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Hair Loss InformationPost-Operative Care and Scalp Flaking – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr. Rassman, I think you are running a brilliant blog. After reading several posts, I am encouraged to share my own views and ask a question. I recently got a FUE megasession done in Europe and am pleased with the results, atleast till now (just 2 weeks post-op). While going through this website, I personally felt that it would be a great idea to start a new category called ‘Post-Operative Care’ since I am going through this phase myself and can feel the need to interact with others out there on the topic. Don’t worry, I don’t think it will scare away any prospective patients. It will only lend credibility to the transplant procedure.

On that note, I also have a question. I am using Minoxidil 5% to help with the growth of new hair. But my scalp in the recipient area shows considerable dryness / development of flakes when the scalp is dry. I was recommended to apply a hydrating lotion on the scalp. Would you agree with this advice and can you recommned a good hydrating cream /lotion meant for hair?

Thanks in advance.

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Thanks for your kind words and for the new category idea. I’ll add a Post-Operative category now.

The results of the FUE will take 5-8 months to show, so then and only then, will you know the value of what you had done. Minoxidil does cause dryness and flaking. Any non-alcoholic creams will work. Also, try a variety of hair conditioners as well. Take risks until you find the right one. Ask your hair dresser, as they may know the best that is available in your country.

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Hair Loss InformationHow Does Dr. Rassman Manage His Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

hi doc, what do you use for your hairloss???? what is your regime??? do you take propecia or proscar and how long you been on it??? and has it stop your hairloss??????? please be specific on what you use… details please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I take Propecia, and that is all I do. Propecia may have stopped the hair loss or it may have stopped by itself (I am 63 years old, so it is not uncommon in a man of my age). I had 3 scalp reductions in 1992 (big mistake) and then 2 hair transplants in 1994 and 1999. I was lucky that the first hair transplant fixed the scarring problem and the second one added bulk to the crown.

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Hair Loss InformationFinasteride vs Hair Cloning – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi, I’m 21 years old and I started thinning about a year ago, primarily on the temples and in the front. I started taking 1 mg of finasteride daily about 8 months ago , and I’ve been using 5% minoxidil. My temples grew back 100% and but I’ve noticed the front is still thinning and I’ve been losing alot of hair in the shower. Is it fair to say that the finasteride isn’t working for me? I don’t know whether to let nature take it’s course and just save my money. Is there a chance that finatseride will start to kick in ? Also do you have any news on the new buzz going around about hair cloning? Is there a possibility that it will be available in the near future?

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You should give Propecia at least 18-24 months to peak out its benefit. When you say it is not working, I assume that you mean you are still losing some hair. The normal hair loss rate is about 100-150 hairs/day and with that comes another new 100-150 hairs that start growing. Could it be that Propecia reduced the rate of loss and because it is still negative, you are assuming that it is not working? Whatever you do, I strongly feel that you should stay on the drug for the full 2 years. As you have indicated that you are in Los Angeles, you should be under a doctor’s management here. We can be reached at 800-NEW-HAIR if you’d like to set up a free consultation.

Hair cloning is not coming down the short-term highway. Maybe we will see hair cloning in 5-10 years in the research stage, but for someone of your age, you have to surround your problem well before that process is on the short term horizon. For more hair cloning posts, please see the Hair Cloning category.

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Confusing Information on Propecia – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

IT is funny how you waffle and change your mind on what propecia can do. I don’t understand you sometimes ..you are confusing.. sometimes you say propecia will stop hair loss and sometimes you say it just slows it down. Take a look at your blog and it is all over on how you say one thing and then another.. please look at what you wrote many different people… you use stop and slow as if they mean the same thing… thanks

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Propecia can stop hair loss, reverse hair loss and slow the hair loss process. It really depends upon the person, where they are in their hair loss process, and the expression status of the person’s genes (add to this a large group of unknowns that will become evident from researchers over time).

Sorry if I am confusing you. I write so much to handle each person’s agenda and what I write can be colored by the patient’s interpretation and the way I perceived the questions given me.

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Healthier Hair – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

My six year old daughter, had kidney reflux and a UPJ obstruction at birth, both have been surgically corrected. Her hair is shoulder length and has been for three years. I trim it regulary and it remains extremely dry and barely grows. Her hair does come out fairly easy when brushed or pulled (by her brothers). She really wants her hair to grow and I would love to know how I can make it more healthy and have peace of mind that nothing is medically wrong. I would appreciate your time and assistance. Thank you

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Hair loss can be caused by stress (physical and emotional), malnutrition, and multiple surgeries. Brittle hair can be treated with more gentle handling as brisk brushing can pull out or break the fragile hairs. Make sure that your daughter’s diet allows her to get all the nutrients that she needs. It is normal to lose around 100 hairs per day. The length of her hair indicates (assuming that hair grows 1/2 inch per month) that her hair cycle may be as short as 2 years (assuming 12 inch length of her hair) and each hair that falls out gets replaced by another one that starts to grow from ‘scratch’. Everyone has their own hair cycle, which usually ranges from 2 – 6 years. I would expect that as she gets older, the cycle length will change (probably get longer which may mean that the hair will grow out longer as well).

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Propecia for Middle Aged Men – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Dr Rassman,
I am 43 years old and am suffering from moderate hair loss since more than one year.
My dermatologist said that I am too old to take Propecia because the clinical studies were conducted in men between 18 to 41 years. But Minoxidil (5%) caused me skin irritations. Is that right or is Propecia also effective for men older than 41? And what about the long term side effects of Propecia? Many thanks in advance for your help. Kindly regards.

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I believe that you will still benefit from using Propecia, which works well in early hair loss, somewhat independent of age. You should take a photo of your head and start Propecia, but first you should get a hair expert to measure miniaturization status throughout the scalp so that a good baseline is established and progress can be measured over time. Then 8 months later, you can evaluate if the medication works or not. Of note, no further hair loss or some growth are good signs that Propecia is working in addition to the scientific evidence you will get from the measurements.

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Propecia with Hyperthyroid – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Good day Sir, I would like to ask if you can recommend propecia to me, despite of having hyperthyroid and heart problem.thanks and god bless

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I would doubt that there is a problem with Propecia use, providing that you have dealt successfully with the treatment of your thyroid problem. You need to see a doctor and have a full examination of your scalp. Confirmation of the diagnosis is critical before I would write a prescription.

As thyroid problems are a common cause of hair loss, I think this is an informative page for those intertested in learning more about thyroid disease: Hyperthyroidism.

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Hair Loss InformationProCede – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

What have you heard about Procede? Just saw a commercial for it today.

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ProCede appears to be a range of products to:

  1. thicken the hair
  2. darken the scalp
  3. shampoo, condition, etc

The pictures on the product’s official site are clearly the results of a scalp darkening agent (a type of powder or paint). There is a suggestion on their site that it may regrow hair, but I sincerely doubt it. It may be a better shampoo, or a better hair thickener, or better scalp coloring agent, but your guess is as good as mine would be. They do state on their official site that ProCede can give the “appearance of a healthy, thicker, fuller hair shaft”, and that it is a cosmetic product. There does not seem to be anything new here.

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Mederma – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I just had a transplant (3000 units) what is now about 3 months ago for my frontal hairline and is seems to all be coming in very quickly so no problems there. I have very fair skin and have been using “Mederma” for the donor scar on the BACK which is helping fade it considerably. However in the recipient area on the FRONT of my scalp is still discolored with a notable textural change and color (reddish) from the operation (again, I have very fair skin). Sure – my goal here is both new hair (which eventually will cover much of it) but also not to have a discolored or red scalp underneath. so my question is: would using mederma to help fade the redness in the FRONT interfere with the new hair growth?
please let me know asap

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Those people with fair skin sometimes get unusual redness. This is often initially caused by histamine release at the wound level that is causing increased and persistent redness. It is best treated with topical steroids, like Hydrocortisone cream (limit use for 3-4 days so that you do not absorb massive amounts of it in your system). Please note that if you are a professional sports person, the steroids will show up in a blood test.

In searching the internet, I found the following statement: “Mederma is a gel that contains an onion extract which is thought to be the active moiety. It can be used on all types of scars including: surgical, burns, stretch marks, acne, and old or existing scars. It should be applied 3-4 times daily for 2-6 months depending on the type of scar. The data available are conflicting as to the effectiveness of Mederma in reducing the size and quality of the ultimate scar. The question still remains whether the act of massage or the onion extract contained in Mederma will decrease the appearance of unsightly scars.”

That being said, I have no personal experience with Mederma.

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Maturing Hairline at Age 21 – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi there. I’ve browsed around your site a little bit, and I’ve found some interesting information. However, to be honest, I am even MORE paranoid now about losing my hair! I am 21 years old, and I have always had a full head of thick hair. But within the past year I’ve noticed my forehead getting larger…or, as you’ve already deciphered, my hairline receeding. Nobody I know has noticed it because my hair is long, and its more on one side than the other. It is at the very beginning stages of receeding, but I wanted to see what kind of advice you had for me at THIS point. Should I already start taking propecia at 21? My dad and my grandfather on my mother’s side both have full heads of hair, but my mom’s brothers and my brother are balding. Are there any type of topical creams that are known to work at ALL??? or is it all just a waste of time and money?
Thanks for your time

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Panic will not be productive. If you have a problem, you need to get a diagnosis in hand by a competent doctor and then you respond properly. A rising hairline does not mean that you are balding, as you may be transitioning to a mature hairline, which by its nature causes the hairline to rise about 1/2 to 3/4 inch from its childhood location. Whether you have genetic balding in your family or not, males develop a higher hairline between the ages of 17-29 (on average). This gives them that “distinguished” look that younger women talk about being attractive. This is normal (and actually desirable) and is not anything to be concerned about.

You should see a doctor and have a good microscopic evaluation of the scalp. If you only have a maturing hairline in transition, then there will be no miniaturization in the remaining parts of your scalp. Take charge, get a good doctor and find out if there is a problem before you jump to do something that you may regret.