Dr. William Rassman – Page 1627

May 10, 2007

Woman with Head and Chest Pain, Losing Hair – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am 47 year old female.

February of 2006 I was hospitalized for 12 days. I had double pneumonia and I was also diagnosed with TB and was put on medication. The medication ended in May of 2006 because numerous tests began saying that the TB was negative.

There was a small lesion in my upper right chest that created bad burning and hurting sensation which that feeling has spread throughout my entire chest.

I use to have full “a head of hair” and now I have barely any left. Since February of last year, I can barely brush my hair without the pain being almost unbearable. On a breezy day, my hair rips right out of my head. It is now April of 2007. I have several bumps at the top/back of my head in addition to weird looking brown marks on my scalp. I can’t scratch my head because more hair falls out.

I was using Nioxin since last 2006 and changed to Bee Propolus and now using Arbon organic products. Nothing is bringing my hair back. My head continues to hurt ALL OVER and my chest hurts and burns still. All of this is WORSE than last month.

Do you know what this is? The doctors in southern California appear to NOT know what to do in my situation.

Can you PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE help me?

Thank you

There is not substitute for a good doctor’s analysis who knows about hair loss. If you lost most of your hair, you probably have some medical condition causing it. I can not diagnose you over the internet. What you are describing sounds complex, at the least.

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May 9, 2007

1 Year Post-Op Photo of FUE Donor Area? – Balding Blog

doctor, can you please post a 1 year post op picture of the donor site of a patient whose undergone FOX/FUE ? how much density is left in the area i have seen the pictures of immediately after the surgery but it would be nice to see how much of hair actually fills up the donor site after such a procedure is performed! thanks and keep up the good work!

Below, please see the close-up photo of a patient who had 1108 FUE grafts done slightly over a year ago. There is a variability of scarring in any patient, some people just heal better than others. This particular patient had a good density to start with, so the missing follicular units are less evident than one might see in a person with a lower density. Also, the hypopigmentation (white spots from punctate scar formation) which is seen in some patients is not present in this patient. I hope that this helps.

Update: I added some red arrows to just a few of the spots where grafts were extracted. Can you find the other spots? There are easily another 100 places where the follicular units were removed in this field of view.

For more info, please see:

May 9, 2007

Finasteride at 1mg and 5mg Dosages – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Is propecia at 1mg as effective as finasteride at 5mg ? thankyou

What was published in the original work on Propecia was that the 1mg dose was just as effective as the 5gm dose for treating hair loss. One might suspect that there is a dose response relationship and that a higher does might have more of a benefit than the 1mg dose, but that is strictly guess work. I only know for sure what I read about the subject and that data is well documented in the literature and through the FDA approved trials.

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May 9, 2007

Is More than 1ml of Minoxidil More Effective? – Balding Blog

minodoxil/rogain in liquid alcohol based form is to be used twice a day 1ML each time. What are the effects in terms of B.P or any other side effect if the drug was used in slightly more capacity (say 1.5 ml or even 2ml each time) to cover a larger area over a long term period. Will it have any adverse effects in the long term? or patients are strictly advised to use 1ML twice a day? in short is more than 1ml minox more effective?

Some people just can’t tolerate higher doses of minoxidil. You could try a higher dose and see if it makes you light-headed. If it does, then the dose could be too much. There is a suggestion that a higher dose of minoxidil is more effective and some doctors make up their own formulations in the 15% range. I do not offer this, because I have no experience making up medications in my office.

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May 9, 2007

Is There a Rogaine Pill? – Balding Blog

What are the effects of taking rogaine and propecia together? Are any positive effects negligible? Does rogaine only come in topical form (no pill)?

Minoxidil was originally an antihypertensive pill that did not have a consistent response for the treatment of high blood pressure. It grew hair on some of those who used it. It is not recommended today for oral use in the treatment of hair loss. It was more effective growing hair when it is applied to the skin directly and is certainly safer.

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May 9, 2007

Pimples Along the Hairline – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have these pimple like bumps on my head but they are only around the frame of my face where the hair line starts. They started with just one st the top of my forehead and I thought it was just a pimple so I tried to pop it and now they are spredding along my hair line: behind my ears, bottom of my neck at the hair line, and at the temples. Also they only itch when they first show up and after I itch them the first time it stops itching, but doesnt go away. They stay there and scabb up. I want to know what they are and what to do to make them go away! Please help me!

I am assuming that you have not had a hair transplant. If you have pimples that had white heads on them, you may have developed folliculitis. You are best served seeing a dermatologist to make the diagnosis, but any good family doctor should be able to address the problem. Scratching it will make the folliculitis spread from one area to another.

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May 9, 2007

Propecia and the G-Spot – Balding Blog

Dear Dr. Rassman, I have a question about Propecia’s impact on the prostate. I’ve read other posts but have not been able to find anything regarding my particular question.

Like women, men also have a g-spot and it’s located on their prostate. My question is, if Propecia shrinks the prostate does it impact the g-spot too? For better or for worse? Will it make the g-spot disappear? Thanks.

Your question is an interesting one. I do not believe that men have the same type of G-spot that women have, but the nerves that surround the prostate in men are in the same vicinity as where one would find the G-spot in women (just above and behind the pubic bone). Propecia will not shrink a normal prostate, only one that has benign swelling from age. I do not know if there is a perceptible difference in the feeling of a swollen prostate and one that is less swollen (I might venture a guess, but not here). Gay men who have anal intercourse or digital stimulation may be better able to answer this question if they are in the upper age group. Having done many rectal examinations and having had them myself during my annual physical examination, I know what it feels like to have pressure put on the prostate (I do not particularly like it, nor do most heterosexual men).

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May 8, 2007

Hair Loss InformationAminexil vs Minoxidil – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello,
can you please explain the difference between “Minoxidil” (Regaine) and “Aminexil” (Dercos SP94)? I am having troubles choosing between these two products.
Many thanks.

Block Quote

Aminexil is made by the large cosmetics company L’Oreal and is reported to act in a similar manner as minoxidil. As L’Oreal is behind it, there is an aura of credibility to it. Aminexil is not tested according to the FDA, so there is no way for me to judge from reading the material if there is value similar to minoxidil, as stated in the various publications I read.

May 8, 2007

No Hair Where Mole Was Removed from Scalp – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

When I was about 16 years old I had a mole surgically removed from the back of my head because it was growing larger and the doctor said it could become cancerous. I am angry about this because I don’t know if it was necessary at the time or not. Anyway I am 22 now and no hair has grown in that spot since. I don’t under stand why but lately it has consumed me and I am extremely depressed and obsessed with it. Am I able to get a hair transplant and make the hair grow back? Also will I be loosing one bald spot and creating another one at the donor area if I can have a transplant?

Scars from removal of growths or just lacerations are common in the scalp. It depends upon the surgical technique and possibly more important is the general direction of the wound. Linear scars that run front to back tend to scar more than those that run side to side, but everything in the scalp can scar. With a good hair transplant surgeon, a decision can be made how best to address the scar. Some of these scars can be fixed with a simple surgical excision of the scar and proper closure techniques, while others may be fixed best with a small hair transplant (always works). See an expert.

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May 8, 2007

Propecia and Cancer – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

My question concerns Propecia and Melanoma/other cancers. I’m a 28 year old male with moderate MPB. 2 years ago I was taking Propecia with positive results. After about 8 months on the drug I was diagnosed with a Stage 1 Melanoma. The biopsy showed no sun damage and I have no family history of the disease. I immediately made several life changes (diet etc.) including stopping Propecia. After lots of cancer research post diagnosis I noticed the correlation with hormone change/imbalance and cancer development (fertility drugs, pregnancy etc.). Studies also show that men that develop prostate cancer while taking dutastaride develop a more aggressive form of the cancer. My question is, what do you think the odds are that Propecia had a hand in the development of my cancer and have you ever heard of this before? Also, do you think it would be safe for me to start taking the drug again?
Thanks for your time

There is no evidence that Propecia (finasteride) impacts any cancer other than prostate cancer. The studies on finasteride (5mg daily use over 7 years) showed that men that took it (over placebo group) has a decreased risk of cancer by 25%. The statement of more malignant cancers has not been born out with follow-ups on these patients, as reports show that those patients that were thought to have a more aggressive cancer lived just as long as the other group of men. I do not believe that there is any connection between Propecia and your melanoma and would not hesitate to recommend it to one of my patients with your history, but if it worried you, then you can elect not to take it.

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