Balding Blog – Page 1350

February 10, 2009

The Doctors TV Talk Show – Open Casting Call for Couples – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Are you bald and want to be on national syndicated TV to talk about it with your wife or girlfriend in front of a studio audience? Well, now’s your chance!

The following is an open casting call announcement for those that wish to appear on The Doctors TV show. I believe they are looking for people for a show taping this coming Friday in the Los Angeles area, but they’ll be able to provide the actual details (see their contact info below). I won’t be able to participate in the show due to scheduling conflicts, but Dr. Pak may be able to move some things around to be at the taping. Here’s the notice:

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“The Doctors” Talk Show (www.thedoctorstv.com) is looking for couples to appear on the show! They are doing a fun, light segment about Male Pattern Baldness. They are looking for men who have begun to bald and are wondering why they lose hair on the top of their head first, yet still have a crown of hair along the outside. If you are interested in appearing on the show and asking a question about the balding process with your spouse, we’d love to hear from you! Please contact Julie at julie.laplaca@cbs.com or 323.956.8653.

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February 10, 2009

Minoxidil and the Prostate? – Balding Blog

Are there any data on the long-term effects of minoxidil use? I’m going for a prostate biopsy after a reading of 11+ and saw there is some connection with propecia (which I don’t use). Thanks.

There is no long term side effect of minoxidil, particularly with the prostate. The connection with Propecia (finasteride) and the prostate is that the medication drops the PSA level and has a preventive impact against prostate cancer in men with normal prostates. Minoxidil works differently than Propecia, and as such, minoxidil has no impact or connection to the prostate.

February 10, 2009

Hives and Facial Swelling Just Started After 2 Years on Propecia – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello Doctor,
I have been using propecia for close to 2 years now with great results. The hair got thicker and I am very thankful for it. But for last 6 months I have been getting hives over my entire body, initially I thought it was food. So I kept track of what I ate but it showed no consistency. I had hives almost every other day. Then I stated taking an antihistamine but the hives continued to get more severe and my lip started swelling up. I went to allergist and everything (got blood test). Nothing showed. Recently I started getting swollen eyes as well. I finally tried stopping propecia and no hives, swollen lips or eyes for almost 10 days now. What can I do now? I really think propecia works great and I want to keep taking it but the side effect is really bad. The lip swelling is really disfiguring. How can I get around this problem? Thanks

It sounds like you have developed an allergy to Propecia if your hives and swollen lips go away upon stopping the drug. I would like you to go back to your doctor or possibly your allergist and give them the information about stopping the drug, asking for an opinion. You are on a timeline here, as you can expect to see hair loss after stopping Propecia for about 2-3 weeks, so get those opinions in hand ASAP.

You may not be able to manage the allergic reaction which has dangers of progression and even more side effects. I am not your doctor, so this is just a general opinion not based upon an intimate knowledge of you and your situation other than what you wrote here.

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February 10, 2009

Hair Transplant in India Costs? – Balding Blog

How Much Would a Hair Transplant Cost Me in India? As I am in India, I want to know where do get my hair transplant.

Each doctor is different. There isn’t one set price for a procedure, and even the per graft price may depend on how many grafts you need. As for where to get the hair transplant, try using the physician search at ISHRS.org to find a doctor in your area. I do not have a particular doctor recommendation in India.

February 9, 2009

Can Zinc Block Minoxidil? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Doctor,
i have read in a hair loss forum , that zinc can block minoxidil’s action. So it is advised that one should avoid using products, that contain these two substances at the same time or sooner than 3-4 hours. Is this claim scientifically proven?

I thank you in advance.

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I do not believe that zinc will block minoxidil. There are multiple reports on various websites that I found via Google that go both ways, and I could not find a scientific article to point me in the proper direction. That being said, I don’t recall reading anything in the literature, nor does the minoxidil application information (including Rogaine’s FAQ) make any mention of avoiding products with zinc.

So to answer your question — if it has been scientifically proven, I haven’t heard about it and can’t find any reference to it. If someone has more info, please feel free to send a link to review.

February 9, 2009

Hair Loss InformationCan Hair Regrow in a Scar? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have a long scar on my head from an accident that happened just over a month ago. I want to know is there any thing that can be done to make it smaller and reduce the appearance of the scar. also wanted to know if there were any treatments that could make the hair grow back were the scar is?

Thank you for taking the time to review my questions

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I looked a the photo you sent, and although I won’t publish it on your request, your scar appears to be about 2 inches long and 1/4 inch wide. This is a scar that has no hair elements within it. The only solution for this is hair transplantation, something that can be fairly easy to do. I have done surgery on patients with cranial scars from brain tumor surgery and even injury scars like this, and they can take a transplant fairly well. This particular scar can not be removed without returning.

February 9, 2009

Hair Loss InformationCan Botox Prevent Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

From the press release:

Preliminary findings have shown that BOTOXÂ® injections into the scalp may effectively delay hair loss and even prevent baldness.

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Botox No published, peer-reviewed articles back up any of their “preliminary findings” on Botox as a hair loss treatment (nor are any photos provided of their findings). I’m only posting this for those that might be interested in it. I’ll keep my opinion to myself for now, but just remember that the link doesn’t go to an actual article. It’s a press release… and it definitely reads as a big advertisement for some clinic that provides these expensive injections.

February 9, 2009

Hair Loss InformationIn the News – Bill Gates Would Rather Cure Malaria than Baldness – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Here’s a new quote from Microsoft founder Bill Gates:

“There is more money put into baldness drugs than into malaria,” Gates quipped, triggering laughter. “Now, baldness is a terrible thing and rich men are afflicted. That is why that priority has been set.”

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From this article — Bill Gates playfully frees swarm of mosquitoes

To be fair to Bill Gates, malaria is life threatening, whereas hair loss is not….

February 9, 2009

Stress-Induced Bald Spot? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

My husband is 33 years old. He recently noticed a bald spot on the right side of his head. At first it was the size of a dime and now it is the size of a quarter. There is no lump or bump in that area. He does not smoke or drink or use any kinds of drugs, but he does work in the refinery business here in South Texas. Could that be a concern? And I know they say with women, stress can cause hair loss, I would assume the same goes for men.

There are many causes of hair loss such as you describe. I would have your husband seek out a dermatologist. I doubt that stress has anything to do with the problem, but without an examination I couldn’t determine that.

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February 9, 2009

Not a Cowlick, But an Actual Cow Licking Your Scalp to Regrow Hair? – Balding Blog

I saw an unusual treatment for balding on Animal Planet. It was a show that featured the top ten weirdest animal treatments (Leeches, Maggots, ect.), and it showed a doctor who has a cow lick people’s heads to regrow hair. I know that sounds like bull (no pun intended), but there were photos that made it look like it worked great, and there were people who swear by it. There was even a woman who talked about how many really stupid things are tried by people who are losing hair. The show mentioned that saliva may have some kind of healing property, or that the men could be regrowing hair due to the placebo effect.

That gives me a great idea for a new business to supplement my existing hair business! I could rent an office in Beverly Hills, put a single cow in it, and charge people by the minute to get their cow licks. Hopefully I’ll be able to find a building that allows me to keep a cow indoors. And I am the perfect guy for this, for as many of you may know, I had a dairy farm in the 1970s and if there is anyone who could know how to tell the difference between a cow and bull, it would be me. One day, my father was visiting from Florida, and he saw all of the cows and asked me how to tell the difference between a boy and girl cow (no joke). My entire family laughed and laughed and it simply went over his head. So for those of you who wish to take advantage of my new cow licking venture, please leave a comment here to give me an idea of how much you’ll be willing to pay.

On a serious note, I didn’t see the special you’re talking about on Animal Planet, but there’s no cow I know of that has magical saliva that makes hair grow.

Update: A reader has provided a link to the Animal Planet clip about the bovine spit growing hair. I think it belongs on a show like Ripley’s Believe It or Not, but you can judge for yourself. Video here.