Author: Dr. William Rassman

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Synthroid and Female Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I had thick and fast growing hair until I started taking syntrhoid for an underactive thyroid. The doctor says the medicine is not to blame but it just seems too coincidental to me. But, I am losing most of my hair in the front part of my scalp and I feel these tiny pimple like bumps on my scalp. I do not have dandruff but am wondering if this could be something else. I take no other medications and I am 56 years old, female. MY Mother and Grandmother both had and have thinning hair but it is in the back and they were both on all sorts of heart and blood pressure medicine. My 58 year old sister and brother are having no hair problems. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

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Patients with hypothyroidism tends to have hair loss, and hair loss is a known side effect of Synthroid. I would certainly take this up with your doctor. There are many other causes for female hair loss as well, such as stress, crash diets, oral contraceptive pills, beta blockers, coumadin, psoriasis, and inflammatory diseases.

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Dr Bernstein Says Transplants Won’t Keep You From Getting a Sun Burn – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

According to Dr. Bernstein, a hair transplant won’t protect you from getting sunburn. (The following is from a transcript of an open house posted on his website):

Attendee: How thick will my hair be after the hair transplant?

Dr. Bernstein: I like to describe what hair transplants do, by what they don’t do. It doesn’t keep you warm and it doesn’t keep the sun off your head. It doesn’t keep you from getting a sun burn.

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I am in occasional disagreement with my very bright friend and colleague Dr. Bernstein. The statement by the patient in the post from the other day corresponds to my own experience as well. I used to get sunburns on my bald crown all of the time, but now since I have had 1600 grafts placed in the crown, I haven’t had a sunburn on my scalp. I do not believe that hair transplants should be done to prevent sunburns. The sun will still penetrate down through the transplanted area, possibly just a bit tuned down.

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Other Than Propecia And Rogaine… – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

hello dear doctor
I have been on propecia and rogaine for 1 year but 20 days ago I started to have systemic sides ,problems caused by minoxidil and my doctor told me to stop using minoxidil
I asked him to recommend me something else inseat of minoxidil or at least to keep my hair healty cause propecia works very little on me for mpb but he said he does not know the answer so I wanna ask you same question cause you have experienced as I found out in internet and I wanna know if I can use aminexil and sod (copper peptides)for whole life time as in minoxidil

thank you very much indeed for your precious helps

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What is your age? What were the symptoms you are complaining about with Rogaine or Propecia? As you already are under a doctor’s care, then you should be asking that doctor to manage you or switch to another doctor. Your questions raise more questions than I feel comfortable answering through the internet without much more information.

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Hair Is Getting Finer With Rogaine and Propecia Use – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Dr Rassman,
I have been using Rogaine and Propecia since June 05 (except when I stopped taking propecia for a month in november). After not shaving my head for two months, I noticed that I had grown significant amount of hair in Novemnber. However, in January I realized that my hair overall was getting finer. Now it’s April and I am back to where I was last June if not worse sice the hair I have left is finer.I have been very compliant with the meds. Do you have any suggestions?

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There is no guarantee that either of the medications will work or last. This is a statistical process and if you take both Rogaine and Propecia, chances are that you’re statistically better off. Without examining you, it would be impossible to put meaningful medical logic to your situation. There is only so much I can do over the internet.

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Weight Loss, Microsoft Diet, and Slimy Hair – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr. Rassman,
Recently I noticed that my hair has a slimy feel to it when it gets wet, and then it will dry as if it has gel in it, very hard. I have always lost hair in the shower, but it seems that this is increasing with the slimy hair problem. Another symptom that I’ve had is extreme scalp itch, but no more than normal dandruff visible to be the cause of it. I have recently spent a great deal of time in the swimming pool, but no one I’ve been with is experiencing similiar problems. Also, I’m taking Adapex for weight loss and wonder if this might have some correlation with my symptoms. I’ve tried researching my slimy hair and came up with a process used on wigs called decutilization, where layers of the hairs cuticle is removed for some reason. However, I can’t find anything to do with my own hair having this problem or how to fix it. A friend suggested that my hair had lost it’s acidity, but home remedies and ion hair strippers have not helped. Please help me figure this out. I want to solve the problem so my normally soft healthy hair will return. Thanks so much.

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MicrosoftThe need to have luxurious hair is a quest that many people have and that is why the TV ads fill the airwaves with shampoos and conditioners, potions and lotions that are focused on people who do not like the texture of their hair or the dryness of it (or in your case the slimy nature of it). Hair does change texture with time and stress. It also changes if we expose it to the sun (drying it), chlorine from a swimming pool or other things. As we get older, hair clearly changes its character and its thickness and these two are absolutely related. I looked up Adipex and found references to a drug called Phentermine which is sold without a prescription. In the look-up, I also saw a link to this drug and hair loss with the Microsoft Diet on Google, and I got excited that Microsoft has found some magical cure to weight loss which I could tell my readership. Now is that getting us somewhere or isn’t it? I wonder if we can download a cure for hair loss from Microsoft if we buy into their diet (see Microsoft Diet working for many in Seattle. I hate to point out my sarcasm, but that was a joke.

There is no doubt that weight loss can cause hair loss if the weight loss is aggressive and if there is any vitamin or nutritional deficiencies associated with the weight loss process.

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Natural Food Contaminants – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Many, many times I have answered questions from this audience reflecting that ‘natural food’ or ‘natural ‘herbs’ may not be safe. From my readings I found this reference to Green Tea, a valuable suggested antioxidant with possible cancer properties. Clearly, all of these product are not created equal so this is just a warning for those of you who think that natural is always safe (let alone effective). There is never a guarantee that the products that you buy actually contain what you are buying. To get what you think, you need to be sure that these products are using ‘Good Manufacturing Processes” (GMP) and known term of art for quality manufacturing. The following piece comes from the ConsumerLab.com Newsletter:

CANCER PREVENTION SUPPLEMENTS (GREEN TEA, LYCOPENE, AND SELENIUM) JUST RELEASED — Certain foods and nutrients are associated with reduced risk of cancer. Many of these are anti-oxidants, scavenging free radicals that can otherwise damage cells. Supplements containing three popular ingredients — green tea , lycopene or selenium — were purchased and tested.

But problems were detected in three green tea products : Two were contaminated with lead and another contained only 71% of its claimed level of EGCG, a key compound in green tea. One selenium supplement contained only 38% of its ingredient .

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Transplanting the Back Hairline – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

can transplants be done in the temple areas and also in the area right above the back hairline?

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Yes, transplants can be placed in the temples. As for the “back hairline”, I am assuming that you are talking about the area just behind the frontal 1 inch of hair. If that is the case, yes, I have performed such transplants on many people filling in the forelock area for a fuller appearance. If you are referring to the crown (back top of your head), then again, yes this area can be transplanted as well. Look at the photo gallery to find out what you are looking for: Hairline photos

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I Don’t Want My Hair To Recede To Reveal My Transplant Scar – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have had 2 transplants since 2000 and have noticed that I am losing more hair at the back of the head. My concern is that the scars left from the surgery will eventually be exposed if I continue to recede. I would say that they it is 2 to 3 inches away from the first scar. Is there anything I can do to conceal the scar? Is it time for another transplant?

Thanks

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As long as the scar is in the mid region of the permanent zone, I don’t think that the scar will be revealed. That is assuming that the scar width is not excessive , though most wide scars can be managed with a corrective procedure. It’s difficult for me to even try to conclude where your recession will end since I haven’t seen photos or met with you, so you may want to get a second opinion and even a third to better determine if your scar will possibly be exposed in the future and what can be done about it.

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Propecia Stopped Working After Years – Time for Avodart? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have wrote to you before about Propecia losing it’s effectiveness for me after 6+/- years.

I have had just about every blood test done which were all in a normal range. Thyrioid is OK.
The only thing that appeared high was my Estrogen/Estradiol levels.

Last stop was an Endrocinologist who thought the level was a bit high but not horribly high.

The problem is my hair is just coming out daily. I can pull on it and get a shed. Wash it and get a shed. Nothing is slowing down the loss.

My question is, should I try Avodart since nothing else seems to be working.

I am 40 and basically a healthy guy.
But I am desperate as well.

Is it normal for all of the top to just go in such a short amount of time (6+/- months)?

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Hair loss is an ongoing process with or without using Propecia. However, hair loss may slow down or temporarily stop once on Propecia. Avodart appears to be a longer acting drug in the same class as Propecia. I am not certain if it will be better than Propecia. I need to see more data before recommending you to try it, but without the FDA’s approval, I am not willing to recommend it yet. Despite the theory behind Avodart, there is no concrete study out there to prove that this drug is better than Propecia.

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How Long Does Minoxidil Stay In My Body? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr. Rassman,
I have been taking 2% topical minoxidil since late December 2005. I have ALWAYS taken more than the recommended doses. I would estimate at first 2-3 times the amount, later on 4-5 times the amount. By mid March I noticed my sex drive was really low and and I had a harder time getting and maintaining an erection. I read online from the Mayo Clinic that too much absorption of topical minoxidil can lower sex drive and performance. I have stopped taking it for a week and sexually I’m better, but not quite normal. I also still have some heart palpitations. Could you please tell me when my body will “clear-out” the excess minoxidil?

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Some drugs are metabolized fairly quickly, while others can take a long time before they are eliminated. We quantify this with the use of the term “half-life.” The half-life of a given medication is how long it takes for the body to get rid of half of the dose. When the patient is taking a medication on a regular basis, there is an ongoing process of drug absorption in the form of each dose of the drug and, concurrently, an ongoing process of drug removal with the drug’s metabolism and clearance. Eventually, there comes a point when the amount of drug going in is the same as the amount of drug getting taken out. We call this “steady state.” It takes somewhere between 5 and 6 half-lives for a medication to reach steady state. Thus, medications with short half-lives reach steady state relatively quickly, while those with long half-lives take a long time to reach steady state. Minoxidil has a blood half-life of about 4 hours, but I can not determine how long it hangs around the kidney, heart, or other organs when it is out of the blood. Most of the good studies are on oral administration of the drug for treatment of high blood pressure and here is what I read on RxList.com: “The extent and time-course of blood pressure reduction by minoxidil do not correspond closely to its concentration in plasma. After an effective single oral dose, blood pressure usually starts to decline within one-half hour, reaches a minimum between 2 and 3 hours and recovers at an arithmetically linear rate of about 30%/day. The total duration of effect is approximately 75 hours. When minoxidil is administered chronically, once or twice a day, the time required to achieve maximum effect on blood pressure with a given daily dose is inversely related to the size of the dose. Thus, maximum effect is achieved on 10 mg/day within 7 days, on 20 mg/day within 5 days, and on 40 mg/day within 3 days.” This may be more than you asked for.

If you have heart palpitations, you should be seeing a doctor about that. This is a worrysome problem, something that is far too important than to take it to a doctor like me who advises on general questions over the internet. Minoxidil may be out of your system by now and the fact that you are getting better is good, but having a heart problem needs prompt and proper medical treatment, so get it to see a doctor ASAP.