Balding Blog – Page 1674

February 6, 2007

Polysorbate 80 – Balding Blog

Have you ever commented on polyscorbate 80? – the primary ingredient in the so-called Helsinki Formula? And jojoba oil? Both laid claim to scalp hair regeneration.

I am not aware of any solid document to prove this product really works for hair loss prevention or treatment. The Helsinki company was tied up in difficult legal challenges for years in the 1980s. They pioneered the promotion of hair growth formulae before the market developed for such activities. It seems to be dying and then being reborn on a regular basis since then.

February 6, 2007

Marijuana Decreases Testosterone? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Dr Rassman, I heard [editor’s note: TV and radio host] Dr Drew Pinsky in CA say that marijuana decreases testosterone. My question to you can the decrease in testosterone prevent the production of dht & therefore prevent mpb?

Marijuana There is nothing that prevents male pattern baldness. Even drugs such as finasteride only slows down or improves MPB. You cannot cheat your genetic fate.

Decreased testosterone can also lead to low sex drive and energy levels and it might even produce long term wasting disease of your muscles. There are numerous other medications and methods to decrease testosterone, but I doubt the side effects are worth it. The most extreme case is castration to stop virtually all testosterone production.

In short, marijuana does not prevent MPB. Just look at all the bald hippies from the 1960s and 1970s.

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February 6, 2007

Harvesting Armpit and Pubic Hair for Transplanting to Scalp? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I’m 39 and I’ve a thinning crown, and there is a diffused patch on the vertex, and very thin, soft hair with not much density at the back of my head. I’m already using propecia+minoxidil But i don’t see any improvements.Given this i would like to explore my options of using armpit hair and pubic hair for hairtransplant on to my crown using FUE. At the same time i ‘m concerned about donor transection rate for armipt hair and pubic hair ( how difficult it is to harvest this hair?) and the shock loss at the receiving crown?? Can you please let me know my options. Most of the hair transplants i have seen only show frontal hair line but not crown.

Armpit It is good that you started using Propecia for your thinning crown hair. Although you don’t think you had improvement with medications, I think it is best for you to continue the Propecia, for you never know how your crown would look if you were not taking the medication. Propecia should be the first line of treatment of crown hair loss in most patients. The next option is to fill the crown balding area with transplants using permanent hair from back of the head. Using the hair from this area is well established for transplant to your crown area. Body hair, as we’ve discussed on this site many times before, is not a good substitute for scalp hair, because of its long sleep phase and limited length. The amount of under arm hair in available numbers is low and the hair is kinky, much different than head hair. The same is true for pubic hair.

Pubic and armpit hair in particular have different characteristics than scalp hair. They are limited in numbers and should be reserved for the cases that no other alternatives are available and when the hair can be used for ‘bulk’ rather than a frontal presentation. If the scalp donor hair is severely diminished and you opt to get a body hair transplant with the FUE technique, a FOX test must be done to evaluate your candidacy for the FUE procedure and you can anticipate the damage from such a procedure in advance. If the FOX test is positive, it means your hair transection rate is reasonably low. With that said, unless you have no donor hair available from the scalp, please think traditional transplantation.

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February 6, 2007

Hair Loss and Radical Prostatectomy – Balding Blog

I’m 63, and 18 mos ago had a radical prostatectomy. About 12 mos before that I began losing hair, and began using Minoxidil, which I stopped when my prostate cancer was diagnosed. I continue to lose hair, even though I am now cancer free and over the “shock” period. My hair is very fine. I am not taking any medications, and regularly take a multivitamin, selenium, vit.D and Glucosamine.

I only wash my hair with baby shampoo. What can I do to slow down/stop/reverse hair loss?

You might try finasteride 1mg dose daily (with your doctor’s approval of course) and restart the minoxidil. Withdrawal of minoxidil (when it has been working well) will cause hair loss (or to be more clear, the loss of all benefits you received). You are to be congratulated for beating the prostate cancer.

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February 6, 2007

Does Hair Miniaturize Even Without MPB? – Balding Blog

Hi.

If you are losing hair for a reason that isnt MPB will you still have miniturisation?

i.e does miniturisation in the front mean that it is MPB, or could it still be to do with thyroid, low immune system etc?

Thanks

Miniaturization of the hair may occur in many conditions where hair is thinning such a thyroid disease, malnutrition, and even old age (as the hair character does change in some older people). It means that the hair ‘generating machinery’ is shutting or slowing down (e.g. age the growth cycle may slow down and shorten). We actually see the effects of miniaturization as the hair is more ’see-through’ and that is what most people call hair thinning.

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February 6, 2007

Considering BioMatrix at Hair Club – Balding Blog

I visited doctor Rassman for a consultation on two occasions: the first time was about 6 years ago, the second time about three years later. On both visits Dr. Rassman advised against transplant surgery because of limited donor hair. I appreciated his honesty and have adhered to his advice.

I recently visited the Hair Club in LA. I am considering their biomatrix procedure. I would appreciate any advice you could give me. Thank you

I did write about the Bio Matrix before, but I am still not too familiar with it, so it would be unfair for me to give you solid advice. You were kind enough to come into my Open House on February 3rd to ask me this question after you already submitted it to the BaldingBlog. It was a pleasure meeting you. Your examination showed you have Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA), and based on the Hair Club’s website, the Bio Matrix product appears to be interwoven with your own hair or placed on a bald head (the actual picture they used was man with frontal balding). If they actually weave it into the existing hair, I feel it may actually make you balder from traction. Be very careful with any product that could pull on your hair and deplete your current good hair supply.

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February 5, 2007

Hair Loss InformationAge and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello sir,

I really respect your advice and in the past your forum has been very helpful for me. I do have one question however, and that has to do with regard to age and hair loss.

Currently I have a full head of hair, but for the past 2 years now, i have had some frontal recession and a thinning of the crown. Neither of these has progressed for the past two years. Since I am 22 however, does that mean with absolute assurity that I have inherited aggressive balding since I am only 22, despite the fact my hair has not gotten any worse?

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Male pattern balding (MPB), androgenic hair loss, and genetic hair loss are terms used to describe the SAME thing. If you have miniaturization in the crown, then I suspect you have genetic patterned hair loss, and that means that it will probably kick in to another phase of the hair loss process sooner or later. Finasteride (Propecia) may slow down the appearance of the next hair loss cycle, but first get a good doctor and then a diagnosis before you commit yourself to a lifetime of this medication.

Genetic hair loss can start as early as the teenage years. The degree of hair loss — from small frontal recession to full baldness — is difficult to predict at such early age. There is no way for me to diagnose your hair loss without a proper exam, but genetic hair loss at the age of 22 is a good possibility. With regard to your frontal loss, be sure you understand the difference between the progression of a mature hairline and balding.

February 5, 2007

Hair Loss InformationCreatine and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I was wondering if there was any correlation between hair loss and creatine usage. I’ve been working out 6 – 7 days a week for the six weeks while taking creatine every daily, and have noticed increased hair loss.

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Although as far as I know, creatine does not cause hair loss, I found a couple of sites that tell stories that would dispute that. Remember, just because you read about it on the internet, it does not necessarily make it true. Take these with a grain of salt:

February 5, 2007

Top of Scalp is Thinning, but Hair Still Grows Very Slowly – Balding Blog

Hi Dr., I am a 23 year old black male. My texture of hair is curly (soft). About 5 years ago I was dying my hair alot and putting relaxers in it as well, for different styles. I then cut my hair very low. Now that i’m trying to grow my hair out again, the top of my hair is starting look alot thinner than the rest. I can see the little holes on my head, but the hair grows very slow from them. What do I do?

It is difficult to answer your question without a good physical exam and medical history. While trauma from chemicals may cause some hair loss, it should generally grow back unless the chemicals you used worked their way into the hair follicles below the skin of the scalp. Furthermore, if you have a very short hair cut, the thinning or hair loss is more readily noticeable and any hair that is genetically impacted with miniaturization will see slower hair growth. You may have a component of male pattern hair loss and a miniaturization analysis will show that. If you suspect such a scenario, you should see a doctor to establish a diagnosis and have a miniaturization study of your hair to see the pattern of thinning.

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February 5, 2007

Losing Eyelashes – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have noticed that my eyelashes are not only thinning out but on the lower lashes they are gone. My hair is thinning as well. I have made no changes in my lifestyle. The only change concerning my eyelashes is that I started using Estee Lauder mascara. Any suggestions to stop the loss and will the lashes grow back?

Best to leave it alone for a period of 6 months, not applying anything to them. It could be the gentle pulling of the brush or the mascara itself. Give it time to go through a hair cycle and then re-evaluate your situation.

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