I Can’t Grow Body Hair — Will I Go Bald? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Are men who don’t grow beard or body hair less likely to bald?

It is possible that this is just delayed growth of beard or body hair in a person in their late teens or very early 20s, and the beard and body hair may eventually grow in. If there are no autoimmune causes for the absence of this hair, then I would suspect that your genetic cards will play out normally. In other words, the lack of body/beard hard is unrelated to eventual scalp balding. There is a possibility of a reduced DHT level, which can be tested by your doctor. This test can measure if you make DHT or not, but I suspect you will find that you do.

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December 19, 2005

Redness, Hair Growth, and Differences Between Doctors – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

My boy friend is considering hair transplant surgery. How long will the redness last? How long does it take for hair to re-grow? Are there different procedures use by different doctors?

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If there is redness at all, it will be gone in 19 out of 20 patients within a week. It generally starts to regrow (like seeds of grass that get placed and take time to grow) in 2-5 months. I tell most people that they can see the impact of the hair nicely by the 7th month, where 80% of the hair will grow to styling length. In one out of 20 patients, the growth will be immediate. Most patients experience some early growth, but I generally tell them to wait patiently for the hair to grow.

There are many different procedures that doctors do. To get a complete scoop, you can call 800-NEW-HAIR or fill out the form on the Request Additional Info page and I will send you a free copy of The Patient’s Guide to Hair Restoration, the book I wrote with Dr. Robert Bernstein that defines the differences. As price is also an issue for the cost conscious buyer, please also take a look at the past blog entry, The Truth About Cheap Hair Transplants.

December 19, 2005

Hair Loss InformationStress Induced Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’m 42/F and in the past three months I have lost a good amount of hair and there is no balding in my family. I am on thyroid RX (5 yrs of Levothyroxine). Since then I have had my thyroid checked and it’s is normal. I have noticed my scalp does itch (not intensly) and the hair is falling out from the follicle (white tips are on the ends of each strand) and it comes out worse in the shower. Dr recommend to seek a dermatologist, which is my next step. I also take Estrogen (7 years), Topamax (6 mo), Maxalt (2 mo). I have alot of stress in my life besides.

Scared of going bald.

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There many reasons for hair loss, such as hypothyroidism, ezcema, alopecia areata, telogen effluvium, lupus, drugs, stress, crash diet and infections. I recommend that you have extensive blood work done to rule out many of these causes for your hair loss; a good endodrinologist or dermatologist should be able to do this. Alopecia Areata and Telogen Effluvium are causes of hair loss where biopsies may be indicated. You also need an extensive mapping of your head for miniaturization. Female patterned hair loss has very characteristic findings on mapping. You must realize that it is normal to lose up to 100 hairs per day.

December 19, 2005

Would I Hate Myself If I Had a Transplant at Age 26? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’m a 25 yr. old guy. I visited [a well known doctor] and he told me that if I had a hair transplant procedure, I’d “hate myself for the rest of my life.” Pretty harsh. I appreciate his honesty, but am disappointed that this is not an option for me. I’m confused! I would be more than pleased with the results that I have seen on various good physician web-sites. I’ll be 26 shortly, and am wondering what my options really are if the best results are so bad that I’d hate myself for the rest of my life.

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You can always get a second opinion. If the doctor is well respected, there are a number of questions I first would want to know about you, so seeing a photo/meeting with you and speaking with you would be invaluable. Things that may make the doctor have hesitatations with transplanting a man of your age would be:

Unrealistic expectations (which is why we don’t do computer imaging)
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (see BBC News: Health)
Poor donor supply (possibly from DUPA)
Too early
Unable to face the consequences of progressive balding
Psychiatric problems
Financial problems

Many times when I want to point a patient to a psychiatrist, they resist. After all, I am a hair transplant doctor and not a ‘shrink’, so it is not often that I give a special speech on this subject, and certainly not like the one the doctor you discussed gave to you. If you do not communicate with your chosen doctor, that would be one way for him to get your attention. Remember, you do have options, and if you are not comfortable with what you were told by one doctor, you are free to see another.

December 19, 2005

Treatment Options for Thinning Crown – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

hello-
i’m a 22 year old male-been thinning on the crown/upper back of the head for about 3 years now. i’ve tried everything…used propecia in conjunction with minox 5 % 2x a day for about 18 months with no noticable results. my front hairline is very thick-as is the hair on the sides and lower back of my head. my most recent regimen (for the past 9 months) has been 0.5 mg of Avodart and miniox 5% + tretinoin 2x a day-including nizoral shampoo every 3 days with a arbonne shampoo and conditioner daily. also i’ve been using arbonne’s thermal fusion scalp therapy in the shower every day religiously. still no results-no thicker on the top. do you have any suggestions for what to do? should i continue this regimen and add something else in order to avoid a shed? i’m lost and could use some detailed advice from someone who knows what they’re talking about. you certainly seem to be the right guy. thanks for your help.

Sounds like you have tried it all. Considering that you have tried both Propecia and Avodart, it seems, if you have male pattern balding, the pattern will take over and the balding will not be controlled by the various medications. Not everyone’s hair loss is controlled by these medications. Have you already had your scalp mapped out for miniaturization? If you have, then the measurements would point to the value of the medications you have taken. I always get a mapped out baseline before I start treatment, because I would want to tell you the value of these medications on the course of your hair loss. The mapping process will let you know what progression you are having so that you and your doctor can better plan for your future hair loss.

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December 19, 2005

Smelly Hair | WRassman,M.D. BaldingBlog

Smelly Hair

Dec 19, 2005/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Other

i have hair but it smells awful i wash it daily but the smell goes away for only a few minutes, anyway it keeps me from doin stuff like datin hangin out, simple things.

You might want to get a doctor to examine you to understand the problem. I can imagine many conditions that may contribute to this, but a good examination is the best approach if you wash it thoroughly. I might wash it in my office, and then observe what good washing can do versus what you are doing; maybe there is a difference just on that level. Our office has good washing facilities for our patient hair washes which we do after all surgeries.

2005-12-19 14:48:162005-12-19 15:21:14Smelly Hair

December 19, 2005

Hair Problems from Bleaching – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am a male and I did a bad job of bleaching my hair and it burned my scalp. When I used the bleach I used it only on the top of my head. The hair on the top of my head seems to be growing slower than the back and sides where I applied the bleach. I am only 18 so can the hair loss be due to the bleach?

It would be unusual for any long term damage from a single bleaching episode on your hair. Assuming that you wait a year or so, everything should resolve. Make sure that you do not have male genetic hair loss, by getting your head mapped out for minaturization. If you do have genetic hair loss, thinning could have been precipitated by the bleaching and proper medications may be in order (like Propecia). Get a good doctor to evaluate you.

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December 19, 2005

Hair Loss at 19 from Vitamin Imbalance? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi, i first noticed that my hair was thinning when i was 17. Around the same time, i got this weird rash on the back of my head due to poorly cleaned clippers at a barber shop. Now i’m 19 and it’s really noticable that i am going bald. I can now see my scalp and my hair line has receded at least an inch and a half. I am very young. I believe it has to be a vitamin inbalance. Right now i’m taking ULTRA HAIR, which is filled with Biotin. I’m too scared to take rogaine or propecia, becuase i read that propecia can stop a man’s erection. What should i do? Who should i talk to? And do you think the rash has something to do with all this? The rash is still there. Thank you

If you review the Age category of this blog, you will learn that 17 year olds can get male pattern genetic hair loss. Assuming that you are male and receding, that is the most probable diagnosis. You need to get a diagnosis; you should have your head mapped out for miniaturization and attempt to get proper control of the hair loss with a drug like Propecia. If you have lost the first 1 1/2 inches of hair line, then you will go bald if you do not take a real proper action and get control of your hair loss. Playing with vitamins when you are losing your hair like you described, is like looking for fleas when a herd of elephants are chasing you. You should be running for you ‘life’ (and by that, I mean ‘hair’).

Propecia side effects have been covered on this site before: here, here, here, and here.

December 19, 2005

Good Scalp Shampoo? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

hey doctor, what would you suggest as a good shampoo to use with thinning hair, i am currently using rogaine and have been using the loreal hair thickiner shampoo with it, is there something better out there for the scalp, thanks

I do not recommend one shampoo over another. I generally experiment with many before I find something that feels right for me. As I do not believe that shampoos can bring back the hair, the value is in the styling and looks that the shampoo gives you.

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December 16, 2005

Size of Miniaturized Hairs – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi there,
I have read your explanation of hair miniaturization, and have a question. I am a 30 year old female and I am experiencing hair loss. My hair loss seems to be diffused, with areas that are worse which are my hairline, as well as the crown (alot of my scalp can be seen at the crown). I have been obsessively reading about it on the internet and have found it helpful but confusing information. Anyways, back to the question. I have alot of miniaturization hairs throughout my hair. By alot I mean alot, they stick up everywhere. Do these hairs every stay at a certain size, or do they always end up being very small and thin? Some of mine are extremely thin, and others are thicker. Thanks in advance

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This is a good and insightful question. The general belief is that miniaturized hairs are impacted by hormone and genetic influences. As some hair is impacted and others are not, I would think that the impacted hairs (the miniaturized hairs) remain impacted and thin, unless things change like hormone balance, or the effects of medications such as Rogaine/minoxidil. As no one has ever actually tracked a single hair in a follicular group when cycling occurs (anogen through catogen phases), one really can not tell the actual answer to this question other than make a good guess (like I am doing here).

Follicular units usually contain a number of hairs. Mature healthy hairs are called ‘Terminal Hairs’ while the small hairs in a follicular unit are called ‘Vellus Hairs’. Miniaturizated hairs are thought to be ‘sick’ terminal hairs, not vellus hairs. Does a terminal hair become a vellus hair or visa versa? I doubt that, but do not know for sure. Do the hairs in a follicular unit play musical chairs (opps hairs) and change their appearance over time in a single hair cycle? I can have fun with these types of questions, but that is my intellectual exercising of random thoughts that you stimulated have no particular value to help you with your question.