Hair Loss Causes – Page 239

August 16, 2007

Masturbation and Hair Loss, For the Last Time! – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello. I was browsing through your site looking for answers to verify something I was told by a doctor at an online herbal store. What I found was quite the opposite. According to this doctor masturbation can be linked to hair loss among other things. My concern surrounding the matter is I started masturbation at an age before my endocrine system kicked in and I’ve continued the habbit up until now.

Putting all the irrelevant information aside I guess my question is simply; Are you correct or are they?

Normal body functions include masturbation for most healthy men. It does not cause hair loss, but if a man has the gene for hair loss, then they will lose hair even if they did not masturbate. In other words, masturbation does not cause hair loss. I’d say this is one of the most frequent questions I get, and the answer never changes. Site tip: The search box in the top right corner of every page on this site would give you the answer you’re seeking very quickly.

Here’s some examples that I found just by using the search –

Once more, masturbating does not cause you to lose your hair. Do you want to masturbate, but you are afraid of losing your hair because of it? They are not linked! Go nuts! No pun intended.

So to answer your question — I would stay away from people who give you bad advice.

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August 16, 2007

Testosterone Replacement Therapy and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I believe that Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is causing accelerated hair loss. I want to get a hair transplant procedure to correct it or at least cover it up. I am wondering, should I stop the TRT during the time period upto and following the procedure? If so, is there an ideal time period after the transplant during which to stay off? Should I give the hair 3 months of low testosterone to allow it to grow back ok? Would it matter?

Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), if it is a medical issue related to low testosterone levels, is a decision that both you and your prescribing doctor need to address. Normal hair (hair that is not impacted by genetic hair loss) will not be impacted by testosterone, so hair transplants should not be a problem. With that said, you need a Master Plan to determine timing and dosing of medications (including Propecia) in conjunction with a hair transplant. This requires a good doctor. As you are in the Bay Area, we have an office in San Jose and you are welcome to visit us for a consultation. We will do a miniaturization study to establish baselines for following your hair loss. You will not see any salesman, just a competent and experience doctor.

August 15, 2007

Insulin Resistance and Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

What is the relationship between insulin resistance and hair loss?

Stress and/or diseases which are out of balance may increase hair loss. An interesting relationship between high insulin levels is discussed at PubMed — Hormones and hair patterning in men: a role for insulin-like growth factor 1?. This raises an interesting issue that may or may not make sense: Would dropping sugar levels, which will reduce insulin in the blood stream, reduce or stop hair loss?

August 10, 2007

Follow-Up: Are Doctors Promising More Grafts Than Can Possibly Be Delivered? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Re: Are Doctors Promising More Grafts Than Can Possibly Be Delivered?

Hi Dr. Rassman, I appreciate you addressing this very important issue. However, I think you missed the questions on this post. It seems to me the poster is asking if there is really 10,000-15,000 grafts available for transplant in the average male rathar than how many can be transplanted in a single session. I have noticed an increasing number of doctors who are saying this and using it as a basis for giving young men very aggressive hairlines. Can you expound on the issue of how many grafts are typically available?

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The available number of hair follicles for a hair transplant is different in each person. Some of the factors that affect the number of hair grafts are:

Density of hair in donor area. Average density is 2.0 hairs per square millimeter. It could vary significantly from person to person and between different ethnic groups. The actual donor area may represent 30% of your original hair (the rim around the head) of which half are possibly harvestable (in theory). This would reflect about half of the 30% of the original or 15,000 hairs (reflecting about 8000 grafts).
The size of the head also affects the size of donor area. Bigger heads with similar hair density have larger numbers of donor hair. Unfortunately, bigger heads have larger baldikng areas.
The average number of hair in each follicular unit is also important. People with higher density will have less single hairs and more groups of three and four hairs. In those who may have densities of 3 hairs per mm2 (150,000 hairs on such a head) the harvestable hair will be higher and may run as high as 45,000 hairs or 22,000 grafts (theory of what can be harvested). Actually harvesting these high numbers is more the exception than the rule.

Considering all these above factors, you can calculate the possible number of grafts and add to it the effectiveness of those hairs in producing appearance of fullness. It is true that in an average man with an average sized head, with average hair density (2.0 per mm2), and an average number of hairs per each follicular unit (~2), you can remove about 10,000 grafts safely, but this number can vary significantly and other factors should be considered in this equation.

This number is driven from a simple calculation that needs to be done for every patient when planning a hair transplant. Obviously since there are a lot of variables involved, this number can vary significantly, but is still easily assessable.

You asked about using such numbers for justifying an aggressive hairline. I occasionally have to create a thinner hairline due to scarcity of donor hair considering all of the above factors. I strongly believe that normal placement of a hairline in the ‘mature position’ is the correct location for a hairline. The Master Plan I keep talking about determines the distribution of harvestable hair in a worst case scenario, so that no matter what happens to the patient, no matter how much hair loss occurs with age, the patient will ALWAYS look normal. The quality of the donor hair is also very crucial for making the decisions in the Master Plan. I will, once again, list the factors that make up the elements for calculating transplant grafts in a solid Master Plan:

Hair thickness (the thicker the hair, the more volume it will produce, so less hair is needed for a given result).
Hair curliness (the curlier hair generally appears fuller and less hair is needed to produce the same appearance).
Contrast of the hair color and skin tone (the higher the contrast the more hair is needed to produce the appearance of fullness).
Donor density and scalp laxity will determine the ‘number of grafts’ that are available at any one point in time.

As you see, decision making is complex and many factors are involved. So available hair follicles are only part of this and other factors, including hair quality, should be taken into account. I also have to mention the importance of patients having a real expectation and is involved in making decisions on how aggressive we should design the Master Plan. See Medical Publications on the NHI site for more.

August 10, 2007

Hydrocele and Crown Hair Loss? – Balding Blog

Hi, I am experiencing thinning on the top of my head, a bald patch shaped like a number ‘8′ on my crown. I also have a hydrocele which i have had for eight years, could this be a possible reason for the balding, considering that it might affect testosterone? cheers

I doubt that a hydrocele is the cause of hair loss or that it has an affect on your testosterone level. You may have male pattern hair loss. If you are concerned about hair loss, you should see a hair specialist (transplant doctor or dermatologist) to explore medical or surgical options.

August 9, 2007

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

I was taking lipodrene for like 5months to lose some extra body weight. I decide to stop taking it, and when I did I realized that my hair was starting to fall out. It has been 7 months since taking the lipodrene pill and my hair is thinning and I have loss about almost half my hair. It is really noticeable that I have lost my hair. Why is my hair falling out and when is it going to stop and finally grow back. What hair growing shampoo should I use to help it grow back?

I am going to assume that you are a female and that what you are telling me about is not genetic hair loss. I do not know why your hair is falling out. There may be reasons other than the use of lipodrene, such as anemia, thyroid problems or iron deficiency. You need a physical examination and a good medical history. You may be noticing something coincidental.

I do not know of any hair growing shampoos in existence. It is a buyer beware market.

August 8, 2007

Normal Daily Hair Loss Occurs In Shower? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Dr. Rassman,

Thanks for taking the time to run this blog. It has been very helpful to me in understanding hair loss.

I’ve looked through the archives but have been unable to find any answers to a particular question I have. I know that it’s normal to lose between 100 to 150 hairs per day. Of course, the most obvious times for discovering this hair loss is when taking a shower (looking at your hands after putting shampoo in hair, seeing the hairs on the shower floor) or when waking up from a night’s sleep and seeing hairs on the pillow. By counting these hairs, I suppose it gives some indication of how many hairs one is losing, but hair must be falling out throughout the day as well. My question is what percentage, on average, of normal daily hair loss falls out during hair washing? It seems like I expend about 50% of my daily allowance of normal hair loss in the shower. What a amount of hair loss is normal when washing hair, in your estimation? I think knowledge of this might help alleviate some anxiety about whether the amount of hair loss I’m experiencing is normal. Since it’s difficult to know how much hair is falling out during other parts of the day, it would at least be helpful to know how much is normal during those times when hair loss is easier to guage.

Also, I know that you recommend a miniturization study to truly determine whether atypical hair loss is occurring, but, to my knowledge, I don’t have access to anyone who can do such a study anywhere near where I live. So, I’m hoping your response to this question will give me some indication about the normality of my hair loss.

Thanks for your time and efforts.

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Hair shedding is uniform, but clearly when you massage the hair (in the shower) or abrade it on your pillow, the loose hair that is about to fall out, will fall out a few hours ahead of your genetic schedule. That is why we suggest that you do not really rub hard in the shower and use a wide-tonged hair brush for combing, as it does not pull on the hair. I am sure that if you paid attention to what comes off in the comb or on your fingers in the shower, you are seeing more for that period of time when compared to never washing your hair.

August 8, 2007

Do the Corners Recede First in a Maturing Hairline? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

hi doc.with regards to a mature hairline, do the corners recede first and the middle afterwards or should the hairline all recede at the same time? as the corners recede further than the centre i am assuming they recede first,is this correct?? Thanks

A maturing hairline is not related to balding. It occurs as early as in the teenage years to the early twenties and may complete as late as 30. It may start from the corners or from the middle or both. In general, the corners seem to recede or thin out slightly faster causing one to panic and think they are going bald. The Norwood Class 3 balding pattern does have corner recession as well. When I see these patients in my office for a miniaturization study, I find that most of the time the miniaturization of their hair is only limited to the very front (indicating that they are likely not balding) if it is just a maturing hairline.

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August 7, 2007

Lost Hair in Left Side of My Hairline — Now It’s Just Growing Back – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello Doctor,
I am a 26 year old male. Recently, I have lost hair around the left side of my hairline. My hairline has risen on that side dramatically. Now it seems small/thin hairs are starting to sporadicly regrow in their place. Does this typically happen when a mature hairline is transforming? Does hair often fall out for no apparent reason and grow back sporadicly?

Symmetry is the key ingredient in the perception of beauty. Unfortunately, most of us are not perfectly symmetrical and it is not unusual for the tranformation to a mature hairline to be unsymetrical. Your eyes, nose, ears, teeth, and even hairline is never perfectly symmetric. When one start to lose hair from MPB or even a maturing hairline it will likely be more pronounced on one side and the other side may play ‘catch-up’ when it takes its turn falling out. You may be seeing the hairs going through their natural cycles, but you need a good examination and a miniaturization study for that assessment to find out if you have genetic balding in the frontal area.

August 7, 2007

My Hair Falls Out After Dying It – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have died my hair brown to black and when my roots came back I died it black again and now everytime I take a shower or brush my hair some of it falls out. I cant afford to go to a salon and have it done. What do I do?

Dying hair should not cause hair loss unless your skin develops reaction to the chemical components of the dye or you are damaging the hair. Any skin reaction or inflammation of the scalp can cause hair loss or precipitate the underlying genetic hair loss process. Make sure you are using a good and reputable brand when you want to dye your hair. If it is an allergic reaction it may happen with any brand. If your hair loss is due to a reaction to dye, you should grow it back in about 6 months unless you burned the hair root (then it would not grow back).

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