Hair Products – Page 90

March 23, 2006

Taking Propecia with Saw Palmetto – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Is it safe to take propecia and saw palmetto together, and if so how much saw palmetto? Can either of these effect facial hair growth or acne?

BerkeleyWellness.com states: “Because dietary supplements are essentially unregulated in the U.S., you can’t be sure what you’re getting when you buy a saw palmetto product (or any supplements). There are many preparations on the market (with different amounts of fatty acids, for instance, and some in combination with other ingredients of questionable benefit). They may not have the same effects.”

For the same reason, there is no way of knowing how much saw palmetto is actually in a tablet even when a specific dose is written on the bottle. Furthermore the exact mechanism of how and why saw palmetto works is not well understood. It may have an effect on DHT like finasteride, but nobody knows for sure as the science has not defined the actions. It has been sold in natural food stores for the treatment of benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), treating men who can not urinate well. One may argue that it may also help with male pattern baldness (MPB), but there are no medical studies to support either claim.

There is no way to tell you if it is safe to use saw palmetto with finasteride (Propecia) or if it will affect facial hair growth or acne. If saw palmetto is really a blocker for DHT as some feel is the case, then you could be increasing the dose of DHT blocking to the point of decreasing your libido (a bad trade). I do not recommend saw palmetto for MPB for the aforementioned reason.

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March 22, 2006

DHT Blocking Supplements – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I currently taking Propecia for the past three months. I would like to do more to help stop my hair loss. I have done reserach and found the following supplements that claim to block DHT. Any insight would be appreciated and I think your sight is extremely helpful. Thanks for your time.

Supplement #1
Saw Palmetto extract, Beta Sitosterol, Pumpkin Seed Extract, He Shou Wu

Supplement #2
beta-sitosterol: 250mg
saw palmetto extract: 200mg
pygenum africanum: 50mg

Saw Palmetto has been covered on this blog quite a bit in the past. It may be a natural DHT blocker, but if so, it has about 1/100th the strength of Propecia even in high doses. There are some investigations that mention all of the other ingredients in these supplements, but I have to tell you that none of this evidence is conclusive or compelling. If it were, I’d have put ALL my patients on supplements, since we have so few agents for stopping hair loss that actually WORK! As it is, you are doing the #1 best thing for keeping your hair, which is to take Propecia. Minoxidil can be helpul as well, and of course, hair restoration is an option for putting hair permanently back where you have lost it. However, for the most part supplements just (in the words of a PhD nutritionist medical school professor I know) “give you expensive urine,” so I recommend you save your money.

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March 22, 2006

Hair Loss After Using a Hair Relaxer – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi. I have read a lot of your articles but still confused. I am asian american female age 18, and about 2 years ago I used a relaxer kit I bought from Walgreens for my hair becuase I had thick Frizzy hair. I asked the lady at the store to see if I can use it beucase I thought it was only for African Americans. She said yes so I bought it. After I used it my hair, it has been falling out really bad after showers especially. I let it fall all it wants knowing that I had thick hair for about a year and a half. About 4 months ago I noticed that my hair are growing thin. I have hair that is at least 16 inches long but my hairs that are newly grown comes out very easily. And the my short hairs come out very easily. When i get out of the shower, about 1/4 of hair that falls out are thin and decreased in size. And they look very thin and you can barely see them. the diameter of my hair has decreased to half the size it used to be but I don’t have any bald spots. Some of my friends I talked to say that it cant be the relaxers becuase chemicals can’t have an effect that last 2 years. And 2 years ago was the first and last time i have ever done that to my hair. I havent dyed my hair since… and my hair should be fairly healthy beucase there arent any chemicals i have put in these for 2 years.. All the relaxed hair has been cut off already… but the hair is growing thin. they said it could have been becuase i switched off and on Birth control. But i dont believe that is the problem. I have gone on and off birth controls before and never encountered this problem. And i only realized it right after that relaxer i used. My father is going bald at the crown but none of my aunts or uncles or grandmothers or father has this issue… even if I am a girl, could I have inherited it from my father… and if so why would it hit me so young. But I did notice that after I used the relaxer, i started getting dandruff and i have never had dandruff in my life before that.. Not the dandruff is still around… But it seems to run in the family from my mother. But the thing I dont understand is that why would i start getting dandruff right after I used that too.. Ugh it is ruining my life and I feel like I have nothing to live for..

Your problem does seem a bit serious and if the hair that is falling out is really much thinner that the hair that remains, this complaint is very characteristic of a genetic female hair loss problem. This is best determined by visiting a good hair doctor and having your scalp mapped out for miniaturization. If what you are experiencing is female genetic balding, it will show up in the mapping.

Since it has been over two years since you used the hair relaxer, it is very unlikely that it may have an affect on your hair now. Birth control pills can affect hair loss and hair composition, however, this is generally on an individual basis, so it is not absolutely clear whether it is the birth control that is affecting your hair. The dandruff problem you mentioned does not affect hair loss unless you are scratching your scalp vigorously, but you might want to check into some products such as Selsun Blue or Head and Shoulders. Dandruff seems more detrimental to your self esteem moreso than thinning hair. Getting back to the thinning hair and hair loss, it is normal to lose about 100 hairs a day, but these hairs should not be much thinner than those that remain.

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March 21, 2006

Regenix’s Patent – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dr Rassman,
I did a quick search on regenix and was able to find this patent filing.

US Patent

Can you please comment on the patent. Also, would using 2.5% benozyl peroxide achieve the same goal as their chlorine dioxide and special acidic solution?

Thank you.

I am not a Patent Attorney. It is my understand that a “METHOD” patent can not be enforced for ‘market control’ because any medical process that benefits mankind can not be restricted through a U.S. Patent (1993 Supreme Court Ruling). Regenix has been on the market for about 8 years and has developed a large following. The claims by the company seem to have some scientific backing, so unlike many of the potions and lotions on the market, there may be value here. Quantifying the value is a problem for me, so I tend to keep my recommendations to the more standard FDA approved drugs like Propecia and Minoxidil.

For what it’s worth, a patent does not necessarily give credibility to a product. The U.S. Patent Office has thousands of goofy and absurd patents. One does not need to have a U.S. Patent to market anything successfully, but with government agencies that require ‘Truth in Advertising’ over the airwaves, there is a burden on marketers to keep to some standards. Unfortunately, the government does not budget for enforcement the way they should, so there are many scams out there and many do focus upon the unfortunate people with hair loss. As I have said many times on this blog, May the Buyer Beware!

I have no experience with any value with regard to 2.5% benozyl peroxide for hair regrowth. This medications works wonders for pimples, but hair is not a variant of a pimple. Acidic compounds that cause minor burns to the skin have been used for years as an antiaging skin application. Retin-A is such a similar compound for burning the skin and making it ‘tighter’. None of these medications work for reversing the aging that balding brings on.

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March 17, 2006

Spectral DNC – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’ve seen several ads and comments recently about a new product called Spectral DNC. It claims that it not only works on the back side of the scalp but on the frontal areas as well. It uses a combination of 5% minoxidil combined with Aminexil. Have you done any research on Spectral DNC product and are their claims valid? Have you heard anything about the effectivenss of Aminexil for the treatment of baldness

Block Quote

As far as I am aware, there is no medical research currently being conducted on topical minoxidil in combination with Spectral DNC. There are strict FDA requirements before any product can claim scientific results. Spectral DNC does not have an FDA approval for such claims unless it is piggybacking on minoxidil (which is what most product sales do). Topical minoxidil, however, is an FDA approved product that has limited hair growth potential. Minoxidil is a common ingredient in many hair products. Why pay for all of the added ingredients when it is minoxidil that is going to work (if at all) and at a price far less than Spectral DNC, I suspect.

Aminexil, from my understanding, is not a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved product. That said, there is no way for me to say it grows hair or it does not grow hair. Furthermore, I do not endorse any specific product. I do however, prescribe medication including finasteride (Propecia) only when there is an indication and I have completely evaluated the patient’s hair for miniaturization.

March 17, 2006

Hypertension Comb – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I’m a 20 years old male. I started to suffer from hair loss for the past few months right now. I want to thank you for informations that you’ve provided here. These have been very helpful for me to find out answers to most of the questions. I don’t want to take Rogaine or any kinds of pills such as Propecia right now. However, I bought Ervamatin and have been using that for a some times now and seeing good results. However, I’ve also received Tiens Hypertension Comb as present. I was trying to find some informations on it however, there weren’t much information on it rather that is was found orginally to treat blood pressure. I was wondering if you could provide me some information on this Hypertension Comb. And if it’s safe to use both Ervamtin and Tiens comb? Thank you

Ervamatin is not a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved product. It is a ‘food’ supplement. From a medical and scientific point of view, there is no way for me to say it works or if it is safe. It is a buyer beware market.

Tiens Hypertension Comb is not a medically approved device. Issues of safety and effectiveness should be in your gun site. Without FDA approval, sale in the United States is illegal, particularly if there are medical or hair growth claims made. Again, it is a buyer beware market.

March 16, 2006

Using Concealers After Hair Transplant – Balding Blog

A few of us on a HT site have been debating if there are any adverse effects to the scalp when using concealers such as Dermatch, Courvre, Toppik. Personally, I have used Dermatch and have not experienced any accelerated hair loss. What do you recommend to your patients, and how long after a HT is it safe to use one.

Thanks for this great site, I just found.

Many hair transplant patients use a hair piece after their surgery or agents that cover the scalp with a powder or paint type of product such as Dermatch, Courvre, or Toppik. We usually recommend waiting 5 to 7 days post surgery to start wearing hair pieces or using concealers. I generally like to see the ’scabs’ gone before the use of Dermatch, Courvre, Toppik, etc, because the grains of powder can lodge below the scab and become an irritant. After a week, when the individual hair follicles have taken hold in the scalp, these agents can be used as needed.

March 13, 2006

Advecia – Balding Blog

I am using advecia and I am wondering if it safe for my health. Does it have any side effects? Is it a dangerous medicine which I should stop taking? What are the success rates when taking it?

Thanks

Advecia is an herbal medicine which has not been proven with true scientific studies to treat hair loss. There is no scientific facts or data for me to support this drug and without good science, I do not know the issues of safety (crossover with other medications/herbals, toxic effects short and long term, etc.) that you are asking me about. I always need to question how a drug/herbals like this works and was studied.

March 10, 2006

Hair Raiser – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I was just wondering if you had any information on Billy Jealousy’s new product, Hair Raiser. It claims to regrow lost hair and recently won an FHM grooming award.

It is said to contain Methyl nicotinate and 2 DHT blockers (Swertia and Licorice Extract). Their website says “Hair Raiser takes about 4 months of every day use to experience the beginning growth of terminal hair. Regrowth will not be experienced if hair follicle has been dead for more than 10 years. Hair Raiser was created by world renowned bio-chemist C. Sanders.“

I am not familiar C. Sanders, the bio-chemist — but I am familiar with Colonel Sanders, the purveyor of original recipe and extra crispy fried chicken. Kidding aside, if you have been following this blog, it has always been stressed that it is a “buyer beware” market. Anyone can claim effects of a cream/lotion/potion. What strikes me is that there is a 1989 U.S. Supreme Court decision preventing these products being advertised or sold in the U.S., yet these types of claims are made and products are sold every day. There are only 2 FDA approved medications to treat male pattern baldness: (1) topical minoxidil (such as Rogaine) and (2) oral finasteride (Propecia). Since Propecia is still protected under patent, I suspect this Hair Raiser product contains Minoxidil as one of the ingredients, if it actually does do anything for your lost hair.

More information on this product can probably be found at the official site, BillyJealousy.com.

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March 10, 2006

Lost Hair at Hairline After Damaging Hair With Bleach – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am female and recently bleached my hair and then dyed it. The problem is that I lost track of time while bleaching and left it on way too long. Not realizing the extent of the damage, I then put a color on it. A couple of days later, when I pulled my hair back I realized that my hair line had receded noticeably in certain areas leading me to believe that I melted my hair to the scalp in those places. My questions are: will my hair grow back in those spots and will I continue to lose my hair? I am seeing a stylist in a couple of days to have it cut very short to try to minimize more damage through breakage but would like to know what kind of fallout I can expect — unfortunately, I have no one to blame but myself in this situation and realize that your forum is for those experiencing some very devastating conditions and although my situation seems vain in comparison any answers you can give me would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

The good news is that your hair will likely grow back. The bad news is that you will have to be patient and wait until the hair grows back. In the mean time, I suspect you will come up with a new creative hair style — you have little choice.