Dr. William Rassman – Page 1660

March 6, 2007

Port-Wine Stain Birthmark and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

(female) The hair on one side of my head has thinned considerably over the last 8 years or so. (I am currently 40 years old.) This is probably related to a port wine stain that covers the right side of my neck and continues up onto my scalp on the entire right side of my head. When I was first born, the doctors warned my mother that I may not ever have hair where the birthmark is located but luckily, this wasn’t the case. I couldn’t distinguish a difference between the stained area and the rest of my head until the last 8 years. Is this a typical response for this type of situation?

I have had laser surgery performed on the birthmark a number of times over the years, first with the argon laser and more recently with the pulse dye laser. Most treatments have focused on the visible areas of my neck but a couple pulse dye treatments were carrried up into my scalp. This may or may not coincide with the hair loss. I’m really not sure. (Both happened within the last 8 to 10 years but I just can’t seem to sort out which came first.)

Is Rogaine effective in this type of situation? Is there some other treatment option I could pursue? Like most people, I am limited to treatments that aren’t extravegently expensive or are covered, at least somewhat, by insurance.

I am not aware of any association between hair loss and port-wine stains. On the other hand, high energy lasers have been used successfully for removal of unwanted hair. It is likely that the laser treatment has caused or accelerated you hair loss in the area of treatment if the area of hair loss conforms to the treatment area. You might want to slow down the laser treatments. If your hair loss is because of laser treatment, your hair may grow back within next few months. Find out from your laser doctor the depth of penetration of the laser. If it does not go deeper than 2mm, chances are that the hair will grow back.

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March 6, 2007

Testim Testosterone Gel and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I wrote this to a web site ,, also I spoke with the pharmacist. Looking thru the papers that come with the testim. Trying to I am having something along the lines happening to me. But I am a male, 44yrs old. I started a treatment due to low testosterone( first happened) I started on Sun. It wasn’t until Wed. morning that I noticed a lot of hair in my tub. This is very strange since I have a full head of hair and never see any hair in the tub. Thought nothing of it till Thur at work. I was running my fingers thru my hair. When it seems to rain- startled by what I saw. I pulled a little to see if it was just a fluke. It hasn’t stopped and it’s gotten worse. The pharmacist said it wasn’t related to the Testosterone Gel – Testim. But I only started taking the Gel on that Sunday ,, with hair loose that Tues/Wed? Please let me know if this is truly related or what else could cause this?

There is no doubt that testosterone treatments can be a cause of hair loss. You must be under a doctor’s care, so I would ask your doctor about this side effect and if you should stop the medication. I just had a patient see me yesterday who was taking testosterone and Propecia and the hair loss accelerated shortly after starting the testosterone even though he was on Propecia. Clearly the Propecia did not cancel out the hair impact of testosterone on this patient.

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March 6, 2007

Where Can I Get My Hair Mapped? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dear Dr. Rassman,

I’m very interested in getting my hair mapped, but I can’t find anywhere near me that does it and I really have no clue where to look. What would be a good place to start?

Go to the ISHRS.org and use their physician search to check with the doctors near you. When calling the various doctors’ offices, ask their staff if the doctor will check out your hair for miniaturization to make sure they actually will map your hair, rather than wasting your time.

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March 5, 2007

Extreme Makeover Patient Heather Update (with Photos) – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

This is the end result after hair transplants on Heather, our only female patient from the Extreme Makeover television show. She is thrilled with the results and tells us that it has changed her life. It took two procedures (totaling 2832 grafts) to get her where she is today because her donor hair was so poor, but with her persistence, she made it all work out. Click the photos below to enlarge.

After:

Before:

March 5, 2007

12 Year Old Daughter Has Bald Spots Since Birth – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

My daughter is 12 years old now, and when she was little and her hair finally grew in, she had a bald spot right in the center of her head. Her doctors told me not to worry about it, but I awalys have. I thought as she got older her hair would get thicker, but it never has. Yesterday, my daughter show me another spot on her head which is almost bald, I called her doctor, to find out what to do. She is doing research as I write this to you. I was hoping for anything you could share with me. My daughter is so upset and I can not comfort her with any kind of reasoning. Please get back to me. Thank you.

This is a situation where face to face discussion and examination is critical. This is not an internet problem. You need a skilled doctor (dermatologist in your area) to examine her and then render an opinion. If she is upset, not taking her to a good doctor does more damage than need be.

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March 5, 2007

Creatine and Body Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I recently read your entry about monohydrate creatine…I did a little reading & it seems that quite a few doctors think it causes hair loss. I take ce2 ethel ester creatine (28yr old male,caucasian), are you aware if this product can cause body hair loss? or would this most likely be restricted to head hair?
Thank you.

Bodybuilder “A little reading” can be dangerous, because you will always find conflicting facts or opinions.

The good news is that you have a choice! If you believe it causes hair loss, you have a choice not to take it. If you are taking creatine for bodybuilding and you are also worried about hair loss, you have to make the choice.

It is my opinion that creatine does not cause hair loss. It is also my opinion that creatine does not have much effect in bodybuilding. I have personally taken it for a year and I have always found harder workouts made me stonger/bulkier (without creatine).

By Dr. Jae Pak

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March 5, 2007

Doctor Prescribed Lidex and Liprox Shampoo – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello, I am 24 yrs old and I recently cut my dread locks after having them for 4 years. I noticed my hair balding in the crown are and my dermatologist prescribed Lidex and Liprox shampoo. My question is would this be effective in treating or reversing hair loss?

Lidex is a topical medication with the steroid ‘flucinonide’ as an active component. Its main indication is its use for inflammatory conditions of the skin. Loprox contains an antifungal agent. You may have had some sort of fungal infectious condition. It is impossible for me to know what your prognosis is without a full understanding of your situation, including a close examination of you and the results of the testing that your doctor did on you. Talk it over with your dermatologist and specifically ask about his diagnosis for the condition you have.

March 5, 2007

Doctor Told Me To Stop Propecia and Use Minoxidil Instead – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi doctor Rassman,

My doctor prescribed to me minoxidil and told me to stop immediately propecia after 8 months of usage ( as a treatment for my genetic male pattern baldness) after sever sexual dysfunctions and a worry of future consequences. My question is, does minoxidil 5% alone treats the male pattern hair loss or it is a “must” to take a dht inhibitor for blocking DHT and prevent further thinning of the hair?

The issue here is the sexual side effect. Minoxidil does not have negative sexual side effects and therefore may be a reasonable alternative. Minoxidil may prolong hair cycling and therefore the life of some hairs. This is theory, of course, but there is some scientific basis for this conclusion. When you have to choose between a normal sexual life and balding, I personally would rather be bald. The choice is yours and minoxidil may actually help.

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March 5, 2007

Eyebrow Hair Loss After Tattooing – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dr. Rassman can you please let me know if you can help me with my problem? I had tattooed my eyebrow twice and now I really hate it because I have lost some hair in the corner plus I didnt like the shape that I have now. I would like to have different style but with the tattoo that I have, it is impossible. please help me. If you can do something can you let me know the cost? thank you so much.

Clearly, some damage was done when you had the tattoo done. Eyebrow transplants work nicely and should be considered. Depending upon the extent of the work, the costs are generally $3,000 or less for eyebrow reconstruction.

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March 5, 2007

Is Propecia a Restricted Drug for International Travel? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Do I need to be careful about bringing Propecia into any countries when I go on holidays? Is it a restricted drug anywhere in the world?

When you travel outside the US with prescription items, bring the bottle with the name of the drug, quantity, and the prescribing doctor. That is usually enough. Many people who travel use heart, blood pressure, and other such medications and these are allowed on the airplane and through customs.

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