Posts

Posted on

Very rapid hair loss at 18, why?

Not even a chronic masturbation addiction could effect any sort of hormone levels or anything? Please help I am trying to figure out what caused me to start balding so fast at 18

Hair follicles have a biologic clock that kicks in Apoptosis (cell death) in those men who have the genes for balding. I have seen young men (not common) rapidly lose their hair and develop a Class 7 pattern by the time they were 20. Statistically, that is probably not you unless you take after a father who was one of those rare men when he was young. Frequent masturbation has nothing to do with hair loss

Posted on

Very Oily Scalp and Hair Loss

Hello Dr. Rassman,

I’m a 19 year old male, who has a very oily scalp. I’m suspecting that it contributes to my hairloss by clogging the follicles. I have used a lot of dandruff shampoos (including Nizoral and tar shampoos), but nothing seems to work. Do you know any stronger treatment which can effectivly remove the oil on my scalp?
Thank you

An oily scalp will not cause hair loss by clogging the pores of the hair follicles. Just use a good shampoo.

Posted on

Very low juvenile hairline

I have seen a few of these hairlines that almost touch the eyebrows. I saw one that was solid at about 1.5cm above the eyebrows. Usually, if the hairline matures, these juvenile hairlines will disappear with age. It could take until 29 years of age. In some ethnic cultures like Indians, hairlines this low are more common, and some men will maintain such a hairline into adulthood as they never develop a classic mature hairline. This is rare.

Posted on

Very Low Dose of Finasteride (Less than 0.25mg)

Dear Dr Rassman,

Have you had any patients who have taken very low doses of finasteride (i.e. less than 0.25mg)?

I am not keen to take propecia because I’m concerned of the effects to my internal body chemistry but would also love to keep my hair for longer. I have had issues with my sex drive previously and do not want to mess with my hormone balance too much as a man still in my 20’s. Another reason being that I’m an athlete and want to be at my peak physically. I’ve read a lot about how finasteride affects the hormones, particularly the obvious reduction in DHT but also the decrease in free (not total) testosterone and the rise in estrogen.

Then I read this forum post: Hairlosstalk.com

It seems that taking a dose as low as 0.05mg is enough to lower scalp DHT considerably while keeping 20% more DHT in the blood. Like the original poster in the forum thread who is considering crushing a pill and measuring smaller doses – this prospect is more appealing to me. If I could just lower my blood DHT by 40-50% instead of 70% then surely my hair would still get some benefit and I would be able to keep my hormones at a more normal level. I have ruled out taking 1mg but am really curious about taking 0.05mg if only I could just measure it accurately each time (I wouldn’t want to take fluctuating dosages each day).

It makes me wonder why propecia isn’t available at a much smaller dose (0.05mg or 0.1mg)

Could you comment please? I’d very much appreciate it. Thanks for such an informative blog.

Propecia (finasteride) at 1mg was determined to be the ideal dose for treating hair loss. Lower doses do work, but how low? I’ve said that 0.5mg produces 80% of the benefit, and 0.25mg probably give 50% of the benefit. I don’t have a clue about lower dosages.

But by dosing the 1mg level, it is the most effective treatment level to use… so why dose lower unless there are significant side effects?

Posted on

Very Irregular Periods a Cause for Female Hair Loss?

Hello there….I am a 29 year old female experiencing frontal and temporal hairloss. I am upset and not sure what to do. I have VERY irregular periods. I may have one 1-2 times a year. Will this cause hairloss? I know a decrease in estrogen will cause it, but I am young and wonder if a very rare period would contribute to it. I have had my thyroid checked and it was ok. Not sure what causes the irregular periods either. I would greatly appreciate a reply to help my questions. I am a nursing student who will be graduating this coming May and would like to look nice for pictures. Thank You

There may be no relationship between your hair loss and your periods. There are conditions like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), where infrequent periods and hair loss go together. You can see this at 4woman.gov or PCOSupport.

I am not suggesting that this is what is wrong with you, but the diagnosis of female hair loss is complex and requires a complete examination by someone who can evaluate your periods and your hair loss in partnership with you.

Posted on

Very High Level of Tin in Hair Samples

I had a hair analysis due to thinning hair. I am a 57 female who is menopausal. My report indicated a very, very high level of tin in my hair samples. Good, bad or not related to hair loss? Thank you.

There is no clear relationship between tin levels and hair loss to my knowledge. I would want to know why your tin levels are high and have a doctor find out if it is impacting any organ system in your body. High tin levels could be toxic.

Posted on

Very Early Balding

I have a doubt. I am 20 and my hair was fine until now,but I feel that my hair is not that dense as it was when I was 10 or 12. Although my hairline is not receded, my dad is bald. Is this a sign of balding or it is natural for eveyone. Also I shampoo my hair once every 3 days with a mild shampoo. Does this have any effect?

A good thorough examination of your scalp with high magnification may show if the early signs of balding have begun. If they have, preventative treatment with Propecia may be indicated. There is no certainty that you will follow your father’s hair loss pattern, but it is a good idea to keep a close eye on it with a good doctor advising you. Shampooing once every three days, once a day, several times per day, or once a year will probably not impact your balding pattern.

Posted on

Vegetarians, Nutritional Deficiency, and Hair Loss

I am 17, male, and have been loosing the hair in the front of my head for about a year and a half now. I do believe during that time I had used a hair product I was allergic to, as I had a sore scalp in some ares. But I have discontinued it’s use, and was wondering:

  1. how normal (or not normal) it is to begin having a receding hair line at 16 years of age?
  2. being a vegetarian, could it be a nutritional deficiency?
  3. in other answers, I have seen you mention “normal ‘maturing’ hairline development”, or something of the sort. What IS a ‘maturing’ hair growth pattern?
  4. could masturbating or not exercising affect that, and if so, in what way?
  1. Yes, a receding hairline can start at 16 years old. Normal? That depends on the person’s genes.
  2. If you do not have a balanced diet and have a nutritional deficiency, you can thin or lose your hair — this has nothing to do with meat-eaters or vegetarians.
  3. You should get your scalp mapped out for miniaturization to determine when it is a receding hairline vs genetic hair loss. See Maturation of a Hairline — Moving From Juvenile to Mature for more on the maturing hairline.
  4. Neither masturbating nor exercise will cause you to lose your hair.

My best advice for you at this point is to see a doctor who can develop a Master Plan for your balding problem and work with him/her, as hair loss is a serious business.


2007-12-10 11:33:12Vegetarians, Nutritional Deficiency, and Hair Loss

Posted on

Various Researchers Blame Hair Loss on Different Genes?

Dear Doctor,

I’ve just been reading about your info from Amsterdam.
In addition to this, I was wondering if you in the nearest future see any new drugs against baldness?

I’ve read about some new test.

1) Some Japanese researchers blame the Sox21 gene for baldness.
2) Some researchers blame the wnt gene for baldness.
3) Some researchers blame the P2Y5 gene for baldness.

Because of my research for hope of any new treatments, I’ve become confused. All these different tests and scientists blame different genes for baldness. Can there really be so many genes, which cause baldness? And where does this leave Propecia, if all this new research blame something else then just DHT for baldness?

I hope you understand my wondering mind.

Best regards.

There are many, many genes for balding and only some have been recognized. A few on the X chromosome have been highlighted by the company HairDX, but genes are constantly being found on chromosomes beyond the X chromosome. Genetic hair loss is very complex (not like the eye color of the fruit fly) and it is the many genes that make the discovery of an effective new drug. Propecia just blocks the DHT hormone and does not address the various genes and approaches you asked about above.


2009-08-11 11:30:40Various Researchers Blame Hair Loss on Different Genes?

Posted on

Various hair loss article with treatment from the national library of medicine (makes for interesting reading)

vhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4134641/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10731253

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5315033/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5367483/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16635664

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4990426/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15787815


2019-02-01 15:22:51Various hair loss article with treatment from the national library of medicine (makes for interesting reading)