Author: Dr. William Rassman

I have a problem where if I run my hand through my head a good amount of hair falls out.. Fortunately I am not going bald but this has been going on for a while… I am 25 years old and getting scattered grays but what is the explanation for this? Note: the hair falling out is never gray.

It is normal to lose about 100 hairs a day. It has nothing to do with the color of the hair. If you are concerned about balding, you should have your hair mapped for miniaturization to see if there is a pattern to the hair loss or hair thinning. Grey hair is not protected from balding.

I started Minox around 2 weeks ago, putting up to 1ml of 5% generic liquid once per day on my scalp. Today, I experienced heart sides (chest pain, tightness in the chest, rapid heartbeat) for the first time after a few days of increased libido and headache.

An incident this afternoon, which I believe might have been a panic attack coupled with dizzyness, led me to look up ‘minoxidil panic attack’ on the internet.

The lower 2% minoxidil has less side effects when used topically, and works well with once a day applications. Yes, there are side effects for everything. You could get in a car accident, but will you stop driving if you have to drive?

Hi DR Rassman. Thank you for providing this very informative blog.

I’ve wondering about this and trying to find the answer on the internet for ages – sometimes when I rub my head in the morning I see some slightly thinner hair than my normal healthy looking ones. I went to the derm and did a miniaturisation test and had less than 10% miniaturisation. The derm said I am not balding, however when I see these slightly thinner hairs I get worried…

So I guess my question is do these slightly thinner hairs (intermediate?) grow on a non balding scalp? They grow just as long as my normal hair and are same thickness throughout the strand.

Thank you

If you have less than 10% miniaturization and your dermatologist told you that you are not balding, I would stop worrying. Non-balding people shed about 100 to even 200 hairs a day. Perhaps you’re seeing hairs going through various growth cycles?

If there is any doubt, then have a bulk measurement of your hair done, which will show beyond any doubt if you are thinning or balding. If you have miniaturized hairs, those hairs will not grow at the rate or to the length of normal, non-miniaturized hairs.

Hello, I am very curious about the hair loss I have been experiencing. I’m 22 years old with no family history of male pattern baldness. Over the last 4 months my hair has been falling out at an alarming rate. You can now see my scalp through my hair. It is not at the rear of my head like most men, but all over the top of my head. I also have swollen glands on the inside of my jaws, however, I have no idea if that means anything. Do you think it could be male pattern baldness, or am I dealing with something else. Thanks for your time.

This appears to be two separate problems. The swollen jaw and swollen glands need medical attention. If you are balding, then it is best to see an expert on that as well. Male pattern baldness might be something you’re experiencing, but the swollen glands are unrelated.

These crusts should be allowed to shed with shampoo regularly, leaving the shampoo on the scalp for 10 minutes and then gently rubbing them until they come off. It may take a few days? but don’t push it. After 2 weeks, the risk of graft loss is minimal. Compare this man on the left 1 weeks from his surgery with the man on the right, just 3 days after surgery. The difference is good post-operative washing. The man on the right was our patient and nobody could tell he had a hair transplant done at any time so far, at least.

I have male pattern baldness, yet I have thousands of tiny translucent hairs on my scalp. They are short, and do not seem to grow much, if any. When light is shinning from behind me the hairs are very noticable and people look shocked, as I look bald when no back light is present. What are these hairs and why don’t they grow to full length? Have not been able to find anything written about these type of scalp hairs on the internet.

Congratulations! You are a polar bear. A polar bear’s fur is translucent despite its apparent white hue.

Kidding aside, what you are describing seems to be vellus hairs that commonly grow all over our body (look closely at your face… its all over — except for our palms and soles). These hairs are not like normal hair on the scalp and will not grow to normal scalp hair length, and in each follicular unit (which normally has 2-4 hairs normally) there is usually one vellus hair (which is not seen with the naked eye). When there are translucent hairs on the scalp that do not grow (instead of full pigmented hairs) then that is often seen in advanced balding/thinning. These hairs are usually miniaturized and do not grow normally as the genetic factors come into play. You should have your hair mapped out for miniaturization to find out what is going on.

So I have traction alopecia and I have for a while from wearing extensions for years. I have four big bald spots in the back of my head. I don’t have the confidence to not wear my extensions but i need help to grow my hair back if possible. I figured I can wear my hair in different styles to protect the bald spots then stop when it all grows back. I just ordered women’s rogaine and wondered if there were anything else I can do. I am white and use clip in extensions

Traction alopecia, if prolonged with the pulling, will produce permanent hair loss. See a doctor who specializes in both Hair Transplants and Scalp Micropigmentation to see if there is an easy solution for you.