Category: Uncategorized

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My Doctor Diagnosed Me with MPB Right Away

Hey Doctor Rassman, I have a question regarding early MPB. I’m 19 years old and my hair recently started thinning at the hairline and my temples have very slightly receded. It’s not at a stage where the untrained eye would notice, and my friends who I’ve pointed it out to think I’m crazy, to give you a picture of how early it is right now. But my dermatologist diagnosed it as early stage MPB right away when I asked her about it and she prescribed me propecia. So my question is:

Does thinning/receding at such an early age usually indicate a more serious case of balding? Does it generally mean more aggressive balding as well as a eventual higher NW# pattern? I know it can all be so very random sometimes, but I’m just wondering what the average case comparable to mine usually ends up at, if there is such a thing.

Starting age of your hair loss doesn’t indicate degree of future balding. You could start early and get to your pattern quickly… then stop losing hair. It’s different for each person, obviously.


2009-03-31 13:42:29My Doctor Diagnosed Me with MPB Right Away

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Can a higher dose of finasteride sometimes work better than the 1mg dose?

I have seen a few patients who have responded better to finasteride at a higher dose, suggesting that that particular individual just needed a higher dose. If you understand Bell Curves, the 1mg dose determined as the ideal dose by Merck in their original studies used a Bell Curve to make that determination. We can sit on either side of that Bell Curve as we find the ideal dose of finasteride for us.

[If you have any questions, you can reach me at williamrassman33@gmail.com]

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My Doctor Said SMP Alone Would be a Mistake For My Norwood 6 Pattern

Hey Dr Rassman. I hope your doing well.

I had a consultation with my hair doctor. At which i brought up the proposition of a combined SMP and hair transplant procedure. His response was the 2 would compliment each other well but just SMP alone would be a mistake. What are your thoughts does SMP look more natural when done in conjunction with hair transplantation?

And lastly i recall reading about a young man who won the American Dream contest a few years back. You performed surgery on him as my balding pattern would be close to his (ill prolly wind up developing into a class 6)and our ages are close or were im 23 now(i have been on finasreide since 20) i am interested to see his results. Thank you.

Each person is a separate case. I can not tell you that Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP) plus hair transplants is better than either alone. I make each judgment when I understand the patient, when I see how fast the hair loss process is, and when I can then build a Master Plan. Generally, the hair transplant is the way I start, adding SMP on only a minority of patients.

As for the winner of the American Dream Vote television show (see here if you don’t remember the single episode that aired before it was canceled), the last update photos we had to publish were from 2009 and can be found here.


2011-07-09 07:49:06My Doctor Said SMP Alone Would be a Mistake For My Norwood 6 Pattern

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Can Baldness Be Prevented When You’re a Child?

Can the possibility of genetic balding be prevented when you are still a child? I was trying to find a clue to how balding progresses in our family. i looked at my grandfather’s pictures when he was young and at my father’s pictures too. They are both bald now. I am 22 and i am somewhere between class 2-3 hair loss pattern.

I have a brother who is now only 6 years old. What could be the right way for him to keep his hair, knowing that every man in the family is balding after a certain age (19-20)? Or there is nothing he can do? thanx.

The answer to your question is yes, but not with current technology. Discovery of the human genome has opened a new horizon to treatment of different diseases in humans using gene therapy. Gene therapy one day will treat diseases by manipulating human genes (blocking genes that cause diseases and stimulating necessary genes that are suppressed). Baldness is known to be a disorder with a strong genetic influence. It means that there are genes involved in the balding process and once they are identified and can be ‘fixed’, balding may become a historical notation in human history. In theory, if the gene of balding was found and addressed with genetic tools, we could potentially treat baldness before it started.


2007-03-06 15:19:00Can Baldness Be Prevented When You’re a Child?

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My Earliest Dermatology Appointment Is Months Away

hi doctor
I took steroids and now its been over 3 months since I stopped and my hair still keeps on falling out. I am trying to make an appointment with dermatologist and I cant get an earlier day than january 10th. In my opinion if I will wait that long my hair will be totaly gone by that time. I wonder is my DHT will ever get normal on its own. I dont know what to do. its very sad that I just turned 23 and I am going to be bald.

Try to see a good family doctor then. If you are a young man and have stopped the offending steroids, then a good doctor can easily prescribe Propecia for you. If you are in California, the wait for seeing either Dr. Pak or myself is not more than a couple of weeks.


2006-10-23 08:39:33My Earliest Dermatology Appointment Is Months Away

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My Grandfather, Father, and I All Have the Same Mature Hairline

Hi Dr,
I have a mature hairline (since 15) , and my dad and his dad both have the same hairline. No one on my mom’s side has/had a mature hairline. Is this an indication that I will take after my father?(he still has lots of hair)

Sounds like it. Is there balding in the family on either side? That could impact what will happen to you if there is.


2006-12-19 14:38:37My Grandfather, Father, and I All Have the Same Mature Hairline

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My Hair Is Now Growing Slowly All Over My Head and Body (with Photos)

Hello Dr.
I would like to know what class do I fall in the Norwood scale? My hair started growing slowly and thinning at 19 and not only on my head, but also my hair all over my body – arms, legs, eyebrows, etc. Is this normal? I am now 21.

please post your answer on your site or email thank you

Thanks for allowing us to post your photos. Click them to enlarge.

 

Norwood 6You probably do not need a medical degree to look at the Norwood scale and see what your hairline looks like. You can see that your thinning seems to parallel the Norwood class 6 pattern. That suggests that if you continue to let it go, you could lose all of the hair in the thinning area… which would be a shame, as it may be treatable with medication. My opinion is just based on looking at a few photos (and not knowing anything about your medical history or family history), so you’ll want to have it double checked by a physician in person.

The analytical part comes from looking at your hair under a microscope to see if there are patterns of miniaturization or difference in bulk (which I cannot do with photos). At 21 years old, you should be concerned enough to see a good doctor and not look for a quick answer over the internet.

As for your body hair loss, this is not normally related to scalp hair loss, but it is something that you should have looked at if you’re concerned.

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Can genetic hair loss start and stop?

You say it stops ” when you achieve your genetic hair loss pattern”. It is possible for the hair loss to happen in quantum jumps. Where a person reaches lets say 50% of their genetic pattern in one year and then the hair loss all of sudden pauses then starts up again after 5 years? I have had a NW4 for 5 years and my dad is at NW5/6. I haven’t had much balding since…

Genetec hair loss can go in phases, some phases with no hair loss and some phases with accelerated hair loss. Usually, genetic hair loss is slowly progressive. Looking to your family and identifying someone who you might be taking after, will help knowing where your hair loss is going


2021-05-13 10:40:48Can genetic hair loss start and stop?