Category: Hair Loss Causes

Is going bald even such a big deal. I know that many men could really care less about the way they look, the only reasons we keep our appearances up is for the ladies and for our professions. But there have been bald people throughout history, some of the sexiest men alive were bald. Do you think we are just becoming too vain and obsessed with our image?

Aging is a part of life and should be accepted. Today we here about older people taking anti aging creams, special diets, “get those 6 pack abs”, and so on. I think this is hurting us a lot and we many of us are losing our self esteem which is terrible. We should feel comfortable with ourselves.

Am i right? You Dr.Rassman are 67yrs old and look damn good for your age, there is nothing artificial to your image.

Why are we so self centered these days?

There are many reasons for this. History has shown that when men got sick (tuberculosis over the course of human history) they lost hair and died early, so when selecting a mate, women picked men who had good hair, because in the search for a husband they could not have a man would would die on them (not good for long term futures and babies). This had a great deal to do with prejudice against balding men. Men when they are in their 20s don’t yet have enough confidence in their manhood, so losing hair seems to exacerbate the balding problem. I’m not a psychologist or sociologist, but I am a surgeon that helps men improve their image… so maybe I’m the wrong person to ask a question like that.

Would it be safe to assume that you, the author of the above question, has no hair loss and no sensitivity to balding as a male problem? Do you think that George Clooney would look sexy as a bald man? If so, I have not seen him shave his head as an alternative style. I had someone on my staff do a quick Photoshop of what Mr. Clooney might look like bald and put it side-by-side with a typical look for the actor. Which do you prefer?

Hi doctor Is it normal for the left side of your hair line to be higher and thinner than the right? Also besides genes what are some physical activities than can cause hair loss?

Hair loss, when it occurs, is often not symmetrical. If you’re seeing the left side of the hairline creep higher than the right, there’s nothing unusual about it.

There are no activities that should cause hair loss. Unless you count pulling on your hair as an activity, but I think you mean something like sports or hobbies. You need a good examination to determine if your hair loss is genetic and then map out the status of your hair loss (see Mapping Your Own Scalp for Miniaturization).

Doc,

Could you discuss shedding vs hairloss. From reading blogs all over the web I think it’s one of the most confusing aspects of hairloss for people. Especially when medication is used. One doc told me to forget about shedding and counting hairs in the sink and shower. Says we shed for many reasons, the usual 100 a day, plus some seasonal, stress, medication.. but shedding isn’t loss, miniaturization is loss.

I would guess you have patients who complain of increased shedding but after a few follow up min examinations your would see some actual reversal. What’s your take on shedding and actual hair permanent hairloss?

Thanks

I agree with the comments made by the doctor you visited. We all shed and it varies by day and season. Good miniaturization studies will tell you if you are balding and that should be your focus.

Dear Dr.,

If you can’t accurately measure the growth rate of your hair transplants (as posted in a previous blog post), how do you determine if a transplant was successful considering that no quantitative data is available (i.e. 95% growth)…?…

Also, since you’ve been doing this so long, what is your opinion on whether people are too vain? You must see lots of interesting information regarding this since you are in a unique position as a hair transplant surgeon.

Success is determined by your ability to achieve your goals provided that you have had realistic expectations of it. A good doctor will tell you if it meets his/her expectations. I have had patients who felt that they had their expectations met and I did not, so in those very, very few patients I usually just do another hair transplant at my cost.

We are all vain, but we do not like to admit it. I can fill hundreds of pages of stories on vanity, but I’ll save them for another time. I don’t believe people are too vain, but some people see vanity as a problem, and that is where I disagree. There is nothing wrong with wanting to look as good as you feel (or hope to feel).

Snippet from the article:

If you thought vitamin D’s main role was preventing rickets and strengthening bone, think again. Many researchers now believe that the “sunshine vitamin” may one day play a key role in preventing the growth of prostate cancer, and in killing rogue prostate cancer cells that have escaped into the body. The data are quite suggestive and vitamin D is a most promising area for prostate cancer research.

Read the full article at John Hopkins Health Alerts

It’s not hair loss news, but important health news nonetheless. There’s been debates about this for years, with some saying it provides no decreased risk (see CBS News) and others saying the opposite (see ScienceDaily), but the latest link above is the most current that I found.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

Great site. I have always thought that large amounts of fish oil can cause diffuse hair loss. The reason I think this is because of observing Asian woman and men. I have notice a LARGE amount of this population have diffuse hair loss, on the sides and back. I’m actually surprised of how many. I live in a major city and live in the ChinaTown section. I understand they have different hair characteristics ect…like skin color and dark hair but am convinced that this group of the population suffer from more diffuse than any other. I am convinced large amounts of Omega 3 can cause diffuse hair loss. It is interesting that GSK’s new prescription fish oil also list hair loss(Alopecia) as a possible side effect.

Lovaza Product Info PDF

Just thought I would get your view.

I do not think large amounts of fish oil cause diffuse hair loss. Are you implying Asians consume large amount of fish oil because they eat more fish and fish products than non-Asians? If we were to entertain your argument, I would think the Eskimos have a very high Omega 3 fish oil diet. I do know that they have less balding than the general population of Caucasians and American Indians. I can not address any suggestions by some manufacturers of fish oil supplements that hair loss is a known side effect, because I have no personal or professional experience one way or the other. The information PDF you sent (linked above) doesn’t have an actual percentage of those that experienced it. It could’ve been 2 people out of hundreds, but I have no way to know.

Asians (non-balding) generally have less hair than their Caucasian counterpart and also have less balding than their Caucasian counterparts according to studies I have researched in the past. Asians also have straight black hair which contrasts with their light colored skin and may look thinner. These factors can sometimes make non-balding Asians look as if they have thinning hair.