Age – Page 16 – Balding Blog

January 15, 2010

My Hair Started Rapidly Thinning in My Mid-40s – Balding Blog

Hi Doctor

I am male age 47 and my hair has been thinning very very rapidly over the last 5 months. Prior to this I just had normal daily hair loss which was unnoticeable. Is this normal at age 47 and also do you think propecia will grow back my hair given that i’m 47

Thank you

I am unclear as to why you are losing your hair so rapidly. What you’re describing is not usual, but certainly male pattern baldness is a possibility. Medications such as Propecia may help, but that is ONLY if you have androgenic (male pattern) balding. You need a good examination and a diagnosis before thinking of treatment options.

January 8, 2010

I’m a Teen Worried About Hair Loss – What Should I Do? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

sir,
i have seen your ht results. truly fantastic. congrats.

now my problem is my dad’s bald but none of his brothers (4) are bald. i have had a big forehead and recession in temples from childhood which is hereditary even for my uncles. so i dont know whether i will have hairloss in future? i am 19 years old (nw 2) now. what shall i do?

also i dont know when to start propecia or rogaine. to add further, i heard propecia decreases cancer risk but if a person still gets it, then he will get a very dangerous form of cancer. is it true? plus will propecia cause male breast cancer? i dont know what to do but i want to keep my hair at least up to 55 or so. but i am scared about these info’s here about the side effects? could u please guide me. it would be so nice of you if you mail me answering to my queries and tell me what i shall do to keep my hair on.

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Teen At the age of 19 and a Class 2 Norwood scale balding, you are not a candidate for surgery. If you are really balding, then you will have the appearance of miniaturization in the hair on your head. In that case, the drug finasteride is the best way to stop the balding problem in men who are balding in the earliest stage. Get a good doctor to review your personal situation and please do not have a surgery under any circumstances.

I’ve been getting a lot of similar emails from teens that want to take medication before they need to, or want me to tell them if they’re going bald based on 2 sentences they email to me. I’m going to make this as easy as possible for everyone to digest, and there’s no better way than an itemized list…

You have a family history of hair loss, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you will experience loss to the same degree or at all. It can skip generations.
Some refer to the corners of the hairline as the temples. Corner recession could be the maturing of the hairline. Recession of the actual temples will usually not see benefit from medication and surgery will likely be required to restore them.
I can’t tell you when you should start on Propecia (finasteride), as it is a prescription medication and therefore must be prescribed by your physician. Generally speaking, you shouldn’t take medication as a preventive medication against hair loss anyway. Everyone is different, and some men will need the medication at 18 years old, while others will need it at 35. It depends on when you’re experiencing miniaturization and to what degree. A 25 year old man already showing thinning in the Norwood Class 7 pattern will not benefit from Propecia unless it is caught early and still it may not do much more than stop the loss from occurring.
Propecia side effects are real, but they are also quite rare. Internet reports are unverified and overblown (some people will post the same basic negative messages over and over under different usernames across different sites). The major health concerns that you brought up (prostate and breast cancer) are worth considering, but more information needs to be collected. Studies into these types of issues might have been minimal, but the FDA lists the medication as safe and effective, and I’ve seen the effectiveness first hand (and have posted many photo results on this site).
Get a good, caring doctor who has an interest in hair loss. Most often they build their expertise in the surgery of hair transplants, but there are many good doctors who care enough about their patients that they will not be trigger happy and rush you into a surgery before you are ready. Check the physician search at ISHRS to get started.

January 4, 2010

Hair Loss InformationRegrowing Hair from Years Ago and the Power of Positive Thinking – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Dr and thanks for your time.

I am a 34 year old male and have been thinning for roughly 12-14 years. I feel I used to shed ridiculously bad- I would tug at the hair kind of obsessively and lose around, I dont know, 100-200 per day. This went on for 10+ years but I have since slowed the loss to tolerable levels, say 5-25 hairs per day with improved diet (which I swear had a lot to do with it) and minoxidil 5% 1X per day. My main thin spot is on the vertex, or top of the head, not bald, but somewhat thin, where I really want regrowth. For the past 6-8mos I have been applying minoxodil 2X per day, and recently I decided to take propecia at .5 mg every other day.

I know people say it is hard to regrow hair lost years ago, but I have read of people who do it using finasteride and minoxidil. Have you witnessed this and if so what is the oldest hair lost you have seen men regrow? I have heard of people in their 40s doing this from 5-10 yr old hair loss… I am aware that all meds work better on people who have lost hair recently, and are younger. Also, if the placebo effect worked in some finasteride trials, (even if slightly) what is the power of positive thought here? Thank you very much.

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I believe in positive thinking, but I can not say that I have seen it grow hair lost years ago. I think that everything you did has worked for you a little here and a little there — and by that, I mean the medication you’re using and when you stopped the pulling on your hair.

As for the oldest regrowth from finasteride that I’ve seen, well, I have a 79 year old friend who went on Proscar for his prostate and had the great unexpected cosmetic benefit of hair growth when taking a medication for his health. Generally speaking, this is a rarity.

December 30, 2009

Hair Loss Information13 Year Old’s Crown Hair is Shorter Than the Rest of the Scalp – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

the hair in my crown area is short, not bald but shorter than the rest of my hair. everything else is fine. im only 13 and i dont want to be bald, especially at this age.

is there something wrong with me? and if there is how can i fix it?

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I have yet to see a healthy 13 year old bald young man, but I can’t say if there’s something wrong with you. We haven’t established whether what you’re seeing is actually even hair loss. Perhaps you had a bad hair cut? Sometimes if you look at yourself in the mirror or woke up from sleep with bed-hair, your crown area can look thin. This does not mean you are balding. I’d give it some time and let the hair on your crown grow longer.

You should see a doctor for a mapping of your scalp and hopefully the examination will not show miniaturization in the crown. Get your parents involved and let them know what you’re going through. It could just be that you’re looking for something that isn’t there.

December 21, 2009

Hair Loss InformationI Just Turned 40 and Have Some Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi,
I have been on minox for the last 10 years when I noticed my hair started to thin and have managed to keep it fairly well. About 1-2 years ago I started on Dutasteride (I know you don’t recommend this) as I felt I saw an increase in thinning of my hear, especially in the crown region).

I have seen a few times that you have indicated that hairloss may be less aggressive after you are 40+.

As I’ve just turned 40 and have some hairloss, I’m of course curious if I maybe statistically have an increased chance to keep the remainder of my hair?

Kind regards

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It is true that in general men’s hair loss tend to slow down as they age (after 40 years old, etc), but the cause of hair loss in the great majority of men is due to genetics. So while you might be an exception to the statistical rule, you could find that these statistics don’t apply to you.

December 17, 2009

In the News – Hair Loss from High Chlorine Shuts Down Jr High School Pool – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

Mount Vernon’s Junior High School pool shuts down after it tested positive for high amounts of chlorine.

The school district was notified Wednesday by parents of possible high amounts of chlorine in the pool.

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Read the full article — School pool shut down for high chlorine levels

The problem was discovered at the Mount Vernon, Indiana junior high when parents reported their children had rashes and hair loss. Chlorine is known to cause or accelerate hair loss, particularly at higher levels. It may be just a topical effect and if so, will reverse.

December 7, 2009

Propecia Expectations for Extreme Cases – Balding Blog

A few days ago there was a post on your blog, the question was asking the effectiveness of finasteride in the time of a year, at the end of the first paragraph of your responce you talk about how effective it is in men at a young age unless they are headed for NW3 by age 23. Why is it different for men of that extreme case and what can they expect from taking finasteride? Is it pointless for them?

If there was confusion, allow me to clarify. Propecia should work better in men who are actively balding and have progressive miniaturization of their hair. The thicker the hair shafts are in the miniaturization process, the better the Propecia will work. People who have ‘twigs’ for hair (those at the end of the miniaturization process in the affected areas) or those who have completely lost their hair in the impacted pattern, are unlikely to get regrowth or thickening of the hair shafts, which is probably the way Propecia works anyway.

This drug may not work as well if you are heading to a Norwood Class 6 or 7 with existing balding areas, particularly if the miniaturization process is nearing the end of its process. For the very young man in his early 20s, advanced balding patterns are indications of an aggressive balding process and the drug may be less effective than those with mild (Class 3) balding patterns. If you lost all your hair in a Class 6 or 7 pattern or have been a Class 3 for years with little change, for example, Propecia probably will not be much benefit, because the hair is long since gone. Moreover, for reasons unknown, Propecia is reported to work best in the top/crown areas, not over the frontal areas.

November 19, 2009

Hair Loss InformationIn the News – Dr Farjo’s Plea for Age Limits on Hair Transplants – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

One of the UK’s leading cosmetic surgeons is calling for age restrictions on hair transplant surgery, after seeing an alarming rise in the number of teenage boys wanting to go under the knife.

Dr Bessam Farjo, co-founder of The Farjo Medical Centre and past President of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, has seen a 23 per cent increase in enquiries coming from men aged 20 years or under over the past 12 months. Some of the enquiries the centre has received have come from the parents of boys as young as 16-years-old.

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Read the full article Plea For Age Limits On Hair Transplant Surgery

I’m glad Dr. Farjo is speaking out about this. I get quite a few emails from teens asking for surgical advice, but you must understand that hair transplantation should not be an option until you’re an adult. It’s not like getting a nose job, where once it’s done, it’s done. Hair loss is progressive.

I’ll give you an example: You know how you can see those old, ugly hair plugs on some men that had surgery many years ago? They likely didn’t see those plugs of doll’s hair at the time, but as the hair loss progressed around the plugs, those very plugs that were adding fullness to their hair eventually became the focal point of their scalp. Granted, today’s techniques are different in terms of appearance, but my point is that your hair loss will likely progress to some extent and you don’t want that touch-up work that you had at an early age be the only thing you have on your head as an adult. This is exactly why I mention the need for a Master Plan. Think long term!

November 9, 2009

Can I Let My 15 Year Old Son Use Minoxidil Until He’s Old Enough for Propecia? – Balding Blog

My question is for Dr Rassman: I have a 15 year old son who seems to be losing his hair (from the crown only – mpb in the family). I understand that Propecia is not suitable until he is 18. Is it worth using Rogaine until then and at what strength? Based on your experience how successful do you think it would be in retaining the hair he has until he is old enough to try the Propecia?

I know you have to deal with many questions but I would be so very grateful for your reply.

A worried mum.

I am reluctant to recommend Propecia (finasteride) for someone that young, but I and many other doctors have done this provided that your family doctor goes along with it. I have allowed my young patients to use Rogaine (minoxidil), starting off with 2% and moving up to 5% in the crown, if his family doctor does not want to use Propecia.

One thing to keep in mind — benefits from minoxidil are not kept by finasteride and vice versa. In other words, if he sees positive results from Rogaine and then decides years later that he wants to take just Propecia, it won’t maintain what Rogaine has kept.

November 5, 2009

My Teen Daughter is Losing Hair — What Should She Do? – Balding Blog

Is their a Dr.in the Sacramento area who specializes in hair loss. My 18 year old daughter has been experiencing hair loss for about a year. I took her to the Dr. last year and was told it was probably due to stress. Her blood work showed no abnormalities. She has another appointment soon. I am thinking it could be heredity. My father stated losing his hair at 18. I have Kaiser Insurance and I don’t think they are going to do a whole lot to figure out what is going on with her hair loss. What would be the next step? Should she be referred to a Dermatologist? If you could give some assistance, that would be appreciated, thanks.

Women’s hair loss is very different from men’s hair loss. Finding the source of the female thinning isn’t as simple as looking to the history of hair loss from the male side of the family. You should take a look at the female hair loss category of this site and read the many posts on the subject. A doctor who specializes in hair transplantation and has the intellectual capacity to analyze it may be able to help. Usually this is an elimination process for known causes.

I would be happy to give you an opinion, but you would have to fly to Los Angeles to see me. Or Dr. Pak goes to our San Jose office and may be a first start to the process of analysis. It’s not quite Sacramento, but it’s closer than Los Angeles. If not, you can try the physician search at ISHRS.org.