Drugs – Page 214 – Balding Blog

May 13, 2008

I Want a Hair Transplant, But I Won’t Take Propecia to Maintain – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi, I have read before that you will only do HTs on men who agree to take propecia, and are hesitant to do it on young people. I am 22 and cannot take Propecia due to side effects, but I now have a prominent bald spot in the front of my head. The thing is, I would be happy to get a HT very soon, and I couldn’t care less if it looks stupid 10 years from now and I have a visible ugly scar. It won’t look as stupid as being 22 with a bald spot at the front. This is the prime of my life, and I’m much more concerned with my physical appearance over the next 8 years than I will be for the rest of the years of my life. So why not do HTs on people like me? Of course I want an ethical doctor, but really your 20’s are when looks matter the most.

Propecia At the age of 22 (unless you are already completely bald) you would generally not be a good candidate for a hair transplant surgery, particularly with your attitude, which appears immature to me. Surgery can sometimes accelerate hair loss and you may look worse after a surgery. Hair transplantation is a permanent process. 10 years from now you will be 32 years old and you will definitely care how you look. Three of the contributing editors on this site are in their 30s and I don’t believe any one of them would agree with your comment, “I couldn’t care less if it looks stupid 10 years from now and I have a visible ugly scar“. Even at 64 years old, you will care how you look. Trust me. I have seen plenty of men with your mentality who regret having had a bad surgery in their early twenties and having had accelerated hair loss.

I am not saying you should absolutely not have surgery, because I do not know your specific situation and degree of hair loss, but there has to be some maturity and understanding and realistic expectations with a hair transplant surgery. You should start with a good consultation with a doctor you trust. If it seems that I have been harsh with you, it is because I’m not trying to make a sale, but I am absolutely certain that 90% of the hair transplant doctors out there would love to get your money.

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May 13, 2008

Sperm Quality and Finasteride – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hey Doc

You run a super little website on the gamet of hair topics. If I could pick your brain or seek your opinion.

Merck wont be too forthcoming. Obviously there is some info floating out there that there is no real toxicological risk if man conceives with a woman. However are there now reports out there stating that the “quality of the sperm” is affected by taking finasteride. Meaning number of sperm, motility and I even wonder if you have a higher ratio of having a female birth over a male

What are your honest thoughts on this topic? Mighty thanks

From what I am aware of, finasteride 1mg does not affect sperm quality or have a propensity to increase the chances for conceiving a female child. There is no scientific basis behind this.

As I am not adding much information for you, I will write to Merck for a response to your question and appropriate references and then post the answers that they send me.

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May 12, 2008

Hair Coloring and Propecia – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dr. Rassman,
I have used “Just for Men” hair coloring in the past and am starting on a treatment of finasteride. Could you recommend a hair coloring product, “Just for Men” or any other, that will not damage my hair or that has ingredients less likely to cause damage

Hair coloring will not affect genetic balding or damage your hair as long as you use the product as directed and it is a commercial grade product purchased from a reliable source. Taking finasteride and coloring your hair are unrelated. I don’t know much about coloring agents to advise you further.

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May 12, 2008

If Propecia Can’t Stop Progressive Hair Loss, How Can it Regrow Hair? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

If Propecia eventually can’t stop the natural hair loss progression, then how does that explain it growing hair again in people who take it?

Every drug has limitations. Propecia (finasteride 1mg) has its greatest effect in the first two years, but it’s important to note that it still works even after those first two years by slowing the hair loss. The drug may reverse hair loss in younger men, particularly if the loss occurred within the past couple of years.

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May 12, 2008

My Doctor Told Me I Needed to Take Propecia to Make My Hair Transplants Grow – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I just had a hair transplant (2 procedures) with a total graft count of about 4100. The area in the crown and just above it only grew partially. My Dr. told me to take propecia to see if it would help. The question is, if it does help and the new transplanted hair begins to grow, will i need to continue the propecia because that hair is “genetically programmed’ to last? Is there any reason that the transplants in that area didn’t grow?

Propecia (finasteride 1mg) will not do much with the transplanted hair. It may help with preventing the shock loss associated with a hair transplant and keeping your native (non-transplanted) hair from falling out, but the story that you need to take Propecia to grow your transplanted hair is just not true. You need to ask your doctor about this and have him/her explain to you WHY it is being recommended. Maybe you misunderstood your doctor’s advice.

If transplants in an area fail to show any growth after a year, there was something terribly wrong with the surgery. As always, I am flattered you would ask me, but having had surgery twice, you should have a good relationship with your doctor to ask questions pertinent to hair growth.

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May 9, 2008

Pantogar and MPB? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’m a 27 year old male with slight receding hairline and hair loss on the top of the head which already has slight balding. Currently i’m taking Pantogar for around 2-3weeks, although it’s stated i need to wait for around 3 months for results but instead of seeing some improvements it seems to have a reserval effect instead. Is Pantogar really suitable for all? Is it suitable for someone of my age? If not, what is? Preferably without side effects please. Seek your kind advise on this please.

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Pantogar is a supplement made by German pharmaceutical company Merz (not to be confused with Merck, the makers of Propecia). It does not offer anything that taking chicken soup won’t cure. In other words, I don’t see anything in Pantogar that will treat your male pattern baldness. The active ingredients of Pantogar, according to the product’s website, are vitamin B1, calcium D-pantothenate, vigar-yeast, L-cystine, keratin, and para-aminobenzoic acid. None of those will regrow your hair or halt your hair loss if you have male pattern baldness.

Propecia (finasteride 1mg) and minoxidil are the only medications I’ll recommend for hair loss treatment, as they are the only products FDA approved and proven to treat hair loss. Side effects do not occur in everyone, and Propecia is a prescription medication so you should see your doctor about this.

May 7, 2008

Propecia Success Rates – What’s Your Take? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello dr,
I have a question which i have searched all over the web seeking for answer and couldnt find it. i know merck say propecia have around 80% in stopping any further loss, my derm said that in his experiece it has only around 60% in doing so, I would really appreciate knowing what u make of the success rates and based on your experience what would u say the rates truly are in stopping any further loss?

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I tend to see that the rate of Propecia halting hair loss is quite high in young men, but I don’t have actual percentages. I do not make statistical analysis of the men that I prescribe Propecia to.

May 2, 2008

Hair Fell Out When I Stopped Taking Estrodex – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi there, I hope you can help me with my predicament.

About two and a half years ago I purchased a laser comb with a years supply of shampoo, conditioner & anti inflammatory scalp lotion. Also included was a years supply of estradex drops.

I applied the shampoo etc once a day, the estradex twice a day as instructed & the laser comb 10 mins six days a week. I couldn’t believe how well it worked for me! It stopped my hair falling out, I no longer had the itching scalp that accompanied my hairloss & my hair looked healthier than ever. Everything was great until the years supply was up at which point, when I bought more of the treatment I was given regaine instead of estradex. (I believe estradex was banned for being unsafe?)

Anyway, since I could no longer get estradex my hair has been falling out rapidly, despite trying a number of other treatments ie regaine, provillus, nism, nutrofollica etc..

Currently I am using nism shampoo & conditioner with procerin tablets, but I think the combination of dht blocking shampoo, anti inflammatory lotion, conditioner & estradex, coupled with the laser comb was what worked best for me.

So based on what I’ve told you I was wondering if you could let me know if there is some sort of topical serum currently out there with similar ingredients to estradex? I never took any tablets like procerin when estradex was working for me, so I believe it is an anti inflammatory shampoo & topical treatment I require. Any advice you have for me would be much appreciated

Thanks

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The marketing material for Estrodex says that it “creates an anabolic environment by decreasing estrogen and increasing testosterone levels”. I am confused here — are you male or female and why are you taking something that impacts your hormones? You are all over the place with your drugs and treatments and I suspect that you are messing up your body. You have no Master Plan and no diagnosis that seems to make sense and yet you bought into every snake oil that is sold on TV and elsewhere. Procerin, LaserComb, Estrodex, Profillus, Nism, Nutrofollica… your list reads like a who’s who of trial and error.

The only FDA approved drug treatments for hair loss are minoxidil and finasteride. At least you used minoxidil (also known as Rogaine or Regaine). First get your act together and go see a doctor who knows the field and will tell you what is happening to you. Then follow your doctor’s plan and have patience. If you’re male, your plan should probably include Propecia (finasteride 1mg) if you do have genetic male pattern baldness.

May 2, 2008

Did Stopping Rogaine Cause All Body Hair to Change? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello! I saw a long time ago that using minixidil could reverse a chronic telogen effluvium due to use of accutane. Now I have used rogaine and quit a couple of months ago and my texture in the hair has changed all over my body. Hair is losing pigment and the hair is going from dark brown to transparent. Why did rogaine destroy my hair and why is the hair on the rest of my body where I didn´t use rogaine also changing? Will I go completley gray all over and will I go bald? If I got an allergic reaction wouldn´t I reach a peak and the it gets better again? Thank you

When you use minoxidil, it is absorbed by the body through the skin. The more you use it, the more it is absorbed. I don’t know the effects of minoxidil on body hair through the blood stream, but I would not be surprised if some systemic effect occurred with this drug.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any experience with it to address your problem. I would use the Internet to try to find a local doctor (or doctors) who have established expertise with minoxidil and pose your questions to them.

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May 1, 2008

Increased Acne from Finasteride? – Balding Blog

Hi.

I’ve heard about increased ACNE due to finasteride usage. This doesn’t sound completely wrong since we all know what finasteride does to the hormones.

My question is, could increase in T and decrease in DHT in any way affect my early signs of rosacea?

I am not sure. Rosacea is not acne. Are you experiencing acne? If Propecia (finasteride 1mg) does affect your rosacea, would that cause you to stop using it? Moreover, acne probably is a very rare side effect that you may not even experience.

Maybe you are over thinking this whole thing and losing sight of why are you are (or will be) using the medication? Please consult the doctor who is prescribing your Propecia and get his/her advice. For more information on rosacea, please see The National Rosacea Society.