Age – Page 41 – Balding Blog

September 29, 2006

Hair Loss InformationChild Attacked By Dog, Lost Most of Her Scalp – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

A friend’s 3 year old grand daughter was attacked by a dog and she lost most of her scalp. What remains is a small portion on the right side of her head, and the rest was replaced with skin grafts from her back. What kind of hair replacement / regrowth options are available for her? If it makes any difference in treatment options she is african-american.

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Everything depends upon how much good scalp she has left and the amount of good hair that remains. If, for example, a person lost 20% of their scalp (replaced by skin grafts), then the other 80% could possibly be stretched to cover the missing part, and in an ideal situation the stretched skin (that contains hair), might produce enough cover with artful surgery. If however, the proportions are the reverse (80% of the scalp was lost and replaced by skin grafts), the likelihood is that there may not be enough hair or scalp to move around to cover the defects. I would like to see a set of good pictures of her. If the child’s family does not have the means to pay for surgery, this can be done with minimal to no charge for those who could not afford this type of work. First, a doctor needs to make a careful examination, starting off with sending pictures if she is outside of California and can not be seen by me in person.

September 28, 2006

Hair Loss InformationSuggestion for 19 Year Old with Thin Hair – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi, I am 19 years old, I have experienced hair loss since about 16. My receding hairline is getting really bad, and i have a bald spot thats just getting bigger in the back. The entire top of my head is also thin now. It is extremely embarrasing and depressing. I feel like I always have to wear a hat. I have been using Rogaine extra strength for about a year now, and its not working, but im afraid to discontinue since I may lose even more hair. If I try to style it, it comes out in large amounts (at least 10-20 hairs), so i dont anymore. My parents are telling me this is normal, but my dad didn’t start losing his hair till his mid 30’s. Im also afraid a doctor visit will be too costly ( I pay for my own college and parents wont help with doctor bill if I go). Please give me some suggestions. Thanks

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You are playing with fire with regard to your hair loss. First, find out what is wrong with it by getting your hair mapped out for miniaturization and establishing a diagnosis. If you see me (in California), I will not charge you for the visit and I will map out your hair for miniaturization as well. If you are not able to see me, you can find a doctor in your area by using the physician search at ISHRS.org. Some doctors offer free consultations, but not all. With a diagnosis, you can have either peace of mind or a treatment plan with a Master Plan for your future hair loss. From that point, you’ll have a better understanding of what your future holds (in terms of your hair loss) and what your options are.

September 26, 2006

Hair Loss InformationFather Went Bald at 19, I’ve Still Got My Hair at 21 – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi! My father started balding, according to him, when he was 19, and from there it progressively got worse. Now, only a horse shoe of hair remains on his head. I’m 21, and my hair is very thick, and it continues to grow without stop. Moreover, it seems like, genetically speaking, i didn’t inherit his side of the family, i look nothing like him, and my appearance looks like family members who have had thick hair for all their lives. Does this mean, taking into consideration that i have a thick set of hair, that i didn’t inherit those genes?

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Your father sounds like a Norwood Class 7 patterned hair loss (see image at right). Usually if you are going to inherit this pattern, you would already have signs of it as that pattern usually starts showing miniaturization at your age. These very advanced hair loss patterns are nearly complete by the mid-20s. That is, of course, no guarantee, but it does sound like you have inherited your hair genetics from some other person in the family.

Until you reach around age 26, you will not know if you are going to have genetic balding (possibly a balding pattern less severe than your father’s pattern), as most men show some signs of hair loss by that age if they are going to develop genetic balding.

September 26, 2006

Propecia and Minoxidil Combo Questions – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am a 26 year old male who is experiencing early signs of balding on the crown and around the vertex. I have been to a trichologist who suggests that I use a combination of propecia and minoxidil to try to stabilse and hopefully regrow some hair. My question is; if I stop using one of these hair loss treatments would my hair loss accelerate quicker than if I never took them? Would you recommend a combination of the two drugs? Does stopping one have more of an effect that the other? And finally, what can I expect from this sort of treatment and if it is successful how long can I maintain my hair at its current stage? Many thanks

For a 26 year old, I do not recommend the use of both Propecia (finasteride) and minoxidil for the following reasons:

Propecia goes to the root of the problem (assuming genetic hair loss is present).
Minoxidil confuses the situation and does build dependence if there are benefits from it.
If you stop taking minoxidil and there is dependence, you only know by stopping it (bad way to find out).
In most young men, minoxidil is of little help.
I recommend minoxidil only after Propecia fails to work to meet the expectations of the patient. The incremental value of minoxidil will be seen 8 months after starting it, so at the least you will know if it is working.

If you stop minoxidil or Propecia, you will not lose more hair that you would have normally lost without having taken it in the first place. Lastly, I can not tell you what will happen to you from an email inquiry like this.

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September 22, 2006

Early 20s, Desperate for Hair Treatment that Works – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’ve just recently discovered your website but have found it very informative. I am 23 and have a family history, on both my mother and father’s side, of male pattern hairloss. I too have been suffering, and in the last three months my hair loss has accelerated to such a degree that the hair on the front and top of my head is becoming increasingly thin, and my hair line is dramatically rising. I have recently started using Kirkland minoxidil (having used Rogaine whilst at university but then stopping as I couldn’t afford it) but not only is my scalp flaking a lot, but I am also losing a lot of hair on a daily basis. As I’ve only used it for under a month, do you think I should persist with the treatment as I have a years supply?

I have also recently bought dutasteride on the internet, having used propecia for 3 months but with no affect, only spots on my forehead. I realise that it takes longer than three months for the tablets to work but do you think I should see if the Dutasteride works as I am awaiting a two month supply in the post, or go back to propecia? Ultimately my hair loss is getting me down a great deal and being that I am so young and as this treatment is quite expensive, would it be better to save up for a hair transplant, and if so do you have any contacts in the UK that are not only reliable but might also be able to give me some impartial and helpful advise. Thank you so much in advance for your response as you can see my hairloss has left me really sad and I would really appreciate any advise you can give me. Many thanks again

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There are many, many young men in a situation similar to yours. I can’t say for sure what you should or should not do, as you are not my patient — but my general advice would be to give the Propecia more than 3 months (8 months is my minimum trial period) to see any benefits. Especially at your age with early hair loss, Propecia tends to work better than minoxidil. I do not recommend dutasteride, not only because it stays in your system far longer than Propecia, but also because there have not been enough studies (to my satisfaction) that show any long-term effects the drug may have in a younger person, such as yourself. To find a doctor in the UK, I’d suggest looking at the ISHRS site’s physician search. Good luck.

September 22, 2006

My Hairline Is Diagonal – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi, I am 19 years old and have a thick head of hair. There is no thinning present whatsoever. However, when i pull my hair back to look at my hairline, i notice that it goes in diagonally, not quite at 45 degrees but still noticeable diagonally (perhaps the mirror exaggerates how diagonal it is), the right side more so than the left as well. I have shown my mum, grandma and sister, and they have said that my hairline is normal and not receding. I know its hard to tell without seeing it, but are they right and is this type of hairline normal or is it a receding hairline. Like I said, when my hair is not pulled back, I have a thick head of hair and you would not notice that I had this type of hairline.

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This clearly bothers you. I suspect that there is some maturing of your hairline at 19, which is common in men. You could send me pictures with your eyebrows lifted high (a good digital photograph) and I will give you an opinion. Please reference this blog posting when/if you send photos. Thanks.

September 19, 2006

Can a 56 Year Old Woman Regrow Pubic Hair? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Is it possible for a 56 years old woman to regrow pubic hair?

Regrowing pubic hair may occur with minoxidil applications twice a day. I would take 8 months to find out if it works. Alternatively, hair transplants work 100% of the time in the pubic area.

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September 19, 2006

Hair on Back of 12 Year Old Son’s Head Doesn’t Grow Anymore – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

My mixed race (black/white) 12-1/2 year old son has had a mini afro since he was 2. It is sort of his “trademark.” About 3 months ago, the back of his head has lost its growth, and is much shorter than the rest of his hair. He is devestated, and fearing some kind of baldness issue. Why do you think this happened? Any suggestions?

He should be examined by a good doctor (dermatologist) and get his hair mapped out for miniaturization. I am just guessing here without the benefit of knowing much about your son’s history. Is this hair that is located on the high neck, rather than the low scalp? I clearly need to know more. If you’d like, you can send photos and mark on the photo where the notch is on the back of his skull. All men have a prominent notch on the back of the skull (a male characteristic). Please reference this posting if you do send photos.

September 13, 2006

14 Year Old with Bald Spots – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am 14 years of age. I don’t know how many bald spots I have, but when my hair is wet, I notice quite a lot, especially on the spots where I gel my hair. When I gel my hair, I do notice hairs in the comb. You said it should grow back, but I’ve been waiting 6 months to a year, and no signs of regrowth. How long should it take? Is this normal?

Oh, yeah. 1 more thing. My cousin hit me with a baseball bat, and then there was a bump where I got hit. After my mom put some green oil (it’s an Asian thing, not sure what it’s called). Now there’s a bald spot there. Will it grow back?

These bald spots need to be evaluated by a good dermatologist. A fungal infection is the most common cause of such spots and there are other medical conditions that need to be evaluated as well. You don’t want to be your own doctor here.

The traumatic baseball bat type of injury has been know to produce temporary hair loss at the point of impact. It should grow back in under 6 months.

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September 13, 2006

Pinker Scalp Pigment Under White Hairs in 18 Year Old – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I’m 18, and last year i started getting a spot of white hairs on my head. The skin on this spot is pinker then the rest of my skelp. Also I think the white hairs are falling out in this area. Is their anything that i can to to help thinkin this area?

These are genetic pigmentation spots that occur in some people. These areas are also subject to genetic balding if the rest of the hair has pattern balding (in some people), so I would make the same suggestions I always make — get your hair mapped out for miniaturization and find out if you are really losing hair in the white spot area, as well as other areas around your head.