Category: Hair Loss Causes

I’ve have consistent diffuse hairloss universally around my head for about a year and a half, to the point where I believe I’ve lost about 60-70% of my hair. Many of the hairs that fall have large white plugs attached to them (see pictures), which I believe may be sebum.

Is this in fact sebum? Can these plugs cause diffuse hairloss? Any idea what may cause them or what might treat them? So far, I’ve tried zinc, ketoconazole, salicylic acid, coal tar, and other “sebum reducing” shampoos. I have also been on propecia for 6 months, but with no noticeable reduction in the pace of my loss.

Sebum is a waxy substance from the production of oil from your sebaceous glands. It can be seen on ends of hair follicles that fall out but this does not mean you have a hair loss condition or disease process (because of the sebum). There are products that claim better control of sebum and Internet posts that claim the sebum is the cause of hair loss. It generally makes for great marketing campaign to sell a product to those who are looking for a hair loss cure. Sebum does not cause hair loss, if it did, the many men and women on skid-row would be balding as they often do not shampoo their hair and reduce their sebum buildup. If you are experiencing diffuse hair loss, I doubt sebum is the root cause (no pun intended). You need to see a doctor for your hair loss condition to establish a good diagnosis.

Do Indian heads undergo maturing? My father started going bald at the age of 35 and my grandfather at 40. However my mother’s side is devoid of any kind of MPB. My question is my temples have undergone receding corresponding to the MATURE hairline that I read in this website. Is this normal for an Indian male like me? Also there is no further thinning, as far as I know and my hairline has remained the same for the past 1-1.5 years. Can I safely call it a maturing hairline and put all my mental worries and tension aside? This is killing me and I hope you read this and help me and my case.

Almost all men have some form of maturing hair line as they transition into adulthood. About 5% of Caucasian men maintain part of all of the child;s hairline well into maturity (former presidents Reagan and Clintoon). Maturing hair lines are not considered balding. Balding in the form of androgenic alopecia (AGA) also called Male Pattern Balding (BMP) is genetic and is inherited from your mother or father (close to 50/50); however, it does not always follow a predictable pattern and you may have the balding pattern where your immediate family members do not. There is no specific cure to reverse genetic male pattern balding or maturing of a hair line and even the drug Propecia (finasteride) which works so well on genetic balding does not stop the maturing hairline from appearing.

I was taking name brand propecia for one year with fantastic results. After one year (July of 2013) I switched to generic finasteride. In July of 2014 i didnt notice any difference in the Generic version. recently (janurary 2015 – present) I have experienced significant hair loss (My thinning has progressed to its worst point ever). I am attributing the sudden and significant hair loss to stressful events that occured around july of 2014 and have been ongoing till present day. If I obtained by generic finasteride from my doctor and through
my local US pharmacy. Am i guaranteed my dose was legitimate and my significant hair loss can be contributed to stressful events? I am currently blaming the Generic finasteride for the massive hair thinning.

In general brand name drugs and generic drugs are the same. The difference is the cost, color, or shape of the pill. The active drug ingredient is the same. I personally cannot guarantee this but most of the patients use the generic form of Propecia and do well. I hear (rather read) on occasion on the Internet and this blog that some have noticed a change when switching from a brand name to a generic. If you are noticing something different, I would follow up with your doctor and consider other options (such as switching back).

Am 25 yrs old. I am suffering from hair fall since 3 yrs. Am not bald but scared that i might get bald in next 2-3 yrs. wen i suffer more hair fall, shortening and regrowing hair gives me good result, but as the hair grows longer,again i suffer more hair fall..over these 2 yrs, i can say my hair has thinned and reduced in density .consulted dermatologist and i was suggested to use minoxidil topical solution(mx-10) + finasteride. I don’t have hereditary. As my dad and grand dad has good hair… so using minoxidil + finasteride is a good move?. after gaining hair back, can i stop using minoxidil as i don’t have hereditary?

Genetic male pattern balding is hereditary but it does not always follow a specific inheritance pattern. If you have the gene for male pattern balding there is no definite cure. There are medications such as Propecia and Rogain to help slow down and even reverse some hair loss but in the long term it is not a complete solution. The first thing you must do is establish a good diagnosis by your doctor and come up with a long term Master Plan and treatment plan. We have written many times that even those people who appear not to be balding but have balding in their families, can be balding and would not know it unless they lost more than 30% of their hair. We can detect that level of hairloss in our office with a special instrument that measures the hair bulk in various parts of your scalp and compares it to the back of the head where balding never really occurs. IF you should have clinically detectable hair loss with out instruments, then taking drugs like finasteride work great to slow it, stop it or reverse it.

If you don’t have genetic male pattern balding, Propecia will not help. This is why you need to talk with your doctor and have a good understanding of your long term goals and plans.
Rogaine and Propecia are long term medications. You don’t just take it to try it you come to a doctors’s office and get your hair bulk measured.

On the day of my surgery I took an lozenge for my sore throat. Later I realized in horror it contained a NSAID (Flurbiprofen 8.75mg).

There was no excessive bleeding during or after the surgery. However I’m afraid that the NSAID caused just enough bleeding to dislodge many grafts and they popped out without any signs during the first hair wash 18 hours after the procedure.

I do not understand the basis of your “horror”. Please follow up with your doctor.

In general many patients take pain medication on the day or even during surgery. This includes NSAIDS. In general NDAIDS have a slight bleeding risk.

Hi Dr. Rassman , I have been taking one Tab. Beta sitosterol (375 Mg containing Total Plant sterols at 1000 Mg ) along with Propecia / Finasteride ( 1 Mg )every day daily , as I wanted to combine the Natural with the Prescription , Please note that I am taking Generic Finasteride .I have been doing this from the pat 4 months in the effort to Stop my Hair Loss , recently last few days I am Noticing quiet a bit of “Hair Shedding” in my shower , I am quiet Upset , Can you please tell me if the Beta sitosterol and Finasteride combo is Lowering the DHT Too Much and that is in effect worsening My Hair Sheds? OR do you think they both have No Connection with each other in terms of Action and Pathways of blocking DHT are different !? Can Too Low DHT cause the hair follicles to shed OR as Beta sitosterol Lowers Cholosterol also , Maybe the Lower Cholestrol is causing the sheds? Please Help me on this , I am in Real Distress !

According to WebMD, “Beta-sitosterol is a substance found in plants. Chemists call it a “plant sterol ester.” It is found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. It is used to make medicine”. It is not a drug.

In general hair loss in men is genetic and there is no stopping it. There are medications such as Propecia (finasteride) to slow it down, postpone, or even grow hair in the short term, but in the long term the genetic predisposition will win out. This time course is variable for each individual.

I do not think drug interaction has much to do with genetic hair loss. Sometimes people try to explain or blame their hair loss with certain events or medications, but the most obvious cause is that it is just the way you were pre-programmed when you were born with the genes. If you want to take this any further, the best recommendation is that you seek a doctor for an examination and possible treatment options.

I’d simply like to ask if a Scalp Micropigmentation procedure would doable despite a patients sensitive scalp due to seborrheic dermatities?

There seems to be no definitive answer I have on this so I ask on here.

Essentially my goals for hair restoration would be to fill in the frontal third + thinning midscalp portion of my head with a transplant procedure, and then either opt for Scalp Micropigmentation on the thinning areas moving forward – so I can maintain a buzzcut with texture and an illusion of density/hairs. This would be due to the fact that I would probably continue to lose more hair without medications (I’ve reacted very negatively to finasteride – lots of sides that I know aren’t smply in my head)

I am wondering if this would be achievable given the scalp condition w/ sebhorric dermatitis? I wouldn’t mind going for a scalp micropigmentation procedure with a respected clinic in order to create an illusion of a hairline with a buzz, but I want it to feel like it’s not simply flat skin, so I would combine it with some FUE.

Do you thing this is a realistic expectation?

Seborrheic dermatitis is an inflammatory skin condition. Many patients have successfully had a hair transplant and SMP with seborrheic dermatitis.

With respect to your specific condition and your expectation, I cannot comment since I do not know you nor have I examined you. Everyone is different and you won’t know the answer to your question unless you see a doctor face to face.

As we commonly see that men display their balding pattern by their late 20s, it’s sometimes surprising to see how much hair was present in people’s old photos.

A most striking example is Mickey Rooney, who managed to appear in a very thick head of hair into his 30s, only to go Norwood 7 later in life. Richard Attenborough, who held quite a thick head of hair when he was 31, encountered a similar fate.

Then there’s nobelist Max Planck, who eventually went very slick bald, but only seemed to have a very persistent forelock in his 40s, Igor Stravinsky, to a less abrupt degree, and Eli Wallach, who… well, might have just worn wigs a few of times, after all.

What do you think, Dr. R? Are we seeing some of the more rare exceptions here, or is it time that we take a closer look at the pictures….

Most men (if they have the genes) will go through the hair loss pattern starting in their 20’s and 30’s. There are always exceptions to the rule. There are also wigs, make up, and creative hair styling that may confound the normal observation.

Hi I really wanted to know whether gently rubbing your eyebrows while washing your face could do any damage to them in the long run and if I have been doing it quite frequently.

“Gently” rubbing eyebrows or just plainly washing your face and eyebrows (or any part of your body) should not damage the hair or cause hair loss. Habitual rubbing and pulling of hair over the long term such as in trichotillomania can cause permanent hair loss.

Hello. What is the advantage of Long Hair FUE, don’t the transplant hairs fall out quick anyway? Is it to just avoid shaving? And can you not shave on both the donor and transplant site? Thank you.

One aspect of having a FUE procedure is that you need to shave the donor area. This can be a difficult proposition when you are having a discrete cosmetic procedure and have to go back to work in a week. Long hair FUE avoids shaving.

The recipient area does not need to be shaved.