Category: Hair Products

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Hair Loss InformationWhich Herbal Hair Oil Should I Use? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am losing my hair. Which is better hair product of trichup?
1.- complete hair oil
2.- hair fall control oil

can i get my losing hair back?

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3. None of the above.

I don’t know anything about you, but these magic oils don’t regrow your hair if you are losing hair from genetic causes. If you are serious about treating your hair loss, see a doctor who can map your scalp for miniaturization and analyze your hair bulk. Treating yourself with these ayurvedic tonics are almost surely going to leave you disappointed.

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Hair Loss InformationScalp MicroPigmentation vs Traditional Concealers Like Toppik – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I recently started using Toppik and I’m always worried that it’s going to come off on my pillow or I’ll get caught in a rain storm and have my “hair” wash away. SMP would be like a permanent Toppik, yes?

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I had a discussion with one of our hair transplant patients who continued to use Toppik to get the fullness he needed despite having a reasonable hair transplant result. This man in his late 50s received around 5500 grafts, which was not quite enough to cover his entire Norwood class 6 balding pattern, so he became dependent upon using concealers like Toppik and DermMatch even after the transplants were completely grown in.

This patient is a daily swimmer, and with his primary exercise being in the pool he was always wearing a swim cap to deal with the Toppik running down his head once it got wet. I told him about Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP) and how it could be done to supplement his hair transplant to increase the illusion of fullness, much like what he was doing with the concealers. He had the SMP done and was able to give up the Toppik dependency.

He said, “Now I swim without a swim cap and you can not believe the freedom I got by that SMP treatment. I am single and now that my hair looks like I am 40 again, my life has turned another page“.

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Does Hair Dye Cause Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Doc,

Confused about hair dye contributing to hair loss. Most reliable sources on the internet say no. Though others say yes. I checked your archives but still not clear on the answer. Obviously an outright allergic reaction would be a concern. I’m just talking regular use with otc products. I assume some chemicals are going to be absorbed by the scalp. But I don’t if that’s true or if it is what that means. I know you have transplant clients who dye their hair.

Thanks..

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Short answer — no, hair dye does not cause hair loss when used properly.

If you use standard over-the-counter dyes, read the labels carefully. Most are generally safe and whatever risks there might be are listed in the insert packaging. Discounting that allergic reaction and chemical burn are possibilities, as long as the dye stays only on the hair and does not go into the root of the hair below the skin, the standard commercial dyes are considered safe and will not cause hair loss.

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Press Release – Haptenex, a New Alopecia Areata Treatment? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the press announcement:

A66, Inc., a Delaware Corporation, has introduced a compound named Haptenex. This compound is expected to revolutionize treatment for Alopecia Areata. The complex array of patented dermatological and systemically reactant compounds have the ability to cause the skin and other cells to react and distract the problem immune responses from damaging vulnerable follicular and other cells afflicted by immune system diseases.

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Read the rest — A66, Inc. Introduces Alopecia Areata Immune Response Treatment

What I read in this news release does not impress me. The language is unclear and the press release doesn’t say anything in particular, so that is an alert for me. Be suspicious.

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Is SMP Basically a Permanent DermMatch? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello dr Rassman
Am thinking about having SMP but am not sure if i will get the same result as dermmatch. i had HT about 8000 grafts, and now when i use dermmatch with a little of toppic fiber my hair looks perfect but i want something permanent. so please i need help to decide.

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DermMatch is a kind of powdered paint (albeit a crude description) — it is not permanent and while it is not detectable up close when applied correctly, you can feel it and it does come off on your pillow and hands if you rub your scalp. Toppik is a similar temporary camouflaging product, but it adds little fibers to existing hairs to provide a visual bulk.

On the other hand, Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP) is permanent, you can not feel it by touch, and if it is done by someone that knows what they are doing it should not be detectable up-close. Everyone is different and whether this is what you want to do is a something you’ll need to decide on.

What I would suggest is that you attend one of our Open House events in Los Angeles. We hold them every month in our office and we show off actual patients who have had SMP done so you can see it being done, feel it (with the permission of the patient) and look at it up-close to judge the answer to your questions yourself. Seeing and touching is believing.

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Hair Loss InformationBaking Soda in Shampoo to Increase Hair Thickness? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Doctor

Many internet sources claim that adding baking soda to your shampoo increases hair thickness. Would you say it worth a try? Could be any dangerous?

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I don’t like the idea of using baking soda on your hair and scalp to make your hair appear thicker, but I don’t think it will hurt. There are volumizing shampoos and conditioners that are safe and proven effective, and that’s what I would personally stick with.

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Hair Loss InformationRogaine Didn’t Help for the 6 Months I Used It, So I’m Trying Vitamins Now – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi guys, i think the work you do is brilliant well done.

I need some help. I’m suffering from hereditary hair loss. I tried using Regaine for men, for 6 months but it didn’t seem to stop my hair falling out. So i stopped using it & it seems my hair is rapidly falling out now :-(

I’ve started using Euromin Vital Hair which another guy recommended to me & said it stopped his hair falling out after a few months.

My mum also bought me the ‘Nizoral anti-dandruff’ shampoo that you guys recommend hair loss sufferers to use. In uk we have a red & white pack, in USA & on ur website it is a blue colour are they both the same on the inside? & do you recommend using a conditioner is is just the shampoo enough?

I wanna know should i start using Regaine again? or will it make my hair shed uncontrollably :-(

sorry i’ve asked a lot of questions. I’m really worried i hope you can give me some good advice. Thank you.

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I don’t know anything about your hair loss history to be able to recommend a treatment path to take. If you have genetic hair loss, see a doctor about a prescription for Propecia. Rogaine/Regaine/minoxidil might help if your hair loss is in the crown, but this doesn’t address the reason your hair is continuing to fall out. Propecia (finasteride 1mg) is going to provide a better treatment, particularly if you’re a young man with early loss.

If you’re going to mess around with supplements (that Vital Hair capsule is one) to treat genetic hair loss, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll see the benefits you’re wanting. If treating genetic hair loss was as simple as taking amino acids and vitamins, far less people would be balding.

Nizoral is a good anti-fungal shampoo, but it isn’t something we recommend as a treatment for hair loss. I’m not sure what you read where we recommended it.

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Hair Loss InformationKeratene Alphactive Retard – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Doctor,
recently there is in Europe a new product against MPB: Keratene Retard. Some transplant clinic began to give it as an alternative to Finasteride. Some trial was done (you can see in keratene web site). What do you think about? Could be a serious effective alternative to Fina without sides?
Thanks for your blog!

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I have no idea what this product is about, but the name isn’t very catchy. Really, your guess is as good as mine, but be careful about believing what you read on their site. I didn’t see any info about a trial done, but if it was published in a peer reviewed journal, I’d be happy to read it.

I would not switch off of finasteride to try it, because you may pay the ultimate price — withdrawal hair loss. As always, consult with your prescribing doctor (I am not your doctor).

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Hair Loss InformationAccelerated Follicular Restoration to Speed Up Growth After a Hair Transplant? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Any thoughts on this Help Hair product that claims to accelerate the growth process after a transplant, so that it only takes 6 months to see the full results after surgery? It claims to reduce or eliminate the telogen phase after a hair transplant!

Press release from 2011 – link
Product page (with link to a study of 115 hair transplant patients) – link

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I have been following the Help Hair product for some time, but I have been reluctant to hop on board because of the lack of clinical evidence that it works. On a positive note, it is logical, and the theory that “increased anabolic metabolism can affect regeneration of the hair follicle” makes sense (after all, we are what we eat). The change in diet brought on by this product may have no effect on a person who is healthy and eats healthy foods, but there may be a fine line between those with a good diet and those who might benefit from a better diet.

If I saw a good scientific study, I might want to endorse this product’s use in our practice, but as this increases the costs for our patients, I really want to see better evidence.

In our practice and in the years I have been doing hair transplants, most of the grafts routinely have started to grow within 6 months, and once hair starts to grow, it grows at 1/2 inch per month. So for example, for the transplanted hairs that grow out by the 5th month, we will see 1/2 inch length at the 6th month. I would be interested to see reports of when the hair actually starts to grow, and then use the 1/2 inch rule to determine when the “full results” are actually achieved.

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Hair Loss InformationLots of Questions About PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) and ACell Use – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am quite interested and for many years now have been following and consulting with numerous HT doctors around the world regarding their results of using injectable hair stimulation PRP (+/- ACell) for treatment of MPB as stand-alone non-surgical treatment. HT surgery is something I am not interested at this time due to myriad of factors (e.g., DNA genetic programming resulting in possible future progressive hair loss and miniaturization of existing hairs, accelerated loss of native hairs due to the trauma of surgery, depletion of donor hair, multiple transplant procedures / sessions over my lifetime, not every person knows if they will achieve 100% satisfied result, picking right doctor is not easy as HT doctors have varying egos/costs/skills/artistry/ethics, etc). So for now I am content with only non-surgical methods and not HT surgery.

Obviously, I am not a doctor, and just another 55 year old male suffering from MPB thinning and receding hairline….but from all these years this is the information I have been able to glean regarding PRP (+/- ACell) treatment for MPB without HT surgery:

• Currently there are no scientific studies to indicate PRP (+/- ACell) works to regrow hair. There are positive anecdotal results with some enthusiastic and cutting edge HT doctors (e.g., Dr. Jerry Cooley and Dr. Gary Hitzig) but nobody can tell me what success percentage I will achieve, and will it be significant or not. Unfortunately, there is no established, standardized, or proven protocol that has been shown to be superior to any other delivery method….and each doctor is trying something different on their own through a trial-error effort to get to the point where a proven protocol will provide consistent results.

• Some HT doctors are spinning their own PRP with cheaper equipment and injecting what they claim are optimal platelet concentrates at < 5x platelet concentrates….on the other hand there’s Dr. Cooley who claims optimal results using 5x or > platelet concentrates via the ANGEL system….and some HT doctors are now copying Dr. Cooley’s protocol after networking and sharing his notes @ various ISHRS meetings and conferences. Bottom line, it appears HT doctors are injecting differing platelet concentrate amounts in their practices depending on results….which again shows there is no established, standardized, or proven protocol for PRP (+/- ACell) hair injections.

• With HT surgery, as it is with PRP (+/- ACell) treatment by itself without HT surgery, it appears individual DNA genetic programming plays key role in determining overall treatment outcomes/success for each individual….and the ideal platelet concentration amount of PRP injected appears to have profound impact regarding how patients respond and their results….and presence of different cell types and growth factors also impact final results.

• Appears there is limited evidence to suggest lasting benefit with injection of PRP (+/- ACell) or growth factors, although there may be thickening of native hair follicles. It is unclear how long the benefits of treatment last and if the benefit will continue through subsequent hair growth cycles. However, all HT doctors agree on several factors regarding duration of treatment benefits: 1) underlying genetic balding pattern (e.g., PRP will last for a shorter time period for those who are DNA genetically prone to bald faster); AND 2) other maintenance treatments the patient is using (e.g., Propecia, Rogaine, LLLT or LaserCap, other topicals).

• Appears for many HT doctors/Dermatologists/Cosmetic Surgeons/Estheticians….especially in the United States….they charge excessive amount for PRP (+/- ACell) injections because they view as easy revenue steaming source due to desperation and gullibility of people with MPB issues buying into the HYPE for the next BIG THING or BALDNESS CURE….which it’s not.

With that in mind, I do have specific questions regarding personally using PRP (+/- ACell) for MPB without HT surgery. These questions may seem anal and more detailed than normal, but I have to ask because of the personal costs involved, and the fact there are still no established, standardized, or proven protocols to date for PRP (+/- ACell) hair injections for MPB without HT surgery .

• What specific protocols are you using that provide consistent results for PRP (+/- ACell) for MPB patients (without HT surgery)? Where did you receive and why did you determine to use these specific protocols?

• What centrifugal equipment are you using for PRP platelet concentrations? What PRP platelet concentration levels are you getting? What amount of PRP (+/- ACell) injections for individual patients? And how do you determine concentration level amounts of PRP (+/- ACell) injections for individual patients?

• How much do you charge for PRP (+/- ACell) injections?

• How many PRP (+/- ACell) injections per year do you recommend someone getting? Is PRP (+/- ACell) injections perfectly safe over the long haul many years from now due to stimulating cell growth? Obviously, cancers are concern for everyone and nobody wants to wake up or stimulate genetically predisposed cancer cells, etc.

• How many PRP (+/- ACell) injections for MPB (without HT surgery) have you performed to date? How long have you been performing these PRP (+/- ACell) injections in your practice?

• What is the success percentage of total PRP (+/- ACell) injection patients for MPB (without HT surgery) that actually grow more hair and increase diameter size of existing miniaturized native hairs? From these successful injections, can you measure or visually see the significant or appreciable percentage difference in overall hair growth and appearance for your patients? (e/g., 25% better stronger looking hair?/50% better stronger looking hair?/75% better stronger looking hair, etc)?

• Do you have portfolio of these patients before/after photos that I can see on-line? Even better if possible, can I contact these patients myself either via email or telephone to ask their overall impressions regarding their results?

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The above text was written to my private email and is a good overview of the PRP topic, so I have included it in our blog.

I do not engage in using PRP and ACell for hair growth or in hair transplantation. We do use on occasion ACell with the patients permission for donor wound healing, but we do not charge the patient any money for this. We absorb the few hundred dollars for the ACell since we cannot positively claim its benefit. Once I see value, clinical proof, and scientific proof, I can change my mind about the offering.

I don’t believe that these treatments are anything more than human experimentation for profit, or just a profitable venture. Desperate people will spend lots of money chasing the pot of gold under a distant rainbow.