Dr. William Rassman – Page 1678

January 30, 2007

Hair Loss InformationBody is Very Hairy, Head is Very Bald – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Most of my hair on the top is gone except for some baby fuzz, and very thin on the sides and back. Will I see benefit from the use of minoxidil or propecia?

PS: my body is very hairy (face, chest, back, etc) will taking any of these medications increase body hair?

Since I hardly have any donor hair on my head, is body hair transplant a possibility? Where can I get good information on this subject?

Thanks for your assistance.

Best regards

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Monkey The medications of topical minoxidil or systemic Propecia (finasteride 1mg) should not cause more hair to appear on your already hairy body. If you have a full Norwood Class 6 or 7 balding pattern, then chances are that these medications may not help. The marginal edges are where such patterns may see benefit, but you need to get a good doctor to help. Body hair transplants are not the solution (see Body Hair Transplantation for more). To see a Class 7 patient who had enough donor hair to cover his balding head, see Is Hair Transplantation too Risky for Older Men? Each person has different hair characteristics and densities, so you need to be evaluated to find out where you stand.

January 30, 2007

Hair Loss InformationI Can’t Get Propecia in Dubai – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

hi there
just an update i had a consultation in London, i was told that due to my age i was likley to lose more hair, we have already established that. I was given the option of just having my hairline restored, and think about having the crown area’s filled in, at another 2 -3 years time when i will be at least 25 and my pattern hairloss will be evident as to what way it is declining towards. My gp will not precribe propecia to me, as i told you i am located to Dubai do you think i could purchase it over there. My plan is to try propecia for 6 months or so and see what happens. although hairline is more important to me, i know propecia can restore that, then what can propecia do for me on a realistic level. Is it guarnteed to work for everyone or it is a chance of luck and variency? Is the drug relatively safe i mean the drug will be stored away, but as a user i can still handle and pick up kids cant i? please tell me the best option , and if propecia works where am i likely to see results on the scalp?

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You are 23 years old and it is not good medical practice for you to transplant early hair loss. You should take finasteride 1mg for one full year, then reaccess your situation. It works in young men to reverse hair loss, slow down the hair loss, or(3) stop the hair loss. Why rush doing hair transplants? You have your whole life to live and a wrong decision now will impact your whole life.

Propecia is safe and it will not impact anyone else by simple touch. Generally, you can buy Proscar or generic finasteride 5mg and cut the tablet into 4 pieces, taking one piece of a pill each day. Generic finasteride is available in practically every country that has men with prostate problems, UAE included. I am not sure why your physician will not prescribe it — you should ask him/her why.

January 30, 2007

Hair Loss InformationSmoking, Drinking, and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I was wondering since alota aussies smoke cigerettes, drink and love to party, if it cuases any premature hairloss from excessive binge drinking and chain smoking.

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I am not familiar with a proven connection between smoking, drinking alcohol, and hair loss. Your definition of “party” may include drugs, in which case hair loss could be a problem, though I hope this is not the case. Please note a previous post, Does Drinking Alcohol Contribute to Hair Loss?

January 29, 2007

Hair Loss InformationRecommending Counseling to Men That Are Anxious About Their Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Dr Rassman,

I’m fairly concerned about losing my hair, to the extent where I’ve been taking Propecia for a couple of months in a bid to slow down the hairloss process.

I’ve noticed a lot of men emailing you who are very, very anxious about losing their hair. While I would much prefer to keep my hair, I draw the line at having grafts etc. If my hair loss became that bad I would simply accept it and shave my hair Bruce Willis style.

My question is this-when would you recommend counseling to men who are profoundly anxious about hair loss? I think there should be a time and place for this. Sometimes, perhaps it’s a case of come to terms with it and age gracefully!

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Mental health Stress contributes to hair loss in those genetically impacted. Finasteride (Propecia) works to block the hair loss and prevent it from happening in most men. Anything that reduces stress is also a good idea, so if counseling work for you, then go for it. The fear of hair transplantation is something that reflects general ignorance. My job is not to convert you or get you to reverse your opinion as to what line you will not cross, but my two hair transplants were the most non-events of my life (in regards to the actual procedure). Most of my patients tell me the same thing, and the benefits certainly deal with the stress directly. One of my patients is a psychologist who had 18 years of psychoanalysis to help him deal with his hair loss. The first of two transplant procedures yielded wonderful results. He said to me that he wasted his money for 18 years, when in one day he solved his problem and the stress went away as the hair grew in.

January 29, 2007

Hair Loss InformationI Had a Skull Fracture That Caused a Scar – Is Transplantation Not an Option for Me? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr. Rassman,

I am a 25 year old male with extremely thin hair. Normally this would not be a concern but I had a medial temporal head fracture and a 12 inch scar on the left side of my skull. I do not want to loose the rest of my hair but dont want it to look to obvious that I had a procedure.

1. Is getting a transplant a life long quest with someone my age?
2. Should I resort to other methodologies before trying surgery?

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Hair transplantation should not be a lifelong quest. I am not sure where you would be getting that information.
Hair transplantation is a great tool to disguise scars on the scalp. We have treated visible scars and have seen them largely disappear. With respect to other methodologies, you can try make up/ concealing agents to cover the area such as DermMatch. A hair transplant procedure is a cosmetic surgery, which means that the procedures are not medically necessary from an insurance point of view, but may be necessary from a personal view of what you want to look like.

You can always send a photo of your scar to me for review (reference this post), or if you are near one of our offices, you could come in for a consult.

January 29, 2007

Apples Are Better than Rogaine for Hair Regrowth? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

What is this about?
Over 80 Clinical Studies Prove New Apple-derived Treatment Improves Hair Growth Without Side Effects

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I have been impressed with this approach. Having read about it in the medical journals before, I would think it has value and it seems to be worth a try. I’m not endorsing the product for which this press release is announcing, but I’m simply saying that the procyandin B-2 in this product might be good to try.

January 29, 2007

Does Increased Shedding with Finasteride Mean Its Effective? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

gday doc,

great blog.

l’ve been on 1mg finasteride for about 9 mths and have recently noticed increased shedding (about 2-3 times more hair than usual).

lve read that finasteride causes synchronization of the hair cycle and as such this can occur and might be taken as a sign that the medication is effective.

Is this correct?

No one really knows for sure. I have heard reports from patients and readers such as yourself that starting finasteride may cause shedding. Aside from the anecdotal evidence, I have not heard or read about a scientific research on this phenomenon. I would hope that the shedding is the result of the drug and the hair going into another growth cycle rather than an acceleration of the hair loss that is due to your genetics. Time will tell the answer here as the shedding should stop and reverse by the 4th month if it is caused by a change in your hair cycle.

Nevertheless, the effectiveness of finasteride (Propecia) has been well studied and documented. Thus, it would not be a good idea to stop taking the medication if you are experiencing hair loss. The hair loss may be worse if you stop the medication as your body will play “catch up” and go back to the state as if you were never on the drug.

January 29, 2007

Experimental, Specialized, Personalized Hair Growth Routine – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dear Doctor;

My hair regrowth regimen consists of the following…1 .5mg Avodart soft gel every morning, then at night, 2% Ketoconazole Shampoo, under occlusion, for up to 1 hour. I do not use Rogaine Foam, or any other Minoxidil product. I have been doing this now for 5 weeks and see no real change in my crown/vertex thinning. Does this sound like a good regimen? Should I take the Avodart at night instead of the morning? How long would you suggest I give the regimen before I should at least start to see some regrowth? Thanks!

Hair regrowth from known medications can not be seen clearly for 8-12 months. That is because the hair cycle is about 4-6 months and then there is a period where the hair must grow out at 1/2 inch per month. I do not endorse the use of Avodart at this time for treating hair loss and have spoken many times about my preference with Propecia. As you may already know, Propecia (finasteride) is FDA approved for treating hair loss — Avodart (dutasteride) is not.

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January 29, 2007

Hair Loss After Discontinuing Propecia Use – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dear Doc,

I understand that once a person stops using Propecia he will lose hair that he normally would have lost if he wasn’t taking Propecia. My question is though, would discontinuing Propecia cause a person to lose hair that they normally would not have lost? Thanks.

Normal hair is ‘indifferent’ to Propecia, so stopping the drug will have no effect on hair that is not genetically impacted by male patterned balding.

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January 29, 2007

Improved Closure Technique to Repair Scar from Previous Strip Procedure? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have a 1 to 2mm scar from a strip proceedure. Can you tell me will new closure techniques be able to improve this. My scar starts to show when I cut my hair to a grade 3. Is fue into the scar a better option for someone like me? Can you do the surgery or recommend someone in Europe?

Many Thank

A 2mm scar is fairly small, so I would hope that an excision and trichophytic closure would be the best way to go. I do not have a surgical recommendation for you in Europe, although the techniques that I would use are fairly straight forward in the hands of an expert. As I do not travel to Europe to perform surgery, if you wanted me to do it you’d have to travel to California to see me.

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