Author: Dr. William Rassman

Posted on

I Lose Spots of Hair That Regrow White Before Changing to My Normal Color

Hi doc

Im 51 and for many yrs now, i some times lose my hair. its always in a circle, in different spots on my head. Now it always grows back in white at 1st then it changes back to my normal color..why does it do this ????

You may have a condition called alopecia areata, as the stigmata of this type of hair loss is (as you describe) in circular patches that eventually regrow over time. I haven’t heard of the changing of hair color, though. Follow up with a doctor for a diagnosis, as I am taking a wild guess here.

In any case, the diagnosis of this disease is by biopsy of the area around the lesion. If it does happen to be alopecia areata, you can find more info here — National Alopecia Areata Foundation.

Posted on

I Look Haggard After 8 Months of Minoxidil Use

I also have had the red eyes and face having a haggard appearance attributed to after 8 months of minoxidil use, please post this on the front page of the site so other guys dont go through this! besides propecia works better and rogaine is not effective anyways

I don’t know what you looked like before or after, so we’ll have to take your word for it that you look haggard now. I can’t say for sure if minoxidil did this to you — did you start drinking? Missing sleep? Stressed at work? Honestly, these are important questions (as are many other things that can be asked) to get to the root of the problem, but since you’ve clearly made up your mind on the cause, you should stop the minoxidil.


2008-10-19 10:22:00I Look Haggard After 8 Months of Minoxidil Use

Posted on

I keep shedding and now I am losing my eyebrows, what do you suggest?

During this shed i lost a lot of my eyebrow hairs i could pull out three to five at some times then one or two at others is this a sign that what i had was likely TE?

You need to be examined by a doctor as there are known conditions that cause what you are talking about


2020-10-05 11:54:34I keep shedding and now I am losing my eyebrows, what do you suggest?

Posted on

I Live in a Country Without Doctors that Map the Scalp

Hello Doctor,
you have told many times in your lovely blog that we have to go for a miniaturization mapping to see whether we are progressively losing hair or not, but the problem is that I currently live in a country that Hair transplant Doctors do not do that, and I am considering a hair transplantation. I’ve been taking propecia 4 months ago.

my question: is there any home based way for us to be able to measure it ourselves, for example should we look for something special, or any device being used for other purposes that can be used for this purpose too.
thanks alot.

We actually wrote a 3 part series about this a little while ago. The microscope reference has since been discontinued (they have a newer model), but any video microscope should do the trick. You can do it yourself. Here’s part 1 (links to the other parts are on that page).

Alternatively, you can send photographs to the address on the Contact page and we can speak over the phone. For the frontal view, always lift your eyebrows so the forehead wrinkles. That will tell me much about what you lost and what you will need.

Posted on

I keep touching my new grafts

It has been 5-6 weeks now since my hair transplant, no shedding so far. Also started taking fin 1 week after the HT. I can not stop touching my scalp and the new hair. I hope it does not ruin the transplant in some way but I am just super happy. Also since the HT I have a lot dandruff is this normal?

What you are calling dandruff, could be scales from the hair transplant. Touching or scratching your recipient site grafts increases the risk of folliculitis. If you feel you must touch it, wash your hands and touch it with the palm of your hand.

Posted on

I Lose Hair In The Shower, But My Friends Say They Don’t

Dear Dr. Rassman,
Im 17 an i have been noticing when i shampoo im losing quite a bit of strands, i know its common to loss up to 100 strands but i ask my friends if they lose any strands of hair in the shower an they all say no. Also none of my family members have ever gone bald, so does this mean that i can or cant go bald?

You are correct in that 100 (and even as many as 200) hairs a day and is normal to lose. Hair grows in cycles, so sometimes you may notice more hair loss. If your hair loss is within that range, I wouldn’t be worried. Your hair may be in a cycle where it is in its shedding phase, but when we go into a hair loss cycle associated with genetic hair loss, the loss in the shower may be higher. The best way to judge is to:

  1. compare what you are seeing to what you had been seeing in the past
  2. see a good doctor who will map our your scalp for miniaturization looking for the findings that are always present in genetic hair loss

Hair loss in your genetics can skip generations, so even if you do not see it in your immediate family, it does not necessarily mean that nobody in your family has experienced balding to some degree. And chances are that your friends do lose hair in the shower and it goes down the drain. I couldn’t tell you for sure though — I do not shower with your friends.


2006-05-08 08:50:01I Lose Hair In The Shower, But My Friends Say They Don’t

Posted on

I Lost My Hair After Crash Diet

During period of two months October – December 2014 I lost 35 pounds, cca 15% of my total weight. I ate mainly vegetables, basically it was starvation and gym. At end of december noticed diffuse hair loss. Immediately normallized my eating pattern, went to dermatologist. Dermatologist ask for hair loss genetics and looked thru microscope. No signs of miniutarization, no vellus hairs and my hair genetics is perfect, no balding in my familly, I am 39 years old. 5 months after, there is no significant hair regrowth, and no further hair loss. What to expect, what will be real time frame for possible hair recovery? After hair loss I lost good amount of chest hair, could easily pull 70-80% of picked chest hairs, now it is ok..

Starvation like a crash diet and extreme work outs do not sound very healthy. It isn’t such a surprise you suffered some unintended consequence such as loss of your hair. I can’t tell you if your hair will grow back. Only time will tell.

Posted on

I Lost My Job, I’m Stressed, and Need a Hair Doctor!

hello, I have been under stress. Lost my job and trying to make ends meet. I dont know where to go to ask someone if im going bald and since I lost my job no insurance. I feel like the hair in my growth pattern (top of my head crown area) is getting rugged and coarse. Very wirey for lack of a better word..

I wear a hat but not tight just getting really nervous… Please just tell me a quick something!!

Sorry to hear about losing your job and the stress that goes with it. There’s not much I can tell you about your hair loss though, because there’s not enough info available to me to give much help. It’s almost like calling an auto mechanic and saying, “My car is having problems. How much would it cost to fix it?”

In the great majority of men, hair loss is caused by genetics. Stress can exacerbate that loss. The textural change in your hair could be the hairs miniaturizing, but I don’t know what you’re feeling and I’ve not examined your scalp myself. The hat you’re wearing isn’t the cause… I know that much.

If you’re concerned about your hair, see a doctor. If there’s no free clinic in your area, try a hair transplant doctor that offers a free consultation (they’ll know hair loss). Check ISHRS.org for a hair doc in your area, but please note that not all doctors offer free consultations, so be sure to ask when setting up your appointment.


2010-09-24 12:41:35I Lost My Job, I’m Stressed, and Need a Hair Doctor!

Posted on

I Lost Hair After Gastric Bypass — How Can I Get It Back?

I had the gastric bypass surgery in January 2007 and I understand that my hair loss is due to the surgery and I need to continue my vitamins. My question is will i ever get my hair back?

Digestive systemGastric bypass is a surgically produced malnutrition that generally includes all components of the food. The vitamins, minerals, and proteins are generally substituted by post-surgical diets. It may take several months until you get your hair back.

The combination of the stress of surgery and micro-nutrient malnutrition are known to be pushing hair into telogen phase and if you have any genetic balding you may have pushed yourself (through the stress of the surgery) into the beginning of genetic hair loss. Just wait and make sure you are on top of your vitamins and high protein diet that is generally recommended after gastric bypass.

Posted on

I may have hair loss in my Donor Area? (photo)

I’ve been following my hairloss for over a year, I first though my hairline was receding. But my hairline itself has stayed in a similar position for over a year. But I’ve been shedding alot over the past few months. In August I hopped on fin. I didn’t know if it was MPB (Diffuse Thinning) or Telogen Effluvium, but I’ve been treating it as MPB incase it is. So I’ve been using fin (1.25mg) everyday and Nizoral weekly. No side effects btw.

I feel like my shedding has slowed, if it was TE, it would be slowing around this time too, but I don’t know if it placebo. But I’m losing hair on the side of my head too, if it was MPB I shouldn’t be losing hair here right?

When I got my prescription for fin, both my derma’s said I wasn’t losing hair (it looked decent then, now my hair loss is more visible). I will go back and ask them again, but wasn’t possibilities of what is causing this, since I had to suggest fin myself.

You should get miniaturization analysis of your donor area (see: https://baldingblog.com/do-i-have-dupa-diffuse-unpatterned-alopecia-photo/ ). You can get this by purchasing this instrument and sending me photos: https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-LCD-Handheld-Digital-Microscope/dp/B004IANQNQ/ref=sr_1_14?keywords=celestron+microscope+camera&qid=1570126460&s=gateway&sr=8-14


2020-11-03 08:49:09I may have hair loss in my Donor Area? (photo)