Author: Dr. William Rassman

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I Had Mini-Micrografts Transplanted 2 Years Ago in the Crown and Now My Sides Are Thinning! – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am 24 years old. My hair loss was started when i was 20 years old. I had full head of hairs before I shaved em off for summer and surprisingly they never grew back :( My areas were crown and front. 2 years ago, I went under the surgery for my crown area but there is nothing worse if you runs out of luck. The surgery was mini-micrografts which according to you should not be recommended. Now my crown has just few hairs and front is totally gone but i dont know why my sides are going thinner too. I am definitely not a candidate for strip surgery anymore but for FUE I am very confident that I can be a good candidate. All I desperately wanna ask you that does propecia can do any good for my sides and back? I am a poor guy who believes in miracles because I cant afford another surgery, I did but got disappointment. PLZ reply me on my email address and plz plz tell me if there is anything I can still do from becoming completely bald..

Your scenario shows what happens to a person who does not have a Master Plan and starts getting hair transplants in the wrong place and at the wrong time. Based on what you’re telling me, I question if your doctor even had your real interest at heart. Propecia (finasteride 1mg) may slow down fringe loss, but I suspect that you are going to have a very advanced hair loss pattern. For your own sake, please get to a caring, competent doctor to build a Master Plan for you with your present situation as the baseline.

I do not charge for a consultation and at the least you will get an honest assessment of your situation. You indicated that you are not near my offices in California, but you can still send me good pictures and we can try to do this by phone. Reference this post when sending the photos, please.

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Melanocytes and Hair Color – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have a question about greying process.

Scientists say that someday in the future it would be possible to reverse grey hair back to its original colour, because grey hair still have melanocytes but they are reduce in number. What do you think how long melanocytes survive in grey hair, and is it true that grey hair still have melanocytes but white hair have no more melanocytes.

DO you think that it will be possible to reverse also those hair which have no more melanocytes. (white hair?)

The reason that your hair becomes gray and eventually white is that over time you lose the cells that make melanin, the pigment responsible for hair color. It is very likely that we can reverse the process of graying hair with gene therapy in the future by prolonging the life of melanocytes.

I can not predict how soon we can have a method to reverse the color of gray hair to its original color and I recommend that you use dye to color your hair for now, rather than waiting for scientists to come up with that solution. Be careful that you use a professional quality hair dye and follow the instructions provided with the dye. I don’t want to see you back here with questions about treating chemical burns and experiencing hair loss!

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My Hairline Started Changing at 15 Years Old – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dear Dr Rassman,

I am male and aged 18. My dad receded in his early twenties, while my maternal granddad kept his mature hairline into his 70’s. I noticed a change in the corners of my hairline and have read your articles on the maturation of the hairline which I have found very informative. I noticed hairline changes in the corners probably since I was about 15-16, and the changes since then are negligible, and there is no noticeable miniaturization.

My question is, is it likely that I have experienced the maturation of the hairline in such a short period of time, at such a young age, or is it more likely that I am balding? My temples
are about an inch from the crease when i raise my eyebrows. I’m not sure how revelant it is but I also developed body hair before my peers. Would you recommend I wait and see if its balding or start treating?

Thanking you in advance

Your question is complex. Simply, balding can start as early as 15, but it would have to show miniaturization if it is the genetic form of male pattern baldness (MPB). Hair does change in character from pre-teens to teens to early adulthood and throughout the maturing process into old age. Generally, hair becomes finer over time, usually not very fast in the teen years, but it might change faster in some young people than others.

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Propecia Gives Me More Erections and a Higher Sex Drive – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I noticed that for the 3 weeks I was on Propecia, I have more frequent erections, strong ones and a higher sex drive. Is this normal? I really don’t mind the side effect and my wife actually likes the change!

I actually hear about this from about 10% of my patients on Propecia. This results from a raise in testosterone, reported as high as 18% on average. The testosterone levels generally do not stay higher than normal and will eventually come back down to normal. Tell your wife… well, maybe don’t say anything. Ha!

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Rogaine Foam Not Suitable for Women? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Could you please explain why Rogaine foam is unsuitable for women. My daughter, on the recommendation of her dermatologist, was using Rogaine 5% until she developed an allergic reaction (confirmed by an allergy test) to the propylene glycol.

If he suggested Rogaine 5%, why then is the foam, which contains 5% minoxidil, unsuitable?

I believe that the Rogaine Foam does not contain propylene glycol (which is the most allergic component with minoxidil). I don’t see a problem with women using Rogaine Foam, although it is not marketed towards women. I’d expect a Women’s Rogaine Foam to be available at some point with a slightly different formulation (similar to how Rogaine and Women’s Rogaine are the same, yet different).

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Can I Send Samples of My Hair for Analysis? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dr. Rassman,

For the longest time I have wanted to visit your clinic, but I am as far away from California as I can get. I am a 20 year old male experiencing abnormal hair growth throughout my entire scalp. I saw a dermatologist recently who told me that I do indeed have bitemporal recession, but that the kinked and bizarre hair growth is something independent of MPB. Beyond this, he was not helpful in the least. What concerns me most is that hairs all throughout my supposedly permanent region are growing in wiry, almost identical to a mathematical sine curve. As the hair thins, I noticed that the amplitude of the waves also gets smaller.

I have a sample bag of at least 100 such hairs and would like to send them to you or your clinic so they can be analyzed. Is this possible? I have waded though alot of literature, and the closest thing I can find to my condition is progressive acquired kinking or “woolly hair” – except it is not isolated in any one spot. I have looked at the hairs under a microscope (I’ve got access to a lab) and they are clearly abnormal. It looks similar to pili torti, but the hair is waved and not twisted. It also shows a spangled appearance when I view it under bright light.

Please help me, doc! I understand there may be no cure, but at the very least I’d like a diagnosis, or a name by which to call it. If you can supply a mailing address, I’ll send the samples to you.

Unfortunately, sending samples of your hair will not help me to figure out what is going on, as I do not do hair analysis outside the head and scalp. I am afraid that I can not offer you experience or insights with this condition without a proper examination. Sorry.

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Getting Accurate Lab Work After Stopping Propecia – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

My question revolves around accurate lab work in regards to one’s hormonal levels. Propecia has a half life around 4 hours. It should not take too long for the medicine to be out of the body. The question I am curious about is how long does it take after one’s last dose of Propecia to get an accurate picture of one’s hormonal levels without the levels being affected by Propecia? I imagine even if the medicine is out of the body, the affects might still be present. Thank you for your time and website!

There is tissue fixation which may take a few weeks to disappear, but I really don’t know the statistics. In a few weeks, it will not matter. If you are a professional athlete or a blood donor, then there is a different standard, but that is not my expertise. Sorry.

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Growing Long Hair After a Transplant – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dear doctor,

can you tell me why every hair transplant picture that I see, the hair is normally short and combed back. I understand that this is to demonstrate how natural the hair line can look,
however, can people who have the opp grow their hair long? If so, do you have any pictures?

Kind Regards.

I believe the hundreds of patients shown on the New Hair Institute website have just about every imaginable hair style. This is all individual preference. A good hair transplant means that you decide how to groom your hair, not the doctor. Short, long, combed forward, back, to the side — whatever. I have even had a few patients visit after getting a crew cut.

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HIV and Hair Transplants – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I just got a call from a young man who is HIV positive. He has been turned down for a hair transplant by a number of doctors. He said he felt like he was some leper.

I have performed hair transplants on many HIV positive patients. Just like poor or rich patients, I do not discriminate. I have transplanted men with known heart disease, diabetes, women with active cancer, men and women with sexual identity problems and even people with a variety of mental illnesses. Each person is first a human being and I swore an oath to help people in need. That applies as much to cosmetic surgery as to people who are sick and in need of help.

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