I shave my head because I’m going bald. I want to get a consultation but I should probably let my hair grow out a little so you can do the miniaturization map right? How long should I go without shaving my head? 2-3 weeks?
A couple of weeks of growth will work. I like to have about 1/4 inch of hair length to make the measurements.
I am 57 years Old. Over the last 6 years I have had a series of hair graph procedures and have been very pleased. I recently have been working with an anti-aging physician who has me on HGH, DHEA, and injections of low dose of testoterone. although I understand the conversion of T to DHT can cause hair loss. Is the graphed hair succeptible to lost in this situation.
The transplanted hair (as long as it is taken from the right area of the head) resists DHT, which is why we call it permanent hair. If you do not have any genetic balding, then the rest of your hair may also be considered permanent.
This patient has lost his frontal hairline extending back about 1 1/2 inches from the normal frontal location. Take a careful look at the closeup of his right corner area (2nd photo). The area is bald except for some scattered normal hair. Usually, the hairs become miniaturized and eventually fall out. In this patient, however, some of the hairs in the corners may have a different genetic code and could perhaps last his lifetime. I have seen this in some people and suspect that it is a form of hybrid genetic distribution (normal non-balding hairs in a region of balding scalp). Just for clarity, it is worth noting that this patient has not had any hair transplant procedure.
Click the photos below to enlarge.
Dear Sir,
im 26 years old male but have been loosing my pubic hair and my head hair at a very bad rate since i was 16 years old. now at the age of 26 its getting obvious that you can see my scalp and my pubic hair has thinned as well. I had very very thick hair. other parts of my body like my chest hair seem to be dropping, but not as bad. When I shower or just run my hands through the pubic hair it just drops at least more then 10 strands sometimes, and my head hair is the same, dropping all the time. I have taken a blood test and waiting for results, what else should I do, can you please advice thank you. im desperate for help.
Head hair loss has been addressed extensively in this blog, almost every day. With regard to pubic hair and body hair, I would like to know what medications you might be taking. The problem with internet advice is that it is one sided, question to me (alone, often without supporting information) and no real opportunity for me to probe further for info. I often tell medical students that the best doctors can make 90% of the diagnosis without ever laying a hand on a patient — by just taking a good and careful history. My interest in helping people is why I became a doctor. Unfortunately, I won’t able to be much help here without knowing more first. Without two way communication, I can not take a careful history, which is why a visit to a good doctor’s office is what the practice of medicine is all about.
79 year old black female(mixed race) Balding began left, center, after age 37 uterine hysterectony. Rapid since 1992.Several maternal aunts became bald, none on maternal side. Used weaves and wigs. Prescribed Rogaine gave me full-mask headaches. Stopped after three days. I have chemical sensitivities. Hair Club for Men and Women product left rash from the glue. Their defective product,shed within four weeks($2,500 loss.) Retired teacher with limitd funds, but would like minimal coverage for the rest of my shortlife,if possible. Back to wigs,hot and unsatisfactory. Am I too old for any help?
Unfortunately, women with extensive genetic hair loss are not candidates for hair transplants. Minoxidil (Rogaine) may work for women your age, but in your particular case it doesn’t sound like it is worth the side effects, especially with your sensitivities to chemicals.
How long should a patient wait after a hair transplant to use hair dye or bleach? Will either of these products speed up hair loss or kill the new grafts?
You can dye or bleach your hair after all of the scabs are gone (usually 2 weeks at most), provided that you are clear.
I had a hair transplant earlier in february of this year for 5005 grafts. Covering the front and crown. Its been 6 1/2 months and I’m wondering if the seemingly looking baby hairs will eventually straighten out. What textural changes will I see and when?. Thank you…
Transplanted hairs grow out in waves — some probably at 3 months, some at 4 months, some at 5 months, and so on. Hair cycling is the cause of the delayed growth start, since your hairs are coming out of their cycle at different points in time. Each hair that was transplanted was in a different part of its growing cycle and after a transplant it starts growing again, picking up possibly where it was in its growing cycle before it was transplanted. Most people confuse hair shaft thickness with the new density as it appears. Could you be referring to the overall thickness of your hair (which would reflect the numbers of hairs), and not necessarily the thickness of each shaft?
I tell my patients to wait out a full 8 months and then you should see 80-90% of the growth to some reasonable styling length. If there is a shaft thickness issue with these new hairs, get them measured by your doctor and compared to the hair from the donor area and you will have answers to your question about ‘baby fine hair’. There should not be baby fine hair there by the 8th month.
I found a great hair restoration Doctor, who has been in the business for over fourty years! I was just wondering if I should get a second or third opinion from other doctors in the area, or is it not needed since I really like this surgeon?
If you found a good doctor and:
…then stick with that doctor.
I am a 26 yr old male with slightly receding hairline. I have been on avodart now for 15 months but noticed not a real difference good nor bad. I am wondering if Proscar might be more effective given it is proven to regrow as with avodart there are not as much clinical date. I chose avodart since it was the stronger dht fighter
I am guessing here, as I have no real experience with Avodart. I would doubt that Proscar will work any better as Avodart is theoretically a much better DHT blocker. However, if you are taking Avodart (or considering Proscar) to regrow your hairline, chances are high that it won’t work for that anyway.
I am currently 25 and have noticed severe balding in the temple region for the last 6 months and minor balding on the crown. I have always been paranoid of going bald one day, and now it seems the reality is here. I have seen 2 doctors concerning transplants and the 2nd, who I felt comfortable with developed a master plan and I started propecia about a month ago. He did not recommend surgery but rather wait until November and come back to see him. It has reached the point today of not being able to wait another 4 months. My temple region is fading at lighting speed. Do you suggest on waiting the propecia out? I do not want to pester the doctor who I could potentially have surgery with.
Follow the doctor’s opinion you trust. Waiting out the impact of Propecia for 8 months is always a good idea. At your age, Propecia will reverse the crown loss most of the time, so why rush to surgery when the drug is probably the best of all solutions? Have an open line of communication with your physician — it always works out best that way. Look, I am not your doctor but do not have a problem answering your questions.
At the beginning of December i started to realize that my hair was getting thinner. After that i have an appoiment with the gynecologist to ask her for birth controls and i told her my situation and she said that the control pills are going to help me with my hair. I’ve been taking it for 8 months and my hair is still getting thinner and thinner and i went to the doctor to have a blood check up and the doctor said that my iron was low so i took iron for 1 month. My dermatologist told me to use Rogaine for woman but i am a little bit scare to use that. I want to know why i’m having this problem and i want to find the solution. My hair was so thick that i couldn’t hold it with one hand….please help me.
Thanks
Birth control pills and low iron cause hair loss and hair thinning. Sometimes this is not reversible, but it may not get worse if you improve the low iron and manage the birth control pills better with your doctor (focus your doctor on the hair loss element). Rogaine works nicely in some women if they can tolerate its use. It may be worth a try.
This man has a not-uncommon finding that shows the difference between scalp hair and neck hair. I always tell my patients that neck hair is not permanent, and even at 30 years old, this person’s neck hair is already disappearing. Too many surgeons use neck hair for a hair transplant with the idea that it is finer hair and makes for a better frontal hairline. But as you can see from the picture below, had neck hair been used for the front of his transplant, it would be falling out already. Even worse, neck incisions tend to produce wide scars. If this patient had recieved a hair transplant using his neck hair, he would have been deformed and would probably regret that he ever had done anything to begin with.
The key to good transplants is that every transplant stands on its own, and that no transplant can be seen as a person ages, loses more hair, or changes his hair style restricting his freedom. Please click the photo below to enlarge.
Hey Doctor,
Thanks for continuing to answer all my questions. I had a consultation with you about 4-5 months ago.
I have been on Propecia for about 7 years now…and it seems to be less effective than it was before. I am losing more hair, especially within the past 3 or 4 months. I have read your comments on Avodart…and it seems for some people, Avodart is more effective than Propecia, especially when Propecia stops losing its effect.
If I want to try Avodart out for a little while (I know it’s not FDA approved), would you continue taking Propecia at the same time?
Thanks again.
If you take Avodart, there is no point to using Propecia. Be careful about dosing, unless you are under the care of a good doctor.
I have seen alopecia areata come on with stress in those who are genetically prone to the condition. This article shows that environmental factors may impact the appearance and disappearance of this disease.
Hello, Dr. Rassman…
Thank you fot the informative blog! I know you keep referring to “getting your hair mapped for miniaturization”. What is involved in this? Is it like a scalp biopsy? Also…what is the typical cost for this procedure? I am male, 37 years old, and i am noticing a lot of hairs in the drain, and a some recession in the temples. I plan on being in L.A. in September, can I come to your office to get “mapped”? Thanks.
I will be happy to see you in September — just call or email to setup an appointment. Mapping of the scalp does not require any surgery and is nothing like a biopsy. What we do is take photographs of the hair at the hair level, then count those hairs in the field of view that are miniaturized, compared to those that are normal. Each part of the head can be mapped accordingly. Miniaturization mapping is free, and is part of the consultation process.