Balding Blog – Page 1931

August 9, 2005

Photos – 10 Days After Hair Transplant – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Thanks for showing photos of the guy a day out of surgery [note: Photos – Day After Hair Transplants ]. I don’t mean to be pushy, but can you show me some more patients, possibly a week or two after the surgery.

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I took some pictures of a patient who came in just 10 days after surgery. These photos show the small shaved hairs that were placed in the bald area (particularly noticeable if the skin is white and the hair is dark). These hairs will most likely be shed in the next week to month as the follicles enter the dormant phase. In 3-6 months, the new hairs will begin to grow as very fine hair. And by 8-10 months, the hair will be thick and groomable. You can find the entire best-estimate schedule in our Post-Op Course page.

After
After

This patient is a Norwood Class 6, and had one procedure of 2,705 follicular unit grafts. Please click the photos to enlarge.

August 9, 2005

Scar Repair of Donor Area – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Can you point me to information about the new surgical techniques you reference? I was under the impression FUE was the primary repair technique for widened donor scars.

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This is the response I wrote to another blog question…

We have developed a fascial closure of the donor wound. This has been successful in reducing the scars in the donor area. I imbricate the deep fascia holding it in place with a Vicryl suture (which lasts about 6 weeks). With the fascial closure, the tension on the skin in markedly reduced and most scars will heal with less stretching of the scar. This does not deal with the individual differences between the way we heal, but so far, the results of these repairs have been most impressive.

August 8, 2005

Hair Loss InformationHair Loss, Steroids and Genetics – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I thought since the steroids (cortisones) taken for colitis of the intestine is much different than anabolic steroids, that athletes take for strength it would not exacerbate or fasten MPB if someone is genetically predisposed to it. Doesn’t the 2 steroids vary significantly in terms of the ingredients that make up the steroid?

Also you referred to MPB gene, i thought there are multiple genes and just 1, can you correct this for me?

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All of the steroids are related in action, somewhat different in particular strengths and weaknesses, so they do vary. There is clearly overlap and there is no doubt that the steroids used for colitis will impact genetic hair loss. That is my point.

Yes, there are more than one gene that contribute to hair loss. Some estimates are above 100.

August 8, 2005

Hair Loss InformationAlopecia Areata – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear sir
i have alopecia areata for the last 2 years. for that reason all of my body hair is slowly being lost. last month i consulted a skin dr. he advised me Minoxin 2% topical solution and finasteride tab. but hair loss is not stopping. would you like to advise me for stopping hair loss. please help me. thanks

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Alopecia Areata is a genetically related disorder. It will not respond to Propecia or Minoxidil. There are experts, generally dermatologists, who specialize on the treatment of this disease and some people may be helped. You need to find someone who is an expert in your country.

August 8, 2005

Stretch the Donor Area Before Surgery? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am preparing to have another session in September for added density. The only discomfort that I had in my previous surgery was that the scar(strip harvest method) in the donor area. Is there any way to stretch that area before surgery other than massaging that area? ie an implant device to stretch the skin?

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Some people have tighter scalps than other people. Also, as some people get transplanted, the tightness of the scalp may get tighter, although this is not the routine case. There are tools that expand the scalp ahead of time. These tools were invented for scalp reductions, a procedure that has fallen on hard time (for the right reasons). Many of these devices (expanders and balloons) are painful and should be preserved for those with indications for their use (burn scars, large scars from accidents and the like). Your question is difficult for me because there is an implication that either you want more donor scalp removed than is safe, or that you had unusual pain associated with your donor wound closure. It would help me to understand your question better by further clarification, call me at 1-800-NEW-HAIR so that I can grasp the direction you want me to take.

August 8, 2005

Can Smoking Cause Hair Loss? – Balding Blog

Hi doctor, I wrote you several weeks ago regarding to my frontal hair line which has some reseccion. I am 28 years old and last six months I have started to seeing my front hair line slowly thinning, and slowly receiving. I am between type 1 and type 2 pattern right now and I have seen change in 6 months even in 1 months.I have been seen a doctor for it. My family ,(my uncle , my father ) have all type 3A. And they have very thick hair. I have been using propecia for 3 months. It is not working for now. I was wondering would that be wise to see you to get an better to where I am and where it is going.Or it is too early to tell. All I am try to stop it before it gets worse. It is looking fine now, bad if it goes like this it may not look fine. And also smoking and sun seems to have bad effect on my hair loss .I am not smoker but I smoke once every two months for fun.Is it common that smoking effects hair loss? Thanks for your time.And also what is the chances that propecia can stop hair reseccion in frontal hair line?

If you are a Norwood Class 1-2, this is not balding, but maturation of a hair line. If your family line is 3A, then that is possibly where you may go with time. Propecia works well to retard the progression of these changes so you should consider this drug.

With regard to your question about smoking, I would doubt a direct cause and effect here. Smoking causes constriction of blood vessels and decreased blood flow to the scalp, predominantly due to its nicotine content. The carbon monoxide in smoke decreases the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. These factors may contribute to poor wound healing after a hair transplant and can increase the chance of a wound infection and scarring. Smoking may also contribute to poor hair growth of transplanted hair. While I certainly do not encourage or condone smoking, I do not think that an occasional cigarette every two months will be a deciding factor in your hair loss.

August 5, 2005

Genes and Genetic Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I know male pattern baldness is polygenic with multiple genes that contribute to the disease from both the mother and fathers side but i was just wondering with the news that the androgen receptor gene, is on the X chromsome given from mother to son.

Should we assume that mothers genes means “mother’s father” or generally speaking the whole maternal side of the family, which would include the mother’s brothers, uncles, and grandparents…..

I emailed regarding a similar topic and you mentioned that you could not comment on the whole androgen receptor gene article since its all new and i respect that but my main question has to do with when someone says “mothers genes”, should we assume this is exclusive to the mother’s father and that a male should look at his mother’s father to see what his hair will be similar to in the future or is it likely the other males on the mothers side have much influence also …………

Can an individual have the genetic susceptability and partly have some of the genes for MPB but for one reason or another it does not get experessed.

Thanks for your response

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You have an assumption here that is confusing you. This is not an on/off gene. Gene expression can skip generations and there are variations in the way the gene is actually expressed. This makes your question moot to some degree, particularly if the X Chromosome comes from the mother’s father.

Yes, having the gene and having the gene expressed are different. We really do not understand the issue of expression or the various families that skip generations before the expression shows.

August 5, 2005

Hair Loss InformationSteroids and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello, i just found out my male cousin aged 26 has colitis of the intestine, thus the doctor wants to put him on steroids namely cortisone. He has some recession but no definitive signs of male baldness yet but he has a strong family history of baldness with his mothers father and father balding early, most of his uncles on his fathers side are bald except one who maintained his hair. So at age 26 my cousin feels pretty lucky to have escaped the MPB gene thus far, which leads to his obsessive compulsive disorder, he is now worried to start taking steroids because its known that if you have a genetic predisposition to MPB, then taking steroids can acerbate the hair losss, if you don’t have the dispensation then you still wont suffer.

Now when they talk about steroids they are usually steroids ( androgens that promotes more testosterone production- anabolic) such that of athletes mainly baseball players take to make them stronger. Also if you ever watch bodybuilders many of them are balding or bald at young ages, so i have doubt there is a correlation.

My question are the steroids they give to colitis sufferers or anything that’s associated for medicinal purposes differ rent than the steroids athletes to promote strength? OR do they consist of basically the same chemical composition, the only difference is the usage ( how frequently)

Should my cousin be concerned about losing his hair due to the steroid usage, will it exacerbate the MPB? I know the MPB is trivial to what he is suffering and shouldn’t be any concern even if he does loose his hair but understand he’s in his mid 20’s. I tend to think if he was in his mid 50’s when this occurred, he would have absolutely no reservations in taking the steroids even if that means the hair loss because at that point looks are not as important to many people.

Your response would be appreciated, thanks

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If your cousin has genetic male patterned baldness, but has not started to bald yet, the steroids will most likely accelerate the balding process. If he is not genetically ‘impacted’ (does not have the gene for balding) the steroids should have no balding effect.

August 5, 2005

Bad Scars from Old Transplants – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello,
I went through several procedures with a well known medical group back in the early 90’s. I was a 6 at the time.
In 2002 I was called back to military service to head to Iraq. I am an Infantryman and nedless to say our haircut is ‘extreme’. I was ridiculed and questioned constantly as to my ‘scars’. My scar from my MPR is particular noticeable and shows as ‘hole’ in the back of my head that dark hair grows out of. Since this was highlighted by the fact that everyuthing around it was shaved the jokes became of an obscene nature. Also, I was asked all of the time about my ‘smiley face’ scars on teh back of my head. My hair has continued to thin on the crown and tapers in to a long almost 1/2 ” scar that trils down to the ‘hole’. Even with my hair grown out now my ‘friends” refer to the reverse ‘mohawk’.Baghdad was hard enough without a year’s worth of snide remarks. Do you think this is ‘fixable’.I was upset at the amount of money I spent at the time only to end up being MORE self conscious then I was when I was losing my hair.
HELP!
Thanks

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First I would have to see the problem as it presents. The ability to cover a scar with an almost shaved head is basically impractical/undoable. With your hair grown out and some creative work, yes, the entire donor area may be covered reasonably well. It depends upon the remaining supply and the strategy. The scars and ‘holes’ from scalp reductions have surgical solutions other than hair transplants. All the solutions, however, require that the hair remains long.

When you are teased about the scalp scars, I would use humor to deal with the uncomfortable and personal questions – tell them you had brain surgery and that’s why you are so smart! People can be insensitive and this is particularly true for young men. Be sure that you take Propecia, it is highly probable that all of the stress of Iraq is impacting your rate of hair loss. Let me know if you have trouble getting Propecia.

When you come back to the US, a visit with me would be great. Send me some photos too. My email address is on the Contact page.

August 5, 2005

FDA Approved Hair Loss Drugs – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi, Im chinese and 28 years old and started thinning at the age 26. i’m using supplements (zinc,biotin and b5) and herbal topical solution like AO lotion made by bioscor international, and just started hair genesis topical solution and shampoo and oral gel. They claimed FDA approval and have clinical study. My doctor told me the only drugs FDA approved are rogaine and propecia. is that true? thanks hope to hear from your soon

What your doctor told you appears to be true. Only Propecia and Rogaine (Minoxidil) are approved for hair loss. That means that they show benefit and are proven safe.

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