Hair Products – Page 39

December 17, 2008

Use of Concealers (with Photos) – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

This is a person with very fine hair that had a small transplant with minimal coverage only in a wide area from hairline to about 4 inches back. The hair was very see-through, but considering where he started, he was very pleased and came in for another transplant to increase the density in the front and top areas. We put concealers (here DermMatch and Toppik in combination) and his resulting photographs now show the appearance of far more fullness than he had from transplants alone. The photos below show the value of these products.

Click the photos below to enlarge.

Before apply concealers:

After Toppik and DermMatch:

December 15, 2008

Finasteride and Inflammation? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I’ve been on Finasteride for 3-4months now and I’ve been going through and immense shed. I’m losing hair on my crown , on my middle area , temples have receded 1 inch and my front sides are thinning. I’m 19 years old and understand that my hair loss is quite aggressive. One thing that I cannot understand is why my inflammation has not declined since I have introduced Finasteride.

Since Finasteride inhibits DHT , and DHT is the cause of inflammation (immune response to DHT attacking follicles) Shouldn’t a reduction in DHT cause a reduction in inflammation?

I know Ketoconazole in products such as Nizoral and Revtia will help with inflammation , but I was curious to see if there would be a drop in inflammation.

If you truly have inflammation, I would strongly suggest you see your doctor for a physical exam. Normal male pattern baldness (MPB), otherwise known as androgenic alopecia (AGA), is genetic and DHT is responsible for it, but it does not cause inflammation that you can see. DHT does not cause an immune response or attack hair follicles. The source of the information you have is not reliable.

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December 15, 2008

My Trichologist Said White Blood Cells Were Attacking My Follicles – Balding Blog

I recently went to a trichologist following some increased hair loss and he did a miniturization test and said I have very little miniturization of hair. I asked him how much – he said maybe 2 or 3%. Hence I have no genetic thinning/minturization.

However in addition to this the trichologist prescribed tyrosine (amino acid) for me. He noted there was redness/swelling around my hair follicles caused by white blood cells attacking the stem of the hairs (according to him). I noticed this redness when he was doing the miniturization microscopic test – the redness is not visible to the naked eye but quite evident around the follicles under microscope.

I want to know if this is the right course of action? What is this redness exactly? Is this what is causing my more than usual (but not excessive) shedding?

Additional info: I’m 23 and my dad is the only one of my relations with hair loss. He is probably a norwood V and lost most of his hair in his 30s.

I felt the need to bulletpoint four important points I want to make here:

Trichologists are not doctors. They do not prescribe medications or diagnose medical conditions.
I do not know of such test that can see redness and white blood cells attacking follicles (even under a microscope).
Tyrosine as you know is an amino acid, but it really has no role in balding. You don’t need a supplement as it is plentiful in meat, dairy, eggs as well as almonds, avocados, bananas, etc.
If you want a real medical opinion about skin redness, see a dermatologist.

December 11, 2008

Treating Hair Loss with Low Cholesterol, Green Tea, Saw Palmetto, and Vitamins – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi,
do enjoy the site, always looking for new information that can help. I am aware that supplements such as saw palmetto are of ill comparison to the strength of finasteride. But what if you were to create a sort of daily routine which followed suite to the same components finasteride has such as rather then popping a pill of propecia you were to:

keep cholesterol intake low to possibly decrease your testosterone levels

1-3 cups of green tea a day

daily intake of supplements which include moderately large amounts of saw palmetto,nettle, beta sitosterol and lysine

omega 3′6′9

vitamin b complex

daily multi vitamin of good quality

and also I have heard that to much vitamin A could possibly worsen the effects of male pattern baldness is this true? thanks

Saw palmetto does not work the same way as finasteride, and hair growth with it is less predictable. It is always good to live healthy and have a low cholesterol diet. Any good thing in excess can be bad for you (such as overdosing on vitamin A).

If the regimen you outlined works for you, then I would stick with it… but from a medical and scientific point of view, I doubt it will grow hair.

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December 11, 2008

Let’s Rub Our Heads with Eggs and Brandy! – Balding Blog

I found this page that says mixing an egg with brandy, then rubbing it on your head to grow hair. Or using almond oil…. or mixing eggs, honey, and olive oil. They also say that copper prevents hair loss and zinc prevents grey hair. WHAAAAAT?

Point is, I wonder where these crazy ideas come from. Is there anything in eggs that would lead someone to believe that they’ll regrow your hair? Why use brandy? I know you probably can’t answer that, but I’m thinking out loud. These things are so ridiculous to me and I am sure I’m not the only one that shares that thought process. I believe there’s a place for homeopathic medicine in the world, but these hair loss “cures” are so obviously dumb it surprises me that people can’t just see they’re wasting time before they even start.

I agree and share your thought process as well. Much of the homeopathic remedies I’ve been asked about through this site have been truly ridiculous and won’t do a thing for your regrowing your hair or preventing it from falling out. I have no idea where such ideas come from, but I can’t help but just shake my head whenever I hear about a new one. Maybe someone’s drunk uncle had a full head of hair, so the idea of using brandy came into play?

Eggs and brandy… isn’t that eggnog? What better way to celebrate the holidays than trying to get your scalp drunk? Garnish with nutmeg and serve.

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December 10, 2008

Could Vitamin D Make My Hair Loss Worse? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi,
Great site. I take proscar and it works great. My question is regarding Vitamin D. I am low in serum D and am adding a supplement. I have read that Vitamin D can help with hair loss. My question is does it raise Testosterone levels or DHT levels which would work against what Proscar is doing.I does show Vitamin D as a PRE-hormone which I don’t quite understand. Could the VitD make things worse especially on someone with diffuse hair loss over all of head. My doctor thinks this diffuse loss could be a result of my low D. What is your opinion. By the way I’m a male.

Thanks

Vitamin D is safe if taken in reasonable (recommended) doses and if your Vitamin D level is low, this supplement may help your hair situation. Super dosing it may cause hair loss.

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December 10, 2008

Hair Growing Out Brittle a Year After Dying It – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

(female)
Hello
Just a quick question.. About a year ago I dyed my hair for the first time. ANd then it got really dry and brittle. Well it’s been a year and it’s still like that! Is it because I dyed it, even though since then I haven’t dyed it again and my hair is back to it’s natural color. I have very short hair and all the hair I have dyed is completely off (due to hair cuts) the problem is it’s still dry. Can you tell me why that is? What should I do?

Maybe you can try a different shampoo or conditioner? If you damaged your hair from dying it, as the hair grows out, the normal hair from below the skin will replace what is brittle. If the dying was toxic, you may have damaged the hair below the skin. I have an extensive discussion of dyes in my new book, Hair Loss and Replacement for Dummies, which you can buy at your local book store, major chain book store, or from HairOutletStore.com (powered by Amazon).

If you are still bothered by your hair, see a good hair stylist or even a dermatologist for a good examination.

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December 4, 2008

Comb or Brush? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I was taking a shower the other day and the back of the shampoo bottle said to use a wide tooth comb and not a brush when combing wet hair. What is better to use for combing wet hair, a brush or a comb? I use a small brush that I believe is from an airplane kit, but that I really like.

Well, if the directions say to use a wide tooth comb and not a brush, I would use a wide tooth comb and not a brush. I am sure if you go to a respectable supermarket, pharmacy, or hair salon, you will be able to find a wide tooth comb. I wrote about this previously.

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December 1, 2008

What Other Drugs Cause Hair Growth as a Side Effect? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dear Dr Rassman
In the past we had minoxidil, Proscar, and Avodart which had side effects of growing hair. Do you know of any other drug companys that are saying their drugs have a side effect that grows hair as well?
Thanks

I am not aware of any drug or any drug in development that cause side effect of hair growth to the scalp. I’m certain some company is working on a new drug for hair loss treatment, especially considering the market for such a medication, but there’s nothing that has been made public that I’m aware of. Many companies claim hair growth from shampoos, lotions, etc, but I don’t have a list off the top of my head… and I doubt the validity of most of those claims anyway.

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November 21, 2008

How Long Do I Keep Minoxidil Applied During the Day? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Doctor I read one of your posts and have a related question. In the post you indicate at-least 1 hour to keep minoxidil before taking a shower. I want to clarify this as I too don’t like keeping the medication all day because of its greasy and sticky look.

In addition, I have searched your blog in regards to a good Shampoo…Can you suggest one besides Nizoral, as i use it once every week as suggested by the manufacturer. But want to pick a good brand for daily cleansing….You have suggested to pick the one which suits, however i was wondering if you can still suggest some ingredients or brand to help.

In addition, I want to indicate that I have been on Propecia for 4-5 months and Strongly believe its helping me slow my hair loss. I’m 28/m and now have started using Minoxidil.

Block Quote

Minoxidil should be applied after a shower when the pores on the scalp are open and the circulation from a hot shower increases the blood circulation. The use of minoxidil foam in the morning will solve the greasy feeling and many people prefer it to the liquid. It is also reported that the foam (5%) works better. If you let the medication absorb for at least an hour or so (I’d say 2-3 hours to be safe), you can wipe it off.

I have no suggestion on a shampoo at this time, but I am considering bowing to requests to write reviews for the various hair loss products out there in the marketplace.