Category: Uncategorized

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Brevinor and Female Hair Loss

Hi, I am 35 years old and started losing my hair about a year ago. I had been taking Prozac for over 6 years and after some research discovered that this could be the reason for my hair thinning so much. I have managed to come off Prozac now (about 3 months ago) but haven’t seen much of an improvement in my hair. Then I started to think about the possible effects of coming off the contraceptive pill ‘Brevinor’ which I had been taking since I was 19. I came off the pill last May. Could this also be the cause of my hair loss? If so, is there anything I can do? perhaps some sort of oestrogen supplement? Do you think my hair could re-grow? Any information would be greatly appreciated since my GP does not seem to have a clue. Thank you

Both Prosac and Brevinor can contribute to hair loss. In some women with genetic hair loss tendencies (often evident in the female side of your family) these drugs may induce or precipitate the hair loss and it may not reverse. If the genetic tendency is not there, then it should return over a 6-18 month period with the drugs stopped. Of course, these drugs offer you value, so stopping them may cause you more problems; these are not easy decisions to make.

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My Daughter’s Hair is Processed and There Are Bald Spots

13 year old african american daughter having continuous hair loss for several years. Hair is processed and has several bald spots especially in back. Suffers from excema if that helps. Please HELP! Beautician just sews false hair in her head but has yet to get it to grow. Can you please tell us where to start.

It sounds like your daughter is having chemical problems with the things that the stylist is using. Hair loss is common when chemicals are applied to relax the hair. I am wondering what you mean that the beautician is sewing false hair into her head, though.

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Burning on Scalp Months After Coloring Hair

Hi,
I;m really hoping you can help me. About 7 mths ago I had my hair coloured. Since then I have had a burning sensation on the right side of my head, my right ear and on the back of my neck. I have also noticed much more hair falling then I have seen before, my hair is starting to feel thinner and its scaring me to death.
I was very breifly examined by a dermatologist and she said it look like sebhorric dermatitis. I have used all the shampoos and the zinc spray she gave me and I still have no relief from the hair fall or the burning. I have no idea what to do. The top part of my scalp feels tender when I touch it. Is it possible I could be allergic to something in the shampoo? If you have any suggestions at all I would be so so greatful.
On a side note I have tried tea tree oil and the flakes seem to be almost gone, but still the burning and hair loss are there.
Please help

Since you started with a dermatologist, I would suggest that you go back. The symptoms you mentioned (burning on the right side of your head, ear and the back of your neck) could be a neurological problem. People who had hair coloring come to me with a wide variety of complaints that I often have difficulty relating to the hair coloring process. Sometimes the complaints are related to skin problem that are precipitated by the chemicals in the dying compounds used. Sometimes they may have nothing to do with the hair dying process or the chemicals used. Most professional stylists use commercially safe compounds.

The dermatologist can help you assess all of these issues.


2006-06-12 09:39:44Burning on Scalp Months After Coloring Hair

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My Doctor Did a Pull Test and Said I Didn’t Have TE or MPB, But I Can See My Crown Shedding!

Hello,
I am wondering if I am beginning to undergo male pattern baldness. I am 29 years old and have never noticed any hair loss until recently. I have been shedding like crazy, and can see my scalp, mainly around the top of my head where the hair “swirls” around my part.

I saw a dermatologist and he said he didn’t think it was male pattern baldness (there is no significant recession around the front of my hairline…I have been looking at old pictures and feel like there has maybe been a minimal amount in the past year…hard to really say for sure). He did a pull test and said it was not telogen effluvium, unless it was the earliest stages. The increased shedding started a little over a week ago. I’m kind of depressed over this.

I have noticed that some of the hair that has come out is of the finer variety and I feel like my head as a whole has finer hair than it did say a year ago, but once again since I don’t have any hair samples from then to compare it to, I can’t say for sure. The hair around the swirl has taken on a more light colored tone than that on the rest of my head. I can send pictures if you would like.

A photo alone is not likely going to help me determine what your hair loss is, especially after a doctor you saw in person stated you likely do not have genetic balding. You are more than welcome to send us a photo for all the readers to comment, or visit our BaldingForum.com site and post photos there. You could also just get a second opinion from another local doctor.

Otherwise you can make an appointment to see me at my office in Los Angeles for an in-person, private consultation. At that consultation, I will look for miniaturization on your scalp hair and I will perform bulk analysis of your hair in various parts of your scalp.

When the thinning that precedes balding occurs, the bulk of the hair in the impacted area has hairs that are thinner than the hair from the back and sides of the head. The pattern of this thinning hair is measurable and that will point to the diagnosis of male pattern baldness. You need to have these tests, and have them done in the hands of an expert hair doctor.

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Can a Holistic Approach Stop My Hair Loss?

Hi Dr. Rassman,

Thanks so much for your site.

I am a 26 year old male in Toronto, Canada, experiencing what seems to be a Norwood 3V hair loss pattern. When my hair is dry no scalp can be seen but when it is wet the scalp can be seen at the crown. I’ve noticed slow thinning/falling out of the crown hairs over the past 2 years or so. I don’t want the situation to get any worse, but before I get a miniaturization map done or start propecia etc., I wanted to know if a change in diet is likely to either stop the hair loss or even stimulate hair growth. An internet article I found at https://www.holistic-online.com/Remedies/Hair/hair_loss-nutrition.htm says taking high doses of Vitamins B, C, E, Zinc, Magnesium etc. and eliminating animal proteins from the diet has been proven to be effective in many cases in stopping hair loss or even stimulating hair growth. Are these claims true? If not, what are my options?

Also, do you know any good scalp dermatologists who could perform the miniaturization map in Toronto?

Many thanks for your time.

Holistic medicine has not been proven to reverse hair loss. I can not give you a doctor reference, but I would suggest using the physician search at ISHRS.org to find a doctor in your area. Be sure to do your research.

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My Doctor Said to Use Propecia Daily for a Month, Then Every Other Day Afterwards

I’m a 22 year old suffering from hair loss. I was using 5% Minoxidil at the advice of my local physician for the past 2 years with limited sucess as it managed to slow my hair loss but not reverse it. After seeing a dermatologist recently, he advised me to use propecia once a day for a month and then take it every other day afterwards.

He said that after a month Propecia will lower DHT levels in my system and will be effective for 72 hrs which is why he said I only need it every other day as this will save me money. Do you believe that by taking propecia this way it will have the same effect as using it once a day?

The recommended dose of Propecia is one pill a day for treating hair loss. I do not understand you doctor’s logic, but I will defer the treatment to your doctor as you are under his care… not mine.

I do know that Propecia’s half life in your blood stream is 4 to 6 hours, which means most of the drug will be gone from your blood stream in one day.

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Can beard and neck hair be used for a hair transplant?

Beard hair is a good donor source for hair transplants but the character of the hair is kinky in most men, so a hair transplant using beard hair will produce a kinky appearance in the recipient area and as such, should not be used for the leading edge of the hairline. Neck hair on the back, on the other hand, is not permanent hair so if it is transplant, there is a good change that sometime in the future that hair will be lost


2021-08-14 08:14:12Can beard and neck hair be used for a hair transplant?

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My Entire Family Is Losing Hair and I Think It Could Be Environmental

Im a 25 year old female and I started to notice that i was losing my hair about a year ago. About six months ago my husband started to notice the same hair loss. What really scares me is that now my 4 and 6 year old kids are losing their hair too. The hair loss is diffused throughout the head and sometimes we all get scalp pain as well. Ive seen Dermatologists and Endocrinologists and all the tests that have been done have come back negative, so all I can come up with at this point is that its environmental because this has been happening ever since we moved to our current home.

Please what could this be? What could I have my family tested for as far as toxins among other things?

Thanks in advance!

If you, your husband, and your children are all losing hair, an environmental cause sounds like it is the most logical reason. It could be something in your home, in your food, in your water, etc. Are you just seeing hair loss and some scalp pain, or is there anything else that your family is experiencing (like nausea, skin issues, seizures, etc)?

I wish I could provide you more, but this is outside of my field of specialty. There are government agencies that can check the environment in situations like yours. I would probe that direction.


2013-03-04 15:53:52My Entire Family Is Losing Hair and I Think It Could Be Environmental

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Can Dutasteride Harm Pregnant Women or the Unborn Child If You Touch the Semen?

Merck states that “Contact with the semen from a man being treated with PROPECIA is not a risk to the unborn child of a pregnant woman“. My question is: can the same rule be applied to those taking DUTASTERIDE, considering this is a higher potent DHT inhibitor? I take 0.5mg daily for the treatment of hair loss.

Probably not, but we don’t know. Dutasteride can also have fertility issues in the men who take this drug, but the proof is not available at this time. This is probably one of the many reasons that dutasteride is not approved for the treatment of hair loss by the FDA.
sperm

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My Gynecomastia Is Returning, But I Don’t Want to Stop Propecia

Hi Dr.Rassman,
I currently have been on finasteride, 1mg, for 8 months with good results, although I do have a problem with gynecomastia(glandular) as I have gotten it excised twice before and unfortunatly It’s flaring up again. I did have this before I was on propecia. Im just afraid that the doctor will stop the propecia If I tell him its flaring up again and I dont want to stop using It. What should I do? Thank you in advance for your respected opinion

You can talk to your doctor about reducing the dose to 1/2 or 1/4 of a Propecia pill, but since you had gynecomastia twice before taking it, I’d wonder if this round of gynecomastia is even related to the medication. Be open and honest with your doctor, and if he decides to take you off Propecia, explain your case.

Do you have a hormonal imbalance or something that might be causing this? I’d also discuss the other causes of gynecomastia with your doctor.


2010-01-19 09:15:41My Gynecomastia Is Returning, But I Don’t Want to Stop Propecia