Author: Dr. William Rassman

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19 Year Old Isn’t Sure if His Doctor Just Doesn’t Know About Maturing Hairlines – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Doc,
Hi, I’m a 19 year old male who just went in for miniaturization mapping. This is basically what I was told: there was no thinning on the crown and not much on the front, but there was thinning on the corners. Now already my corners have gone back quite a bit (about 1.5 inches, maybe a bit more, maybe a bit less). The front has gone back almost 0.5 inches.

When I left, the doctor recommended that I start propecia and start massaging my scalp with minoxidil once a day. Now I read what you had on “mature hairlines” and am wondering whether or not I have a mature hairline and if this treatment that the doctor recommended could cause more harm than help…

On the other hand I’m worried that maybe this is the beginning stages of balding. Should I go ahead with the treatment or is it likely that this is simply a mature hairline and that my recession won’t go much farther than it already is?

Thanks

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As I have nothing to base an opinion on, I can not tell you what I think, but if you show me a photo of your frontal view from the eyebrows up and your brow lifted as high as you can get it so that the wrinkles in the forehead appear clearly, I will give you an opinion if this is a maturing hairline or early Norwood Class 3 balding.

Want to get the photo to me for review? Sign up at BaldingForum.com, upload your photo (or photos) there, then create a thread asking about your hairline in the Hair Loss Open Discussion category. It’s easier than it sounds, trust me.

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Hair Loss Started When I Began Taking Ambien – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have been taking ambien for an extended period to aid in getting enough sleep. I go to sleep okay, but wake up after about two hours and cannot go back to sleep without the medication. I first took sonata and then ambien CR, but realized that, in my case, ambien worked just as well. However, I have noticed that my rate of hair loss has noticeably increased beyond the normal aging process. In looking back, the hair loss started soon after the time that I started taking the ambien. In addition, I have had itching scalp as well as one infected place on the crown of my head. I had never had these issues before. Could this result from the use of ambien products?

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There seems to be many people who have personal experiences with Ambien (zolpidem) that suggest hair loss from it, although the literature does not state this relationship. You might probably reconsider taking the medication and see if stopping it stops the hair loss. As Ambien is a prescription drug, you should discuss the change with your prescribing doctor. I also couldn’t find anything in the literature relating scalp itch or skin irritation with this medication.

See our previous blog post about Ambien here.

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I Have Red Hair, but Some Fallen Hairs Are Nearly Black – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi there lately ive been shedding alot of weird hairs there small and discolored. i have red hair and the hair strands are kinda thin but not really. they’re brown and they have white tips on them and ive had a few where at the bottom of the strand the bulb is completely white and towards the top of the strand its completely black almost. could this be some sort of deficiency? or maybe a auto immune problem?

Write back soon.

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White bulbs are what we normally see with rotational shedding from hair cycling. There’s nothing unusual there. If you are female, you need to have a doctor’s examination and opinion, as there are too many possible reasons for hair loss in women. If you are male, then a miniaturization mapping is appropriate, as genetics is the most likely cause. I do not know what to make of the hairs that come out from a different color perspective.

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Hair Loss InformationIs Hair Normally Thinner Towards the Root? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Is it normal for a hair under an inch long to be noticably thinner towards the root? i see hairs that fall out that look kinda like an exclamation mark, thick at top and thin at the root. my hair is around 2cm long.

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The exclamation point hair you’re describing usually points to a variety of conditions, such as allergic disorders, thyroid disease, vitiligo, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and ulcerative colitis (see Exclamation point hair). Normally hair is uniform in width.

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My 9 Year Old Daughter’s Hair Isn’t Growing and Falls Out! – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

My daughter is nine years old and is of the african american origin. Her hair is not growing and is falling out at the nap and temples. Yes I have gone to a doctor and still nothing works. I relax her hair about every six months with a PCJ just for me kids relaxer. Please help me I am at my wits end! What do I need to do to fix her problem?

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It is highly probable that you are doing something (without realizing it) to cause hair loss, unless your daughter has some genetic disease. A good doctor should be able to tell with an examination. Make an appointment with a good dermatologist.

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20 Year Old with High Metabolism – Could Propecia Work in Just a Week?! – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Dr. Rassman. I am a 20 year old male. I have been loosing my hair for about a year and a half and have thinned quite a bit all over the classic horse-shoe area. My questions are as follows: My hair has thinned, but not receded, my hairline is still intact, just diffuse. I’ve been on Propecia for about a week now,and I swear my hairloss has slowed. Is it possible that it could be working already? I have a VERY high metabolisim; could that be a factor? I’m crossing my fingers! Thanks….

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I doubt Propecia would show any regrowth in only one week, but I suppose it is possible for slowing the hair loss. You should take a photo of your hair and keep it as a reference to see how it changes in the next year. That will tell you a great deal. Also, you can map out your scalp for miniaturization and follow the mapping results over time. Changes in miniaturization will show if the medications are working even if your metabolism is high.

20 year olds tend to do really, really well with finasteride (Propecia) and I have seen miracles with this medication on those in your age group. Good luck.

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What Are the Odds a Teen Girl Will Bald? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Doctor, I wrote to you and want to thank you for posting my question. I have taken my daughter to two different doctors and I received two different opinions. The first doctor said TE due to stress and the second said AGA due to family history. I did not think AGA could cause such loss on the corner forehead down to the temple. I wanted to know what the odds were that a 17 year old could have AGA. I know it can happen, but how unlucky would we have to be? Also, the area I’m talking about looks bald in photos. This has been going on since March with no regrowth.

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One doctor says telogen effluvium (TE) and another says androgenic alopecia (AGA), but without an examination, I really couldn’t and shouldn’t try to help break the tie. So while I cannot comment on your daughter’s diagnosis, the general fact is AGA is more common in men. In fact, AGA (also known as male pattern baldness) is the most common cause of hair loss in men in post puberty years, including teens. I have seen rare instances where genetic hair loss can impact young women as well, but I don’t have actual statistics off hand for you. Luck doesn’t play a part, but based on my experience genetic hair loss in teen girls isn’t a common occurrence.

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Took Finasteride for 3 Months – Worked Great for My Hair, Bad for the Sex – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Please i really need your advice.

For 3 months I started taking 1.25mg of proscar daily because I started to shed hair. soon after taking proscar, hair loss came to a halt and I stopped worrying about MPB. But then I started to get sexual side affects so i stopped the treatment and everything was in working order in days. But now of course am starting to itch n shed again. what do i do? less proscar? saw palmetto? minoxidil? am 26 and still have a full head of hair but I will begone if action is not taken.

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This is why a prescription from a doctor is required for finasteride… to answer questions like yours if you experience side effects. I often recommend half a pill a day for those that see side effects to see if this is tolerated, but cutting a 5mg Proscar tablet into 8 parts is a real challenge. Ask you doctor, as this is an important thing for you, and you should not let it slide until you go bald.

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Can Using Rogaine Inhibit Natural Hair Regrowth? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’m a 28 year old woman who suffered a bit of diffuse hair loss at the front of my scalp. I have always had thick dark curly hair but started losing hair as consequence of being treated with a medication for anxiety. I have been told that it will regenerate by itself once I stop the medication. But, I am still taking this medication and obviously I dont want to keep losing hair so my doctor has given me some vitamins and also Rogaine for 6 months. I’m only on the first month of using Rogaine and I havent noticed any improvement yet. I was just wanderig what will happen once I finish both treatments. I’m planning to stop the medication in two months. I’ve read that once you quit Rogaine your hair goes back as it was. Is this going to affect my natural hair regrowth? Will my hair keep thick after Rogaine if this is my natural? Is Rogaine appropriate for me?

Many thanks for any advise!

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Rogaine (minoxidil) will not impact normal hair. If you have no side effects from its use, you can apply it as directed twice a day and wait out 8-12 months to see if it works. You won’t notice anything in the first month, and if you stop the medication in 2 months you’re not going to get any benefits. Why would you even bother starting it?

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Doctors I’ve Seen for Years Are No Help! – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have had a severe case of hair loss that has continued over the past ten years. Over the past two years, I have learned that this was because of low testosterone. My urologists has prescribed Androgel, which I thought would help but it only gives marginal improvement.

Erections are almost non-existant with some form of visual stimulant. ED drugs help but take a while to kick in. The last test that I took for testosterone had a level of 35 which was lower than the normal low end range for a 50 year old male.

Please help as I feel helpless to resolve this issue with the doctors that I have been seeing over the past 2 years. I’ve been prescribed for Propecia, which does marginal good and I have been using Minoxidil since it was first on the market. It didn’t stop the hairloss.

Please help!

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If you come into my office, I can make an assessment of you, a good history, and an examination. Without that, I can not do much to help you. Or, find a local doctor who should do what I would do and get enough opinions until you find the right doctor.