Category: Hair Products

Posted on

A ProCede Horror Story – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi DR. RASSMAN
About two months ago..I used procede to thicken my hair. I used the patch test on my arm but the results were a horror. I used the solution on election day night. It started to burn my head and it was so intense that I ran for a cold shower followed by placing my head in the refrigerator. When the burning stopped I washed and rinsed my hair out and went to bed. The next morning I found my hair on my pillow in clumps. Prioe to this experience i had hair but it was thinning. I used monoxidil and had success for five years. I guess that I just wanted more hair. I went to a hair system which was bonded to my scalp but I could not stand the glue so I use the hair piece with a tape that comes off with alcohol. I find that I can look OK. The piece and the other systems are close to 4,000 bucks. I wasn’t a candidate for a transplant these last months since I had burning from that procede. I think a hair system is OK but needs a daily washing…I have no odor. I miss my hair and am thinking about a transplant in the future. Also my hair is growing strange..more like spikes. I wish that Procede was off the market but it still exists. This ordeal was such a bad experience that I dream of it. Hoping to also use my body hair.

Sorry if this is a look message. But this experience I wanted to share with others .

It sounds like you had some allergic reaction to something in ProCede. I am certain that this type of reaction can occur with any topical therapy. The more ’stuff’ that is in the formulation, the higher the likelihood that this diagnosis may be correct. It doesn’t sound like you’re eager to use it again, but my best advice would be to stay away from this treatment, for the next reaction may be worse.

Hair systems (the nice term for a wig) will run a risk of further damage to your hair. I would strongly recommend that you get a good examination by a competent doctor to establish a baseline as to where you are now (with respect to miniaturization) and over time repeat the examination. You need a working relationship with a competent doctor.

Posted on

Best Hair Thickening Agent? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am a 42 year old male with thinning hair both at the front & crown area of my head. Without entertaining hair transplants, what do you recommend to improve the appearance of my hair? What is the best Thickening agent/shampoo out there? Are there any products that actually work in your opinion? I used minoxidol years ago but gave it up quickly.

Thanks

There are many thickening agents/shampoos on the market and people respond differently to each depending upon texture, shaft thickness, the wave in the hair, and other factors. I generally tell people to buy a series of such products and then test what works best, or ask a hair stylist who works with such products daily and get a recommendation from them. Minoxidil does not impact the texture or shaft thickness from above the skin as thickening agents/shampoo will.

Balding Forum - Hair Loss Discussion

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):


Posted on

Covering Up a Bad Haircut? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I cut my bangs too short in the front and now I have a bald spot. what do I do to cover it up besides a hat? HELP

The good news is your hair will grow back, the bad news is that it will take time. Other than a hat, I often suggest color-matched Toppik to help cover areas with hair loss where the scalp shows. Honestly, though, if you have a good sense of humor, that is the best way to cope. You might also try a professional hair stylist to avoid the problem in the future.

Balding Forum - Hair Loss Discussion

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):


Posted on

Hair Regrowth After Waxing Scalp – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I recently had a minor accident with hair removal wax. Well to make a long story short, it ended up in my hair on my scalp. It has been five weeks and the regrowth has been pretty sparse and not at all in some areas. I was wondering what the chances are that it will still grow back, and if not what I can do about it. thanks

Block Quote

Wax only removes the hair shaft, not the entire root. Thus, your hair should grow back. It may take up to a few months for hair regrowth unless there is more to the story which I am not understanding.

Posted on

Ervamatin – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’ve been seeing lots of ads of Ervamatin. As a person who is not allowed to use finasteride due to liver problems, is it safe to use Ervamatin? It’s made by Amazon Health Care.

Block Quote

I have done some extensive research on this herbal medication. I am not convinced about this drug until I see more concrete medical data. Finasteride was first discovered in South America in a plant extract by a group of primatives who normally ate large amounts of it in their diet. They had children that were hermaphrodites, as the pregnant mothers ate the extract in their daily diets at very high concentrations. I must warn you about herbal medications, because some of them can be toxic to your liver as well.

Posted on

Hair is Thin After Highlighting – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am a 47 year old woman who had slight graying hair. My hairdresser talked me into highlighting my hair. She used a volume 20 bleach and a toner. 24 hours later I had itching, burning and swelling and saw my allergist. He put me on prednisone for a week and cortisone lotions. A month later my hair feels like cotton as the strands of hair are thinner, breaking off at the crown and generally coming out at the root after washing/combing.

What if anything can I now do? Obviously, I will never again use chemicals on my hair.

You have likely had a chemical Alopecia (hair loss) with a skin reaction. I know exactly what you are going through (having had a spiral perm in the eighties with the same thing happen) and although it is likely all your hair will grow back just as it was, it will take time, especially if you wear your hair long. Avoiding harsh shampoos and conditioning your hair regularly may help the hair that is there, but little will help it grow faster which is what really needs to happen. Concealing options like hats, scarves, and Toppik are all options as well. If this condition persists past 6 months, I would recommend a follow-up visit to your doctor to determine if anything else is going on.

Posted on

Aminexil, Propecia and Erectile Dysfunction (ED) – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi doctor, A doctor in france suggested to me to use Aminexil SP94(by Kerastase) capsules (commercial name:”Vichy Dercos”) applied on the crown area and the shaded are of the head directly. I noticed from many people’s feedback in France that dermatologists there recommands to apply Aminexil as a safe alternative to propercia since it doesnot have any sexual side effects,and that Aminexil actually stops the thining of the hair caused by dihydrotestesterone ( it does not stops DHT like propecia), rather it thickens the hair follicle which becomes resistive to DHT. What do you recommand doctor i need please your advice please(ie: I used propecia from several weeks and i have serious sexual problems). Thanks A lot

I looked up Aminexil and found that it is basically a minoxidil compound with the type of results that minoxidil gives. The question of course becomes, “Is it better than minoxidil by itself?” I would think that no one really knows the answer to that question, because they may not want to know. The general thought about minoxidil is that it may impact the length of the hair cycle by increasing it, amongst other benefits. That would add more hair, as less hair would be in the catogen phase and more hair in the anogen phase at any one time.

With regard to sexual side effects from Propecia, they are very rare (less than 1%) and much of it may be the power of suggestion as we men are very sensitive to anything that MAY impact the performance of our penis. It is great to blame Propecia for erectile dysfunction (ED), when in actuality it may not be the Propecia, but rather psychological or relationship issues associated with social issues that occur. That is clearly not always the case, but I suspect that it is mostly what is being reported on the sexual erectile dysfunction (ED) issue.

Posted on

Higher Strength Minoxidil? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dr. Rassman,

My hairline continues to retreat. I have been using Propecia and Minoxidil 5% for more than 6 years with some success. What do think about using additional topicals such as Spironolactone 5% and higher strength Minoxidil? Have these topicals proven to be worthwhile? Should I just accept the continued loss of my hairline?

Thanks

There are mixed feelings about higher doses of minoxidil, mostly positive providing that the skin irritation and other side effects do not increase significantly. As you may know, minoxidil can drop your blood pressure and make you light headed and it is a skin irritant. Be sure that the side effects do not become a problem.

With regard to Spironolactones, see my previous blog answers here: Spironolactones

Balding Forum - Hair Loss Discussion

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):


Posted on

Shampoos Aren’t Working for My Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dear sir,
First of all i like to thank you you for helping the poor people who are feeling very sad over their hair loss. I am having continuous hair loss for the past 2 years. All of my hairs are becoming thinner and thinner day by day. i used all kinds of shampoo which don’t give me good results. i also have a dandruff problem. if i use oil it goes away, but comes back quickly after 2 or 3 days. please tell me what can i do for preventing more hair loss? please tell me not only which medication to use, but also tell me any useful shampoo which can give more help with medication. thank you.

It is not good medical practice to diagnose and make treatment recommendations without the ability to see and evaluate your problem. Your symptoms are very general, like asking an auto mechanic: “What is wrong with my car? It does not sound right!” A good mechanic likes to see what the problems are, and to be able to evaluate everything about your car.

For me, I need to examine your scalp, looking for genetic balding and other diseases like psoriasis (which sometimes looks like plain dandruff). Make an appointment with a good doctor and do not treat yourself, for your problem may be more difficult than you think.