Category: Hair Products

Hi, I have a family history of androgenetic alopecia; both of my grandfathers experienced severe baldness early in life and my brother has lost nearly all his hair. Until a year ago, I had a receding hairline and suffered moderately severe vertex baldness. Propecia/minoxidil/nizoral (2%) have significantly and remarkably filled in all balding areas! Many people have commented that I now have thicker hair than when I was a teenager.

My question is how often I should wash my hair for optimum hair growth/restoration? Using minoxidil 2-3 times daily does make my scalp oily, but this does not concern me as I often wear a cap. So much contradictory evidence makes this topic confusing. Your help would be much appreciated.

It’s reasonable to wash your hair once a day. Washing your hair isn’t going to cause more to regrow, but as long as your treatments are working, you should keep up what you’re doing.

I have general thinning in the crown area in an otherwise mostly full head of hair. I find that what works best for me is one of those masking agents that you spray on to color your scalp to match your hair color. In fact, it works so well that one of my friends examined my scalp closely and still couldn’t figure out why my hair seemed thicker. The problem is that this stuff rubs off too easily. You have to be extremely careful to not let your head touch anybody’s pillows or furniture for fear of leaving a large brown (or black) spot.

Is there a product out there that stains the scalp so that it will not wash or rub off and remain on the scalp until it wears off?

DermMatch will not rub off. Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP) will not rub off either…. but it is permanent. DermMatch is cheaper and will wash off.

Hello Doctor

Is it necessary to wash off concealers ( such as dermatch or toppik ) daily or is it safe to use them daily but keep a 2 – 3 washes per week schedule

Thank you

You don’t need to wash off these camouflaging agents every day. I’ve seen patients who keep these concealers on for 2 to 3 days (since they wash their hair that often), but it’s up to you. Concealers will not damage your hair or cause hair loss, even if you keep them on for a few days.

Hello Dr. Rassman,

I’m a young man experiencing MPB, and I’ve decided I want to embrace it. I’d rather not shave my head since I find razors irritate my skin. My question is this: Do you know of any hair removal creams that are safe for use on the scalp? I’ve read varying reports that indicate Nair can damage the scalp. Furthermore, if I later choose to have a transplant or other hair restoration procedure done, would the earlier use of hair removal cream alter my hair’s regrowth in any way once I cease using the product?

Thanks for your informative site and the time you devote to answering all our questions!

There seems to be many warnings on using depilatories such as Nair. The warnings suggest chemical burns and damage may result from their use on the scalp. It appears that your options are limited to shaving. Try different razors or shaving creams to see if that helps reduce irritation.

Snippet from the article:

Yes, this is gross, but before you knock it take a minute and think about what comprises mayonnaise. It’s primarily made of eggs, oil, and water (plus a little lemon). Oil is commonly known to be good for dry anything. Eggs are also used to treat dry skin and dry hair. The water doesn’t matter much one way or the other and lemon juice can add shine to your hair. If you think about the benefits mayonnaise provides, you’re probably better off putting it on your head and body than actually eating it. (It is pretty fatty after all.)

Read the rest — Soften Up Your Dry Hair and Skin with Mayonnaise

For those who want a natural solution to dry hair, this may work. I can’t speak from personal experience, though. And when you’re done, you can break out the deli meats and a couple of bread slices for a delicious lunch.

Snippet from the article:

For some, gray hair is a signal of distinction. But for many, it’s something to get covered up. Using dyes is an old practice, but now cosmetic company L’Oreal is working on an internal method to keep the silver at bay.

The company hopes to have a pill on the market by 2015 that will prevent oxidation stress, the process that causes hair to fade from jet black or deep red to silver or gray. The pill uses a fruit extract that does something similar to the body’s own enzymes that control hair pigmentation.

Read the rest — Cosmetic Company L’Oreal Developing Pill to Prevent Gray Hair

I personally like the gray change in my appearance. In my opinion, men who gray just look more distinguished. But for those that dye their hair, a pill may be more to your liking if all goes well with testing and it comes to market.