Author: Dr. William Rassman

I realize this subject has been asked about before, but the specific answer I need hasn’t been given. I live in a hot country and it is almost always above 30 degrees Celsius! Walking to the car park after buying Propecia at the mall will expose it to high temperatures for a few minutes at least (if you have a car)!
Is it reasonably safe for short periods of time (minutes, not hours)? If not, how would these pills, or any medication which needs a correct temperature, ever work well in hot countries, where there is usually a good chance they will be exposed to high temperatures for short periods point?

I believe the manufacturer recommend that you store it below 86 degrees F (30 degrees C). But brief or short exposure to higher temperature should be fine. This applies to most drugs in general.

Sorry for the long-ish post, but I’m hoping you’ll answer my question.

I’m male, and nearly 35 now. I suffered hair loss in a concentrated period of ~6 months when I was 19; my hairline receded a bit at the temples and I experienced diffuse thinning in the frontal region and crown. Now, 15 years later, I’d say my hair still looks more-or-less like it did after that initial hair loss. I’ve never used any medication known to stop/reverse hair loss.

Even though it’s probably not noticeable when I wear my hair fairly short, the decreased density on the front of the head and crown does bother me a bit, and I’m wondering if I can do something about it.

One thing is that I’m not interested in using anything that is liable to mess with my hormone levels – for several years now I’ve suffered with secondary hypogonadism (low testosterone/high estrogen, etc. – confirmed by lab tests and symptoms) and only since ~4 months ago have I started receiving what I hope is the right treatment for it.

You might point out that higher testosterone might accelerate MBP -but so far I haven’t noticed any problems. For what it’s worth, I had my DHT assessed at a lab 1 1/2 month ago, it was a fairly high value(724 pg/mL, reference range 250-990) but I don’t think I’ve experienced any abnormal hair loss ever since starting my low-T treatment. Plus, aggressive MBP doesn’t appear to run in either side of my family.

So, is rogaine worth a shot for me for regaining hair density? Or something else you might recommend?

Would appreciate your advice!

I can’t really help you here. If hair loss or thinning bothers you go see a doctor. Since it is not noticeable (according to your own statement), I don’t know how much that can be done. You also write about not wanting to try any medication so I am not really clear as to what you expect in terms of your goals.

As a hair restoration doctor I am limited to four things I can recommend in general:
(1) Do nothing
(2) Hair transplant
(3) Propecia or Rogaine
(4) Scalp Micropigmentation

Maybe you can visit my website scalpmicropigment.com and see if that may work for you.

But ultimately without a face to face exam, I can’t help you. A blog is not a place (or Internet in general) for personalized medical treatment options.

At the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2014, it was reported that use of computer activities and exercise reduces cognitive decline associated with Dmentia and Alzheimer’s Disease. At the Mayo Clinic, 1830 people at risk for Cognitive Decline were were studied in different groups, with a control group and a group that participated in a variety of exercise routines from mild to advanced. The patients were studied for 2.3 years.

“Any level of physical activity in midlife may help keep cognitive decline and dementia in late life at bay, new research suggests.”

The range of exercises include: “mild exercise was defined as leisurely walking. Moderate exercise included engaging in activities such as brisk walking, cycling, and swimming, and vigorous exercise included participating in activities such as mountain biking and downhill skiing.”

There is definitely protective effects from exercise, even as simple as taking your dog on a brisk walk. “The investigators found that only moderate midlife physical exercise was significantly associated with a decreased risk for incident dementia”.

I summarize these important reports, because we all have parents and family that need to avoid the inactive lifestyle and we have a responsibility to them to see that they stay healthy and mentally active so we can enjoy their senior years with them.

Was wandering if there would be any side effects of taking Propecia with the condition seborrheic dermatitis?

Seborrheic dermatitis is a skin condition that cause flaky skin/ scalp. It has nothing to do with genetic hair loss.
Propecia is a drug for the treatment of androgenic alopecia. It has nothing to do with a skin condition such as seborrheic dermatitis. Many patients with seborrheic dermatitis take Propecia without issues.

One month back I had a MRI Contrast – Pelvis done; also sono mammography. All were normal except I have Uterine Fibroids as well as fibroids in my breast. Also I was found to have Vitamin D Deficiency. So, doctor prescribed DV 60K (Vit D3 capsules) one capsule two days in a week and Primrosa 1000 – thrice daily. Within 2-3 days of taking this medicine; I found that my hair was falling in bunches, right from the scalp. I immediately stopped these medicines thinking the effect would be reversed. But there is no relief. Even after nearly one month my hair is still falling in bunches. My hair has become very thin and limp. Can you please help ?

I highly doubt 2 day of taking vitamin D or primrose oil will impact hair. I would think stress factors and chronic medical illness (such as fibroids and vitamin deficiencies) over a long period (months) of time would be more of a factor. These are just my thoughts and you should definitely address your issue with your doctor. I don’t think stopping medication on your own is a smart idea.

About 12 years ago I was attacked with a frozen budice beer bottle to the back of head. Last year my hair came out due to cancer/kidney issues. Top middle back of head has continued to give me problems. I seem to have deep rooted around my head ingrown hairs. I only have hair on one side (right). Its been going on 2 years. Hair starts to come back then get knotted twisted by ears middle in back bottom of back. The little hair knots freaking move. I had long hair to my waist then. I look kike (feel like) a circus clown gone bad. Please help me. Im 44

You might have a foreign body, such as staples, left in your scalp. You should see a doctor to have them removed if that is the situation. If there is a scar or hairs growing in odd directions, you can consider seeing a hair transplant doctor for options. What you are describing does require a specialist so you can go back to your days of long hair, if that is what you want.

Researchers reported that the beta amyloid protein can be detected on an eye examination using fluorescent tags either in the lens or the retina of the eye. It was published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease & Other Dementias® (AJA). It is thought that this test can predict the disease decades in advance of its appearance. In another study, a change in behavior can alter the outcome. The type of changes include a proper diet, exercise, and stressing the brain with brain games. These simple things can positively impact and slow the disease.

The answer to this questions was written up in Medscape General Surgery, a publication for physicians. Doctors generally do not know the real total costs of a surgical treatment, so this article educates the doctor. The total cost of such an operation runs between $135,000 to a low of about $10,000. The doctors fees range from a low of $4000 up to about $19,000. Much of this is paid by insurance; however, this may not be the case. Medicare pay up to 80% of a pre-approved fee which may be far less than the hospital charges as is the case for the doctors. What the problem is that no one knows what it should cost and if you are a person without insurance, the full fee will be charged to you without a discount. That would break the bank of most folks, so if you find yourself in this situation for any hospitalizations (not just prostate surgery), be sure to negotiate with both the hospital and the doctor or you could pay far more than you need to. Since hospitals negotiate with every insurance company, they will, when forced, negotiate with you. The good news for the uninsured is that hospitals and doctors will negotiate price.

Hello doctors. Thank you for the very informative blog! I have two questions.

First, why is hair so hard to get rid of hair on the body? There are lasers, waxing, and numerous other methods to remove hair. However, hair seems so resilient.

Second, I noted on this blog several times that if a hair is pulled enough times, eventually it stops coming back. What is the exact cause for the hair to die after being pulled out numerous times?

Thanks you for your time!

It’s a cruel joke by our creator. If you want the hair removed, it is very difficult. If you want the hair replaced it is also very difficult.

It is difficult to permanently remove, kill the hair because you need to ablate the hair follicle all the way down to its full depth of between 5-8mm. Merely pulling out the hair or zapping it with a laser is not enough particularly on body hair where most of the hair that is in the skin is in its telogen phase and therefore does not show. Lasers work by delivering heat / light energy to a hair root that is dark thus damaging the follicle cells that generate hair. But if the hair is in its telogen (resting) phase, it will not be present to treat it. Too much heat will cause burns on the skin (especially if you have dark skin). So it is not an easy one step task particularly on body hair.

If you pull the hair enough times, each pull causes incremental damage (trauma) to the follicle and it will eventually cause the follicle not to produce hair.

Does the average person really lose 100-150 scalp hairs daily or is this just a myth?

If i was to wear a beanie hat for 30 days would i then find 3000-4500 hairs inside the hat after i take it off?

Let’s talk hair physiology. assuming you are an average Caucasian male with a typical hair count of 100,000 hairs on your head, and your hair cycles every three years and the telogen cycle is 3 month, then simple match brings us to 100 hairs per day go into telogen while another 100 hairs per day regrow to replace the telogen hairs. If you cycle is two years, not three years, then the number of hair lost per day will be 50% higher, on average. Hair cycles in each of us and the length of the cycle varies by age, genetics, health and possibly slightly by seasons. Now do the math on wearing your hat for 30 days and you can determine your hair cycle.