can sesame oil block DHT? what about fenugreek?
You can speculate all you want on these approaches to hair loss, but there are more substances out there than I can address.
Dear Dr. Rassman,
Last year I had a hair transplant done at the New Age Hair Clinic and along with that the recommendation of taking propecia to help prolongue losing more hair, which makes sense obviously. Propecia really worked for me and I was pleased with its results combined with the transplant, however, after six months I noticed those sexual side-effects I had been told about. I never worried about it because it had such a small percentage tagged to it so I figured I wouldn’t have to. But now I have no sex drive and difficulty achieving and maintaining erection…but others as well. There is no orgasm for me anymore and most of the time a loss of ejaculate and when something does come out, it’s almost like a gel… My penis has lost feeling and almost in a way “detached” shall we say from the body because i really can’t feel it that much anymore. This worries me because I have been off the drug for six weeks now. My real question is have you ever seen these adverse effects permanent in a patient? It’s really starting to scare and depress me… I figured it would take a few days to get out of my system and once I saw it was only temporary go back on it because I don’t want to lose what I worked at with the transplant, as is what my doctor recommended, but the effects seem worse now than when I was on it… Can you help me at all? Should I go back to using it or keep waiting till I see improvement and then perhaps use it? I would really appreciate any information you can give me… The dilemma of choosing between hair and sex drive is a hard one being I am only 23… I want both. My doctor can’t help me at all so maybe you can, I’m hoping. Also, have you ever heard of a hair-loss product called scalp-med? I saw it on tv and checked out their website at scalpmed.com and it looked good because they say no sexual side-effects because it’s applied directly to the scalp, but it all seems too good to be true so I was wondering if you knew if it was legitimate or not. Thanks for taking the time to read and respond to this. I appreciate it.
Propecia, hair loss, penis detachment, orgasm, ejaculation… OH MY! From the tone of your writing, I can see that you are very concerned about hair loss and sex. Worry not, for I would say you are like most men. If you obsess over something like your hair loss and image, you can produce impotence. Your sexual problems might be related to the Propecia use, but the problem should go away soon after discontinuing Propecia. Propecia certainly does not stay in your system for 6 weeks after stopping its use. Your sexual problems may be psychological or you may have an underlying medical condition that you have not been diagnosed with. If it continues to be a problem you should see a medical doctor for a formal evaluation. With respect to Scalpmed, there are numerous posts on the product here.
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Hello,
Thanks very much for answering my previous question. I thought of another question that I can’t find the answer to in previous posts. I know from your posts that recession at the temples and some recession in the frontal hairline is the sign of a “mature” hairline and will not necessarily lead to genetic baldness. Is slight thinning in the “runways” along the sides of the head or on the crown always an indicator of further baldness to come, or can thinning happen in these places as part of a normal mature hair pattern, without leading to further baldness?
Thinning in the runways or anywhere in the crown usually reflects miniaturized hairs. This is often the precursor for balding. Sorry if you don’t like that answer. Few do!
I read this on one of your posts: “…but what about the young man with a stronger Type I and Type II DHT blocker”
Is there any such test to find out what type of DHT type / level / category I am? Cheers!
I think that you misunderstood what I was talking about (see Regrowth – Phase II FDA Hair Loss Study Results for Dutasteride). Each of us is the same with regard to the way these drugs work on us, so you don’t need to check yourself out to categorize yourself (as you asked). Dutasteride is more effective at blocking both type one and type two receptors, making it superior to finasteride, at least in theory. As what studies there are have incomplete clinical trials, we can not be sure what this all means and certainly we do not know enough about safety in the young man taking this drug for his lifetime.
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Dear Dr. Rassman,
A couple of years ago I remember reading an article about a hair transplant doctor at UCLA (I believe) that was able to transplant a higher amount of hair into a site by first having the scalp injected with a solution (possibly saline) to actually swell or enlarge the scalp area so more hair could be transplanted into the area. Later when the swelling receded the results would yield a higher density.
Can you comment on this. Is this something that you would recommend? Why or why not?
Thanks!
Many hair transplant surgeons will inject saline into the scalp to accomplish just what you are talking about. The important thing to focus upon is graft survival. Are the grafts packed so closely that the blood supply may be compromised? It is possible. I recently saw a patient done by another doctor who had the skin in the recipient area develop gangrene from a decision to put too many grafts too close together in skin that could not tolerate dense packing of grafts. The details of what the surgeon does is not a simple one thing vs another thing. A good hair transplant is the result of a complex series of decisions and takes into account not only the size of the grafts and the nature of the skin, but many other judgments. I have heard doctors focus on one thing that makes them unique, but ask yourself, “Am I being pitched a sales line here?”
Hi Doctor,
I have had 2 cycles of chemo, Taxol and Carbo. My hair started to thin out and 14 days and due to the massive shedding, I had my kids shave my head. About a week later my head was covered (no room for another)in what looked like chicken pox blisters without the fluid. After a while I figured out that these might be ingrown hairs. Do you have a solution on how to rid these sore and annoying bumps. It seems my hair is still growing a little bit, I bet that will be short lived after round 3! Thanks so much for your help!Have a good day
Chemotherapy makes you more susceptible to infections. If you shaved or clipped your hair, did you damage your scalp with nicks of bleeding points? I would worry about folliculitis, and would suggest that you get to your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.
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hi dr, ive read some on chemical castration, is there any way to produce the effects of castration that it has on your hair without actually doing it and so avoiding the other effects
Castration prevents hair loss because without testosterone, one can not make DHT and without DHT, balding does not occur. It is well known that removal of the testicles will prevent hair loss, but I have not seen anyone willing to take up this cure. Castration will not reverse what hair loss has already occurred, but it is the ultimate DHT blocker for preventing what may yet unfold. I do not know of a way to do what you’re asking though.
Hello Doc
I had my hair transplant done about 1 and 1/2 months ago. Couple days ago i went to see a car race. It was 98F and i was wearing a baseball cap. I stood in the sun for about 15 min and i was sweating badly coz of the heat. I went to mens room to cool off and sprinkel some cold water on my head. When i took my cap off i saw sweat dripping off my fore head and there were like white tiny things on my forehead (transplanted region). I wiped my fore head i didnt see any thing on the paper towel.I am little concerned, Were they roots of the new transplanted hair? Or just the skin.
Thanks very much for your advise.
You may have left some mild crusting still in the recipient area. When washing is not vigorous, the dead skin accumulates in the recipient area and needs to be washed off when shampooing. The sweat accomplishes the same thing. Don’t worry, be happy! The exciting times are yet to come as the hair grows in.
I had roughly 2600 grafts done 5 weeks ago. Although the donor scar has healed on the ends, the middle part of the scar right at the back of my head hasn’t healed and is a little weepy.
Is this normal? Typically I heal very well after injuries, etc.
Thank you.
If part of the scar is weepy (wet) then go back to your doctor. You could have an infection present. Wet wounds in a scar 5 weeks after any surgery is not normal.
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I thought this was interesting and worth sharing. Over and over again, we are becoming more and more aware that what we eat impacts us. This article shows that the fish we treat with drugs impacts our medical care:
“More than 70 per cent of the bacteria that cause hospital-acquired infections are resistant to at least one of the antibiotics most commonly used to treat them. The report published in Environmental Microbiology, July 2006, details the common practices that occur in the fish industry, particularly in developing countries, where large amounts of antibiotics are used to prevent infection. The antibiotics used are often non-biodegradable and remain in the aquaculture environment for long periods of time. This encourages the growth of bacteria, which can survive in the presence of these antibiotics, acquiring a resistance that is passed on to subsequent generations. The danger is these bacteria can be transferred to human and animal pathogens, leading to increased infectious disease in fish, animals and humans alike.”
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