Dr. William Rassman – Page 1322

April 17, 2009

I Want Preventative Hair Transplant Surgery – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Doctor, I am 21 with temples that are starting to recede.

All them men on both sides of my family suffer from the exact same pattern of baldness, Norwood III A.

Does this mean it is inevitable for me to suffer the same fate? If so, is there any way a surgeon would transplant hairs from my donor area to cover this region even though I haven’t had significant hairless?

I desire this to prevent ever having to go through a “bald period”

It’s not guaranteed that you’ll get that same pattern, but the odds are certainly not in your favor based upon what you are saying. Hair loss can skip generations. Any surgeon that would transplant hairs into that area in a 21 year old without significant balding occurring is probably a crook and will be doing you more of a disservice than anything else, because the evolution of hair loss is not 100% predictable.

So for starters, you run the risk of shock loss (meaning you’ll just lose hairs around the recipient area) after a transplant, leaving you possibly worse off than you started. And most important, you never should have preventative hair transplant surgery, as your future hair loss pattern is not a guarantee.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

April 17, 2009

I’m 15 Years Old and Losing My Crown! – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi, I’m 15 years old and for a long time now I have noticed a bald spot in my crown and from what people have told me it is getting worse. At the moment I have quite long hair but for some reason the crown is balding. This is making me very self conscious and I’m only 15! .. What should I do??

You should get help from a dermatologist in your area. I’m not sure what you’re seeing (is it actual hair loss or just the way your hair parts at the crown?), but a doctor should be able to tell you once and for all. Your options are limited at 15 years old, as you’re likely still growing. Minoxidil (Rogaine/Regaine) may work for you if you are losing hair, but most teens your age wouldn’t be too keen on applying medication twice daily to their scalp. Again, seek out a doctor for an in-person exam.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

April 17, 2009

Moving Neck Hair to the Beard or to the Scalp? – Balding Blog

Dear Dr. Rassman,
I have two questions. Before that just few words about me. I am one of the hairiest people, period. Yet and a bad luck has it, I lack hair on my head (thinning) and on some spots on my beard.

1) I see people doing beard implants (recipient is beard). I might be interested in that. In fact I would be very interested in relocating the hairs under my beard line (which in my case there is not even a beard line) and above it to the beard itself. People say that there are no scars left. Is this true? I actually started electrolysis (1 session) to get rid of my facial and neck hair, but it seems leaving some marks. Is it possible that extracting the whole follicle will leave less marks (while having the advantage of using the follicle for implant !).

2) second question is about the quality of strong beard and neck hair on the head.

MANY THANKS

Neck hair is not permanent hair in many people so it should not be used for donor transplant hairs. Filling in a beard with holes of absent hair works very well. Moving hair from one place to another can be done, but I would rather meet you and make some determinations of goals, hair quality, donor scalp density, etc… to understand your goals on a one on one basis.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

April 17, 2009

Why Don’t Other Doctors Create Very Low Hairlines? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dr. Rassman, I have followed your great blog for a while now and I know that you have been in the business for a number of years. I’ve recently discovered the work of Dr. [name removed] and noticed that one of his specialties is the lowering of the hairline beautifully. His work interests me as I have quite the receding in the temples and would love to establish a lower hairline. My donor area is great with extremely thick hair (thanks mom). My question to you is how come other Doctors do not try to establish themselves (via website, testimonials, great hairline photos) more like Dr. [name removed]? Would you be comfortable taking on the same tasks that he does in procedures?

I am asking because I want to know if his hands are truly as gifted as his prices are steep.

What makes you think doctors do not lower hairlines? Doctors generally recommend a neutral hairline appropriate for one’s age. It generally should be in the mature hairline position. Often, younger men will request a hairline that may be too low or lower than what is considered “normal” and certainly more like their 12 year old hairline rather than a mature hairline. There is nothing wrong with this request as long as there is communication between the doctor and the patient and the long term plan takes into account what the worst balding could be… and that the hairline will be appropriate for life! Yes, for life! This is a lifetime decision and as hair transplants are irreversible, if it is transplanted too low, you are up the creek without a paddle.

Keep in mind if the hairline is too low it can never be raised, but if the patient still wants a lower hairline (even an abnormally low one) the doctor and patient need to come to a mutual agreement with respect to the patient’s wishes and with the patient’s understanding that their request comes with consequences. There are a few doctors (like the one you referenced) that like to create abnormally low hairlines, as they appeal to the younger patient who never accepts the understanding that their hair loss will continue to move backwards (it is a progressive process). Any good doctor can create any hairline he wishes and if it is too low, well, trouble will sooner or later follow. So while some doctors may publicize lower hairlines with many examples on their website, I have also seen many of those patients who regret the decision to recreate a low hairline and have come to see me to ask me to move it back. You don’t see those on the websites. Aside from placing it too low, these hairlines may deplete the donor supply more rapidly, so as the hair loss moves back in many balding men and they need more hair to follow the loss, they may find that the hair supply has been used up and that there is not enough hair to follow the hair loss back to what I call ‘a reasonable stopping point’. I tell everyone that the good news and the bad news about hair transplants is that it is irreversible. Unfortunately, I am not able to raise hairlines with any ease and I can not create enough donor hair if the patient has used up his supply, so again, there are consequences.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

April 16, 2009

Female Hair Loss in Crown — Is It from Antidepressants? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

My hair started to thin around the crown (on the left side) about a year and a half ago. I think it is because of the Antidepressants Lexapro & Celexa that I have been on for the past two years. Prior to that I had no problem. It is only in one area. I do wear braids but have been for the better part of 20 years with absolutely no problem. Can the thinning be resolved if I go off the medication and will my hair grow back? Thank you!

This is a discussion you should clearly be having with your prescribing doctor. These medications can cause hair loss, but that does not mean that the hair loss you are experiencing is from them. You need to be evaluated by a good family doc or dermatologist for finding out the cause for your hair loss.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

April 16, 2009

I Want to Transplant Hairs from My Toe to Eyebrow – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Do you do eye brow transplants?

I have toe hair, and I would like to either remove it or have laser done to get rid of the hairs. I don’t like my eyebrows, because they are thick. The color matches between my eyebrow and my toe hairs and they seem to have the same texture.

I think I would be a good candidate if you did.

Yes, we do eyebrow transplants! Body hair transplants (from the back, chest or leg) have been attempted in the past with minimal success because the telogen cycle is long, at times longer than the growth cycle. Although scalp hair transplant to the eyebrow is routinely done, it does not always produce soft eyebrows that women want if the scalp hair is anything but fine. Keep in mind that scalp hair is generally more coarse than eyebrow hair. Thus, eyebrow transplants for men with coarser hair produce a more aesthetically pleasing result (as men generally want bushy, coarse eyebrows like Einstein or Mark Twain — well, maybe not that far). That being said, many of my patients (who are women) were very satisfied with their eyebrow results. The key point is that everybody is different and each patient needs to have realistic expectations and goals and know the limitations of such surgery with regard to the thickness of the hair being transplanted. This goes for any type of surgery.

I would not object to toe hair transplanted to the eyebrow, but it would be purely experimental and the growth rate may be less optimal because the sleep cycle (telogen) is relatively long, possibly longer than the growth cycle. The reason I suspect that this is the case is that I have rarely seen very long hairs growing from the top of the toe. I would want to know more about what the patient expects and what other hair may be available as an alternative.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

April 16, 2009

I’m Shaving Every Day, But Can’t Grow a Beard! – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

hey doc my question is about facial hair im 30 years old and tried everything to grow a beard and it seems like its never going to happen. is there anything i can do? i tried alot of different things like shaving everyday and nothing seems to work. i never seen my father grow one but he has a thick mustache that i also wished i had. can you give me any advice please? thanx

If you father did not have a beard (only a moustache), you may be following in his path. I personally wish I had no beard hair, but alas, the good Lord never asked me. Shaving can be quite a chore.

Minoxidil applied to the face might work to grow facial hair, but it isn’t intended to be used for that. Transplanting an entire beard can be done, but it might not be wise. Transplanting a moustache can be done along with or without a goatee. Contrary to popular belief, shaving doesn’t make the hair grow in thicker.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

April 16, 2009

Prescription Rogaine for Women? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Is there a different prescription strength Rogaine for women? If so, is it by prescription only?

Rogaine The 2% and 5% Rogaine (minoxidil) solutions are available without a prescription, but some doctors might prescribe a 12 or 15% generic minoxidil that is formulated by pharmacists. Rogaine (name brand minoxidil) does not come in a prescription strength.

Since this drug is known to drop blood pressure in some people, high concentrations of it can cause fainting, chest pain and general weakness… and if you get these higher concentrations be careful to titrate your dose with any side effects as discussed above. Generally, the higher the concentration, the greater the impact on hair loss so some doctors recommend the high dosages to maximize benefits.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

April 16, 2009

Why Doesn’t Minoxidil Require a Prescription? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

If Minoxidil is a drug, why does it not need a prescription? Sure, things like toothpaste and acne medication also list “Drug Facts” but sodium fluoride and salycilic acid seem natural, whereas minoxidil doesn’t. I asked a similar question like this before but it wasn’t answered.

That is an FDA decision. It originally was a prescription item, but someone put in an application to the FDA to release it for general over the counter sales. The FDA must determine safety and effectiveness and I guess that they determined it safe enough.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

April 16, 2009

Will Dutasteride Maintain the Finasteride Benefits? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have switched from finasteride to dutasteride recently – my hair is definitely receding as i stopped taking anything for around 18 months. I started taking proscar again for a year before switching to avodart – will i lose all the hair that was kept or regrown by stopping finasteride and switching or will avodart just continue where proscar left off?

kind regards

If your transition from finasteride to dutasteride is transparent (stop finasteride one day and pick up dutasteride the next day), then there should be no impact on the switch as both drugs block DHT at the level of the hair. Keep in mind that appropriate dosage for dutasteride as a hair loss treatment has yet to be approved by the FDA.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):