Category: Hair Loss Causes

Hi Dr. Rassman,

I just wanted to say how much I enjoy your site. I have been following it for years.

I had a quick question. I recently went to my pharmacy in Canada to refill my Propecia prescription, and they informed me that a generic 1 mg form has become available. I was under the impression that the patent was scheduled to expire in 2013 (similar to the US). Sure enough, I picked up my prescription, and it was 1 mg of finasteride. I am sort of surprised by this, and I was wondering if it’s possible to make sure my pharmacy didn’t make an error, giving me a 5 mg tablet by accident? Is there any way to find out when the Propecia patent expires in Canada?

Thanks for all your help over the years!

I honestly don’t understand the prescription drug patent process in Canada. I assumed it was similar to the US law, but a quick Google search shows that the generic Propecia (1mg finasteride) is being sold online in Canada. Buying these medications in the US from an online Canadian pharmacy isn’t legal, but that hasn’t seemed to stop these pharmacies for quite some time. I don’t condone it, in case anyone was going to ask.

So either the patent already expired in Canada or there’s some other reason that the various online pharmacies are selling the 1mg dose in a generic form. That is good news for everyone except Merck in the United States. If anyone has further info about this, please let me know.

Dr. Rassman,
Thank you for providing this informative blog.

I have a question, I have been taking Propecia for 8 years now. But in just the last 3 months I lost hair noticeably in the entire area from the mid section to the front hairline. I think this is the result of stress, lack of proper sleep and not using Minoxidil since the beginning of the year. Can I “hope” that if I start Minoxidil 5% (I had used 2% for over 12 years), reduce stress and get more sleep, I may see some of that hair back? My experience so far is that once I lose hair, it’s gone, I just try to keep what is there.

I’m 48, male, and have had 5 transplant procedures over the last 14 years.

Thank you!

There’s no clear cause for the rapid hair loss you’ve seen in the last 3 months. Since you have had multiple hair transplant surgeries, perhaps you should follow up with your transplant doctor and get a good examination.

The hair loss could be stress related, but it can be anything. You can try getting your stress under control to see if that helps slow the loss down, but I cannot provide more input from such limited description.

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I always like to see new inventions, and the more absurd, the better. I quite enjoyed seeing the Hot Cap, but it is better for general entertainment than for your hair. Removing sebum doesn’t prevent genetic hair loss, but this is creative nonetheless.

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Hi Doc,

I am currently in Brazil although I live in the United States. I already have male pattern baldness, but in the past few months things got much worse and I was very surprised.

Anyway, last week I found out I had a tapeworm. I got it removed, but I was thinking that the malnutrition of the tapeworm could have affected my hair loss. If it did, do you think the extra hair loss I had would be temporary? Or is that permanent because I already have male pattern baldness?

Thanks for any help you can give

In general, tapeworms or similar parasitic infections do not cause hair loss unless you had significant weight loss and malnutrition. I would think if there was enough stress put on to your body from the tapeworm, your male pattern genetic hair loss could be accelerated.

Unfortunately once your hair is lost, it is most likely not going to regrow on its own even with the malnutrition corrected. I guess it depends on where you’re losing the hair and whether you would’ve lost hair in the genetic progression. If you lost hair on the sides of your head due to stress, for example, that could regrow.

I’ve recently moved and started a new job and, for a host of other reasons too, I have been under a lot of stress. I also lost about 15 pounds without meaning to at all-the result of stress and not eating well because of stress, I think. I have read in other posts that stress and malnutrition can lead to and enhance the balding process.

My question then is this: will hair lost as the resulnt of stress or malnutrition grow back once my life has returned to normal? Or should I be looking into some sort of medication to stop this?

If your hair loss is genetic (patterned loss) and the stress merely exacerbated it, Propecia could be helpful to you once the stress is controlled. If you don’t have genetic hair loss, the hair could regrow once the stress is under control and/or your nutrition is balanced. There’s no medication to stop hair loss caused by stress.

hello, I have been under stress. Lost my job and trying to make ends meet. I dont know where to go to ask someone if im going bald and since I lost my job no insurance. I feel like the hair in my growth pattern (top of my head crown area) is getting rugged and coarse. Very wirey for lack of a better word..

I wear a hat but not tight just getting really nervous… Please just tell me a quick something!!

Sorry to hear about losing your job and the stress that goes with it. There’s not much I can tell you about your hair loss though, because there’s not enough info available to me to give much help. It’s almost like calling an auto mechanic and saying, “My car is having problems. How much would it cost to fix it?”

In the great majority of men, hair loss is caused by genetics. Stress can exacerbate that loss. The textural change in your hair could be the hairs miniaturizing, but I don’t know what you’re feeling and I’ve not examined your scalp myself. The hat you’re wearing isn’t the cause… I know that much.

If you’re concerned about your hair, see a doctor. If there’s no free clinic in your area, try a hair transplant doctor that offers a free consultation (they’ll know hair loss). Check ISHRS.org for a hair doc in your area, but please note that not all doctors offer free consultations, so be sure to ask when setting up your appointment.