can sesame oil block DHT? what about fenugreek?
You can speculate all you want on these approaches to hair loss, but there are more substances out there than I can address.
Hi Dr. Rassman,
I have seen the results of the study that has shown significant increases in scalp testosterone with dutasteride (104% for 0.5 mg). Could this major increase in scalp testosterone contribute to further male pattern balding, since testosterone can also bind to the androgen receptors in hair follicles? Basically, is there any possibility that the decrease you get in DHT from dutasteride could be overwhelmed by this increase in testosterone? thanks very much.
What you are talking about is as much science as speculation. From what I have learned from doctors who use dutasteride in those patients who do not respond to finasteride (Propecia), the report is that it is stronger and more effective. I have addressed the scalp testosterone levels with dutasteride before here. More insights may be obtained by looking at pubmed.gov.
I only have a limited understanding of the pharmacology here, so I would rather just refer the readers to better authorities.
In November 2004 I took Ibuprofen for a knee injury and by the end of the week my pain was unbearable; the Ibuprofen did not help with the pain at all, but all of my hair fell out. Well, I used Nioxin and have been taking one Biotin and 3 Hair, Body, and Nail pills a day.
My hair on my head is growing back (finally) It’s very short and I can see differing lengths…. But I have also noticed very fine hairs growing on my face and not just where my eyebrows used to be. Is this the normal fuzz that was probably there before that I didn’t notice or are my vitamins trying to make me look like a man.
I’m 37 years old. Please help me.
While many drugs may cause hair loss, I suspect your hair loss may have been coincidental or from the physical stress caused by your knee injury. With respect to the fuzz you notice on your face, it is most likely that was there before and you had not noticed. You can see this in everybody. We’re all fuzzy!
regards doctor, my question is i have had a my surgery 2 weeks ago and have my staples removed I am going to wait a month to lift heavy waits but I am still concerned that it might be too soon and will stretch the scar and if so how much will it stretch or bleed. Really worried about that. and will working out heavy affect my grafts?
Working out will not impact graft growth, just the risk of scarring in the harvested donor area (assuming you had strip harvesting). I tell my patients that they can run a marathon in 7 days, but hold off anything that works the trapezius muscle as it might potentially stretch the scar in the back of the head.
Dear Dr. Rassman,
A couple of years ago I remember reading an article about a hair transplant doctor at UCLA (I believe) that was able to transplant a higher amount of hair into a site by first having the scalp injected with a solution (possibly saline) to actually swell or enlarge the scalp area so more hair could be transplanted into the area. Later when the swelling receded the results would yield a higher density.
Can you comment on this. Is this something that you would recommend? Why or why not?
Thanks!
Many hair transplant surgeons will inject saline into the scalp to accomplish just what you are talking about. The important thing to focus upon is graft survival. Are the grafts packed so closely that the blood supply may be compromised? It is possible. I recently saw a patient done by another doctor who had the skin in the recipient area develop gangrene from a decision to put too many grafts too close together in skin that could not tolerate dense packing of grafts. The details of what the surgeon does is not a simple one thing vs another thing. A good hair transplant is the result of a complex series of decisions and takes into account not only the size of the grafts and the nature of the skin, but many other judgments. I have heard doctors focus on one thing that makes them unique, but ask yourself, “Am I being pitched a sales line here?”
Doc,
Is there anything to this Onion Formula phenomenon? Thanks!!
I found some herbal info at MyHairLossAdvisor.com. Creative ideas never cease to end and here is another one. Apparently, you rub your hair with an onion before washing. I have also heard of hanging from your feet for 20 minutes three times a day to get more blood flow to your head. I would suspect that putting the onion to it prior to hanging upside down may be one step closer to the solution, from the ground up, that is. Or maybe if you just love the strong odors, you should add some garlic and hot sauce to it. Oh boy.
So is there anything to this onion stuff? No.
I thought this was interesting and worth sharing. Over and over again, we are becoming more and more aware that what we eat impacts us. This article shows that the fish we treat with drugs impacts our medical care:
“More than 70 per cent of the bacteria that cause hospital-acquired infections are resistant to at least one of the antibiotics most commonly used to treat them. The report published in Environmental Microbiology, July 2006, details the common practices that occur in the fish industry, particularly in developing countries, where large amounts of antibiotics are used to prevent infection. The antibiotics used are often non-biodegradable and remain in the aquaculture environment for long periods of time. This encourages the growth of bacteria, which can survive in the presence of these antibiotics, acquiring a resistance that is passed on to subsequent generations. The danger is these bacteria can be transferred to human and animal pathogens, leading to increased infectious disease in fish, animals and humans alike.”
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I had roughly 2600 grafts done 5 weeks ago. Although the donor scar has healed on the ends, the middle part of the scar right at the back of my head hasn’t healed and is a little weepy.
Is this normal? Typically I heal very well after injuries, etc.
Thank you.
If part of the scar is weepy (wet) then go back to your doctor. You could have an infection present. Wet wounds in a scar 5 weeks after any surgery is not normal.
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Hello Doc
I had my hair transplant done about 1 and 1/2 months ago. Couple days ago i went to see a car race. It was 98F and i was wearing a baseball cap. I stood in the sun for about 15 min and i was sweating badly coz of the heat. I went to mens room to cool off and sprinkel some cold water on my head. When i took my cap off i saw sweat dripping off my fore head and there were like white tiny things on my forehead (transplanted region). I wiped my fore head i didnt see any thing on the paper towel.I am little concerned, Were they roots of the new transplanted hair? Or just the skin.
Thanks very much for your advise.
You may have left some mild crusting still in the recipient area. When washing is not vigorous, the dead skin accumulates in the recipient area and needs to be washed off when shampooing. The sweat accomplishes the same thing. Don’t worry, be happy! The exciting times are yet to come as the hair grows in.
hi dr, ive read some on chemical castration, is there any way to produce the effects of castration that it has on your hair without actually doing it and so avoiding the other effects
Castration prevents hair loss because without testosterone, one can not make DHT and without DHT, balding does not occur. It is well known that removal of the testicles will prevent hair loss, but I have not seen anyone willing to take up this cure. Castration will not reverse what hair loss has already occurred, but it is the ultimate DHT blocker for preventing what may yet unfold. I do not know of a way to do what you’re asking though.
