Author: Dr. William Rassman

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People Guessed I Was 20 Years Younger After I Had SMP Done – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

A 55 year old male patient had a complete Scalp MicroPigmentation of the scalp done. He has changed his hairstyle from long hair with a balding pattern to a shaved head.

He sent me this short email that I wanted to share:

About a week after my procedure, I was at a party where I met a number of guys that I didn’t know. Sometime later in the evening, the topic of conversation shifted to age, and we did the “guess my age” bit. Guesses of those who were in the 50 year old range were pegged between 45-60. When it came to me, they all guessed I was in my mid 30s! Totally made my day.

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Awesome! I’m glad your day was made and I’m pleased that you’re enjoying your new look.

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Hair Loss InformationNot Hair Loss News – Pill Prevents HIV Among Drug Addicts – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

A once-a-day pill has been proven to lower the risk of getting HIV among needle-using drug addicts, just as it does among heterosexual couples and men who have sex with men.

Among 2,400 injecting drug users in Bangkok, those assigned to take a daily dose of an antiviral drug Viread, or tenofovir generically, had half the risk of getting HIV over a four-year period as those who took a placebo pill. Among those who took tenofovir faithfully, there were 74 percent fewer infections.

Results of the long-awaited study, launched eight years ago, are the capstone of an HIV prevention strategy called PrEP, for pre-exposure prophylaxis.

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Read the rest — Prevention Pill Cuts HIV Risk For Injecting Drug Users

Read the study abstract at The Lancet.

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Hair Loss InformationIn the News – Finasteride May Reduce Interest in Drinking Alcohol? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

Some men who take the drug finasteride (Propecia) to slow a receding hair line may also find it reduces their interest in drinking alcohol, new research reveals.

Almost two-thirds of the men in the study noticed they were drinking less alcohol than before taking Propecia, said study researcher Dr. Michael Irwig, an endocrinologist and assistant professor of medicine at George Washington University School of Medicine.

But the decrease in drinking seen in the study may not be found in all men who use the popular hair-loss treatment. (A higher dose of finasteride is also prescribed to men for an enlarged prostate, and is sold as Proscar.)

The study, which was aimed at better understanding the drug’s sexual side effects, looked at only younger men, ages 46 and under, who had quit taking the medication for male-pattern hair loss for at least three months, yet continued to experience effects such as a reduced sex drive and erectile dysfunction.

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Read the rest — Baldness Drug Curbs Men’s Interest in Alcohol, Study Suggests

The study was of 83 men that claimed to have persistent sexual side effects after stopping finasteride, with 65% of them stating they drank less booze now, 32% stating no change in their drinking, and 3% stating they drank more.

I’m not sure if the study looked into the personal lives of these men to find out if there were other possible reasons for their drinking habits to change (lifestyle or psychological), but the findings were worth posting here. The study is fairly ambiguous about whether alcohol and finasteride are definitively linked, and the article points out that there was no control group. For what it’s worth, I don’t recall any patients ever mentioning a change in alcohol consumption to me.

Past studies by the same researcher, Dr Irwig, have been written about here before.

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Hair Loss InformationCan I Use Hypnosis to Regrow My Hair? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I was reading this site [Hair Loss and Hypnotherapy] and it got me wondering whether I could actually use hypnotherapy to regrow my hair lost from medication. I don’t have genetic loss, as my loss only began after I was on medication.

Sounds hokey, but I am impatient and willing to try anything. What do you think?

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“Hokey” is not a poor description for this. The idea that you can will yourself to growing hair is pretty ridiculous, and if your hair loss was temporary it will regrow on its own anyway.

I guess anything is worth trying if you’re really adamant about it, but don’t set your expectations too high. While you’re visiting the hypnotherapist though, you can also see if hypnosis will change your eye color, which some people believe is also possible. As you might be able to tell, I am not among the believers.

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Hair Loss InformationHow Long Should I Wait to See Benefits from Propecia? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’ve been on Propecia since April last year. However, my hair loss is continuing at a slow pace. I know that I might’ve been worse off without Propecia, but could it be possible that Propecia only really fully kicks in and loss stopping takes more than a year? Thanks.

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My standard answer is to wait at least a year, but some people see benefits of hair loss reduction almost immediately and hair growth in 6 months. Everyone is different, though.

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Hair Loss InformationRogaine Didn’t Help for the 6 Months I Used It, So I’m Trying Vitamins Now – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi guys, i think the work you do is brilliant well done.

I need some help. I’m suffering from hereditary hair loss. I tried using Regaine for men, for 6 months but it didn’t seem to stop my hair falling out. So i stopped using it & it seems my hair is rapidly falling out now :-(

I’ve started using Euromin Vital Hair which another guy recommended to me & said it stopped his hair falling out after a few months.

My mum also bought me the ‘Nizoral anti-dandruff’ shampoo that you guys recommend hair loss sufferers to use. In uk we have a red & white pack, in USA & on ur website it is a blue colour are they both the same on the inside? & do you recommend using a conditioner is is just the shampoo enough?

I wanna know should i start using Regaine again? or will it make my hair shed uncontrollably :-(

sorry i’ve asked a lot of questions. I’m really worried i hope you can give me some good advice. Thank you.

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I don’t know anything about your hair loss history to be able to recommend a treatment path to take. If you have genetic hair loss, see a doctor about a prescription for Propecia. Rogaine/Regaine/minoxidil might help if your hair loss is in the crown, but this doesn’t address the reason your hair is continuing to fall out. Propecia (finasteride 1mg) is going to provide a better treatment, particularly if you’re a young man with early loss.

If you’re going to mess around with supplements (that Vital Hair capsule is one) to treat genetic hair loss, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll see the benefits you’re wanting. If treating genetic hair loss was as simple as taking amino acids and vitamins, far less people would be balding.

Nizoral is a good anti-fungal shampoo, but it isn’t something we recommend as a treatment for hair loss. I’m not sure what you read where we recommended it.

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Woman with Severe Thinning Hair Comments on Her SMP Experience (with Photos) – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

As a woman in my 40s, I have had thin hair all my life. The thinning got much worse after childbirths. About 15 years ago I discovered toppik and started using it. I had used it everyday until now. A few months ago I started having more than usual hair loss and started considering a wig. Around that time I met Dr. Rassman who mentioned the SMP procedure to me. Since there wasn’t much to lose at that point I decided to give it a try.

I completed my procedure today and feel compelled to share how pleased I am with the result. For the first time in many years, I walked out in the open air without toppik. I am no longer worried people might see my scalp if they get too close. It is liberating to be able to get in the pool and not worry about toppik running on my face. Any woman who feels self conscious about her thin or thinning hair should visit Dr. Rassman and his partner Dr. Pak for a consultation. They are both perfectionists and won’t stop until they are happy with the results. The staff is also extremely professional who can put you at ease during your visit. I am so happy I had the procedure done, it’s life changing for me.

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Click the photos to enlarge (Before on left, After on right):
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Thanks so much for sending in your email. I’ve posted your photos (with your permission) and appreciate your kind words.

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In the News – Aloepecia Areata Associated with Comorbid Conditions – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

Many individuals with alopecia areata (AA) have comorbid conditions, according to a retrospective cross-sectional study. The authors compared the prevalence of comorbid conditions in patients with AA with the prevalence of comorbid conditions in patients in the Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Follow-up Study. The association between AA and comorbid conditions was consistent with findings from previous studies.

Kathie P. Huang, MD, from the Clinical Research Program, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, and colleagues report their results in an article published online May 22 in JAMA Dermatology.

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Read the rest — Alopecia Areata Associated With Autoimmune Comorbidity

Those with alopecia areata were found to have a high incidence of atopy, contact dermatitis, and acid reflux.

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Hair On Top Causes More Pain When I Tug On It – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Sir,

I have some questions about the nature of hair. I am a 23-year old Asian (male).

I notice that hair at my back and sides are usually thicker and denser than the top. Moreover, when I style or pull my hair I feel that the hair on top feels some pain more easily than the back and sides. It gives me a sense like hair (or scalp) on the top is not as healthy as the rest and easier to fall out.

I don’t know whether this is normal and it’s the same for other people. Can these be signs for male pattern baldness?

Thank you for your help.

Best Regard

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This is an unusual question. The best way for you to determine if you have male pattern baldness in its early stages is to see your doctor and possibly have a miniaturization study (microscopic exam) and/or have a bulk assessment of the hair and compare the hair throughout the scalp. Decreases in miniaturization or hair bulk in a pattern (thus the term “male pattern” balding) is a way to determine if your hair loss is genetic (male pattern) balding.

With regard to your pain, although on rare occasions people have reported pain with male pattern baldness, I have never had an explanation for it and it is not a sign of balding that I know of.

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Could Finasteride Be the Cause for My Poor Facial Hair Development? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

hi
I’ve used finasteride for about 9 years. I dont have shedding now and my hair is look like when i was 17. Problem is, my facial hair hasn’t really developed. Do you think this is related to finasteride at all and perhaps a lower dose would help my facial hair grow?

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Many years back there was a very small study of women with facial hair (stay with me here) that used a finasteride cream to treat their hirsutism. When used as a cream, it appeared to work in this controlled study of 8 women. Does this apply with systemic finasteride for facial hair growth in men? I would think that it might, but I have no way to know for sure if the finasteride was the cause for your facial hair developing poorly or if you would’ve had poor facial hair without ever using the medication at all.