Dr. William Rassman – Page 1788

June 20, 2006

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

Hi Dr. Rassman, just a quick question. Upon starting propecia 7 months ago i noticed a definate decrease in body hair. Have you come across this in your practice and what would you make of it.

Many thanks

Yes, through people that have written in to this blog, I have heard that this is a side effect. I have had one patient of mine who (like you) reported reduced body hair with Propecia use. I just wish it would have done that for me because at times I feel that I look like the picture on the right.

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June 20, 2006

My 16 Year Old Daughter Has A Small Scar – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I was wondering if I could bring my daughter in for a consoltation, because she has a small scar on her scalp that she would like to get filled in, and we were just wondering what kind of treatment options there are. It is a very small scar, but it seems to bother her a lot, and I just want her to not worry about it anymore. She is only 16 but she is begging me to set up a consoltation. Would this be okay, or is she to young?

She is not too young and I would be happy to see her. Hair transplants work very well for scalp scars. The FUE technique works well here. That means that there will be almost no pain for the transplants or after the transplants are done.

June 20, 2006

Shock Loss in Donor Area After Transplant? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I had a transplant procedure 2.5 months ago—I am experiencing very little if any growth of the hair located below the donor scar area—my doctor assures me that this is related to some type of shock caused by the procedure and that in time it will regrow—-Is this normal??

This is not normal, but not a reason to worry. Wait it out and the hair around the donor wound should return about the same time that the transplanted hair will start growing.

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June 20, 2006

Taking Propecia May Increase A More Aggressive Form of Cancer? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dear Dr. Rassman,
I met with you last month at your office in L.A. and am planning to have a procedure this summer. You recommended that I take Propecia before and after my surgery to, 1) prevent “shock loss” and, 2) lower my risk of prostate cancer over the long term. As to the second issue, I’ve read the studies on the internet and they seem to say that while taking Propecia does reduce one’s chances of getting prostate cancer in the first instance, taking the drug may increase one’s risk of suffering from a more aggressive form of the cancer. How do you view these studies in terms of balancing the risks and benefits of taking Propecia over the long term?
Thanks

There is no doubt that Propecia will play an important role in preventing shock loss from a hair transplant surgery.

With regard to the cancer issue, the study that I am aware of shows what appears to be a more aggressive cancer with people taking Propecia, but that conclusion is based on the interpretation of the cancer by the way it looks under the microscope. The pathologists usually review the microscopic slides to determine how mean a cancer looks. The pathologist scores prostate cancers and classifies them based upon criteria establishing a Gleason Score, which tries to predict prostate cancer’s aggressive nature. The patients who had the high Gleason Score were followed since the diagnosis was made in 2001 and the cancers did NOT behave more aggressively than the cancers that were present in the placebo group studied at the same time. Anything can be agrued and this is just what is happening here. Two camps are squaring off so any absolute final word has yet to be written.

My conclusion (as well as many experts in the field of cancer) is that the Gleason Score is not reflective of the agressiveness of prostate cancer and that people who are taking Propecia are not at risk of developing an aggressive cancer more than the control group (made up of people not taking Propecia). For that reason, one of my sons and many members of my family are taking the drug.

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June 19, 2006

Hair Loss InformationI’ve Had 7 Strip Surgeries – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

ive had about 6 or 7 full strip procedures over the past seven years and have developed a scar that runs almost ear to ear and is an inch wide!

My surgeon has tried twice unsuccessfully to cut out the scar. There feels like very little excess tissue when i try and pinch. Im a dentist and am sure the tension from looking downwards post surgery was a factor although my surgeon says no. He is now talking about FUE from my chest. Would i be better suited seeing a plastic surgeon. He doesnt think anyone could achieve a better scar result. Ive had 2 colleagues get similar scars from the same doctor. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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You must be careful here. Do you want to continue on a never ending process from surgery to surgery? There are creative options including:

FUE — but not from the body, rather from the scalp where hair is active 85% of the time, rather than 20% of the time as with body hair
Balloon expanders which can reduce scars very nicely if there is reasonable donor hair

Send me pictures (which I will keep confidential) and then I can offer you general advice about what is possible and what is not. You might consider coming to California after I get your photos for a one-on-one consultation if the photos lead me to believe that there may be a good solution for you.

June 19, 2006

Traction Alopecia from Dreadlocks? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’m an african-american and I’ve had my hair in dread locks for the last 6 years. Because of work I have to wear my hair in a bun at the back of my head and I have noticed for the last couple of years my hair has stopped growing not along the hairline inside the bun. Is it responsible for what is happening and what can I do about it?

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Yes, dreadlocks do cause hair loss. When it stops growing, this may be the first sign for the hair loss that will follow. Change your styling and hope that it is reversible.

June 19, 2006

Hair Loss InformationGNC Men’s Mega Men and Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello, Dr.Rassman.
I want to ask does GNC Men’s Mega Men cause shedding or hairloss?

Drugstore.com – GNC Mega Men

Many forums say it contains too much B complex and some Saw Palmetto. By the way, is it benefit to take lots of B complex per day?

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The GNC product contains DHEA, a hormone that is known to produce or accelerate hair loss. I do not have direct knowledge about shedding with Saw Palmetto or high doses of B complex vitamins.

June 19, 2006

I Don’t Have Hair Loss, But I Want A Lower Hairline – Balding Blog

Hi – I am 36 years old, male. Good hair genes on my mother’s side, father is balding but not completely bald.

I have always had very thick wavy hair. Over the course of time I have noticed a gradual “shrinking” of my hair – hair is thinner and noticeably less dense when I run my fingers through it. This shrinking density has occurred everywhere on my head – not just the front or top but even on the sides and back. No balding areas, thinning is probably only noticeable to me. While my hairline receded slightly due to maturity, I really don’t seem to losing that much hair. It’s just that the “poofyness” is disappearing along with some of the waves.

If I would like to have a transplant just to lower the hairline by a centimeter with maximum density, would I be a good candidate? I don’t think there would be any shockloss since the hairline would be lowered. Thank you.

Shock loss producing permanent hair loss in a person without genetic balding is very rare. If it occurs in a person without genetic balding it usually returns in 3-6 months. You are defining a series of things including:

Suggestion that the hairline has risen. If it has without genetic balding, you may just have developed a mature hairline and if there is no genetic balding, then you can lower the hairline with a surgical procedure where the upper part of the forehead is removed and the hairline is then lowered. This is what we call a ‘hairline lowering procedure‘. Alternatively, hair transplants also work.
The thinning of the hair where you say the “poofyness” is disappearing along with the wavy nature of your hair may just be the changes occurring with age. To be sure that this is not miniaturization, you need to have your hair mapped out to be absolutely sure that it is a uniform process impacting all of the hair on your head, not just selected areas in the front.

You need to be properly examined before you embark upon the types of decisions that could be dangerous if you really have genetic balding and then lower your hairline. Also, I’d recomment that you read through some of the previous posts I’ve made regarding hairline lowering for more info.

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June 19, 2006

I Take Aspirin Therapy and Plavix — Can I Get a Hair Transplant? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am a previous patient of yours. Since my procedure several years ago I suffered a heart attack. As a result, I am on aspirin therapy (325 mg/day) and Plavix (75 mg/day), indefinitely. Does this preclude me from ever having another transplant?

I would like to have a conversation with your doctor prior to going forward and then meeting with you as well. Please send me your doctor’s name and phone number.

I have transplanted people on both of these medications. The bleeding time will be longer, but the bleeding that is prolongs will not be life threatening and the clotting mechanism that is made to stop you from bleeding will stop the bleeding (it just might take longer). Fortunately, all of the bleeding areas from a strip harvesting technique of hair transplantation will be seen at the time of the surgery and the surgeon can use basic techniques to address these bleeding areas safely.

For your general information, aspirin and Plavix medications prolong bleeding times, making it more difficult for a clot to occur in the short term. Heart attacks and strokes often come about when a clot forms inside a blood vessel that has considerable plaque build-up. The point of taking these medication is to slow down the clotting mechanism for heart attacks and strokes in these areas of plaque so that the heart attack and stroke does not develop. But the clotting process is a necessary part of daily life and is not disabled. We constantly have small bleeding episodes when we ‘grunt’ or stress during a bowel movement (for example). Many people will note that they develop small clots on the legs or if they bump themselves, they depend upon the clotting mechanism to prevent any excessive bleeding. So, in effect, the clotting mechanism still works and in a safely controlled surgery like a hair transplant in the hands of a skilled surgeon, bleeding should not be a problem.

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June 19, 2006

Removed Plaque with Hairs Caused by Severe Dandruff – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have severe dandruff and/or psoriasis that results in unsightly plaques on my scalp. Recently, I had a temporary lapse in judgement and gently removed one of the plaques forming on the hairline. To my surprise, the plaque came off with six or seven hairs, causing me great anxiety and grief. I do not habitually scratch my head or remove plaques, but the sight and itchiness of this one was driving me crazy. Do you think the loss of these hairs is permanent, even though I don’t normally pick at my scalp? Or does traction alopecia occur only with frequent picking?

You will not get traction alopecia from one or two hair pulls. It takes many hair pulls to get it to become permanent. Sounds like you have it all together.

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