Category: Uncategorized

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More Worries About Propecia — I Can’t Risk My Sex Life for Hair!

Hello,
i’ve recently had my second transplant and i’m almost 27, I had my first just before my 25th birthday. I have only had temporal recession mpb in the front, and I had figured that with such small areas to fill and such a good donor sample that I would be able to fill in the areas not fully but maybe 80% of the density it once was when hair existed there. I was semi happy with my first transplant yet wasn’t near the density I wanted maybe 20% with a random guess. I just had my second 4 months ago and from what I see hairs are growing in but it’s hard to tell at this point if it will get to the density where you won’t be able to see through my hair to my skin. I’m a bit skeptical. Also I am not positive but I think I have just a tad of shockloss, which I refused to take finasteride because of all these horror stories on the internet i’ve seen.

My question is where can I get the straight facts, not opinions but actual documented cases that the FDA uses in it’s analysis? I get conflicting opinions everywhere I go and it’s hard to decipher which is correct, based on fact, logical, and applicable to my situation. Now I’ve read posts on your shockloss and i’m a bit bummed I hadn’t atleast known that shockloss in men in their 20’s with an HT without using Finasteride is common. My Doctor said shockloss most of the time is temporary. Your posts say otherwise. Also I have seen posts on finasteride some saying side effects such as decreased libido or penis size is permanent, others say no. I can’t risk my sex life and would rather be bald then mess with it, but I do like having hair on my head as well. Which side do I take? It’s probably already too late to counter any of the hairloss 4 months after the surgery right? Sorry for the long question. Thanks.

I appreciate your situation, but your fear of Propecia (finasteride 1mg) makes no sense to me. If you took the medication and experienced a negative sexual side effect (1% of men), the drug will be out of your blood stream in 24-48 hours from the time you stop taking it. There is nothing permanent about it. Concerning your hair transplants, you need to have a Master Plan for what might happen to you. If you got 20% of what you expected, then do you have enough hair to follow your hair loss without Propecia as you lose it? Your doctor is just plain wrong when he tells you that hair loss from a transplant (shock loss) is temporary and I would challenge that comment if given the chance.

I agree that giving up sex is not an option, but where are you getting the idea that it is either sex without Propecia or no sex with Propecia? That is not what millions of men are experiencing today, including 99% of the men I treat with that drug.

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Body Hair Transplants, Revisited

I am interested in transplants using body hair. Does it work and do you do it? Thanks

Chest hairs and pubic hairs can be harvested for hair transplantation. However, you must realize that body hairs are not ideal for transplants because they tend to be shorter than hairs from your scalp, there are not many of them despite the sense that a very hairy chest is hairy by density, and these hairs do not grow in large groupings like scalp hair does. Body hair transplants must be considered experimental at this time, until some well published sciences stand behind them. Most people who ask me questions about body hair transplantation have depleted donor supplies from the scalp. Is this what you are facing? If it is not, body hair transplants would be completely inappropriate. Since you are in Los Angeles, I want to mention that we have a local office to you, if you would like to setup a free consultation. To schedule an appointment, please call 800-NEW-HAIR or visit the Request Additional Info page at the New Hair Institute website.


2005-12-07 07:57:57Body Hair Transplants, Revisited

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I have had multiple surgeries and my hair has thinned considerably

I have had multiple surgeries and my hair has thinned considerably. I am 24 years old and am taking birth control pills. My doctor told me to take Rogaine, but I continue to have a very see through hair.

Female genetic loss can be accelerated and presented as thinning hair with any stress and surgery is such a stress. We have cosmetically treated such women with Scalp Micropigmentation, two of the women in my family have had it done. See here: https://scalpmicropigmentation.com/smp-for-women/

 

Also, I have attached a photo of a woman with black hair who has scalp micropigmentation done to address her thinning hair


2017-02-10 07:27:19I have had multiple surgeries and my hair has thinned considerably

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Botox for hair loss?

Taken from Reddit.com. My comments: We reported this back in 2011 (https://baldingblog.com/does-botox-prevent-or-reverse-hair-loss/). I read through this article and the three references. Thanks for sending this interesting material to me. I do not understand the mechanism here nor do I feel that any good double blind study is available. There is not enough science to make this a dependable treatment but from the 4 publications, I would expect that more information will be available in the future. I wouldn’t want someone to take on Botox instead of a more traditional treatment and then lose their hair while trying this experimental approach as time is the enemy in genetic hair loss so the longer it goes on, the more is lost. I include as much information as possible for my readership to be able to see and understand that may be coming in the future, even if it is more hope than reality.

https://sci-hub.se/10.1016/j.jaad.2020.04.082

Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) induces transforming growth factor-?1 (TGF-?1) in dermal papilla cells (DPC) to suppress follicular epithelial cell growth. Thus, TGF-?1 is one of the key players in androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and its antagonist may prevent AGA Botulinum toxin type A (BTX) may inhibit TGF-?1 secretion from DPCs as it does with scar tissue fibroblasts, which shares the mesenchymal origin. Recently, BTX has been effective for the treatment of AGA.

Herein, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of intradermal injection of BTX (Nabota®, Daewoong Pharmaceutical, Seoul, Korea) in AGA and its relationship with TGF-?1.

AGA patients were enrolled according to the basic and specific classification. Patients undergoing treatment with finasteride, minoxidil or supplements that affect hair growth were excluded. This study was approved by the institutional review board. The participants received intradermal BTX injections every four weeks for 24 weeks. A total of 30 units of BTX were injected at 20 different sites on the balding scalp in each treatment session.

The expression of TGF-?1 from cultured DPCs under 100 nM DHT was evaluated by RT-PCR analysis. Suppression of DHT-induced TGF-?1 secretion from DPCs by BTX (2.5U/106 46 cell) was assessed by immunofluorescence staining. The doses of BTX in the in vitro study were selected on the basis of a previous report investigating the effect of BTX (2.5U/106 cells) on TGF-?1 secretion from the fibroblasts.

This study comprised 18 male patients with mean age 49.00 ± 6.50. In an unblinded phototrichogram image analysis (Lead M Corp, Seoul, Korea), the number of hairs per cm2 at weeks 0, 12, and 24 were 129.61 ± 28.05, 129.11 ± 28.80, and 136.22 ± 33.05, respectively. The number of hairs significantly increased at week 24 (P = 0.012) but not at week 12 (P = 0.803). Comparison of the pre- and posttreatment photographs showed significant improvement at week 24 (P = 0.031) (Fig. 1). DHT upregulated the TGF-?1 expression of DPCs in 96 hours, whereas BTX downregulated the TGF-?1 expression in 96 hours (Fig. 2). No serious adverse events or changes in laboratory parameters were reported.

DHT-induced synthesis of paracrine mediators (Dkk-1, IL-6, TGF-?1) in balding DPCs may play a role in AGA and represent alternative treatment targets. However, clinical studies targeting these paracrine mediators have not been reported. In our in vitro study, BTX successfully abrogated DHT-induced secretion of TGF-?1 from DPC.

Intradermal injection of BTX was effective against AGA by inhibiting TGF61 ?1 secretion in the hair bulb, which is thought to suppress follicular keratinocyte growth and changes in the hair cycle. Previous studies reported the use of intramuscular BTX injections to treat AGA without elucidating the exact underlying mechanism. Considering the diffusion of the injected liquid BTX and scalp anatomy, even the intramuscular injection may indirectly inhibit the secretion of TGF-?1 from DPCs in the hair bulb. Advanced AGA or elderly age may have adversely influenced our treatment outcome.

In conclusion, we suggest that intradermal injection of botulinum toxin could be a possible treatment option for AGA by inhibiting TGF-?1 secretion from the hair follicles. However, further research and long-term follow-up are required.

Some more botox related info

A Pilot Study to Evaluate Effectiveness of Botulinum Toxin in Treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia in Maleshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5782443/

A small dose of botulinum toxin A is effective for treating androgenetic alopecia in Chinese patientshttps://sci-hub.se/10.1111/dth.12785

Treatment of Male Pattern Baldness with Botulinum Toxin: A Pilot Studyhttps://journals.lww.com/plasreconsurg/fulltext/2010/11000/Treatment_of_Male_Pattern_Baldness_with_Botulinum.79.aspx


2020-05-07 10:07:06Botox for hair loss?

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My Best Friend has a Perfect Hairline

My best friend has a literally perfect juvenile hairline, not a single out of place or thinned hair, complete thickness, length, literally perfect as if he was 10 years old.

My grandfather (mother’s father) had a perfect juvenile hairline and no hair loss when he died at 102. It happens and not everyone loses their hair or their juvenile hairline. Most of his sons had perfect hairlines as well and the children of these men might inherit the same hairline qualities.


2020-04-23 08:12:33My Best Friend has a Perfect Hairline

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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.