Author: Dr. William Rassman

Posted on

Did Chemical Relaxers Permanently Damage My Hair? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am a 25 year old African American male and I have been relaxing my hair since I was 15 now my hair is very thin and I know its because of the relaxers because baldness does not run in my family, I have been wearing my hair natural for the last 4 months and i’ve bought Rogaine and have been using it for the last three days do you think it will work for me in any way or have I permantly damaged my hair? If there is anything I can do and what products do you suggest? Because i’m so afraid of being bald or keeping my hair this thin.

Thank you for reading
God Bless

Block Quote

Although chemical relaxers can cause damage to hair, you need to be examined by a properly trained physician to make sure you do not have another reason for your hair loss. With your long term use of chemicals and heat, there is a high probability that you have damaged your hair. A miniaturization study would definitely help to understand the role of MPB in your hair. Without knowing the true cause of your hair loss it is hard for me to recommend a treatment.

Posted on

Prescribed Capex and Topicort for Itchy Scalp – Still Experiencing Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr. Rassman,

For over a year I have been experiencing hair loss. It started with a great deal of hair falling out in the sink and shower and has progressed to include a sharp itch (or sometimes general itch) to the scalp with an immediate loss of a few hairs in the area it itched. These “itches” are not limited to any part of my scalp. I was on Propecia for about 8 months which seemed to have no effect. At that time I was prescribed Capex and Topicort which seemed to just help temporarily. Do you have any suggestions on controlling the inflammation and hair loss? Thank you.

Block Quote

Capex is a shampoo containing fluocinolone acetonide and is sold without a prescription for itching of the scalp. Topicort contains the active synthetic corticosteroid desoximetasone and this can cause hair loss. I have no doubt that a topical steroid will reduce the itching, but at what cost on the issue of hair loss?

Posted on

Years After My Transplant, I Shaved My Head – How Can I Make the Scar Less Noticeable? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hey Doc,
I just shaved my head about 7 years after having transplant sugery and everyone loves how it looks. I just want to know what the best solution is to make the scar in the back (middle) of my head and behind my right ear less noticeable?

Block Quote

Depending on the size of the scar and its location, you may be a candidate for a scar revision surgery or hair transplant directly into the scar.

Posted on

Broccoli Inhibits DHT? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Dr. Rassman,

While this study is from 2003, I never saw it on your blog, and thought the readers (and you, if you have not seen it already) might be interested:

Chemical in Broccoli Blocks Growth of Prostate Cancer Cells, New Study Shows

Apparently, Broccoli contains a substance which this UC Berkeley study showed “acts as a powerful anti-androgen” and “inhibits the actions of dihydrotestosterone (DHT).” Based on your reading of the study, do you think consuming Broccoli may help prevent/slow hair loss?

Thanks for the great blog!

BroccoliJust another benefit from eating broccoli. Not only does it have high amounts of vitamin A, C, and K, according to this review, it may also help in preventing prostate cancer. You may be able to reason that since it blocks the effects of DHT on the prostate, then it can also prevent/slow hair loss.

However, based on the article, and without rigorous research, the conclusion that broccoli can prevent or slow hair loss is yet to be determined.

Balding Forum - Hair Loss Discussion

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):


Posted on

Hair Loss InformationIs Alopecia Areata Like Cancer? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

my son has alopecia. i was woundering if that has a risk on life and is it dangerous. he is barely 9 years old and has extreme bald spots and lots of hair loss. i want to know if its like cancer and what the difference

Block Quote

Without seeing photos of your son or knowing anything about his medical history, it is difficult to tell, but from the brief description you gave, it does sound like he has alopecia areata. This is a condition that affects about 1-2% of the population with initial presentation in the teenage years. It is not contagious and is thought to be an autoimmune disorder, and not cancer. It is an inherited process. Since the exact mechanism of hair loss is not known completely known, there is no known cure to date, but in the hands of some specialists who focus on this disease, there are some effective treatments. In 90% of cases the hair will ultimately regrow. It would be wise to have your son seen by his primary care doctor to determine if there are any potential underlying causes of his hair loss and a dermatologist for possible biopsy.

Posted on

Hair Loss InformationIs Avodart Making Me Angry? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Since taking propecia for three months then switching over to avodart for a further six months, i seemed to be very agrivated all the time and angry to the point were i was arguing and getting into fights. Is there any connection with this and taking avodart.

Block Quote

Why the switch to Avodart (dutasteride) from Propecia (finasteride)? Propecia is the only FDA approved oral medication for the treatment of hair loss. Avodart is not. If the Propecia was working well for you and had an acceptable side effect profile for you, you should go back to using it. Avodart has not been shown to help with male pattern baldness better than Propecia unless the dose is three to four times higher than recommended dosages and even this information is suspect. Since it may be causing you severe emotional issues, you should strongly consider stopping this medication. We do on rare occasions see personality changes with these drugs. You may also consider talking to your doctor or therapist about your anger issues if in switching, your anger has not subsided.

Posted on

Hair Loss InformationNexium, Prilosec, and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am 52 years old (male) and have pretty good hair and after taking Prilosec for 2 months and then changed to Nexium for another 3 months, my hair has become quite thin. I have three questions.

  1. if I stop the Nexium, will my hair recover back to what it was?
  2. what alternatives are there to Nexium or Prilosec?
  3. are H2 blockers better to your hair that the PPIs?

Block Quote

  1. Your hair will probably not come back, but please know that your hair loss may not even be associated with these medications.
  2. Sorry, you’ll need to ask your doctor about any alternative drugs. I am not your doctor and do not know your medical history.
  3. Again, you’ll need to pose these questions to your doctor. I am not a GI doctor or an internist.

If these medications are the cause of your hair loss, stopping them may help to stop further loss, but these are rare side effects. Please do not discontinue or change your medication without consulting your prescribing physician.

Posted on

Could a New Breakthrough Mean Using Hair Transplants from Another Person as a Donor? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dear Dr. Rassman,

I understand that hair cannot be donated from another person, yet why is it possible that organs can be?

I was reading an article today, Doctors Report Transplant Breakthrough, that mentions the possibility that organ recipients could one day not have to take anti-rejection drugs the rest of their life. If this prove to be true, can hair transplants from other people be a reality?

Unless the genetics are a perfect match, any organ that is transplanted (including hair, which is an organ) has until now forced the patient to take drugs to knock down the rejection process. The reason that a hair transplant works is that each person is his own donor and therefore has perfectly matched genetics. The drugs that you take for controlling organ rejection from a heart or kidney can kill you, but not having a heart or a kidney will kill you anyway. Rejecting hair from another person won’t kill you… just leave you bald and it it 100% certain that the hair from another person will reject.

The five patients in this article all had kidney transplants and were on anti-rejection medication for a period of time and have received marrow from the donor. I would not want to be the first volunteer for such procedures, and the relationship between these patients and a potential to harvest hair from others are decades away.

Balding Forum - Hair Loss Discussion

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):


Posted on

Is It Normal for Clinics to Pay Patients for Referrals? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I had a Hair trasplant procedure 5 months ago and i recieved a email from the clinic which read;

By now you should be starting to see some of the results from your procedure with us. Please forward pictures for your file, and any questions you might have. What type of hair products are you currently using? Don’t forget our referral program, we will pay you £500 for every patient you refer that has a procedure with us.

My question is, is it normal for a clinic to pay a client money if they refer a patient to there clinic for a procdure.

This may be different depending upon the country, but to my knowledge it is illegal in all of the United States. Despite this, the practice is unfortunately common not only for patient referrals, but for hair dresser and other stylist referrals, though if a doctor is caught, he/she could lose their license to practice medicine.

Balding Forum - Hair Loss Discussion

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):