Category: Uncategorized

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Repairing a Dent in the Scalp at the Hairline

I have a severe scar beginning at my ( receding ) hairline. It is a prominent scar, probably 1 1/2″x 1/2 inch. Obviously no hair grows there and I cannot completely cover it. The injury that caused the scar also took a little “tissue,” meaning there is a slight indentation.

My question is this: Is there a procedure where someone could “reconstruct” the damage? Perhaps by taking a mold of the scar, a piece could be made and have hair implanted. And if so, could this “piece” be safely adhered to my head? I am open to suggestion as well. Thanks.

It would be best for me to see what you look like by sending photos of your hairline and the scar (reference this page). Scars at or just behind the hairline are relatively easy to fix with hair transplants. Sometimes the scar can be partly excised as well (though unusual), but without seeing it you have tied my hands. I have repaired many frontal hairline scars.

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Does Lisinopril Actually Cause Hair Loss?

My Dr. told me that lisinopril doesn’t cause hair loss. You say it does. It is not listed as a side effect, so are you sure it does? I freaking out cuz my hair is falling out. I am 53 years old and had all blood work done and all came back fine. I always had thick thick hair and so does everyone in my family. I am wondering is it menapausual? I have no other syptoms and my periods are still very regular. Will it grow back in or what should I do??? Im so confused because everyone tells you somthing different.

Many drugs can potentially cause hair loss. Most of the times scientists cannot find the exact mechanism of why this happens. Likewise, scientists cannot find the exact cause of hair loss either, because there are so many different factors involved.

I have three important points to make with regards to medications causing hair loss:

  1. Before identifying a drug as a possible cause of hair loss, you should find other medical causes.
  2. People take medications for a health problem. You should not stop taking a medication just because you think it may be causing hair loss. Your health should come before your hair (especially if you are not certain that the medication is causing the hair loss).
  3. Most importantly, you should follow up with your doctor for medication changes and concerns.

If you are taking Lisinopril, you likely have high blood pressure. You should NOT stop taking Lisinopril just because it has a rare side effect that you may or may not be experiencing. Stopping high blood pressure medications puts you at risk for strokes and other serious medical complications. There are other drugs that work just as well for controlling blood pressure as lisinopril. Recent studies suggested some relationship between lisinopril and lung cancer increasing its risk by 14%.

Some women who have genetic hair loss have it appear at about your age. The best way to make this diagnosis is to have your scalp mapped out for miniaturization. If you have genetic female hair loss, then there will be miniaturization over the thinning areas and miniaturization in the ‘rim’ of hair around the side and back of your head. Mapping out your scalp is the key to this diagnosis.


2020-01-15 14:09:03Does Lisinopril Actually Cause Hair Loss?

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Restarting finasteride

I experienced further thinning one year on fin and stopped it. Im 32 years old NW1.5, should I give Fin a second chance risking 1 more year?

It’s not a good idea, assuming no side effects from finasteride, to stop it. That allows you to lose more hair. I tell everyone that finasteride is always working at the least to slow down the hair loss and at the best it may reverse it (common in men under 25). I would go back on finasteride and stick to it. You should be managed by a good hair doctor.

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Does Propecia Cause the Hairline to Recede Faster?

Hello Mr rassman

Why does almost everyone all over the internet claim propecia causes the hairline to recede and bald even faster? is this true. can it be because of the testosterone rise. because we all know testosterone does bind and hair thinning just like dht

Where are you getting your source of information? Hair loss from genetic male pattern baldness (MPB) cannot be stopped forever, but it is not accelerated by Propecia. In other words, you can be using Propecia, but still have receding hairline. Propecia does work mostly on the top/crown area and not so much on the hairline, so I suspect most people you are referring to are just noticing their recession and blaming it on Propecia.

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Does smoking increase complications of hair transplants?

In a 2009 article written by Dr. David Perez-Meza reflecting upon Dr. Tony Mangubat’s two cases of problems following a hair transplant, the connection between smoking and complications from a hair transplant or any plastic surgery to the face, is significant (see attached article below).

Still a other article mirrors these claims: J Surg Res. 2009 Apr;152(2):224-30. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2008.02.066. Epub 2008 Mar 31 concluding that: “Nicotine has a limited vasoactive effect in the skin and subcutis unlikely to be explained by smoking, which distinctly decreases tissue blood flow, oxygen tension, and aerobe metabolism independent of smoking status“.

This does not negate the effects of smoking just the direct connection between the causes seen and the presence of nicotine suggesting other causes in the cigarette smoke produce problems in wound healing.


2019-10-11 13:15:08Does smoking increase complications of hair transplants?

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Revising Non-Transplant Scars

Dr. Rassman,

This is a bit of a tangent. I had 3 surgeries with you folks between 97 and 2000, and I continue to be pleased with the results. It appears it will be quite some time before I need more work done. When I researched different groups, you folks stood head and shoulders above the rest in terms of professionalism and especially how much research you had done. It was clear you were at least as interested in advancing the art as being successful from the business end.

Thus I am interested in your opinion on scar revision. I have two 6-7 inch scars – one on my elbow from nerve transposition surgery, another one that is horseshoe shaped above my armpit from reattaching a torn pec from a snowboarding mishap. Both scars spread kind of badly, such that at spots they are about as thick as my index finger. Apparently both those spots tend to be high tension, which causes the spreading. Both incisions were sutured with plain stitches or staples, not any interior stitches.

I’ve been doing web research on and off for several years, but I haven’t been able to convince myself that there is any group or technique that has a good chance of making a big improvement. What are your thoughts about the state of the art of scar revision? Perhaps this is a new area of study to apply your innovation. 🙂

When a person has stretched scars on many parts of their body, I often think of diseases that produce this problem. You should first be sure that you do not have any of these diseases such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome which is a connective tissue disorder. You are correct that some scars that come from wounds which are located in areas where the skin is stressed, can stretch in any person, even those without a connective tissue disorder. Plastic surgeons are often good at dealing with changing the way forces are applied to these stretched areas. One common procedure for managing scars is a process called a Z-plasty, where a linear scar is change to a Z type scar so that the forces do not oppose each other to stretch the scar. In the scalp, there are other factors far too complex for me to cover in a blog response here.


2005-08-19 15:59:09Revising Non-Transplant Scars

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Does Toppik Work On My African Hair?

I am a African American woman and i was chemical burn by relaxer about 7 yeas ago. I do not know how and if you can help me with me living in the Caribbean. I was thinking of getting toppik but will that work on my African hair? please help

Yes. I know many African American men who came into our office to get a consult with us and when they are using Toppik, it seems to work well. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work in the same way for women. Give it a try!