Balding Blog – Page 1728

October 13, 2006

I’m Taking Propecia, But I’m Not Convinced I Am Balding – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dear Dr.,
I have been taking propecia for three days and I’m now not convinced that I am suffering from male pattern baldness. If I stop taking the drug and wait to see if my hair starts thinning or falling out would starting propecia again work? In other words, would propecia still be effective after taking it briefly and then starting again in the future? i want to see if my hairloss is attributable to other factors. Also, I have no history of male pattern hair loss in my family. Many thanks for your thoughts.

If you are not treating genetic balding and have only been taking Propecia for 3 days, stop it now. If you ever need it, you can start it then. Follow the old adage: If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.

October 13, 2006

I Think I Burned My Scalp from a Hair Dryer – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

(male) You wrote this in response to someone asking about agressive styling, “The only way blow drying can cause hair loss is if you actually leave the blow dryer too close to your scalp for a long period of time, causing burning to your scalp, thus possibly leading to hair loss.”

I think I may have done this to my hair. Is there any way to get it back? It is thining in only the particular places I used to blow dry it with a rather hot dryer to make it lay down flat. Is there any hope??

I am 39 years old and used to have very thick hair. I noticed thining a few years ago, but after I thought about it I relzed that it may be due to the hair dryer. There is no history of MPB in my family. HAve you heard of anything similar of do you have any sugestions?

Thanks for any help you could offer.

It is possible to damage your scalp and make your hair pay for it. We get reports all of the time by people who had hair stylists damage their hair with rough handling (like you) or as a result of dyes and chemicals. You need to be evaluated in-person by an expert to understand just what is happening. Maybe there is another cause of the thinning, and just maybe you are misjudging what you see.

October 13, 2006

Allergy to Shampoo? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am 21yrs old (male) Ever since i used the ‘Heads & Shoulders’ shampoo i started to get scalp pimples with sticky yeast on the pimples so im guessing that shampoo has a ingredient that im allergic to. My question is, if its just an allergy and i stop using that shampoo, will my scalp pimples and yeast disappear? or do i have to do something about it?

Of course, if you believe that the pimples and the shampoo are related, it is easy to stop the shampoo and find out. It should be obvious to you. Sorry, but at 21 years old, you have to start using the logical side of your brain.

October 12, 2006

Hair Loss InformationHow Do I Know I’m Getting the Amount of Grafts I Paid For? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Here’s a question I’m sure many prospective patients have asked before: How does a patient verify that he’s getting exactly the amount of grafts he’s paying for and that they aren’t being divided to artificially bump up the count and thus increase the cost of the procedure? Are we just going on blind trust or what?

Block Quote

Most important to ask, “Does the count of grafts correspond to what you are buying?”

There should be an accounting system in place at the doctor’s office and you should have the opportunity to ask to see it. Any honest doctor will be proud to show their graft accounting system working in your situation. I just had a patient the other day who had surgery and wanted to know just what you asked. He came in to the surgery of another patient (with permission of course) and was shown how the accounting system worked to guarantee that what he was quoted was actually given. I also showed him his count sheets. Although he was shy to ask, he clearly felt better after seeing it.
Is the number of grafts artificially inflated to make money for the doctor? Some doctors divide their grafts into sub-follicular units. For example, a 4-hair graft could be divided into two 2-hair grafts, and a 3-hair graft or a 2-hair graft could be divided into 1-hair grafts. In this situation the graft count would climb while the hair count would be the same. This is a problem in my industry, unfortunately. I have been quite outspoken about this problem in the past.

It all boils down to trust. If the doctor is open to questions posed by his/her patients, then this builds a trusting relationship. To be as completely blunt as possible, if you don’t think you can trust your doctor to not ‘screw you over‘ with the amount you’re paying for, you probably shouldn’t trust that doctor on almost all counts, let alone to give you the results you’re looking for. This is just another reason why doing research is very important in making your doctor selection. Also, see The Truth About Cheap Hair Transplants for more.

October 12, 2006

Xandrox, Revivogen, and Other Non-FDA Approved Products – Balding Blog

I am using xandrox for a while quite effective. However my hair has started again and have added spironolactone and revivogen to my regimen. I am uneasy about the revivogen i believe its making my hair loss worse, is this possible ? Apparently there is a shedding period for the product. And if it is making my hair loss worse will those hairs that ive lost grow back once i stop the product ? Do you believe its an effective or snake oil product ?

Appreciate any advice. Thanks

The enthusiasm for these products is hard to put into objective terms. I always want a good piece of science to form opinions. Many such products just do not have such science behind them. You ask me questions about how these products may interact, and I say I do not know how these products work, let alone know how they interact. If these products had FDA medication value, then the way they work and how they interact with other medications would be clearly documented for everyone to see. I always use the point that a natural product does not infer a safe product. Arsenic is natural, but not safe. It is always a buyer beware market.

October 12, 2006

Tonic or Shampoo with Procyanidin from Apples? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dr. Rassman… I have come in to your clinic been mapped for miniturization and soon I will be coming in to re-supply my stock of Propecia. I continue to enjoy the info you provide on this blog… thank you!! I believe that the fight against hair-loss is a noble fight where one needs to try the things that might work. The recent posting on Apple procyanidins really peaked my interest. I would be willing to try procyanidin tonics, supplements, or shampoos etc. would you know of a reputable vendor for such product… also which form would be best a topical solution or a vitamin supplement for ingestion? I’m not getting my hopes up here just wanting to see if this is something that might work for me in addition to what I’ve already done. Your help and advice is very much appreciated.

I found the following forum thread that lists sources for Procyanidin:
Hairsite.com – Where to buy apple polyphenols or procyanidin B2?

I don’t have any experience with these products, but please let me know if any of them help.

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October 12, 2006

I Feel Terrible Pain When I Lose Hair – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Im a 20 year old male, and Ive noticed about 3 months ago ive started to shed my hair along my frontal hairline as well as my scalp. The thinning is gradual, but I can tell that the more I mess with it, touch it, shampoo or comb it it gets much worse. My concern isnt going going bald, my concern is that I feel terrible pains when I do in fact lose hair. It feels as if someone is yanking on my head. Also, afterwards my hair feels very oily, and has a smell to it. Is this normal shedding? Im concerned this isnt male pattern baldness Im being faced with. Thanks in advance for your time, dedication and help.

I’m not making light of your pain, but it sounds like you are overly obsessed with your hair. The pain you feel may be from the emotional roller coaster that you are riding. Do you have someone close that you can talk with? You should try to get some emotional counseling.

Many men experience pain when they lose control over their lives or their health. Hair has been known to reflect such a loss of control. One patient told me, “I have control over everything in my life, what I do, how I feel, how much to work out, who I am friendly with and who become my friends. When it comes to my hair, I know that I have no control over it.”

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October 12, 2006

Ammonium Chloride in Toppik – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi there. Is the Ammonium Chloride in Toppik safe for us to use? To be honest, I don’t ever wash the stuff out. I just leave it in and keep adding more. I have much less hair than it appears. But, I worry about this ingridient seeping into my bloodstream from my scalp.

It seems that Ammonium Chloride is part of the formulation for many shampoos and some hair loss products, like Toppik. I would assume that it is safe, as product safety is under the auspices of some governmental agencies that would have restricted the use of Ammonium Chloride had any major negative reports come in. But, as I can not answer you with any authority, I would suggest that you write to the manufacturer of Toppik and ask them. Many people who use Toppik do not regularly wash it out. If you are concerned about the safety of the product, then stop using it, or at the least wash it out every night.

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October 12, 2006

6 Year Old Developed Very Smooth Bald Spot – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

My 6 yr old son has developed a small, oblong bald spot around 3 months ago. The spot has no signs of hair growth and is very smooth as if no hair was ever there. What could be the cause and should I take him for blood work?

You should have it look at by a good dermatologist. The possibilities are extensive, and infections are not uncommon. Ringworm (a fungal infection) is one of the more common causes in a six year old.

October 11, 2006

Will You Give a Patient a Juvenile Hairline? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

hi dr… will you give a pt a juvenile hairline if they want it and promise to stay on propecia and are 40 yrs old and do not have a lot of balding??? please let me know .. thanks

I have to be encouraged to produce juvenile hairlines in 40 year old men. Included in my criteria are:

emotional maturity
good, solid thinking
a good reason for wanting it
some assurance (by examination and from taking a careful family history) that the person does not have advanced genetic balding

The need for Propecia (finasteride) is only critical if there is balding present. I have done hairlines on actors whose youthful hairlines are critical to their professional careers. I have created these juvenile hairlines in other people too, but these men usually bond with me and develop a relationship with me that convinces me that it is the right thing for them to do. Sometimes, when older men want a lower hairline and their balding is stable, I will move it down to a lower position (lower than a mature hairline but possibly higher than the juvenile hairline).