Author: Dr. William Rassman

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ThymuSkin Shampoo – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr. Rassman,

I have written in before but i have a question concering hair loss shampoos. I have been researching Revivogen and ThmusSkin Shampoos. What are your thoughts on these topical hair treatment agents? I am 22 years old and have a full head a hair and show no signs of balding but it does run in my family. Would these be effective in keeping my hair that i have? People have told me to not worry but its difficult. I would like a “security blanket” to assure no hairloss will take place. Please Help!

Thankyou

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The following is what I wrote about Revivogen back in December, 2005:
Revivogen seems to make claims about ‘proven’ DHT blocking and ‘Doctor formulated’ natural ingredients. Kevis has minoxidil as an active ingredient. There is clear value to minoxidil, but you can buy this over the counter at substantially less money than with the Kevis formula and Revivogen has made claims that are not widely accepted although it has been around for years with some good reports by some consumers. I have made comments on non-FDA approved medications and claims about safety and effectiveness in the past (see Scalpmed and ViTrichol for examples).

With respect to ThymuSkin, their website does not disclose any active ingredient that I can find. As I have stated countless times on BaldingBlog, it is a “buyer beware” market. If you want a medical advice, the only medical treatment proven to work is topical minoxidil and oral finasteride.

Millions of people like you want their “security blanket” and spend millions of dollars annually on hair products. It is not my place to tell you how to spend your money. If you wish to try the products, keep me posted on how well it has worked or not worked.

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Ingrown Hairs on Scalp After Accutane Use – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Dr. Rassman,

Up until the age of 18 I had a great head of hair, no problems at all. I had acne though and couldn’t stand it so I opted to take accutane. About a month after I started I noticed my hairline receded a little and continued through my course. It didn’t recede that much so I wasn’t terribly worried. Unfortunately after stopping accutane it continued to recede slowly and now 6 years later i’ve lost a lot of hair and not only that but while my hairline was receding every single hair on my head seems to have changed and become thinner and you can see my scalp easily. Later on I aquired some scalp problem where I am getting many many ingrown hairs on my scalp and I never had that before Accutane, it really did a number on my scalp. Everyday I wear a baseball hat because of these problems and my social life is long gone. Biggest mistake of my life taking that stuff. Any help is greatly appreciated!!!

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Your hair loss may be due to the Accutane use. Some people who have taken this drug also report changes in hair character and often a finer hair results. These changes may be permanent. Your hair problems may also be a separate problem reflecting male patterned hair loss. Either way, if you are continuing to lose hair and want a medical solution, you should seek a good specialist to map out your scalp for miniaturization to correctly diagnose the contribution of the genetic components for your hair loss. A good dermatologist should be able to diagnose your ingrown hair problem, which sounds like some form of chronic folliculitis.

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Eyelash Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

im 21 all of a sudden lots of my eyelashes are fallin out its makin me not want to leave my house what could the reason for this be and what can i do

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It is surprising that your entire eyelashes are gone. This is very rare. You should see a dermatologist for a medical work up.

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Copper Peptides Are Cure for Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Here is a press release for another magical cure (*cough*) for hair loss. Actually, they try to make this sound like some grand new discovery, but once you get to the last paragraph you realize they are just selling a shampoo called Follipro. I have used copper peptides in my practice for the impact on wound healing in some of my patients. It seems to have value in minimizing post-operative pink discoloration in some patients. The company which sells it does claim hair growth benefits, but I have never seen these benefits.

Press releases need to be looked at carefully, for they do not always tell an accurate story.

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My Hair Loss Became Aggressive Quickly – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I came across this site looking for information on hairloss. I am currently on day 7 of using Propecia for very mild bitemporal thinning/receding. I realize that I should see no significant change by this point. My question is that I noticed my hair ‘direction pattern’ changing about 6 months ago (I’m 27), and I only noticed the onset of actual recession only about 3 weeks ago. Is this sudden onset normal? I am wondering, since it seems from the people I’ve known who’ve lost their hair, 3 weeks is a fairly aggressive loss-schedule (I think I’m already a Norwood I). My worry is that at this rate, I’ll lose so much by the time the drug kicks in. Is there any good news for me?

Also, if I am allergic to this drug, at 7 days in, would I know by now? Or could it still be lurking ahead?

Thank you.

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If you are Norwood Class I, I seriously wonder the efficacy Propecia would have on your hair loss. I would hope you have seen a doctor who has mapped your hair for miniaturization to determine if you have thinning in a male hair loss pattern. Remember, Propecia works best on the crown but if you have genetic hair loss causes, it should be proactively valuable even in the temples.

The hair character may subtly change throughout a person’s lifetime, and you may have just noticed it as you seem to be more concerned about your hair. Many times, the first 50% of the change will not be seen and in some people the changes that are detectable to the naked eye can go up to 90% before it can be seen (usually blondes).

I cannot comment if you have any allergies to Propecia, because you have not told me any out-of-the-ordinary symptoms, but an allergy to this medication should have appeared by this time. Some side effects of Propecia are well known and can be found on the Merck website and also the Propecia bottle’s insert label.

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Article – World’s Longest Eyebrow Hair – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

EyebrowsEyebrows in some men grow long. The one reported here measured 3 1/2 inches in length. My eyebrows grow long and I do trim them. After reading this article, I wondered what my eyebrow length would be if I did not trim them…

So congratulations to Leonard Traenkenschuh for your world-record eyebrow hair. May we all be so lucky…

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Transsexuals and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have a few questions actually

I have heard that transsexuals who take certain hormones to become female have stopped their hair loss and even regrown some. I was wondering if someone didn’t mind becoming totally androgynous if that could be a solution to hair loss.

Now for my actual issue. My hair is thinning quite a bit in the front but is still full and thick most everywhere else. I have long hair so I have noticed it falling out quite a bit recently. I haven’t started Propecia as I am only 19 and I have heard it is a life long engagement costing upwards of $100 a month.(I am currently on accutane and since starting have noticed a dramatic change in the amount of hair I loose daily, and the costs work out the same, so I might just switch one for the other) I was wondering if I did start treatment with the medication and I were to have the hair on the top of my scalp thickened and my hairline returned with hair transplants, if I might be able to beat the risk of Shock-loss? I was also wondering what the risk factors for it are.

I rather like my long hair as it makes me look quite androgynous, so I don’t want to risk losing it all from shock-loss. I know that Procrecia doesn’t return a youthful hairline (which has receded 2cm) so I would like to know if I might be able to with the use of transplants without much risk.

Thanks for your time

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Propecia will slow down and sometimes reverse hair loss. Shock loss from hair transplants can be diminished if you are taking Propecia.

Taking female hormones to become a woman may slow male pattern hair loss. Most of the patients I see who are taking female hormones and have male pattern balding, see me because of the male pattern balding. When and if they get their testicles removed, the hair loss stops but the hair that was lost prior to removing the testicles does not come back. I perform a number of hair transplants in people who have changed their gender.

Most importantly at the age of 19, you should seriously consider all your options and see a good doctor before considering any of the aforementioned topics. If you have a sexual identity issue, you should get professional guidance.

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My Hair Loss Isn’t Visible Yet – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

What does all this mean? I have no obvious signs of hair loss. Any person on the street couldn’t see what I see. I have no receding hair line nor do I have any thinning in the crown. But what I do have is an overall texture and density change on the top of my head from the hairline to crown area. In this area the hair is softer, finer and not as thick when compared to the sides and back. Another cause of concern of mine is that I can lightly tug at the hair at my crown area and always pull hair out. But when I pull at the sides and back it’s a lot more difficult to pull hair out. I am 25 years old and I’m worried that this is the start of my hairloss. Your answer would be greatly appreciated.

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You have a very good observation. Generally a person can lose more than 50% of their hair and it would still be unnoticeable to the general public. The difference in texture you notice on the top of your head may be a sign of miniaturization that I often write about on this blog. If I was to use a hair densitometer (invented by me in the early 1990s) to examine your scalp, some of your hair’s diameter MAY be smaller on the top of your head than on the sides or the back. This is why you may be noticing the difference in texture. Which means, you may be at an early stage of male pattern hair loss. Fortunately, finasteride (Propecia) has been well studied to counteract the male pattern hair loss, especially in the crown area. But you would need to see a medical doctor and get the correct diagnosis to be prescribed Propecia. I realize there are many internet sources for obtaining Propecia or finasteride without a medical exam. I strongly urge you not to go that route, because you would not know what you are treating and the interval effectiveness. Remember, you still do not have a diagnosis yet.

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Hypothyroidism in Women – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am a 43 year old women who has always had long, fine hair. About the age of 30, I noticed that my hair was starting to thin in the top of my head. I had enough hair to cover it, but it was still thin.

I found out shortly after that I had hypo-thyrodism. So, now I am on synthroid — and my hair is even thinner. I don’t know what to do about it (is there anything that can be done). I am really scared that within the next four-five years, I will hardly have no hair. It’s thinning around the edges. I do get perms, but I get them every 4-6 months. I hardly put heat on my hair because I know that heat can ruin hair as well. What can I do?

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Many women have the same problem as you and I sympathize with your concerns. Unfortunately, there has not been a medical breakthrough in hair restoration options for women and their unpatterned hair loss as there have been for men with male pattern hair loss. The first thing is to have your hypothyroid condition well managed. The next step may be to see a doctor who can assess the pattern of hair loss and the degree of miniaturization to understand what is going on, and to check if these measurements change over time. Beware of doctors who are eager to sell you a hair transplant surgery. Women are generally poor hair transplant candidates.

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Hair Loss InformationScalp Mapping and Hair Miniaturization – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Thank you for seeing me yestserday. You put my mind at great ease. As I reached you on this blog initially, please feel free to use my photographs to tell my story.

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This is a 21 year old man who came to see me, because he felt that his hair was thinning in the forelock and his corners were rising. These pictures tell half of the story.

  1. The changes are consistent with the appearance of the male hairline.
  2. Mapping out the scalp shows no significant miniaturization present in any part of the scalp.

It is worthy to note the well illustrated picture of the left hairline where the fine hair (which is miniaturized as it is lost) is receding into a mature hairline. Behind this frontal immature hairline, is a mature hairline with no miniaturization. This clearly tells me that this young man is not balding at this time. As a 21 year old, the future is uncertain, so timing is everything. I always tell these young men to follow with me yearly, just to detect miniaturization at its first appearance and if the miniaturization appears, then with a drug like Propecia, the miniaturization may be arrested. The focus of a good Master Plan should be to keep the hairy person hairy, not transplant the balding one. Although this is not a profitable thing for me to do, it is what you would demand from a good doctor, doing what is in the best interest of his patient.

The good news is that he does not have to start Propecia at this time and may postpone it until miniaturization appears (if it ever does). Peace of mind is the reward for a good and proper examination (one way or the other).