Dr. William Rassman – Page 1313

May 8, 2009

Hair Loss InformationIf Miniaturization Occurs at the Hairline, Is It MPB and Not Maturing? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

dr rassman,
i include in this question a quote you made in a recent post which i would appreciate if you could clarify:

“As hair in the maturing hairline undergoes apoptosis (cell death, possibly because the number of hair cycles in the juvenile hairline may be limited and reached), it could just fall out without going through miniaturization.”

Does this mean that if there is minaturization at the hairline change then this is MPB and not the natural development of the mature hairline? or can there be minaturization without MPB at the hairline? I would much appreciate it if you could comment further on this as this relates to the difficulties i have had in getting a professional opinion on my own hairline- as to whether its MPB or just the development of the mature hairline.

regards

Block Quote

If you have a maturing hairline, I would not expect to see miniaturization from the highest wrinkle of the furrowed brow. The leading edge of a maturing hairline, as a rule, does not show miniaturization. From the few cases I can reference (nephew and two of my sons), they lost their juvenile hairlines without miniaturization appearing, so I draw my conclusion based upon those three cases in my family.

May 8, 2009

Telogen Effluvium After Illness? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

my hair has been rapidly shedding since March within two months of being sick. I noticed little white bulbs at the end of the hair. The hair on top, sides and back become difussed, now all of my neck hair has receded. The Derm says I have TE. does it sound like TE? Derm explained hair cycle phases. Am I in the Telogen phase.. Hair stops growing and shedds? when does it stop shedding.?

Thank you

Telogen effluvium (TE) can occur after a stressful illness. It does sound like that’s what you’ve got, but without examining you for myself I couldn’t really say one way or the other with certainty. People with RE will often have a positive hair pull test. If you are going through TE, it will usually stop within 6 months after you are fully recovered from your illness. Learn more about TE at eMedicine.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

May 8, 2009

Trichodynia – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

My question is with regards to Trichodynia. I’m not sure if I have it or not. But I’ve been having some minor pain off and on in the crown region of my head for 3 months. I have not lost any hair in that region (I’m a NW2) and have been on Propecia for 4 1/2 years. But I’m afraid of what might be causing this sensation, I hope it isn’t associated with hair loss in that area. Are there any treatments for this pain sensation??

The pain hasn’t progressively gotten worse or anything, but it did start overnight, it wasn’t gradual at all. Could it be an allergy of some sort?

In all fairness, how do you expect me to diagnose your condition this way? You need to see your doctor (perhaps a dermatologist) and get a good physical exam.

The minor pain you’re describing can be anything from normal male pattern baldness to a neurological disease. See what I mean? It’s such a broad spectrum of possibilities that I don’t want to get into discussions about treatments for a condition you might not even have. You can learn a little more about it at Wikipedia.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

May 8, 2009

What Are Dr Rassman’s Guesses About Future Hair Loss Treatments? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello doctor,

I am a 28 yr old male. My hair drastically started reducing its density starting two years ago. It is true that you notice you are losing hair when you lose almost half of it. I now keep it shaved and when hair grows out you can tell very well that my hair is much thinner starting from the crown down to the top/front of my head.

I have gone through a substantial amount of literature regarding baldness (you have a very well informed website btw), and although I am very excited about the new age treatments like hair multiplication and cloning (endless supply of donor hair), I am quite aware that all this is at its inception with much more work to be done.

My question to you is this. Since you are a man of science, and you have witnessed it advance in the area of treating baldness since the last two decades, do you believe, taking all the current advancements into consideration, that there will be a breakthrough in 10-15 years? Of course, I know that you cannot be prophetic in the matter but simply what your thoughts are. Because your guess will certainly be better than mine.

Future I am optimistic of a hair loss breakthrough in 10 to 15 years, but if you asked someone a decade ago, they likely would’ve said the same thing back then. A lot of people are getting tired of hearing the same old “cure in the next 10 years” talk, but I will continue to be optimistic even if that timeframe comes and goes. Baldness isn’t a life threatening illness, but it is a billion dollar business… so as long as people continue to lose hair and there’s a market to end that loss, there will be companies clamoring to come up with the next great treatment. As technology evolves, the concepts that some people came up with that were once considered ludicrous can finally start to become within reality’s reach. Don’t get me wrong — there are still plenty of ridiculous ideas that will never work to treat hair loss. We’ll just have to wait and see and try not to buy into the hype too much, because there’s been far too many letdowns over the years (like that flying car we’ve all been promised).

With respect to the current gold standard in hair restoration technology, hair transplant procedures have come a long way in the last 10-15 years where most doctors are performing the individual hair follicle transplants or follicular unit transplants that give wonderful results with issues that are virtually undetectable.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

May 8, 2009

Hair Loss Information » Why is Hair on the Back and Sides of the Head More Resilient Than the Top? – Balding Blog

Just wondering what is responsible for the pattern of “male patterned baldness” ?

Why does the hair at the back and sides of the head seem to be more resilient than the hair at the top ?

Thanks Doc.

It is called genetic male pattern baldness. Keyword is “genetic”. Genes are responsible for it, but as to the reason it works out that way, I haven’t a clue. I posted a theory about it before — Why Does the Back and Sides of the Head Not Lose Hair?

May 7, 2009

Hair Loss InformationPropecia Causes Weight Gain? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

hi doctor Rassman. Is it true that propecia can cause weight gain due to its antiandrogentic properties? I heard that androgens like testosterone and DHT promotes fat loss in the body. Also, would taking propecia affect the heart at all? I read on propecia forums of users reporting heart synptoms after using the drug. Some reported a “dipping” feeling of the heart. I really wanna try the drug but now im highly discouraged by these negative claims.

Block Quote

Pills Not everything you read on the Internet is always true. There may be a great wealth of information available, but I wouldn’t rely on the Internet for your source of medical diagnosis and treatment. A doctor will know better than some anonymous guy on a forum that has no liability or reputation (not to mention experience or even a real name). You need to see a good doctor and ask him/her if you have genetic balding… and if you do, talk to them about taking Propecia. I have not heard of such weight gain side effects from the patients I treat and side effects are rare in general with Propecia.

Keep in mind that all medications can have side effects. Have you ever taken Tylenol or Advil? Do a search for the side effects of those medications and you will likely lose more hair over it (pun intended). For example, Advil side effects include rash, ringing in the ears, headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, constipation and heartburn (see full list).

May 7, 2009

How Likely Am I to Be Bald? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

My dad isn’t bald nor are his brothers or father. But my mom’s dad is bald but some of his sons aren’t. Could you tell me how likely i am to be bald?

It’s not that easy to tell. Balding can be passed down from either side of the family and can skip generations. There is some new science for genetic testing to let you know if you are carrying the gene for balding. If you test positive, then you could bald, but if you test negative, you will not undergo patterned genetic balding. Even if you carry the gene, it may not mean that you will express the gene and have balding. So the answer is that a negative test will let you know if you inherited the good genes from your family.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

May 7, 2009

I Pick off the Scabs from My Severe Scalp Flakes, Now I see Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi,

I have a problem of severe flaking, scabs, and an itching scalp. I am a picker so i often pick off the scabs, thinking that the dandruff will go away. Now I have a bald spot where I’ve been constantly scratching my head. It also seems I have hair loss in other areas as well. I’ve also moved from Canada, US to Jamaica. I am also under a lot of stress.

THe last time I was under severe stress and I had relaxed my hair and put a weave in I had extreme hair loss and extreme large flakes. Although my hair has grown back and my dandruff was under control and almost gone, I have had permanent hair loss around my hair line. I used to have braids in my hair for 7 years..so i think it was from that. That hair loss incident happened when i was 19. Since then I have worn my hair natural without any processing. I am 25 now. I am concerned.

The bald spot at the back center of my head – is it permanent? HOw can I stop scabs? how can I stop dandruff? If it is a stress trigger from high cortisone levels in my body what can I do to normalize this? Is it my diet, exercise? Please help? What can I do to restore hair loss?

Picking skin flakes is an OCD-like condition called dermatillomania (for pulling hair it is called trichotillomania). This picking produces traction alopecia, so there is little doubt that this is what is happening to you. If you stop picking and the hair returns, then you’re lucky… but if you continue to pick at it, the hair loss you are experiencing may become permanent. Braids can also cause traction alopecia. The solution may be simply get rid of the braids and stop picking (that might be easier said than done, though).

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

May 7, 2009

I’ve Been Losing Hair for a Year and a Half – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I could really use some advice. I am 28 years old and started to notice my temples recedding about 1 1/2 years ago. I started using rogaine but after about 3 months I stated shedding alot of hair. I went to see a dermatologist and they did a hair pull test and told me that it was MPH and that I should use propecia. Once i started using propecia I started shedding alot of hair but I have stuck with it because I read that shedding occurs on these medications put generally the lost hair returns. Well after a year and half I lost alot of hair and none of the shedded hair has returned. I went from a NW 1 or 2 to a NW Va in a year and a half.

So I am thinking about see my physician again and I was wondering if there are any tests that I should have them do to help with my hair loss problem. If you know of any good hair loss doctors in the Seattle area I would appreciate any recommendations. I also may be traveling to the L.A. area next week for work and was wondering If you would be willing to meet with me.

I have to take your word on what you had when you first noticed the hair loss process. Usually, a 28 year old man does not ‘fast-track’ hair loss, especially when taking Propecia. I am humbled by the few people who show very rapid hair loss while using finasteride (Propecia) and find this phenomenon very, very rare. One of the genetic tests may show what you can expect from Propecia, so it might be worthwhile getting the test (see here), but it will not reverse the hair loss that you experienced. Of course, I would be pleased to meet with you, but it does sounds like you have genetic hair loss that has been fast-tracking its course. I don’t have any recommendations in Seattle at this time.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

May 7, 2009

Nanogen Products – Balding Blog

What do you think about the website www.nanogen.co.uk and it’s various products? There’s some pretty big claims on the site about effectiveness of their products, what do you think of them? Are any of them any good or are they all just lies?

To be honest, I’m not familiar with them by name. They make a few products, but their Nanothik sounds like DermMatch or Toppik… and their Nanogaine is being marketed as an alternative to Rogaine. The line of products may be of good quality, but they shouldn’t be claiming that it’ll regrow lost hair or preventing hair loss. In the United States, the FDA regulates claims like that, so if a shampoo or cream were to be labeled as a preventative measure for hair loss (for example) the FDA can shut the company down if they do not pull all mention of outlandish claims. This company is UK based though, so I’m not sure how it is regulated.