Is it safe for women to use 5% minoxidil? My dermatologist recommended it but, in speaking with the people at Rogaine, they acted quite alarmed by the idea.
I recommend it for women as a routine. There’s a higher risk of facial hair growth with the 5%, which is what most (if not all) women wish to avoid… but that risk is still minimal. Officially, it was tested on men so that is the drug company’s line. You can see more about this here.
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I heard Merck applied for a patent for a topical finasteride product in 2007. Any recent news on this? And, do you know if this would be effective, or if it might be a move to enhance profits by weeding out companies selling topical finasteride?
I know very little about Merck’s patent for topical finasteride, although they did file 2 patents (one in 1993 and the other in 1995) in the general area of finasteride use on skin. Johnson and Johnson holds at least two patents for topical finasteride, so it does appear that this is a hot field and what differentiates one process from the other is something that I do not have the time to review. Does anyone with a bunch of time and interest care to go through these and create an itemized list?
Certainly both J&J and Merck are giants in the drug field, so if you wish to read these patents check them out in the Google Patent Search and have a blast reading the intricate legal jargon. Good luck!
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Hi. I would like to know whether Rogaine or Provillus is better for women. Which one has better results at growing back hair and stop hair loss? Also, less likely to have the side effect of unwanted facial hair. Thanks!
They both are just 2% minoxidil… different names and labels. The Provillus might also have some supplement vitamin pills (with biotin and B6) to take. Ingredients are listed here for Provillus, if you’d like to check them out.
Also, Provillus costs more than twice the price of Rogaine. How much is that packaging worth?
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Hello Doctor,
I need your advice. I am 24 years old Indian losing hair for last 4 years. Last year doctor prescibed me finpecia (1 mg). I am taking it since then but I am still losing hair. I feel that it is not working. I came to NYC this jan for higher studies and I have brought finpecia with me. Do you think whether I am not responding to medicine or there is some issue with finpecia itself?Since I am a student I cant afford Propecia. Do you think ,I should give Proscar a try and do I need medical presicption for getting proscar? I want to meet you, but I cant come california for next one year (due to studies) and moreover I will not be able to afford your fees before that. So suggest me what to do ? I will be very thankful to you.
Proscar is the same drug as Propecia, just in higher dosage (Proscar is 5mg finasteride, Propecia is 1mg). If you cut the medication, it is the same. You do need a different prescription for that, and some doctors may have a problem giving you a prostate medication prescription at 24 years old. Explain to them that you know to cut the medication into 4 pieces. If one doctor won’t give you a prescription, you can try another one.
With all that being said, if you’re still losing hair on Finpecia (generic 1mg finasteride from India), I’m not sure Proscar will help. Are you taking it daily? You’ve been taking it for less than a year, so I’d stick with it until the 1 or 2 year mark to see how you’re responding by then. At 24 years old, you may have some strong genes for balding dominating your system and working against the finasteride. Look at the HairDX finasteride response test and see if this applies to you. It might tell you why the drug has not worked well for you.
Snippet from the article:
A Chicago-area company that converted strands of Ludwig van Beethoven’s hair into diamonds will soon use the same process on the hair of another music icon — Michael Jackson.
A lock of Jackson’s hair that was charred during the infamous filming of a 1984 Pepsi commercial could produce up to 10 half-carat diamonds, said Greg Herro, CEO of LifeGem.
The hair will be heated to about 5,400 degrees, reducing it to carbon so it can be crystallized and turned into diamonds — a patented process that takes six to nine months, Herro said.
Read the full article at the Chicago Tribune
I’ve heard of this carbonization process being done to hair before, but I didn’t know someone had kept a lock of Michael Jackson’s burnt hair for 25 years. The hair was purchased from a collector… and this is the 2nd time that collector has had celebrity hair for sale for this diamond-making process. Is this really a hobby? If so, I hope it has reached its peak.
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Snippet from the press release:
Kevis the World’s Most Expensive Shampoo Cures Baldness
New Kevis shampoo fights the male sex hormone that causes baldness in both men and women.
Researchers discovered that castration at age 16 will cure male pattern baldness. Hippocrates was the first to recognize this cure; however it is not a commercially successful program.
Read the full press release at PRWeb.com
We have always commented over and over it is a buyer beware market and that there is no cure for baldness! From the press release, I am not sure what to make of the cost of the product, but it states: “Kevis now has this molecule bio-engineered at a cost of $60,000.00 per kilo.” I’m not sure what gold is going for nowadays, but this seems pretty expensive.
I have also seen many products claiming hair growth, but I am not sure how they have procured their ingredients. This one states, “Kevis discovered a complex molecule in the human umbilical cord and semen“. Umbilical cord and semen?!
For the record, I am not here to disprove a product’s claims, but merely to point out that you only have to pay $80 to make a press release on the website mentioned to reach “millions of potential customers”.
P.S. There is absolutely zero chance that this product will “cure baldness” as it states.
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Is there a difference between rinsing your hair in soft water opposed to hard water? I have hard water were I live and my parents have soft. When I visit my parents I notice my hair seems healthier and more manageable after taking a shower using soft water.
Yes, there is a difference between hard and soft water. If you should get my book you will read about the changes that happen to the hair when it is wet and washed. Soft water penetrates the hair shaft better and causes it to remold itself, while hard water does not penetrate the hair shaft well. I spent an entire chapter on hair physiology so I really can’t rewrite it here.
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Dr. Rassman:
I recently met with a new dermatologist after I noticed significant and abrupt patterns of shedding. I am 30 years old, and I’ve been on Propecia for 10 years and was thrilled with it up until about a year ago. It was then that I noticed a ton of sheddin in the shower, pillow, etc, etc.
I asked my doctor about Rogaine, and told him I had been using on the crown of my head for about 8 months, as a preacautionay measure, in case Propecia stopped being effective for me. He said to use it on my hairline as well. He said that although Rogain is not FDA approved to be effective on the hairline, that doens’ mean that it isn’t. He said “its worth a shot”. What are your thoughts on this?
Thanks
There have been reports of minoxidil being effective on the frontal hairline, but they are few such observations with significant hair growth. I suppose it is worth a shot.
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Hey Dr,
Great blog, keep it up. I’ve read about seemingly cures to hairloss – follica, haircloning etc.
Just to make things clear – Is follica’s approach also known as hair cloning, or is it completely different? I just want to distinguish between the two.
I ask because you say that haircloning will probably not available for another decade, or more. And am wondering if this applies to follica’s research.
The difference relates to the mechanism of action for Follica which is distinctly different from hair cloning. A Follica press release states, “By studying wound healing on a molecular level, Dr. George Cotsarelis and colleagues discovered that the skin has the ability to revert to a more primitive or ’embryonic’ state as stem cells migrate to the affected area, thereby achieving a regenerative capacity not previously appreciated to occur in adults.” It is this capacity that the research for Follica is based on.
Simply put, cloning requires that replica cells are created from an original cell, while the approach from Follica is to simulate the repair process, gaining more control over it to produce hair. The same press release goes on to say, “The researchers were able to control the regenerative response, including the extent of new hair follicle formation, by manipulating genetic pathways during this ’embryonic window’ when new follicles formed.”
when I was born I had the usual amount of hair as most newborns, however, it never grew any more. even though I am now 65 years old, my head hair is the same as when I was born (except it is mostly grey now). my two sisters are the same. we have worn wigs most of our lives. we have never heard of anyone like us. our parents, brothers, children and grandchildren all have normal hair. does anyone know what this is???
I am not clear here. Do you have a high hair count (with very fine hair) or a low count? You have certainly made me curious, but you need to elaborate on what your question is. I would imagine that the use of a wig indicates that you do not have enough hair on your head to look full and youthful. It seems like genetics would be the reason for this, but I really don’t have enough information. Have you seen a doctor for an exam about this?
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