Dr. William Rassman – Page 1317

April 29, 2009

Hair Loss InformationBalding 22 Year Old Woman (with Photos) – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

This 22 year old patient came to see me for hair loss she’s been experiencing for the past 2 years. She did all of the right things, saw two dermatologists, and received a complete medical work-up for a variety of disease entities and vitamin deficiencies and was found to be normal. What I told her is as follows:

Obtain a new test for androgen sensitivity of her hair based upon a genetic test
If she is sensitive to androgen, we might try her on an androgen blocker such as finasteride or dutasteride in the hope that this will block enough of the androgen to allow better hair growth.

The science is minimal that support this thesis, but it is better to try to block the androgens on women who are positive to the genetic test for androgen sensitivity than to put all women on the drugs.

In addition, as we could not offer her an immediate benefit with drugs, we used a concealer treatment on her hair and showed her how to do this herself. Her comment after the application of DermMatch was, “I have been reborn”.

I apologize for the blurriness of the before photo. Click the photos below to enlarge. Before (left); After (right)

April 29, 2009

Hair Loss InformationIn the News – Prostate Cancer, Statins, and Vitamin D – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

It’s not hair loss related, but prostate cancer news is important and I’d like to share some recent articles I was sent from readers…

1st article:

Vitamin D is an effective treatment for prostate cancer in some patients, a UK study suggests. A once daily dose reduced PSA level – an indicator of severity of disease – by as much as half in 20% of patients. There has been much interest in vitamin D in prostate cancer after studies linking risk of the disease to sunlight exposure, the researchers said.

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Read more at the BBC — Vitamin D hope in prostate cancer

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2nd article:

Taking cholesterol-lowering statins may be an effective way to keep the prostate healthy, research suggests. One study found statins were linked to reduced risk of prostate cancer, and enlargement of the organ, which can cause urinary problems. And a second study suggested the drugs may hinder the growth of prostate cancer by reducing inflammation.

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Read more at the BBC — Statins link to healthy prostate

April 29, 2009

Hair Loss InformationIf Rogaine Enlarges the Follicle and Propecia Maintains, Why Can’t I Stop Using Rogaine? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have read that rogaine promotes hair re-growth by enlarging the hair follicle. I have also read that propecia doesn’t do as well with hair re-growth but maintains hair by preventing excess DHT from shrinking the hair follicle.

Will propecia prevent the shrinking of a hair follicle that was enlarged by rogaine? So that you could use rogaine to get re-growth, but then stop using the rogaine as long you continue with the propecia?

Or will the new growth hair fall out when you stop using the rogaine even if you continue the propecia?

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You are attempting to make a logical conclusion to things that we just don’t understand (at least I don’t). This is a far stretch of logic. It’s been my experience that once you stop using Rogaine (minoxidil), the Propecia will not retain those hairs (and vice versa).

April 29, 2009

Hair Loss InformationIs Too Much Vitamin B12 Causing Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have been taking vitamin b12 at 1mg daily of the sublingual tablets. Is this considered a megadose? I have noticed better mood and even skin tone. However, I have also noticed more hair shedding and fallout. Do you think this could be related? Could taking too much b12 cause hair loss? I thought excess of these vitamins were just passed out through urine? Thanks.

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Vitamin B12 at those doses should not cause hair loss. That isn’t a megadose. There’s a lot of B12 info that I found at VeganForum.com (via Google). But as for hair loss, I’d look elsewhere for the diagnosis… like genetic causes.

April 29, 2009

Lost Weight, Taking Antidepressants — Which One Is Causing My Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello,
For the past two weeks or so I have noticed that my hair is falling out a lot more than usual. I recently started using a new acne face wash (it is not prescription) that is very strong. I also am taking Wellbutrin for depression, but I have been on it for a few months already. Also, I had a hairloss phase in the past that I thought was related to high blood sugar and unhealthy eating habits, but I recently have lost 30 lbs. I do not know which of these factors, if any, is causing this hair loss. What do you think?

Thank you

There is no way to separate the various causes for hair loss and blame the one or a combination of them. Weight loss on its own shouldn’t cause hair loss if it’s done in a healthy way, but I don’t have enough info on how fast you lost weight or in what way you did so. Extreme dieting can cause hair loss, though.

Also, Wellbutrin and other antidepressants are known to cause hair loss in some people. A full list of side effects can be found here (it’s listed on that page as alopecia). Stress can also be a cause of hair loss, and dieting and depression will likely involve stress in some form. There’s just too much going on for me to be able to pinpoint a cause of your hair loss. Sorry.

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April 29, 2009

Propecia, Green Tea, and Soy – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Doctor, I’m moving to Japan shortly for several years, I’ve read some contradictory information about green tea interacting w/ propecia as well as soy products. Since Asian cuisine uses much soy as well as green tea on a daily basis, I’m wondering if this will effect the benefits of propecia. I do enjoy green tea & would like to drink it & use soy products, do you think either of these natural can be consumed regularly while still receiving all the benefits from propecia? Thanks.

I have covered this before, so it is best to refer you to these past posts:

To sum it up, I don’t believe there’s been any proven links to soy and green tea causing problems with Propecia (finasteride 1mg).

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April 28, 2009

Hair Loss InformationMisdiagnosing MPB Due to Unsymmetrical Hairline Maturing? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

hi dr rassman
i just had a question regarding asymetrical hairlines. if as a young child 12 or so you had a natural non symmetrical hairline and as time went on and your hairline matured, would it be possible to misdiagnose the patient as having androgenetic alopecia due to the unsymmetrical patterns produced by this condition?

thank you for your time

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Early balding should show signs of miniaturization if your hair loss is genetic. Either see a doctor or take charge of your diagnosis by mapping your scalp. The choice is yours.

People with asymmetrical hairlines will develop maturing hairlines that may even out the symmetry (or they may not). Balding occurs in those with the genetic propensity for it, whether the hairline is symmetrical or asymmetrical.

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. It could be an incremental fall-out, starting close to the leading edge of the hairline and then working its way back. I don’t get the opportunity to study the young man who matures his hairline and then keeps everything else without signs of balding, other than in my nephew as I watched his maturing hairline appear without miniaturization. One case study does not tell us the answers, so I look at these comments as academic.

April 28, 2009

Hair Loss InformationHyperthyroid and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Thank you Doctor for a great blog and for taking my question. I am a healthy 44yo male and have been shedding hair for almost 9 months now. I have seen a GP, a Derm. and a Endo. doctor who all found my thyroid to be slightly hyper. ( 3.4 , range 0.40-4.50) My derm. said I do not have MPB and diagnosed me with global telogen effluvium and feels my thyroid MAY be causing my hair loss. My DHT level is 29 (range 25-75). The GP and Endo. state that my thyroid is only a little hyper and that is not the reason for my hair loss and will not treat me for it.

My question Doctor is can a slightly hyperthyroid cause hair loss and is that loss permanent? Also, is there anything I can do for it aside from avoiding caffine, soy and shellfish. Thank you very much for your time.

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Thyroid issues can lead to hair loss, and it can be permanent, particularly if you’re genetically inclined to lose hair anyway. Of course I would have to see you to determine if you have hair loss with miniaturization present in a pattern that reflects the genetic process.

There is also a genetic test to determine if you are carrying the gene for hair loss which, if negative, would rule out that as a cause. If your genetic test is positive and the miniaturization testing shows a pattern of hair loss, then drugs like finasteride (Propecia) should work and is something that is worth considering assuming that you have a doctor willing to abide by my plan. For more about the genetic test, see HairDX.com.

April 28, 2009

Hair Loss InformationInjecting Estrogen into the Scalp?! – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi doc

People who want to change sex never lose its hair because of hormonal therapies. Now, obviously I don’t want to do that, but I’ve got an idea: If we inject onto the scalp estrogen using a dermoroller, would hair loss be stopped forever?

Please answer to my question

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Derma Roller While it is a creative approach, estrogen injected superficially into the scalp with a Dermaroller can not add value nor prevent balding. I have seen some effects of such injections by dermatologists in the “old days” and what happened is that they lose hair at the injection sites. The end result is that some came to see me about their hair loss.

April 28, 2009

Hair Loss InformationHair Transplant Triggered Lichen Planopilaris? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

hello,

I had hair transplant surgery 1 year ago and 5 months after the surgery I was diagnosed with Lichen Planopilaris. As of this date, I continue to lose hair and have less than what I started with before the transplant. It seems the transplant surgery “triggered” the LPP.

Do you have any experience with this disease and/or have you seen this situation occur in your practice?

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This is an autoimmune disease that can lead to permanent hair loss, and is best treated by a dermatologist who has a great deal of experience with it. Unfortunately, I’m not that person, nor have I seen it triggered by a hair transplant. It might have happened even had you not received a hair transplant, but we will never know.

You can learn more about this disease at Dermatology Channel and Surving-HairLoss.com. The American Academy of Dermatology has a physician search that lets you find a doctor by specialty — here.