Dr. William Rassman – Page 1416

September 9, 2008

The Drawn Hairline Is Different From What Was Transplanted a Week Ago! – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello. I recently got a hair transplant in Canada. I am a resident of the United States. I didn’t have severe loss, but my hairline has always bothered me. It was very unsymmetrical and missing temple points on an otherwise full head of hair. I had a procedure last week and the swelling has just subsided the last couple of days. Well, what the doctor drew in for my hairline is very different than what is now on my head. My temple points are extremely unsymmetrical now, more than before. When looking at me directly, one temple point can be seen and looks great, but the other one is further back the side of my face and can’t be seen from front view. One is lower than the other… The way it is now, is not what was drawn on my head prior to the surgery. The doctor took a picture of me before the transplant, but did not take a picture of me after the hairline was drawn or after the procedure.

My question is, how do I approach this situation.. Is it the doctors responsibility to fix this for me or am I bound to this agreement even though it was not what was discussed and agreed on prior to surgery? I have seen tons of pics on forums of people who have had temple work done, even from this doctor, and none of them look as unsymmetrical as mine. Should I have this fixed asap or wait till my results grow in and go have it fixed then… I mean, it is ridiculous how much I have paid and it was a fairly easy procedure from what I understand.

The good news is that you had a photograph taken before the surgery, hopefully outlining the hairline that was proposed. If the transplant was done in the last 5 days, it would be unlikely that you could undo the problem work. The best thing is to communicate with the doctor and address your concerns.

You trusted the doctor to perform your surgery after all. It is all about communication and having a trusting relationship. My answer may sound generic, but it is really as simple as that. Your doctor should be very concerned if the work is unbalanced. You can always get a second opinion. Keep taking good photos of your hairline and growth.

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September 8, 2008

Does Miniaturization Always Mean MPB? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hey doctor,
Thanks so much for your time. This would be very helpful for me if you could answer this question! My question is, does miniaturization for sure mean that one has male pattern baldness or can miniaturization be a result of other causes of hair loss (i.e. meds). I’ve been taking minocycline for 4 years because of acne prescribed by a doctor and I also have A LOT of miniaturization. Is this just coincidence or could there be other reasons for miniaturization/balding

Thanks for your time!

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There could be other reasons besides genetic male pattern baldness. Get a good examination by a doctor who knows about this. Miniaturization could be drug induced along with a variety of other diseases.

Minocycline is not known to cause hair loss, but I suppose it could be a rare side effect (I’ve read conflicting reports online about it being a side effect at all). The official documentation does not mention it.

September 8, 2008

Clarify the Best Time to Take Propecia – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I didn’t really understand your answer to the best time to take propecia. You said the best time is in the morning because you get the half life of the drug being 4 hours thus reducing
concentration. Wouldn’t you want full concentration for better effects?

Like I’ve said in past blog posts, the best time to take Propecia (finasteride 1mg) is in the morning when your testosterone levels are at the highest. In reality and practicality, the best time to take Propecia is anytime you can remember to take it on a consistent (daily) basis.

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September 8, 2008

Eyebrow Baldness – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dear Doctor,
I’m a 41-year old female and in the last six months my eyebrows started falling out to the point of almost complete “eyebrow baldness” (I don’t wax or tweeze them, so that’s not it). The dermatologist I saw did a scalp test and that was all fine and bloodwork done revealed nothing abnormal. He has prescribed twice-a-day application of topical Clobex. Does that sound like it’s on the right track of proper treatment? What about those “eyebrow growth stimulator” lotions I’ve heard about. Are they worth trying?

Thanks for your time and have a great day. Kind regards

Clobex is a topical steroid, so I would ask your prescribing physician what the working diagnosis is. Biotin deficiency has been strongly linked to hair loss and, when severe, can even lead to loss of the eyebrows and lashes. Deficiency is rare, but can be caused by excessive consumption of raw eggs, which contain high levels of the protein avidin, which binds biotin strongly. Biotin can be taken orally.

Another diagnosis that needs to be ruled out is alopecia areata, and a biopsy may be indicated for this. The Internet is not a place for a comprehensive review of your problem, but your doctor should be able to go over this with you if he spends the right amount of time, as I do with every patient I see.

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September 8, 2008

Hair Loss Paranoia – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hey, thank you for keeping this blog – it’s a great help! I’m an 18 year old male with a little bit of paranoia (nobody else thinks I’m losing hair). I’ve been reading about miniaturization. I noticed that some of the hair that comes out when I’m washing my head is finer than other hair. I have no idea if this is normal or not – what do you think?

It is normal to lose around 100 hairs every day as new ones grow in. If you have product in your hair (hair spray, gel, wax, etc), it may keep some of those hairs trapped until you shower, and then appear to have a bunch of hairs coming out at once… when in reality, it was just your normal daily hair cycling.

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September 8, 2008

My Doctor Says to Take One Proscar Every 5 Days for Treating Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hey Dr. Rassman I have some question

My doctor says that to take one pill of 5mg finasteride (proscar) every 5 days amounts to take 1mg finasteride each days, i’m not sure he’s right, what do you think about it?

I have less than 20% of miniaturized hair all over my scalp (about 6% all over), but miniaturized hairs have not an equal diameters. Do you considered this as a MPB?

When consider you that the MPB is stabilized? No more miniaturization on the scalp?

Is the finasteride bad for the body-building (whithout steroids or anything else of course)?

thanks!

I hate overruling other physicians, but your doctor may be wrong. To treat hair loss, you need to take 1/4 pill of Proscar a day (ideally it would be 1/5 pill, but that is not practical to split into 5 equal pieces). If you take one full pill of Proscar (finasteride 5mg) once every 5 days, it would be be out of your system in 24 hours. There is some tissue (hair) fixation that may last 5 days, but that is not well documented and what it means is less documented.
If you have less then 20% of miniaturization over your scalp then you should not be on finasteride (Propecia / Proscar), because you don’t have male pattern baldness (MPB).
It is normal to have 10 to 20% miniaturization on your scalp as these may represent vellus hairs, not miniaturized hairs.
Finasteride has nothing to do with body building or exercise.

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September 8, 2008

What Doctor is Recommend for Chemical Burn? – Balding Blog

Dr. Rassman:

Regarding a chemical burn from blonde highlighting: 20 YO female was under hair dryer c. 4-5 minutes when burning sensation was felt on the L upper scalp; a 30 volume developer was mixed w/ionic powder with foil wraps. A baseball sized area now (6 mos or so later)has damaged hair follicles requiring two surgeries (apparently infusion for hydration first and then some over-flapping of productive skin over damaged skin ?). To properly examine this area to determine what caused the burn, would you recommend examination by a dermatologist or some other medical specialist?

Thanks so much.

I would recommend an examination by a dermatologist for chemical burns to the scalp that caused hair loss. I’m not clear if you were just told two surgeries would be required, or if you actually had two surgeries to correct this. If you have had surgery, you might want to get a second opinion if you are not comfortable with the management or the outcome.

I think I have more questions for you than answers. I think an examination is critical for me to make any sense of your case.

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September 8, 2008

Will Nioxin Regrow Hair Lost from Medication? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

(female) When hair loss is caused by a medication, in my case Abilify – an antipsychotic I’m using for bipolar disorder – does medication such as nioxin work to prevent the loss or promote growth? I’ve started to notice large amounts of hair loss which began soon after starting Abilify. One of the rare side effects mentioned in Abilify literature is unusual hair thinning, apparently I’m experiencing this rare side effect.

I do not believe that Nioxin will help regrow your hair. Minoxidil might be worth a try, but be sure to read the warnings on the packaging. At this time, minoxidil is the only FDA approved medication for treating female hair loss.

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September 5, 2008

Keloids from Hair Transplant? – Balding Blog

Is it possible to get keloid or hypertrophic scarring from a hair transplant? How likely is it to occur? Or would the new hair hide it in any event?

Thanks in advance

A keloid is a possibility with any cut on the skin. If you have had a cut on the skin you will likely know if you keloid these cuts or not. Keloids are more common in people with African, Asian, and Hispanic skin types, and less common in Caucasians. That being said, scalp keloids from a hair transplant are very, very rare in all races.

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September 5, 2008

Propecia Worked Great for Years, Now I See Hair Loss — Should I Take 2 Pills Daily? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

hi there.

I ve been on propecia for six years with great results. The last couple of months i noticed a lot of hair loss. about 100 pieces of hair per day. Do you think it stopped working? maybe I should take 2 pills per day? or switch to another drug. or even go for hair planting.

Thanks so much

Propecia does not stop working. It is just that your genetic hair loss pattern may be showing. Propecia is continuing to work by slowing the hair loss. If you stop taking Propecia at this point you will notice a more rapid hair loss. If you increase it, it may have value at double the dose. The way to determine the effect of Propecia is to do comparison miniaturization studies over time. Then you know when and if it stopped working. Counting hairs does not do it for me. Discuss the possibility of increasing your daily dosage with your prescribing doctor.

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