I’ve Got Thinning On the Sides and Back of My Head

Hello Doctor,
I would really appreciate it if you could answer my question. In the past 5 years I have started thinning slowly. My question is are there “unconventional” balding patterns for men. I have a receding hairline and a thinning crown which points to mpb, but recently the sides of my head as well as the back have started to shed and thin a bit. If my destiny is severe mpb (as it might be since I’m only 23) can this happen, or could it be some other health problem? Thank you very much for your time!

You need to be examined by a good doctor and get a miniaturization mapping to find out if what you think is happening is actually happening. If the sides and back are indeed thinning, that is not typical genetic loss and could point to disease or maybe an allergy. I could guess all day, but you should get to a doctor to find out what’s going on.


2009-07-21 11:22:40I’ve Got Thinning On the Sides and Back of My Head

A Patient’s Hair Transplant Done by a Non-Physician

You can see that this man had a poorly designed Scalp Micropigmentation procedure with a straight hairline, and then a hair transplant on top of it. Much of the hair appears to have failed to grow. It was done at a bargain price.


2020-03-10 12:57:27A Patient’s Hair Transplant Done by a Non-Physician

I’ve Taken Propecia for 6 Years with No Side Effects!

Dr. Rassman,

I really can’t think of any other industry – medical or professional – that has a preeminent member so willing to directly interact with the general public. You do a great service (and a excellent technical execution of it with your website) and I wanted to start off by thanking you for your contribution. Imagine a world that had this sort of “hands-on” information from the most knowledgeable people available on other life and business topics.

Just a quick note – I recently turned 30 and marked my 6th year with Propecia. I’ve never had a single side effect, and I wanted to highlight your point about the internet being filled with the loud minority that have problems. Us folks with happy results tend to keep quiet and go about our business. I was certain when I started I would be bald by now, but happy to report a full head of hair – it really does dramatically stop the speed of genetic MPB. Good thing smart Doc’s like you are not afraid to stick up for it.

Cheers!

I’m glad the medication has been successful in maintaining your hair and I’m also pleased that you enjoy the site. I really appreciate emails like yours (we all like a pat on the back once in a while), so thank you for your kind words.


2010-03-04 11:07:14I’ve Taken Propecia for 6 Years with No Side Effects!

A Week After Highlighting, I Have a Bald Spot!

(female) I had my hair highlighted approx 1 week ago, i thought everything was fine, but i now have a very sore bald patch at the top of my head,do you think this was caused by the hairdresser at all,i have had my hair done in this way many times ,but have never had anything like this happen before!

Thanks

PS, im really scared that all my hair is gona fall out!!!

Ouch! Chemical burns from dyes start off just like you’re describing. You may want to see a dermatologist to find out if the burn did indeed go deep enough into the skin to cause the problem.


2008-09-23 14:38:45A Week After Highlighting, I Have a Bald Spot!

Jon Gosselin’s Hair Transplant Looks Awesome!

The story that everyone seems to be talking about lately in the entertainment world is about Jon Gosselin. I’ve got at least half a dozen magazines in my office lobby with his face on the cover. Last week, Life & Style Magazine even had a blurb about his hair transplant (see it here). This week, Jon’s the cover story on the June 15 issue of People magazine, and I’ve scanned a great image from that issue and posted it below. A few weeks back I wrote about Jon’s personal troubles only after receiving a number of inquiring emails, and while I’m still not going to discuss that stuff further, I don’t see anything wrong with taking the opportunity to use his increased spotlight as a way to see photos of his awesome hair!

It should be no surprise that Jon Gosselin has had a hair transplant — there was an entire episode of Jon and Kate Plus Eight devoted to it — but as I’ve yet to get good After shots from Jon, I’ve been relying on paparazzi shots and magazine photo shoots to see how it turned out. The angle and lighting of the photos below aren’t exactly the same, but the result still looks great and you can click here to see other Before photos.

Note: After photo from June 15, 2009 issue of People Magazine, by Melanie Dunea.
Patient had one procedure of 2087 grafts performed by Dr. Jae Pak at New Hair Institute in Los Angeles.

Accutane and Hair Loss

I was wondering if there was anyone who has taken Accutane in the past and experienced hair loss as a side effect; and has anyone been able to regrow their lost hair?

I noticed from some older pictures of my hair (a few months after I stopped Accutane) that my hair loss hasn’t progressed since I stopped taking it. This has led me to believe that my hair loss was due in large part to Accutane.

Hair loss is a common side effect of Accutane. It sometimes take over a year to get improvement after stopping the medication.


2020-04-19 07:52:11Accutane and Hair Loss

Actor Taylor Lautner’s Hairline

Taylor LautnerHello Dr Rassman, just a quick one here. Does Taylor Lautner look to be displaying the signs of early MPB, or is he simply sporting a mature hairline? What Norwood class do you think he would he be?

I had to look up who this young man is (he’s in one of the Twilight movies), but it looks like he’s got a normal juvenile hairline, so a classification for hair loss does not apply. His rounded corners, which is typical of an immature hairline, has been lost in his recent photos but otherwise, I suspect he had the exact same hairline at 12 years old. There’s no early balding from the photos I’ve seen. He’s young though, so who knows where his hair will go.

How do you know that Finasteride reverses miniaturization?

How do you know this? Any evidence you can provide? Anecdotally on Reddit and hair forums – you read hundreds of posts of people “sprouting new mini hairs” (ie at the hairline), after starting finasteride, minoxidil, and more recently – dermarolling. These hairs may not necessarily be fully miniaturized – but they certainly are thinner than other terminal hairs.

I have seen patients with significant miniaturization placed on finasteride and then upon re-examining them, I saw less miniaturization as hair seem to become thicker in the same areas I examined.

Adrenaline and Hair Loss

I hear caffeine from coffee i.e. increased adrenaline and you’ve consistently said adrenaline can contribute to hair loss. What’s up with this?

I am not aware of this. I drink a triple espresso every day. Coffee drinkers are not at any higher risk for hair loss than non-coffee drinkers. Genetic balding is the cause of most hair loss.


2008-06-24 14:11:27Adrenaline and Hair Loss