Category: Uncategorized

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ACell update for NHI ACell for hair replication and ACell for scar improvement

Based on case reports of Dr Hitzig and Cooley from 2010, and the spirit of science we have tried to replicate the cloning claims by applying for clinical research through an institutional review board (IRB), also known as an independent ethics committee (IEC) or ethical review board (ERB), IRB.

We had two category of ACell trials:
(1) ACell to promote new hair follicle regeneration from plucked hair, thus creating two hairs from one hair as the plucked hair is assumed to grow back. This in essence is viewed by some as cloning.

At this time, at about the 3+ year mark, our patients who received ACell for hair regeneration have not reported growth and we had seen all of them at the 6th month and 12 month point in time. If you read the ACell update from ISHRS Alaska 2011 conference, it would seem the ACell cloning was only hype.

(2) ACell to promote wound healing and less scar formation. This involves ACell that is incorporated into the strip donor wound.

At this time, at about the 3+ year mark, some patients have reported less pain after the surgery and a better looking scar (those who have had more than one surgery to compare their own experiences). But the overall width (size) of the scar is not any better (smaller). In other words the scar may NOT be smaller, but they are less pink and seemed to heal faster.

In summary we have spent thousands of dollars applying for the IRB permission as well as materials cost as well as staff hours for not so stellar results. More importantly it is regrettable to those patients who have participated in hopes of unlimited hair to only receive nothing from their effort. ACell may have some place in wound healing and we still offer this option to our patients at no cost.

To be clear: ACell does not grow hair. ACell does not make the scar smaller. Acell may heal the wound better but there is no clear proof of this. This observation is merely subjective.

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Kelly Osbourne Going Bald?

Kelly Osbourne

What do you think about the news that rocker Ozzy Osbourne’s pop-singer daughter Kelly has revealed she is going bald? The article is here: InsideOnline.com

The article shows what can happen when hair is abused. If the abuse stops and she is losing her hair secondary to the abuse, then it MAY return. If she continues abusing it (which is what the article implies), it may become a permanent type of negative balding, just the opposite of what she is trying to achieve.


2006-02-22 10:26:59Kelly Osbourne Going Bald?

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Adderall and Finasteride Interaction?

Do you think a stimulant like Adderall can interact with finasteride in an undesireable way? I have been on finasteride 1mg a day for 6 months with no problems and great results. I started using Adderall for ADHD and I reacted very severely. I lost a huge amount of hair, broke out with acne, started to sweat, grind my teeth at night, and have testicle aches. From what I’ve read and from people I’ve talked to that isn’t common. Is the fact that finasteride and Adderall both influence what your hormones are doing in your body a reason to believe they were a bad combination?

Thanks.

We get questions like these all the time. What you are describing sounds pretty severe, so I would consult with your doctor and follow up on your symptoms to figure out what is going on. The internet is a great source of information, but be warned that it is also a source of misinformation. Talk to a professional in person — best to talk to a caring and competent doctor.

To answer the first question though… no, these two medications do not interact.


2010-09-23 14:57:53Adderall and Finasteride Interaction?

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Lack of bloodflow causing baldness, myth?

Can smoking cigs mess up your mpb from reduced circulation?

Smoking may have some effect on the blood flow to the scalp but there is no evidence that it accelerates the balding process. Stress is; however, known to accelerate the balding process and people who some often use smoking as a stress relief.


2017-05-15 08:12:18Lack of bloodflow causing baldness, myth?

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Advice from Someone That Has Had 9 Procedures

Dr. Rassman,

I’ve had lots of procedures done; I’ll say at least 9 since 1995. I’m 41 now. I know that’s a lot. I’ve had at least 4-5 done at one center, then about another 4 done at a well know hair transplant center here in DC. I’ve even had gaps of up to 4 years between procedures because of money issues. I’ve spent at least over $20,000.00 so far. I was never given a “Master Plan”. Every person only evaluated me, then asked, “How many are you looking to get right now?.” Me being new to transplant never really realized that once you start the process, you should, in my opinion, every year get as many grafts put in as you can afford. Well, I had really bad scarring in the back going across from one side to the other which was corrected a bit. My head of hair is not nearly as full as I would want it. Actually, right now it’s still very thin in spots here and there. Sometimes I’m just so depressed about it. Don’t make the mistake like I did. If you go for transplant procedure, get another job, work part time, anything to get that head full of hair. Too many procedures, cutting, stitching, etc. spells trouble. I know.

One of the groups did a great job of reducing my scarring in the back of my head. I was also told that in a couple of years ago that lab grown hair follicles will be available. Do you agree? I’m at that point where I feel this would be my last and only alternative.

You have a tragic story. You were not placed on this Earth to give doctors money every year to get hair moved and to manage scars on your head.

The only patients that have had over 4 procedures with me are those that were very, very bald (9,000+ grafts) or very, very obsessive (I fondly call them my ‘hair addicts’). Most people should be completed with 1-2 procedures. Informed consent requires doctors to tell you what is in store for you, what you can reasonably expect a hair transplant will do for you, and when it will be completed. That is the doctor’s moral and legal obligation and the fact that you did not have that happen, means that you must have been victimized from hopping around to different doctors. You should have held your original doctor accountable for finishing what he/she started (in a perfect world of course). I know, unfortunately, that many people who go to doctors that are not responsible or accountable are caught in a difficult position. My suggestion is that you consider going to a doctor who will give you the real scoop as to what, if anything, you can expect going forward. If you need repair work on the scar, that doctor should be able to let you know what is in store for you. As you are on the east coast, may I suggest seeing Dr. Robert Bernstein in New York. He and I literally wrote the book on repairs.

I want to also comment on your hope that soon, hair will be grown in a lab to solve the hair supply problem. I am sorry to burst your bubble, but I don’t believe that will happen in any reasonable timeframe to get you the extra hair you may need. Many doctors are promising lab grown hair in a few years, but the ignorance by these doctors seems pervasive on this subject. My opinion is that we will not see lab grown hair for more than a decade from now. So for the readers who are postponing decisions on hair transplants to wait for lab grown hair, you need to ask yourselves if you really want to wait until you are 70 years old to get the more youthful look.


2007-12-14 09:25:11Advice from Someone That Has Had 9 Procedures

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LaserComb Versus Bigger Laser Machines

Dr. I bought the hair max laser comb, i cant tell if it is producing results or not, my hair is still pretty thick, my question is, is there a difference in the hair max laser comb compared with the machine that you sit under, is there a difference in quality or the results you can expect?

Unless you have a camera that takes pictures at the exact and repeatable spot on your scalp, it is almost impossible to tell. One researcher (see: Analyzing the Results of the HairMax Laser Comb) used a small tattooed dot on an area of interest and took serial photographs at regular intervals to see if there is a change in hair count. I reviewed that particular study, as you can see in the above unfavorable reference. To my knowledge, no comparable study has been done so far for the lasers that you sit under.

With respect to your question asking if laser comb and the ‘bigger’ laser machines differ, well, the size comparison is obvious — one is a comb and the other is a big hood that you sit under. If you are asking if one is better than the other, I have no way of telling, but based upon the study of the laser comb, which was most unimpressive, I might think that the comb has very limited value. The subjective feedback of patients who have experienced the larger system seems positive, but there are no objective criteria for me to endorse. If you are asking for the results, I have no way of telling at this time.


2006-10-27 14:26:54LaserComb Versus Bigger Laser Machines

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After a Hair Transplant, When Can I Stop Being Careful with My Hair?

Is it possible say after 4 months of the procedure to damage the hair grafts if you are kinda compulsive and don’t really like to even show that you are losing hair as in my case i didn’t have to much hair loss in the first place but don’t like to show that i am losing any at all by styling the hair downwards. spending like 10-20 minutes doing so basically what I am saying is that if the hairs are inplanted after the immediate post op 1-3 months is ok to be less careful after this period and is there any adverse way to affect the growth. Also when is ok to buzz ones head after the FUE technique is performed.

thank you very much

Your hair transplant doctor should have told you this. Hair that was transplanted is considered permanent after a week or two.

Either you are an obsessive compulsive or have not been told the right information. You do not have to be so careful 4 months out from surgery. The point of the surgery is to have your own natural hair. Treat it as such.

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Less Propecia, Less Side Effects?

Dr. Rassman,

Thanks so much for this valuable site.

I am considering Propecia. It is the possible sides, not the $$$, that has me hesitating. I have done the research on Clinical Studies, Dr. Frankel’s article, your posts, etc. The data seems to indicate, and you’ve agreed that .5 mg is roughly 80% as effective for hair growth/retainment as a full 1mg. My question is, are the side effects proportionally decreased? Is there any data out there?

B/c of the efficacy of the .5mg dose, and because the decreased DHT/Serum levels appear to stay in the same range for almost 72 hours, my plan is .5mg Merck Propecia every other day, in order to decrease any chance at both short and long term side effects. Does this sound logical to you?

I really do not see your logic. I mostly see your fear… fear that the drug can give you side effects. Is it worth the risk (for you)? Maybe you should question taking it altogether. There is a phenomenon known as the placebo effect… and it goes both ways. If you are preoccupied that a drug will give you a side effect, then you will likely see that side effect because that is what you believe will happen. If you don’t try it you will never know if you will have a side effect.

I don’t know if there is statistical data available that shows decreased side effects with decreased dosing, but I’ve seen that to be the case if a patient has experienced side effects from the full dose. If you have genetic androgenic alopecia and Propecia is recommended by your physician, then I would start with the recommended dose. If you end up with a side effect then you can just as easily not take it and the side effects would be gone.


2010-04-02 11:00:52Less Propecia, Less Side Effects?

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What Age Would You Try to Classify a Young Man’s Balding Pattern?

Hair loss classification was created to discuss the end stage of hair loss. Many people will thin their hair as they get to their end stage. Of interest, Class 7 pattern, the most advanced pattern, usually is present by the time a man reaches his late 20’s because the genes for hair loss are very strong. Young men who have a Class 3 pattern of hair loss, when checked with the HAIRCHECK instrument, often show thinning elsewhere on their scalp that they can’t see and may not see for years because it can be a slow process. A good doctor who sees a young man under 25 develops a MASTER PLAN for him that will follow the changes I just discussed above, offering transplants only after the man is 25 or 26 if it fits. Medications, like Finasteride, as well as topical or oral Minoxidil, work to stop or reverse the hair loss. Therefore, a good relationship with a doctor who has built a Master Plan for you is essential to your future well-being. The use of the HAIRCHECK instrument has great value in reporting the degree to which your hair loss exists that may not be obvious to the naked eye.

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Lingering sexual side effect from finasteride

Have you encountered patients that have had side effects that lingered for a few months after dropping the drug, like me? If so, did they get better?

They usually got better. You should think positive as the Nocebo effect is real


2019-05-01 08:21:33Lingering sexual side effect from finasteride