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Hair Loss InformationAny Hair Cloning Update Yet??? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am a 42 year old woman. I have androgenetic alopecia. Its diffuse but now its getting see-through right in the front. What I need is hair cloning because I probably don’t have reliable donor hair from the back. Do you have any suggestions of how I could add more hair to my hairline especially. Is hair cloning getting any closer for all of us. I would appreciate any advice you could give me.
Thank You.

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I recently had a conversation with my associate Dr. Robert Bernstein, who in turn spoke to the most prominent hair cloning expert in the world today, Dr. Angela Christiano. The gist of their conversation was that there is nothing new on the horizon at this time that has changed the prospects for hair cloning anytime soon.

Please see our fairly extensive coverage from the past few months in the Hair Cloning category.

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Hair Loss InformationDeformed Hair Plugs – I Just Want to Be Bald – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have been mutilated by your hair transplant community and I am angry as hell about it. It has forced me to modify my life to address the deformities of my hair, so I do not and can not have a normal life. I have lived in hats and closets for years, and now I just want to go bald and look bald. How do I do that? I have scars on the back of my head that is wide and long (5 of them), holes in the back of my head from the first surgeon who drilled them out before the second surgeon cut them out, I have pits in my head in the front and top and my hair line looks like a Frankenstein movie part that am auditioning for.

I was told about FUE-extraction but I know that it will lead to more scars. Another doctor told me to do a second step would be to do a scar revision as well, but with than number of scars, I really can not imagine that this can be done. I want to shave my head every day and want my head to be smooth. I have very little money and that makes the problem worse.

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There are many things you could do to come out of the ‘closet’ that you are forced to live in. Technology and your decisions processes of ‘old’ (many years ago I suspect) meant that you made decisions at the time that were not wise in hindsight. You can and should get out of your situation and with today’s technology, you probably can.

I am sorry to say, but your plan may just get you in a worse situation than you have now. Scar revisions can be done but you will need to camouflage the new scars (which you will have) with longer hair. There are lots of tricks to make the scars better, like a trychophytic incision which allows hair to grow up from the scar from the edges, but no single solution short of FUE (at the proper time) can address the tendency for scars to widen. Dr. Nordstrom in Helsinki has developed a special suture to address these scars and he is a reputable surgeon, but you have many scars, so that this approach is not a good one unless you get it down to a single scar. Balloon expansion of your scalp, where you will look very bizarre for up to 3 months as your head is expanded to the size of a soccer ball, can deal with the multiple scars, reducing them into a single scar with reasonably assurance of success hopefully achieving only a single small scar is a reasonable approach for multiple scars in the donor area. With the pitting you describe, the scars and the progressive hair loss, adding dermabrasion will be a disaster producing still another set of problems, more than you need.

The key here is to establish reasonable goals with a good surgeon who has lots of experience dealing with people in your situation. I think that your goal should not be to shave your head or to restore you to a hairy man, but to restore you to a normal looking balding male without a freaky, man-made look. With a frame built to your face that is normal looking, and the plugs removed, camouflaged, and properly dealt with, you can achieve this goal. Trying to go bald with what you tell me you look like, will make the scars obvious. A hair system (wig) could be considered as well, though I generally recommend to stay away from those for a variety of reasons.

Be careful not to step off another cliff. You have a bad problem, but if you look at our war stories (see Dean’s Story link below), you might realize that others have been there and fixed that under my care. Get a good doctor first, bond with him/her and then develop a plan that you can afford and live with. Then stick to it.

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Hair Loss InformationFUE / FIT – Minimally Invasive Hair Transplants – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Dr Rassman,
Firstly I would like to congratulate you on this website. Its very helpful. I am due to have a FUE transplant (1000 follicles) next month at DHI in Athens. I have read your comments relating to DHI and the importance of a good surgeon.

I know that you normally refrain from doing this but I would really appreciate it if you could please recommend a paticular doctor (whose work you know of) at DHI. I am really freaking out now about getting an incompetent surgeon working on me. I realy dont want to make a wrong decision. I will not dislose your recommendation in any way at all to anybody. Thank you.

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I do not know any of the doctors at DHI, so unfortunately I can not help you with that. I am told that they have switched completely to FUE and away from strip harvesting. Frankly, that makes me nervous, because of the complete absence of biopsies to qualify patients. DHI was taught by Dr. Cole, who calls his procedure Follicular Isolation Technique (FIT), which is a sub-set of what I call FUE. Dr. Cole, along with DHI, tell me that 100% of patients qualify. The FUE techniques are a series of processes that are fine tuned in each patient, as each process works uniquely in different patients. Dr. Robert Bernstein and I just wrote a chapter in a new text book on this very subject (due to be published shortly). FUE is an intricate process that requires a series of approaches, each matched to the patient’s tissue characteristics. Last week, for example, I performed an FUE procedure and prior to that procedure on an earlier visit, I used four different methods to optimize the process. One tool worked consistently at 100%, while others methods had failure rates in the same patient ranging from 90-20%. At the time of the surgery, the actual success rate was 88% based upon hair counts. For this very reason, I am absolutely convinced that biopsies are needed to qualify patients and match the techniques that work on that patient prior to the actual FUE surgery. On a few patients, FUE surgery is either not possible or so inefficient (taking a few hours per hundred grafts harvested) to make the process not a reasonable alternative to strip harvesting. Depending upon the technique used, patient eligibility ranges from as high as 95% of all patients in some doctor’s hands (very few doctors fit into this category and this group includes those patients who may not be efficiently harvested) to less than 30% in others.

What bothers me is that some doctors have a loose definition of FUE success. Some doctors may classify 100% success as his/her ability to extract at least one hair in an FUE graft. That does not cut it for me, because I classify success by hair count. That means that if a 3 hair graft was excised with FUE, some doctors would call a single hair extracted and two hairs killed off as 100% success while I would call it 33% success (actually this does not quantify the loss of hair, the negative value of hair that is lost forever). Probe the doctor’s definitions here and get an accurate count of what he did when he does the procedure, as you are entitled to that as part of your medical record. If the doctor does not give it to you or tells you that it does not matter, run for the hills. It may sound like technical talk, but the realities of what you get and what you pay for and what is destroyed by the process all come into the value equation. Again, as I always say, let the buyer beware!

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Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

My daughter is 21 and has had thinning hair for the past 3-4 years. She was diagnosed 18 months ago with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and was placed on a daily dose of Actos to help control her insulin levels. Her hair loss seems to have accelerated since being on the medication. This is very alarming for her. Is her POS causing this or her Actos? Is there anything she can do to reverse it, slow it down or stop it?

PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) is a well known cause of hair loss. It reflects some extra male hormone production (all women make testosterone and androgens) which tends to grow hair on the face and take it off of the head in those with the gene that produces genetic hair loss, like male patterned balding. Your daughter needs to be evaluated by a good doctor in the hair loss field (like me or a good dermatologist) who can evaluate the type of hair loss she is experiencing. First, her scalp needs to be diagnosed with the form of hair loss (for miniaturization) and then her endocrinologist should get involved. There may be a role for 5 alpha reductase blockers, but I would want her doctor to work with the hair expert on this management process. I’ve posted previously about PCOS on this blog; see Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

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Female Hair Loss After Braids – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

HI, Dr. Rassman, I am an 18 years old female and I used to wear braids on and off for long periods during my life. This past June I decided to take them out to grow out my own hair. I started going to a hair dresser faithfully every 2 or 3 weeks and saw much improvement. Also during that time I started taking OTC diet pills and after a couple of visits to the hair dresser i noticed in August that i was losing hair below my crown. My hair dresser told me it might have been the stress of the braids that made the hair in that area stop growing and it was now regaining its strength. Since then, the area has grown and spread to the left side of my head. I am not sure if i should call these areas bald spots because there is still hair there, they are just very short compared to all the other areas. The temples, the back portion of my head, the top crown, and right side of my head still have all of its hair and i have not noticed any thinning. I am not sure why this is happening and need some advice on what steps I can take to grow back the hair in these areas.

Let the hair grow out for another 6 months and then make a proper assessment with a good doctor who understands hair. A good baseline also is a good idea just to have a measurement for the progress that you would expect to see and to rule out other problems. The differential diagnosis includes traction alopecia, female hair loss, and the huge variety of medical and scalp conditions that are discussed in previous blog posts (see Female Hair Loss category). A baseline assessment would include a full mapping of your head for miniaturization, which would then be remapped at about 6-8 months from now.

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

Hiya, I am a 35 year old female and heartbroken. January of this year my hair changed from healthy, quite greasy really, to dry as a bone and unmanageable. Getting worse at every wash, dryer and dryer. Had all the tests done by my gp. Hormone, thyroid, everything was ok. Now my hair pulls out with the gentlest of brushing, snaps in my hands, and my scalp is showing on my part. My fringe has shriveled to nothing and my hair looks like it has been burnt mainly at the front. I have developed a receding hair line in a classic M shape, and have thick black hairs that seem to just grow everywere all over my head. The texture is that of pubic hair. My hair no longer feels like hair, it is so dry when i touch my scalp it crunches. I have conditioner on it, but nothing seems to help. I have started taking vitamins and my hair feels like it is coated with a sticky dry residue now. Seems to be able to help. I am not a vain person, I am nothing special, but to see myself like this is breaking my heart. Please can you offer some idea as to what the problem is? I am spending hours just sitting in front of the mirror in tears. I no longer recognise the person looking back any more. My marriage is suffering and i am finding it difficult to go out. I feel like everyone is looking at me. My self image is on the floor. Please please can you give any ideas as to what the problem is? My hair seems to be shrinking, not growing, apart from the back which seems to be unaffected. So far you are my last hope. Please please can you help?

This is not something that I can manage over the phone or through an email. You need to be managed by a competent doctor and possibly a good/great hair stylist for the topical management of the fragile hair. Please, find the appropriate people to look after you. Do not become your own doctor or hair specialist. I would suggest using the ISHRS site as a good place to search for a local doctor.

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I’m 21 and Balding – What To Do? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Sir:
I’m 21 years old , i’m suffering from hair loss , its not that much till now but i have a feeling that if i just ignored it , it will be very bad later , & i realy care sooooooooooo much about my Look. So please tell me what can i do , Do you prefer surgery for me , or Drugs ( if yes mention one ) i used to use REGAIN EXTRA STRAINGTH . but i stopped. because i wanted a faster solution . please reply as soon as possible . thanks so much

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It is very difficult to evaluate hair loss without at least pictures, and an in personal consultation is better. I don’t recommend hair transplantation as the first option to solve your balding problem. First, you would have to be evaluated to map out your hair loss as it progresses by determining the degree of miniaturization that is in every part of your scalp. Then, providing you are a male, I would likely have you on Propecia for a year or so, then reassess the miniaturization and your observable pattern of hair loss (if any) or reversal of hair loss. From there, transplantation might be right for you, but only an in-person evaluation will be able to determine this. If you’d like to email photos to me, please use the email address on the contact page.

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Very Short Celebrity Hair Style – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi, I am just wondering, I am balding and I want to get a short haircut just like the actor Jason Statham, what number do you think he takes when he buzzes his hair? Thank you very much. All the Best

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Here’s a photo of Jason Statham I found on IMDB, for those that are interested in who we’re referring to. I don’t know the particular number clipper that he uses, but I’d suggest that you buzz your hair with a high number first (try a 6), then go one level down at a time until you get the look you want. This way you will not overdo it and lose your chance at your short haircut goal. If I had to estimate though, I’d say that he probably uses a #2 setting (just quess work).

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Waxing Transplanted Hair – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

HI,
I am about a #7 on the baldness scale and I have about 200 (2-3 hair) plugs on the front hairline. I now want to go bald and was considering waxing (although painful) in the plug area. (There is nothing really wrong with my transplant, I just like the bald look better on me). My question: Will waxing do any damage to this area or the plugs themselves? Your advise is greatly appreciated.

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Waxing may eventually produce traction alopecia and as such, it may in the longer term cause these ‘waxed’ hairs to fall out. If the plugs are really plugs in the old doll’s head view, there are better options including excision, FUE extraction, and laser hair removal. The problem with the doll’s head plugs is that there is often skin changes associated with them, such as cobblestoning and depigmentation, which may stand out if you go bald. Take a look at our newhair.com site and search for “plug” to see and learn much from the many pages of information on this subject.

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Hair Loss InformationParkinson’s and Hair Loss in Women – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi
At 40 I got hypothyroidism.The 4 last the labs have come out normal. At 46 I got Parkinsons. Both my neurologist and endocrinologist say my hair fallout is not a result of the health issues I describe. It is getting really thin unlike any of the women in my family we all have thick hair.
Do you think the MD’s are being frank or easing me into the tuffer problems of the Parkinsons. Does your hair product work on women.

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I believe that your physicians are being honest and open with you. There has been no published data that associates hair loss to Parkinson’s Disease. As stress is one of the factors that can accelerate genetic hair loss, it is possible that stress can be a participating cause if you are genetically prone. I would think that Parkinson’s Disease must certainly be a significant cause of stress in anyone who has it.

With that said, thyroid disease may cause hair loss, especially hypothyroidism more than hyperthyroidism, but either one has reported hair loss. It might be worthwhile to rule out other causes for hair loss such as alopecia areata, androgenic alopecia, stress associated with female genetic hair loss, some of the drugs you were or are on, eczema, seborrhea, scleroderma, lupus, hormonal imbalance, psoriasis, fungal, autoimmnune disorders, poor diet, poor nutrients, etc. The common medications which may cause hair loss are beta-blocker, coumadin, oral contraceptive pill, antibiotics and chemo-medications. For female patients, Women’s Rogaine is the best option. Male patients may use Rogaine and/or Propecia.