Author: Dr. William Rassman

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Does Lisinopril Actually Cause Hair Loss?

My Dr. told me that lisinopril doesn’t cause hair loss. You say it does. It is not listed as a side effect, so are you sure it does? I freaking out cuz my hair is falling out. I am 53 years old and had all blood work done and all came back fine. I always had thick thick hair and so does everyone in my family. I am wondering is it menapausual? I have no other syptoms and my periods are still very regular. Will it grow back in or what should I do??? Im so confused because everyone tells you somthing different.

Many drugs can potentially cause hair loss. Most of the times scientists cannot find the exact mechanism of why this happens. Likewise, scientists cannot find the exact cause of hair loss either, because there are so many different factors involved.

I have three important points to make with regards to medications causing hair loss:

  1. Before identifying a drug as a possible cause of hair loss, you should find other medical causes.
  2. People take medications for a health problem. You should not stop taking a medication just because you think it may be causing hair loss. Your health should come before your hair (especially if you are not certain that the medication is causing the hair loss).
  3. Most importantly, you should follow up with your doctor for medication changes and concerns.

If you are taking Lisinopril, you likely have high blood pressure. You should NOT stop taking Lisinopril just because it has a rare side effect that you may or may not be experiencing. Stopping high blood pressure medications puts you at risk for strokes and other serious medical complications. There are other drugs that work just as well for controlling blood pressure as lisinopril. Recent studies suggested some relationship between lisinopril and lung cancer increasing its risk by 14%.

Some women who have genetic hair loss have it appear at about your age. The best way to make this diagnosis is to have your scalp mapped out for miniaturization. If you have genetic female hair loss, then there will be miniaturization over the thinning areas and miniaturization in the ‘rim’ of hair around the side and back of your head. Mapping out your scalp is the key to this diagnosis.


2020-01-15 14:09:03Does Lisinopril Actually Cause Hair Loss?

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Does it matter at what age you start losing hair?

I started noticing diffuse thinning when I was around 14 and four years later it has gotten more noticeable. I have been taking finasteride and minoxidil for 3 months and still waiting for progress. As I started thinning very early on, I’m curious to know if that affects my potential to see growth or my chances of responding. Anyone else have a similar case?

It is rare for significant balding in the form of recession and the development of a Norwood Class 3 pattern of balding or greater to be seen in a man under 18. Then, if you are on-top of it, you have a good chance at stopping the balding in its tracks.

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Does Increased Shedding with Finasteride Mean Its Effective?

gday doc,

great blog.

l’ve been on 1mg finasteride for about 9 mths and have recently noticed increased shedding (about 2-3 times more hair than usual).

lve read that finasteride causes synchronization of the hair cycle and as such this can occur and might be taken as a sign that the medication is effective.

Is this correct?

No one really knows for sure. I have heard reports from patients and readers such as yourself that starting finasteride may cause shedding. Aside from the anecdotal evidence, I have not heard or read about a scientific research on this phenomenon. I would hope that the shedding is the result of the drug and the hair going into another growth cycle rather than an acceleration of the hair loss that is due to your genetics. Time will tell the answer here as the shedding should stop and reverse by the 4th month if it is caused by a change in your hair cycle.

Nevertheless, the effectiveness of finasteride (Propecia) has been well studied and documented. Thus, it would not be a good idea to stop taking the medication if you are experiencing hair loss. The hair loss may be worse if you stop the medication as your body will play “catch up” and go back to the state as if you were never on the drug.


2007-01-29 09:13:51Does Increased Shedding with Finasteride Mean Its Effective?

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Does Having a Lot of Body Hair Cause Faster Balding?

Hello, i’m a 16 year old male sophomore. I’ve tried searching for the answer to my question, but no one seems to have a definite answer to it yet. Does having a lot of body hair cause baldness faster/cause baldness? I ask this because, while I may not be completely covered in hair (at least not yet…I hope not though) my legs are very very hairy.

My arms have more hair then most, but its not to out of control, and my chest is mostly clear of hair, theres nothing noticeable. But I won’t lie, I am scared to have body hair, I don’t particularly like it, and i’ve also noticed that men who have more body hair seem to have less head hair, I don’t know if this is just a coincidence, but nonetheless I am still concerned, even though I still have a full head of hair. I’m just not sure how the future will play out for my body. Though I can say that while my dads side has a lot of hairy men, no one in my family has ever truly gone bald before. However, I could be an unlucky exception.

Thanks for reading, and hopefully my question is answered!

Body hair and head hair do not relate to each other, as they are separately genetic coded. Men with hairy bodies can have hairy heads with or without balding on the scalp. If you think that you are losing hair, then visit a good hair doctor who will determine if you are losing hair on your head or not.

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Does MPB occur in waves?

Yes, hair loss can come in waves separated by months at times or even years. It can be impacted by your stress and your genetic code


2020-04-19 09:34:16Does MPB occur in waves?

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Does Miniaturization Guarantee Balding?

I know you’ve discussed miniaturization mapping as the best way to predict someone’s future balding pattern. If someone shows mild miniaturization, does this guarantee the area will eventually be bald, or is it possible the person may never completely lose their hair in a miniaturized region?

Thanks!

Hair loss can not be predicted with 100% accuracy. We use miniaturization mapping as one tool to monitor the progression of hair loss, which allows us to give an educated understanding and prognosis for our patients.

Miniaturization does not guarantee balding.


2012-05-09 13:18:18Does Miniaturization Guarantee Balding?

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Does It Matter Where Rogaine is Applied on the Scalp?

When applying rogaine, does it matter where you apply it on the scalp for it to work? Doesnt it get absorbed in the blood vessels and spreads out throught out your scalp?

For example if you apply it on the top wouldnt it work for the front as well, or does it have to be applied on the exact area of hairloss? Thanks

I would follow the instructions including in the packaging. The basic idea is that you apply Rogaine (minoxidil) where you want hair to grow, twice daily. If you apply it on the top, it wouldn’t really do much for the front.

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Does Long Hair Shed More?

I grew out my hair a while ago and noticed way more hairs falling out in the shower and kinda freaked out too. It turned out that I was just noticing it more because it was longer 99% sure the answer is no, but wanted to ask just in case. I’ve been on finasteride for almost 10 years now and it’s worked really well, but around a month ago I decided to grow our my hair a little (it’s still pretty short, just longer than before) and I’ve noticed considerably more shedding when washing my hair, on the pillow etc. Is it just coincidence? Am I just noticing it more because it’s longer? Did anyone else experience actually more shedding with longer hair?

When hair is miniaturized, long miniaturized hairs are easier to pull out if you brush or comb roughly.

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Does minoxidil only work on the crown as the brochure seems to suggest?

Minoxidil works almost any place you put it and sometimes where you don’t put it as women who use it on their hair find that they may develop increased facial hair. The FDA approved it for the crown and that is why it says that in the insert.


2019-11-06 15:03:18Does minoxidil only work on the crown as the brochure seems to suggest?