Drugs – Page 239 – Balding Blog

November 20, 2007

Using Procyanidins with Minoxidil and Propecia – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Doctor Rassman,

I am considering taking procyanidins sold from applypoly.com along with minoxidil and propecia. I started on 5% minoxidil then later also started taking 1mg propecia as part of my hairloss treatment(been using both for over a year). I was wondering if adding procyanidins in both topical and pill form to my regime would have any impact on my current treatment. Do you see any potential harm if I take them all simutaneously? Your advice on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Regards

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Apple I do not see potential harm by exploiting all of these options. The procyanidins have been discussed on this site before (see search results). For those of you who do not know what this is, please review Applypoly.com.

Keep in mind, I’m not suggesting you order this stuff (yes, I realize it is for sale on the page I just linked to), but to do your own research.

November 20, 2007

Hair Loss in 74 Year Old Woman – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi, I am a 74 year old female and my hair has started to fall out. My scalpe is itchy red and flakes alot. I have had this condition most of my life but have always had a good head of hair, only recently has the condition got worse and the hair started to come out. Is this just old age ???

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I wish I could give you a clear answer, but I honestly have no clue! You need an evaluation by a physician in-person who can ask pertinent questions and conduct a proper physical examination. I suspect if you had this condition most of your life, it probably is not related to your age.

November 20, 2007

I’m a Woman and Not Having Children — Can I Use Propecia? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am a woman in my late 40s and have thinning hair and a hairline that has receded somewhat due to menopause and discontinuance of HRT (I think).

Would you recommend Propecia for me? I will not be having children — is there data related to breast cancer and Propecia? Or, what is your opinion of the new laser combs or devices-specifically the X5 Laser from Spencer Forrest which appears to be superior to the Laser Max comb? Also, do you know anything about “virtual hair” — a membrane similar to your scalp custom-created for the client, with real hair attached, and glued onto the scalp? Of course, as the hair grows, the glue becomes dislodged, but it was featured on “Good Morning America” and looks terrific — so natural. Please, any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated

I would not recommend Propecia (finasteride) for a woman unless there were high androgens present on her blood testing, and even then I would have to think about it. This is provided that she could not get pregnant and there was no breast cancer gene present.

With regard to Virtual Hair, anytime you attach something to your scalp, it can produce traction hair loss… which could become permanent. And I’d rather not comment on special customized lasers.

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November 19, 2007

Experiencing Chest Pains from Generic Finasteride? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dr. Rassman

I am 25 years old and very healthy. I recently purchased generic propecia offline (finpecia). I have been on this finpecia about 7 months. For the past month, I have been experiencing slight chest pains. Is this serious? Would brand name propecia give me different results?

If you are having chest pains, you need to see a doctor. Cardiac pain or epigastric (stomach) pains must be evaluated. I doubt, however, that the finasteride is the cause.

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November 19, 2007

Why Is It That If I Stop Propecia or Minoxidil, All the Benefits Go Away? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Just a question about how when someone uses procepia or minoxidil and then stops he loses whatever hair he would have lost if he didn’t use the drugs, why does that happen? does all the DHT that was blocked by the medication get back all at once to take revenge and kill the hairs? or is it something else?

Your explanation, although unscientific, is as good as any explanation I might come up with.

Simply, any hair growth or thickening with minoxidil is a direct result of this medication. It is completely dependent upon the medication for the benefits. Take away the medication and the hair growing side effect goes away with it. Regarding Propecia, this medication has stopped or slowed down the hair loss. Again, like minoxidil, it is holding off the progression of the balding process, so although from a different mechanism of action, the medication must be present. With Propecia, however, I believe that it works on the gene of the hair follicle. As you may know, every cell in the body has telomeres at the end of the DNA which determine cell death timing. Somehow, the hair cell’s death is delayed with the drug. Enough of my rambling and metaphors…

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November 16, 2007

Can Hair Transplantation Damage Surrounding Follicles? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello,

Great informative blog. I have a question about future density after transplanted hair. Does your thinning hair follicles around where transplanted hairs gets inserted die from having that area worked on? In other words, say you still have some hair left on you hairline or mid section and you use transplants to help fill that area. When you use Propecia or Rogaine to help thicken your original hair follicles does that hair get “damaged” from having transplanted hair around them?

Thank you for your time and keep up the great site you have.

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You raise a very important question. Yes, you can potentially damage the existing surrounding hairs with a hair transplant procedure. Thus, you must consider the risks versus the benefits of the surgery. Most of the time, hair transplantation near normal hair should not damage the normal hair, but if the surrounding hairs are weak (miniaturized) you may precipitate a “shock loss” phenomenon where you will experience loss due to the trauma of the surgery. Although drugs like Propecia work to minimize the shock loss risk, your doctor must not talk in generalities with you and should specifically address your risks. You must discuss this risk with your physician before a hair transplant surgery.

November 15, 2007

I Get Side Effects from Propecia and No Results from Rogaine — Am I Out of Options at 22 Years Old? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

what shampoo would you recommend to someone with male pattern baldness? also, i have been on both propecia (sexual side effects), and rogaine (did not work) and i have read, on your website, that those are the only two hair loss products you would recommend. Are you telling me that, realistically, i have no other options besides going bald or getting a hair transplant? i am only 22 and have been loosing hair at an unreal rate for the past 8 months. I saw a dr., and a dermatologist and they essentially have told me the same things I see on this website. I really need to find something before I’m completely bald.

I understand your problem. First, I might recommend that we look into your loss of libido by getting testosterone levels taken by your doctor. If your testosterone levels are low, it would explain the loss of libido. Then it should be revisited by the doctor who is managing you. Don’t give up yet, but you must realize that this is the internet, not a medical facility where I am your doctor. There’s only so much I can offer at this point. You need a good doctor to manage your situation, in-person.

November 15, 2007

Is Shedding from Propecia Positive? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hey Dr. Rassman,

I’m a 23 year-old male, and over the past two years noticed my hair slowly thinning. Initially the problem started on both the sides (a few inches above the sideburns), and then in the last year or so I noticed the top slowly losing density. However, overall my hair is still fairly good, am I hoping to at least salvage it.

A bit of background, my hair has always been pretty thick, and used to grow incredibly fast (1-2.5 inches a month), and in the last 2 years slowed down and the thinning started, however I never noticed hairs falling out. The back is fine, so after extensive reading, I had a feeling it must of been genetic DPA (I see a similar pattern in my older brother), and I’ve just started propecia. I’ve been on propecia for about 2 weeks now, and for the first time I’ve actually spotted shed hairs. Is this a sign I am responding (positively) to the drug?

Also in the last two weeks on propecia, my hair has changed texture. It is now smoother, more flexible bends easier), and feels of better quality (like when I was younger). Is this a normal occurrence? No complaints, just curious.

Is this a normal for propecia?

While this does not occur for everyone, some people report that hair goes into cycling when they start Propecia (finasteride 1mg). If this happens, it will stop at some point over the first couple of months. Hair grows out at a rate of 1/2 inch per month, so if you have been on Propecia for 2 weeks, the most you will see is the bottom 1/4 inch hair change. Just give this some time and you will know what the impact of the drug has on your hair.

It is true that the hair grown on Propecia may be stronger (thicker) and more like your normal hair in the back of your head where there is no impact of balding.

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November 14, 2007

Ibuprofen and Propecia? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I’ve been using Propecia for approximately 7 years with great results. When I first started using it I had quite a bit of hair come back, and have maintained everything since. Just recently I have experienced what seems to be more than normal shedding, but I have yet to notice any visible change.

The only change that I can think of is that my doctor has recommended I take Ibuprofen due to something similar to carpal tunnel syndrome (600mg, twice a day). I’ve taken Ibuprofen for other reasons before, but just not as much and with the same frequency. Could this be causing the problem, or is it likely to be something else?

Yes, ibuprofen can cause hair loss. I would doubt that the Propecia will help you for the ibuprofen effect. For more on hair loss and ibuprofen, see American Osteopathic College of Dermatology – Telogen Effluvium Hair Loss.

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November 14, 2007

Losing More Hair After Starting Rogaine — Should I Stop Now? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hey, first off I’d like to say thanks for having such an informative website; now onto the subject of my baldness. I am almost 20 and my hairline has been receding for about 3 years. I go through phases where I’m content with balding, then someone will make a comment, and the next day I’ll be at CVS buying Rogaine. I’m currently about three weeks into my most recent Rogaine treatment. I’m worried because I’m still losing noticeably more hair (which is expected for the first two weeks), but as I said, I’m into the third week. I feel like I might be better off just quitting now if there’s a chance that this will just continue to accelerate my hair loss. So, my question is, is this normal? Should I continue with the treatment or throw the towel in?

On rare occasions, Rogaine accelerates the hair cycle and should not cause hair loss, but maybe some temporary shedding. Proper use of this medication is not a hit and miss thing — it is a consistent application process. Balding at your age, assuming that there is miniaturization present, is best treated with Propecia (finasteride 1mg). You need a Master Plan created by a good physician who can help you through the hair loss management issues.