Balding Blog – Page 1905

November 21, 2005

Chronic Thyroiditis and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Dr William Rassman,

I’m a woman and I’m 30 years old. I’ve been losing my hair for 13 months, 150 hairs per day and a lot of them when I wash my hair. They have informed me that I have the telogen effluvium and a miniaturization of my hair. I have no problem with my health and hormones. Only a problem (Hashimoto thyroid), but the TSH is normal. What can I do for that? Can I expect that with the time, the hair loss will be stopped? Have I a risk to become bald? I have a lot of hairs, and 10 years ago I have had the same problem and the hair loss had been stopped 2 years later.

Thanks for your help.

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The connection between Chronic thyroiditis (Hashimoto’s disease) and hair loss has been known for some time. Clearly, your thyroid needs to be under good management, then pulling back and looking at the hair loss under the guidance of a good dermatologist would probably be the best way to command what is going on with your hair. I doubt that you will go bald, and you probably will find that control of the hair loss will be like your last episode years earlier. Women almost never go bald, but they can push thinning at times. If it had reversed before, then you might safely assume that it will reverse to some degree again. The focus, as you so rightly concluded, is to stop/contain the hair loss. Like a chicken and an egg scenario, what came first? Chronic thyroiditis may have layered on top of the female balding genetics in your family line.

November 21, 2005

No Hair Loss – Should I Be Taking Finasteride? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hey Dr Rassman! I’m approaching 23 years old, and have experienced some thinning at the temple area, and also some receding of my hair line. Although i guess this could be my hairline maturing, i’ve bought some folligen cream, Nizioral shampoo, and some proscar as a precaution. Are these products still safe to taken, even though i might not actually be experiencing any irregular hair loss? Just thought i would nip it in the bud so to speak! Thanks for your time!

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First of all, you need a proper diagnosis and that requires a good doctor to assess miniaturization of your scalp. Do not assume anything. Your hair is too important to play Russian Roulette with. You should first know what is happening to you, then discuss the options with a good doctor. Taking Proscar without knowing what is going in is a mistake.

November 21, 2005

Bald for 20 Years – Will Propecia Work? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’m 43 and completely bald except around the side of my head-I can grow hair everywhere on my body except the top of my head-lol! I’m wondering if Rogaine or Propecia has worked on guys that are already bald and I have been since I was 22 or so

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Going on Propecia or Rogaine may help prevent further hair loss, but if your skin is smooth and the depth between the skin and the skull is very shallow (atrophic skin), these medications will probably not cause you to grow hair on your ‘runway’. The reason is that when the supportive blood vessels, fat, muscle, glands and nerve tissue atrophy and die off, there is little to stimulate with these medications. If your hair loss process is stable and meets the above criteria, then there may be no point to medications. If your hair loss is not stable (some small hairs are still there and the scalp is not atrophic) then these medications may help. If your fringe area is dropping , then Propecia may stop its migration downward (to your ears). I doubt that minoxidil will have any impact, but you could try it. Propecia or Rogaine will not strengthen the follicles that have already shriveled up and disappeared, but they may help hold or regrow whatever follicles are left that are in the miniaturized state.

November 21, 2005

Permanent Problems from Propecia? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Doc,
Is anything known about the permanence of the sexual side effects of Propecia? I’m concerned about serious fertility problems if I start using this drug, and I’m skeptical of Merck’s claim that all side effects go away quickly once you stop usage (how would they know? Propecia hasn’t been around that long). I’ve just been browsing comments about Propecia on the web and, from reading about various people’s experiences with it, it’s not so clear to me anymore that this drug won’t cause a permanent problem.

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I’ve written a lot about Propecia on this site. Please do a search for Propecia or Propecia side effects to read my many blog entries about this. Quite simply, if you do not trust the drug company or the FDA, then you should not take the drug. In fact, do not take Propecia or any drug unless you have confidence in the information sources; in this case Merck and the FDA.

November 21, 2005

Will Anesthesia Accelerate Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Doctor Rassman,
I am 26 yr old guy having hair thinning since past 10 months. I recently started on a regimen of propecia and Minoxidil 5% since past 1 month. I plan to have an elective surgery next month which will involve Anesthesia with IV sedation. I am worried this could accelerate my hairloss/ thinning. From what I have read any surgery can cause Temporary hairloss or telogen effluvium more so due to psychological stress than light anesthesia. How true is this ? Does any surgery always result in hairloss ? Will the fact that I will be 2 months on propecia and Minox help or decrease the hairloss/thinning that might be caused because of the surgery ? Please advise whether its too risky to go for surgery as I do not want to mess up with my hair. I have had a surgery (accident fracture) before under general anes. 4 years back and did not notice any hairloss but that was because I was not having any hair issues back then.

If you have genetic hair loss, then any stress (like anesthesia and surgery) can accelerate the hair loss process in a young person. Men are less likely to have this happen and your approach wtih Minoxidil and Propecia should reasonably protect you, as much as possible. I have rarely seen hair loss in men with anesthesia and surgery outside of the scalp, but in women with genetic hair loss it is not uncommon. Many women who lose hair will regrow it, but for the few men that lose it with ongoing genetic hair loss, the return of hair is rare. Your approach seems aggressive and well-timed and would encourage you to continue on that track.

November 21, 2005

Different Hair Characteristics in Transplanted Region – Balding Blog

I had my transplant at NHI 9 montys (2000 grafts to the front). My hair is growing very fast, and looks awesome, except that it is curly, and the rest of my hair is absolutely bone straight. I am growing my new “full” head of hair long and “surfery” looking, but it looks so different with a curly, puffy front, and then the rest is long, flowing and stick straight. Will the front ever be straight? What can be done? I use a hot flat iron every day to try and straighten it.. I know totally why people with curly hair hate humidity and rain…instant frizz. Help.

Hair transplants rarely radically change the character of the hair, but it can happen. In about half of the people when this change occurs, the hair will straighten a bit after going through a hair cycle. I remember one person who had a very radical curly change to his hair after the first surgery. I personally did not like it at all, but he loved it. When he came in for his second transplant, the same thing happened again. It remained very curly and he could not have been happier. Much to my surprise, it lasted through a hair cycle, possibly a bit less curly.

Some people who get changes in hair characteristics, go to a slightly more wavy hair and this change is appreciated in almost every person because it produces ‘body’ for styling that they never had when their hair was very straight. This often reverses in a hair cycle (about 2-6 years), so these benefits may not last.

With regard to your situation, you need to see me personally so that I can review your change in hair character. In addition, unfortunately, you will have to learn to control the hair with relaxers that will allow you to gain better better control of styling. Blow drying and conditioners may help a great deal so that you may not have to use an iron. We should discuss this together. Call my office at 800-NEW-HAIR to schedule a visit.

November 18, 2005

Looking Like Art Garfunkel – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am a 26 year old male, I’ve experienced rather quick hairloss (forehead line receeding, especially in the upper corners) over only 1 and 8 month period. It started when I began to get chest hair growing in. So I assume I’m experiencing genetic MPB due to testosterone changes. Its only getting worse. I’m new to all the drugs and treatments available. What course of action should i take? I dont want to look like Art Garfunkel.

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You have just determined the absolute identifier for reaching the age where DHT kicks in. The appearance of chest hair is the biggest sign that DHT is now working on you. As you get even older you will see nose and ear hair as well; I should know, I am 63 years old. Propecia (finasteride) is a DHT blocker that will slow down the effects of DHT, but will not stop the chest hair completely. It will also probably slow down, stop, or reverse the hair loss. I recommend that you see a doctor and get on that medication. You need to have your hair and scalp analyzed for miniaturization so that good measurements will tell you where you are going to be as the treatment takes hold.

And for those too young to know who Art Garfunkel is, this is the hair style that the question-asker was referring to: Art Garfunkel.

November 18, 2005

Hair Formula 37 – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am 28 y.o. female & have no history of balding in my family, on either side. My aunt has thinning hair, but her hair has always been very thin. I have always had tons of hair. Even hairdressers have commented on this. Within the last year or so, I have noticed that I lose a lot of hair in the shower & now I am worried that my hair is thinning. Could this be a vitamin deficiancy? I have gone online & see vitamin products such as Hair Formula 37 & Viviscal. Do you think these or similar products would be helpful for me? Are there specific vitamins/minerals that aid in hair growth, or are these products marketing scams?

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I have referred to Viviscal in the past and the same answer applies to Hair Formula 57, based on the information I’ve read on their website. You need a good assessment of your hair and scalp for miniaturization to rule out causes of hair loss that can make a proper diagnosis. There is much written on this site for women that addresses this, so I would suggest that you review the Female Hair Loss category for more information.

November 18, 2005

Prozac and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’m 38, just had an HT and plan to have at least one more. Propecia gave me the beginnings of gynecomastia, so I stopped it. Currently I’m using minoxidil and shampooing 2x a week with nizoral, also using a laser comb 2x a week. First of all, is there anything I can add that will help, secondly, you mentioned that lexapro causes hair loss, does prozac also? Are there any SSRI’s that don’t? Will hair grow back once you’re off them? Thanks.

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I think that all SSRI’s can cause hair loss; Prozac can. For men that lose hair from drugs like SSRI’s, the loss is rarely reversible if the patient has genetic hair loss. I would not count on it regrowing. I do not believe that the laser comb really works, but I do not see any negative from using it. the rest of your routine is reasonable and I can’t see any negatives with these either.

My best advice is that you need to see a good doctor who can manage your hair loss with you. I can understand that Propecia is not working for you and the breast side effects are rare, but they do happen. Breast enlargement or painful lumps in a male breast of any size are good reasons to consider stopping Propecia.

November 18, 2005

RK19 – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

What is RK19 and the obvious question: does it really work?

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Again and again, more products reach the market that do not reflect legal claims allowed by the FDA. In my opinion, the pictures on this site are not believable, which makes the site and the claims not believable to me. The pictures appear to have some scalp coloring in the after pictures, which to me appear as if there was an effort to deceive the observer. I may be wrong, but as a clinician, I hold to stringent standards. Everyone wants a magical cure to balding and this certainly does not look like it.