Category: Uncategorized

Posted on

Best Diet with Finasteride and Minoxidil to Maintain Hair?

Hello Doctor,

I want to thank you for a great blog that I visit nearly daily. I visited your offices around 5 months ago and had a consultation with Dr. Pak, who was very informative and understanding. Since then, I’ve been on a daily regimen of Finasteride 1.25 mg/day but am going to wait until the follow up appointment before I make any judgments (superstition does that to you).

I have two questions. I already know that Finasteride does not completely stop hair loss. It just provides its patients an outlet for growing old gracefully (under my impression). Have you seen or heard of any patients who took Finasteride while also including Minoxidil in their regimen to maintain for longer than 10 years with good results?

My second question is how big a part does diet factor into the MPB process? I’m already exercising 6 days out of the week even before MPB hit me but diet (what kind of foods to eat) has always escaped me. I would like to know if there is any information a professional such as yourself can provide pertaining to what kind of diets would promote hair growth and what kind of diets work best in conjunction with Finasteride and Minoxidil to maintain hair.

I apologize for the long message and sincerely appreciate all the help you have given.

Best regards!

I believe that for some people, the use of both Propecia and minoxidil has value when used in combination, but that may depend upon a variety of factors including age, appropriate use of the medication, where the minoxidil is applied, and where on the head the balding is that you are treating. The crown generally does better with combined treatment compared to the frontal hairline. I have seen patients using both medications with good results after a decade of use.

I do not believe that any particular diet works better than another, provided that the diet is well balanced.


2010-04-22 12:30:52Best Diet with Finasteride and Minoxidil to Maintain Hair?

Posted on

Minoxidil Reborn?

I read about a compounded minoxidil solution called Formula 82M.

I have been using Minoxidil 5% for more than six years and I think I am losing the battle against baldness. Can the above solution give me much needed reinforcements?

Can you also please suggest any additives to minoxidil that can help in better hair growth?

Genetic hair loss has no cure. Topical minoxidil can help but there no scientific evidence that any additives or reformulations will help. Many compounding pharmacies and entrepreneurs will re-brand and add extra ingredients to promote a product. It works to generate interest and sales but it really has no clinical significance in overall improvement of growing hair. I always have states it is a buyer beware market. They may be no harm in trying different products other than the financial drain.

Posted on

Beta Sitosterol and Propecia

Hi Dr. Rassman , I have been taking one Tab. Beta sitosterol (375 Mg containing Total Plant sterols at 1000 Mg ) along with Propecia / Finasteride ( 1 Mg )every day daily , as I wanted to combine the Natural with the Prescription , Please note that I am taking Generic Finasteride .I have been doing this from the pat 4 months in the effort to Stop my Hair Loss , recently last few days I am Noticing quiet a bit of “Hair Shedding” in my shower , I am quiet Upset , Can you please tell me if the Beta sitosterol and Finasteride combo is Lowering the DHT Too Much and that is in effect worsening My Hair Sheds? OR do you think they both have No Connection with each other in terms of Action and Pathways of blocking DHT are different !? Can Too Low DHT cause the hair follicles to shed OR as Beta sitosterol Lowers Cholosterol also , Maybe the Lower Cholesterol is causing the sheds? Please Help me on this , I am in Real Distress !

According to WebMD, “Beta-sitosterol is a substance found in plants. Chemists call it a “plant sterol ester.” It is found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. It is used to make medicine”. It is not a drug.

In general hair loss in men is genetic and there is no stopping it. There are medications such as Propecia (finasteride) to slow it down, postpone, or even grow hair in the short term, but in the long term the genetic predisposition will win out. This time course is variable for each individual.

I do not think drug interaction has much to do with genetic hair loss. Sometimes people try to explain or blame their hair loss with certain events or medications, but the most obvious cause is that it is just the way you were per-programmed when you were born with the genes. If you want to take this any further, the best recommendation is that you seek a doctor for an examination and possible treatment options.


2015-03-19 08:23:50Beta Sitosterol and Propecia

Posted on

Minoxidil in a young girl

I am 19 year old girl..started using minoxidil when my hair started falling at tremendous rate…i used it for around 3 months and then stopped using it…again hair started falling….and I again switched to minoxidil. Now, I have been using it for around 3 months. I read many stories about “after quitting minoxidil effects” and it really freaked me out. If I stop using it…will I really lose all my hairs…? Pleasssse someone answer my question… Is there any teeny tiny possibility of growing them back…?
Pleassse do reply…

When you use minoxidil and it grows hair, the hair that it grows will require the minoxidil to be used every day or the hair will fall out. Minoxidil grown hair is dependent upon minoxidil so once you get it working for you, you must stay on it.

Posted on

Do Birth Control Pills Cause Hair Loss?

Birth control pills are high on the list as a cause for female hair loss. When one pill doesn’t work, switching to another brand under control of your OB/GYN doctor who will address the hair loss issue is the route you should take


2019-03-24 11:02:10Do Birth Control Pills Cause Hair Loss?

Posted on

More BS with a focus on self promotion (see link)

This is a self promoting link. PRP has never been proved to be effective or lasting if there is any effect at all. There have been no double blind studies done on PRP with objective measurement devices such as the HAIRCHECK instrument and one has to ask why not. If it worked, there would be many such studies. The folks that wrote this link added nothing to the educational process for readers interested in hair loss.
The premise that hair transplants are not good and don’t last, are baseless. I have been doing hair transplants since 1991 and have seen many of my patients from the early 1990s, keep the hair that they got from the hair transplants. Are article does not pose new science, in fact any science, just claims that are without foundation. Yes, a few hair transplants don’t last the lifetime of the patient (less than2% of patients) but the large majority of patients who had either strip or FUE surgery show great results. One of my first patients who had FUE (see here: https://baldingblog.com/first-fue-patient-north-america/) still comes to our Monthly Open House events to discuss his hair transplant. This is his look today and that alone answers any challenges to the idea that hair restoration is not a good solution to hair loss.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/prp-injections-the-holy-grail-for-hair-regrowth-gets-a-makeover-for-2019-300819493.html


2019-04-08 13:13:35More BS with a focus on self promotion (see link)

Posted on

Blood Tests to Determine if Propecia is Working?

I’m 19 and have been experiencing hair loss for about 4 months now and been on Propecia for about 2 and a half months. Since going on Propecia I feel like I’ve been shedding more (which I’ve read may be an indicator that its working, and may not). I’ve yet to get my scalp mapped for miniaturization and my hairline is not receding, just overall very noticable thinning. I’ve been told, the effects of Propecia won’t become noticable for 3 to 6 months, but its a pretty helpless feeling not knowing if its actually working. Are there any blood tests to measure your body’s DHT level to see if the Propecia is infact blocking it well enough to stop hair loss?

There are no blood tests that will tell you that it is working. At 19, I am sure that you expect everything to happen on command, but patience is a virtue and you have no choice but to wait. If you want to know for sure if it is working, you should have your hair mapped out for miniaturization and then take readings 8 months apart. If you do not establish the metrics, then just wait patiently for the 8th month and you should see the shedding slow down or the hair loss stopped (other than the normal 100 hairs or so everyone loses each and every day).

Posted on

Motorcycle Helmets, Finasteride, and Guarantees in Life

Hi, I have a few questions regarding hair loss and finasteride.

  1. Does tight motorcycle helmet causes hair loss.I’ve notice increased hair loss since i regularly started wearing full face helmet which is a bit tight on my hairline and genera crown area.
  2. Could it be possible to experience hair loss due to lack of iron mineral?
  3. Propecia is being advocated very often but how is it logical not considering the loss of 70% of your DHT as a serious issue which is in essence the maleness hormone from a young age of 23?
  4. What is your opinion about the Swedish Medical Products Agency 2008 study that supports permanent side effects from the use of finasteride?
  5. I am prone to depression and sexual problems due to antidepressants from time to time, do you still recommend finasteride in my case?
  6. Can you guarantee from your expertise that side effects subside even if you quit the drug after e.g 3 years or more of continued use?

Thanks

  1. There is one patient I have seen that had traction alopecia from wearing a very tight fitting helmet everyday for a year. The hair loss did not look like genetic male pattern balding, but the balding area was where the helmet was rubbing on the side of the head. So it is possible, but not common.
  2. A lack of iron in your diet can cause anemia (low red blood cells). Your mucosal membranes (under the eyelids and gums) will be pale, you will feel weak, and you will have other serious medical issues before hair starts to fall out. Hair should be the last of your worries.
  3. Men in their early 20’s take Propecia without adverse effects associated with lowering of their DHT levels.
  4. If you believe in the study, do not use Propecia. Many of the reports that I read are on bulletin boards which are suspicious. I’ll point out some interesting tidbits about this in my next post…
  5. This is something you’ll need to discuss with your doctor. Assuming you would be a good candidate for Propecia based on your hair loss, your doctor will need to make the decision if you’re a candidate based on your history of depression. There shouldn’t be a problem with taking the medications together though.
  6. There really is no guarantees in medicine (or in life). Actually, the only two guarantees in life are death and taxes. I do not give reassurances to someone who is afraid to use a medication. This is something you need discuss with your doctor.

#4 continued here


2010-02-15 19:19:40Motorcycle Helmets, Finasteride, and Guarantees in Life

Posted on

Body Size of Patients Used in FDA Trials on Finasteride?

Hi there,
Can I just say that you have a great site! I’m a regular reader, and think that I have a question for you that may be interesting. I’ve searched through your archives and haven’t found a similar question, but if I have missed it, please accept my apologies.

Recently I have had a look through the FDA trial reports on finasteride, but cannot find any information on the body sizes and characteristics of the patients used in the study. Are such data available? (Histograms, Mean/median, SD, etc).

Whilst I am assuming that the effective dose of finasteride for treating MPB is related to body size, and that the occurrence of side effects increases with relative dose, could there be a case for smaller dosages being suitable for people smaller than the people used in the FDA study – Asians and orientals for example? As this blog is international, I feel that we “vertically challenged” of the rest of the world need to know! 🙂

I passed your question to Merck and I just got an answer. Essentially, the only thing that was studied was the average dose that is effective and it was not related to a person’s weight. Body size was not studied.


2007-05-10 14:32:19Body Size of Patients Used in FDA Trials on Finasteride?

Posted on

Must Hair Be Miniaturized Before Falling Out?

Hi Doc, I have a buring question, I am a 29 year old Asian made with very thick black and have very good hair coverage, my question is when i comb my hair I see thick black hair that come out approx 10-15 not what you would describe as minutrized hair. Must hairs be minutrized when they fall out as mine seem very strange becase they appear to be very health ‘normal’ hair?

Thanks doc

Norwood 4AI do not believe that hair must be miniaturized to be lost hairs in the balding patterns. Miniaturization does point to a problem, though, for as the DHT attacks the hair, the impact suppresses the hair growth to normal circumference (hence “miniaturized”). As the balding process probably reflects the number of cycles of a hair in any given location, a hair will only live out the number of cycles it is destined to live (for example, hair in the front might have 10 cycles in your lifetime of 3 years each). The hairs around the head usually will outlive you, while the hairs in the front for a Norwood Class 4A (see image at right) balder may last only 7-12 cycles, on average.


2009-09-17 08:56:12Must Hair Be Miniaturized Before Falling Out?