Author: Dr. William Rassman

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Hair Loss InformationAm I Using This Topical Steroid Cream Too Much to Treat Dermatitis in My Eyebrows? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

(female)

Hello Dr. Rassman,
I have a question for you regarding topical steroid creams. I have been diagnosed with mild seb derm. It is only in my eyebrows and no where else. My derm prescribed me Cutivate (fluticasone propinate) and told me to apply it 2 to 3 times a day everyday. She said she wanted to see me back in two weeks for an update. Now I am an avid reader of your blog and have heard you say before you recommend to your own patients they use steroid creams sparingly and at least 12 hours apart.

My question is do you think I am using it too often? I know we are taught to trust our docs judgement but I am worried about side effects particularly since Cutivate is a more potent steroid and it is being used on my face. Previous to this another derm had me on Desonide twice daily for 6 weeks! It led to severe redness and increased inflammation so stopped about 3 weeks in. I was told I might have just had a bad reaction to it.

I feel like derms these days just prescribe steroid creams without a care as to the adverse effects. I would love to hear your thoughts please. I trust your judgement as a doctor much more than both the derms I have seen. Thank you.

Oh and as a side note so far both creams have not helped my condition at all.

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Like you, I am always concerned about overdosing steroids. Patients need to follow up closely with their doctors for any adverse effects. A treatment that may work in others may not work for you.

Doctors are there to help their patients, but the healing process is dynamic and things may change. We all have the best of intentions (both patient and the doctor). If things change for the worse before you are able to see your doctor, you need to inform the doctor right away!

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Hair Loss InformationMy Family History Shows Thinning Starts in Early 40s, but My Brother is Thinning at 21! – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

My brother (in the photo) is 21 years old and we think his hair is starting to thin. There’s no visible recession of his hairline but our whole family seems to have noticed the thinning, which is only at the front of his head and not on the crown. At 18 years old (and male), I’m now starting to worry about my own hair in the future.

In terms of family history, my paternal grandfather never had any hair loss up until his death at 57, while my father (who is now 60) has had some slight thinning on his crown and at the hairline, but still has a very decent head of hair – I think it started to thin around his 40s or 50s. My maternal grandfather only started losing his hair in his late 30s/early 40s, while my mum’s brother started losing it in his mid to late 30s.

I’m prepared for the reality that I’m probably going to lose mine at some point given my family history, but is it likely that Ill lose it as early as my brother – at only 21?! Nobody in my family has ever lost hair that early – could it be that he is just very unlucky? And how common is hair loss amongst siblings? For example, I have 2nd cousins, two brothers, one of whom is totally bald at 36 and the other has a full head of hair at 33.

Please let me know what you think about the whole sibling situation thing in general, and in my case, and what the best course of action is for me!

thank you so much for any advice.

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Click the photo to enlarge:

 

There is no way you can predict with 100% accuracy what will happen to you in the future. I don’t know enough about your brother’s history to know if his hair loss is due to genetics, disease, stress, allergy, etc. Siblings don’t necessarily always follow the same hair loss path, so I wouldn’t get too concerned just yet.

The best approach for you would be to see a good doctor and have your hair bulk analysis done every year, which will show the appearance of hair loss and indicate if you should start treating it. This test is the best way to diagnose hair loss and it will pick up the hair loss even before you can see it. It is also a good way to follow the effectiveness of Propecia, if your doctor prescribes this medication to you to treat any early hair loss that may come about.

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Hair Loss InformationNot Hair Loss News – FDA Approves Late-Stage Lung Cancer Drug – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

From the news release:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Gilotrif (afatinib) for patients with late stage (metastatic) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors express specific types of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death among men and women. According to the National Cancer Institute, an estimated 228,190 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer, and 159,480 will die from the disease this year. About 85 percent of lung cancers are NSCLC, making it the most common type of lung cancer. EGFR gene mutations are present in about 10 percent of NSCLC, with the majority of these gene mutations expressing EGFR exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R substitution.

Gilotrif is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that blocks proteins that promote the development of cancerous cells. It is intended for patients whose tumors express the EGFR exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R substitution gene mutations. Gilotrif is being approved concurrently with the therascreen EGFR RGQ PCR Kit, a companion diagnostic that helps determine if a patient’s lung cancer cells express the EGFR mutations.

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Read the rest — FDA approves new treatment for a type of late-stage lung cancer

Participants receiving this drug had a delay in tumor growth that was over 4 months later than those receiving chemotherapy. The press release notes that there was “no statistically significant difference in overall survival” though.

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Testing the Speed of Hair Growth? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear doctor.

if the average persons hair grows about half an inch to an inch (depending on hair color) a month, how much growth would a person with “faster” hair growth be growing a month?

I sleep in a very hot/humid climate because I constantly turn the heater on in my room, and I find that my hair grows really fast. Would the heat or climate that I sleep in have any effect on the growth of my hair or am i just a person whose hair grows fast?

Are there any tests or anything that can be done to determine how fast a persons hair will grow?

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I don’t know the answer to your question. I am sure that the rate of hair growth varies with the individual, their age, their state of health, and the climate. In individuals with miniaturization due to genetic balding, the hair growth slows and may stop growing altogether prior to it falling out.

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One Side of My Hairline Regrew from Propecia, So Will The Other Side Regrow Too? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr. Rassman, I have been on propecia for nearly a year and half. I started to take the drug at age 27 when I noticed that my hairline receded to a norwood 2.5 pattern. I have noticed that on the right side on my hairline near the temples in addition to the frontal region above the forehead there has been significant regrowth in terms of length and also thickness. However the left side has remained stagnant for the most part. In your practice have you seen this often in young men and what may I expect in the coming months or year?

I as well thought I have suffered from from side effects due to the drug. I had some erection issues and also some gynocomastia develop. A blood test reveal that I had lower testosterone levels and started a strength training and weight loss program and both of the side effects went away while staying on the drug. Many of the users who suspect side effects need to check other health issues.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question.

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We see hair loss that is not symmetrical, so I would not be surprised that one side reacted differently to Propecia than the other side; however, you are the first person to have reported this to me. I would go back to your prescribing doctor to have measurements done (assuming you had measurements taken before starting the drug, you can have comparisons made).

With the side effects that you reported, most people would just assume it was Propecia and not even consider any other possibility. It just goes to show that there are other possible reasons for effects that people see, and deciding on your own about the causes of the issues without a medical exam may not be in your best interest.

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What If You Transplant a Graft Into the Exact Spot of a Hair That’s Just in Telogen? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Dr. Rassman,
So i was wondering what happens if a hair is transplanted in an active follicle? What I mean is, lets say you are doing a scalp or brow transplant, and a hair falls out during the process and you implant a hair in that location where the hair fell out? Since the follicle was still active and producing hair, do both the original follicle and implanted one die? I haven’t found any info on this, hoping you could share your insight.

Thank you.

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If a graft was transplanted into the exact spot of another hair that is just in the resting phase of the hair life cycle, then you would probably get an extra hair to grow from that spot. It is unclear if the existing hair follicle will be damaged.

We often see hair that is in varying stages of its cycle when we look under the microscope at the donor area we are preparing. These hairs grow just like they would normally do prior to the transplant.

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Hair Loss InformationHow Long Should I Wait for My Eyebrows to Grow Back After Years of Plucking? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

(female)
Hello Dr,
I am interested in an eyebrow transplant after yeas of overzealous plucking. I’ve waited a few months and it seems the hair won’t grow back in certain areas and the growth is very sparse. My question is, how long should I allow the hairs to return before opting for a transplant? Thanks for your time!

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If the eyebrow has not grown back within 6-12 months, then I would not expect it to grow back. Transplants are the only way to treat this condition; however, if you get the transplants and resume plucking them, then you can lose the new eyebrows as well.

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Could Stress From a Divorce Cause Thinning at the Sides of My Head? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi, i’m 31 and have been suffering with mpb since I was 20. I have a small bald patch at back, receding hairline towards back of head. I started propecia in July last year and almost straight away noticed bigger bald patch behind hairline and thinning at sides. Is this caused by propecia? I have been under stress due to marriage break up so could it be that? thanks

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Stress can induce hair loss with a variety of conditions such as genetic hair loss, alopecia areata (in those people with the genes for this disease), and even telogen effluvium from unexplained conditions.

Male pattern baldness (MPB) doesn’t include thinning at the sides of the head, so that is unusual. If you’ve seen MPB since you were 20 years old, the stress associated from a divorce could contribute to advancing that pattern sooner than it otherwise would’ve, and possibly even the hair loss you’re seeing at the sides. Stress management may be key to the problem for those with stress-induced hair loss, but there’s no way for me to know for sure if that is what you’re seeing.

Some people report initial shedding after starting Propecia, but this isn’t entirely common and I wouldn’t expect it to last a year (probably more like 3 months). See your doctor about managing your stress and certainly go back to your prescribing doctor if you’re looking for more info about your medication usage.

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Hair Loss InformationWhich Herbal Hair Oil Should I Use? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am losing my hair. Which is better hair product of trichup?
1.- complete hair oil
2.- hair fall control oil

can i get my losing hair back?

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3. None of the above.

I don’t know anything about you, but these magic oils don’t regrow your hair if you are losing hair from genetic causes. If you are serious about treating your hair loss, see a doctor who can map your scalp for miniaturization and analyze your hair bulk. Treating yourself with these ayurvedic tonics are almost surely going to leave you disappointed.