choose a hair transplant doctor, they should also ask about the staff/technician and the overall reputation of the clinic (not only the doctor).

Here are some past articles that might be of interest to you, related to technicians in hair restoration surgery:

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May 6, 2011

Hair Loss Information » I’m 2 Months Into My Fourth Pregnancy and Suddenly Seeing Hair Loss – Balding Blog

I recently found out that i’m pregnant, i’m about two months along now…and I noticed that about two months ago I started having hair loss more than normal. My hair has gotten significantly thinner. I went to the dermatologist and she said it’s most likely from low iron. I’ve been pregnant three times before and have never had this issue. If it is from being anemic, I was wondering what the result would be if I got an abortion, will the hair loss stop or get worse or stay the same?

Hair loss in pregnancy is relatively common and it’s generally a temporary phenomenon, usually changing course a few months after you give birth. Abortion or miscarriage can also cause added stress-induced hair loss. Please follow up with your doctor.

May 5, 2011

Hair Loss InformationThe Sides of My Head Look Thin When Wet – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Doctor,

When my hair is wet, I can see thinning on the sides and back although it is still thicker than the top. I had taken SSRI’s in high school to treat an incredibly difficult case of OCD that left me very emotionally messed up for several years. Since then, I thinned out gradually most of which is over the top of my head and now I’m noticing some on the sides. Could it be that the medications and high stress situations have lead to sort of premature senile alopecia, or maybe took away many life cycles my follicles had because of such a hard time in my life?

I have been on propecia for about 15 months and it’s hard to tell if it’s doing much, maybe it’s slowing down the progression but I have avoided minox because of people claiming it causes skin problems and other serious side effects, luckily I haven’t had that problem with propecia. If the hairloss is due to this and I wasn’t destined for MPB (baldness in family is extremely limited, maternal grandfather was maybe a NW3/4 but had strong sides and back in his 80’s) could it just be that my hair follicles aged prematurely due to the stress and hard times. And if this is the case, is there anything I can do at this point or do I just cross my fingers and hope something like what Histogen is doing works?

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There might be something going on, but given your history of OCD, medication, and stress, without examining you I can not render you a good opinion. If I examined you, I would perform two tests that might just nail the problem. These tests would be:

Bulk measurements of your hair in different parts of your head with a specialized instrument
Miniaturization studies on the different parts of your scalp

In addition, I would be able to take a careful history from you and also use my clinical skills to understand your exact situation. Simply put, you can not get a good assessment without a personal interview and examination.

May 5, 2011

Would an Eyebrow Comb Cause Eyebrow Loss? – Balding Blog

Hello Dr,
I was wondering if stroking your eyebrow with an eyebrow comb can cause hair loss in the brow to the point where it gets incredibly sparse? In an attempt to shape my brows in the morning I comb them say maybe ten times or so to get them just right and then sometimes more so throughout the day. Well certain days I see anywhere from two to four hairs that look weak and then fall out. I used to brush them quite often as a teen and this would never happen but as of late (I am in my twenties) they fall out when I do this and I was wondering if you think this is the cause or could it be something else? I did have thyroid levels checked and they were fine. Thank you for your time.

I wouldn’t think that gently combing your eyebrows in it of itself will cause hair loss. Traction alopecia can possibly occur from the process you are describing if you’re pulling on the eyebrows… and the hairs you see falling out may indicate that what you are doing is too much. I really couldn’t pinpoint the cause for you, unfortunately. As some men and women age, they lose the outer edge of their eyebrows due to unknown reasons.

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May 4, 2011

I’m a Class 2 Right Now, But What If I Have Surgery and The Loss Progresses? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am 31 years old, and have Stage 2 hair loss. It’s not major yet. I am missing maybe one inch on each side.

My question, if I get a hair transplant – and fix those two small spots, what happens if my hair recedes further? Won’t it look horrible to have two spots of hair up front and continual loss behind it? how is this situation remedied without further surgery?

Again, I’m stage 2 – not bad at all, maybe an inch pushed back so far. Thank you!

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This is why a Master Plan is needed before you have your hair transplant surgery, so you can build a plan with your doctor about how to address a worst case scenario of further progression of your hair loss.

I will usually recommend that my male patients stay on finasteride to help prevent the loss from continuing (or at least slowing it down considerably), but ultimately, progression of the hair loss is a risk and probably a reality for balding men sooner or later.

May 4, 2011

How Soon After a Transplant Can I Use Toppik? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I just had a 2000+ graft transplant 5 days ago. I trust my doctor implicitly and felt his staff was wonderful and professional.

My question is regarding post-op care. There doesn’t seem to be a consensus among surgeons. I suspect this is because good evidenced based studies are lacking but I was particularly curious for an opinion regarding concealing products like Toppik. I’ve heard ranges regarding safe use from 2 days post op to 1 year. Seemed like quite a range? Do you have an opinion? Thanks.

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Generally you can use hair camouflaging products, such as Toppik, as soon as the scabbing is gone. That depends upon your cleaning technique or just the type of instruments your surgeon used during the procedure. If the granules get under scabs, they will act like a foreign body.

Refer to your transplant surgeon, of course.