Dr. William Rassman – Page 1511

February 6, 2008

Aluminum and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

what do you think of this one doc, aluminum (as found in deodorants, etc) as the cause of toxicity hair loss?

important distinction, will bacterial infections and other things that cause hair loss cause miniaturization, or is that only hormones that will cause miniaturization?!?!

Aluminum There are know elements that can cause hair loss when one is exposed to them in high concentrations. These include:

lead
cadmium
mercury
iron
aluminum
copper
manganese
chromium
arsenic
titanium

From a practical point of view, I have never seen/recognized these in my practice, so all I can reference is what I read. When there is hair loss in a male, think of a genetic cause first as it is most probable. Anything that causes stress in such men (infections, for example) can precipitate the hair loss process. The presence of any of these substances (like aluminum) will most probably not be absorbed in any concentration to produce hair loss.

February 6, 2008

Can the Use of Alcohol Swabs on the Forehead Damage Hairline Grafts? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dr. Rassman,

My doctor recommends that I use vitamin E on the recipient area. The use of vitamin E results in a sticky forehead. Will the use of an alcohol swab to clean my forehead damage any of the frontal grafts in the early days post-surgery? I am worried the alcohol will migrate to the grafts through diffusion.

Thanks.

In our practice, we do not recommend using alcohol swabs in the first days post-op, because of the potential harm this could cause to the grafts. Your question is appropriate. After a few days have passed, the alcohol should not be a problem. I don’t recommend vitamin E for the very reason that it results in a sticky forehead.

It is highly recommended that you speak with your hair transplant surgeon about this.

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February 6, 2008

Is Propecia Taking Months to Work, and How Realistic Is It to Expect Regrowth? – Balding Blog

Hi Dr. Rassman, let me first apologize as this message is quite long. I’ve got some questions about Propecia. First, I am twenty-six and I first noticed some slight bi-temporal recession about 1-2 years ago. It seemed to progress very slowly and even halt at times, but around nine months ago, the recession picked up speed considerably. I first went to Hair Club and got on the EXT regimen, which I stopped because it seemed to do more harm than good. I’m currently on my fourst month(bottle) of Propecia and for a while it seemed that it had stopped further loss. Recently, however, the middle-front part is receding inward at terribly; I’ve gone from long, thick hair with a barely noticable widow’s peak to noticable recession in just a few months. The odd thing is, I’m not seeing more than 5-10 lost hairs-sometimes none-in the shower drain and almost none on my pillows (the classic places we notice shedding/loss).

My question is: Is this the drug taking a few months to kick in and possibly an initial shed that will yield positive results later on and how would I know if I was experiencing hyperandrogenicity in the absense of any sexual side effects or increased acne?

Second, if I ultimately stop or significantly slow my loss and/or turn back the clock a little, would it be realistic to expect, say, to regrow hair that has been lost within 6 months to a year and, if so, how long do you think it might be effective in my case.

Last, I wear my hair in a ponytail at work and use a non-alcoholic smoothing product called citre shine. I notice what looks like a bunch of broken off hairs around the receding area that both my doctor and a dermatologist say looks like new growth, but I’m not sure. How can I tell breakage due to weakened hair from regrowth?

Again, I apologize for the incredible length of this message; I just wish to be as detailed as possible so as to provide you with good info. I regret that I don’t currently have photos available but I could probably get some together for you in the future.

Finasteride takes time to see if it is working. Most people notice that the amount of hair that falls out in the shower drain reduces within a month of starting the medication, so we could assume that it does stop the actual loss in many young men. You are right, more recent hair loss has a higher likelihood of regrowth, but everyone is different. The degree of hair loss that one sees over time varies with individuals and there are no rules. With regard to your questions of hair breakage, alcohol based products dry the hair and make it fragile. Breakage is usually not the cause of the balding process itself, but thinner miniaturized hair are generally more fragile to what you are doing to your hair (smoothing products, for example).

With regard to your stubs of hair at the hairline, without examining you under magnified video observation, I can not comment on your observations. Breakage usually reflects drying or direct damage to the hair shafts due to causes like the application of topicals, nutritional deficiencies, heat applications, dyes, and other such treatments.

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February 6, 2008

Product to Hide Hair Loss After Swimming? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

What is a good product to hide hair loss after swimming?

I’m not aware of any products, short of a wig or weave. I suppose shaving your head would hide genetic hair loss pretty well, too.

Many wig makers claim that you can swim with a hairpiece on. If they are tightly woven into your hair (recently done) then they may stay on. I would not dive off a board, but swimming with these hairpieces has to be gently done. Nobody would want their hair to float away when in a swimming pool.

February 5, 2008

Hair Loss InformationWhat Kind of Doctor Can Make a Master Plan? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi dr. rassman, i just would like to get some feedback from you on my situation. i had been noticing some recession/loss in front and went to see the dermatologist. he said it was early signs of MPB and told me to get on propecia/minoxidil. at that point (which was less than a month ago), i didn’t really notice any appearance of scalp. however, now after being on the treatments, it seems like it’s getting worse with thinning and areas of scalp becoming apparent in the front. is this normal in such a short period? eg getting worse before getting better? it’s kind of scary, considering i’m supposed to be on medications to make it better. should i be worried?

also you speak alot about finding a doctor to work with and form a plan, etc. what type of doctor are you referring to? a dermatologist? a hair transplant specialist?

i appreciate any advice/information. thank you.

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It is just your comments that are critical to understanding the need for a Master Plan to deal with questions about your hair loss, how it is progressing, and what the treatment is actually doing to modify your loss. A doctor with a great deal of experience in following hair loss is often the experienced hair transplant surgeon or a good dermatologist with an interest in such problems. The doctor must have incorporated miniaturization studies to establish a metric baseline for seeing the impact of time and drugs on the hair loss between each visit. Most important, you must like the doctor and he/she must be caring and understanding of your concerns. My expertise is in seeing thousands of patients over the past 16 years that have had hair loss from aging over time, and the impact of various treatments such as drugs and hair transplants. I think that if you review this blog you will see the importance of experience.

With regard to your experience with the early treatment of your hair loss, you must be patient and wait out at least 8 months to see the effects of the drugs you are using. Everyone responds differently, so ask your doctor if you have questions on your response.

February 5, 2008

Actor Christopher Walken is Not a Hair Loss Expert – Balding Blog

Walken This was sent to me months ago and I forgot to post it!

While he may be an exceptional actor, Christopher Walken is not too bright when it comes to treating hair loss. Read his secret to staving off baldness: Christopher Walken Has Unusual Way To Stop Balding

If anything, I think pulling the hair would stress the follicles and lead to traction alopecia.

February 5, 2008

Bald Spot from Dirty Clippers, Part 2 – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I was wondering if you could get anything that would cause hair loss from dirty clippers. I read one blog but still feel that the answer was not there. I am very sorry to bother you but it is very important to me. I know there is a thousand things that cause hair loss but I have never heard that Dirty or Clean Clippers could cause any of it. Except lice of course! Thanks for responding.

Sincerely, Interested reader

I did answer a similar question before, but perhaps I wasn’t clear. I would highly doubt that dirty clippers could be the cause of hair loss, particularly if it did not cut into the skin by accident. Is your hair loss diffuse, or do your have small patches of hair loss? These are all things one needs to know before assessing the real cause of hair loss. I hope this helps.

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February 5, 2008

Cyclosporine A and Regrowing Hair? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Good day,
First, I’d like to say that I appreciate this site for it’s complete and very honest answers. I regularly come to this sight for information. So, thank you!

Second, I just read an interesting paper concerning hair stem cells, the protein NFATc1, its inhibition by cyclosporine A, etc. This paper is authored by Elaine Fuchs from Rockefeller University. This paper is to be published in the journal, “Cell.”

Here is the link: NFATc1 Balances Quiescence and Proliferation of Skin Stem Cells

My question: Since it is already an approved drug, would topical application of cyclosporine A help in slowing or possibly even regrowing hair?

Since this drug is not approved by the FDA for use in treating hair loss, I would strongly discourage you from using it for that purpose. We know that cyclosporine, as it is used now, has many side effects which would make it not worth taking, as it could negatively impact you. This is a dangerous drug used for treating difficult medical conditions. On the positive side, this study will only help further our understanding of hair stem cells and potential new treatments for hair loss.

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February 5, 2008

Every Time I Cut My Hair Short with Clippers, Areas of Hair Don’t Grow Back! – Balding Blog

For years I have been using hairs clippers with a #1 or #2 guard to cut my hair. Each time after using the clippers I recieve several areas of hair that either don’t grow back or only fine little hairs show. There is never any scalp or blood present after using the clippers…sometimes I will feel a pinch. I have seen several doctors with no success…they simply don’t know. I’m forced at this point to keep it short…if not the hairs grows out very stringy and thin. Also, my most recent haircut resulted in my hair line at my temples being removed…my hairline is now over my ears instead of starting in front of my ears.

Finally, I swim twice a week…use chlorine shampoo and eat a very health diet. I have a full head hair with a limited amount of thinning at the crown…I’m 38 years of age. HELP

From what you are telling me, it almost sounds like you are starting to recede your hairline at the temples, which may be a sign of male pattern baldness (MPB). The miniaturized hairs that are impacted by the genetics grows slowly, if it grows at all — or perhaps the chlorine may even be harmful to your hair. Before I could provide a real answer your question, you’d need to have a miniaturization study to rule out MPB or other medical causes of hair loss. Please consult a doctor who is experienced in this field.

February 5, 2008

Mixed Causes of Hair Loss for Mother and Son – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Tonight I read a very interesting page on the site of the American Hair Loss Association with a list of prescription drugs that can “cause temporary hair loss, trigger the onset of male and female pattern baldness, and even cause permanent hair loss”. I began this research for my 52 year old mother, who after recently having a heart attack, began taking Lipitor, Coreg, Plavix and Altace. I love her and it breaks my heart that she is having to endure a cosmetic issue in addition to everything else. Imagine my surprise when I found that six drugs I have taken for significant periods over the last 10 years were also listed: Paxil, Zoloft, Tazorac (Vitamin A derivative), Retin-A, Synthroid and Tapazole for hyperthyroidism.

How my heart sank.

For about two years, I have been trying to cope with my rapidly thinning hair and temporal recession at age 23. And I really haven’t. If anything, my attitude has gotten worse as it has progressed. I take my Propecia religiously, and I avoid myself in the mirror. It makes me sick – but now there is something that makes me even sicker.

Previously, my abundant good sense would have told me that if my baldness were medicinally linked, pattern baldness, which is genetic, would not present itself, and all hair loss would be reversed upon cessation of the medication. I believe, given the lovely cocktail of drugs I have been absorbing since age 12, I have “triggered the onset of pattern baldness”. The slim chance of (I’m guessing) 10% that one of these drugs would induce what probably would have happened 30 years later increased to 60%. I am sort of fuming – piping hot..really, really angry about this.

Luckily, I am entering a stage in my life where I’m realizing my genetic predisposition to certain diseases. Cancer, Heart Disease, Grave’s Disease, Diabetes and Depression are all thrown in to make my life more interesting. I am trying to realize this and lead a healthy life, taking as many preventative measures as I can. While it does make me angry, the thought of one of my conditions not being caused by faulty genes, and instead by medications to treat what those faulty genes caused, rather makes me sort of hopeful. I am off the acne, depression and thyroid medications, so is there some treatment I could begin specific to my case, and possibly, many other cases? Surely my only option isn’t Propecia. Is there something else I can do to reverse the damage Vitamin A, SSRI’s, and thryroid medications caused? And what can my poor mother do?

I apologize in advance for dropping such a tangled complexity in your lap. Please help us.

Thank you

You are certainly pouring your heart out and taking too much blame for what is going on. We take medications when we are in need of them; some can cause hair loss. Both you and your mother need to see a good doctor. I wish I could offer more than just a physician recommendation, but without an examination I just don’t see this being quite that simple.

As you are on the east coast of the US, I can recommend Dr. Robert Bernstein in New York, who can develop a Master Plan for both you and your mother. The information you supplied is packed with interesting stuff and many readers may find your experience helpful. Thank you for sending this. Good luck.