Category: Other

Can you imagine Lincoln, Washington, and Jefferson… bald? A reader sent me this link to some clever Photoshop work and I thought it was appropriate to share here –

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There are so many questions and answers here as well as that forum. I think you’ve covered most if not all questions that need to be asked. If people would take the time to look through them, I’m sure their questions would be answered. There comes a point where all the information becomes too overwhelming, and becomes information overload. Maybe it’s time to relax a bit, ay?

What is this “relax” you speak of? Actually, I stopped writing the blog around 3 years ago when I hired woodland elves to respond to your questions (they needed something to do after a long day of baking cookies in a tree). It seems to be working out well, even though they do have a tough time spelling “finasteride” correctly.

But seriously, it does sometimes seem like I answer a lot of the same questions from time to time, but maybe just worded in a different way… and although I’d prefer not to get repeats, I don’t necessarily mind as long as it’ll help someone out. I can’t get to every question and I know many people think their question is deserving (and it probably is), but I just kinda pick some emails that look neat and roll with it. Plus, from time to time I really get some fantastic questions that keep me on my toes. Look, for example, at the previous post which is probably real to some of those who believe in Balayam Yoga. Who am I to say that it does or does not work? As a reader, you are entitled to learn about different approaches to the balding problem and weigh the evidence of others for yourself.

Content is king, and after 7000+ posts here, I do feel that this site is one of the best sources for hair loss info on the web. I’m really proud of that.

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You are so full of yourself Rassman! The remedies that you claim to be ineffective, do indeed work and you know it. Additionally, don’t use the “consult your doctor” line as a means of beating around the bush, thereby coercing oblivious morons to actually use your transplant services. If you really were a TRUE M.D., you would most likely state the facts, and not market your own products. You look like a damned politician anyway. Yours Truly

Since when did I have my own products? The only thing I sell with my name on it is the Hair Loss and Replacement for Dummies book…

Many of the thousands of return readers want to know what I think about things, but I limit my published thoughts to probing what I feel are my educational responsibilities to my readership. We spend hours and hours each and every day filtering hundreds of emails and researching answers to some questions that have twists and turns in them. Not every email I receive can be answered perfectly. Also, I’m not your physician (or the physician of anyone that writes in), so I’m often on the horns of a dilemma which puts the challenge to me as to what I can or can’t say (legal liability / medical reasons). Bottom line though, if you don’t like what I have to write… please, by all means stop visiting the site.

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Hi Doctor,
I keep seeing Jon Gosselin of that Jon and Kate show on the entertainment news programs about how he cheated on his wife. Do you think that hair transplant you gave him was what gave him the courage to stray? Sorry, cheap shot! Ha Ha

Ouch. This is an uncomfortable topic to discuss (since it should be a private matter), but since this is the 3rd email I’ve received about it, I thought maybe I should address it once and put the topic to rest. This site isn’t TMZ, afterall.

I saw the same story on the cover of the Us Weekly magazine that we get in our office, and I couldn’t help but wonder the same thing for an extremely brief moment (as the public really only knows him as a hair transplant patient and what the reality TV show editors put forth). Then I came to my senses.

Obviously, fame brings on circumstances we might not normally find ourselves in, but it should be obvious that a hair transplant isn’t going to force you to do anything. That’s such a convenient excuse, if there ever was one. Hair does give a man more confidence, but if the allegations are true (again, it’s none of our business), I’m sure there are more factors at play than just some enhanced cosmetic surgery that caused this man to find himself in this precarious situation. I guess the one upside to this whole thing is that I can now see Jon Gosselin’s great hair transplant results on the cover of major magazines…

Snippet from the article:

Robb Greve has always been a handsome man but when it comes to his hair he is very sensitive. He wore his hat everywhere and if he was asked to take off his hat in a public place he would take his family and leave.

This man avoided the national anthem at a Cardinals football game and stayed away from church because he did not want to take off his hat. Situations like this limited the fun that his family has had together.

His wife Anne has agonized over the burden of his hat. So she got her family together and unknown to him they nominated him for the new reality show ‘Hair Loss Confidential’

Full article at AZ Central – Valley man in hair loss reality show

Sounds interesting, but no information is given as to whether the show has been picked up by a network to actually air on television (network or cable). It might just wind up on the web. But if you read the full article, it alludes to this man being shocked at how he suddenly had a full head of hair immediately after the procedure. What it fails to mention is that those hairs will likely fall out and he won’t see any growth for months. That’s entertainment…

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My question is with regards to Trichodynia. I’m not sure if I have it or not. But I’ve been having some minor pain off and on in the crown region of my head for 3 months. I have not lost any hair in that region (I’m a NW2) and have been on Propecia for 4 1/2 years. But I’m afraid of what might be causing this sensation, I hope it isn’t associated with hair loss in that area. Are there any treatments for this pain sensation??

The pain hasn’t progressively gotten worse or anything, but it did start overnight, it wasn’t gradual at all. Could it be an allergy of some sort?

In all fairness, how do you expect me to diagnose your condition this way? You need to see your doctor (perhaps a dermatologist) and get a good physical exam.

The minor pain you’re describing can be anything from normal male pattern baldness to a neurological disease. See what I mean? It’s such a broad spectrum of possibilities that I don’t want to get into discussions about treatments for a condition you might not even have. You can learn a little more about it at Wikipedia.

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I began losing hair in the back of my scalp towards my neck when i was 18. My parents took me to a dermatologist and i received 2 rounds of shots. The balding subsided about 6 months after than and i almost even got all my hair back. I am now 24 and about two years ago i began loosing hair around my ear on the right side. Now i have a fist sized bald spot ( which until recently i was very good at concealing). I am also balding on the other side of my head. The sides of my scalp itch badly and i cant help but to run my hands though it because its all i can think about. This makes me very self conscious. I have an extremely busy work week and meet with customers constantly. I feel that in my industry image is everything and being so young it makes it that much more important. This disease is starting to effect every aspect of my life and i need a solution. Please tell me where i can go ( preferably in houston ) to get treatment by someone who will not waste my time and my money.

Thank You

You certainly need a diagnosis, but I do not know who you can see. Either check the physician search at ISHRS or you can consider sending me a set of photos from many angles so I can get an appreciation of what your problem is (email address is on the Contact page. The thing is, this is a most unusual problem and I’m not sure just randomly picking a local Houston doctor, even on the ISHRS site, will be the greatest solution. It’s worth a shot if you’re low on options. If you send photos and I’m still stumped, I can send them to other experts in the field (I’ll block out your face in the images).

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Can a hair dx test point out causes for balding in DUPA diffuse unpatterned alopecia patients?

I don’t believe that the HairDX genetic tests can explain the causes for DUPA.

why arent you (Dr Rassman) a member of http://www.iahrs.org/

Is this alliance/organisation credible? The reason i ask is because i am thinking of a Hair transplant and want to find the best surgeon for that. thanks for your time.

I look at IAHRS as a marketing organization for some of the best doctors in the industry. One of the requirements of the IAHRS is that the represented doctors perform only follicular unit transplantation, which I strongly agree with. I had been a member for years and my decision to withdraw was a business decision alone. I fully respect the IAHRS in that they play no industry politics and react with integrity as a consumer advocacy group.

I am fortunate in that I publish BaldingBlog daily, which has become my main means of educating the consumer public. With the many thousands of unique visitors per day, I have achieved my own marketing presence with a substantial educational backbone. In addition, I am able to use my name recognition (at least within the industry) to not necessarily need to pay to be included in every hair organization that will allow me. Most of the original work on follicular unit transplantation and follicular unit extraction (FUE) was pioneered by the New Hair Institute, and you can review my contributions on my CV.

Also, I should point out that some people confuse the IAHRS with the ISHRS, but they are unrelated.