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Hair Loss InformationFemale Balding from Weave – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

My daughter is 18 years old. She wore a hair weave on a consistent basis for almost a year. This has resulted in her severe hair loss. She is bald due to hair loss on 70% of her head. I did take her to a dermatologist, and he has prescribed a steroid base ointment for her to put on her scalp. Currently, she is wearing a wig. This helps with the mental aspects of losing her hair. I would like to do more. The research that I am reading concerning her conditions says that her hair may not grow back. How can I reassure her that her hair will grow back? Do you know how long it takes for hair regrowth?

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Unfortunately, using a wig may forego recovery. This is a catch 22, which means that she might have to avoid wigs and let her hair recover first. The question is: Is her traction alopecia permanent? One may never know unless you give it 8-12 months. Be sure that the diagnosis is traction alopecia, for there are many causes of Female Hair Loss which need to be screened for.

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Contrast Between Scalp and Hair – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Female – I have been thinning for years and as a result, have been bleaching my hair. My rationale is that this lessens the contrast between the scalp and the hair and makes the hair loss less noticable. Recently, I went to a new stylist who told me that my theory is false and that dark hair will make the hair less transparent and therefore less noticable. It’s been three days since she did my hair and I have to say that I think I was right. I think the new darker shade makes the hair loss more noticable. Am I nuts? Should I go back to being a blonde or should I stay a brunette?

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When the scalp and the skin are closer in color (white skin and blonde hair) the impact of thin, see-through hair is less obvious. Styling with puffed-up hair styles are popular in women who also dye their hair to get a fuller look. That is more of a styling issue. Don’t worry, you’re not nuts. If you’re more comfortable with being blonde, I’d say you should go blonde. Go with what you’re comfortable doing, and with what you think looks the best.

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Sex Drive and Erections – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am a 36 year-old male. I have been taking 1/5 of a finasteride (Proscar) pill daily for about 6-7 years. I have heard that Proscar can have harmful effects on male sex drive and erections — my question is, when this does happen, can it happen gradually or does it happen in the immediate days/weeks/months after starting the drug?

I ask because there has been a noticeable decline in my sex drive as well as the frequency and quality of erections over the years, and I don’t know if it’s normal for my age, or possibly due to the drug. I’m still quite functional sexually if I pick my spots, but those spots seem to be less and less frequent, and when I do get involved I’m prone to lose it unless I take Viagra beforehand (1/4 of a pill seems to work very well for me).

Please help! Would greatly appreciate any insight you can offer on my situation. I’m not sure but I think 36 is too young for this stuff.

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Every man over 25 knows that their penis does not behave like it did when we were 15. There is an interconnection between our erections and our sex drive. If our erection is not strong enough, if we do not last long enough, or recover fast enough, then what we may call erection problems (Erectile Dysfunction / ED) may become a matter of our focus. From the impromptu polls I have done in my mostly male practice, many men in their 30s find that Viagra improves their erections. Question: Does it improve from a 15 year old vantage point or a 36 year old vantage point?

Your “sexual problem” (I only used quotes because I am not sure to what extent there is a problem) may be ED or it may be caused by Propecia (but that usually comes within the first month of taking the medication, not after years necessarily). If you stop the Propecia for a few weeks, and the ED and sex drive goes away, then you can assume it was Propecia induced. You can check your testosterone levels; hopefully they will be normal. If you have some aging effect and you are satisfied with Viagra, then use it. There are doctors that specialize in ED, so if all alse fails, you can see one of them so if you go this route, you are best starting off with your family doctor. If you decide to stop the Propecia for 2-3 weeks, the drug will be out of your system in a couple of days and within a week you should see some benefit if it is Propecia related.

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Propecia And Unprotected Sex – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Can you tell me, When using Propecia (3 months) is it safe to have unpretected sex without dangering female partner?

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There is no danger to your partner from finasteride (Propecia) by having unprotected sex while you are taking this drug. Propecia’s manufacturer, Merck, does not warn of problems in this regard.

The question I am often asked is whether unprotected sex and pregnancy could cause problems for a man on Propecia. I believe that the answer to this question is that getting your lady pregnant should not be a problem when on Propecia, but if you are concerned about it, then you might stop taking it during the period when she is most fertile. I’ve written about that previously here and here.

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White Scabs 3 Months Post-Procedure – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello
I had a strip procedure done a little over 3 months ago and now Im starting to get a little worried. I have these white scabs in my donor and recipient area, and when these scabs come out, they carry with them 2-5 hairs. This does not seem normal…

At three months you should be completely normal. Most people have no scabs within a week or so. This may be a matter of your washing technique. I have seen men who do not wash their hair properly leaving the remnants of hair and scabs for weeks or months.

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Female with Hair Recession – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I saw your post on January 20 with the brow lift repair. It was amazing. I am a 34 female and my problem is that my corners have disappeared like a man’s corners. Is that common and can it be fixed like the example you showed?

You are referring to the post I made titled Female Hairline Restoration After Brow Lift (with Photos).

Corner hair loss is actually very common in women, but it is often not complete. The corners will thin while the rest of the hair (in the non-genetic balding female) will stay strong, making the thinning more noticable. Yes, the female hair line can be created just like the patient in that blog posting from January 20. However, I must caution you — you must be very careful in chosing your doctor, for the art of female hairline rebuilding is difficult unless the doctor is exceptionally trained in building such hairlines.

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Am I Going Bald? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

When I was younger, I always had very thick hair. Never a concern at all. Recently, I ran my fingers through my hair and noticed that I could see my scalp quite easily by pulling the hair vertically or to the side. I usually have a very short haircut, not military style but certainly less than an inch in length. I’ve been paying more attention to my hair lately because I’ve been growing it out, and that’s really the only reason I’ve noticed. It seems like the hair on the side is thinning more…I’m not really noticing a maturation pattern where it’s receding, just thinning.

My uncle on my mother’s side is almost entirely bald, my father has a bald spot on the back of his head and thin hair…so genetic predisposition is possible/probable. I’m wondering what I should do at this point. I may be over-reacting but I’d like to find out. I use gel/comb my hair regularly, but I’ve never seen hair fall out. I can run my hand through my hair several times without seeing any hair fall off.

I’ve also started wearing a hat recently, which is reasonably tight…and may only be coincidence. I’m just not sure what to do/who to see.

Thanks for your help/site…it’s much appreciated.

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To determine if you are balding, you need to have your head mapped out for miniaturization which will show if your have developed or are developing a pattern of thinning that will eventually lead to frank balding. Any topicals you place for combing your hair may make it look fuller, but it will not change the process that is going on. Propecia is the best medication to slow or stop the hair loss and some times it even reverses it, but first you need a diagnosis. The hat will not make a difference in the hair loss, unless is is very tight and causes pulling of the hair.

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Post-Operative Questions About Telogen – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

First, I would like to appreciate your online service, for freely accepting questions and comments and for your valuable answers. Thank You.

I have had my hair transplant about 12weeks ago of approx. 1,650 grafts. My donor area took quite some time to heal, approx. 9-10weeks, before the occasional swelling in a few spots which have now completely subsided. During the first 10 days I had some grafts fall out, which I was told was normal, over the next few weeks I lost more of these transplanted grafts as has been considered normal procedure after a hair transplant. I have had to deal with pimples/puss modules in the transplanted region occasionally and again I read that this is normal. I have used Neospirin ointment to treat these modules and it has helped quite a bit. I am also taking finasteride 1mg for about 17weeks (started 5weeks prior to the procedure as recommended by the Doctor). It is now 12 weeks, and my questions are:

  1. Is it possible that not all the transplanted hair has fallen out? Because when I touch the transplanted region with the palm of my hand, I still feel a few spikes here and there. Just today I noticed a couple of hairs with scab attached at the bottom fall out. Should i be concerned that even after 12 weeks not all of the transplanted hairs have fallen out?
  2. As I do not see much new hair in the transplanted area as yet after 12 weeks, should I be concerned, when I have been reading that by 2-3 months the new hair would start appearing.
  3. I am considered type VI and 35yrs of age. Even with taking Finasteride, I seem to lose at least 50-75 hair everyday after the two daily showers. Do HOT water showers have a negative impact?

Your valuable comments are much appreciated. Thank You

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I am fairly sure that you are not losing hair transplants, but what you are seeing may reflect poor cleansing of the recipient area where the scabs stayed on too long. Without seeing you, I am assuming that what you are seeing is the hair from within the old grafts that is coming out (the hair that should have fallen out earlier). The ‘root’ of the transplanted graft is secure in a couple of days after a transplant until the scabs are all off. Rarely will a transplanted graft come out after the scabs are gone (in our hands in just a few days the wounds lock the hair graft into position because of the small needles we use). We have researched this extensively, and found that they can not be pulled out the earlier of (1) after 10-12 days, even if you try to pull them out, or (2) the disappearance of the scabs (usually a couple of days in our practice). In patients who do not comply with our washing protocol, the scabs may last for weeks.

Hair roots start taking hold and growing hair in 10-20 weeks after the transplant procedure, so I would not worry at this stage in the transplant growth cycle.

Hot showers will not cause hair loss, but if you are losing hair, then there may be a shock effect from the original surgery which should be about over shortly. You need to ask your doctor to map out your remaining hair for miniaturization to determine if your class 6 pattern will progress to a more advanced pattern. That should have been in the discussion when you and your doctor made a Master Plan for what was about to happen to you with a hair transplant.

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Hair Loss in Young Teen Male – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Doctor,
I have this very close friend who is 15 years old. He is suffering from hair loss and has been since about the age of 11. I’ve talked to him about it many times and he says that the amount of hair he loses after showers is unbelievable. Even when he runs his fingers through his hair strands come out. I really would like to do what I can to help him, he has trouble talking to people so I’m basically the only one who can help. He also gets made fun of at school sometimes and no one likes to be teased. I’ve read up on different causes of hair loss but nothing really is directed to younger teens. Please help me help him.

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Young men as young as 13 can have genetic hair loss. He needs to see a good doctor, get his hair and scalp mapped out for miniaturization and find out if he is genetically balding. Assuming it is genetic hair loss, then the drug that is best to hold on to his hair is Propecia. He must get help and get proper management; the price of premature balding is too grave a consequence for denying the problem.

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Hair Loss InformationXanax and Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am a 33 year old male and am convinced that I am losing my hair at the front of my head. I have thick hair, but it is certainly thinner, i.e. I seem to have less hairs per square cm. I can also see my scalp at the front, which I could not around 1 year ago. When I comb my hair, or wash it I notice hair in my hands or in the comb. I would say that the number of hairs is around 5 or 6. This is also something pretty new to me. What I would like to know is, am i going bald and how can I determine the rate? Also I take Xanax in small doses and what like to know if this has an effect. Would Rogaine help for frontal hair loss?Finally, how long should I wait before I have a hair transplant. I don’t want to go bald before I do. Thanks.

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Xanax can cause hair loss, but I would think that if you are thinner in the frontal area, then you may be having genetic male patterned hair loss. As I have said many times in this blog, a diagnosis includes an examination for miniaturization, which would be evaluated throughout the head to determine what your genetic pattern might be. At 33 years old, your pattern should be evident when your scalp hair is mapped out. I am ingorning your 6 hairs per day loss as that is low and probably a wrong estimate, but the thinning of the hair in the front is more of a concern for me. If you have male pattern balding, the hair in the front will be heavily miniaturized and will show up nicely on magnification imaging. If that is the correct assessment, then Propecia may help slow or stop the hair loss.