Author: Dr. William Rassman

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Accutane

I began to lose my hair in the frontal region of my head, shortly after beginning to take accutane. Is there any thing that will help?

Hair loss from Accutane is a known side effect. First you must weigh the options of stopping the Accutane. Your doctor should be able to help you make the right decision. The lost hair may return, so you need some time to observe what happens. If the hair does not come back within 8-12 months, then you might need a complete evaluation with a doctor like me, who specializes in hair loss.

I have previously discussed Accutane on my blog, which can be found below:

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Abnormal Cholesterol and Lipids in Men with Genetic Hair Loss

In a recent issue of the Hair Transplant Forum, Dr. Jeff Donovan reported a review of the literature which showed that “Levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and HDL levels were compared between those with AGA (genetic hair loss) and controls. Results showed that total cholesterol, TG, and LDL levels were significantly higher in individuals with AGA and HDL levels were lower.”

We have known for some time that men with AGA seem to have more heart disease than other men without genetic hair loss. It was particularly notable with men who had crown balding had more heart disease than the comparable genetic balding peers. In April 2012, baldingblog reported that heart disease was 32% higher in men with genetic balding (https://baldingblog.com/2013/04/08/in-the-news-balding-men-32-more-likely-to-have-coronary-heart-disease/).

My advise to balding men, particularly for those reading this on baldingblog.com, is that for those of you over 40 years of age and every five years thereafter, you should get a coronary artery scan for calcium (it is a CAT scan) which picks up early coronary aging. For 70% of men, the first symptom of heart disease is death, so take this advice and put it into your overall preventive health picture as you will never know that you had heart disease when you drop dead. All of my friends and family over the age of 40 have had this test at my insistence, including myself. What I learned about myself, will save my life and hopefully allow me to match my grandfather’s age, when he died, at 102.

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Adderall and Finasteride Interaction?

Do you think a stimulant like Adderall can interact with finasteride in an undesireable way? I have been on finasteride 1mg a day for 6 months with no problems and great results. I started using Adderall for ADHD and I reacted very severely. I lost a huge amount of hair, broke out with acne, started to sweat, grind my teeth at night, and have testicle aches. From what I’ve read and from people I’ve talked to that isn’t common. Is the fact that finasteride and Adderall both influence what your hormones are doing in your body a reason to believe they were a bad combination?

Thanks.

We get questions like these all the time. What you are describing sounds pretty severe, so I would consult with your doctor and follow up on your symptoms to figure out what is going on. The internet is a great source of information, but be warned that it is also a source of misinformation. Talk to a professional in person — best to talk to a caring and competent doctor.

To answer the first question though… no, these two medications do not interact.


2010-09-23 14:57:53Adderall and Finasteride Interaction?

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Accutane and Hair Transplants

Can you receive or do you recommend getting a hair transplant while on Accutane (isotretinoin)? My understanding is that the drug disrupts cell division and skin regeneration. Will this delay healing?

Yes, having a hair transplant while you are on Accutane it is not a good idea. You should wait a year without the drug ensure that the transplants will work and grow well. There is no point in spending money and your donor hair if you are not going to have good results.

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Actor Kelsey Grammer’s Hair

Hi Dr. Rassman.
I wanted to ask your opinion of Kelsey Grammer’s hair – maybe it’s my imagination but he seems to have more hair lately than he used to. Do you think he may have had a transplant? If so, how many grafts would you estimate?

Recent photo and Older photo

The comparison photos do look like Kelsey Grammer (known for his work in sitcoms Frasier and Cheers) has more hair in recent years, but I cannot determine if he had a hair transplant.

But assuming that he did, if I had to make a guess of how many grafts he may have received to attain the look in the photo… I’d say more than a 1000 but less than 3000. Yeah, sort of a wild guess. The photos I’ve found make it difficult to really see his hair perfectly without image compression or different lighting conditions.

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Acupressure / Rubbing Fingernails Cures Hair Loss?

I can tell that you’re not big into homeopathic treatments (can’t say I blame you), but someone sent me this after I started losing some hair in my crown and I found it to be so completely ridiculous that I wanted to share. Apparently pressure points (Accupressure) under the fingernails will cause your hair to grow. I’d love your comments on this:

Yahoo India – Can rubbing of nails increase hair growth?

Thanks!

I just responded to a similar question regarding acupuncture earlier this week. I realize there are many people that swear by acupuncture or acupressure to relieve everything from headaches to constipation to sleep disorders (of course, I’m not saying I’d recommend it), but regrowing hair by touching your fingernails? That’s a new one to me. It makes no sense, but feel free to rub your fingernails and let me know the results.


2008-05-16 16:34:58Acupressure / Rubbing Fingernails Cures Hair Loss?

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Actor Charlie Sheen’s Hair Loss

Any comments on Charlie Sheen? These shaved down pics would indicate he probably wears a hairpiece. I am more interested, however, in if that frontal patch seems to be a thick transplant to enhance a natural look from the hair system?

Photos: without and with

thanks

Charlie Sheen

The shaved photos of his head show that he has a strong frontal forelock (just like talk show host David Letterman) and shows a classic Norwood 3 balding pattern. When the forelock is strong, it may last into his old age. I would also have to assume that he wears a hairpiece, which is what we are looking at in the second picture.


2010-04-27 15:30:59Actor Charlie Sheen’s Hair Loss

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Actor Patrick Stewart Discusses Balding on BBC (with Video)

Here’s an inspirational interview with Patrick Stewart (of Star Trek fame) conducted by the BBC. I think you will enjoy watching it, I know I did. Stewart talks openly about his experience with balding, dating and hair pieces.

Thank you for sending this! I wish I could embed the video below, but it’s been disabled. You’ll have to click the link to go directly to YouTube —

Parkinson: Patrick Stewart – Baldness.

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Acne, Dandruff, Hair Loss, and the Unexplained Mysteries of the World

I believe acne and dandruff and hair loss are related. They are all caused by cells that go through their cellular life cycle at much faster rates than normal. How can this be denied?

I believe Bigfoot, the Yeti, and the Loch Ness monster are all related. They’re unexplained mysteries that can’t be proven. How can my claim be denied?

Honestly, it is very easy to deny something and much harder to prove something. Show me scientific proof and I won’t deny your theory.