I have been diagnoses with Keratosis pilaris, can I still have a hair transplant?

Yes, Keratosis Pilaris is a benign condition and it is harmless. Some people describe these bumps as ‘goosebumps’. If it produces itchiness and dryness it can be treated with lotions and lanolin. If the appearance of these bumps bothers you, soften your skin with lotions. Treatment can ease the symptoms and help you see clearer skin and have less itch. This is not a contraindication for hair transplants

How do you know that Finasteride reverses miniaturization?

How do you know this? Any evidence you can provide? Anecdotally on Reddit and hair forums – you read hundreds of posts of people “sprouting new mini hairs” (ie at the hairline), after starting finasteride, minoxidil, and more recently – dermarolling. These hairs may not necessarily be fully miniaturized – but they certainly are thinner than other terminal hairs.

I have seen patients with significant miniaturization placed on finasteride and then upon re-examining them, I saw less miniaturization as hair seem to become thicker in the same areas I examined.

Kevis Reps Told Me There was a 90%+ Success Rate, But I’m Still Losing Hair!

Hi Doc!

I have been losing my hair for about 4 years now. I have used a number of products already including Avacore, Rogaine and most recently Kevis. I have been using Kevis now for about 6 months with no results. I have been losing more hair then I have ever lost on the other products though the people at Kevis had told me that I would not lose any hair and that the success rate is over 90%. They also said that I will see results within 2-3 months and when I told them that I dont see anything they said that I will have to wait 6-9 months before seeing any results and that I will have to double the dose. I am now completely bald at the sides- in the front and the middle is thinning terribly. I really want to stop using Kevis but I’d like to know if there is anything you recommend doing as an alternative hair loss program.

Thank you so much for your help.

What you are telling me is that you believed what you were told by salesmen who profited by giving you advice. Bad advice that ended up putting more money in their pockets. That is a shame. The ingredient in Kevis that the company promotes as HUCP is hyaluronan (hyaluronic acid), which is a supplement commonly used to treat joint pain — not hair loss. That is just one of a handful of ingredients listed, including water, alcohol, sorbic acid (a food preservative), and biotin (which is also known as vitamin B7). Although the product packaging and website certainly look slick, there is no science here. I can’t even find any before / after photos on their website, which should tell you something about the product right off the bat. All I see there are stock photos of happy people with full heads of hair.

Although I don’t know your age, I’m going to assume you are in your early to mid 20s. You should have seen a doctor and instead of wasting your money and the precious hair that you may have lost forever because of the delays, you should have been put on Propecia (finasteride 1mg). Propecia is the only oral FDA approved treatment for hair loss and it would’ve almost certainly halted the loss a 20 year old (again, just guessing on your age). It’s still not too late to do it right, so see a good doctor (dermatologist or hair transplant surgeon who is ethical) and get on the track to the correct treatment. The other treatments you mentioned (Avacor and Rogaine) are minoxidil, which apparently does not work on you.


2008-07-21 10:15:55Kevis Reps Told Me There was a 90%+ Success Rate, But I’m Still Losing Hair!

Kidney Disorder, Propecia and Rogaine?

Hi Doc
Can a person with Kidney disorder take Propecia or can he apply Rogaine.

Thanks

Finasteride (Propecia) is metabolized in the liver so the presence of kidney disease is usually not a problem for taking this medication. For liver disease, finasteride could be a problem and you must check that out with your doctor.

In the case of minoxidil, the presence of kidney disease will cause more retention of the drug in your body, so there could be a greater impact if you take regular doses of minoxidil as the blood levels may rise.


2010-04-20 12:17:33Kidney Disorder, Propecia and Rogaine?

Kimchi may help grow hair, according to the paper below

Do Kimchi and Cheonggukjang Probiotics as a Functional Food Improve Androgenetic Alopecia? A Clinical Pilot Study.

PURPOSE: Probiotic supplementation demonstrates beneficial effects on serum lipid profiles. We hypothesized that probiotics could benefit patients presenting with alopecia, secondary to improved blood flow to the scalp.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our study included men with stage II to V patterns of hair loss based on the Hamilton-Norwood classification and women with stage I to III patterns of hair loss based on the Ludwig classification. All patients were administered 80 mL of Mogut® (a kimchi and cheonggukjang probiotic product) twice a day. Hair growth and numbers were measured using the Triple Scope System® (KC Technology, Korea) at baseline and after 1 and 4 months of administration of a kimchi and cheonggukjang probiotic product.

RESULTS: At baseline, the mean hair count was 85.98±20.54 hairs/cm² and the mean thickness was 0.062±0.011 mm in all patients (n=46). Hair count and thickness had significantly increased at 1 month (90.28±16.13 hairs/cm² and 0.068±0.008 mm, respectively) and at 4 months (91.54±16.29 hairs/cm² and 0.066±0.009 mm, respectively). In this study, we found that a kimchi and cheonggukjang probiotic product could promote hair growth and reverse hair loss without associated adverse effects such as diarrhea.

CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that the observed improvements in hair count and thickness resulted from initiation of the anagen phase in hair follicles in response to probiotics.


2021-01-04 14:46:41Kimchi may help grow hair, according to the paper below

Kidney Stones and Hair Loss

hello doctor,
i’m a 27 yrs old Sri Lankan woman and have always had thin, fine and flyaway hair (no bald spots). In 2005, I went to Canada for a project and stayed there for a year. During this time, my hair fall was alarming. I came back to my home country in early 2006 and eventually learned that I had kidney stones, which could have been the reason for my hair loss. But that was a year back, and in the past 6 months I have become bald near the crown. I have been to so many dermatologist, but none are able to pinpoint a definite cause for my problem. One says it is telogen effluem, another says it’s just chronic dandruff, and an ayurvedic practitioner told me that it could be bcos of aggravated sinusitis. I am simply lost. Everyday I lost about 100 hairs. Please help… what should I do now?

You need to be examined by an expert. I would doubt dandruff, kidney stones, or sinusitis as a cause. Sounds like you have a problem that under good medical care, a diagnosis can be understood.


2007-03-15 14:18:32Kidney Stones and Hair Loss

L-Arginine Increases Growth Hormone — Is That Going to Mean Hair Loss?

I’ve seen all of the questions about l-arginine, and I even asked one before, but I was only referred to another answer which didn’t answer my particular question. I’ve heard that l-arginine increases growth hormone. This doesn’t sound too good. Does an increase in growth hormone mean hair loss is a possible result?

Thanks. I appreciate it.

There are reports that L-arginine increases growth hormone secretion, but it is unproven. Throughout the internet, L-arginine is a suggested treatment for hair loss by promoting hair growth, but if this is true and it does increase growth hormone, I would worry about growth hormone induced hair loss. These two statements appear contradictory, but it does reflect complex interactions that are presented throughout the internet.

For more, see: