Author: Dr. William Rassman

Posted on

In the News – Finasteride and Breast Cancer – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

New warnings will be added to the packaging of Finasteride after five men in Britain taking the drug developed breast cancer.

An analysis by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency found a total of 53 men worldwide on the drug had developed breast cancer.

The report from the MHRA said: “Cases of male breast cancer have been reported for finasteride, and the review suggested that an increased risk of male breast cancer associated with finasteride use cannot be excluded.

“Patients using finasteride products should be advised to promptly report to their doctor any changes in their breast tissue such as lumps, pain or nipple discharge because these may be signs of a serious condition, such as breast cancer.

Block Quote

Read the full article at Telegraph UK

Keep in mind that this is for men taking the 5mg dose of finasteride for use in treating the prostate. The number of male breast cancer patients is so low that making statistical sense out of the data is relatively impossible. Warning labels after 53 men out of over a million men that take the medication developed breast cancer? It seems to me that this will create unnecessary fear by putting a warning right on the packaging, as I don’t believe there are any other warnings listed on the packaging itself (at least not on the US version that I’ve seen). Obviously, 53 out of a MILLION is not something I’d worry about. I have a greater risk of being hit by a car.

Posted on

Tiny White Bumps on My Scalp – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I don’t know what to call this but I have found myself scratching and itching my scalp for the past few years during times of stress such as exams. The reason why I do this is because there are these tiny white bumps on my head that I try to pick at and just continue to do so. My hair has greatly thinned and is more oily. What is this condition called? how do I treat it?

Block Quote

I can not address the white bumps you are talking about without seeing you and them. It could be an infection, folliculitis, dermatitis, or even dandruff. You’ll likely want to see a dermatologist for that, as I can’t simply guess as to what it is or tell you how to treat it.

The hair loss you are experiencing in the areas you are scratching is probably traction alopecia. Some people with dermatillomania (compulsive skin picking) can also have trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling), which leads to permanent hair loss.

Posted on

Switching from Propecia to Generic Finasteride – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I was pretty nervous to make the switch , still am, but decided the cost was too much at this stage, still in college..struggling lol. So i have been on propecia for 2 years, ive been on the generic proscar(from a pharmacy so it should be legit), for a week and a half now and no changes noticeable…my head isnt itching or anything of that sort…nothings changed….now my question is if this generic isn’t working properly, how would i know and when??? Im scared that in a month if the generic isn’t working ill shed everything in a matter of days…is this possible?

Block Quote

If you are taking 1/4 of the 5mg finasteride pill, it will work identical to Propecia. I wouldn’t spend too much time worrying about it, so long as you got the 5mg generic from a trustworthy pharmacy. If you are taking a counterfeit pill, then you will lose the benefits quickly and start seeing hair loss in 1-3 months.

Posted on

Transplanting Hair from the Back of the Neck – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Does the procedures available to transplant hair from along the back of your neck to where you are balding actually work as well as stay in for the duration of your life?

Block Quote

Norwood 7Neck hair is not permanent like the hair of the scalp donor area (the fringe shown in the picture). Transplanting neck hair is not difficult, but if it gets lost over time, it would be a waste. Strip surgery on the neck (used for strip harvesting) tends to produce some of the worst scars seen in transplant surgery.

Posted on

American Crew Hair Recovery System – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

What are your thoughts on the American Crew Trichology “NEVER LOSE” system? Any potential benefits from the ingredients incorporated in the patch or concentrate solution?

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Block Quote

American Crew TrichologyI think “Never Lose” is part of American Crew’s marketing for their “Hair Recovery System”. I wonder if it is in violation of advertising and marketing laws to suggest you’ll “never lose” hair by using their shampoo and a patch. To never lose would suggest a cure for hair loss, which I can guarantee you that this is not. Turns out, the patch contains rosemary, swertia japonica, hops, and silica — so I have no clue where they get off suggesting that this will regrow your hair. The ingredients for the concentrated serum are listed as acrylates copolymer, humulus lupulus (hops), extract, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) extract, swertia, japonica extract, silanediol salicylate, panthenol, butylene glycol, triethanolamine — and again, what research are they using to suggest rosemary and hops will regrow your hair?

Their site is in Flash, so it doesn’t allow linking directly to the Hair Recovery section. If you don’t mind jumping through hoops to check it out, start here and then click Trichology on the left.

Posted on

Is an Eyebrow Transplant Worthwhile? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

My question is whether an eyebrow transplant is worth it or not. I read previously you said that your eyebrows will never look the same regardless of how good the Dr. claims they are. I can’t find the exact post you said that anymore but I know you did. My question is will it look natural, specifically for a man to have done? If not then what’s the point…

Would you personally have an eyebrow transplant if you needed it? Honestly?

One last question does the complete absence of news from follica for such a long time conclude that they failed? This is what I believe but your opinion is obviously better than my own.

Thank you Doc!

Block Quote

Eyebrow transplants work well. They are really valuable for eyebrows that are incomplete, damaged by trauma or picking the hairs out over time. I have done many of these and the results are very good, but there is an art in the transplant process and a technical skill that is very difficult for many doctors. The thing that people might not realize, is that the hair is moved from the back of the head to the eyebrows, so you’ll need to trim those transplanted hairs or your eyebrow hairs will grow as long as those on your scalp.

Regarding Follica, I don’t know much more than what has already been published in the financial statements of the company. Some companies just stay quiet until they have an announcement. Or they fade away. I really don’t know.

Posted on

Why Do Doctors Transplant the Swirl? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

As the vertex eats up so many grafts, why do Dr.s try to transplant without the swirl and simply part the hair. The direction of the top could be forward and the lower half downward. I believe many men would give up the swirl for more coverage, is this possible?

Block Quote

You are correct. The vertex (crown) ‘eats up’ many grafts. In other words, you need more grafts to cover the vertex than to cover the front to make it look full. So doctors generally do not recommend transplanting the vertex and many men give up the swirl for more coverage. But to some men, the vertex is an important issue and they go ahead with creating the swirl. This is a decision made by the patient AND the doctor. If the hair loss is early, the man’s age is above 28 and the patient will take Propecia (finasteride) for life, then the decision to transplant the swirl is reasonable.

Posted on

Diabetes and Propecia – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I would like to thank you first for this wonderfull and highly educating blog.I am a 20 years old Male with type 1 diabetes. I have been experiencing hairloss for the past 2 years. I tried Regaine for the past year but stopped it because of the major itching it was causing. My two questions are if I started taking propecia, would it cause me any health damage related with the my situation.? is there any particular tests I should take before starting on propecia? (I dont have any health problems other than type1 diabetes). Thank you

Type 1 diabetes should not be a problem when you take Propecia, but get a good hair doctor involved in the diagnosis and treatment.

I’ve written quite a bit about the drug, so I won’t rewrite the same stuff again… but Propecia will work best when you’re in the early stages of genetic hair loss, which it sounds like you could be (I can’t say for sure as I haven’t seen a photo or met you).

Balding Forum - Hair Loss Discussion

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):


Posted on

Seborrheic Dermatitis Treatment? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

i have Seborrheic Dermatitis over a year, there is a patch top of my head its small one but weird point is, i have no signs of early mpb, i’ve a matured hairline, not losing hair, i’m today 23 years old.

i heard about Seborrheic Dermatitis has no proven effective treatment is it true? its all about hormones?

There are good reviews of this problem at Google Health and Wikipedia.

Best to get educated and then visit a dermatologist to make what you read there personal.

Balding Forum - Hair Loss Discussion

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):


Posted on

Does Dr Rassman Only Endorse Big Pharma? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr. Rassman,

Strictly for the sake of playing devil’s advocate with you here —

When you imply that products offered by non-“Big Pharma” companies are likely bogus or that you don’t buy into their efficacy because the only proof of their viability is based on their own self-promotion basically (i.e. your posts about Drs. Lee or Proctor or even laser product makers), isn’t that slightly hypocritical? I mean, your career and business is of course enhanced by people foregoing these alternate methods, so shouldn’t people just as much suspect an ulterior motive on your part?

I understand your usual answer that, without personally seeing the research, you cannot recommend one way or another on something. But frankly, were you physically present for the Big Pharma trials on minox or finasteride? I’m assuming not. Going a step further then, I assume you base your support for those “proven” products on the basis that you read their documentation — so how much documentation is necessary for you to believe a product is in fact what is says? Some of those non-Big Pharma products people have written in about have “some” documentation, though certainly not to the extent of the FDA mandated trials I’m sure. Where do you (or do you at all) draw the line?

Or is your ultimate argument that, “If [said product] were that good, a Big Pharma company would have picked it up?”

Thanks for your time, love your site (though I had to plead ignorance to my girlfriend when I recognized you on her favorite show “Jon and Kate Plus 8”, haha), your replies on these sort of issues just sometimes irk me — aspirin was discovered by a non-Big Pharma guy, after all.

Block Quote

Boy scoutOh boy. I never said I needed to be there during the research study of a product to know it was true or not. No, I wasn’t physically present at the trials of the finasteride or minoxidil, but those medications are proven to work and FDA approved. The problem with many of the products I’m asked about is that they come out of nowhere — old wives’ tales, myths, etc. Most of them offer testimonials or mentions of a study, but offer zero evidence that the study was even conducted or if it was even valid. People write to me at this site every single day asking for solutions to their hair loss. Should I tell them to just go ahead and potentially waste their time and money on an unproven product while they lose more hair that they can’t get back… or should I let them know about medications that are proven to be effective?

I have no bias to solutions produced by the large pharmaceutical companies. I look at everything that is offered in this field by the evidence that is produced for me to review. I have, for example, evaluated the hair laser and found that the actual research was inadequate to recommend that patients use the laser for hair growth. I even took it one step further and acquired a large laser system and tried it for 12 months at my cost for as many patients as I could find willing to be studied (for free). The results were clear that the Low Laser Light Therapy (LLLT) had no value to those patients that were studied by me. If I would have found otherwise, I could recommend this treatment and charge for its use (making money), but I can not do that if I am not convinced that it will work. I learned from the days I was a boy scout that “honesty is the best policy”, and I guess I am an old-fashioned clinical scientist.