Category: Hair Loss Causes

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Aluminum and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

what do you think of this one doc, aluminum (as found in deodorants, etc) as the cause of toxicity hair loss?

important distinction, will bacterial infections and other things that cause hair loss cause miniaturization, or is that only hormones that will cause miniaturization?!?!

AluminumThere are know elements that can cause hair loss when one is exposed to them in high concentrations. These include:

  • lead
  • cadmium
  • mercury
  • iron
  • aluminum
  • copper
  • manganese
  • chromium
  • arsenic
  • titanium

From a practical point of view, I have never seen/recognized these in my practice, so all I can reference is what I read. When there is hair loss in a male, think of a genetic cause first as it is most probable. Anything that causes stress in such men (infections, for example) can precipitate the hair loss process. The presence of any of these substances (like aluminum) will most probably not be absorbed in any concentration to produce hair loss.

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Hair Loss InformationWhat Kind of Doctor Can Make a Master Plan? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi dr. rassman, i just would like to get some feedback from you on my situation. i had been noticing some recession/loss in front and went to see the dermatologist. he said it was early signs of MPB and told me to get on propecia/minoxidil. at that point (which was less than a month ago), i didn’t really notice any appearance of scalp. however, now after being on the treatments, it seems like it’s getting worse with thinning and areas of scalp becoming apparent in the front. is this normal in such a short period? eg getting worse before getting better? it’s kind of scary, considering i’m supposed to be on medications to make it better. should i be worried?

also you speak alot about finding a doctor to work with and form a plan, etc. what type of doctor are you referring to? a dermatologist? a hair transplant specialist?

i appreciate any advice/information. thank you.

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It is just your comments that are critical to understanding the need for a Master Plan to deal with questions about your hair loss, how it is progressing, and what the treatment is actually doing to modify your loss. A doctor with a great deal of experience in following hair loss is often the experienced hair transplant surgeon or a good dermatologist with an interest in such problems. The doctor must have incorporated miniaturization studies to establish a metric baseline for seeing the impact of time and drugs on the hair loss between each visit. Most important, you must like the doctor and he/she must be caring and understanding of your concerns. My expertise is in seeing thousands of patients over the past 16 years that have had hair loss from aging over time, and the impact of various treatments such as drugs and hair transplants. I think that if you review this blog you will see the importance of experience.

With regard to your experience with the early treatment of your hair loss, you must be patient and wait out at least 8 months to see the effects of the drugs you are using. Everyone responds differently, so ask your doctor if you have questions on your response.

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Bald Spot from Dirty Clippers, Part 2 – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I was wondering if you could get anything that would cause hair loss from dirty clippers. I read one blog but still feel that the answer was not there. I am very sorry to bother you but it is very important to me. I know there is a thousand things that cause hair loss but I have never heard that Dirty or Clean Clippers could cause any of it. Except lice of course! Thanks for responding.

Sincerely, Interested reader

I did answer a similar question before, but perhaps I wasn’t clear. I would highly doubt that dirty clippers could be the cause of hair loss, particularly if it did not cut into the skin by accident. Is your hair loss diffuse, or do your have small patches of hair loss? These are all things one needs to know before assessing the real cause of hair loss. I hope this helps.

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Every Time I Cut My Hair Short with Clippers, Areas of Hair Don’t Grow Back! – Balding Blog

For years I have been using hairs clippers with a #1 or #2 guard to cut my hair. Each time after using the clippers I recieve several areas of hair that either don’t grow back or only fine little hairs show. There is never any scalp or blood present after using the clippers…sometimes I will feel a pinch. I have seen several doctors with no success…they simply don’t know. I’m forced at this point to keep it short…if not the hairs grows out very stringy and thin. Also, my most recent haircut resulted in my hair line at my temples being removed…my hairline is now over my ears instead of starting in front of my ears.

Finally, I swim twice a week…use chlorine shampoo and eat a very health diet. I have a full head hair with a limited amount of thinning at the crown…I’m 38 years of age. HELP

From what you are telling me, it almost sounds like you are starting to recede your hairline at the temples, which may be a sign of male pattern baldness (MPB). The miniaturized hairs that are impacted by the genetics grows slowly, if it grows at all — or perhaps the chlorine may even be harmful to your hair. Before I could provide a real answer your question, you’d need to have a miniaturization study to rule out MPB or other medical causes of hair loss. Please consult a doctor who is experienced in this field.




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Mixed Causes of Hair Loss for Mother and Son – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Tonight I read a very interesting page on the site of the American Hair Loss Association with a list of prescription drugs that can “cause temporary hair loss, trigger the onset of male and female pattern baldness, and even cause permanent hair loss”. I began this research for my 52 year old mother, who after recently having a heart attack, began taking Lipitor, Coreg, Plavix and Altace. I love her and it breaks my heart that she is having to endure a cosmetic issue in addition to everything else. Imagine my surprise when I found that six drugs I have taken for significant periods over the last 10 years were also listed: Paxil, Zoloft, Tazorac (Vitamin A derivative), Retin-A, Synthroid and Tapazole for hyperthyroidism.

How my heart sank.

For about two years, I have been trying to cope with my rapidly thinning hair and temporal recession at age 23. And I really haven’t. If anything, my attitude has gotten worse as it has progressed. I take my Propecia religiously, and I avoid myself in the mirror. It makes me sick – but now there is something that makes me even sicker.

Previously, my abundant good sense would have told me that if my baldness were medicinally linked, pattern baldness, which is genetic, would not present itself, and all hair loss would be reversed upon cessation of the medication. I believe, given the lovely cocktail of drugs I have been absorbing since age 12, I have “triggered the onset of pattern baldness”. The slim chance of (I’m guessing) 10% that one of these drugs would induce what probably would have happened 30 years later increased to 60%. I am sort of fuming – piping hot..really, really angry about this.

Luckily, I am entering a stage in my life where I’m realizing my genetic predisposition to certain diseases. Cancer, Heart Disease, Grave’s Disease, Diabetes and Depression are all thrown in to make my life more interesting. I am trying to realize this and lead a healthy life, taking as many preventative measures as I can. While it does make me angry, the thought of one of my conditions not being caused by faulty genes, and instead by medications to treat what those faulty genes caused, rather makes me sort of hopeful. I am off the acne, depression and thyroid medications, so is there some treatment I could begin specific to my case, and possibly, many other cases? Surely my only option isn’t Propecia. Is there something else I can do to reverse the damage Vitamin A, SSRI’s, and thryroid medications caused? And what can my poor mother do?

I apologize in advance for dropping such a tangled complexity in your lap. Please help us.

Thank you

You are certainly pouring your heart out and taking too much blame for what is going on. We take medications when we are in need of them; some can cause hair loss. Both you and your mother need to see a good doctor. I wish I could offer more than just a physician recommendation, but without an examination I just don’t see this being quite that simple.

As you are on the east coast of the US, I can recommend Dr. Robert Bernstein in New York, who can develop a Master Plan for both you and your mother. The information you supplied is packed with interesting stuff and many readers may find your experience helpful. Thank you for sending this. Good luck.


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Does This Sound Like Natural Balding? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi,

Im 34 and I have been experiencing hair loss (gradual) for more than 10 yrs now.

Things observed during these yrs.

  1. Hair loss, thinning of hair etc.
  2. Hair falling out from the root/base.
  3. Lack of natural oil secretion from scalp
  4. Itchy scalp (flacking)
  5. Oil massage has not helped me.
  6. Very thin new hair – at the areas of hair loss

Just wondering if its fungal etc or just natural balding. Pls let me know what you think about my case.

Thanks much in advance.

Without examining you it is impossible to say much from your listings above. Is the hair thin all over the head, including the back and sides? As you are not clear about this, I can not tell if you are changing hair character or are experiencing genetic thinning/balding. Some of the items on the list, like reduced oil secretions and itchy scalp, go together and may reflect changes in genetic balding.

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My Dermatologist and My Hair Doctor Disagreed About Propecia – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I’m 33. About 6 months ago I went to see a ht doc, and my doctor and dermatologist. The ht transplant doc prescribed propecia and told me to come back in a year, but my doc and the derm would not. My doc said you could see a little of my scalp on top but nothing out of the ordinary. The derm said, along with my family history, that “there are no signs of mpb and your hairline is strong.” But I had bad imflammation, he prescribed Luxiq, a topical steroid, but I have been feeling like I was losing more than normal/thinner than normal. About a month ago, I started the propecia, just to see how it went, because I was nervous about losing anymore.

The inflammation has only gotten worse, and now in the last few days, I am shedding like crazy! My head does not itch, it is just a dull pain/feeling on the vertex. The last few days I lose up at least 50 hairs so easily when styling my hair for just a minute – much, much more than ever before. I’m afraid to even touch it.

So – can you shed on propecia if you arent actually actively losing hair? Does the shedding hint that I actually am losing hair? Also, if I decide now to stop the treatments and follow up again with my derm, will the hair that I’ve shed come back, even after stopping the treatments?

Thanks

I would assume that the hair transplant physician did a miniaturization study to come to the conclusion that you have male pattern balding and that you need Propecia. Eyeballing someone’s scalp is not the equivalent of this. I would make make an appointment with your dermatologist and have him/her recheck you since you are having more problems. I can not tell you what is going on without knowing what your dermatologist is treating with the steroids. Having said that, I would doubt that Propecia is causing your hair loss.

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Did Chemical Relaxers Permanently Damage My Hair? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am a 25 year old African American male and I have been relaxing my hair since I was 15 now my hair is very thin and I know its because of the relaxers because baldness does not run in my family, I have been wearing my hair natural for the last 4 months and i’ve bought Rogaine and have been using it for the last three days do you think it will work for me in any way or have I permantly damaged my hair? If there is anything I can do and what products do you suggest? Because i’m so afraid of being bald or keeping my hair this thin.

Thank you for reading
God Bless

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Although chemical relaxers can cause damage to hair, you need to be examined by a properly trained physician to make sure you do not have another reason for your hair loss. With your long term use of chemicals and heat, there is a high probability that you have damaged your hair. A miniaturization study would definitely help to understand the role of MPB in your hair. Without knowing the true cause of your hair loss it is hard for me to recommend a treatment.

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Sudden Hair Loss — Was it Stress, Fish Oil, Hair Product, or Genetics? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dear Dr. Rassman,

I think it is great that you have this blog. I am sure I should come in to see you for a consultation, but first I’d like to see if you can shed any light on my particular circumstance. I am extremely healthy, eat mostly fresh fruits, salads and soy protein powders, but also eat meat, whole grains et cetera. I have worked-out for 25 years and handle stress better than anyone I know (all my friends and family say that too). At the end of June, 2006, I returned from vacation and my THICK, beautiful hair started falling out FAST. In one month I had lost so much it looked like I was going bald and one could easily see my scalp, which was an impossibility before that. The only 3 things I could think of as a cause for the rapid fallout were the following: 1. a very STIFF, THICK, HARD hair product which I had begun using 2 months prior. 2. I had begun taking 12,000 mg’s of fish oil daily upon returning from vacation. 3. A stressful life incident, but I have had so many of those, it doesn’t seem likely that another would affect me. Anyway, I stopped the product, stopped the fish oil, and my stress has increased if anything. By about 6 months out, my hair started to return, but no where near what it had been. People who look at me think I have a good head of hair, but I know it is not what it was. I want it back. Super thick like before. In what I wrote to you, can you identify anything that may have caused this rapid fallout? Or do you think it is best I just come in so you can see my scalp?

Thank you for your time, and have a great day.

I really do not have a good answer for you. Your hair loss could be due to many factors and sometimes a stressful event (emotional, physical, chemical, etc) can trigger a hair loss process. Nobody really understands why, but it is thought that a genetic ’switch’ is turned on and once it is turned on it is difficult to go back to your original state. If your hair loss is due to genetic causes, there are medications such a Propecia (for men only) than can slow the process or even partially reverse the process in the best case (though it will rarely bring your hair back completely).