I have been taking Propecia for 2 years. Recently my girlfriend got pregnant.. Should I be worried? Will everything be O.K.? Thanks!
Congratulations! I don’t think you have anything to worry about with respect to Propecia use and conceiving. There is no evidence that I’m aware of to suggest that it would affect your fertility or have an impact in conceiving a child.
Hello,
I am a 21 year old male who seems to be having rapid hair loss. My hair has always been very thick and within the last 8 months my hair just began been falling out. My hair is beginning to become very thin and noticeable. I can run my hand through my hair and have 20-30 hairs in my hand. Both sides of my family still have alot of hair. I am just wondering if it is just genetics or maybe because of a desease. What do you think I should ask my doctor???
It is normal to lose up to 100 hairs per day. You can quantify it by collecting the hairs in a bag for 24 hrs and then counting them, but unless you stay home and follow yourself around catching every hair that comes out, you will not get them all. We generally lose hair with the wind and just walking around doing the normal things people do. To better evaluate for your hair loss, you should have your hair mapped out for miniaturization to get a diagnosis in hand. Don’t panic quite yet, but be smart on what you do now.
2006-04-06 12:35:342006-04-06 13:51:57I Think I Am Going Bald
Hello NHI physicians,
I’m thinking about getting a hair transplant in the future, but at the moment I think I’m a bit too young for one (under 25). I have diffuse MPB on the crown (it’s quite severe), and am thinking about shaving the top off and using a hair piece/hair system until I reach the age when the MPB is more stable.
My question is, would the glue or bonding method from using a hair piece damage my scalp in any way that would prevent me from getting a hair transplant in the future?
I appreciate all the information you all have provided on this site.
Glues, tapes, and even clips are methods used to hold down the hairpiece to the scalp, which can cause even more hair loss. These will likely not prevent you from getting a hair transplant in the future, but you’re running a huge risk of causing yourself more trouble with hair loss. Weaves also cause traction alopecia. There is really no way around this. The decision to go with a hairpiece is a more common decision than those that want hair transplants, possibly because of the perceived cost difference and/or the fear of a surgical procedure. The choice may be a very expensive one, however, as the 5 year cost for a hair system can run well over $15,000. See My Hair System Cost Me Over $16,000 In 5 Years! for a breakdown, as sent in by a patient.
If you are losing your hair from MPB, be sure to also consider finasteride. This is a prescription medication and requires you to meet with a doctor.
Hello Dr,
Thanks for providing all the information you are providing to hair loss sufferers. I have a question. I had a Transplant a 7 weeks ago(Strip method) on my crown area. I was on (and still on) Finasteride prior to my Transplant. Lately I lost my native hair and I am seeing that I have less hair on my top now compared to hair that I had before the transplant. I learnt that this is because of the shock loss. But I was on finasteride before the HT. So, do you think this is temporary and can expect m native hair back. If so how much time does it take?
I try to educate my patients and readers everyday… and this must be one of the top ten things I want the public to understand.
Taking Propecia (finasteride) does not protect you 100% from experiencing shock loss — it only lowers the risk. If you have shock loss, there’s not much you can do (actually, nothing you can do)… and if it is in miniaturized hairs, it may very well be permanent! Statistics do not matter to those who have shock loss even while on Propecia. This is one of the risks of a hair transplant and you must always balance the benefits of surgery with the risks of surgery.
2009-05-04 14:31:512009-05-01 09:12:12I Think I Had Shock Loss Even Though I’ve Been Taking Finasteride
I have lost most of my hair because of exercise. I stopped exercise for couple of months & retrieved almost 30% of my hair loss. but the problem is I am a fitness professional and cant live without a workout but as soon as I start my workout which includes weight training I start losing my hair. can anybody help me? whats the relation between exercise & hair fall? if you see, most of the body builders are bald but why?????
There is no connection to exercise and hair loss unless you have a telogen effluvium that is caused by stress. Are you stressed when you exercise with your clients? Even this scenario is far fetched. I would have to examine you and take a careful history to understand your problem better. I would be venturing a guess without knowing more.
Hi, I am a big fan of this blog.
I am a male of 24 years from India and have been losing hair since I was 18. Here is the condition of my hair:
-I think I am Norwood 1.5 and my hair seems full to others
-I lost much of bulk on my balding zones, non balding zones are okay.
-I lose hair which are so thin. Most hair strands that I lose are thick at the tip, but gets so thin towards the root (the bulb portion). The root portion is also whitish in colour.
-My scalp is so freakishly oily and have dandruff only on the balding zone. Whenever I scratch I find hairs that are almost invisible.
-Some long hairs can be pulled out easily. They move in the slightest of wind while holding at the root. Those strands are medium thick but very lifeless.
-My crown is feeling very thinner. The scalp can be seen at bright lightsI think I am in early stages of balding. I want to do something to treat early before it is too late. I am a bit scared of fin but I wont mind giving it a try. What do you say about my hair condition? is it mpb? Can i take fin without seeing a derm? or should i wait for histogen?
If you’re seeing a Norwood class 1 or 2, that isn’t really considered balding. It is normal to lose hair daily, as new hair grows in (hair cycling). It is also normal for your hair to appear thinner under bright, direct lighting. All in all, what you’re describing sounds pretty… normal.
If you are concerned that you’re in the early stages of male pattern baldness (MPB), you should see a doctor. Do not just take finasteride without a prescription. It is a prescribed medication for a reason, and you must see a doctor (dermatologist or otherwise) that can tell you if what you’re seeing is even MPB.
I couldn’t tell you if Histogen or other future treatments will become a reality, or how effective they will even be, or when they will even be public. There are still a lot of questions about future treatments, but we’re all waiting to know.
Thank you for your time. I am a 33 year old male and I have used propecia for some time now and my hair loss has been minimal up until the last few months. I have good reason to believe that my ex-girlfriend has been putting nair in my shampoo, conditioner, or styling paste. It has changed in texture and I am losing it in patches and generally all over my scalp. If this is the case then is the damage permanent or will it grow back? Also, what can I do to repair my hair?
Again, thank you for your time.
Yes, if that suspicion is true then it will grow back, provided the assault stops. You might want to have a serious discussion with your ex or threaten to take legal action against her. Or at the very least buy new shampoo, conditioner, and hair product…
I had a hair transplant surgery three months ago by a reputable doctor, but I am not seeing any results. I think it may be a failure. What can I do?
Transplanted hair grafts usually shed and fall out within the first few weeks after surgery. Transplanted hair grafts usually go into a dormant state and will not produce new hairs or continue to grow. The first few months after surgery you may look worse as you may continue to lose your native non-transplanted hairs. Not much happens in the first three months as the grafts are mostly in the dormant state. Be patient, you will start seeing results in 6 to 12 months (sometimes longer). At this point (at 3 months) think of the grafts is if they are “hibernating”.
2015-08-12 07:44:562015-09-05 23:06:05I Think My Hair Transplant Surgery Failed.
I’m concerned that one of my donor scars is too high and that eventually it would show as well as the grafts taken from the area will die. I’ve had three procedures. The first was in 1997. I had 800 micro/mini grafts. Then in 1998, I had another 1000. This time the doctor seemed to place the incision in the donor area high. My third procedure was in 2007. I had 2000 FU’s placed. I think I’m a class 5 or 6 (not completely sure). During my last consultation before my procedure, the doctor told me that the scar from the previous procedure looked high.
It is 2″ above the bump at the base of my skull – about the height of my eyes and the top of my ears. I’m not sure if it was higher before my last procedure. Is it possible that it now appears a little lower given that 2000 FU’s were taken below it? Does this sound too high? Would hair mapping help me to know with greater certainty? If so, where can I go to have my hair mapped?
I appreciate your time in reading and responding to my question. I’ve read several of your blog comments, etc. and I’m considering using your services in the future.
Thanks again
Perhaps your donor scar is higher than normal, but this can be a normal thing as the doctor will make subtle judgment calls during the procedure. It may bother you cosmetically, but there is not much you can do other than to grow your hair long enough to cover the scar. From a long term point of view, if the donor hair was taken too high, it may not be in the area of permanent hair, in which case you risk losing the hair that was transplanted from that area.
You should start off with a good examination and consultation for a second opinion. That will address your concerns above. You must have a worst case scenario managed with a Master Plan for future hair loss, as you are suggesting in your questions. I don’t have a list of every doctor that will map your scalp, but you can find a transplant doctor in your area by using the physician search at ISHRS.org.
I would like to get your opinion on why I am experiencing relatively sudden thinning. I am 19 years old. I can’t pinpoint the exact time that my hair started getting thinner, but I can say that my hair was completely full a little under a year ago, because of my driver’s license photo.
I have a feeling the hair loss is far too aggressive to be male pattern baldness, because I have had no signs up until recently. I don’t recall before a couple of months ago. In fact I have never seen hair fall out of my scalp or seen actual “hairloss” but i’m sure people rarely do.
I would like to know if you think this hair loss is temporary (based on the photographs) and if you think this is possibly permanent or even male pattern baldness. I have no history of the disease, my grandfathers on both sides died with a full head of hair. So did the grandmothers!
Male pattern baldness (MPB) does not always require a doctor to assess. Look at your hair loss pattern (use two mirrors). Is it thinning mostly at the top, but you still have good hair on the back and sides? If so, chances are you have MPB. We recommend a miniaturization mapping of your scalp hair and you can make the diagnosis that way. You can see how to do this yourself — here. By the way, MPB is not a “disease”. It is a genetic trait that you inherited from one of your parents. It may skip generations so you may not see it in your immediate family tree.
Finally, the aggressive nature as you describe does not surprise me, as men who lose considerable amounts of hair with an advanced balding pattern usually have a more rapid course of hair loss, often starting in their very early 20s. That may not be your case, but don’t fool around with it as there is a good medication (finasteride) to take if you are unfortunately balding. See your doctor and get a correct diagnosis and ask about options.
