Interestingly, Provillus’s website states that, “Minoxidil, the only ingredient clinically tested, and approved by the FDA for restoring your hair, inhibits DHT.”
I thought finasteride was the only FDA approved DHT blocker and minoxidil was something else. I’m confused.
Short answer — no. I am unaware of any inhibition that minoxidil has for DHT. Minoxidil works differently and not on the formation of the DHT hormone; finasteride does block DHT.
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Hi,
I accidently inhaled too much Toppik protein fibers through my nose yesterday and I’m a little concerned. I felt it in my nose several minutes after the application and I’m currently experiencing a slight burning sensation in my upper chest. Should this clear up on its own? And how really safe is this product?
I appreciate your help.
Thanks!
You should seek medical attention. These are fibers and they certainly can be an irritant to the lungs.
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(female)
I am writing about provillus I purchased the two month supply to see if I could get any results. I have never used any other products and I was looking only and saw the ads for scalpmed and provillus. I decided to give provillus a chance well in my second day of use I develop redness and itchiness of the face and my face felt very warm. I decided to give it a couple of more days and maybe it will go away but it hasn’t. Now my face feels like I had a very bad sunburn red itchy and dry. Is this common with this product? I stop the use of it after 4 days. I hope my face starts to feel normal soon if not I will be going to the dermatologist soon. Please post to make others beware of the side effects of this product.I will be returning the unused product I have left but the returned guaranty (which I didn’t read at the time) states that there will be a $5.00 penalty and no shipping and handling will be refunded. I guess you live and learn and for the future I will be more aware of scams and be sure to read everything before attempting to make a purchase.
You don’t make clear if you used Provillus for Men or the Provillus for Women, but this does sound like an allergy to some ingredient in the product. According to the product website, both versions now contain minoxidil, which does have rash and redness as rare side effects (see list). However, I was under the impression that Provillus’s main ingredient was saw palmetto, a weak DHT blocker (if at all) — which would do nothing for women. Perhaps that changed at some point.
Provillus isn’t FDA approved, and it isn’t something I’d recommend.
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Hello Doctor
How long after a HT is it safe to wash the scalp with medicated shampoos (such as Nizoral 2% ot salycylic acid shampoos fighting seborrhea )
Thank you
You should refer to your post-operative instructions that your transplant doctor gave you, or ask your surgeon directly. Generally though, you can use your regular shampoo in one to two weeks after a hair transplant.
(female)
I was told by many of my friends that putting birth control pills in my shampoo & conditioner it would help my hair grow. Is this true? And if it is not true will it have any effect at all on my hair? I am worried because I have already crushed and put the pills in my shampoo and conditioner, and now I am afraid to use them. Please help me out
We’ve answered a similar question before — Putting Birth Control Pills in Shampoo to Thicken Hair?!
Unfortunately, as I do not know the absorption of the hormones, I wouldn’t have answers to whether it would be absorbed through the skin, or what amount, etc. Many birth control pills can cause hair loss as an uncommon side effect, and I am not sure why you would put this in your shampoo. Where did your friends get their information? Word of mouth? Salon secret? This is really quite unusual. It is a blind process that probably will do no good and I’d even wonder if it would do harm. If you want the birth control pill in your system, best take it the recommended way. Some of it will find its way into the hair, but it likely won’t do anything for helping your hair to grow.
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Hi Dr Rassman.
Few questions. I am using a combination of propecia, centrum, biotin, msm and nizoral shampoo. I was using regaine for a few months but stopped just after christmas as I was still losing hair regularly. After stopping however, even more hair fell out and my hair started to shed like crazy over 3 months… this time last year I was a norwood 2, but am now a norwood 3v. I have been on the propecia for 2 and a half months now, and as I am only 21 can I expect to see good results soon? I noticed that 39 year old who went from being nearly bald to having pretty much a full head of hair (without the corners). So, my question is, do you think the reason I shed so much was because I stopped using rogaine? Would it have been better to have not used it rather than use it then stop?
Of the combination you used, only Propecia and minoxidil (Regaine/Rogaine) are proven to regrow hair loss. At only 2 1/2 months on Propecia, I’d say another few months on the medication will begin to yield results. To what degree, I couldn’t say. Each person is different and will react differently to the medication. Some men will see good regrowth, while others will see no regrowth (but they will see the hair loss halt). At 21 years old, it is possible that it was a coincidence that your hair loss increased around the same time you took a hiatus from your treatment, or it could be that stopping the minoxidil was the catalyst for your increased hair loss. Starting the Propecia is a good step, however, and I’d suggest you stick with it. Discuss any medication changes with your prescribing doctor.
How soon after chemo is it safe to dye the hair??
If the hair has not fallen out and you have passed that critical phase where it would normally fall out, then you can use a gentle semi-permanent dye to color your hair. Semi-permanent dyes that are acidic are made of small molecules which can pass through into the cortex of the hair. As all of these dyes are water soluble, they can be easily washed out. They may last for between 1-6 weeks depending upon what dyes are used, but they lose their effectiveness with frequent washings. These are generally safe and can be used at home. Since these do not contain bleach they can not lighten the hair, but darkening gray hair is reasonable.
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Dear Dr.,
There is a new product called Pre Toxan, (or Pretoxan) containing L-Arginine, the website is: www.pretoxan.de
Could you please let us know your opinion, is it safe?
Thanks
I looked at their site (thanks to Google’s translatation service) and the “science” they mention just makes no sense. From what I gather, Protoxan is a shampoo that mixes the ingredients in Procapil with L-arginine. The site mentions that it, “boosts the synthesis of important components at the epidermal junction where the hair anchors to the skin.” And that Procapil, “has active compounds that help to anchor the hair follicles more firmly in the scalp, allowing hair follicles maintain their youth. By stimulating cell communication and metabolism, follicle anti-aging is promoted and anchoring molecules are rejuvenated. This helps prevent premature hair thinning, hair loss and MPB (male pattern balding).”
Excuse me if Google’s translator didn’t turn that into perfect English, but I think I see what they’re trying to say… and there is no science here. There is a poorly documented clinical trial on a limited number of men which is designed like a double blind study, but just does not cut it. The product may work, but there is no clear cut evidence that it does what is says.
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Hi doctor,
I have heard that hair follicles get scarred if you have had extensive bleaching done for coloring. Could you please explain what exactly happens because I am confused. Does the hair just fall off, or the entire mechanism shuts down ie, the dermal papilla cells get destroyed and the pores close?
Also, say one had his hair (black) bleached three times so that he could have it toned white (I did it 5 years ago, don’t ask why, it was college). Would you notice hair scarring within the year or is it possible that hair will gradually fall off because of it even five years later.
Thank you in advance for your help in the matter.
Bleaching can become permanent if it went down to the bulb of the hair follicles and impacted the granules of melanin that produce color. Bleaches can also damage the production mechanism of the hair-producing part of the hair follicle. That is why bleaching should be done by professionals who know how far to push it without going overboard. I would expect that the damage would occur quickly and not be delayed. See a good dermatologist and get your hair examined.
Hello, I am turning 26 in a few months, I would like to know what transplant procedure would best suit my current hair loss pattern. I have researched the strip method, also the individual extraction method, I like the individual method better, it seems to be less evasive and less surgical, however, the cost appears to be higher, why is that? Would I qualify for the single extraction? What degree of a transplant do I require to restore my hairline to a even more full appearance? Any estimates in cost? Thank you for viewing my questions and looking over my pictures, you have my permission to use them on your site if they help in any way. If you require photos from any other angles please let me know. I am not on Propecia, I have been reading about Provilus, is that a good alternative? I am more interested in the natural ingredients if they have similar results.
Thank you again, I hope to hear back from you with some positive ideas!
First, thank you for permission to post your photos! If I was able to map out your scalp for miniaturization, I’d be able to tell if the top and crown of your head, which appears normal now, has any early signs of balding there. The pattern you present with is between and Norwood 3A and 4A pattern and I suspect that there is miniaturization in the 4A pattern area where part of the forelock still persists. If you took Propecia (necessary to prevent further loss and the possibility of shock loss after transplantation), then transplanting the frontal area with about 2000 grafts would suffice in most men with your pattern. I would have to know more about your hair characteristics (straight vs curly, coarse vs fine) as this will tell me the value of your hair, part of the essential formula for estimating hair replacement.
Provillus will not give you the same protection against shock hair loss that Propecia (finasteride 1mg) would, so if you get a hair transplant, you need to be aware of this. For your information, the main ingredient in Provillus that does work is saw palmetto, which as I’ve stated many times before, is a weak DHT blocker at best.
The follicular unit extraction (FUE) technique is very labor intensive and the time it takes to do it is much more than a standard strip procedure. That is why the cost is higher. Also, the results from FUE are variable while the strip procedure is predictable nearly 100% of the time. For more info on FUE, please see:
