Category: Hair Loss Causes

1. can vegetarian diets attribute to hair loss?
2. and is there some sort of genetic test that will tell you if you have inherited male pattern baldness?
3. also in Australia there are a few hair loss companies (advanced hair, ashley & martin and so on) that promote hair regrowth ect, I went to have a hair consultation with the former, but it seemed as though they just wanted a “sale” (they refused to tell me what was in there products or talk to there doctor unless I paid upfront for there program)
4. I’ve since then saw my GP who recommended that I start taking a 1/4 tablet of 5mg finasteride to help slow the hair loss (I feel that I’m receding on the sides of my fringe). but I’m still unsure about the whole thing whether I have genetic hair loss or something that can be treated without having to take tablets all the time.
5. is there some way I could find a hair specialist with being roped into a sales program that could give me a definite answer on my hair?!

please reply as I’m trying to loss weight to get back into modeling/acting and I feel having hair is very important to the industry

P.S I’ve heard minoxidil products such as regaine can help grow hair back or home laser therapies such a lemio is this true? and would you recommend it?

thank you

-age 24

1. A healthy vegetarian diet shouldn’t contribute to hair loss, but if you’re lacking dietary vitamins you might see some thinning.
2. There’s a genetic test called HairDX that I believe is up to 70% accurate. But just because you have the gene doesn’t mean you’ll express the gene.
3. There are only 2 treatments that are FDA approved for hair loss — finasteride (Propecia) and minoxidil (Rogaine/Regaine). I have no idea what the AU hair loss companies are promoting or selling, but if they don’t contain finasteride or minoxidil, they aren’t proven to treat hair loss.
4. Your GP is right about the 1/4 Proscar tablet. That’s about the same as a Propecia tablet, but at a lower cost. I couldn’t tell you if finasteride is right for you, as I’ve not seen you and don’t have enough info. That’s a prescription medication.
5. You can try to find a doctor in your area by using the physician search at www.ishrs.org — then use the web to research the doctor(s) a bit more.

P.S. Minoxidil can help grow hair, but finasteride actually treats the hair loss better in my experience. I’m not a fan of hair loss treatment lasers, as I’ve yet to see them work as well as claimed. I don’t recommend LLLT (hair lasers).

Good luck!

I am a big fan. I have been following y’all for quite some time now. I was hoping you would offer your assessment of recent reports that Tom Brady is experiencing hair loss. As a guy experiencing hair loss and a football fan, I am skeptical that Tom Brady is losing his hair. Apparently there are reports that he went to a hair loss treatment center in RI. Anyways, below is a CBS News article on the subject. I am interested to hear your thoughts/assessment.

CBS News – Is Tom Brady Losing His Hair?

I don’t know about any possible hair loss treatment center visit by NFL quarterback Tom Brady, but the photo in that CBS News article (see right) shows his hair falling forward and covering the hairline. There’s not much I can tell from that. I did see some photos that appeared to show some hairline corner recession for Mr. Brady, but I’m unable to find any kind of timeline on the images I’m finding in Google. Some photos show him with a very juvenile looking hairline, and others appear to have a mature hairline. Perhaps styling is what has helped his hairline in the past.

So could it be that he’s losing hair and wanted to cover up a receding hairline? Possible. Could it be that he just wanted to grow his hair out? Sure. Or could it be a combination of both? Absolutely.

In another post, I read that men with lower testosterone have a higher chance of MPB. This seems to make no sense from a logical standpoint. How can having higher testosterone decrease the chance of having MPB? Can you explain this?

Testosterone is not the main cause of male pattern baldness (MPB). The mere presence of testosterone produces DHT (the trigger point for MPB), but it is genetics that will ultimately determine if you’re losing hair.

I’m not sure which post you’re referencing, but I would think logically that higher testosterone (in men predisposed to MPB) would have accelerated balding. Note that I used the word “accelerated” rather than “increased”. This is because even if you have lower testosterone you would likely become bald the way you were programmed genetically, because what testosterone you have will be converted by your body to DHT.

We received a lot of emails about last week’s post — I’m Suicidal Over Losing My Hair at 18 Years Old! — and I wanted to share this one with the rest of the community.

Dr. Rassman,

I read this blog regularly and when I read your post yesterday about a young man dealing with suicidal thoughts, I had to write in.

Young people out there need to understand that they have options but doing something drastic (like a transplant at 18) years old or worse (harming yourself) only eliminates options. I came to your office last year young, scared and anxious about hair loss myself. I was convinced that things were only going to get worse, but a year ago there wasn’t a hair bulk analyzer or A Cell. Imagine, just a year later and suddenly I am hearing about all these innovations. Maybe I overreacted?

It is amazing what happens when you take a deep breathe, research your options and gain a little perspective. I was given great advice by the doctors at NHI and they were words I needed to hear. Hair loss still bugs me but I now have every option open to me because I did not jump into a rash decision and young guys (I am 25 and empathize with you) need to understand that, just because you are not happy with what the mirror is showing, it doesn’t mean you can’t be happy ever again.

This is not the end of the world. Balding doesn’t rob you of your vision, your hearing or your overall health. This young man still has eyes to see the world, ears to listen to wonderful music and a capable body that can laugh, love and live. Getting a quality doctor to help you deal with your problem will keep you from being a slave to your hair and will help you get on with living.

While most of the emails (and comments) had positive messages of support, I felt the above email perfectly expresses what many compassionate people relate to. Thank you for writing.

Hello doctor. I was wondering how long eyebrow hair takes to regrow from overplucking? I know that in some cases it may never grow back, but I have read that the time frame in some cases can be from a few months to a couple of years. So, can a follicle possibly still regrow hair years later? Thanks for your insight.

I would say it takes a few weeks to months for eyebrows to grow back after plucking. If you haven’t seen growth after a year, I would think your chances for regrowth are very low, though anything is possible. Continuous plucking is the most common cause of hair loss from the eyebrow.

For several years I have had thinning whilst stressed; but it has always grown in. However, this year my hair thinned out due to stress, unlike times before I also had spot areas of hair loss. That has grown in however my hairline has started fall out in a ” V” shaped peak. It’s not dramatic or noticable; with this said I have no male blood relatives suffering hair loss; only female. Is it possible to inherit hair loss through females if you are male.

A common myth is that male pattern baldness comes from the mother’s side of the family, but in reality, the genetics can be passed to you from either side of the family (paternal or maternal). It can skip generations, too.

Without seeing the loss you’re referring to, I’m having a difficult time figuring out how pronounced the “V” shaped hairline you’re seeing actually is. It could be that you’re just experiencing a maturing hairline, or it could be that you’re seeing genetic hair loss that is starting at the hairline. I don’t know enough about you (age or history) to make any kind of real guess online.