Drugs – Page 186 – Balding Blog

October 22, 2008

Wrinkles Around Eyes with Propecia Use? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am a 21 year old male that has been using propecia for about the last 9 months, and seems to have shown good effectiveness at preventing further hairloss (I’ve been losing hair since I was about 18). However, recently I have noticed noticable wrinkling around the eye area, and having searched online have found this to be a seemingly not uncommon problem after using propecia. Also, many men report that this doesn’t seem to be reversible after discontinuing treatment. Now I’m not sure whether to stop treatment, because in afew motnsh I’ll still have the lines, but also thinnign hair aswell, so I’m not sure whcih course of action to take.

I searched through medical journals, but I don’t see wrinkles around the eyes being a side effect of Propecia (finasteride 1mg). There was one previous post about that here, but elsewhere on the web I found the PropeciaHelp.com forum thread that discusses it, but many problems tend to be applied to finasteride on that forum without much fact to show it was the medication that caused the issue. If it is indeed an unproven side effect, it is a quite rare one. I don’t believe there is a connection, however.

If you think you have wrinkles around the eyes, I would have to believe that is what you are seeing, but you need to address this with your doctor who prescribed you the medication so they can examine you and make an assessment. The course of action is to see your doctor.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

October 21, 2008

Lost Hair from ScalpMed – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Yeah i just bought scalpmed for men and i am 20 year old male and when i bought the item i had a receding hair line and thin hair. So i applyed scalpmed to my receding hair and about two weeks later my hair was falling out alot faster i iknow i need to stop using scalpmed because was making it worse is there anything i can do to get the air i lost from using scalpmed back!

There may be a money back refund with some products, but I do not believe there is a hair-back refund. Unfortunately most of the time, hair that is lost from genetic balding is permanent. I doubt ScalpMed (which is basically a boutique minoxidil) would cause hair loss from the product itself, but there may be a component of genetic balding that you are noticing. I cannot make a diagnosis of why you are losing you hair over the Internet without an exam. I would suggest you go see a physician if you are concerned about your hair loss.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

October 21, 2008

Rogaine Trigger Shedding, So I Started Propecia and Now I’m Shedding Again! – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Doctor Rassman I am a 28 year old male that noticed that my hair was slightly thinning a little over one year ago. I decided to start taking Rogaine which triggered a major shed. I went to dermatologist who recommended that I stop taking Rogaine and start using Propecia. After about 2 weeks using propecia another shed started that has not stopped. I just started my 7th month on propecia and haven’t seen any signs of my hair loss slowing down or regrowth. Should I stop using the drug or stay the course?

I would want to examine you and perform miniaturization studies on you before you went on these drugs and after. Now add to the complexity that you are reporting a failure of the medications to work and want an explanation from me. That’s a very difficult thing for me to do over the Internet.

Go back to your doctor and ask those very same questions and then follow the advice you are given. Usually, the acceleration of hair cycling that comes about with both Rogaine (minoxidil) and Propecia (finasteride) stop in a few months. I would wonder if you are in an accelerated loss phase from your genetics.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

October 17, 2008

Dermatitis and Minoxidil – Balding Blog

Hello Dr. Rassman,
First of all I’d like to congratulate you and your partners for your wonderful work on hair restoration. Also, I really felt relieved when I came across your website, because I always kind of felt alone since I first started experiencing hair loss (which was about two years ago).

I am 22 years old and although my hair loss story is not a very long one, I think it is a little bizarre, and here’s why. About two – two and a half years ago, in about March 2006, I first started having a lot of dandruff, which was of the dry type though; my scalp skin was dry and felt normal. So, I did not really pay any attention to it, I would just shampoo twice or three times a week and I thought I was alright. Then in the summer, I suddenly started losing hair. I was terrified because I was always proud of my hair – I would even buzz it and still my scalp would show through very little. The dandruff became flakes, the skin dried off completely, and everytime I shampooed (with a zinc pyrithione shampoo) my scalp would get red and irritated. It was a case of “bad seborrehic dermatitis”, my dermatologist told me. So, I had to shampoo with a coal tar and salicilic acid shampoo. So far so good, I thought I would keep it under control like this. But the hair loss continued and I was left with little hair, compared to my previous strong thick hair. Even today, the scalp balance is totally screwed up and if I don’t shampoo one day, my scalp gets oily in a weird way, it kinda looks like something between oil and sweat. My hair has become fine too. Now about hair loss: I had some diffuse thinning, most of it came back although finer and oilier, but lately I see some temple thinning which is quite alarming. I shampoo with Nizoral 2% but I see very little difference, I am trying to dry my scalp to a normal level and it always oils up again. My questions are:

Is the dermatitis killing my hair , causing MPB?

I recently started using Minoxidil, is it any good if the scalp is possibly still infected by dermatitis?

Will propecia, considering I start using it, have any effect on my hair/sebum/hormones on my scalp?

Thanks a lot, I would really appreciate if my mail is posted, I am sure it would help many guys in the same situation as me.

Seborrheic dermatitis should not be a cause of hair loss and it is not caused by an overt infection. I wonder if you have psoriasis.
Minoxidil should not hurt you, but it can make the seborrheic dermatitis worse.
Before trying Propecia, it needs to be determined by your doctor if you really have male pattern baldness. If you do, then Propecia (finasteride 1mg) is the right way to go. Get your hair mapped out for miniaturization and know for sure what you are treating.

October 17, 2008

Preventing Gynecomastia from Propecia? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

If someone developped gynecomastia on propecia and if the condition resolves after stopping the medication. Would you restart Propecia in combination with an aromatase inhibitor (i.e. Arimidex) to prevent gynecomastia in that patient or would recommend to avoid Propecia ?

Thanks

I would think that may be an option. From my personal and clinical experience, I have not put any of my patients on Arimidex (anastrozole), as gynecomastia is very rare. The one patient I recall complained of breast tenderness (there wasn’t much breast tissue growth/enlargement) decided to stop taking Propecia and the condition reversed. Real breast enlargement could be treated surgically in some patients, but you should take that up with your doctor.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

October 15, 2008

Doctor Recommends Vitamins and Biotin for 21 Year Old with Early Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hey Doctor,
I am a 21 year old starting to experience hair loss. For the last year and a half, my temples have receded and the front of my hair is becoming more and more thin. I recently went to a dermatologist, who confirmed that I am experiencing frontal hair loss. The doctor’s diagnosis was not what I was expecting, though. She stated that I should take a multi-vitamin supplement and biotin for about 6 months, and if by 6 months i am still experiencing hair loss, then i should begin using rogaine for the front of my head, not propecia. I am a little confused by this, mainly because i was under the impression that rogaine was only for the back of the head. I am also skeptical about only taking a multi vitamin for six months, fearing that the longer I wait the worse my hair will get.

What do you think about this regimen? Do you think I should go find a second opinion?

I don’t agree with the regimen your doctor recommended and I’d suggest you see another doctor. You should get your hair mapped out for miniaturization to make the diagnosis of genetic hair loss and then the drug Propecia (which must be prescribed by a doctor) would be the best choice if you have indeed have genetic hair loss. Since you’re a young man with early hair loss (if it is as you describe and the miniaturization mapping shows it), Propecia is the best FDA approved treatment to get your balding to slow down or stop and possibly regrow hair.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

October 13, 2008

Bodybuilder and Have High Testosterone — Will Propecia Work? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

hello doc. my question is this. I have high levels of testosterone levels and I am quite muscular because of it(never taken steroids, but look like a bodybuilder due to consistent hard work over the years and a good nutrition diet). I am on propecia for about a month now and minoxidil, so obviously I have a long time to yet see results. Because I am very muscular, due to high levels of natural testosterone production(thus I look like a bodybuilder=Huge! without ever taking any steroids), will taking propecia work on me? I don’t mind having high testoterone levels as I’m 21 in great natural bodybuilding shape, and feel great. I just hope propecia will respond for me because of my young age, and the fact that I have very mild early miniturazion(I got it mapped out) and hope to thicken up my hair in the thinning areas. Thank you for your time Doctor.

I do not believe having high testosterone or looking like a bodybuilder has much to do with Propecia’s success. Hair loss is genetic. Propecia will likely work for you if you’re a male with genetic hair loss (and by “work”, i mean it could halt the hair loss for a while or it could regrow — or both). In fact, you can be a scrawny little man with very low testosterone and you can still have hair loss (if you have the genes for hair loss).

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

October 13, 2008

Did Propecia and Creatine Turn My Hair White? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Thanks for your time.
I have been on Propecia for a year. I am in my twenties, and I had seen good results, until i used creatine monohydrate for a month with my workout regimen and it seemed to stop the effect of propecia. this is not my question however. Over the last month on propecia, after i had stopped creatine around 2 months ago, I have noticed that a small area of my hair in the front has begun to turn grey or white. As i said, i am in my twenties and have long-ish black hair. I was merely curious as to if you have heard of this ever happening before? Thanks again.

There is no evidence that I could find that links white hair to either Propecia or to creatine monohydrate.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

October 10, 2008

Is DUPA Progressive or Stable? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

You’ve mentioned the condition Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA) as being the miniturizing and loss of hair on the sides and donor zone, and that your pretty much screwed if you got it.

What I want to know is if (DUPA) is a stable condition or is it a progressive condition, meaning will a person with (DUPA) eventually lose all his donor hair or will it just become thin and stay thin?

Block Quote

DUPA can be stable once it appears… or it can be progressive. The other day I met with a young man who clearly had DUPA a year ago with 50% miniaturization in the donor area. When he came in this time after being on Propecia (finasteride) for a year, the miniaturization rate was down to 10% (a figure I’d call normal). Successful treatment for DUPA with finasteride is in the minority of patients I see, but his hair loss needs reflected a Norwood Class 3 pattern, so he might become a candidate for FUE if the process remains stable.

October 10, 2008

Procerin… with Alcohol, Adderall, and MDMA – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Doc. A good friend of mine is thinking about using Procerin as a way to regain his hair. He is 22 years old and drinks alot of alcohol. He also takes medication (Adderall) and occasionally does ecstasy (MDMA). I was wondering if there are any interactions with his medication or any of the things he does. He is mostly healthy, since he lifts weights and does a lot of cardio, and overall pretty healthy. Thanks.

What is his problem? He uses a product that has questionable value (Procerin) and adds more things to his regimen (including illicit drugs?!)… and he lifts weights to stay “mostly healthy”? I am not sure what you want from me. I can not endorse Procerin or Ecstasy as a way to stay healthy with a full head of hair. I’ve written about Adderall and hair loss before.

Procerin’s “active” ingredient is saw palmetto, and I’ve yet to see any clinical studies that prove to me that it does anything to treat hair loss.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):