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Can Someone Control DHT? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

HI DR. RASSMAN, I have a question for you…. you say propecia slows the hairloss, but mphl still progresses. I would like to know why the radio show host Spencer Kobren (The Bald Truth) has been able to stop his hair loss for 11 yrs now. Is he from another planet, or someone very special because he say that DHT is scared of him???? I mean you say the studies on merck site show hairloss continues even on the drug but yet I know Spencer has stop his hairloss. I think you might be reading that propecia curve wrong. I believe that when you start taking propecia you ” SHOCK THE SYSTEM” and you hairs go into a angen phase so appears like more hair is growing in the first 2 yrs but are hair does not stay in that phase forever . The hair on our head is not all in sync at the same time. I would also like to point out that the graph shows hair that was grow from vellus hair and does not count the hair that was maintain.. like the the terminal hair. That means at 5 yrs you will have 277 more hairs then when you started but what about all the hair you maintained. There is a difference between maintenance and the growing of lost hair. He has kept his so I think that proves his point, don’t you? DO I make sense..

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What you’re saying is speculation based upon little fact. You are confusing things like vellus hair and miniaturized hair. The vellus hair is in each follicular unit (with or without balding present) and miniaturized hair is hair that is impacted by the genetic balding process. All hair goes into anogen, the longest part of its growing cycle and it may last years. You are implying that vellus hairs grow into normal hair on Propcia, but that is not a fact that I am aware of. One can not put all of the pieces together the way you did. The fact that Spencer did not lose his hair may have been in his genetic cards, and certainly not because he “scared” his DHT away. I would not say that former President Bill Clinton “mastered” keeping his hair or that he “frightened” his DHT, even with the Pentagon behind him. Sorry, but I have little to add.

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Doctor Recommendation in Turkey? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello doctor. I was wondering if you knew any good doctors in Turkey. I live in turkey and it would cost me alot to travel to the united states. I was wondering if you knew any doctors with a good clinic and staff..

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It is important to read as much as you can about hair transplantation. Know the different types of techniques and know what the standard of care should be. Our website, www.newhair.com, has a tremendous amount of educational material for you to review. Then look up the list of doctors in Turkey on the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery. I do not have any personal recommendations for Turkey, but ISHRS is a good place to check. See if any of the doctors have websites that detail the type of procedures they do. You’ll want to find a doctor that at the minimum does ‘state of the art, follicular unit transplantation’, and has their staff use microscopes for graft dissection. See if they post patient photos of their results or allow you to meet their patients to show examples of their work. After you have narrowed down your list, make consult appointments with the doctors, try and see their patient results in person, tour their facility, ask questions, and get as many recommendations that you can. Find a doctor that you feel comfortable with, and one that gives you the best plan for your hair loss treatment. If you have access to a digital camera and would like me to also give you a diagnosis, email them to me and I will review them.

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15 Year Old Female with High Hairline – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Im fifteen years old with a weird high hairline. It is goes into an ‘n’ shape like my hairline is receding. I’ve been made fun so much and I need to find a surgery quick!

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There is never a ‘quick’ answer for a 15 year old. If you are like my daughter was in her teens, yesterday is never soon enough, but if you have a high hairline, it can be treated (see previous blog answer on this subject in High Hairlines in Women). If you bring your parents in to a competent plastic surgeon’s office or a hair specialist like me, we can discuss what can and should be done to deal with your concerns. At the same time, a specialist’s opinion is valuable in itself.

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Hair Loss From Poor Nutrition? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

my hair is falling out dramatically. i have suffered very poor nutrition and stress along with some drug use. what should i eat, take, and/or do to stop the loss?

The reason that we do not see hair loss from dietary causes in the United States is because we are well nourished and generally without vitamin deficiencies. In your situation, with a history of poor nutrition and stress, these alone can cause hair loss. To correct this, a proper diet should be followed with a professional dietician. If your hair loss has a pattern to it (front, top, or crown), it may be genetic — in which case, Propecia combined with a good diet correction might be your best bet. If the loss is generalized, the malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies (as well as other causes of this) must be properly investigated and professionally treated.

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Am I a Female Hair Transplant Candidate? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have MPB running rampant in my family. I am a 42 yr old female who is experiencing diffuse shedding mostly in the summer months. It seems to let up after that. I have noticed an overall change in texture from when I was in my 20’s & 30’s and also it’s not as thick (# of hairs total) by maybe 25% or so.

I heard females weren’t as good of candidates as men since the thinning is diffuse therefore hair taken from a donor site might also thin eventually. That said, what female would be a good candidate for transplantation if any? I’m not a supporter of any drug. Your comments & info?

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Humans as a general rule, have asynchronous hair loss (not tied to seasonality) but that rule could vary for you. Hair transplants in women should be confined to women who have a healthy donor area (enough to supply the need), localized hair thinning or loss, or those that have hair loss from other causes such as traction alopecia (common in black women who had their hair pulled very tight when they were children), hair loss from cosmetic surgery, etc…

You need to have a doctor who is ethical and can judge the value of a hair transplant for you. I generally do not recommend hair transplants for about 80% of women because they do not fulfill the above criteria. What is important to me is that if I recommend a transplant, then I would want the patient to be happy and meet realistic expectations. It is the doctor’s responsibility to set those expectations properly.

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Transplants Growing In (with Photos) – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

A picture is worth 1000 words, and this nice patient of mine agreed to share his 4 month growth with everyone on this site. His business colleagues watch him daily and with the gradual growth of the transplanted hair, nobody has noticed anything unusual over these past 4 months. In the coming months, the hair will continue to grow and thicken, but because I’ve received quite a few emails asking what a transplant looks like as it grows in, I wanted to show this patient.

The “before” photo on the left was taken in May, and his “after” photo on the right was taken in September. He had 2,189 grafts transplanted. Please remember, this is only 4 months after the procedure and some of the hair has grown while other areas look like he is balding. Slowly over the next few months, the open areas will fill in continuing the gradual transition from a bald front to a non-balding frontal view. While it is growing in, if notice at all, it will look like the patient is losing hair, but day by day and week by week, the patient will be looking less thin. After 8 months, one can expect 80% of the growth and in 12 months, this patient will have over 90% of the results visible.

For more information about the post-op timeline, please see Post-Op Course in Follicular Unit Transplantation.



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Crown Transplants or Propecia? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Here is an example of a patient of ours who refused to take Propecia, but had 2,027 grafts transplanted in 2001. He had a remarkable change from the transplant, even filling in some of the upper part of the crown. At his recent visit a few days ago, I suggested again, that he try Propecia before undergoing a hair transplant, even though his results from the single procedure he had was remarkable. Much of the original hair in the upper crown that he had a few years ago, fell out. But even if the transplants still saved the day, he may have avoided the loss with Propecia.

Why would I suggest Propecia rather than transplants? First, I tell my patients that I make my living doing transplants, so if I recommend the drug approach rather than a transplant, I must be thinking of something other than the money I might make from the transplant. The answer should be obvious to the readers. I care about what is best for the patient. The drug, in many patients, will postpone or make transplants unnecessary. If this man succeeds at regrowing hair in the crown with Propecia, he will avoid surgery, saving money and donor hair for some time down the road when/if he might need it. A doctor should always put his patient’s interest first and foremost and if this young man was my son, that is what I would recommend for him. If the drug does not work, then a transplant is a reasonable option. He should wait for 8 months before facing that decision again. He was very appreciative.

Below: His “before” photo in 2001 is on the left, and “after” photo in 2005 is on the right.



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Prednisone and Hair Loss in Women, Follow Up – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi,
I am currently on prednisone and have been taking 40 mg for many months now on 30mg. I was told by my doctor that my hair loss, since July, is due to the meds. But, it is stated here in the site that this drug only impacts men w/hair loss and women. Please clarify this for me. Is there a small percentage that lose hair on this drug ?? I may be on it for a few more months and need to know this. Also if I am correct , if it’s the drug than once off it than hair would grow back and be back fully in a yr or so ??
thanks

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Steroids, as you said, do precipitate hair loss in men. Women also have some male hormones, so I would suspect that there could be some association with hair loss in your situation. The reality is that you need them for medical purposes. Women rarely have permanent hair loss and usually reverse once the offending problem that created it is gone. That goes for stress, cancer drugs, and other types of processes that precipitate hair loss in women.

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Hair Loss InformationAnother Steroids and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I took a steroid and my hair is falling out. I stopped it in about a month, but it is still falling out. I have been on Propecia for a few years so I thought that would protect me. What will happen to me? Have I messed up my hair?

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You probably precipitated what we call a telogen effluvium, which can be caused by steroid use. Once this begins there is nothing that will reverse it until it goes its course. I always tell my patients that although Propecia may protect you somewhat, it is not a sure thing when you take steroids. I would strongly suggest that you continue with the Propecia. As the hair loss may take months to go its course, stay on the Propecia and wait it out. See your hair doctor as well, so that good baselines can be taken to compare with what will evolve over time. By having measurements to compare, at least you will know when the process has stopped, when it reverses, and what to expect. Advise your friends not to do what you did, so that you can help someone else avoid the problem you had.

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Hair Loss InformationAnother Hair Loss Following Pregnancy – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have experenced hair loss after each one of my pregnecies. I have three kids,while I was pregnant my hair was fine. I have seeked medical advise, I was told stop having kids. Can you tell me if hair loss after pegnancy will ever correct itself, in other words will it grow back?

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Some doctor’s amaze me with ridiculous comments like, “Stop having kids”. Hair loss with pregnancy is common and most women who experience it, like you, will see the process reverse within the first year after birth of the child. Have as many kids as you want. The hair loss, unfortulately, may recur with each pregnancy on a non-permanent basis, unless you have genetic female balding.

I answered a similar question about a week ago, found here.