Dr. William Rassman – Page 1180

June 15, 2010

Increased Semen Volume from Propecia? – Balding Blog

Hi Doc. Rassman. Thank you for this blog! The best!

I’ve been taking propecia for 10 months. Ok results. But I was wondering. Have you ever heard about people who have seen an increase in the amount of semen when ejaculating? In the last 3 months I’ve seen an massive increase in the amount of semen.

Best regards

Semen Nope, I have not had any reports from patients that the amount of semen increased with the drug Propecia.

There is a known side effect of decreased ejaculate volume from finasteride, though I believe that was only found in less than 1% of users.

June 14, 2010

Hair Loss InformationAddhair – Hair Weaving – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have heard that there is a new technology call ADDHAIR. It adds fake hair to receding hair lines, balding areas etc. They said people can go swimming and engage in everyday activities with it. They also provide saloon service to make sure the Added hair and the still growing real hair blend together nicely. It’s expensive I think. What do you think?

Addhair site

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Hair weaves have been around for years and Addhair doesn’t appear to be any new “technology” judging from their website.

I recall one company that attached individual strands of synthetic hair to individual hair shafts used a specially developed clip. As your natural hair would grow, the clipped synthetic hair would be pushed forward with your natural growing hair. That particular company charged $50,000 for the first application and then monthly charges to keep up with the advancement of the hair. For weaves, the same things happens as your hair grows out: the weaved hair advances with your natural hair.

The problem with these techniques is that the weaves tend to cause traction alopecia (hair loss from the pulling of the weaves). The weaves can look great, but with hair loss as a complication of them, you need to beware. Costs are also very high for weaves.

June 14, 2010

I Started Seeing Scalp Hair Loss Right As My Chest Hair Grew In – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Firstly, I would like to express my gratitude for this incredible site. It has really been incredibly helpful. I just have a couple questions I’ve had difficulty finding the answers to.

1) I’ve read that the appearance of chest hair is an indicator that DHT is working on your body. Would that mean that people who have MPB would begin experiencing hairloss around the same time that they notice chest hairs growing out?

2) Recently I’ve noticed that my own hairline has been receding in the corners quite a bit. I know this may just be the effects of a maturing hairline, but i fear that since it is occuring so early (I am a 17 year old caucasian male)my chances of eventually going completely bald are greatly increased. Is this typically the case?

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You are correct in stating DHT is responsible for male chest hair growth, but it does not mean when you start seeing chest hair growth you will start seeing male pattern baldness. Things do not happen so synchronously. In fact, the appearance of chest and beard hair have independent cycles, just as the hair loss associated with genetic hair loss. So if you’re seeing your hairline start to recede just as your chest hair starts growing in, it is just a coincidence.

Male pattern balding can start at the onset of puberty, but you cannot say you have an increased chance of going bald just because you noticed some front corner hairs thinning. Best to see a doctor, and get your hair mapped out for miniaturization, which will show early signs of genetic balding if that is what you have.

June 14, 2010

Does Minoxidil Have Sexual Side Effects? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Doctor

Can topical Minoxidil affect the sex desire, impotence or the erections ability of someone? Are there any facts, or have you heard something about that?

Thank you in advance.

Nope, sexual side effects are not from minoxidil. Chest pain, rash, increased heart rate… those are related to minoxidil. A full list of side effects can be found here.

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June 14, 2010

Hairs Never Fell Out Months After My Transplant – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dr. Rassman:
Thank you for your service to this country when you served in the US Army. I am a 26 year old male who recently had a hair transplant procedure in late March which involved about 1,500 follicles (FUE). Immediately after the surgery I noticed tiny hairs throughout my frontal area where I have been experiencing thinning for the past few years. I was told by my doctor that these tiny hairs were normal and that they would likely fall out in 2-4 weeks. It has now been about 2.5 months since the procedure and I believe I still maintain about 80% of these tiny hairs. Is this a bad sign for future growth? Will these hairs retard growth? Please let me know. Thanks.

I’d ignore these hairs. If they are the same length as the day they were put in, they will eventually fall out and new hair will grow from the transplants. Some people keep these beard-like hairs for months after a hair transplant and there is nothing to read into this observation. They aren’t a sign of future growth in a positive or negative sense.

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June 11, 2010

Using a Hair Relaxer While Alopecia Areata is in Remission – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Since last year I have been experiencing hair loss. I am a 49 year old african american female who in December 2009 had a noticeable bald spot that began appearing at the left side of my crown. From December until January 2010 the spot began to move from one side to another and then became quite bad. I finally went to see a physician who diagnosed me with autoimmune disease and alopecia. He prescribe a topical steroid (betamethasone dipropiontate lotion) and encouraged to take biotin. The back of the hair has grown back and now between a nickle and a quarter spot still remains at the crown. I am experiencing hair growth and to the roots it is quite coarse.

Would you recommend that I put a kiddie relaxer in it to get some of the thickness straighten out?

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Kiddie relaxer If you are asking whether a hair relaxer will help or make your condition worse, I would guess “no” to both. If you are asking if a hair relaxer will help with your look, that’s a styling question and I would rather leave that up to you.

As far as I know, hair relaxer for kids contains the same chemicals as hair relaxer for adults, but it is just marketed differently. In other words, you still run the risk of causing chemical damage.

June 11, 2010

Asian Hair Transplants – Balding Blog

Dr. Rassman, I noticed few before/after photos of Asian males. I am an Asian male that has typical Asian hair which sticks straight out. Is this not an ideal hair type for hair transplants? I would assume it would be hard to cover a scar. thanks!

On rare occasions, some Asians with coarse straight hair may have hair that points upward. This is not common, but when it happens, the hair from strip surgery may have to be longer if a scar greater than 3mm is created (~5% risk). Alternative for this, of course, is follicular unit extraction (FUE), where there is no linear scar present.

Most (better than 95%) Asians have results as shown in the referenced posts below and we perform a great number of such surgeries as a matter of routine. It is worth noting that we only post the patients that have signed photo releases, so if there are few Asian patients posted it is because they simply don’t wish to have their photos made public.

June 11, 2010

Baldness and the Red Hair Gene? – Balding Blog

Ive read some on the red hair color dominant gene.

In your experience, is there any link as to that gene and baldness? Meaning – if I have a red hair gene that came from my fathers mother, am I more likely to get the bald gene from his side of the family as well?

Nope, there is no direct connection between hair color and balding. The genes are separate.

There is some interesting reading here about hair on Wikipedia.

June 11, 2010

I Started 3 Hair Loss Treatments At the Same Time – Balding Blog

Dear Dr Rassman,

I have been reading your posts for sometime. Thank you for your informative answers to many questions that I myself have had in the past but have never asked.

I am a 38 year old male who noticed diffuse thinning approximately 2 years ago. This was accompanied by a greasy scalp and some itching as well, particularly in the evening when the greasiness was at it’s worse. I had NEVER had a greasy scalp prior to this. My wife cuts my hair so she noticed my hair was definitely thinning for the past 2 years. I started propecia 8 months ago, nizoral 1% daily as well as polysorbate 80+tsal(3% salicylic acid shampoo) daily. I started to notice results after approximately 4 or 5 months. My wife has noticed that my hair has definitely thickened up and is no longer showing the “see through” that it used to in the past. She estimates that my hair has improved by 50% in terms of thickness and texture.

My question is…is it only the propecia which is causing this stabilization/regrowth or is the nizoral+polysorbate having some effect. I have DEFINITELY noticed that after approximately a month of using the 2 shampoos, my hair was no longer greasy as it used to be. I have read articles on the internet on polysorbate 80 and was wondering what the general consensus is on the material. Thanks!

Crystal ball I am not a fortune teller. You started 3 separate hair treatments and now you are stuck not knowing if one, two, or even all three were the reason you saw improvement. Still another possibility is that none of the treatments worked and it was just a matter of being patient while the hair regrew, because maybe you didn’t have genetic male pattern baldness to begin with. Maybe you had telogen effluvium and it was self-limiting and the hairs grew back on their own (as it typically takes 6 to 12 months).

In other words, I really do not know… and this is why I generally recommend only using one treatment at a time, or you’ll end up “addicted” to all of them, too worried that if you stop one you’ll lose the benefits. This is also the reason why I tell readers to start with a good diagnosis. See a doctor before starting medications. Scientifically document before and after with a miniaturization study. I suppose if you are brave, stop one of the three and see what happens.

As for polysorbate 80, I’ve commented on that before here.

June 10, 2010

If I Stick With Finasteride, Will the Side Effects Eventually Go Away? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Doctor. I have been on a generic finasteride that I bought from Mexico (manufactured by SBL Pharmaceuticals) for about three weeks now. I think I’m suffering from sexual side effects. But I’m not sure if it’s due to psychological stress or finasteride. My question is can I beat the side effects of the pill if I stick with the daily regimen? My biggest problem is getting and maintaining an erection (I have also lost morning wood). Thanks for your reply.

I am not familiar with finasteride from Mexico (sounds like the same stuff I wrote about recently), but I will assume it is the same as Propecia (finasteride 1mg).

The side effect you are experiencing occurs in 1 to 2% of men who take finasteride, and are reversible once you stop taking it. The side effects could also go away if you continue taking it over a period of weeks or months, but you won’t know until you try.

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