Author: Dr. William Rassman

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Spironolactone Caused Melasma So I Stopped — When Will My Hair Fall Out? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

(female)
I am withdrawing from spironolactone after developing melasma. I have been on it 18 months. How soon should I expect more hair to start falling out again?
Thank you.

Complications of spironolactone treatment includes melasma (skin pigmentation on the face — see here).

Unfortunately, I can not help answer your question because I know absolutely nothing about what is wrong with you, why you were treated with the medication (was it just for hair loss?), age, etc. I’d talk to your prescribing doctor, who has the benefit of knowing your medical history.

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Hair Loss InformationBalayam Yoga Will Cure Hair Loss? It’s Magic! – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have come to know that someone called SK has discovered a Yoga exercise called balayam is effective in curing baldness and hairloss. If you want to know more about balayam please log on to balayam.com

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Controlling stress can help with balding that was caused by stress, but I would sincerely doubt any yoga technique is a “magical yet simple way to cure baldness” as that site states. Who doesn’t love a good magic trick? Sorry, but no yoga move will reverse genetic hair loss.

I just watched the video of this “magical” method and smiled when I saw that the baldness cure that everyone has been missing over the years was apparently the act of rubbing your fingers in a certain way. Well, at least the Balayam site isn’t charging people money for this stuff. See the video yourself at YouTube. And by the way… I’m only indulging this to leave you all with a smile for the weekend.

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Have All the Hair Loss Questions Been Answered? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

There are so many questions and answers here as well as that forum. I think you’ve covered most if not all questions that need to be asked. If people would take the time to look through them, I’m sure their questions would be answered. There comes a point where all the information becomes too overwhelming, and becomes information overload. Maybe it’s time to relax a bit, ay?

What is this “relax” you speak of? Actually, I stopped writing the blog around 3 years ago when I hired woodland elves to respond to your questions (they needed something to do after a long day of baking cookies in a tree). It seems to be working out well, even though they do have a tough time spelling “finasteride” correctly.

But seriously, it does sometimes seem like I answer a lot of the same questions from time to time, but maybe just worded in a different way… and although I’d prefer not to get repeats, I don’t necessarily mind as long as it’ll help someone out. I can’t get to every question and I know many people think their question is deserving (and it probably is), but I just kinda pick some emails that look neat and roll with it. Plus, from time to time I really get some fantastic questions that keep me on my toes. Look, for example, at the previous post which is probably real to some of those who believe in Balayam Yoga. Who am I to say that it does or does not work? As a reader, you are entitled to learn about different approaches to the balding problem and weigh the evidence of others for yourself.

Content is king, and after 7000+ posts here, I do feel that this site is one of the best sources for hair loss info on the web. I’m really proud of that.

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I’m Applying Rogaine Behind My Hairline To Retain My Hair – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi I have been using rogaine on the front of my scalp behind my hair line and I’m just wondering if this will hold my hair loss. I know chances are it wont grow it back but I just want to know if I’m wasting my time applying it here. Thanx

There are no guarantees with drugs like minoxidil (Rogaine), but it tends to work by increasing the length of the anagen (growth phase) of the hair cycle. It can both grow new hair and retain the existing hair where it is longer than normal so instead of a 3 year growth (anagen) cycle, maybe it would extend to 4 years or so. It might work where you’re applying it, but without a microscopic miniaturization mapping over time, I couldn’t tell you if you’re wasting time.

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Propecia and Liver Damage? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Can propecia can liver damage for one who is taking it for a long time. We all know, propecia is heavily metabolized in the liver, so if taking it for years and years can it cause some damage to the liver?

There is no causal connection between liver disease and Propecia, however, if you have liver disease, the dose for Propecia will have to be monitored and may have to be reduced.

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Propecia Maintenance Phase? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have been using Propecia for about 8 years. Though no measureable regrowth, I feel it slowed or haulted the hair fallout and have been able to keep what I have. I do not believe I have sufferred from any of the “male concerning” side effects. My question is, is there a thing such as a maintenance phase? Meaning, instead of taking the 1mg tablet daily, can I take one every other day and still be alright?

Thanks

The need to take the same dose over and over again for life should continue. If you drop the dose, you run the risk of losing hair. If you do go for every other day, that’s your call to make… but I wouldn’t recommend it. Unlike your case, some patients have reported that after 5 years or so some hair loss picks up again, and in those patients I have been recommending an increase in the dose to 2.5mg each day, provided that there are no side effects. Discuss any prescription medication changes with your prescribing doctor.

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Hair Loss InformationProgesterone Injections and Female Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

3 weeks ago I’ve stopped taking the fertility PROGESTRONE known as PIO injections, Progynova 2mg- Tiny light blue tablets that are taken orally to help build the lining of the womb. and Ultrogestan Progesterone-creamy white pills that can be taken rally or inserted vaginally. I did both.

I’m African American with very thick strong natural hair, and now, my hair is falling out by the handful. my hair egges are going bald. I never went through no crap like this. My hair went from very thick to very thin.

Am I able to get a lawsuit? How long will it take for my hair to grow back? When will all the medications be cleared out my system and for my hormones to go back to normal. I’m way to young for menepose affects and that is what one of the medications does. thanks so much for your help. I am experiencing boldily sharp pains too from that medication after I have stopped taking it.

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One has to be careful when treating medical conditions in a patient that requires hormones and has genetic hair loss. The connection between hormones and hair loss are published all over the web. Progynova (estradiol valerate) is also known as Delestrogen, and the side effects do include hair loss (full list here).

Although I can not give you legal advice, I would suggest that you have a long talk with your doctor and review the “informed consent” sheet he should’ve given you before starting you on hormone treatments. I am hopeful that your doctor at least discussed the side effects of such treatments.

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Hair Loss InformationHow to Measure a Mature Hairline? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

this may be a strange question, but when one talks about measuring how much a hairline has receded, and says that a normal (“Mature”) hairline recedes a half inch in the front, and an inch and a half at the corners, how do you measure that? vertically, as if straight down the face to a point parallel to where the hairline initially was??

thanks!

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The measurement of the mature hairline is essentially done with a drop string (gravity), from the leading edge of the hairline and to the highest wrinkle of the furrowed brow. Here’s a list of past posts that may help:

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In the News – Follica Gets a New CEO – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

From the article:

Follica, the Boston-area startup out to bring a scientific approach to helping hair-loss sufferers re-grow their locks, is preparing for some new growth of its own. The firm, run since its late 2006 inception by founding CEO Daphne Zohar of Boston’s PureTech Ventures, announced today the hiring of a new president and CEO, William Ju, a biopharmaceutical veteran with experience in an array of therapeutic arenas, including dermatology (he is a board certified dermatologist). The selection of Ju seems to position the firm to move out of the purely research-focused stage and closer to becoming a drug development company.

Read the full text at Xconomy.com

We last heard some activity from the Follica folks last summer, when they got an extra $11 million round of funding in addition to the initial $5.5 million they received in early 2008. Now they’ve got a new CEO. What does it all mean? One could only speculate at this point…

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