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Avodart for Androgenic Alopecia? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr Rassman

Do you know for certain if GSK has dropped the idea of continuing Avodart studies for androgenic alopecia?

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I can not speak for Glaxo Smith Kline, a pharmacuetical company, as to their official or unofficial plans for the drug Avodart. They manufacture Avodart for prostate disease as the most powerful and most effective DHT blocker. In theory, it should work better than Propecia, but without a committment by this drug company to bring it to market as a hair loss drug, the FDA will not allow it to be sold for hair loss.

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Hair Loss InformationFUE Harvesting Limit? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

What is the approximate limit for FUE harvesting, e.g. at what point does taking out individual grafts one at a time start to noticeably thin the hair in the back?

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The answer here varies with the many attributes of hair that include:

  1. density
  2. hair thickness
  3. hair character / texture
  4. hair color and contrast to skin

You can use possibly 90% of the donor hair if your characteristics from the above are good. If they aren’t, the actual number may be well below 50% of the donor hair before you start to look noticeably thin. We have had a few patients who have had as many as 25,000 hairs taken from the donor area without any detectability. These were fairly bald men or those who were perfectionist. I recently saw one of these men and even though the original donor density was reduced by significantly more than 50%, the donor area looked good, even under close inspection.

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Diabetic Taking Minoxidil – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am 30year old man having diabetic problem. I have heavy hair loss problem and I would like to take minoxidil..shall i take minoxidil directly.. Will it cause any problem for my blood sugar level.

How about minoxidil? pl, advise me… Is minoxidil is the only solution for regrwoth of the hair? Is there any other pills we can go along with minoxidil to strenthen the hair..

All diabetics should speak with their doctor about the use of any new medication. Minoxidil was originally manufactured for the treatment of high blood pressure in the 1960s. Some people report drops in blood pressure using it for a short time after its use. In a diabetic with vascular or heart disease, such effects can be dangerous.

Propecia, on the other hand, blocks DHT and should have no impact on a diabetic. It also works more reliably than minoxidil, but requires a doctor’s prescription. Don’t be your own doctor. If you are a diabetic, I would guess that you already have a good doctor, so please use him/her.

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Hair Loss InformationRepairing Pluggy Transplant (with Photos) – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

around 1989 at the age of 20 I had a hair transplant , had approx 12 grafts put into each of my temporal areas as I was beginning to notice some receding. These were the old style plugs, my hair has now receded beyond these, so now I pluck hairs from the plugs to prevent the doll hair look. The problem is that the plugs are noticeable, they are hypopigmented, they are relatively smooth and level. What do you recommend? I would prefer to avoid any more transplants. Is there any procedure to give me a more natural appearance? Would dermabrasion work? Could the Relume laser restore the pigmentation? Any and all info would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

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I have written extensively on the issue of repairs and published these writings in a prestigious peer reviewed journal. This publication has become the standard for repair techniques in the field.

What you asked is important to people like you and others. Generally, there are many approaches to the problem. First of all, most people in your situation have lost trust, so trusting another doctor to do surgery on your is often the most difficult step. Even patients who come to me because of my reputation or due to referrals from other repair patients I have helped, come with an ingrained mistrust. There is a reason for the old cliché, “once burned, twice shy.”

With that said, the other problems that you must face are how much time it will take to fix the problem, how many procedures, and how much it will cost. A reasonable goal should be to complete the process in one to three surgical procedures, depending upon how bad the problem is. The third and most important issue that must be considered is the end result – what is the likelihood that the problem will be fixed and gone? To address your questions, I would start by giving you an example of a recent patient I did. This is his second surgery and I would expect that it will be his last with a certainty factor of nearly 100%.

You also have a special problem, with the ‘plugs’ placed in the temples. These are best treated with removal. There are many ways to remove them, but the key is to make sure that the removal process does not leave you with bad scars that are as bad as the plugs.

This patient I am about to show, is a story that is best told by pictures. His problem is similar to yours, without the temple transplants.




Set 1 (above) shows his before picture with the plugs in clear view.




Set 2 (above) shows the shaved version of set one.




Set 3 (above) shows his photographs 6 weeks after the excision surgery that removed two rows of plugs. Note a very fine line reflecting the surgical excision.




Set 4 (above) shows the pictures the day after surgery where 2800 grafts were transplanted into his frontal area. This 2nd surgery with NHI to repair his hairline should be his last. As his final result will not be in, I want to show you another similar patient, whose repair procedure was documented for our website: Dean’s Story.

I know you want to avoid more transplants, but you should think twice about that because this is a well proven technique for repairs and it will get you the normal hair that you always wanted. Any hypopigmentation is dealt with through the excision and fully camouflaged from the transplant. You can, alternatively, remove the plugs either as an excision or through our FUE technique, one hair group at a time. Repigmentation will require more surgery with less certainty in the end result, than the approach I showed above. Dermabrasion does not work because it tends to produce more hypopigmentation. Lasers leave more hypopigmentation as well.

I did note that you are from southern California, therefore a visit to us in our Los Angeles office would be relatively easy. Come to our open house and meet some of these patients yourself. It is a little last minute, but there is an open house tomorrow in LA from 12pm-2pm. That may get you the confidence you need. Keep in mind that my goal is to keep your cost and the number of surgeries down, getting you to look like a normal, hairy person. That, I believe, should be your goal as well.

More repair before and after photos can be found here: Repair Work Photo Gallery Errors: http://baldingblog.com/photos/051007_before1.jpg is not accessible or supported filetype.http://baldingblog.com/photos/051007_before2.jpg is not accessible or supported filetype.http://baldingblog.com/photos/051007_before3.jpg is not accessible or supported filetype.http://baldingblog.com/photos/051007_before4.jpg is not accessible or supported filetype.http://baldingblog.com/photos/051007_before5.jpg is not accessible or supported filetype.http://baldingblog.com/photos/051007_before6.jpg is not accessible or supported filetype.http://baldingblog.com/photos/051007_6wks1.jpg is not accessible or supported filetype.http://baldingblog.com/photos/051007_6wks2.jpg is not accessible or supported filetype.http://baldingblog.com/photos/051007_6wks3.jpg is not accessible or supported filetype.http://baldingblog.com/photos/051007_post1.jpg is not accessible or supported filetype.http://baldingblog.com/photos/051007_post2.jpg is not accessible or supported filetype.http://baldingblog.com/photos/051007_post3.jpg is not accessible or supported filetype.

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Hair Loss 1 Year After Pregnancy – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am 32 years old & had my 3rd child 1 year ago, in August. Approximately 4 years ago I was treated for multiple symptoms of malnutrition from losing too much weight too fast. Ridges in my fingernails, major hairloss, hardened areas under the skin on my face & finally an MRI was ordered for an orange sized induration on my hip- it was negative. I got the issue under control & resolved all of these problems. I gained nearly 100lbs with my last child & now a year later my hair has begun to fall out at an alarming rate. I am not dieting & have slowly lost some weight from the pregnancy but in a healthy way. I take no hormones or birth control & I am not on any other meds. I am also in nursing school clinicals which I started 5 days after the baby came. Would I be more likely to suffer hair loss, having a history of it, than I would normally be, related to stress or diet? With it being a little over a year since the birth, I didn’t attribute it to post-baby hairloss, could it be? Thanks for any advice you may have.

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You have many variables here which are hard to put together. You clearly recognize that hair loss can occur with pregnancy along with malnutrition. You also recognize that pregnancy hair loss often reverses after a year or sometimes two. I would ask for many tests to rule in or out a series of medical conditions such as thyroid disease, which does start post-pregnancy in some women. The relationship with these hormonal diseases can also cause hair loss, particularly when combined with the genetic predisposition for female genetic hair loss.

Be sure that you are evaluated by a good generalist doctor first, then get your hair graded for miniaturization and patterned hair loss. These may fit together to point or narrow down the possible diagnosis. Start with a good, well-trusted doctor who cares about your overall well being.

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Hair Loss InformationBald Spots in Beard – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I recently started getting bald spots in my beard. My guess would be due to bad dieting cause I have a full head of hair and my dad’s beard is still very full at 62. I just pray you can give me some info about how to get this spots to regrow in, cause I love wearing a beard. Thanx for your time!!!

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Bald spots appearing in any hair bearing area may point to alopecia areata. A biopsy done in the hands of a good dermatologist is critical in ruling out this problem. I would recommend that you see a dermatologist, and have them take a look at all of your hair bearing areas, first and foremost. Beyond this suggestion, it is hard to diagnose what the problem may be through the Internet, especially having never seen you.

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Different Races, Different Surgical Hair Loss Treatments – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Do you treat the different races differently when they bald?

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With non-surgical treatment, all races are treated similarly. Each patient who chooses to have surgery requires different treatments based on skin thickness, hair color, hair characteristics and density, and these do vary between the races. For example, the highest hair densities appear in Caucasians, while the lowest densities are in Africans. But because Africans have less color/contrast and better hair character, often that will offset the lower hair counts found. Best to read my book, which talks about this subject (and lots more), which can be found here. The text of the book is downloadable in PDF format, or you can request a free copy of the book by mail — both options are available on that link.

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Proxiphen – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr Rassman,
Can you please comment on the product Proxiphen as compared to plain Minoxidil. Thank you

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Proxiphen is a cream that consists of minoxidil, phenitoine, spironolactone, varied types of SOD, NANO, arginine, allantoine, NAC and more. It contains more than 5% minoxidil (reported to be 5.5%). You asked about comparing Proxiphen to regular Minoxidil, but I can not state the value of the Proxiphen combination of medications, as there are no independent studies to document it. However, there are clearly wonderful endorsements by those that profit from the sales of it.

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Hair Loss, Lasers, Drugs and Transplants – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am undergoing a hair loss treatment. This treatment involves lasers, basically a helmet that shines light on my head to deter DHT. I am somewhat skeptical, but it was the only option that was within my price range at the moment. I am 20 years old; my hair loss is not substantial. I am thinning on the top of my head and the most severe areas are in my hairline and the back of my head. I took this treatment to prevent my hair from thinning anymore. The thinning is not very obvious but I can tell it is still progressing. I wanted to know if transplanting hair from my own head would leave an area in the back of my head that hair will not grow on anymore. I also wanted to know if there are ways of getting transplants from other donors. Lastly, I want to know how much these treatments would cost and how effective the treatment I’m receiving is.

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There is anecdotal evidence in Europe that hair lasers (Low Level Light Therapy / LLLT) increases hair growth. I’ve written about LLLT previously, here. Thinning of the hair in young men often starts off insidiously and gets slowly worse. At the beginning, you might actually lose 50% or more of your hair before you notice it. If you are a platinum blonde, you could lose 85% of your hair before it becomes noticable. The key is to make the diagnosis early and get on the only good, FDA approved DHT blocker that is out there: Propecia. This drug is the best and possibly the only real hope at this point to slow down, stop or reverse the hair loss. In young men, I have seen some wonderful reversals of hair loss. Transplants in a 20 year old without noticable hair loss is NOT something you should pursue at this time. When the donor area is harvested for hair transplants (the back of the head) it does not produce a bald area as you suggested in your question.

Laser treatments can be obtained from those who sell those services. We have a laser in our Los Angeles office, but do not sell the service at this time. I am told that the company that provides the service charges about $3000/year for treatment. Propecia costs range from $55/month to as high as $120/month depending upon the pharmacy you purchase it from. We sell it in our office at $53/month (very close to our cost). Transplants are sold by the graft. These surgical procedure generally cost a few thousand dollars per surgery, but they do last your lifetime. The more transplanted grafts you buy, the higher the fee.

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ScalpMed – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

PLEASE NOTE: I do not sell ScalpMed. I’ve been getting quite a few angry emails from people stating that they feel deceived by this product, that they want their money back, etc — but I have no relationship with ScalpMed’s manufacturers. I can’t help get your money back, nor can I offer much advice about this product. It is not FDA approved and I would not recommend it for that reason alone.

 

Let me begin by letting you know my situation. I am a 22-yr.-old female who has been diagnosed with both AGA and alopecia areata. My dermatologist tried steroid shots in one of the areata spots but they didn’t cause any growth.

That said: this morning I saw an infomercial for a product called “Scalpmed.” I don’t usually give infomercials a second thought, but I thought, what the hey, I’ll ask Dr. Rassman about this one. The product is *supposedly* for women and men, contains the highest FDA-approved dose of minoxidil, and does not cause sexual side effects or dry out the hair or scalp. The website admits that individual results will vary but offers a full refund of the purchase price (less shipping and handling, of course) if one is not satisfied.

Just thought I’d ask if you’ve heard of this, and, more specifically, if you’ve heard of this scorching anyone’s scalp off or anything similar. Don’t worry, I don’t intend to make any rash phone calls 😀

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It took a bit of research and a call to a consultant for FDA issues to answer this question properly. I could not find Scalp Med or Vitadil in the FDA database. The website says, “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.” If this product were FDA approved, the FDA would certainly evaluate the labeling for the product. The second statement is part of the FDA definition of a drug. The second part, “Affects the structure or any function of the body of man” is relevant to the use of this product. It is strange that the first part of the website says it is FDA approved while the second part says the FDA has not evaluated the labeling. This is clearly an inconsistency that indicates that you should take what is claimed here suspiciously.

The website says that “Vitadil-5A and Vitadil-2A are FDA-approved formulas for hair growth.” The company may be saying that they used a formula that had been approved for another company. This is possible. However, a company cannot just copy the formula of an FDA approved product. The company must submit an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) and may be required to do bioequivalence studies before the FDA will approve it for this company. The company also has to meet Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) as well.

I always end such comments suggesting as a consumer you must ‘BEWARE’ and be your own protector. The government can not always enforce its regulations in a timely manner to protect you.