Author: Dr. William Rassman

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Hair Loss InformationPhysical Activities That Can Cause Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi doctor Is it normal for the left side of your hair line to be higher and thinner than the right? Also besides genes what are some physical activities than can cause hair loss?

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Hair loss, when it occurs, is often not symmetrical. If you’re seeing the left side of the hairline creep higher than the right, there’s nothing unusual about it.

There are no activities that should cause hair loss. Unless you count pulling on your hair as an activity, but I think you mean something like sports or hobbies. You need a good examination to determine if your hair loss is genetic and then map out the status of your hair loss (see Mapping Your Own Scalp for Miniaturization).

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My Doctor Told Me To Wait Up to 2 Years to See Results from Propecia – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

8 months ago I was at Dr. Bernstein and under miniaturization he said I have MPB. Right now I’m a NW2 but with early frontal hair loss. And I’m 22 1/2 years old. I been on Propecia daily for 8 months and everything is about the same. I keep reading that you should see all of your results by 8 months! I called Dr. Bernstein today and asked him if what I see are my final results and he said I gotta wait a full year and it may even take up to 2 years to see the full benefits. This is exciting to know but why do you always says 8 months is the optimal time for full results!?

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I tell patients not to expect results from Propecia for 8 months, but suggest a 1-2 year waiting time for maximum results. Merck (Propecia’s maker) has a chart that shows when to expect results, though they show that by month 3 you could get some slowing of the hair loss. See Propeca.com for more.

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Shedding vs Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Doc,

Could you discuss shedding vs hairloss. From reading blogs all over the web I think it’s one of the most confusing aspects of hairloss for people. Especially when medication is used. One doc told me to forget about shedding and counting hairs in the sink and shower. Says we shed for many reasons, the usual 100 a day, plus some seasonal, stress, medication.. but shedding isn’t loss, miniaturization is loss.

I would guess you have patients who complain of increased shedding but after a few follow up min examinations your would see some actual reversal. What’s your take on shedding and actual hair permanent hairloss?

Thanks

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I agree with the comments made by the doctor you visited. We all shed and it varies by day and season. Good miniaturization studies will tell you if you are balding and that should be your focus.

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Remarkable Result from 2 Years on Propecia (with Photos) – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

This patient has been taking Propecia for 2 years and not only did the hair growth fill in the crown, but even the miniaturization study showed significant microscopic benefit. This is what I keep talking about in this blog, there is the measurements of science behind what the eye sees.

Miniaturization mapping (captured with video microscope):

Propecia - Before / After

 

Before photo on the left / After photo on the right (2 years on Propecia — no surgery). Click to enlarge:

 

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How Do You Determine a Successful Hair Transplant Procedure? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Dr.,

If you can’t accurately measure the growth rate of your hair transplants (as posted in a previous blog post), how do you determine if a transplant was successful considering that no quantitative data is available (i.e. 95% growth)…?…

Also, since you’ve been doing this so long, what is your opinion on whether people are too vain? You must see lots of interesting information regarding this since you are in a unique position as a hair transplant surgeon.

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Success is determined by your ability to achieve your goals provided that you have had realistic expectations of it. A good doctor will tell you if it meets his/her expectations. I have had patients who felt that they had their expectations met and I did not, so in those very, very few patients I usually just do another hair transplant at my cost.

We are all vain, but we do not like to admit it. I can fill hundreds of pages of stories on vanity, but I’ll save them for another time. I don’t believe people are too vain, but some people see vanity as a problem, and that is where I disagree. There is nothing wrong with wanting to look as good as you feel (or hope to feel).

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Hair Loss InformationHair Transplant at Early Stage of Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

hi doctor,
in your earlier blog you said that best time to do a hair transplant is when the hair loss becomes unbearable and you(doctor) has something to work upon.however in your recent blog you said that it is better to have hair transplant in early stage. what exactly in your view is the better option?

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For starters, you need a Master Plan to understand what is going to happen to you.

Hair transplants work well early in some men if there is obvious balding, but just having miniaturized hair and some thinning may be better treated with medications like Propecia (finasteride) before considering a surgical approach. Frontal areas, as they bald, work well with hair transplants, while crown areas may take huge amounts of hair that will not meet your needs in the supply/demand ratios of your hair density and scalp laxity.

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Is There Mold or Toxin In My Home Causing Female Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

(female) Hi, I started noticing my hair thinning for the past 2 years but it has been really getting thin the last couple of months. I’ve had blood tests and all have come back normal. Now I have noticed that my 8 year old daughter is thinning. Could there we something in our home causing it? Mold or other toxin? Or something we are eating? I am very concerned. I would really love to hear your opinion.

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First, your daughter needs to be checked out by a good doctor familiar with hair disorders and/or dermatology. I would not jump to toxins as my first diagnosis, but this needs to be evaluated by a competent doctor in-person, and not over the Internet. It could be a variety of possibilities, from nutrition problems to disease, but an examination must take place.

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Is Once a Day Rogaine Better Than No Rogaine At All? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I saw Dr. Pak in Summer. I am now on Propecia and will do a procedure once again in future. My question is, in addition to Propecia and Nizoral, I’d like to add a once-a-day regimen of Rogaine (only because I do not like to do in morning as I exercise and it sweats into my mouth during the day. Is once a day Rogaine better than no Rogaine in your opinion?

Also, does the recent lift on stem cell research limits add possible hope for hair cloning?

Thank You

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Once a day Rogaine may be better than no Rogaine at all if you do get a response from this medication (about half of men will).

We are all hopeful that stem cell research will solve our problems, but it takes lots of time to get to such a solution.

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Does an Area of Scalp Need to Be Completely Bald Before It Can Be Transplanted? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’m curious – in your response you state “Transplants should never, ever be used to build up what you may lose in the future.” Why is this?

Also, does this mean that an area that’s thinning but not totally hairless (in my case, the frontal scalp, or “forelock”) can’t be thickened up until it’s gone completely bald, or nearly bald? I’m confused.

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Just to clarify for readers, the above email was received in response to My Crown Is Starting to Thin and I Want to Thicken It Up With a Hair Transplant. Now that we’re all on the same page, I may not have been clear in that posting so I’ll attempt to fix that now.

Some unethical doctors use hair transplants in areas which are not balding and show no miniaturization on the anticipation that it may happen. I do not approve of that practice, nor do I approve of transplanting an area that has minimal cosmetic balding without first using a course of Propecia (finasteride 1mg).

Assuming that you have lost 50% or more of the frontal hair and are obviously thinning, transplants can be done. In this case, Propecia is good to prevent shock loss to the existing hairs. You do not have to go bald before having a hair transplant.