Dr. William Rassman – Page 1375

December 11, 2008

Could Accutane Effect Growth of Transplanted Hair? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am being treated by a dermatologist for cystic acne on my face, and my dermatologist wants me to begin a course of Accutane (isotretinoin) to treat the acne. I am considering a hair transplant procedure sometime in 2009.

I’d like to know the following:

a) Could the Accutane have any effect on the transplanted hair’s growth? I have read that hairloss is a potential accutane side effect, but wouldn’t that potential hairloss just be in the native hairs and NOT in the DHT-resistant hairs which were transplanted from the back of the head?

b) Is it safe for me to be taking accutane at the time of a hair transplant procedure (either FUE or strip)?

Thank you.

Accutane (isotretinoin) can cause hair loss. Hair loss from Accutane is not associated with hair loss from male pattern baldness (which is DHT related hair loss). So there is a potential you may lose hair (even transplanted hair), although that is unlikely. Unfortunately, this is theoretical and I do not have a clear answer for you as I have not seen anyone taking Accutane with a hair transplant. Also keep in mind you may not lose hair at all even if you take Accutane (is it is only a “potential” side effect). I would also consult with your dermatologist for a better understanding of your risks and benefits.

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December 11, 2008

Did Irritation from Rogaine Cause Damage? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dear Doc,

Can Rogaine 5% cause damage to your scalp that will prevent hairs from coming back normally after the “shed”. I used it for 2 months and quit when the flaking got to be too much, I’m scared the irritation caused some damage because its been 4 months and the bald spot that was the area of application is still missing hair.

While anything is possible, I doubt irritation from Rogaine (minoxidil) will cause permanent damage and hair loss. I assume you were using Rogaine because you were losing hair. It may just be that you are still losing hair and are more sensitive and aware of it.

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December 11, 2008

Does Minoxidil Cause Baldness? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi, I was just wondering if you’ve had any experiences with minoxidil causing baldness or thinning the hair permanently. I’m 20 and just started using minoxidil %5 (Spectral DNC) on my hair line and temple area. Also, do you have any advice on good products for hair loss at a young age? Thanks.

Topical minoxidil is used to grow hair. It does not cause baldness. You may be balding from genetic causes despite the use of the medication or you may be developing a mature hairline, common in your age (see this post) . If you are concerned about hair loss, I would start by seeing your primary care doctor.

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December 11, 2008

Heavy Cardio and a Shower to Flush 5AR? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

can i flush 5 alpha reductose from my sweat gland with heavy cardio(heavy sweating from top of head) followed by a showering with a shampoo such a nioxin?

No. It doesn’t work that way. Curiously, I’d love to know how you came up with that idea.

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December 11, 2008

Let’s Rub Our Heads with Eggs and Brandy! – Balding Blog

I found this page that says mixing an egg with brandy, then rubbing it on your head to grow hair. Or using almond oil…. or mixing eggs, honey, and olive oil. They also say that copper prevents hair loss and zinc prevents grey hair. WHAAAAAT?

Point is, I wonder where these crazy ideas come from. Is there anything in eggs that would lead someone to believe that they’ll regrow your hair? Why use brandy? I know you probably can’t answer that, but I’m thinking out loud. These things are so ridiculous to me and I am sure I’m not the only one that shares that thought process. I believe there’s a place for homeopathic medicine in the world, but these hair loss “cures” are so obviously dumb it surprises me that people can’t just see they’re wasting time before they even start.

I agree and share your thought process as well. Much of the homeopathic remedies I’ve been asked about through this site have been truly ridiculous and won’t do a thing for your regrowing your hair or preventing it from falling out. I have no idea where such ideas come from, but I can’t help but just shake my head whenever I hear about a new one. Maybe someone’s drunk uncle had a full head of hair, so the idea of using brandy came into play?

Eggs and brandy… isn’t that eggnog? What better way to celebrate the holidays than trying to get your scalp drunk? Garnish with nutmeg and serve.

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December 11, 2008

Treating Hair Loss with Low Cholesterol, Green Tea, Saw Palmetto, and Vitamins – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi,
do enjoy the site, always looking for new information that can help. I am aware that supplements such as saw palmetto are of ill comparison to the strength of finasteride. But what if you were to create a sort of daily routine which followed suite to the same components finasteride has such as rather then popping a pill of propecia you were to:

keep cholesterol intake low to possibly decrease your testosterone levels

1-3 cups of green tea a day

daily intake of supplements which include moderately large amounts of saw palmetto,nettle, beta sitosterol and lysine

omega 3′6′9

vitamin b complex

daily multi vitamin of good quality

and also I have heard that to much vitamin A could possibly worsen the effects of male pattern baldness is this true? thanks

Saw palmetto does not work the same way as finasteride, and hair growth with it is less predictable. It is always good to live healthy and have a low cholesterol diet. Any good thing in excess can be bad for you (such as overdosing on vitamin A).

If the regimen you outlined works for you, then I would stick with it… but from a medical and scientific point of view, I doubt it will grow hair.

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December 10, 2008

Actavis Makes Generic 5mg Finasteride – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello William

My question is regarding a drug which should be the same as Proscar/Propecia (It has the same ATC-Code and the same level of finasterid, 5mg). It comes from the apparently wellknown company Actavis: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/71641.php

Now if it is possible to use a fifth proscar instead of a propecia pill, it should be okay to use one/fifth Actavis instead right? The reason I ask is because the price here in Denmark for Actavis is ten times lower than Proscar. There are also many other companies which produces products that are similar but alot cheaper than Proscar.

I am 25, male and I have Norwood 2 with a beginning vertex. Thanks for your help and keep up the good work (I have learned alot from your site).

Kind regards

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Actavis Yes, 1/5th of a Actavis brand 5mg finasteride pill should be the same as 1/5th of a Proscar pill. There are many makers of generic medications, and it does vary by country. As long as you can be sure the medication is what it claims to be, it should be the same regardless of the maker. I say “should”, but I have no way to tell if it is that case for every pharmaceutical company. From Wikipedia, other makers of generic finasteride include:

Ajanta Pharma (trade name Appecia)
Aleppo Pharmaceutical (trade name Prosteride)
Cipla (trade names Fincar and Finpecia)
Dr. Reddy’s (trade names Finax and Finast)
Intas Pharmaceuticals (trade name Finalo)
Ranbaxy (trade name Finara)

Interestingly, a few months back Actavis recalled every generic drug they manufactured in their New Jersey plant, thanks to an FDA inspection that showed the standards were not kept up. Read more about that at the FDA site. Finasteride was not one of the drugs listed, as it was apparently not made at that facility. Just food for thought, though…

December 10, 2008

In the News – Spironolactone Clinical Trial in Australia for Treating Female Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

Around 80 women suffering hair loss are being recruited to trial the drug Spironolactone. While there is some evidence the drug is effective in arresting the progress of female baldness, the trial will be the first in the world to provide medical proof of its efficacy. Half of the women will take a placebo; the rest will take the drug.

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Read the full text — Drug trial to end bad hair days for bald women

In theory, Spironolactone is anti-androgenic and some doctors have been using it for years. Thus, if hair loss is from androgenic causes (such as male pattern baldness) the belief is that it may help… but women generally do not have androgenic alopecia (men do). The results from what has been reported so far in past literature has been “iffy”, and not enough to drive me to recommend this drug or others like it.

We’ll see what the test concludes.

December 10, 2008

How Long After a Hair Transplant Are the Grafts Safe? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

male, 36yo. I had a hair transplant 15 days ago. I am wondering how I can tell how many or what percentage of the grafts have survived, or if it is even possible to tell that at this point. I am also wondering if there is a certain day like day 10 post op or so that whatever grafts have survived so far will continue to survive? Can transplanted grafts die at month 5 for example that before then have been just fine?

Also, will I experience shedding of the transplanted hairs before I see any growth in 4 months or so? In other words, will things look worse before they look better? Should I be concerned if I see shedding in the grafted area? Does shedding mean the grafts have not survived? I have not yet noticed any shedding as far as I can tell.

thanks.

At 15 days without scabbing, you should be safe with the grafts and they will not come out. If the scabs persist, that is another story which requires careful washing. You really should never look worse unless you experience some degree of shock loss. At your age, to prevent this, you should be on finasteride. At 5 months, the hair should be growing or just starting to grow and the hair loss from the hair within the transplanted grafts will return.

For more, see this paper I co-authored and was published in 2006 –Graft Anchoring in Hair Transplantation (PDF file).

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December 10, 2008

Is My Multivitamin Contributing to My Hair Loss? – Balding Blog

Hello Dr. Rassman,

First and foremost, thank you for taking the time to keep up this blog; it keeps my neuroticism in check.

I am a 21 year old male with mild MPB in my family on both sides, and I have been experiencing some thinning of my temples recently. Three months ago I started taking a multivitamin, and I want to make sure this is not be contributing to this new problem. If you could please take a look at the ingredients and let me know if anything is questionable, I would appreciate it
greatly. Thank you very much, Dr. Rassman.

Ingredients are here

When I initially looked at the link you sent, I made some notes with the intention to go back and review the list of ingredients more in-depth before posting. Unfortunately, the link doesn’t work anymore and I don’t have a name for the vitamin you’re taking.

At any rate, here are some general notes: a standard multivitamin is usually fine, but I always question when there are ingredients that supply over 1000% of the daily needs. Some vitamins in excess can cause hair loss, but I have been unable to go through the list.