Dr. William Rassman – Page 1437

July 21, 2008

Antibiotics, Soy, and DHT Levels – Balding Blog

I’ve heard antibiotics can effect DHT levels i.e. get rid of any gut bacteria that has DHT under control, esp. in the case of soy/equol. Any truth to this?

See a previous blog post about Equol. I don’t have much to add to this reference. The DHT block is about 70% efficient with finasteride and 90% efficient with dutasteride. What the added value of soy is… well, I don’t know if it has any further value. Of course one wonders if there is an effect where it could work instead of the drug approach. My general comment is that someone who might try it with known genetic balding would run the risk of losing hair that could have been saved with a more conventional approach, so I would not recommend soy as a substitute.

Certainly any bacterial impact from antibiotics would be short term.

July 21, 2008

Any Difference Between the Various Laser Combs Offered? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi,

For a while now Ive been looking into buying the Lasercomb and finally came to the decision of doing so. However, I am confused if not a little uneducated. There seems to be NUMEROUS versions of the lasercomb manufactured under many companies!!! Hairmax Lasercomb, Rezultz LaserComb (sold by Medical Hair Restoration), Bosley LaserComb and the list goes on …

Is there a significant difference between the different manufacturers???

Thank you!

I am not a fan of this technology, but the HairMax, Rezultz, and Bosley LaserComb models are all made by the same company — Lexington International. So it is one manufacturer and likely the only difference between each is the logo and the price the reseller charges (all well over the price they’re worth, in my opinion). Note the photos below (found on the sellers’ websites), and see how Bosley and HairMax are the exact same image with different logos on the unit, while at least MHR’s Rezultz marketing folks bothered to take their own photos from a different angle and lighting:

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July 21, 2008

Kevis Reps Told Me There was a 90%+ Success Rate, But I’m Still Losing Hair! – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Doc!

I have been losing my hair for about 4 years now. I have used a number of products already including Avacore, Rogaine and most recently Kevis. I have been using Kevis now for about 6 months with no results. I have been losing more hair then I have ever lost on the other products though the people at Kevis had told me that I would not lose any hair and that the success rate is over 90%. They also said that I will see results within 2-3 months and when I told them that I dont see anything they said that I will have to wait 6-9 months before seeing any results and that I will have to double the dose. I am now completely bald at the sides- in the front and the middle is thinning terribly. I really want to stop using Kevis but I’d like to know if there is anything you recommend doing as an alternative hair loss program.

Thank you so much for your help.

Kevis What you are telling me is that you believed what you were told by salesmen who profited by giving you advice. Bad advice that ended up putting more money in their pockets. That is a shame. The ingredient in Kevis that the company promotes as HUCP is hyaluronan (hyaluronic acid), which is a supplement commonly used to treat joint pain — not hair loss. That is just one of a handful of ingredients listed, including water, alcohol, sorbic acid (a food preservative), and biotin (which is also known as vitamin B7). Although the product packaging and website certainly look slick, there is no science here. I can’t even find any before / after photos on their website, which should tell you something about the product right off the bat. All I see there are stock photos of happy people with full heads of hair.

Although I don’t know your age, I’m going to assume you are in your early to mid 20s. You should have seen a doctor and instead of wasting your money and the precious hair that you may have lost forever because of the delays, you should have been put on Propecia (finasteride 1mg). Propecia is the only oral FDA approved treatment for hair loss and it would’ve almost certainly halted the loss a 20 year old (again, just guessing on your age). It’s still not too late to do it right, so see a good doctor (dermatologist or hair transplant surgeon who is ethical) and get on the track to the correct treatment. The other treatments you mentioned (Avacor and Rogaine) are minoxidil, which apparently does not work on you.

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July 21, 2008

Minoxidil and Sexual Side Effects? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

hello Dr…

I used Minoxidil for a while and stopped as i feel it created some problem in my erection.i need to know how long it will take for me to get rid of the side effects.

I could guess that maybe you have ED and that a small drop in your blood pressure, which is a side effect of minoxidil, is helping it along (meant to be negative). Honestly though, I couldn’t tell you based on the info you’ve supplied (none).

As I do not know your age and have not examined you, I generally think that some doctor might be able to help. If I knew more about you, maybe I could help. With that said, minoxidil is not known to produce erectile dysfunction (ED) or a libido drop like finasteride does. See a doctor for a complete examination.

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July 21, 2008

Minoxidil Dependency on Hairs Regrown After Shedding – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

If shedding occurs after starting minoxidil and then hair in that area regrows, are those regrown hairs now minoxidil dependent? If minoxidil regrows hair that wasn’t there to start with, i can understand the dependency, but if it sheds hair that was there to start with and then makes those hairs require minoxidil to survive, I have to wonder if its even worth using this stuff.

If there is shedding from minoxidil, it should be complete in 1-2 months and that should not be enough time to build dependencies. This is an educated guess and I am not aware of any study that would back up my opinion here.

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July 18, 2008

After Waxing My Eyebrows, There’s a Bald Spot – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

(female) I have been getting my eyebrows waxed for a number of years and never had a problem with my eyebrows before. As I was recently getting my eyebrows done, I noticed a bald spot. What could have caused this?

One of the most common causes of loss of eyebrow hair is waxing. Sometime other conditions such as alopecia areata appears as a bald spot in the eyebrow. You should get a dermatologist to look you over.

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July 18, 2008

How Can I Assess Whether I Have Gynecomastia from Propecia? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have been on generic finasteride 1.25mg daily for the last 3 and a 1/2 months, prescribed by a hair transplant consultant.

I am worried that I may be starting to develop gynecomastia, my chest area around my nipples feels softer than usual. There also appears to be a slight protrusion of the nipples, whether this is a reality I am not so sure. I am by no means overweight but I have a good “pinch” of belly fat at the moment. However I have been the same weight to the best of my knowledge since commencing with finasteride.

I have searched your archive but there seems to be no example/instruction of how to assess whether you have “gyno” or not? I know self diagnosis is not to be advocated but is there any way the layman can make an objective judgement?

I really enjoy your blog and it is great to have a professional opinion on hair loss available online.

This diagnosis is best made by a doctor. There’s no real instructions on assessment, but this article may prove valuable to you — Evaluation and treatment of gynecomastia. If you are really experiencing more breast tenderness, it may be caused by Propecia (finasteride 1mg), but for enlargement of the breasts from gynecomastia, this is a diagnosis that requires an examination. Although breast cancer is rare and usually not tender, any mass in the male chest should be examined by a professional familiar with the difference between breast cancer and gynecomastia.

Was the consultant who prescribed you Propecia a physician? If not, then he broke the law by prescribing a prescription item and this should bother you. I would hope that if you had a doctor prescribe the medication, that doctor should be responsible enough to see you again and examine you accordingly.

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July 18, 2008

Saw Palmetto’s Effect on BPH – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I’ve read that there haven’t been many (if any) conclusive studies about saw palmetto’s effect on hair loss. But what about saw palmetto’s effect on BPH? Do you know how effective it is for that? The Mayo Clinic grades saw palmetto as an A (on a scale of A to F) in terms of effectiveness for BPH.

If saw palmetto has weak DHT blocking ability, and it’s just a berry, why not take like 10 pills a day (instead of the usual 2)?

The impact of saw palmetto on prostate problems has a lot of history that goes back hundreds of years. The product has been studied, but although there is no doubt an effect on BPH (benign prostate hypertrophy or swollen prostate) at reducing symptoms with difficulty in urination, it does not seem to work on DHT. It has been suggested that its mechanism of action is something other than DHT effects and that is why it may not help in hair loss.

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July 18, 2008

Tripping Over My Words with Saw Palmetto – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I stopped taking Propecia 16 days ago b/c of the mental side effects associated with it i.e. loss of wit and tripping over words. I also stopped taking saw palmetto at the same time. After about 2 weeks, I was back to my old normal self, hair still thinning but not any different than usual. I started up saw palmetto two days ago, and I’ve noticed again that my tripping over words has come back, although not as much as before. Is this possible with a “natural herb”??

Also, before I started taking Propecia, I took saw palmetto for about 7 days, and I didn’t notice anything then. I also didn’t notice anything for the first two weeks on Propecia. How can I sort this out?

Try just the Propecia without the saw palmetto. Anything is possible with a natural herb. Many natural herbs can alter mood (see peyote, marijuana, etc), so while I have not known saw palmetto to alter one’s mood, I couldn’t rule it out entirely. Also, because supplements like saw palmetto are not regulated by the FDA, the quality control process might not be up to high standards with regard to safety and effectiveness. I don’t know where you bought it, the manufacturer, the amount you’re taking, and the various saw palmetto sold may have different dosages that do not really reflect what the label says.

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July 17, 2008

Minoxidil and Collagen Levels – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Does minoxidil deplete collagen levels, hence making the face appear comparatively older over time?

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Rat There is an interesting scientific paper showing some impact of minoxidil on collagen synthesis: Inhibitory effects of bFGF, VEGF and minoxidil on collagen synthesis by cultured hair dermal papilla cells. These studies are not in humans, but may very well translate. That being said, I did a brief Google search and couldn’t find reports of minoxidil users looking well beyond their years after using the drug, and considering it has been marketed as a hair loss treatment for 20+ years, I’d say the old face look from the medication isn’t likely.

Thanks for the question. I continue to learn a great deal and realize how little I know in the grand scheme of things.