Balding Blog

I started Minox around 2 weeks ago, putting up to 1ml of 5% generic liquid once per day on my scalp. Today, I experienced heart sides (chest pain, tightness in the chest, rapid heartbeat) for the first time after a few days of increased libido and headache.

An incident this afternoon, which I believe might have been a panic attack coupled with dizzyness, led me to look up ‘minoxidil panic attack’ on the internet.

The lower 2% minoxidil has less side effects when used topically, and works well with once a day applications. Yes, there are side effects for everything. You could get in a car accident, but will you stop driving if you have to drive?

I’m a male patient. i’ve been recommended to go to your practice for grafts by another CA doctor. he says i’d need maybe 1000 at most…can that be done in one session? I have a severe case of stress/surgery-induced telogen effluvium and a maturing hairline not MPB according to my doctor, who is a member of ISHRS. he says he does not see miniaturization beyond the mature hairline position, only thinning (effluvium). my concerns are…will the FUE grafts (when placed) be put over live hair follicles and damage them? Or is the magnification procedures used during surgery good enough to make sure the grafts are placed over dead follicles? Thanks,

Telogen effluvium could be a contraindication for hair transplants if the process is still going on. A visit to my office is critical before any conclusions be drawn. I would want to do a pull test and measure your hair for miniaturization and bulk. That will help me confirm your active diagnosis.

Hello,

I am 25 and have been gradually losing my hair for a couple for years now. In addition to what I would confidently call MPB, I also suffer from seborrhoeic dermatitis and chronic telogen effluvium.

1. Is the chronic TE linked to MPB or seb derm? I’ve suffered from TE for over a year and a half now and always assumed that losing hairs in this way was part of MPB. It constantly gets me down as I am constantly shedding hairs. A small pinch from anywhere from the top of my scalp can produce up to 20 plus hairs. It’s as if 50% of my hair isn’t even attached to my scalp. Several websites state that chronic TE is due to illness, whilst others say that it is the early stages of MPB.

2. Will the seb derm cause any hair loss if left untreated? Even though the seb derm is quite bad (thick yellow, oily scales all over my scalp), the condition is not yet visible to others and causes me no discomfort. I am worried about washing my hair every day with the recommended treatments because I lose so many hairs due to the TE.

Please help me! I’ve seen two doctors regarding my MPB and both told me that nothing could be done. I only discovered propecia etc. through google. I have been taking it for nearly 4 months now.

Many thanks for an enlightening website

We are not, I suspect, one of the two doctors you have seen. I have no real experience in doing transplants on someone who has a pull test like you reported as evidence of chronic telogen effluvium. I am actually surprised that this has not come before me at an earlier time.

The seborrhea will not produce hair loss as long as you do not scratch or pick in involved areas. Transplants may be contra-indicated with a chronic telogen effluvium.

I have a problem where if I run my hand through my head a good amount of hair falls out.. Fortunately I am not going bald but this has been going on for a while… I am 25 years old and getting scattered grays but what is the explanation for this? Note: the hair falling out is never gray.

It is normal to lose about 100 hairs a day. It has nothing to do with the color of the hair. If you are concerned about balding, you should have your hair mapped for miniaturization to see if there is a pattern to the hair loss or hair thinning. Grey hair is not protected from balding.

Just turned 18 and having a lot of receding in the hairline and some thinning on the crown. All the males on my dads side of the family are bald and most the males on my moms side are bald also so i feel like MPB is inevitable just sucks that it started this early! But i am experiencing scalp pain on my crown just wondering if its normal or not

Scalp pain does not come from male patterned balding. Psychological pain is different

Hi

I have red hair and it comes from my father’s side of the family only. The men on this side of the family have their hair but the men on my mom’s side (who do not have the red hair gene)all suffer from MPB.

My hair is starting to form into Norwood Scale 2: is it possible I could go bald too even though the red hair gene comes from my dad’s side?

Thank you for your help.

The color of you hair, along with other physical characteristics you inherited, are carried in different genes than the ones associated with MPB. The genetic predisposition for balding is inherited from either your father’s and mother’s sides, with more weight on your maternal lineage (48% for father’s side vs 52% for mom). There is a possibility that you may develop MPB. You need to be examined by an expert, someone who will map out your scalp hair for miniaturization to determine if you will be losing your hair. If you are in the early stages of hair loss, then you need a Master Plan to determine how to proceed with your hair loss treatments.

I am thinking of getting a hair transplant. Unfortunately I have chronic folliculitis on the back and sides of my scalp. It comes and goes in intensity. Nothing on the top of my head. Does this disqualify me automatically?

I would have to examine you, possibly even biopsy your scalp where the folliculitis is. Did you get a diagnosis? If so is it called Folliculitis Decalvans? If so, then you would not be a candidate for a hair transplant. I clearly need to know more.

What caused this and will they go away?

These “pits” are the results of the recipient site tools used by the surgeon. Small instruments usually do not produce these “pits”. Once you get hair growth, I would expect that you will hopefully not see them.