Author: Dr. William Rassman

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Hair Loss InformationAre Companies Restricted from Providing Ongoing Clinical Trial Info? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Will aderans send out an update on what they are doing or there progress so far with their phase two study? Do they have to keep their trials confidential or are there rules that restrict them from giving out information before the trials are complete?

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Update: See this post

AderansI think the FDA frowns upon companies that release information prematurely, which may impact the ability of those companies to get the FDA clearance they need from clinical trials. While I don’t know about legal restrictions, I doubt any company would want to publish such information early. These companies have a difficult task of balancing what their investors want to know (to keep those that supply the money happy), and the need for good science. Revealing too much before the clinical trials are concluded doesn’t seem to be in their best interest, as reading an incomplete study is essentially like watching a movie with the ending cut off. Lots of things could change by the end.

I don’t have any info on Aderans specifically, but here’s their page about Phase 2 study info.

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Trichodynia – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’ve been having weird pains in my scalp for the past 4 months or so and have noticed my hair is now thinning. I went to my physician and he mentioned something called trichodynia, though he told me it is just a theory and is not fully accepted by most doctors. I’ve never heard of it before and looked it up on Wikipedia. I wanted to know if you’ve heard of trichodynia and if you think there could be an association between hair loss and scalp pain, or if it could just be coincidental. I’m 34 years old and have just a mature hairline with no loss up until a few months ago when this pain started.

Also, I found this recent article about trichodynia on Google News

Thanks

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Hair pullI do not know the cause of your scalp pain. I have heard some patients complain about scalp pain when they have hair loss, but I had little to offer them. Trichodynia has some interesting ideas behind it, but there’s no proven link between hair loss and scalp pain. This could be a case of a peripheral neuropathy, something that neurologists work with all of the time… or as the reference article says, it could be psychological or caused by a fear of balding.

Peripheral neuropathy is common in diabetics and in some people with certain chronic diseases. It might be caused by medications you take, if you take any. I don’t believe that there is a common theory for this condition.

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Generic Proscar Pill Shapes – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Are any generic Proscar pills any more or less difficult to cut into fourths?

Have you ever noticed/heard of a difference in shape, consistency, etc?

thanks!

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I have heard this complaint about the different shapes/sizes of generic Proscar (finasteride 5mg), with some being more difficult to break up into four equal pieces. Ask your pharmacist to see the generic finasteride pills to determine whether you can cut it easily. The size difference is going to be from various fillers, but the finasteride should be evenly distributed throughout.

I don’t know specific pills that are best for cutting, but that is a great question to pose to our audience. I encourage the readers out there with generic finasteride 5mg experience to write in or leave a comment below.

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I Developed Dandruff After a Chemical Burn – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

(female)
I was burnt by hair chemical 26 months ago. I visited the doctor who advised me to use Clobex shampoo and gave me some pills. This was just for 10 days. I healed immediately. However, 6 months later, I developed scales of dandruff. I wash with Head and Shoulders shampoo for sensitive scalp but it doesnt seem to help me. I have some patches all over my head, the scalp is very itchy. Please help me. What should I do?

Thank you

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It’s been over 2 years since your chemical burn, but I do not know even if there is a connection between that and the dandruff. The timing of the dandruff onset could be coincidental, or perhaps you’re seeing something like psoriasis. Clobex is a psoriasis treatment. Maybe it’s time to see your doctor again.

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MPB on One Side of the Scalp? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Doc!

I was wondering if male pattern baldness can also strike at one side of the scalp?. I’m looking at my hairline almost everyday, it appears to be the same as when i was 15, i’m 19 now, but i’m worried it might be receding really slowly on the left side as it doesn’t seem as strong as the right side of my head. the right side as far as i can tell shows absolutely no signs of receding or miniaturization, it’s really strong!

Kind regards

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Unfortunately, you’re not going to be excited by my response. Be patient. The other side will catch up eventually.

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Hair Loss InformationFo-Ti, PABA, and Solving the Gray Hair Problem – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Mr.Rassman.

I heard a lot about Fo-Ti which is a Chinese herb which gives colour to hair. We can Find it in so many websites now I have two questions.

  1. I am aware that grey hairs cannot be reversed . But If I take Fo-ti atleast can I prevent my existing hairs from truning grey??So many Fo-ti suppliments are available in the market. Please go through the following site which contains the reviews of an over the counter medicine called Shenmin. Folica.com and more information on Shenmin.com
  2. I also heard about PABA which also helps giving colour to hairs. I think that is an FDA approved medicine will it be of some help in preventing my hairs from turning grey? If it is what is the recommended dosage for adults?

Sorry for such a big question. But you know my questions are always long.

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Gray hair

  1. I believe there are just as many Chinese men and women in this world who have gray hair compared to those of other races in other parts of the world, which makes me think that if something as simple as taking a fo-ti supplement really stopped gray hairs, there would be a disproportionate amount of the Chinese population with black hair. That being said, I’m not an herbalist and my opinion on these types of treatments has been generally poor, because there’s really not much regulation on them and most of the claims people attribute to them are old wives’ tales. Here’s an article about fo-ti on About.com that you might find helpful.
  2. Para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) is a chemical found in the folic acid vitamin and also in several foods including grains, eggs, milk, and meat (source: RxList). PABA is reported to be used for giving color back to hair if the graying was caused by stress or malnutrition, but I can’t find any studies to back up the claims and I have no personal experience with it. Because PABA is a supplement, the FDA does not approve, endorse, or verify claims; I also do not approve, endorse, or verify those claims.

Feel free to try these supplements if you want, but always remember that it is a buyer beware market and there is a lot of money to be made on false hopes and promises. Reviewing supplement information online is often quite daunting due to the seemingly hundreds of websites using unproven claims to sell you things, which helps spread the legend and creates a blurred line between what is real and what is fantasy. For further reading, I’ve written about the problems with supplements before.

Photo: CNN’s Anderson Cooper doesn’t mind his gray hair.

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Hair Loss InformationIn the News – US Athlete is Back in the Olympics After Finasteride Ban Lifted – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Zach LundHere’s the original article from 2006 about US athlete Zach Lund, who was banned from competing in the Olympics due to using Propecia.

Well, there’s been an update. Here’s a snippet from the new article:

Lund was informed he had tested positive for a banned drug. He was told he had to leave, immediately. Within minutes, he went from Olympic contender to Olympic exile.

“I had to pack my bags and walk out in front of everybody,” Lund said. “They cut up my credential. I was on top of the world, and then I was out on the street.”

Lund’s transgression? He was trying to preserve his hair. He was using Propecia, as he had for years to stave off baldness. But the main ingredient in Propecia is finasteride, which was on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of prohibited substances as a masking agent for steroids.

Lund, guilty of thinning hair, was labeled a drug cheat and kicked out of the Olympics.

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Read the full article: Bald is beautiful for U.S. skeleton star

Zach is back in the 2010 Winter Olympics, but it’s a shame that he was banned from competing in the 2006 games. He had been taking Propecia for years, informed the Olympic committee about it, and at some point the medication was added to the banned substance list for a brief time. During that brief time, Zach was banned from competing. The ban on finasteride has since been lifted by the World Anti-Doping Agency, but not before Zach lost all the hair that Propecia had been keeping for him.

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Hair Loss InformationMy Hair is Brittle and Thin – Is It Because of Weaves? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am a 35 year aged female who has been wearing weaves for 2 1/2 years. I decided to grow out my perm so I can eventually have only chemical free hair. I have taken out my weave recently and have flat-ironed it to see how long it was and to get an idea on the health of my hair. My hair was not only brittle but very thin.

Is this a result of the sew in weaves? If so, is there anything I can do and/or products I can use to bring the health back to my hear and to a normal thickness? Please advise.

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Sew-in weaves can cause traction hair loss. Constant traction on your hair can cause thinning as it is being progressively damaged. This does not happen 100% of the time, but it is a common problem for women who wear their weaves tight or have a tightly braided hairstyle. If you lose the hair, it may never grow back.

Flat ironing your hair can also cause damage, particularly if it is already weakened from the weave. I would give your hair a full year to see if it recovers. At this point, patience is really the only thing I can recommend.

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Hair Loss InformationRestoring Damaged Hair Roots, Since It Hasn’t Regrown in Over a Year? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

(male) Is there anyway to restore damaged hair root’s to their natural health after a long abuse of hair dye products + straightening? I used to have really thick curly hair but now there is nothing to it, no grasp of elasticity, also it is really fine etc and has been like this for over a year now.

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If you have given your hair about a year to recover and nothing has happened, I suspect there is not much you can do. I suspect you might’ve chemically damaged your hair, but consider the possibility that you may also have a component of genetic balding. Mapping out your hair for miniaturization may help make that diagnosis. If this is the case, there may be medications that may help. See your doctor.

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Hair Loss InformationExcellent Results After Taking Propecia Every Other Day for 2 Years – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have been taking 1mg of propecia every other day for almost 2 years now with excellent results. What are your thoughts on taking 1mg every other day?

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You’re probably not getting the full benefit of the medication (recommended dosage is 1mg daily), but if you’re seeing excellent results, there’s no reason to change that now. I’d only recommend patients switch to partial dosing (usually 0.5mg/day) if they have side effects.