I am not sure why this worked, but it did.
Follow-Up From an NHI Patient, ProCede Question
Dr. Rassman,
I had undergone a surgery at NHI, San Jose in 2003. I must say the transplant has been one of the best decisions I’ve taken in life. Thank you and your awesome staff! I could see my photograph is now featured in the NHI website. Wow!After the holiday season, I am going to seek an appointment to evaluate the present state of scalp. However, I just came across a “cosmetic” hair-product called Procede that claims to “increase diameter of hair shaft”. However, they also say it’s “not going to work for persons who already had undergone Hair Transplantation”. That, frankly, sounds a bit weird to me.
Do you have any idea what this is?
I am happy to hear about your nice results. Your photos are very impressive and the change must make you quite happy. It certainly made my day reading your email. For those interested, this patient’s photos can be seen on the NHI site as Patient NO.
I’ve written previously about Procede here. As to why they say the product is not suitable for people who have had hair transplantation, I can not imagine why it would be harmful. However, if that is their warning it suggests to me that there may be something toxic about the product. I have no inside knowledge about this product or its potential toxicity.
Sunetics Laser Gets an FDA Warning
It seems you overlooked yet another laser device maker that was issued a warning letter from the FDA. Apparently the FDA had some problems with the marketing of the Sunetics laser brush. Funny thing is if you read the warning letter (provided in the link below), the FDA acknowledges that they applied for clearance in January of 2008. It’s been over 1 year and they still haven’t received clearance!? Also it’s funny how the Lexington International’s Lasercomb hasn’t yet received clearance for hair growth in women yet that study had to have been completed at least when Lexington received their warning letter back in May. Which leads me to one final question, if 650 nm is the optimal wavelength for hair growth, and all of these laser devices are within that wavelength, how can only one device receive clearance (and only for men)? Almost forgot, here is the link to the Sunetics warning letter page.
The warning letter starts:
“The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has learned that your firm is marketing the Sunetics Laser Hair Brush and the Laser Skin Brush in the United States (U.S.) without marketing clearance or approval, in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act).”
The letter from the FDA is dated in August, 2008. The FDA usually posts their warning letters publicly months after they send them out. I don’t know if Sunetics got their act together, but I assume that is the case, as their website still shows these products. I know I’ve said it before, but I don’t believe that the low level light therapy works. It is just that simple.
2009-02-18 13:33:362009-02-18 09:34:30Sunetics Laser Gets an FDA Warning
Found these interesting photos on Reddit
Switched from topical to oral minoxidil
I have been on topical minoxidil for about 6 months, switched to Oral about a month ago and I am shedding right now. I am honestly surprised as I thought that the shed that occurred when I started topical would mean that I won’t shed now.
The shedding is a sign that the oral is working much better than the topical. About 40% of men respond to topical minoxidil but better than 90% respond to the oral so what you are seeing is a vigorous response to the oral minoxidil.
When Doing FUE, Can You Count the Number of Grafts During the Extraction Process?
We use a standard double accounting system when we perform an FUE. We count the number of attempts at FUE, then we count the number of grafts that come out. By subtracting the difference, this tells us how good we are at the process. Then, we recount them when they are examined, trimmed and placed into the recipient area. All of this activity is recorded on the patient’s surgical report which is available to any of our patients who want to see it.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Hair Loss
Several years I had hair loss patch the size of Half dollar and my two end finger nails were lines and pecked. I was diagonosed as having alopecia areata. Treatment w/ cortisone shots did not help. in last year or so I developed more of these loss of hair and sometimes it itches. I had biopsy done and the results “the findings are suggestive of (but not diagonostic for) collagen vascular disease such as lupus erythemaous. The blood test shows that I’m negative for Lupus. What is the outlook in terms of medication, regrowth and outlook? Is there any thing to grow hair? will a transplant work?
Sometime blood tests for SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) are not completely accurate. I recommended that you visit a rheumatologist to further your evaluation process. SLE is one of the many causes for hair loss. Hair can regrow if your cause is due to SLE or any reversible disease that arrests and then subsides. Some people will have lost their hair permanently, even if the disease goes away. Hair transplantation will not work if you have an active disease causing the hair loss, but if the disease is known and is not active, then a hair transplant will work, that is, unless it gets reactivated. Again, it is best to see a rheumatologist and a perhaps even a good dermatologist who focuses upon such problems.
2006-01-10 10:42:122006-01-10 10:27:51Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Hair Loss
FUE in Stress-Related Hair Loss
Rick asked…
Unlike the 62 year old man, I’ll soon be 48 & my loss started about the age of 25, gradually. Now, I am about a VI hair loss on this website’s Norwood Scale & will this new minimal hair transplant I saw on Ch. 4, Bruce Hensel, work for me ? I think the root cause(no pun intended !) is primarily stress. Many thanks in advance.
Stress is one of the four causes of hair loss in the genetically prone individual. Yes, the minimally invasive surgery, the FOX™ Procedure (Follicular Unit Extraction) can work, but before embarking upon that route, plan on a visit to a competent doctor’s office. If you are in California or the New York area, we have easy access. I assume that since you referenced NBC Channel 4 News, you are local to the Los Angeles area. If you would like more information from me directed at you and your condition, please call for a free consultation or at the very least, send me a photo of your hair loss from a series of views. A good digital camera will work, or call my office at 800-NEW-HAIR or fill out the form on my website and we will send you a disposable camera.
2005-04-19 08:54:102005-04-27 12:05:14FUE in Stress-Related Hair Loss
Taking Avodart Daily to Treat Hair Loss?
My MD has me on Avodart 0.5 MG once daily for hair loss and I have been taking it for about 20 months now and it seems to work better than the Proscar that I was taking the five years before.I just had my second HTP a couple of months ago and the HT doctor said the Avodart that I’m taking stays in my system fot 5-7 days and that I should not need to take it daily to have the same results. Where do you stand on it?
Avodart (dutasteride) does stay in your system for several weeks (5 weeks are reported for half of the drug to disappear from your system). In other words, if you take Avodart today only, half of the drug will be in your body in 5 weeks. In fact, the drug will still be detectable in your body for up to 6-12 months.
I do not personally recommend Avodart to my patients, because it is not proven safe for treating hair loss in younger men (the drug is a prostate medication, so the FDA approvals were based on tests of those men in an older age group). There are reports of sterility with this drug on men. I do have a handful of patients that choose to take Avodart despite my concerns, but that is on an individual basis. Likewise, my feeling on it is that you need to address these concerns with your doctor and decide on the appropriate treatment plan after understanding all the risks and benefits associated with its use. That stands true for all other drugs and medical treatments.
In general (to confuse the situation even further), the 0.5mg dose of Avodart is not generally used for hair growth, as 2.5mg is shown to produce a better effect. However, the 2.5mg will increase the side effects and the risks associated with it as well. All that is just more to discuss with your doctor. Read this study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology for more info — Dutasteride vs. Finasteride.
2008-11-07 15:34:202008-11-06 09:57:51Taking Avodart Daily to Treat Hair Loss?
FUE Scars
Do FUE procedures form scars?
Yes, there are scars anytime the body is invaded by the surgeon, or any time you cut yourself. The scars come about when the edges attempt to close the gap. The FUE scars are circular, so the size of the scar somewhat reflects the size of the wound. To answer the question appropriately, let’s talk basic math and then convert the math to logic.
The chart here shows the size of the cutting punch and compares the size of the wound that is created. The scar reflects the size of the wound.
| Diameter | Area | % change from smallest wound size |
| 0.75mm | 0.44mm square | (baseline) |
| 0.9mm | 0.64mm square | 44 % larger than 0.75 |
| 1.0mm | 0.79mm square | 78% larger than 0.75 |
| 1.5mm | 1.77mm square | 300% larger than 0.75 |
The reality of these number are that the 0.75mm leaves almost no scar, because the edges co-apt and there is minimal secondary healing as the scar fills from below as the side skin grows over it. With all of the wounds from strip harvesting, the scars are long and the wound is much larger. Such ‘line’ wounds can be seen when the scalp is shaved.
The 0.75mm wounds are impractical, but the 0.9mm wounds are the standard used in my practice. So in answer to your question; scars are related to the size of each wound. The smaller the wound for FUE (for example), the smaller the instrument used by the surgeon, the smaller and less noticeable will be the wounds in their final healing phase. Please see this previous post, Size of FUE Procedure, for discussion on actual yield rates. If only a needle is used (like the one you get with a flu shot) I sincerly doubt that you will ever find the scar with the naked eye.