Author: Dr. William Rassman

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Did Writer Dean Koontz Have a Hair Transplant?

Hello Dr. Rassman! I am a big fan of horror writer Dean Koonz. According to his biography, he had a hair transplant because he was “tired of looking like G. Gordon Liddy.” His “before” picture is here and his “after” picture is here

I don’t know, I’m having trouble believing that those results are from a hair transplant. I’m thinking hairpiece but I thought I’d get an expert’s opinion. I see his picture on the book jacket every day and I can’t help but wonder!

Based on the photos you sent (which I’ve cropped and shown at right), author Dean Koontz’s hairstyle sure is shaped like a bad hairpiece… but that reflects personal taste and maybe it does the trick for him. I don’t know any details about his procedure so I couldn’t really guess as to what is actually going on there. Former Illinois state governor Rod Blagojevich has a similar look and I do not believe that he has a hairpiece.

In the years that I have been involved in hair treatment, I have seen everything imaginable with regard to what the consumer wants his look to be like. It is not unusual for balding men to have facial hair and when many of them get their hair back, the facial hair goes away. With regard to hair pieces, almost nothing shocks me anymore!


2009-06-09 14:12:09Did Writer Dean Koontz Have a Hair Transplant?

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Did You Know That Alcoholics Die 7 Years Earlier

“Alcohol-dependent patients in general hospitals live significantly shorter than patients without alcohol dependency. According to a German-British study published in “European Psychiatry”, they die 7.6 years earlier on average. In addition, they suffer from several concomitant diseases.

alcohol

We often get question on if alcohol can cause hair loss. While alcoholism do not cause balding, it seems it causes an earlier death.
This was the result of analyzing 23,371 patients over 1.5 years with know alcohol dependency along with 233,710 patients without alcohol dependency. This, they said, can be reversed with appropriate treatment and cessation of the problem.

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Diet and healthy hair (from webMD)

Diet and Healthy Hair

Medically Reviewed by Stephanie S. Gardner, MD on November 12, 2020

A healthy diet can help your hair stay strong and shiny. What you eat can also keep you from losing your locks. If you’re not getting certain nutrients from food, you might see the effects in your hair.Essential fatty acids, especially omega-3s, play a key role in the health of your skin, hair, and nails. You should eat some of these foods, which are rich in omega-3, every day:

  • Salmon, tuna, mackerel, and other fatty fish
  • Flaxseed oil, Flaxseeds, chia seeds, canola oil
  • Walnuts
  • Soy beans, tofu and cruciferous fruits and vegetables

Vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid are also important to your hair. Vegetarians and vegans often don’t get enough of them.

Foods with B6 include bananas, potatoes (both white and sweet), and spinach. Major sources of B12 include meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products.

You can get folic acid with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits and tomatoes. Whole-grain and fortified-grain products, beans, and lentils also have it.

Protein is also critical for keeping your hair healthy, but many people don’t get enough. Lean meats like fish and chicken, eggs, and soy products are good sources. Eat one serving every day.Because trace minerals like iron, magnesium, zinc, and biotin also affect hair, it’s a good idea to take a daily multivitamin.The right foods can be really good for your ‘do, but hair loss has many causes. Sometimes, genetic factors like male or female pattern baldness can play a role. Thyroid disease, anemia, autoimmune diseases, and hormone issues may also cause changes or loss of hair.
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What is the difference between a biopsy and a HAIRCHECK test?

A hair biopsy or rather a scalp biopsy takes a small piece of your scalp out with a knife or punch, and sends it off to pathology to view it under a high powered microscope after it has been prepared and stained. A HAIRCHECK instrument tests for the thickness of the hair in a defined area of the scalp. As this can be compared area by area, the differences always reflects loss of hair bulk or hair mass. The HAIRCHECK test is non-invasive while the biopsy is invasive

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Did You Meet Dr Gho?

Doctor,
A few months back you had mentioned an upcoming trip to Europe. You also said that you planned to meet with Gho to discuss his technique or whatever. I am just following up to see if the visit ever materialized? Many people would appreciate a blog update on that situation. ALSO- many people would like you to be the first doctor to offer HST in the United States!

thanks for your time,
anonymous baldy

When I said “on my next trip to Amsterdam” I didn’t mean that I was planning on going there right away.

I was hoping to talk to Dr. Gho at the recent ISHRS meeting in Alaska, but he didn’t attend so we did not have an opportunity to meet to discuss what he was doing.

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Difference Between Shampoos?

What kind of shampoo would you recommend and product to use. I use gillette and softee indian hemp hair & scalp treatment. But it doesn’t seem it’s helping at all. I looked on the internet found that Nisim can help keep your hair natural. What do you think?

It does not make a real difference. In my book, Hair Loss and Replacement for Dummies, I discuss the ingredients of various shampoos in detail. There are many good shampoos, but none of them will prevent hair loss. If a company makes that claim, they will be violating the FDA guidelines which define what can and can not be said. If they make false statements that can not be proven with appropriate FDA scientific studies, then their business will be shut down. But just because there are rules, it does not mean that companies will not misrepresent themselves.


2009-12-01 10:29:53Difference Between Shampoos?

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Diet Causing Receding Hairline in Woman?

Several years ago from a stressful situation, my hair started receding. I then found out that I am hypothyroid. Over the years it stabilized, but recently due to severe dieting, it started receding some more. What can I do to stop the recession and what can I do to have some of the hair regrow? Thank you.

You provided the answer to your own question. The recent weight loss may have precipitated the hair loss you reported and you will certainly need a proper diet with a positive protein balance before the hair loss can be reversed (assuming that the weight loss is responsible). Radical diet alterations to get a jump on weight loss is something that is common in our overweight society and weight loss of just a few pounds can cause of hair loss. You can imagine where the genetic process exists, extreme dieting can accelerate what may take years to unfold on its own. Some authorities believe that short term loss, by as little as 4-8 pound, can precipitate hair loss in men or women.

You will also need to be sure that your thyroid and other endocrine organs are functioning normally, including hormonal balance in the various female hormones. Although you didn’t specifically say if you were a man or a woman, judging by the name you gave, I’m going to assume you’re female.

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Difference Between Androgenetic Alopecia and Female Baldness?

What is the difference between androgenetic alopecia and female baldness???

Androgenic alopecia is due to androgenic hormones, such as dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Male baldness is predominantly caused by androgenic alopecia and drugs such as finasteride (which block DHT) can help. Drugs like finasteride do not usually help women, because the androgens in a woman are often not responsible for the hair loss. It is worth noting that we all have DHT, and it is just that some men are genetically susceptible to DHT and its affect on hair.

Androgenic alopecia has a distinctive balding pattern, as classified by the Norwood Chart:

Norwood Chart

 

Female alopecia also has a distinctive balding pattern, as classified by the Ludwig Scale:

 

While a minority of females have balding caused by androgenic alopecia, the cause of the majority of female balding is not yet clearly understood. As such, there is no clear medical treatment for the majority of female balding. At best, doctors try to rule out other causes of balding by searching for common medical conditions that may cause balding as its symptoms. This also applies to men when they do not have male pattern baldness. These medical conditions include anemia, thyroid conditions, and many more. What is more frustrating is that even when a medical condition that may contribute to the hair loss is found and corrected hair loss does not completely reverse and patients continue to lose their hair. This suggests that female hair loss is genetic (just as male hair loss is genetic).


2008-08-29 11:26:32Difference Between Androgenetic Alopecia and Female Baldness?

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Diffuse Hairloss and Sebum Plugs

I’ve have consistent diffuse hairloss universally around my head for about a year and a half, to the point where I believe I’ve lost about 60-70% of my hair. Many of the hairs that fall have large white plugs attached to them (see pictures), which I believe may be sebum.

Is this in fact sebum? Can these plugs cause diffuse hairloss? Any idea what may cause them or what might treat them? So far, I’ve tried zinc, ketoconazole, salicylic acid, coal tar, and other “sebum reducing” shampoos. I have also been on propecia for 6 months, but with no noticeable reduction in the pace of my loss.

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Sebum is a waxy substance from the production of oil from your sebaceous glands. It can be seen on ends of hair follicles that fall out but this does not mean you have a hair loss condition or disease process (because of the sebum). There are products that claim better control of sebum and Internet posts that claim the sebum is the cause of hair loss. It generally makes for great marketing campaign to sell a product to those who are looking for a hair loss cure. Sebum does not cause hair loss, if it did, the many men and women on skid-row would be balding as they often do not shampoo their hair and reduce their sebum buildup. If you are experiencing diffuse hair loss, I doubt sebum is the root cause (no pun intended). You need to see a doctor for your hair loss condition to establish a good diagnosis.

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Diffuse Alopecia Areata vs Telogen Effluvium

Hi doc,
How do you tell the difference between Telogen Effluvium and Diffuse Alopecia Areata?

Diffuse alopecia areata can look very similar to telogen effluvium. The only way to tell these two diagnosis apart is by performing a series of biopsies of the scalp. Alopecia areata can be diagnosed histologically.


2009-02-12 15:13:49Diffuse Alopecia Areata vs Telogen Effluvium