Author: Dr. William Rassman

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Hair Loss InformationIn the News – Balding Celebrities – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the post:

British bad boy Jude Law may have aged a bit faster after his affair with his child’s nanny ended his engagement to starlet Sienna Miller. Since they broke up in the end of 2006, Law, pictured at left on Sept. 16, seems to have lost something else besides his fiancee — his hair. The actor’s widow’s peak appears to be creeping farther up by the day.

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Check out the full gallery.

Ouch. Jude Law didn’t get off too easy here. I guess this “report” is at least 6 months old, but I don’t think I’ve seen it or posted about it previously. ABC News took a look at the “hunks” of Hollywood that are losing their hair, so if you want to see your favorite actor looking a little thin up top, click here to start the gallery.

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Vitamin Supplements – Problem for My Hair? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello – I recently added some new supplements to my daily routine and wanted to know if any them or the amounts could be potentially damaging to hair?

  1. vitamin b6 – 200mg – is this excessive? I have read that a lot of b6 could potentially stimulate hair growth in men. Have you heard of this?
  2. vitamin d – 2400IU – again, I feel that this is a necessary vitamin that is often overlooked. But how much is too much?
  3. magnesium – 900mg

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Vitamin B6 — Recommended dosage is between 1.3mg-2mg daily, depending on age and sex; Maximum dosage is 100mg… so you’re taking double the maximum. (source)

Vitamin D — Recommended dosage is around 200 UI, though it varies depending on age. The upper limit is 2000 IU. Again, you’re taking more than the maximum recommended. (source)

Magnesium — Recommended dosage is between 300-400mg, depending on age, weight, and sex. (source)

Now I do realize that when taking supplements the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA, also known as DRI) are many times thrown out the window, but you should talk to a doctor about the potential side effects of taking too much of any particular vitamin. I’ve read that excessive about of vitamin B6 or vitamin D can help with hair loss, but that’s not been proven (and keep in mind it’s just what I’ve read online, not in a medical journal). Magnesium can help with healthy hair growth, but generally it is deficiencies in these vitamins that can cause problems. I’ve never told a patient to take excessive amounts to help their hair, though. I can’t find any information that shows potential damage to hair, but again, you should consult with your physician about taking so much of these supplements on a daily basis.

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I Don’t Want Multiple Linear Scars from Multiple Hair Transplants – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Dr.Rassman,

Is it true that during the second transplant, the physician can cover the first scar that was caused by the first transplant? I would like to do a second procedure but do not want to have multiple scars as well as one BIG scar. Also, is it true that a scar from the transplant will be visible as the person ages and the hair in the back of the head gets thinner? One last question, can shock loss (loss of hair due to transplant) occur for already transplanted hair when a person undergoes a second transplant.

Thank You for your time

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The state of the art today is to limit transplanted scars to just one, even with multiple surgeries. If, for any reason, the scar gets wider (5-10% of people) then a single scar can often be corrected in a special surgery that addresses the need for a scar revision. Some surgeons go into untouched areas of scalp and intentionally produce a ‘step ladder’ set of scars which accomplishes two things: (1) a higher yield of hair, and (2) more dollars for the doctor’s pocket. I generally believe that step ladder scars produce a more unsightly look and can not be fixed easily while a single scar is easier to manage in the long term.

I personally had two hair transplant surgeries 16 years ago and you can barely see my scar and it has not changed (as typical) since the last surgery that had been done.

Your last question addressed shock loss in previously transplanted hair. It is very, very rare and if it should occur (less than .01% of cases) it always returns.

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Kankho Product in New Zealand – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi There,

I have just been to Clive hair clinics in New Zealand and can’t find much information about their product “Kankho” which they are trying to sell me. Have you heard of this and would you recomend? Propcecia worries me as we are thinking about having children soon and I am concerned about the side effects in relation to this.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards

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I just quickly looked up the Kankho product line and while information is pretty sparse, I found this site.

There’s nothing in the listed ingredients of Kankho products that is proven to regrow hair. Their site says, Kankho contains “effective levels of Azeleic Acid, Zinc, Sulphate and Vitamin B6″. Sounds real effective to me (note sarcasm). I’m not sure what they’re trying to sell or for what reason (regrowth, halting loss), but the proven treatments are minoxidil and finasteride. Side effects are not that common with the proven medications, so your concerns may be over nothing.

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Bald Spot from Bleaching My Hair? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

(female)
I usually color my hair and a few weeks ago i did a triple process where i had 3 different colors put in but the process of bleaching. My new roots started growing back so i decided to lighten them. While applying the bleach we noticed a bald spot at the back of my head. It was smooth soft and the same color of my scalp. It has feeling and it does not pain at all. Could the chemical have caused it!? Would it grow back? I am very worried

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You should be worried. Bleach can burn the hair root and cause permanent balding. Wait it out for 3-6 months and you will know if it will reverse. Be careful in using too much or too strong bleaches. You can read more about this in my book, Hair Loss and Replacement for Dummies, where this is discussed in considerable detail.

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Eating a Marijuana Brownie After a Hair Transplant? – Balding Blog

Doctor,

I asked you this question in a very log winded fashion the other day without a response, pls let me be more brief….as I am sure you are quite busy and I do realize you have answered somewhat similar but certianly not the same questions. If you are uncompfortable answering these questions I understand so pls let me know and I will not bother you, but i LOVE the blog!!!!

Would you think I would impact my hair transplant yield or donor scar if I eat marijuana(this is all legal) in a brownie or take it in a “marinol” pill via prescription a few times a week? Or have 1 TINY 5 second inhale of smoke daily? Pls let me know, I would love to have my hair and enjoy my life as well.

FYI I am 31 and in pretty good shape.

Thanks

I have no experience with this situation, but I would guess that there will be no impact from the marijuana (legal or otherwise *cough*) on a hair transplant growth rate.

For the record, brief emails do help (as long as the pertinent facts are there), but I wasn’t avoiding your email because it was lengthy. I just get a lot of messages and can’t get to all of them.




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Balding Forum - Hair Loss Discussion

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Total Crown Renewal – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Dr. Rassman, thanks for your great contribution to hair loss sufferers, and the art of hair transplantation.

I have a question concerning a practice said to completely eliminate balding in the crown area called “total crown renewal” done by a doctor in the U.S., or it’s original counterpart, the triple flap with tissue gain/scalp extension done by it’s inventor in Europe. This practice is not promoted as a “repair” procedure, but is promoted to completely eliminate crown area baldness for “normal HT candidates”. I saw pictures on their site and the result “seems” great, but I am wondering if it causes a new “head shape” by stretching and pulling the sides of the scalp to such extent.

  • Would the face and profile look different by such a procedure?
  • Would the crown hair, while completely full, look peculiar to some extent? (Most pictures I saw were from the back, not face or side…)
  • My last question: I already had 2 strip procedures for a total of 5000 grafts (one scar). Would this procedure be a risk to my existent scar? (stretching)

I am puzzled because I was about to go for a last strip for the crown, while maybe I could save all these grafts for other areas “if” needed in the future (I’m a 38 y.o. and good responder to propecia and minoxidil), and solve the crown problem with this total crown renewal procedure. What would you recommend?

Thanks very much in advance for your help!

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The procedure you referenced is an old procedure called scalp reduction using a Frechet Extender (named for the doctor that created it). For a reasonable Norwood Class 6 patient it would take between 3-5 scalp reduction procedures, ending up with what is called a Triple Flap procedure. The scalp reduction procedure has been discredited as a deforming procedure thanks in part to me being so outspoken about it. I am a personal victim having had three of them in 1992. I was furious at the deformities that it created on my scalp and let the world know about it though publications in the Hair Transplant Forum (industry newsletter) and debates before medical physician audiences. Now, people doing this procedure could be open to malpractice actions if things went wrong and I have personally testified as an expert on such cases in the past.

Call it anything you want but as Shakespeare wrote, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” — in other words, however you change the name, it is what it is and in my opinion the scalp reductions should not be back on the market because they are deforming procedures.

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Hair Transplants for Really Short Hair Style? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Dr.

I have a short but interesting question for you.

Is there a way to get a hair transplant which caters to a shaved head? what I mean is, since it’s less important to have such a packed in and natural look when you shave your head; is it easier or cheaper to get some sort of thinner coverage on your head which still looks natural when you shave it really short?

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I really don’t know what your expectations are, but I think that the answer is a hair transplant will not add value to your bald areas in the front, top, or crown in very low densities and wide distributions. If you want the easiest and cheapest way to have a shaved head look, use a razor and just take off whatever hair you have left.

Otherwise, the follicular unit extraction (FUE) technique doesn’t leave any linear scar in the back of the head, but there are tiny pinhole size scars that could be visible upon close examination. I’m not sure how short “really short” is for hairstyles.

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How Long Should I Wait Between Hair Transplants? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Dr. Rassman,
I recently had a hair transplant in February and have a few questions:

  1. How long do you recommened waiting before having another procedure? I’m thinking a year (to see results), but would any sooner hurt the transplanted hair?
  2. If you have additional procedures, can the newly transplanted hair be affected by shock loss?
  3. How often do your patients stop using Finasteride after having hair transplants?

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  1. I generally recommend waiting between 8-12 months between hair transplants as 80% of the hair will be at styling length by the 8th month.
  2. Shock loss is rare in a second hair transplant within 2 years of the first.
  3. I generally think of Propecia/finasteride as a lifetime decision, because stopping it would allow the progressive nature of hair loss to show and evolve. So I don’t recommend stopping Propecia once it is started. I don’t have statistics on how many patients stop using the medication after a transplant, though.