Hair Loss Causes – Page 303

March 27, 2006

Blood Levels and DHT – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

hey doc, i recently had blood work done to check levels of dht. in a range of i think 25 to 75, mine was a 31. does this still mean im losing my hair or not? and at what levels of dht in the blood create hair loss?

Blood tests are not done to check hair loss. There is a much simpler way: a mirror! Seriously though, if you want to know if you are really losing hair you should have your scalp mapped for miniaturization to see if there is a pattern to your hair loss.

While drugs such as finasteride (Propecia) works by blocking DHT, there is no correlation with the DHT level and hair loss. Someone with a very high DHT level and without the balding gene, will probably never lose hair.

March 27, 2006

My Hair Keeps Breaking – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

My hair keep breaking off in the same place (back and top of head); what can i do to stop the breaking?

It is normal to lose 100-150 hairs a day. However, if you are experiencing abnormal hair loss, you should consider being evaluated by a hair transplant doctor or dermatologist. If what you are talking about is that the hair only grows to a particular length and then breaks off, then you might work with your hair stylist and try to address the cause. Dryness could be the cause, so you might have to use a wetting agent, or if it breaks because you are rough in brushing it, use a thicker wide-tooth comb and be more gentle. Try various shampoos and conditioners, as there are many out there that may help.

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March 24, 2006

Is Hair Transplantation a Slippery Slope? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

hi there . my question is why every time i have had transplant work done it has caused the hair around the transplanted hair to permantly go to sleep or fall out. i have even met doctors over the years who stopped doing tranplants for this reason.it seems like a slippery slope getting transplants done. thanks

I do not understand what your situation is, so before I dive in, let me make some general observations and pass on particular messages that I feel are relevant.

I don’t like the idea that you used the term ‘every time I had transplant work’. Why is there so many times? That is not the modern approach used today and something that I would not want to hitch my wagon to. Was your work started many years ago? How many procedures did you have?
Hair loss in previously transplanted hair is very, very unusual. Generally its incidence is 1 in 500 people who may temporarily lose previously transplanted hair. For men, hair loss in non-transplanted hair often does not grow back if it is well along in its miniaturization process. In women, it usually grows back when it does happen and it is present in less than 10% of women transplanted.

What you are describing in non-transplanted hair is a well known phenomenon called shock loss after a transplant. In men, it only happens once, usually after the first transplant on young men not on the drug Propecia. This can be minimized by taking Propecia and it does not happen to all patients who undergo hair transplants, particularly men over 40. Hair loss may also have occurred even without a hair transplant if there is an accelerated phase of hair loss, or the hair transplant may have just accelerated it (again, more common in young men not on Propecia). It is very troubling to me that the doctors you met have stopped doing transplants for this reason, because it signifies that they do not know the intricacies and the physiology of the hair transplantation process. Or there is possibly other factors that you’re not mentioning.

March 23, 2006

Dandruff and Hair Loss in 16 Year Old – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

My son is 16yrs old. I noticed when cutting his hair he had a thick piece of what seemed like caked dandruff it was there for the longest time. Then one day when cutting his hair the thick piece of dandruff was gone and ther was a bald spot. As I looked at his head I noticed there was a thin straight line of baldness then off to the right was another little spot. I took him to the dr. who did a blood test for his throid and that came back good. His spot is getting bigger and it doesn’t look like any hair is growing back from where I orig. saw the spot. There is not balding in either of the families. I checked his head tonight it looks like there is flakey dandruff all over his scalp and even some broken skin like he had been scratching. I have made an appointment with a dermotoligst but what should I expect. Do you have any idea what this is?

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What you are describing may be a localized area of psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis which crusted and then with the crust ‘ripped’ off, the hair came out with it. The loss of local hair from an acute traction episode, could be responsible for what you are observing, and if this is the case, the hair will return if your son leaves it alone. What appears like dandruff may turn out to be seborrheic dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, alopecia areata, or some other dermatological inflammatory disease of the skin. Your planned visit to a dermatologist for further evaluation is a good next step.

On a separate, interesting note, doctors have recently pinpointed the Psoriasis gene: Forbes.com

March 23, 2006

Regrowing Hair Lost from Stress – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I recently went through a difficult divorce and have been under a tremendous amount of stress. Within weeks of this starting I noticed my hair falling out rapidly. When I run my hands through my hair in the shower 50 – 100 hairs will fall out. I am 28, male, and had a thick head of hair in October. By Dec I noticed extreme amounts coming out. By feb and now march it is looking thin and I dont know how this could happen so quick. I was thinking Telogen Effluvium due to the stress. Do you think this is likely. If so will it regrow? I do see some small hairs starting. It appears to be thinnig across the whole front of my head. I was thinking this happened to rapidly and spontanously to be MPB is that a fair assumption?
Thanks in advance.

If you have male patterned genetic hairloss, severe distress may accelerate the process. First you need a diagnosis and mapping out your head for miniaturization is critical in determining what is going on. Environmental factors like stress from a divorce are one of the leading causes of acceleration of the hair loss. If it is genetic, then it would be unlikely that it would return. Considering your age, reversal with Propecia or slowing down the loss is something that I would expect. To conclude: Get a diagnosis and start treatment with Propecia if you have genetic hair loss.

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March 22, 2006

Who Do I Take After in My Family? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello,
I guess like most other guys, I’m a bit paranoid about hair loss. I (age 25) got a haircut recently and my dresser said it was ‘thin’ in the front and that thickening shampoo will make it look better. After CAREFUL examination, I’m quite sure it’s NOT thin, it just looks that way because it’s right where I part the hair and after spiking it with gel, the distribution of hair is completely even. Not that I should even put stock in a hairdresser.

Anyway, I have a question about the ‘genetics’ of hair loss. I realize that it’s not a cut’n’dry thing where you get it from your grandfather. However, in your judgment, whom am I taking after – I have my dad’s color (light brown dirty blonde although he was balding by 20) but my maternal granddad’s hairline and texture (his was black but wispy/baby fine) and he kept it until he died at 84. PS: My mom was graying at 21 and and that is exactly when my graying started. Although my dad’s hair has thinned out majorly he has no gray. So I THINK I’m fairly safe.

Also, this isn’t a question but more of an observation – many people think that treating hair loss is failure to accept the aging process, just like skin creams and facelifts for wrinkles. HOWEVER, I’m pretty sure that anyone with baldness would take a few wrinkles and a full head of white/gray hair ANY DAY!!! So in essence it seems more like not a fear of getting older but the lack of power over an incessant degradation process. Thanks for your input.

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It is normal to be worried about hair loss. We live in a ‘hair society’ and the history of every civilization has focused upon linking hair and health and virility. We are a product of those prejudices and each culture has its own twist on the balding process. Male pattern baldness (MPB) has a major genetic component, but it does not follow one to one from generation to generation. It can skip generations and what is inherited may not ‘express’ itself the same way as it moves down to the next generation. That is what makes the process so confusing to those that try to sort out some clear, predictive model like the Mendelian genetic predictable pattern.

If you are concerned about hair loss and want a scientific or medical approach, you need to map your scalp for miniaturization to see if the hair loss follows a pattern for MPB. You can setup a free consultation in my Los Angeles office by calling 800-NEW-HAIR or visiting the Request Additional Info page. Your options do not necessarily include a hair transplant. It may be just that you are noticing a mature hair line.

March 22, 2006

I Have No Hair On My Legs – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

i have never had hair on my legs or arms well at least much not enough to see unless your looking right at it up close why have i never grown hair on my legs? I fell shamed to wear shorts cause i have no hair on my leg can you tell me why is this?

Pants You were born with a ‘bald leg’ and it is just the way you are. It’s in your genes. If you are asking for a surgical or medical solution to your bald leg, there are no medications for bald limbs, but there are always hair transplants, though there are lots of drawbacks to them. If you get hair transplants to cover your arms and legs, the hair will grow out to pony tail length (or longer) and it will take a great deal of surgery. You will have to cut the hair and keep it trimmed to normal body hair length. When it grows, it will look like scalp hair, not leg hair.

As you can probably tell, I am am not enthusiastic to the hair transplant option for leg and arm hair, but I am sure there are doctors out there who would want to take your money and perform this type of procedure. I can however, recommend pants.

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March 21, 2006

High Protein Diet Can Accelerate Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Is it true that weight lifting and a diet high in protein can cause or accelerate hairloss?

Many weight lifters take exogenous steroids and testosterone, which increases the circulating DHT, which then produces more hair loss. The element that runs through my mind is with all of the muscle mass, does the testosterone rise? If so, the hair will fall out more rapidly in those with a predisposition to genetic balding. If the weight lifters have more stress than the typical man, then more hair loss may be present, again in those with genetic predispositions for genetic balding. There are many weight lifters that have a full head of hair, but that may be good genes.

With regard to your questions on diet, any good diet (even high in proteins) provided that it contains the daily requirement of nutrients, will not accelerate hair loss.

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March 20, 2006

Am I Causing My Hair Loss By Aggressively Styling? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi,
I’ve been always blow drying my hair, and I always straighten my hair with a hair dryer everyday. Sometimes I tug it and pull on it a little hard to get it straight under the heat. I noticed that on the side that I blow dry the most, there is the most significant hair loss, where as the other side is slightly receeded, this side is well recessed. Is this a mere coincidence or does my styling really has an effect on my hair loss??

thank you

Manhandling your hair can cause cause hair loss, particularly if you are in the early stages of genetic balding, which means the miniaturized hairs are not as strong as the more healthy hairs. The pulling with heat may dry and damage the hair shaft, leading to more brittle and easily broken hair. The only way blow drying can cause hair loss is if you actually leave the blow dryer too close to your scalp for a long period of time, causing burning to your scalp, thus possibly leading to hair loss. The constant pulling you are telling me about may be causing traction alopecia (hair loss from pulling on the hair shaft).

March 20, 2006

Hair Loss Information » Chemo and Hair Growth – Balding Blog

Hi, in regards to this man’s question from your site: Hair Grew Back After Many Years

Did he ever send you pictures? I know names are kept confidential, but if what he says is true, there may be something closely related to my problem, which I consider extremely serious but no one else does.

When I was 22 had testicular cancer, right testicle removed, then 2 years later it spread to my lungs. I had 4 cycles of first line chemo, the most you can get, and afterward my hair grew back completely normally – no hair thinning, loss, recession – it was like it was always, a complete head of hair. But a few months later, the cancer showed up again, so I went on HIGH DOSE chemotherapy for 4 months. It’s been about 1 year since then, and since, my hair looks like I’ve been balding for decades. 4 months and I go from a complete head of hair to visible balding at the back of my head. The strange thing is, the follicles are completely miniaturized, but all over my head, and even my underarm hair and pubic hair are thinned out. The fact that it won’t grow on top is killing me however. I have very little family history of this, my dad is 50 and his hair isn’t budging.

Anyway, I’m not expecting you to give me solutions, just answers, or at least an intelligent hypothesis. I cross-referenced a list of the American academy of dermatologists and the New Yorker’s list of top 50 doctors to find a specialist, and here’s what he told me: “sometimes after chemo the texture of the hair can change. What’s happening with you is, male-pattern-baldness is probably affecting it somewhat but it’s at a right angle to your problem, it’s most likely a mixture of different things.” This was supposed to be the cream of the crop. He refused to do tests, scalp biopsies, anything, saying they would show nothing so why do them.

I know a decent amount about this after obsessing about it for a year over internet research. I know chemotherapy has nothing to do with dht, and right now my oncologists want me to go on testosterone supplements because my levels are low, so I know that this is not a straightforward problem.

Please, give a poor guy at the end of his ropes a break, don’t cast me out as one of the millions of hopeless cases. I’ve done this a hundred times, and have been disappointed with responses like “sorry, can’t help.” Can you at least take a hypothetical stab at an explanation, or put me in contact with that guy who’s hair grew back with chemotherapy?

In regards to the patient you mentioned whose hair grew back — unfortunately, there were no pictures supplied in his email.

Your hair loss is likely a result of your chemotherapy (you knew that). Your hair texture and growth cycle does change after chemotherapy (you knew that). A biopsy will not help, because we already know the cause of your hair loss (you knew that too, but it wasn’t explained to you in the right way). It takes time and everybody is different (again, you knew that). A year is a long time, but there is nothing except time on your side before you can see if your hair will grow back (you should know this too).

It seems you have done your homework and want a solution, but sometimes there is nothing more than what you already know. In the mean time, you should follow your oncologist’s advice.