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HairCheck vs Miniaturization Mapping

Hello Doctor Rassman,

first of all thanks for your website and for all the precious information!

I have a question related to the haircheck methodology (re. a post on Aug. 8, 2011). Is the haircheck methodology related to miniaturization or is it a different methodology? I.e., would haircheck reveal an early stage of miniaturization, which would not be usually seen with the traditional magnifying camera that you and Dr. Pak use when visiting patients? I ask this because, when doctor Pak visited me in San Jose 2 months ago, he said that at 30y I don’t have any sign of miniaturization, but I still have the “impression” that the hair on the top of my hair has lost volume over the last year. Maybe just a little paranoia :-)?

Keep up the great work!

Best regards

I discussed your case with Dr Pak and he remembers you well. You have absolutely no sign of balding. There was less than 10% of miniaturized hairs all over your scalp. There was no balding pattern identifiable. If you would like, you can send us a photo and permission for us to post it. You are 30 years old with a Norwood 2 hairline.

You are one of those people who had so much hair when you were younger, that you probably never saw the skin on your scalp. As you aged, you probably had some thinning (not balding), and when your hair was cut short and you were under bright lights, the whites of your scalp could be seen. It was the perfect storm.

The bulk measurement can be used to assess the VOLUME of hair at certain areas (top or crown) of your scalp and make a relative comparison of that value to the measurement from the back (donor) area of your scalp. This test cannot be done if you have lots of product (gel, mouse, pomade, hair spray) on your hair, as it will add to the bulk, nor can it be done if you have very short hair, because we need to grab a section of your hair in each area of the scalp. The bulk measurement is like counting the number of hairs in a certain area (density) and multiplying it by the cross section area of each hairs.

The miniaturization mapping measurement can be used to assess the condition and distribution of miniaturized hairs around certain areas of your scalp. The proportion of miniaturized hairs to non-miniaturized hairs can be compared to your own donor hair to see if there a pattern to the miniaturization (thinning). In your particular case, you had absolutely no miniaturization all over your scalp.

By the way, thank you for the bottle of wine!


2011-08-11 17:37:59HairCheck vs Miniaturization Mapping

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Very Irregular Periods a Cause for Female Hair Loss?

Hello there….I am a 29 year old female experiencing frontal and temporal hairloss. I am upset and not sure what to do. I have VERY irregular periods. I may have one 1-2 times a year. Will this cause hairloss? I know a decrease in estrogen will cause it, but I am young and wonder if a very rare period would contribute to it. I have had my thyroid checked and it was ok. Not sure what causes the irregular periods either. I would greatly appreciate a reply to help my questions. I am a nursing student who will be graduating this coming May and would like to look nice for pictures. Thank You

There may be no relationship between your hair loss and your periods. There are conditions like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), where infrequent periods and hair loss go together. You can see this at 4woman.gov or PCOSupport.

I am not suggesting that this is what is wrong with you, but the diagnosis of female hair loss is complex and requires a complete examination by someone who can evaluate your periods and your hair loss in partnership with you.

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I Had My Hairline Lowered and Now Have This Terrible Scar with Balding Behind It (photo)

One of the complications of a ‘hairline lowering’ or ‘hairline advancement surgery’ is hair loss. When it occurs, it exposes the scar from the advancement surgery. The best and only treatment for this is a hair transplant which can effectively bury the entire scar and fill in the thinning area behind the scar as well. Hair loss can be very extensive, losing the entire frontal area back up to 3-4 inches from the incision, but on the rare times that this happens, in women, this always reverses and the hair loss returns


2018-04-20 19:50:26I Had My Hairline Lowered and Now Have This Terrible Scar with Balding Behind It (photo)

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Video Showing Implantation at a Density of 200 Grafts/cm Square (from Reddit)

I would bet that your normal density is not 200 follicular units per square cm. These numbers are unrealistic because it would deplete your donor area so much that as you continue to bald, which you will, you will have no hair to use in the donor area. These numbers, although they can be done as shown here, are unrealistic from a Master Plan approach to hair transplantation.

I was the first doctor to define dense packing of grafts in 1993-4, and I published it in the Hair Transplant Forum. However, I used it only on single hairs in the leading frontal edge. Today, I no longer use these number in the leading edge and I get terrific hairlines with a more reasonable density.

200 GRAFTS PER SQUARE CM!! THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKIN ABOUT. MHTGA from tressless


2018-07-19 05:46:57Video Showing Implantation at a Density of 200 Grafts/cm Square (from Reddit)

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My hairline is uneven, what should I do?

Uneven hairlines in men usually indicate that recession from genetic balding has started. Showing up on only one side is not uncommon but eventually it will impact the other side and more recession of the entire hairline is very probable. See a doctor who can make the correct diagnosis. If you are over 25, you can transplant it to correct the uneven appearance but you should also take the drug finasteride to stop the progression of the balding process.

 


2018-01-24 07:30:20My hairline is uneven, what should I do?

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Vitamin D saved my hair

So a few years ago I started to lose my hair and develop dark circles and facial wrinkles. I tried minoxidil for a while with limited results, then gave that up. Then on a hunch I read up on vitamin D deficiency, and found out that one of the symptoms was hair loss.

I started taking 4000 IU of D3 every day, and 6 months later my hair is almost completely restored – like nothing happened. Also my dark circles are getting much better, and my energy and mood have improved.

What can I say that you didn’t say! It is worth sharing here. Be careful at that dose as it may eventually cause overdosing.


2020-11-16 09:26:17Vitamin D saved my hair

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A handsome man with and without SMP (photo)

This was one of our first patients who got Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP) in 2010. See more photos at https://scalpmicropigmentation.com/bold-shaved-look/


2019-02-01 15:28:45A handsome man with and without SMP (photo)

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Want to get my wife pregnant but am on finasteride

Finasteride is not reported to come across in the sperm; however, if you are wanting to be extra-sure and you are planning on pregnancy, since finasteride has a half life of only 6 hours in the blood stream, you can assume that within a day or two after taking it, it will not be in your semen. To take advantage of this, you can stop finasteride mid-cycle, starting it on the day of her period for 10 days, stopping it for 10 days and the restarting it again. Women ovulate mid-cycle at about 15 days post period. The finasteride stays in the hair follicle for at least 7 days, probably more so stopping the medication should not be in the blood stream or semen at day 10-20 following the start of her period.


2020-12-14 11:02:36Want to get my wife pregnant but am on finasteride

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Happy Holidays!

I am taking a few days off, so there will be no updates until Tuesday, December 27th.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, or whichever holiday you may be celebrating this time of year!

If you happen to be reading this during the holiday season, be sure to scroll down to read the latest blog entries…

 Happy Holidays!

 


2005-12-29 15:18:45Happy Holidays!

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Water Never Touched My Head for 2 Weeks

Hi,
i recently left my hair unwashed for about 2 weeks, plz dont ask me why, when i say unwashed i mean i never even used water. eventually when did wash i had a lot of hair loss, probably aboyt 200-300 hairs and my hair was very oily too. is this normal? i also wanted to ask you, do you if someone living in the uk can ask their GP to write prescription for proscar.

Are you asking if not washing yourself for 2 weeks is normal? I’d have to say no. The hair loss you have seen is probably just shed hair (about 100 per day is normal or 1400 per 2 week period) and these are from the normal hair cycling which were trapped amongst other hairs. Hairs that get entangled on your scalp are normal if you did not wash, but washing your hair will free them up and it might look like a massive loss all at once. I’m speculating, of course, as I haven’t seen you or the loss you describe.

The oiliness isn’t surprising, as you hadn’t washed your hair or scalp in some time and the glands around each and every hair follicle secrets sebum (an oily substance) every minute of every day.

Finasteride is available in the UK, so I don’t see why you couldn’t ask your doctor for a prescription. If you don’t have genetic hair loss though, I doubt you’d get the prescription.