can a chronic inflammatory disease cause hair loss?
Chronic inflammatory diseases (CID) can cause hair loss as will any disease that stresses the body. Disease is a cause of hair loss. The CID in particular has many autoimmune manifestations associated with it, so this may add to the complexity.
I just began taking 0.5mg Propecia this week. It was a decision of mine because I was a bit paranoid of the side effects and figured I would start halfway and at least save my hair. My plan is to increase to 1mg at 4-5 months. Is there any danger to this transition, like increased likeliness of a shed after going to 1 mg?
There is no problem with this approach, but I can not understand your doing it. I would understand if you got negative sexual side effects, which is 1 in a hundred chance. The full dose is the way to go for best results.
I have a question regarding the entry “How Many Months Does it Usually Take for Regrowth from Propecia to Occur?”. You said it’s unlikely that people with a norwood 3 will be able to re-grow hair at the frontal hairline. In this case, is there a purpose in taking propecia? Would hair transplant be better in restoring the frontal hairline?
I am actually very worried about taking propecia because I am scared that I may have to stop taking it one day (due to the cost of the drug) or for other reasons that I can’t continue using it. And you mentioned that once someone stops taking the drug, hair will fall out rapidly. Even though 2 dermatologists told me that once I stopped using it, my hair will just go back to the state prior to taking the drug (so I am just buying time using propecia).
Can you also help me with finding a reputable doctor (or a hair transplant surgeon?) I can consult in Toronto, Ontario as I am not sure how to get in touch with one.
Thank you so much
Your question reflects your confusion of the facts as they exist. Propecia (finasteride) rarely regrows hair in the Norwood Class 3 balding pattern (frontal area). Transplants are the way to go if you qualify as a candidate (loose “rule” is if you’re over 24 years old… or if you are younger and have a good doctor that doesn’t just want to get your money). Hair loss is progressive in nature, and as I don’t have enough information about you, I couldn’t begin to guess as to whether your hair loss has stabilized or if you’re in for further loss. Your dermatologists told you correct info — if you stop Propecia, you may rapidly go back to where you would have been had you not taken it. There are generic forms of finasteride (in 5mg dosage that can be cut) which can be purchased at a fraction of the cost of Propecia, but you need a doctor’s prescription for it.
To find a doctor in your area, go to the ISHRS site and look up the doctors in Toronto using their physician search. Every city has some good doctors and some dishonest ones, so be sure to research your chosen physician on the web (and you can figure out the reputation of the doctors by looking on various industry bulletin boards, including Hair Transplant Network and Hair Loss Help).
I recently noticed that one of the first ingredients in pretty much all the hairsprays out there is some form of alcohol. I understand that the chemicals in gels, mousses, foams, waxes and sprays don’t directly cause hair loss, but it is also widely agreed that alcohol-based hair products are not good for the scalp and therefore are not good for hair either.
I know that in your book you give a warning that hairsprays can aggravate hair loss if one is not careful due to excessive strain/traction of the hair, but would the alcohol in hairsprays also contribute to hair loss by doing bad things to the scalp like overdrying? I think your book is great including the section on hair shaping products, but one thing I am still wondering is your general stance on hair shaping products and their effect on hair loss (more hairspray than anything else). Thanks.
Alcohol based hair products will not cause hair loss. The body has sebum which coats the hair as it exits the scalp and that process protects the hair most of the time. Alcohol based products can dry the scalp, so the use of good conditioners for dry hair is a good way to manage your scalp and hair.
If you liked the book Hair Loss and Replacement For Dummies, why not submit a review to Amazon? I could use the boost, since there’s only been one review thus far. I’m excited to see that the book is now #1 for all books on hair loss, though. And for those that don’t know about the book, buy it here!
In my father side every one have lost of hair, but my mother side my grandfather dont have hair. Now my question is my inherited hairline look like my mom side but my hair totally look like my father. I am 18 years old and little worry about it. Another question, how is shaving hair good, does it help….?
I have U shape inherited hairline and my father has V inherited hairline.
The juvenile hairline is concave, while the mature hairline is convex (see Maturation of a Hairline — Moving From Juvenile to Mature). There is no way to tell which side you will take after ,but most Caucasian men lose their concave hairline as their hairlines mature.
And as far as shaving the head, that does nothing to regrow your hair faster, stronger, thicker, etc… if that is what you’re asking.
Hello,
I am a 23 year old man with MPB on my fathers side of the family, with the men either norwood III A or norwood IV A.
My issue is that I have a large forehead and I was wondering if it would be possible for someone with a naturally big forehead (pre baldness) that has gone bald, to under go a hair transplant and then have hairline lowering done using donor hair to reconstruct a lower hairline than their original?
Thank you
For men who can continue to bald as they age, hair transplantation is a better solution than a hairline lowering procedure to reduce the forehead size (its like a reverse brow lift). If the balding continues after a hairline lowering procedure, the scar will become evident and a transplant sooner or later will be needed. For women, however, the choice to do a full surgical hairline lowering procedure is a reasonable option as their is rarely frontal balding as in men.
Can the enzyme aminogen cause hair loss?
Thank you!!!!!!!!
There is no information on any connection. It appears that Aminogen is made from whey and it a nutritional supplement.
Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):
I am aware that you are not in the business of insurance premiums, but I am curious to know if you have any insight regarding the possible negative affects (insurance related) of obtaining a Proscar prescription.
Specifically, have you ever heard of someone being negatively labeled by an insurance company after receiving a prescription for Proscar (in terms of increased premiums with current or future insurance providers)?
Thanks for your time.
For a young man, the answer is no. If you are over 50 years old, this medication is often associated with benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH), so maybe an insurance company can draw the wrong conclusions if your use is for hair only.
Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):
Doctor Rassman,
I am wondering just how effective a let’s say 15% minoxidil solution is, in comparison to a 5% solution? I believe that 5% minoxidil is 45% more effective than a 2% variant, but are there any scientific reports that can tell us how much more beneficial an increase is beyond that 5%?
I have not seen comparison statistics between the various strengths of minoxidil that show with certainty just how much better the drug is at the higher concentrations, but the benefits and effectiveness is clearly dose related. If someone has that information, please send it in!
Hi Doctor,
I’ve searched the forums and I wasn’t able to find any questions regarding this issue that I have. I was diagnosed with scalp psoriasis about 3 months ago. I noticed it about 4-5 months ago but just assumed that it was nothing as it wasn’t that much of an issue. Than about 3 months ago my hair began shedding rapidly. I would just gently touch my hair and hairs would fall out with the bulb at the end. I’m still losing hair rapidly, and I think it’s only gotten worse. If I just gently pull about 20 hairs or so more than 2-3 hairs usually come out all with the bulb. Do you think this is telogen effluvium or just male pattern baldness? Also when you lose hair due to MPB do they have a white bulb at the end? Thanks for your time.
First, psoriasis does not cause hair loss. If you have hair loss, you need to be examined by a doctor who knows how to differentiate the different causes of hair loss. I can not tell you what is happening and even based upon what you write, I am hesitant to guess. See a good dermatologist for an examination.
