I have been using gel for 5 years now. People say that using gel will make u go bald. Is this true? And if so is their a gel that will prevent this?
No, good commercial-grade hair gels will not cause hair loss.
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Hello, I am 24 years old, around a year and half ago I noticed a lot more hair coming out when I combed and in the shower drain. Prior to that and pretty much up till now my lifestyle was poor: gained weight, bad diet, no exercise, smoking marijuana, bad sleep… Also I was dealing with depression (and still am in some ways), took Wellbutrin, a common anti-depressant, for a little bit, but stopped when I noticed my hair thinning fearing that it was the cause. Things are better now and I am getting back in shape, gradually and getting my life back together. My hair is nowhere near as thick as it used to be, so my question is: Will living a healthier lifestyle now get my hair to the way it was at all, or are the hair follicles just dead and this is as thick as it will ever be? Thank you very much for your time.
Often, men with genetic hair loss will accelerate it when they live the lifestyle you’ve described above. The drug Wellbutrin does have hair loss as a side effect. Living healthier is clearly better, but if you are undergoing aggressive dieting, it will not help your hair loss as that is another cause of hair loss. Eating a healthy diet and consistency on that diet is the key. Get a good hair doctor and find out if you have genetic hair loss, get a diagnostic mapping of your scalp for miniaturization to confirm if it is actually male patterned balding and then being smarter you can decide what, if anything, you need to do.
Hi Doc,
I have noticed that i have started receding slightly on the sides of my head. Could be as you say just a muturing hairline, but recently I have noticed a little divit in the very middle of my hairline right between the eyes. I have always had it a little bit..bit it has recently gotten worse. Is this male pattern balding?
Without pictures it is difficult to make a diagnosis. These divots in the hairline that you are referring to may be the early part of hair loss in a forelock. Some genetic patterns have weak forelocks. I need to know your age, see pictures and get a family history from you. When this happens in the forelock, you often can see the same pattern in the family. If you are above 30 years old, these changes reflect a less aggressive ‘progressive’ hair loss that may be controlled by Propecia. If you are under 25, then this could be a reflection of a more aggressive pattern of hair loss and as you record the degree of miniaturization that is present around it, a good doctor can predict what may actually happen to you and estimate the time-frame it may occur. If you send me good photos, they will be kept private (a medical record requires privacy by law) and then we can arrange a time when we can speak and I will personally give you a private consultation. Without seeing you in person, such a consultation may or may not fully address the diagnosis, but it is a starting point.
If I want to stop a receded mature hairline, and keep a childhood hairline can propecia help do this? I actually believe its more MPB now than a mature hairline yet I have no to little MPB family history. I want to stop my hairloss im 23 years old. I have always had bad acne since I was young as well as a very bad itch thats been with me since about 14. The itch never went away and i tried every shampoo including prescriptions I could. I tried saw palmetto 320 a day and the itch vanished. I quit saw palmetto and recently restarted, but the itch was unaffected this time. Could this be MPB?
The short answer to whether your childhood hairline can be retained on Propecia is most probably “Nope.” Propecia works best at the crown of your head and although it seems to have some effect on the frontal region and hairline while you are less than about 35 years old, after that time one sees more hair loss in this area. Hair surgeons jokingly call this “Job Security.”
As for your itch, I have heard anecdotal reports of scalp itchiness related to hair loss, but no scientific evidence exists linking the two. To find out if you have male patterned balding (genetic), you should get a diagnostic mapping of your scalp for miniaturization to confirm if it is actually male patterned balding.
Finally, please do not go out and find a hair surgeon who will tranplant your childhood hairline (there are some unscrupulous people out there who will agree to do this for you – avoid them). Just remember that transplanted hair is permanent, and that as an older man you may not want a childhood hairline – it would look out of place or odd. You can always bring it lower in subsequent surgeries, but you cannot move it higher! I always tell my patients that the good and bad news about hair transplants is, they are permanent. This is not a place to make a mistake.
Thank you for creating this blog, it has been very helpful!
Recently a friend told me that using hair wax causes hair loss because it plugs the hair follicles. He said to go to a hairdresser and get a stripping shampoo, I guess to get rid of any wax that may be plugging follicles. My question is, do you know anything about using hair wax and it causing hair loss?
Thank you!
I am not clear what your question is. If you are asking about the wax that is made from the hair follicle (sebum) which is made in every person with hair, then this does not cause hair loss for if it did, the homeless people we see on the streets (who never washed their hair and probably have considerable wax buildup) would be bald and the compulsively clean person that washes their hair many times a day would be the hairy population. Sometimes I wonder if there are less bald homeless people out there then well washed coiffured people who hold real jobs. At the least, the homeless people I see in Santa Monica (sleeping on the beach) may have less stress than those people with big house payments (with heavy debt) and we know that stress does cause hair loss (not wax or dirt).
If you mean hot wax, as used in hair removal, I would not recommend any stripping shampoo or wax that strips hair. Any reasonable chemical assault that goes after hair or wax should cause hair loss, eventually permanent.
If you are referring to the wax in grooming/styling products, then I do not believe that these will cause you any problem.
So, Dr. Rassman, it’s the day after my surgery and I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep for a few days. No, it’s not because of any pain or discomfort; rather, what you and your team did today will forever change my life.
As you know, my journey began in late 1993 in Beverly Hills. One scalp reduction and two 100-graft sessions later, even I could tell my ‘Master Plan’ at the time was bunk, BS, a no-go situation. And I’m no doctor, mind you.
Because I was still losing hair and now my large grafts began to show, I entered the world of hair systems ala Hair Club for Men two years later in the fall of 1995. The cover charge for entry into Sy Sperling’s party was a steep $2625.00, however, and that took me by surprise. Funny thing is, I now look back at those photos from that period of my life, and the hair looks shiny and oh-so-fake. Kind of like a horse’s tail. Maybe it was? No, that’s too harsh. I’m sure it was farmed from ladies in the far east, stripped of its cuticle and dyed to my hair color. It just had this otherworldly sheen to it and in no way did it appear real. Man, I wonder how many people knew?
Flash forward to the year 2000. I joined the Directors Guild of America (DGA) that year, was making union wages as an Assistant Director, and then stepped up a notch to a Richard Farrell hair system. Farrell reminds me a lot of you. He blows the lid off the hair replacement industry, and has a completely transparent salon. His systems are indeed the best, but no matter how much they appear to be growing out of your scalp, they are not. Further, they never will. My first two systems in August 2000 were just over $3000.00, reasonable for the quality I was getting. Since the lace bases were very sheer, they eventually ran their course and were replaced. In 2005 I did just that, except the cost of two systems at that time was $5000.00 (inflation of course). So, that’s $8000.00, excluding the monthly servicing, coloring, hair additions and haircuts I received. When you include those items, I spent $16,2000 from August 2000 through January 2006. OUCH!
Of course, the sad truth is I work in the film industry on set as an Assistant Director. I had the good fortune of working with Scorsese, Coen Brothers, Clint Eastwood, and directors of that caliber who attract similarly-accomplished crew members. I was unfortunately busted wearing a hair system by the hairstylist of a prominent Hollywood actor by none other than George Clooney’s personal hair stylist, a guy named Waldo Sancez. He is a cool cat, and he personally didn’t make fun of me or even let one that he knew (a class guy). He simply relayed to me that the entire hair and make-up trailer was abuzz because they were convinced I wore a hairpiece. When I was in the dressing from, he looked at my hairline the entire time, and never asked me if it was true. Conclusion: They all knew. OUCH!
Don’t get me wrong, if I were an accountant, mortgage broker, etc, I could have gotten away with a system of Farrell’s quality. It’s a completely different story, though, when you are standing eye-to-eye with an Oscar-winning hair and make-up artist giving warnings to the actors sitting in the chair getting ready for set.
After Waldo’s revelation, I was never the same AD. My self-confidence deflated like the proverbial balloon. I wore a ballcap every single day on set since 2000. All the while paying thousands of dollars to upkeep the systems that were supposed to allow me to NOT wear a ballcap. Irony anyone?
Flash forward to today, Feb 23, 2006. NHI is the real deal! You are every bit as caring and accomplished as any doctor I’ve met. I’d even hire you as my primary care physician if you moonlighted on the side. Bottom line: Your patients come first; your company’s earnings are secondary to the end result (and safety!) of those who enter 9911 Pico Blvd. looking for help.
I CAN NEVER THANK YOU FULLY for what you did for me-hell, and my career, for that matter-today. I am in the queue for a HUGE movie later this fall, and I know my confidence will be at an all time high. You can’t put a price tag on that. It’s about value, and what you’ve done for me far exceeds the “price” of what I paid NHI yesterday.
This fall, I can’t wait to knock on the trailer door, look the hair department head in the eye and proclaim, “Camera will be ready in 10 minutes. What’s your best guess on having actor _______ ready?”
I edited this letter before publishing it here, because it contained things that should not be the focus of such a letter (even for humor). I always believe that if you have nothing good to say about someone/something, best not say it. This man was a delight to work with and we bonded in a very special way (I always seem to develop a special bond in this strange world of the hair transplant repair process). Many repair patients have a unique type of pain that they live with, a type of pain that fortunately does not happen much with the modern techniques used today. The bonding requires building trust where none existed because of the history of the bad experience, well defined by this patient. I was humbled by reading his letter as I am every day working in this field.
William Rassman, M.D.
Doctor,
Within the last 25 days I’ve lost all of my hair from mid back and sides and seem as though it is moving toward the top. I am a black woman 46 years old, I’m taking several medication along with vitamins. Such as Zocar, Zeta, Enulose and Flax Oil, One A Day women vitamin and Calcium. I’m under stress with adult sons and job and I’m planning our wedding with my fiance which that is a happy ordeal in my life. I am very stress now that my hair is coming out in comb full three times a day if I comb. One day I decided not to comb and waited to the next day, only to have two hand full of hair. I recently had blood work with my primary Doctor, who said my blood work was good and recommended me to see a Dermatologist. Which I did make an appoitment. My diet is not the worse, very little fruit but lots of vegetables,fish and chicken or turkey. Little fried food. Beverages is water or juices. Please give me your opinion, I know you cannot give me a diagnoisis. Maybe a suggestion.
Are you losing hair in the frontal and top area too? It is best to wait and see a dermatologist first so that he can map your hair loss pattern out and possibly biopsy your scalp for any inflammatory processes, if indicated. Genetic female hair loss can be made worse by stress and mediations like Zocar, which can cause hair loss as well. This is a multifactorial problem in you and a good dermatologist should be able to help you discern the contributing factors.
Dr. Rassmann,
I apologize for the lengthy message, but I’m very concerned about my current situation and really need 3rd party insight.
The Situation:
Approximately 24 months ago, I had a transplantation procedure by a well known and highly respected expert in this field. Procedure deilvered over 3,300 FU’s to frontal 3rd in one session. The results at 12 months were incredible, as my hairline and overall density were more than I had hoped for. At about 18 months, I started noticing steady hair shedding, lasting for months. During this time, and up until today, I noticed structural changes to the transplanted hair (very thin in dia., squiggly, etc). Bottom line, at a little over 24 months I now have less than 50% of the density I had at 1 year with no improvement or regrowth. My diet is immaculate, very healthy, workout, take finasteride, minoxodil, etc. etc. In phone conversations with the doctor, he believes it’s Telogen Afluvium. However, this was not sudden loss all over my scalp that has been followed by growth. We’re talking about a steady loss of the transplanted hair, with nothing re growing, and the hair that’s remaining looking very ill.
Questions:
1. Are you aware of any similar cases like this?
2. If so, any insights on what causes it what to do to stop/generate re-growth?
3. Is it possible to consider this failed FU’s even though they looked great at 12 months?Thank you for your time and insight.
Loss of ‘permanent’ hair from a previous hair transplant is very, very unusual. I would expect that the answer to your problem lies in your donor area now. If you lost 50% of the hair transplants, then you should have lost 50% of the hair population in the donor area. I have seen men develop Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia after a hair transplant, though it is very rare. You need to have your scalp mapped out for miniaturization to make this diagnosis.
I was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer in July 2005 and began chemo and lung radiation shortly after that. I lost my hair after the first month of treatment. After my chemo, my hair started to grow back, only for the doctor to tell me that I needed to do a 3-week round of brain radiation as a percautionary measure since the lung tumor was gone and there seemed to be no other organs affected. I finished these treatments about two weeks before Christmas 2005. I totally lost all of the hair that I had grown back, yet again. Well…here it is February 19, 2006 and still no sign of any hair growth at all. My question is this: How long before I should consider this a permanent condition? I’ve basically already given up hope and kissed my long blonde hair goodbye. I would just like to know how long I should wait before I consider the fact that I might not be growing back any hair ever. Thank you.
I am sorry to hear that you have small cell lung cancer. After cancer treatments, hair can go into a dormant phase for many months. You may have to wait up to 6-8 months for hair to regrow. Some people will have all of their luxurious hair grow back once the effects of chemotherapy have gone. Let’s hope that this is in your future along with a healthy body.
I am a 22 y/o man, and I started losing my hair when I was 19. When I was 18 I moved from a tropical country to a cold country and I started taking hot showers. I think that could be the biggest problem. I lost about 40% of my hair at the rear top and front, both sides of my head, and whatever hair I have left on those spots is very thin, and I still am losing hair. I have no history of hair loss in my family but my father started losing hair when he was over 40 y/o. Should I visit a doctor to know the reason of my hair loss before I start using any product? I used rogaine for 1 year but I had no change.
I am certain that hot water does not cause hair loss. Many people love hot showers, so if your suspicion were correct, everyone living in the US (or other parts of the world for that matter) that took regular hot showers would be bald or balding. This is simply not true. As a man between the ages of 19-24, advanced hair loss indicates that you probably have strong genetics for balding (assuming there is no medical cause). Propecia and possibly Rogaine may help with your hair loss, but you need a working diagnosis by mapping of your scalp for miniaturization to confirm if it is actually male patterned balding. Based upon your history with 40% or more of the hair lost already, you are on the fast track for becoming a bald man, so I would not delay in seeing a hair doctor and finding a correct path to take.
By looking to find a cause for your hair loss, you are exercising a psychological trick that the mind routinely uses when it does not want to face ‘bad news’. Psychologists call this denial. My own son used denial to justify that he was not losing his hair, under constant pressure from his brothers and sister who recognized his pain. He eventually accepted that Propecia might actually be a good thing to take, accepting that he was the victim of his (my opinion) mother’s genetics. It took him over a year to recognize his Norwood Class 4A thinning pattern. I would see him suffer over his early hair loss, in silence. Now, his hair loss has partly reversed. He does not appear to be balding anymore. A victory over hair loss for my own family, thanks to the proper use of Propecia. Happily every after? Unfortunately, there is no way to tell what the future will hold or how long the medication will last.
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