Hypothetical Hair Characteristics Cloning Question

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /

Whenever cloning would happen…say 10,20,30 yrs from now, If I will have gray hair…and a veryyyy little black hair…and if the black hair is multiplied, then after those mulitplied black hair are plugged back onto the scalp…will they all grow black or gray?

The cloned hair would take on the characteristics of its original hair because its growth and color pattern will be determined by its gene. Based upon the way the cloning is carried out, if the hair is your own, there is no present understanding of the ‘expression’ of that hair. Color seems not to be high on the cloning agenda. If the genes dictate that the hair will start out black and turn gray through a preset time, then the hair will follow that pattern. However, environmental factors may affect the gene expression earlier or later than anticipated, but we are too early in the learning curve to answer a question like this. Thus, your hair growth and colors will depend on both genetic and environmental factors.

Using Yoga Exercise to Stop Hair Loss?

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /

Hello Doctor,

I have personally seen someone being benifitted by this exercise where hair color has turned from gray to black!

Everyday, rubbing your nails against each other for 10 minutes in morning and evening… (after you do it for 10 mins, you will get the feeling of your blood getting circulated. it means you’ve done your exercise right…). This exercise can be done while traveling in train, bus, wherever. It’s a YOGA exercise and turns hair from gray to black. Some say it can stop hair loss too. Just thought of sharing it. Nothing like if it helps someone concerned with the problem. It takes 3-6 months to show results.

Stress reducing activities are known to reduce hair loss. I am not familiar with reversal of hair loss or return of original hair color, but I love the idea of using Yoga to reduce stress (one of the leading causes of accelerating hair loss).

Combining Minoxidil and Finasteride Into Topical Treatment?

/by William Rassman, M.D./1 /

Dr. Rassman – I’ve been taking Rogaine and Finasteride for a couple of years now. I split the 5 MG. tab of Finasteride into 4 parts and take that daily and take a full 5 MG. tab on Sundays. The Minoxodil I out on 1 or 2 times daily. I was interested in combining the finasteride into the minoxidil to make a topical preparation. Can you tell me what would be the propere way to do this? Also, will that reduce any possible side effects from the finasteride? Thanx for any advice you can give me on this

You can help treat your hair loss by using Rogaine as topical and Finasteride by mouth. I believe that if that if your approach to building a topical with both combined and it worked, the drug company would have done this. There are effectiveness issues with topical use and these must be worked out. Absorbing medications through the skin is a science, not to be played with by the unskilled. I have heard that a topical DHT blocker may be in the drug pipeline, but that could take years. These two chemical works differently. However, since I am not a chemist, I can not recommend mixing Finasteride and Minoxidil together to make a cream.

Chemical Damage Caused Hair Loss

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /

My question is that I lost a lot of hair from checmical damage such as excessive dying. Will my hair ever grow back? It has been four and half years and it has yet to grow. I am still very young and this has affected my psychological well being. Is rogaine safe to use, considering my hair loss is not genetically related?

Thanks

If your hair has not grown back after 4 1/2 years, then I do not believe that it will grow. Yes, chemical damage can injure your hair roots or the scalp itself, leading to possible permanent hair loss. You may try Rogaine. If you are a male, then I recommend Propecia also. Keep in mind that there is no substitute for a good doctor giving you a real diagnosis in person so that you KNOW what you have and what the prospects are for you.

Magnetic Helmet for Hair Loss?

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /

Hello doc!
Firstly, thank you for a good blog, and what can I say about the NHI site except, outstanding. As a webdesigner myself I really know what Im talking about.

Now, over to my question. I’ve seen a new product online, it’s a “helmet” that attacks the hair roots with some kind of magnetic fields? Anyway, this product feel smells “scam” from far..

  1. Do you know about this product?
  2. Could Saw-palmetto (or what the heck it’s called) be used in treating of hairloss?
  3. What about the “new study” about coffein and hairloss, know anything about it?
  4. I guess I’m a northwood 2, what is the best product for me to start with?
  5. When I was visiting Asia recently I saw a rogaine-copy with 5% Minoxidil for around $3 per bottle. This product was sold in a pharmacy. I can say that $3 is “much money” in this country and the production of this rogaine-clone is, as far as I understand, produced within this “Don’t-give-a-damn-about-us-law” – country.

Thank you! I wish you many healthy years.

Thanks for your kind words about the NHI site.

  1. See BX3 for the magnetic helmet. My nose works like yours. I was thinking that maybe I could make a better living with a telepathic hat, one that takes the good hair from people close to you and ‘tele-transports’ them to the area where hair is in poor supply in the person wearing the hat. I might make a designer version so that it would support a good price for the fashion conscious; perhaps I would call it the TeleHat™. What do you think? Ha!
  2. I do not believe that Saw Palmetto is predictable for hair loss as a DHT blocker. If it is a DHT blocker, it really may either underdose you (no benefits to hair), or overdose you (killing your sex drive).
  3. Coffein is just another product out there that does not have any proof of value. Buyer beware.
  4. As a NW2, you are best getting a diagnosis before you start treating your hair loss. Propecia is appropriate if your are a male and have miniaturization present.
  5. Some of these products are ridiculous, and I can see no scientific way that these could be of any predictable benefit for hair regrowth. Cloned products for Rogaine, Minoxidil, or Propecia are available outside the United States and they may be what they are claiming to be, but there’s always the chance that they are not. I would not be able to tell you for sure. Again, the mandate is Buyer Beware!

Splitting Proscar Prior to Use

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /

Does Proscar/Finasteride degrade if split and left in a jar for a number of weeks? Is it ok to split several pills at once and take them over a number of weeks or will they lose effectiveness?

When you split a pill, the inside is then explosed to environmental factors like humidity. I would not split the pill prior to use.

Stopping Rogaine for Women Use

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /,

You mentioned that:
“If you were to stop the Rogaine (minoxidil) and there was a benefit of it, you will go back to your ‘before’ status, plus losing whatever hair you would have lost prior to starting the medication. This may very well leave you worse off.”

What do you mean by worse off? Wouldn’t you just be where you would be if you had never started the minoxidil? Do you just mean psychologically, because you’d have to deal with all of the hairloss all at once upon discontinuing the minoxidil, rather than seeing it’s slow natural/drug-free progression?

I’m having a hard time deciding whether to start applying 5% minoxidil 1x/day, as my derm prescribed. (I’m 26, female, triggered AGA/TE from birth control pills).
Thank you!

Would you just be where you would be had you never started the minoxidil? — YES.
Would you have to deal with all of the hair loss at once upon discontinuing the minoxidil? — YES.

You sound like an intelligent person. The old saying, “Try it, you might like it”, may apply for you. If you start it and then do not see a benefit of it in up to 6 months, then you can probably stop it without too much risk.

Ingrown Hairs at Donor Scar

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /,

Hi Dr. Rassman
I’ve written this inquiry which i appreciate your priceless opinions for. I’ve had a strip surgery which normally results in a fine pencil thin linear incision (provided that healing is normal, reasonable surgery size & smart closing technique). I don’t really know how wide my scar is since I am growing my hair long in the back, but like many, i suffered shock loss in my donor region through out the linear incision. I also don’t know what closing method the surgeon used on me, but anyhow, everytime i massage my 5 month old scar, i feel those little stubbles (short ingrown hairs) that appear/feel to be growing right from the scar. Problem is that those hairs are taking forever to grow longer, normal hair grows about 0.5in/month (i think)…so why is this happening? i’ve heard of that newly used closure technique which allows hairs to grow out along the scar, so maybe it has been used with me & that could explain the existance of those hairs. Will the application of Regaine/Minoxdil do any help?
With Regards

You need to wait out a full 7-8 months for even the hair around the donor area to completely recover from a transplant. If your scar has widened, then it can be assessed now, at the 5 month time frame. New donor area closures are now the talk of the town (in doctor’s communications) because doctors seem to be admitting to seeing far too many widened scars. Hello doctors! that’s what patients have been saying for years.

We can discuss these further if you have particular questions for me.

Thin Hair in African American Female

/by William Rassman, M.D./1 /,

african american 40 yr old female. I have thin hair with approx 1 inch of traction alopecia around my hairline. Tiny visible thin hairs are present on the hairline, had little growth over five year period but they don’t seem to grow long or thicker. please help. I can’t afford a transplant. will it ever grow back since hair is present? a dermatologist told me it may grow.

Other than hair transplants or possibly a hairline lowering procedure, there is not much that can be offered to you. These types of surgeries will cost possibly around $10,000. I can’t be more specific on pricing averages without seeing you first. Wigs of varying types are often the solution used for many women in your situation.

Hairline Lowering in 15 Year Old Female

/by William Rassman, M.D./1 /,

I am a 15 year old female from Michigan. I have been dealing with the unfortunate inheritance of a high hairline. It has made me suffer through a lot of insecurities for most of my teenage years and I would like to learn more about hairline placement through the insertion of new hair follicles that weren’t present in the area before. I would also like the find out the average cost for both 1 and 2 procedures for future reference if possible. Thank you!

The hairline lowering procedure is a good one. The best way is probably the surgical approach where the actual hairline is lowered by up to an inch. The results of this are immediate (hair transplants take time) but there will be some minimal scarring in the frontal area for a while (most disappear over time) and these can be covered with bangs or other hair styling techniques. You must get your parents involved and there must not be a history of female genetic hair loss in the family. Cost for the hairline lowering procedure (one time surgery) is $9,000-$11,000 (there are no extra charges for anesthesia and the surgical room).

The cost for a hair transplant solution goes by the graft, so I would have to see pictures (with your forehead creased by lifting your eyebrows) both from the eyebrows up and full face as well (front and sides). Graft prices vary depending upon the circumstances; standby pricing is the least expensive at $5/graft, regular scheduling is $6/graft, and the fees are a bit higher if you request that I personally do the transplant procedure. Transplant estimates may range between 900-1300 grafts per session. Some people can get it done in a single hair transplant if their hair and skin color have low contrast and the hair shaft thickness is not fine. Send photos to the address on the Contact page and please reference this blog posting in your email.

Shen Min for Hair Loss

/by William Rassman, M.D./1 /,

hi dr. rassman,
im 24 year old female and recently i have noticed that my hair in the front is thinning. my father had male pattern baldness and i know that this is in the genes so most likely either my sis and i will develop this eventually..but didnt anticipate it at my age. i dont know what to do. ive been told to take this pill called shen min. does this really work? and what about rubbing the scalp with aloe vera? pls. help!!

When tackling male pattern balding, you should not experiment or you will lose valuable time. Drugs like Propecia work best if early hair loss is treated, so time works against you. You need to have a diagnosis, so mapping out your hair for miniaturization is critically important to get a base line for the diagnosis and treatment. After 8 months of Propecia, you can get another assessment for Miniaturization and see if you gained hair numbers and hair bulk.

With regard to rubbing the scalp with aloe vera, when I lived in Hawaii, I have observed that this plant extract (which grows wild in Hawaii) has been rubbed onto almost part of the body for many problems, including bald scalps. It was never reported that it grows hair.

With regard to Shen Min, I looked at the site and could not ascertain the science behind it. Frankly, I have no idea if it works safely or effectively.

Using Minoxidil After a Hair Transplant

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /,

Hi,
My concern is about minoxidil use hair transplant post-op. I have searched online and have come across concerns about red irritation on the hair transplanted area with the use of minoxidil but haven’t come across an answer if i should stop or not.

I have irritation and it gets red and kind of hot as if i am having an allergic reaction to it. I have discontinued the use and it seems to go away, but will it stop the growth of my hair? PLease help… i can’t seem to find an answer anywhere.
Thanks

Minoxidil does cause a pink discoloration to the scalp, as it is a known irritant in some people. Stopping the minoxidil will not stop your newly transplanted hair from growing.

No Sign of Hair Loss in Family Line

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /

Hi. I am 20 years old and I have a very high hairline that I have had since I was a child. I did not have hair on my head until I was 3 years old. My hair is very thin and over the past few years I have had long, unhealthy hair that I was able to pull out of my head by merely running my my hand through it, especially when I was showering. I just recently got it cut short, but just long enough so that it actually appears to be thicker because it is much healthier. There is no sign of male pattern hairloss in my family so I am wondering if the hair that fell off of my head could actually grow back over time, and if hair can naturally and gradually thicken on its own if it is healthy. Thank you

You need to get a firm diagnosis to determine if you really do or do not have genetic balding. If the thinning you are talking about is traumatic, it will grow back. If it is secondary to genetic causes, then it probably will not. Just because there is no genetic balding in the family, it does not mean that you do not have it, because it can skip generations. I see this fairly often. Get your hair mapped out for miniaturization (see also: Hair Mapping for Miniaturization) and then with a diagnosis in hand, you can look at your problem more objectively.

Best Medication for Hair Loss?

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /

I am currently using avodart, but i was wondering is this currently the best medication i can be on, labeled for mpb or otherwise

I would love to be able to say that one medication is the best medication for genetic hair loss. For men, Propecia and Minoxidil are the only two FDA approved medications that are shwon to be safe and effective. Avodart is shown to be safe and effective for prostate problems, but what about the young man with a stronger Type I and Type II DHT blocker? We do not know.

All of the other products on the market are not FDA approved. Some may mention that they contain “active ingredients that are FDA approved” and these usually contain minoxidil, yet many claim that they are effective DHT blockers and either get confused between the way minoxidil works or they are downright misrepresenting the ingredients.

Loupe Magnification for Diagnosing Miniaturization

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /

Dr. This is a quote from an e-mail I recived back from another doctor when asking about testing for minaturization. He said, “I use what is called ‘loupe’ magnification which can easily detect hairs which are ‘miniaturizing’.”

Is this the same as what you do or is this something different?

I use a densitometer apparatus or a magnifying video camera to map my patient’s head with magnification at 20-50 times normal. I believe this is important and easier to use with reasonable accuracy. However, if the hair doc which you mentioned used magnifying “loupe” to map his patient’s with accuracy and quantifies the degree of miniaturization by the location in the various areas of the scalp, then I will not argue the point. There are many correct roads to take.