Author: Dr. William Rassman

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Does Diffuse Loss Eventually Stop?

Hi. I wonder if diffuse thinning stops or if you’re losing it diffusely, are you’re sure to end up a NW 5/6? I mean some people’s hair loss stabilize at one certain point like NW3 (like my dad who’s been a NW3 for about 20 years). But if you’re a diffuser, does the same thing happen?

Thanks.

You need to be examined by someone with competence in genetic hair loss and who can predict the hair loss based upon miniaturization and bulk analysis. Without an examination, I couldn’t say one way or the other if your diffuse loss would cause you to finalize to a Norwood 5 or 6 pattern.


2011-12-08 17:01:20Does Diffuse Loss Eventually Stop?

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Does being poor mean I can’t get good hair treatments?

Just say that a cure was found, I am 100000000% sure that you’ll be only able to get it done in a professional environment (like PRP), also unless its patent drops it’ll be ridiculiously expensive (I think at least 300 bucks a month at best). Richer people will be cured, having hair will be a financial statement. Us, the middle class-lower class balders will be received even worse by the population.

AS PRP doesn’t work predictably, you are not losing out. Microneedling with minoxidil works as good if not better than PRP and it is far less expensive, see here: https://baldingblog.com/go-looking-prp-used-hair-transplant-good-thing/


2021-05-25 11:31:32Does being poor mean I can’t get good hair treatments?

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Does Better Blood Flow on Side of the Scalp that I Sleep On Lead to Thicker Hair on that Side?

After 4700 FUs one side of head is clearly thicker then the other.

Hi Doctors,

I’m curious to see if you’ve heard of this before. I had two hair transplant sessions totalling 4700 FUs in the past 2 and 1/2 years. I’ve been noticing that the hair on the right side of my head are much thicker than the ones on my left. Someone said that it is because much more blood flows to my right side, since that’s the side I sleep on. I thought this was foolish, but I’ll try anything to get the left side as thick as the right. So I started to sleep on my left side and I’m hoping this will help. Do you think it is because more hairs ont the left side are going into the rest cycle? Any suggestions?

Thank you.

I do not believe that there is any difference with respect to sleeping on one side versus the other. What I do know is that in a hair transplant, the right side often grows more hair than the left. This is related to the teams of people placing the grafts — right handed people place more efficiently on the right side of the head and the left side is often a slower process. Most technicians are right handed and prefer to work on the right side. This is an important element in the quality control of the doctor’s team.


2007-09-19 13:34:53Does Better Blood Flow on Side of the Scalp that I Sleep On Lead to Thicker Hair on that Side?

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Does Cutting a Month of Proscar Really Lose Effectiveness?

Does cutting Proscar a month’s in advance really reduce its effectiveness?

Cutting a month of Proscar pills (5mg finasteride) in advance could reduce the effectiveness like any pill would if exposed to air and humidity for a prolonged period of time. I don’t know what the exact point is that the medication starts to degrade, but that’s why I suggest splitting one pill at a time. The protective coating on the outside is what extends the life of the medication, and a cut pill obviously loses some of that.


2010-10-05 08:51:18Does Cutting a Month of Proscar Really Lose Effectiveness?

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Does Couvre Cause Hair Loss?

Hi Dr. Rassman
Great site…thanks for helping out so many concerned men and women. I am a 42 year old male, with Norwood class III hair loss. I had 2 hair transplants about 10 years ago at the temples, and was happy with the results(they have taken me back to a norwood class I or II look). Now my hair is thinning more in the centre. I use a scalp covering paste (couvre) applied with a sponge, that does a great job of helping to cover the thinning area…but I am wondering if using this will cause my hair to fall out even more? Also, I read that most men slow down or stop their hair loss in their mid 40’s..my hair loss is starting to pick up again over the last year. Can I use products like minoxidil with products that colour the scalp?
Thanks for your help.

CouvreI highly doubt Couvre causes hair loss. You can use minoxidil with scalp coloring agents. For more on Couvre, see their site here.

I suspect you are losing hair due to general male pattern hair loss as it is a progressive process (something we do not like to admit). Hair loss should slow down as we age, but it still happens in men at all ages. There is no rule or exception if it is happening to you. You may consider seeing a doctor for a good diagnosis and you may be a good candidate for finasteride (Propecia/Proscar).


2007-08-31 13:33:50Does Couvre Cause Hair Loss?

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Does Dr Rassman Only Endorse Big Pharma?

Dr. Rassman,

Strictly for the sake of playing devil’s advocate with you here —

When you imply that products offered by non-“Big Pharma” companies are likely bogus or that you don’t buy into their efficacy because the only proof of their viability is based on their own self-promotion basically (i.e. your posts about Drs. Lee or Proctor or even laser product makers), isn’t that slightly hypocritical? I mean, your career and business is of course enhanced by people foregoing these alternate methods, so shouldn’t people just as much suspect an ulterior motive on your part?

I understand your usual answer that, without personally seeing the research, you cannot recommend one way or another on something. But frankly, were you physically present for the Big Pharma trials on minox or finasteride? I’m assuming not. Going a step further then, I assume you base your support for those “proven” products on the basis that you read their documentation — so how much documentation is necessary for you to believe a product is in fact what is says? Some of those non-Big Pharma products people have written in about have “some” documentation, though certainly not to the extent of the FDA mandated trials I’m sure. Where do you (or do you at all) draw the line?

Or is your ultimate argument that, “If [said product] were that good, a Big Pharma company would have picked it up?”

Thanks for your time, love your site (though I had to plead ignorance to my girlfriend when I recognized you on her favorite show “Jon and Kate Plus 8”, haha), your replies on these sort of issues just sometimes irk me — aspirin was discovered by a non-Big Pharma guy, after all.

Oh boy. I never said I needed to be there during the research study of a product to know it was true or not. No, I wasn’t physically present at the trials of the finasteride or minoxidil, but those medications are proven to work and FDA approved. The problem with many of the products I’m asked about is that they come out of nowhere — old wives’ tales, myths, etc. Most of them offer testimonials or mentions of a study, but offer zero evidence that the study was even conducted or if it was even valid. People write to me at this site every single day asking for solutions to their hair loss. Should I tell them to just go ahead and potentially waste their time and money on an unproven product while they lose more hair that they can’t get back… or should I let them know about medications that are proven to be effective?

I have no bias to solutions produced by the large pharmaceutical companies. I look at everything that is offered in this field by the evidence that is produced for me to review. I have, for example, evaluated the hair laser and found that the actual research was inadequate to recommend that patients use the laser for hair growth. I even took it one step further and acquired a large laser system and tried it for 12 months at my cost for as many patients as I could find willing to be studied (for free). The results were clear that the Low Laser Light Therapy (LLLT) had no value to those patients that were studied by me. If I would have found otherwise, I could recommend this treatment and charge for its use (making money), but I can not do that if I am not convinced that it will work. I learned from the days I was a boy scout that “honesty is the best policy”, and I guess I am an old-fashioned clinical scientist.


2009-12-08 10:02:56Does Dr Rassman Only Endorse Big Pharma?

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Does Dr. Rassman Still Take Propecia?

Hi Doctor Rassman. Thanks for this very informative blog. My question is: Do you personally take propecia? and if so, for how long? Be honest about it lol

Although I’ve written in older blog entries that I took the medication, I actually do not take Propecia at this time. I used it for years starting when it first came out, but at my age I did not think I had progressing hair loss and eventually realized that the drug would not be too valuable to me. I know I’ve said that you run the risk of “catch-up” hair loss when stopping Propecia, but I did not believe that I benefited from the drug and the decision appeared to be correct when I did not lose hair after stopping it. I had no libido problems on the medication, though.

One of my sons takes Propecia daily and it clearly stopped his frontal hair loss, and in fact, he was the exception to the rule as it did regrow some frontal hair in the area that was heavily miniaturized. Frontal regrowth isn’t a common occurrence in most patients.


2010-03-23 10:11:39Does Dr. Rassman Still Take Propecia?

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Does DHT Type I Cause Hair Loss?

Finasteride lowers type II DHT while Avodart lowers both type I and II. Does the amount of type I DHT have any effect on hair or it is only type II that may cause hair loss?

Thanks.

We answered this years back here. Short answer — it’s been proven that type II is linked to MPB, but type I hasn’t been linked.

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Does Drinking Alcohol Contribute to Hair Loss?

Hi Dr. Rassman,

I am a 26 y/o male in the early stages of genetic hair loss. I have a quick question for you. Does the consumption of alcoholic beverages (whether it be beer or liquor)contribute to hair loss if you have genetic balding? Also does smoking cigarettes cause hair loss if you have genetic balding? Do they have a synergistic effect if used together? I notice that everytime after a night of drinking and smoking (I only smoke when I drink), more hair tends to fall out the next day. I looked through your past postings but did not see anything relative to this topic.

Also, are there any hair transplant doctors that you could recommend in the DC/MD area or the NY area?

I appreciate your help Dr. Rassman, I read your blog everyday!

With people who drink excessively, diet and vitamin deficiency commonly becomes a cause for hair loss. After heavy drinking, there are stress reactions that can precipitate hair loss. The more of these bouts of drinking, the greater the stress on your body. Drinking does impact the liver and the liver is a critical organ in managing hormones in your body’s metabolism. As for smoking, please see previous posts regarding that.

Dr. Robert Bernstein has offices in New York and New Jersey and is a great hair transplant doctor.


2006-10-18 13:53:41Does Drinking Alcohol Contribute to Hair Loss?