Category: Uncategorized

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Hair Thickening, Thinning, and Thickening Again from Minoxidil

Doctor

Just read a recent post regarding someone who notices his hair thickens and thins and thickens again. I’ve noticed that for years and just assumed it was from Rogaine. That it was either synch shedding which happened after first using the drug and just continued through the years or that at times realized I’ve been missing areas and after reapplying those areas came back. But again that was Rogaine not Propecia which the previous post was on. Wonder if other minox users noticed this.

After reading your reply made me wonder if TE tends to reoccur in people. It would make sense if it is in response to a stress. People who have physical ailments in response to stress tend to have the same physical responses repeat throughout their life. I wouldn’t be surprised if some people are predisposed to TE under stress. Just as some develop IBS that comes and goes.. acid reflux.. back pain.. IF TE happened once it will probably happen again under stress.

Thanks for your comments. I’m posting this to hopefully get other readers to share their experience with back and forth shedding from minoxidil, as you describe.

To put this all together, a good relationship with a doctor is a good idea. Yes, telogen effluvium can reoccur in some people. See eMedicine for more info.

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Unethical Hair Transplant Doctor Transplanting Hair On Patient Who Did Not Need The Surgery

This is a note I sent to a patient I saw today.

You have had previous hair transplants done by a Los Angeles doctor who has since lost his license. You received 3400 grafts in the front of your head. You were very frightened about the prospect of being bald at that age of 23. Now you are 31 years old and started Propecia 4 months ago. You want to know the status of your balding situation.

Today’s we used the HAIRCHECK instrument on your head. Measurements indicated that you hair bulk in the frontal 3 inches of your scalp exceeds the hair bulk of the donor area by 30%. Comparing the crown and the back of your head, the measurements were comparable.
This tells me two things:
  1. You are not presently balding
  2. Your hair transplant done years ago was done on a young man that probably was not balding but driven to have a hair transplant out of fear of balding. Frankly, you were taken advantage of for the money. I am ashamed that doctors in this field would take advantage of your youth and naivety.You agreed with me that in hindsight, you were driven by fear, not balding
The good news is that you should stop the Propecia and if you are ever concerned again about balding (which I believe will be unlikely for your future), please come back and let me retest you with the HAIRCHECK instrument.
As a side note: I would agree to (1) help him file a complaint with the medical board if the doctor was still licensed in California and (2) I would put him in touch with a lawyer to facilitate a malpractice action against the doctor and act as an expert witness on his behalf.
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I use a dye on my hair I purchased in the grocery store about a month ago, and lost a lot of hair, what should I do?

Dyes can produce chemical burns and ‘kill’ hairs permanently. If it does not grow back in 6 months, then you may have produced a chemical burn to your hair follicles and they may not grow back. If there is going to be a recovery, the hair cycle usually kicks in and starts growing within about 6 months or less after the injury or earlier. See a specialist either now or certainly in 6 months?


2018-01-14 10:32:27I use a dye on my hair I purchased in the grocery store about a month ago, and lost a lot of hair, what should I do?

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After a Hair Transplant, Is Maintenance Required?

Hair loss is a progressive process. If your hair loss progresses after a hair transplant, you might want to see if you need more transplants to keep up with the new hair loss. However, the hair transplants themselves stay without medication or support of any kind since it is relatively maintenance free. Drugs like Finasteride will protect you from the hair loss that may normally occur.


2018-06-26 13:27:45After a Hair Transplant, Is Maintenance Required?

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Using Chest and Back Hair When Scalp Density is Low?

I am Norwood 6/7. I had a nice transplant to the front 1/3 of my head, which frames my face well. Unfortunately, the density of my donor area is on the low side. I have VERY heavy body hair on my chest and back.

Would this be an acceptable situation to transplant body hair to crown area?

Body hair is a difficult call for me. I have tried using it and have not done well with it. Aside from the physical characteristics of the body hair, the growth cycles are different from that of scalp hair.

There are a few doctors who claim to specialize in using body hair for scalp transplanting, but I am skeptical that the results are as good as claimed. The patients I’ve seen in my office with body hair transplanted to the scalp at other clinics have been less than impressive. If you’re considering body hair transplants, just be sure to meet with patients that have had it done by the doctor you’re considering so that you can see the results for yourself in person.


2010-10-07 10:51:14Using Chest and Back Hair When Scalp Density is Low?

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Hair Transplant Results Just Days After Surgery (with Photos)

I wanted to show some very early after from two patients that came in today. Both patients have given me permission to post their photos, and I appreciate them allowing me to do so. From time to time I post photos of patients just days or weeks after surgery, and I hope these types of posts help to answer one of the more popular questions I receive almost daily — “What will my head look like right after surgery?! I need to get back to work and I don’t want anyone to know!”

Patient 1 — 1 day after surgery:
This young man had around 1500 grafts placed in the crown and around 600 grafts in the front just 1 day ago. His skin is white and hair is blonde. There is almost no swelling and no sign of the surgery other than a faint pink hue which should go away for him in a day or two.

Here are two photos of his hairline. Click the photos to enlarge.

 

Patient 2 — 10 days after surgery:

This patient had frontal work to drop the corners of his hairline. Just 10 days out after 1040 grafts and you can barely see anything. Note that I had to hold his hair back on the left corner just to show the transplanted area. His hair naturally falls over that area, and as such, it provided him a perfect cover during the first day or two when his skin was pink in the transplanted area.

Click the photos to enlarge.

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Using Minoxidil and Nizoral Before a Hair Transplant?

I use minoxidil and nizoral shampoo and am considering a hair transplant procedure in the future. Will it be necessary to suspend use of these products before or after hair surgery? If so how long before and how long after?

I just tell patients to continue on their treatments up until the day before surgery and then restart them about a week after surgery. Withdrawal effects from minoxidil will not occur in 1 week. Always discuss pre and post care with your surgeon, though.

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Hair transplant without finasteride?

So, personally, I straight up just don’t want to use finasteride and don’t want to be on a pill that regulates my hormones for the rest of my life. If you have a good donor region, like 8000 potential grafts, can you forgo finasteride and still get a good hair result just from a transplant(s)?

Men under 30 have a higher risk of losing native or miniaturized hairs with a hair transplant. The older you get, the less the risk. Finasteride prevents the loss of these miniaturized hairs, but as you point out, if you are willing to spend the money and your have 8000 lifetime grafts, you can do a hair transplant without finasteride.


2021-04-21 06:46:31Hair transplant without finasteride?

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Using Tanning Products on Scalp

I would like to shave my head but my scalp looks pale (im 23-male-Indian)…Someone suggested using Tanning product on the scalp…
Will i lose or stop the growth of existing hair if i do this?
ps: i suffer from MPB – (diffused)
pps: I cant use propecia due to liver probs…so am considering hair transplant after some years…Thanks
ppps: Minoxydyl isnt helping much..

The hair on our head does not allow the pigment of the scalp to fully express itself without some sunlight. That is why the skin under the hair is lighter in color than face skin. This is present in everyone with hair, but clearly more visible when a dark skin person shaves the head than when a fair complection person with white skin shaves their head. You can tan your head or go to a tanning salon, or it will tan on its own once exposed to some reasonable amount of sun.

Most tanning products should not impact or accelerate hair loss. Propecia is the best medication for preventing hair loss in young men, far superior to anything out there. Your doctor will be your best advocate for you while considering this option, because caution should be used in the administration of Propecia in patients with liver function abnormalities, as finasteride is metabolized extensively in the liver. It is possible that it can be taken at smaller doses if your liver has some dysfunction, but if your liver is working normally, you should be able to take Propecia at the normal dose. Careful monitoring is important and you should be under the direction of a good, caring doctor in approaching this medication’s use.


2006-01-03 12:16:46Using Tanning Products on Scalp