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Stopping Rogaine

doctor,
i have been using rogaine for about 4 years. i went to the 5% a couple of years ago, not too long after that, i only have been applying it a night, because it does tend to irritate my scalp. i thought it was helping me keep the hair i have, no regrown hair at all, but now at age 40, in the last 6 months i have seen an increase in hair loss. i have a good amount of hair on the top, but it is thinning worse and my bald spot has gotten bigger. should i stop rogaine even though i only use it at night, and if i do stop it will it accelerate my hair loss because i have been using it for the last few years? i realize i should have kept up with my dermatologist. any info is appreciated.

The use of Rogaine once a day has poor value. Twice a day is the recommended dosage. If you are a male and you have not started Propecia, then I would suggest that you do so,as it is the best way to control the crown loss and possibly reverse it. That does require a doctor’s prescription and should be accompanied by an examination of your head for miniaturization. If you have any Rogaine dependence (unlikely with a once a day treatment) then withdrawing it might risk more hair loss. So if you are a male, then continue what you are doing and make only one change, taking Propecia for 8 months. If you are a female, then there is no other choice but to go on Rogaine twice a day.


2005-12-13 11:16:22Stopping Rogaine

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How do I find out if I am a good candidate for a hair transplant (with photo)?

To determine if you are a good candidate for hair restoration, you need to know the following and put it all together (1) donor density, (2) degree of balding (you are advanced), (3) the thickness of your hair shafts (fine, medium or coarse, (4) the color of your hair compared to your skin (you have a high contrast between your brown hair and light skin which is not great) and (5) the degree of waviness of your hair (the more wavy, the better. If your donor density is low, the you might not have enough hair to cover the entire balding area and if you should continue to bald further, you may run out of donor hair before finishing. All of the hair in the center of your head is probably miniaturized and will sooner or later fall out. At 35, your hair loss should be slower. With all of this put together, your doctor can build a Master Plan for your hair restoration to account for not only the central hair that will almost certainly be lost, but the sides which may work their way down further than they are now.

class 6


2017-07-14 06:23:15How do I find out if I am a good candidate for a hair transplant (with photo)?

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Stressed 16 Year Old With Thinning Hair

I’m 16 years old, I first noticed my hair loss, probably early this year. I was worried, but not to worried as it wasnt that bad, and I figured it was natural for your hairline to shift. But I went the get my haircut and the guy cutting my hair told me I had “better brace myself for early baldness” that striked me as odd, because, while I knew something was happening with my hair, I didint realize that it was that noticable. I told my parents that I was concerned, but they pretty much brushed it off as me being paranoid. So I thought that maybe that was it for a while… then I noticed how much hair was on my hands everytime I shampoo in the shower, and no matter how long I do it there is always hair on my hands, and then on the towel I use to dry my hair. SO I begain to research on the internet, but I didint find anything that great, except for this site, and maybe a few others, the rest where just sites trying to sell miricle potions. I read up as much as I can on this. mainly the hair on the top and front of my head seems to be the hair that is falling out, and it almost looks like back of my head too, wear I part my hair, but I am un sure. I’ve become so self concious, and scared. I’ve spent many a night, laying awake in bed, almost in tears, trying as hard as I can to fiure out a solution. At first I was just gonna live with it and when I had to, just cut what hair I had left really short, or just shave my head all together, but when I really looked at it, looked at myself, that just wouldnt look good. There are men who can pull off being bald, and look great, but I just cant. I hate going to school and just looking around and seeing all these full heads off hair, and I’m sitting there trying as best I can to cover up my thinning hair. I look at it, and I dont care if I (in a perfect world) lost my hair in my 40’s or 30’s. My father is bald, his father is not, but his grandfather was, and my other grandfather on my mothers side is. I’m just very stressed out, and didnt know where to turn… some days I feel like “eh, just gotta live with it” while others I cant stand to look at myself, and mope around pretty much in tears. right now, I’d love to just get a hair transplant, I know I cant, but I wish I could, because from the things I’ve seen at other transplant websites, the hair is pretty much a natural head of hair, and it looks great. I appologize for this long, drawn out, and horribly put together thing, but while I write this, I’m extremeley stressed out about my hair. Well thanks for this blog, and helping us guys out.

First you need to know that balding can start in the teen years. As I have said many times on this site, you need to get a diagnosis and have your hair mapped out for miniaturization and then you will know if you have just developed a fine hair (natural) or are thinning in the balding sense (many miniaturized hairs will be seen). If you have miniaturization, then you probably will follow the bald side of the family. There is good news here, because a daily pill of Propecia will likely slow it down or prevent it. At that point you could be doing something about it, but there is no point to worry about something that may not be. Your parents are like many of the doctors out there who do not really understand balding and its management. Show this blog to them, select particular sections on it and then get to see a good doctor who will map out your scalp as I have suggested here.

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Fish Oil and Hair Loss in Asian Populations?

Great site. I have always thought that large amounts of fish oil can cause diffuse hair loss. The reason I think this is because of observing Asian woman and men. I have notice a LARGE amount of this population have diffuse hair loss, on the sides and back. I’m actually surprised of how many. I live in a major city and live in the ChinaTown section. I understand they have different hair characteristics ect…like skin color and dark hair but am convinced that this group of the population suffer from more diffuse than any other. I am convinced large amounts of Omega 3 can cause diffuse hair loss. It is interesting that GSK’s new prescription fish oil also list hair loss(Alopecia) as a possible side effect.

Lovaza Product Info PDF

Just thought I would get your view.

I do not think large amounts of fish oil cause diffuse hair loss. Are you implying Asians consume large amount of fish oil because they eat more fish and fish products than non-Asians? If we were to entertain your argument, I would think the Eskimos have a very high Omega 3 fish oil diet. I do know that they have less balding than the general population of Caucasians and American Indians. I can not address any suggestions by some manufacturers of fish oil supplements that hair loss is a known side effect, because I have no personal or professional experience one way or the other. The information PDF you sent (linked above) doesn’t have an actual percentage of those that experienced it. It could’ve been 2 people out of hundreds, but I have no way to know.

Asians (non-balding) generally have less hair than their Caucasian counterpart and also have less balding than their Caucasian counterparts according to studies I have researched in the past. Asians also have straight black hair which contrasts with their light colored skin and may look thinner. These factors can sometimes make non-balding Asians look as if they have thinning hair.

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Subcapsular Orchiectomy (Removing the Testicles) to Prevent Hair Loss

Hello Doctor,
I am soon to be 25 yrs old. My hair line is beginning to recede at my temples. I am extremely concerned with this. For many years I have considered having a subcapsular orchidectomy procedure to prevent any further hair loss. I have researched the side effects of this procedure and am willing to accept them. Can you recommend a doctor who will perform this outpatient operation? Thank you for your time.

Any urologist should be able to help you, but I doubt they would do so. There is likely more to your story than you are telling me here. Taking out your testicles is an extremely radical way to prevent further hair loss… though it will work.


2008-10-24 13:09:18Subcapsular Orchiectomy (Removing the Testicles) to Prevent Hair Loss

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Do I have folliculitis?

My doctor said I have folliculitis and he started me on antibiotics, is that the right thing to do

Yes, you have classic folliculitis and it must be treated, first with a drainage of the pus pockets, then a culture must be taken to be assured that the antibiotic selected is the right antibiotic, then wet/warm soaks three times a day until the infection seems to be under control.


2017-09-12 07:34:09Do I have folliculitis?

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Suicide: Should It Be Allowed?

More and more healthy adults are raising the issue of “rational suicide” and we are ill prepared for this concelt. Doctors have thought about it for themselves if they should get very sick an terminal. Doctors are just people with the same concerns and at the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP) 2015 Annual Meeting, there was a session dedicated to the issue “aimed to provide guidance to clinicians who may be faced with elderly patients expressing a desire to die by suicide while they are still relatively healthy and cognitively intact”.

If you saw the movie Still Alica where Julianne Moore played a woman who knew she had early onset Alzheimer Disease and while she was rational, she made a tape in the hope that the ‘Alice of the future’ would see. She recognized that the Alice of the Future might be unable to take her life, so she created this video, step by step, on how to overdose herself with a bottle of pills she hid and tole that Alice how to find and what to do with it. OF course, as Hollywood or the writers would have it, she was incapable of following even the simplest instructions and failed to do what the rational Alice (the same person who should have been able to control her destiny, wanted.

I am 73 and healthy. My Great Grandmother lived to 114 and one Grandfather to 102. I hope that I will never be confronted with Alice’s problem whatever my age. If the terminal cancer patient who lived a good life and rationally wants to move on, he should be given the choice between suffering and a rational death. Death is something that we all will face and we should have the ability to face it with the dignity we want, particularly if we are rational and at the end of our lives. Governments should not only, not tell us how to live, but not interfere with our choices at the end of our lives.

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Forelocks and Widow’s Peaks (with Photos)

I am 21 years old and I think that I’m thinning. I have a prominent widow’s peak. My father (his white haired front view is shown here) and my grandfather both have balding (like the picture you showed of Dave Letterman on February 2nd, but the ‘pancake’ size area in the middle remains strong on both of them). I expect that I will keep my ‘pancake’ just like my father and my grandfather, but if I lost it, could it all be transplanted (including mywidow’s peak)? Can you tell me from my picture if I am losing my hair? I took a picture of it for you to see.

A widow’s peak can be created with a hair transplant. Many people (including me) think that it is a sexy look for people with narrow faces, and it works in a transplant when the surgeon is artistic. Some people have a widow’s peak with the hair direction pointing to the side instead of pointing front. This ‘cow lick’ in a widow’s peak is a bit more difficult to reproduce, but it can be done if the widow’s peak is eroding even with a ‘lick’. For an example of what I mean, see the photo below — click to enlarge.

 

The unusually good picture sent by this man (below) shows thinning behind the forelock and I took the liberty to create a zoomed version of the photo to show the difference in densities under magnification (click to enlarge).

 
His father’s hairline shows that the forelock is strong and I suspect the widow’s peak is a family trait (see photo below — click to enlarge).

 
Referring back to the son’s photo, I think that you can see this young man has reduced density and miniaturization when comparing the central part of the scalp (just behind his forelock) to the forelock. It looks like this young man will bald behind his forelock, possibly more balding than I think that his father shows now, but the strong forelock and widow’s peak may hold even if the hair around it falls out.

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Swelling of face from minoxidil

Do you have advice for someone who gets water retention in the face even from 1.25 mg oral? I had no other side effects but stopped due to the puffy face. Is there a safe/simple way to mitigate that?

Maybe this medication is not for you. Theoretically, swelling can occur in hidden areas of your body, like around the heart. Speak with your doctor.

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Frontal hairs that don’t grow

Question for you. I am 41 years old. Been on Finasteride for four months. From the tip of my hairline to about 3 inches back has miniaturized slightly. I have noticed that it no longer grows in length. Is this common? I have to buzz cut the rest of my head to match that front part every few weeks. What could be the reason for this? Why don’t those follicles grow anymore…it is like they have paused the growth cycle at the front?!

Great question. When hairs are going to die, sometimes they just stop growing or the growing slows down almost to a crawl. These hairs will eventually fall out and contribute to patterned balding. Drugs like minoxidil (topically) or finasteride can reverse this process.