Hair Products – Page 81

August 16, 2006

Propecia Dosage and Biotin – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello Dr. Rassman,

I would like to know if there is any harm in taking one half of a milligram of Proscar a day instead of just a quarter milligram, reason being would it speed up the process? And, if I do start to take one half of a milligram until my hair loss is completely reversed, can I then step back down to taking just one quarter milligram of Proscar without any negative side effects? I want to be sure I don’t become dependant on taking one half of a milligram daily as this will cost much more in the long run.

Also, my dad suggested using a non-prescription drug, Biotin. Do you think I should take Biotin? Will it help, make no difference or be bad?

And I have started using hair gel again (daily), a small amount, will this be bad for the hair loss reversal?

And, is there a specific type of shampoo/conditioner I should use that will help my hair?

Thanks for your time

There is no major harm in increasing the dose of finasteride, except we see a higher incidence of decreased libido with higher doses. The higher dose does not, to my knowledge, have more value than the 1mg dose of finasteride for the treatment of hair loss. If you are cutting Proscar 5mgs into 0.5mg, then that is 10 pieces of a pill, something that is hard to do and regulate (produce a powder I suspect). A dose of 0.5mg of finasteride is reported to be 80% as effective as the 1mg dose. Now with all that said, either cut a Proscar 5mg into quarters (1.25mg) or take the full dose of Propecia (1mg).

Biotin will not hurt you provided that you take recommended doses, but it will be no substitute for the finasteride. I recommend no particular shampoo, conditioner or hair gel.

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August 16, 2006

Toppik Could Hide Skin Cancers – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have been using toppic for years and what I thought was a small mole on my scalp was actually a plug formed by the toppic. Now there is a small crater and I would like your oppinion on how to address it. It is now hard to use Toppic because the fibre fills the hole everytime I use it. Thanks Dr Rassman

Using scalp cosmetics like Toppik can be good, but not all good. Occasionally what you reported does happen. Toppik does successfully hide the scalp, reducing contrast between hair and skin. In doing so, however, it can hide things on the scalp (like folliculitis, skin cancer, various skin infections like ringworm). The best way to manage this is to wash it thoroughly at least once a week to get it all the cosmetic off of your scalp. There is no substitute in getting a good look at your scalp and you should examine your scalp periodically. For older men who run the risk of skin cancers, frequent self-examinations are critical. Cleanliness is the best way to prevent what happened to you. Another good scalp cosmetic worth looking at is DermMatch.

I am sure that some people will get a folliculitis and Toppik or DermMatch can be rubbed into any open wound creating a foreign body reaction. You might want to get a good doctor to look at you.

August 15, 2006

Alopecia Areata and Hair Coloring – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

is it safe to highlight your hair with alopecia areata?

Block Quote

Highlighting or coloring your hair should have not have any impact on alopecia areata.

August 11, 2006

Rejuvx – Balding Blog

What is your opinion on the product rejuvx for male pattern baldness? Is it any different from Rogaine?

http://www.rejuvx.co.uk

I wonder if some of the companies may be sending me emails just for me to mention their product on this very popular website. I don’t know if that is the case here, but I’m just thinking…….

I have reviewed the material on their website and can’t find anything of real value for the treatment of hair loss. There is nothing mentioned on their site to suggest that this product has anything in it that will regrow hair like Rogaine (minoxidil) could. There are crazy claims of DHT neutralizing, which makes no sense to me. I can’t even tell if it does the job that it claims to do — that is, providing a good shampoo and conditioner.

August 10, 2006

Copper Peptides for Follicular Enlargement? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Have you ever heard of copper peptides for follical enlargment, hair growth, wound and scar tissue healing? Is there anything to it?

skinbiology.com

thanks

That site suggests that if you have guinea pigs, pigs, rabbits, rats, dogs, and a few other mammals, that they can repair their tissues and possibly live longer. I am not sure that I want my 14 year old dog to outlive me, but perhaps that’s just me.

I actually have used copper peptides to reduce the degree of redness in wounds in those people who are prone to get red after a scratch or surgery. Originally, the company claimed that it accelerated hair growth after a hair transplant, so we tried that on a number of people and did not find that it worked as a growth accelerator. The observation of reduced redness is what called my attention to some value for the compound.

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August 8, 2006

Using Mederma on Donor Scar – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Mederma is proven to make scars softer and smoother, and I was just wondering if I used this on my donor scar, would it impact any hairs from growing through my trichophytic closure?

I know that many people believe that Mederma works well for softening scars, but I can’t say for sure as I have no direct experience with it. That being said, however, I do not see any problem with using it on any donor wound in the healing phase after a week or so.

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August 7, 2006

Heradone: Hair Growth Fertilizer or Snake Oil? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Can you tell me if this new Heradone product has any value? It sounds like an ad for another snake oil, but it appeared in Google News when searching for hair loss news so I wanted your opinion.

Hair Transplant Surgery May Be Too Risky To Try; Serious Problems Reported

The claims of the producers of this product are: “New Hair Loss Solution That Promotes The Natural Balance of Your Scalp While Stimulating Blood Flow To The Root Of Your Thinning Hair!”

There has never been any evidence that increasing the circulation to the scalp increases hair volume or numbers. The reason that balder people have less circulation to the scalp is because there are less hairs and those that are there are smaller needing less blood flow, so the body only supplies what is needed to support what is there. Our body is very smart when it comes to that. The muscles of a bodybuilder have more blood supply than that skinny, flabby guy at the beach who never exercises. That is because the bodybuilder’s body (muscles) knows what is needed. The same is the situation for runners, bikers, swimmers, etc…

I find claims like ‘natural balance of your scalp’ are ridiculous. It uses that claim on the product’s website. Does that mean that the scalp is balancing something like what a ballerina would be doing when she is up on her toes? What does natural balance mean?

Just reading the press release should be enough to give you the answers you’re looking for — there’s no doctors mentioned by name, yet they exclaim “medical experts say [Heradone] is packed with natural vitamins and nutrients.” So they are experts, yet none can attach their name to the product? I guess just taking a look at the Heradone website answers the final questions I’d have –

“These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.”
Yeah, that sounds about right.

“The individuals shown are paid models, and not necessarily Selmedica Healthcare customers.”
Exactly.

Remember, buyer beware.

August 7, 2006

Protopic Ointment for Moustache Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi, Recently I start having a problem of moustache hair loss. I visited a dermatologist last December and he prescribed me a topical ointment called PROTOPIC 0.1%. I’ve been applying it twice a day for the past six months but it doesn’t work all. I even discovered other new spots coming up. This week I visited the doctor again and he told me that he can not help me any longer and it is beyond his ability. Shocking! He suggested to try a medicine prescribed for a regular skull hair loss but he said it will damage your face because it is more sensitive. I did not want to take that risk and add another problem but I still feel like there should be a solution somewhere somehow. Anyway,I am so frustrated with the medical profession here in US. I found your website from the internet and I’m asking your help. How about the ointment he prescribed for me? Is it something well known and effective? If so, for how long I have to apply it before seeing results? What is exactly the cause?

The practice of medicine is not an exact science. That is why it is called a “practice”. Sometimes doctors do not have all the answers.

Protopic (tacrolimus) ointment is indicated as second-line therapy for the short-term and non-continuous chronic treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD) in non-immunocompromised adults and children who have failed to respond adequately to other topical prescription treatments for atopic dermatitis, or when those treatments are not advisable. [source: protopic.com] It is my opinion that Protopic will not address your hair loss unless your hair loss is related to atopic dermatitis.

If you are losing hair, you may consider visiting a doctor who can view your hair on a microscopic scale (under a densitometer) to see if there is a pattern of miniaturization. Is there hair loss in the scalp as well? Do you have spots of hair loss in the scalp or in other hairy parts of your anatomy. The presence of other such areas may indicate other local skin disorders such as alopecia areata. I can not write a text book here, as I don’t have the time — but find a good doctor. They are out there.

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August 7, 2006

Using Toppik After Hair Transplant – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I had my transplant done 2 weeks ago and wanted to find out if using Toppik on the transplanted area cause the grafts to not obtain enough oxygen thus not grow. Toppik worked really well for me prior to the surgery and would like to continue using it until my new hairs come. Thank you in advance for your response…

If all of the crusts (scabs) are gone, you can use it! For those of you who do not know about Toppik, it is a scalp cosmetic for darkening the scalp skin. See their site Toppik.com for more info.

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August 4, 2006

Dandruff Shampoo and Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am a 32 year old male. Within just the past couple years I have notices my hairline receding more rapidly. I for a while I have been using dandruff shampoo all the time. Is this ok for my hair, or should I only use dandruff shampoo when I have noticable signs of dandruff. Could this be a cause of my faster receding hairline? Thank you.

Commerically available dandruff shampoo (stuff you find in stores) does not cause hair loss — otherwise the manufacturers would go out of business. You are probably receding regardless of any hair product. You may benefit from visiting a physician who can evaluate your head using a densitometer for your current hair loss pattern. Hopefully the doctor can map out your hair for miniaturization and tell you what is happening to you.

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