Scalp Flaking After Hair Transplant

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

I had a transplant a little over three weeks ago. The scabbing is 99% gone but it’s been replaced by quite a bit of scalp peeling. Why does this happen? I have hardly had any sun exposure on my head at all this month, so it’s definitely not a sunburn. And how long does it take to go away? I ‘ve been shampooing and showering normally and also rubbing my scalp between showers — the peeling skin is coming off (along with the transplanted hairs) but there’s still a lot of flaking left.

It is natural for newly transplanted hair to shed within the first month after the hair transplant. Your scabs will shed and some surrounding skin will also shed as well. Remember, the washing of your hair has probably changed since the transplant. Once you go back to your normal washing routine, the problem should disappear. Try using a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner.

Tags: hair transplant, flaky skin, scalp, hairloss

Using a Combination of Laser, Vitamins, Propecia, and Shampoos

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

Hello Dr Rassman,
i have joined a program of preventing a hair loss, and i am using a combination of products ( low level laser comb, scalp scripts, vitamins, propecia, and a shampoo ). now i cover 6 month period of using these products and i have seen some results on the back of my head.i have a thinning hair at the front of my head (not too much). anyway at front no particular results. they say from this center that i need at least another 3 months in order to see good results at the front of my head. What is your opinion about this problem , and why is taking so long to see results at the front of my head? is that normal?

thank you.

I have given my opinion many times on alternatives to the only two medications that are known to have value (Finasteride and Minoxidil). I am not sure if the other treatments really work from a medical point of view and there is no proof for me to endorse any of such productsn,because there is no clinical science to show that it has been medically proven. But if it works for you than you may want to continue it.

Tags: hair loss, laser, vitamins, propecia, shampoo, hairloss

Chicken Pox and Female Hair Loss

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

I am a 23 year old girl and have patches of severely thinning hair on my crown. I started losing my hair at the age of 20. Prior to that I had very thick and long hair but it has thinned very rapidly for reasons I am not sure of. My grandmother on my dad’s side is bald and I am afraid that I might have inherited that from her. However, I also had chicken pox when I was 21 years old and lost a lot of hair then. It never completely grew back after that. Also, I have applied aurvedic hair oil all my life, so does having an oily scalp cause thinning? I also have acne, so is it hormonal? How will I know what exactly is wrong with me? Please help. Thank you very much.

First, you need to have a complete medical work-up, because hair loss in women is often a side symptom resulting from some other problem. Female hair loss is inherited and some women report relatives with similar histories at similar ages, but first assume that the problem is one that has a cause which might be fixed. It is a difficult problem to address, because there are very few medical treatments available for female genetic hair loss, but if (for example) you had a thyroid problem causing the hair loss, then it needs to be addressed before expecting changes in the hair situation. If your hair loss condition is affecting your life, you should want to consult a good doctor who understands hair loss, but first any doctor can do the test defined elsewhere in this blog.

Chicken pox may have been a medical stress that may have caused you to lose hair or to accelerate a genetic pattern inherited as discussed above. Oily skin and special shampoos and hair products, however, are not generally associated with hair loss.

Tags: hairloss, female hair loss, hair loss in women, chicken pox

Scarring Alopecia

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

Hi Dr. Rassman,

I am a twenty year old female who have been diagonised with scarring alopecia after going to a dermatologist in regards to my hair breaking off in the center of my head. About a year and a half ago, after I took out the braids I had in my hair, about two of my braids that was located in the center of my head came out. I figured this happened because my hair might have been braided to tight so I didn’t worry to much about it. Well a few months later I got my hair braided again and when I took my braids out this happened again. After a months of waiting for my hair to grow back which it didn’t it just spreaded and became so noticeable that I had to get my hair cut to length of the bald spot, at this point I decided it was time to see a dermatologist.

At my first visit he couldn’t see if any thing was wrong with my hair because I don’t have total baldness, just in the area where my hair came out at it is thinner and dryer than the rest of my hair. So, he suggested to do a biopsy and the results of biopsy was that I have scarring alopecia. The PA gave me my results and told me that there is nothing I can do,but I plan on seeing another dermatologist. My questions to you is what you think I can to do to help my hair grow back or what can I do to stop it from thinning and is there any treatments for scarring alopecia.

Thank you very much for taking the time out to read my question!

Stop braiding your hair.

The classic scarring alopecia diagnosis reflects an autoimmune process and it may occur from a wide variety of medical conditions, but what you are describing sounds like traction alopecia from the braids and scarring reaction to it. You need to get some insights into the biopsy that was done. Go back to your dermatologist and have that conversation with him/her. For more information click here.

Tags: alopecia, hairloss, female hair loss, hair

Head Lice and Hair Loss

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

Lice

Hello, recently i got head lice.. ive tried treating it many times but i just ordered liceX product . My questions is why has my hair been shedding great amounts on my clothes, shower etc. it was not like this last year. please help i do think its a main cause of stress.. please help asap this has destroyed me mentally and physically

You should see a good dermatologist or a general primary care doctor to treat your head lice. They can prescribe stronger medications that may not be available to you. Take care of your head lice and hopefully your hair, your mental, and your physical state will return to baseline. There is not substitute for a good doctor in your situation.

Tags: lice, hair loss, hairloss

ThymuSkin Shampoo

/by William Rassman, M.D./4 /

Dr. Rassman,

I have written in before but i have a question concering hair loss shampoos. I have been researching Revivogen and ThmusSkin Shampoos. What are your thoughts on these topical hair treatment agents? I am 22 years old and have a full head a hair and show no signs of balding but it does run in my family. Would these be effective in keeping my hair that i have? People have told me to not worry but its difficult. I would like a “security blanket” to assure no hairloss will take place. Please Help!

Thankyou

The following is what I wrote about Revivogen back in December, 2005:
Revivogen seems to make claims about ‘proven’ DHT blocking and ‘Doctor formulated’ natural ingredients. Kevis has minoxidil as an active ingredient. There is clear value to minoxidil, but you can buy this over the counter at substantially less money than with the Kevis formula and Revivogen has made claims that are not widely accepted although it has been around for years with some good reports by some consumers. I have made comments on non-FDA approved medications and claims about safety and effectiveness in the past (see Scalpmed and ViTrichol for examples).

With respect to ThymuSkin, their website does not disclose any active ingredient that I can find. As I have stated countless times on BaldingBlog, it is a “buyer beware” market. If you want a medical advice, the only medical treatment proven to work is topical minoxidil and oral finasteride.

Millions of people like you want their “security blanket” and spend millions of dollars annually on hair products. It is not my place to tell you how to spend your money. If you wish to try the products, keep me posted on how well it has worked or not worked.

Tags: thymuskin, revivogen, shampoo, hairloss, hair loss, hair products

Ingrown Hairs on Scalp After Accutane Use

/by William Rassman, M.D./3 /

Hello Dr. Rassman,

Up until the age of 18 I had a great head of hair, no problems at all. I had acne though and couldn’t stand it so I opted to take accutane. About a month after I started I noticed my hairline receded a little and continued through my course. It didn’t recede that much so I wasn’t terribly worried. Unfortunately after stopping accutane it continued to recede slowly and now 6 years later i’ve lost a lot of hair and not only that but while my hairline was receding every single hair on my head seems to have changed and become thinner and you can see my scalp easily. Later on I aquired some scalp problem where I am getting many many ingrown hairs on my scalp and I never had that before Accutane, it really did a number on my scalp. Everyday I wear a baseball hat because of these problems and my social life is long gone. Biggest mistake of my life taking that stuff. Any help is greatly appreciated!!!

Your hair loss may be due to the Accutane use. Some people who have taken this drug also report changes in hair character and often a finer hair results. These changes may be permanent. Your hair problems may also be a separate problem reflecting male patterned hair loss. Either way, if you are continuing to lose hair and want a medical solution, you should seek a good specialist to map out your scalp for miniaturization to correctly diagnose the contribution of the genetic components for your hair loss. A good dermatologist should be able to diagnose your ingrown hair problem, which sounds like some form of chronic folliculitis.

Tags: accutane, hairloss, hair loss, folliculitis

Eyelash Loss

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

im 21 all of a sudden lots of my eyelashes are fallin out its makin me not want to leave my house what could the reason for this be and what can i do

It is surprising that your entire eyelashes are gone. This is very rare. You should see a dermatologist for a medical work up.

Tags: eyelash, hairloss, hair loss

Copper Peptides Are Cure for Hair Loss?

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

Here is a press release for another magical cure (*cough*) for hair loss. Actually, they try to make this sound like some grand new discovery, but once you get to the last paragraph you realize they are just selling a shampoo called Follipro. I have used copper peptides in my practice for the impact on wound healing in some of my patients. It seems to have value in minimizing post-operative pink discoloration in some patients. The company which sells it does claim hair growth benefits, but I have never seen these benefits.

Press releases need to be looked at carefully, for they do not always tell an accurate story.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, shampoo, cure, follipro

My Hair Loss Became Aggressive Quickly

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

I came across this site looking for information on hairloss. I am currently on day 7 of using Propecia for very mild bitemporal thinning/receding. I realize that I should see no significant change by this point. My question is that I noticed my hair ‘direction pattern’ changing about 6 months ago (I’m 27), and I only noticed the onset of actual recession only about 3 weeks ago. Is this sudden onset normal? I am wondering, since it seems from the people I’ve known who’ve lost their hair, 3 weeks is a fairly aggressive loss-schedule (I think I’m already a Norwood I). My worry is that at this rate, I’ll lose so much by the time the drug kicks in. Is there any good news for me?

Also, if I am allergic to this drug, at 7 days in, would I know by now? Or could it still be lurking ahead?

Thank you.

If you are Norwood Class I, I seriously wonder the efficacy Propecia would have on your hair loss. I would hope you have seen a doctor who has mapped your hair for miniaturization to determine if you have thinning in a male hair loss pattern. Remember, Propecia works best on the crown but if you have genetic hair loss causes, it should be proactively valuable even in the temples.

The hair character may subtly change throughout a person’s lifetime, and you may have just noticed it as you seem to be more concerned about your hair. Many times, the first 50% of the change will not be seen and in some people the changes that are detectable to the naked eye can go up to 90% before it can be seen (usually blondes).

I cannot comment if you have any allergies to Propecia, because you have not told me any out-of-the-ordinary symptoms, but an allergy to this medication should have appeared by this time. Some side effects of Propecia are well known and can be found on the Merck website and also the Propecia bottle’s insert label.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, propecia, side effects, allergy

Article – World’s Longest Eyebrow Hair

/by William Rassman, M.D./3 /

EyebrowsEyebrows in some men grow long. The one reported here measured 3 1/2 inches in length. My eyebrows grow long and I do trim them. After reading this article, I wondered what my eyebrow length would be if I did not trim them…

So congratulations to Leonard Traenkenschuh for your world-record eyebrow hair. May we all be so lucky…

Tags: eyebrow, hair, world record

Transsexuals and Hair Loss

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

I have a few questions actually

I have heard that transsexuals who take certain hormones to become female have stopped their hair loss and even regrown some. I was wondering if someone didn’t mind becoming totally androgynous if that could be a solution to hair loss.

Now for my actual issue. My hair is thinning quite a bit in the front but is still full and thick most everywhere else. I have long hair so I have noticed it falling out quite a bit recently. I haven’t started Propecia as I am only 19 and I have heard it is a life long engagement costing upwards of $100 a month.(I am currently on accutane and since starting have noticed a dramatic change in the amount of hair I loose daily, and the costs work out the same, so I might just switch one for the other) I was wondering if I did start treatment with the medication and I were to have the hair on the top of my scalp thickened and my hairline returned with hair transplants, if I might be able to beat the risk of Shock-loss? I was also wondering what the risk factors for it are.

I rather like my long hair as it makes me look quite androgynous, so I don’t want to risk losing it all from shock-loss. I know that Procrecia doesn’t return a youthful hairline (which has receded 2cm) so I would like to know if I might be able to with the use of transplants without much risk.

Thanks for your time

Propecia will slow down and sometimes reverse hair loss. Shock loss from hair transplants can be diminished if you are taking Propecia.

Taking female hormones to become a woman may slow male pattern hair loss. Most of the patients I see who are taking female hormones and have male pattern balding, see me because of the male pattern balding. When and if they get their testicles removed, the hair loss stops but the hair that was lost prior to removing the testicles does not come back. I perform a number of hair transplants in people who have changed their gender.

Most importantly at the age of 19, you should seriously consider all your options and see a good doctor before considering any of the aforementioned topics. If you have a sexual identity issue, you should get professional guidance.

Tags: transgender, transsexual, hairloss, hair loss, lgbt

My Hair Loss Isn’t Visible Yet

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

What does all this mean? I have no obvious signs of hair loss. Any person on the street couldn’t see what I see. I have no receding hair line nor do I have any thinning in the crown. But what I do have is an overall texture and density change on the top of my head from the hairline to crown area. In this area the hair is softer, finer and not as thick when compared to the sides and back. Another cause of concern of mine is that I can lightly tug at the hair at my crown area and always pull hair out. But when I pull at the sides and back it’s a lot more difficult to pull hair out. I am 25 years old and I’m worried that this is the start of my hairloss. Your answer would be greatly appreciated.

You have a very good observation. Generally a person can lose more than 50% of their hair and it would still be unnoticeable to the general public. The difference in texture you notice on the top of your head may be a sign of miniaturization that I often write about on this blog. If I was to use a hair densitometer (invented by me in the early 1990s) to examine your scalp, some of your hair’s diameter MAY be smaller on the top of your head than on the sides or the back. This is why you may be noticing the difference in texture. Which means, you may be at an early stage of male pattern hair loss. Fortunately, finasteride (Propecia) has been well studied to counteract the male pattern hair loss, especially in the crown area. But you would need to see a medical doctor and get the correct diagnosis to be prescribed Propecia. I realize there are many internet sources for obtaining Propecia or finasteride without a medical exam. I strongly urge you not to go that route, because you would not know what you are treating and the interval effectiveness. Remember, you still do not have a diagnosis yet.

Tags: hair loss, hairloss, propecia, finasteride, miniaturization

Hypothyroidism in Women

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

I am a 43 year old women who has always had long, fine hair. About the age of 30, I noticed that my hair was starting to thin in the top of my head. I had enough hair to cover it, but it was still thin.

I found out shortly after that I had hypo-thyrodism. So, now I am on synthroid — and my hair is even thinner. I don’t know what to do about it (is there anything that can be done). I am really scared that within the next four-five years, I will hardly have no hair. It’s thinning around the edges. I do get perms, but I get them every 4-6 months. I hardly put heat on my hair because I know that heat can ruin hair as well. What can I do?

Many women have the same problem as you and I sympathize with your concerns. Unfortunately, there has not been a medical breakthrough in hair restoration options for women and their unpatterned hair loss as there have been for men with male pattern hair loss. The first thing is to have your hypothyroid condition well managed. The next step may be to see a doctor who can assess the pattern of hair loss and the degree of miniaturization to understand what is going on, and to check if these measurements change over time. Beware of doctors who are eager to sell you a hair transplant surgery. Women are generally poor hair transplant candidates.

Tags: female hair loss, hair loss in women, hypothyroidism, hairloss