Author: Dr. William Rassman

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Hair Loss InformationPropecia Worked Great for 10 Months, Then It Got Worse Than Before – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi doc. I am a 22 year old male and I have been on propecia now for about 13 months. It has been working very well for me, and I was even getting some regrowth at my temples and along my hair line. however, around the tenth month my hair started to get worse, and I started to loose more hair and my hair looks as though it is miniaturizing especially along the hairline and my temples. This has been occurring for the past 3 months and my hair does not seem to be improving at all. Is it possible that propecia is causing my hair follicles to become more sensitive to DHT or that my body has up regulated androgen receptors in the hair follicles to make up for the low amount of circulating DHT? I just wanted to know what I should do? Thanks.

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It would be highly unlikely that Propecia would be causing your hair loss. The most likely explanation is that your genes are causing your balding process to continue, and Propecia can only do so much to arrest the process. It is possible that the hair loss process has itself, accelerated.

Since you are using Propecia, you must have a prescribing doctor. You should ask him/her to do a miniaturization study of your scalp to get some metrics knowing at least from this point forward, where your miniaturized hairs are and to what degree they are miniaturized.

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Hair Loss InformationHair Loss and the Inevitable Cure? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have a couple questions regarding meds as being direct causes of MBP among other things. Well, I have been on antidepressants for quite some time now, and for a while I stopped taking them, around the time inbetween the ages of 16 and 17. Around the time I was almost 17 and a half I got back on them and when I turned 18 is when I started noticing a change in my hairline.

Currently im 19 and a half and the left side of my hairline has gone up maybe a bit more than half an inch and the right side about an inch. Are antidepressants directly linked to MPB? Do they trigger hair loss? Or when they talk about hair loss as a side effect are they talking about the patchy kind that just falls out and regrows when you stop taking the meds? My family history of hair loss is very inconsistant so its hard for me to tell if I really am experiencing MBP or just a mature hairline. Unfortunately I have a very skinny long face and naturally pronounced hairline so it makes it all the more noticable….. My other question is, this whole gene therapy thing. If we do find a cure for hair loss through this what will happen to your buisiness? Will you continue working for the hair loss industry? Just curious, heh. Thank you for your time sir.

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While many medications may cause hair loss, the most common cause men is genes, unrelated to medication use. Genetic hair loss causes male pattern baldness (MPB). It is possible that your medications could have accelerated changes in your hairline or balding, but there is really no way to be 100% certain. Mapping out your scalp hair for miniaturization may give you insights into any gene expression that is active at this time. Male pattern baldness is also known as androgenic alopecia (AGA), because hair loss is from the effects of androgenic hormones, such as dihydrotestosterone (DHT). While we all have androgenic hormones, only the men with the gene for hair loss will lose hair. The change in your hairline, if it follows a specific pattern as MPB, will generally mean you have the gene for hair loss. To be certain though, you should be evaluated by a doctor for a physical exam and a miniaturization study. I really cannot diagnose your hair loss problem with just brief descriptions. BaldingBlog is merely a source of the opinions of our staff physicians and is not a source for diagnosis.

With respect to gene therapy, I sincerely hope it will come to fruition in my lifetime. While it is undoubtedly still many years away, it will definitely impact my field in a positive way. After all, we are the physicians in the field of hair loss. Gene therapy will only empower us to offer more options to our patients.

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Hair Loss InformationH-Pantoten 3 and Hair Growth? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

what is your opinion on H-Pantoten 3 . I had a lady tell me that it had done wonders for her husbands hair growth.

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H-Pantoten 3 is a natural supplement, and as stated many times here on BaldingBlog, it is my opinion that there are no proven supplement treatments for hair loss. If if it worked for the lady’s husband, I’m pleased to hear it! However, this is a “buyer beware” market. It seems most people think it is worth a shot if the cost is right, and as such, we collectively spend millions, if not billions of dollars on that elusive hair loss treatment.

To date the only proven method for regrowing hair is:

  1. oral finasteride 1mg (Propecia) — for men only
  2. topical minoxidil (Rogaine) — for men and women
  3. hair transplant surgery — for men and women, though more men are candidates

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Hair Loss InformationRanitidine, Adderall, and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Is hair loss associated with medications reversible? I have been taking both Ranitidine and Adderall for a about a year now and suddenly my hair looks and feels very thin in the crown and temple areas. Also I seem to be having problems with Alopecia Areata on my face. I had two spots that suddenly went away but now have returned. Would stopping the medicine reverse the hair loss?

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Your situation sounds out of the ordinary for alopecia areata. With your thinning hair and taking medications that are known to cause hair loss… plus carrying a diagnosis of alopecia areata? It doesn’t add up. Often, people who use medications that cause hair loss, can stop the medication and see that the hair loss reverses, provided that there is no underlying condition such as genetic balding.

There is no substitute for a good doctor to manage you and I am assuming that since you have a diagnosis, that you are seeing someone now. Your doctor should establish a miniaturization analysis of your hair to see what areas are impacted with genetic type balding.

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Hair Loss InformationWoman Prescribed 5mg Finasteride for Idiopathic Hirsutism – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

i was given fincar-5mg for idiopathic hirsutism. i am a 24 year old female and about 7 years back i was operated for fibroadenoma ….i was tense due to this. is it safe for me to take drug?

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I am not trying to be harsh, but why are you asking me, a doctor you do not know, if a medication you were prescribed by your doctor is safe to take? I sense a lack of communication with you and your doctor.

Finasteride is not approved for women in the United States, because it may cause birth defects and it has not been extensively studies in women. There are women who take finasteride in the U.S., but they are under close supervision of their physician. In women who have virulizing symptoms or conditions that produce high androgen levels like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), DHT blockers may have value. Great caution on their use and close supervision by your doctor is important.

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Hair Loss InformationMy Toupee Irritates My Scalp – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’ve been wearing a toupee for the last 10 years. I am a 35 year old male. I’ve recently had some issues with my scalp being irritated, so I’ve decided to take the toupee off while at home and allow the scalp to heal and recover a bit. I actually have not reattached the toupee to my head in a week or more, and still have a couple of areas on my scalp that remain red and dry, where the tape track has set for years.

My question, will these red marks go away over time? Is there anything I should be doing to moisturize or care for my scalp?

Your advice is greatly appreciated!

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I do not have the benefit of examining you in person, but you seem to describe some local irritation. These marks should go away in a few weeks, but without a physical exam I do not know what you have. The red marks can be a local irritation, or a permanent scar, or an infection, or even cancer (though it is not likely from what you describe). Please follow up with your primary care physician.

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Hair Loss InformationZiac and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi,

Im 24 years old and I took a medication known as Ziac a few years back. I have reason to believe that ziac causes hair loss for a few reasons. When I started taking the medication I noticed an increase in body hair and my temples starting thinning a bit. I took the lowest dose possible for right over a year until I got my blood pressure controlled naturally.

Now I wanted to ask you if the properties of ziac can trigger male pattern baldness if I already have the balding gene. My dad is bald but my moms dad had hair till he died. The body hair increase for me was strange because before the meds I literally had like no body hair at the age of 21. Now I have some chest hair and even back hair popping up.

I know beta blockers can cause balding, but is ziac one of them that can trigger balding? Ive tried to look up how they effect androgen levels but I find confusing results, do you have any idea if this would be like all the other beta blockers and trigger MPB? I have really thick hair right now at 24, but I feel my temples are slowly receding. Please if you can help I would be thankful, my mom thinks im crazy that I think im going bald. I know though beta blockers can cause balding and I noticed the temple areas got thinner when I took the med, im just hoping if it did trigger MPB it stopped progressing after I stopped the meds 3 years ago.

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Ziac is a combination blood pressure medication. The two medications are bisoprolol (beta blocker type) and hydrochlorothiazide (fluid pill). Ziac, along with many other anti-hypertensive medications are known to cause hair loss. You need to discuss this with your doctor as this is a medical problem that you must have if you are taking this medication.

However, you most likely have male pattern baldness (MPB) or genetic hair loss, given that you have been off of the medication for several years and still have noted hair loss. You need to have a miniaturization study to determine if you are losing hair in a genetic pattern, and if so, discuss treatment options with your doctor.

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Why Do I Have Gray Pubic Hair? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have noticed 2-3 grey pubic hair, why is it happening? will all my pubic hair turn grey. My age is 24 and i am a female. will cutting grey pubils hair be safe?

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In general, women start developing gray hair at around age 35, though this is dependent on your genes. Melanin produced by each hair follicle is what gives hair its color, and this is affected by genetics. I would not stress too much about this. Gray hair anywhere on your body is a genetic process and there is nothing to do to change the color — other than to dye it, cut it, or pluck it.

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Happy Holidays from BaldingBlog! – Balding Blog

It’s the holiday season, so we’re off today and tomorrow to be with family and friends!

While there may be no new posts for 2 weekdays, there’s still plenty of posts I’m sure you’ve missed over the years. Please use the search box at the top right to find a topic that interests you!

Happy Holidays!

 Happy Holidays!

 




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