Woman with Unusual Body and Facial Hair

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

I’m a 21 yr old female… since i was about 14-15 i’ve had hair growing in strange places .. for a female..

now at 21 i have a beared… sideburns.. upper lip hair… chest hair.. and ive found 1-2 long black hairs on my shoulders…

i’ve had tests done and everything nothings been found … id really like to know if this treatment could help me .. or if u have any idea what could help me..

its only getting worse.. hope to hear from u soon

Male pattern hair growth on the face and body in women is usually secondary to hormonal imbalance and a thorough evaluation is necessary in most cases. Twenty percent of these patients have a normal hormonal level and may suffer from idiopathic hirsutism (IH). Idiopathic hirsutism is typically due to increased numbers of androgen receptors or increased 5 alpha reductase activities. Patients with IH may respond well to antiandrogen or 5-alpha reductase inhibitors like finasteride. Of course, this group of medications should not be used in women who may become pregnant, because of their effect on the baby’s genital development. You can discuss this issue with your doctor for further diagnosis and possible treatment.

Tags: women, female, woman, hirsute, hair

Can Toppik Cause Hair Loss if Left In Overnight?

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

I have read through yours blogs and did get some great insight but im still not understanding one thing. I just bought Toppik to help with my thin hair but i left it in over night and when i washed it out, i found that i had alot of hair loss in the area it was in. Can Toppik cause this? I had a transplant already and it didnt work at all since the are that was treated is the area that the hair is still falling out from. So thts wht i tried the Toppik product but if it causes hair loss or more hair loss i will stop. Please help as i do enjoy the fullness it gives. Thank you.

I have not heard from anyone that Toppik has caused hair loss. You might want to try DermMatch if you do think Toppik isn’t working for you.

Tags: toppik, dermmatch, hairloss, hair loss

St John’s Wort and Hair Loss

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

Does St Johns Wort cause hairloss as much as prescribed antidepressants? Thank you

Antidepressants are known to cause hair loss, however there are no reported cases I can find of hair loss from this herbal treatment. With that said, as this is not an FDA controlled drug, there is no regulation covering the ‘need to know’.

Tags: stjohnswort, st johns wort, hairloss, hair loss, herb, antidepressant

NHI December Open House Schedule

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

I’m posting this notice about our upcoming Open House events in our Los Angeles and San Jose offices. These events are unique because we invite you into our offices to observe an actual hair transplant surgery as it takes place. You can observe all or part of the surgery–it is up to you. Our doctors and medical staff are available to answer your questions. This is a great opportunity to witness the quality care of the New Hair Institute. In addition, attendees will have the chance to interact with NHI patients; talk to them one-on-one, take a closer look at their work, and discuss their experiences with NHI.

LOS ANGELES OFFICE
9911 W. Pico Blvd, Suite 301
Los Angeles CA 90035
TOMORROW!
Saturday, Dec 2nd, Noon-2pm

SAN JOSE OFFICE
2021 The Alameda, Suite 390
San Jose CA 95126
NEXT WEEK!
Wednesday, Dec 6th, 5pm-7pm

 

You may RSVP if you wish, but stop-ins are welcome. It’s completely free to attend. This is a great chance to see what hair transplantation is all about, first-hand. I hope you can join us. These events are held every month, so if you can’t make it, check Upcoming Events for updated listings in the coming weeks.

FUE Donor Exchange?

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

Dear Dr.

This is the scenario, I am 28 male, balding on the front 1/3 of my head, I am currently using Proscar and Rogaine. I am most likely going to lose the rest of my hair and be a worst case hair situation one day if I don’t act on it now. So here are my questions:

1. Would you recommend I do FUT or FUE hair transplant as I want to reserve the right to shave my head of use the clippers on 0 blade if things don’t work out with the way I want it to look?
2. If you said FUE, would you do donor exchange which DR. [name removed] recommends in order to not deplete the donor hair and less visable scarring?
3. In the FUE scenario, how do you find a doctor who is going to give you the best price and the best job? Is it ok if a doctor is in 3 surgeries per day or would you reommend a doctor who is just working on 1 patient?

I will answer your questions in the order you asked them:

  1. FUE will give you what you want if you eventually want to shave your head.
  2. In my opinion, replacing hair from the body into the FUE donor sites in the back of the scalp (“donor exchange”) is crazy and I doubt that there is much proof that this technique results in anything worthwhile. Why would you consider being a guinea pig and paying for that privilege?
  3. This is a Buyer Beware market. Too many unsubstantiated claims are made and the search I performed on the internet to research your question. I found a site which had a blend of famous, credible doctors mixed in with the scum of this business. One of the ‘doctors’ on the site I just referred to, is not even a doctor (I previously looked into his credentials). FUE can be done in one surgery (our group did as many as 2600 in a single patient in a single session) or it can be done multiple day surgeries. Just because a doctor does these procedures, this does not mean that the FUE will produce viable hair. You won’t know the results for 8 months and by that time, the money you paid will clear the doctor’s bank account.

Sounds like human experimentation, metaphorically similar to something Dr. Josef Mengele did. This is an ethical and medical licensing issue for the doctor if you were to have this procedure and were not fully informed about the ‘experimental’ nature of this process. Even with adequate informed consent, the legality of performing such ‘experimental’ surgery without proper institutional review and approval, is ingrained in our legal system.

Tags: donor exchange, donor, hairloss, hair loss, hairtransplant, hair transplant, fue, follicularunitextraction, follicular unit extraction

Persistent Forelock of Actor Jude Law

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

I am a 27 year old man with straight jet black hair. I’ve been thinning since I was 21. I still have alot hair left but a really bad receding hairline and a sharp widow’s peak similar to Jude Law in this pic.

What kind of procedure would you recommend for some one like me or Jude Law?

Jude LawThe photo you linked to (and others I’ve seen online) suggests that Jude Law has a Norwood Class 3 balding problem and he seems to have a strong persistent forelock which will probably last as the corners progressively go back. Some people are fine with this pattern, but if he were my patient, I would suggest that he go on Propecia and stay on it for life. Otherwise, he may suffer the fate of actor Bill Murray or late-night talk host David Letterman, both of which had strong forelocks at one point, though Letterman seems to still maintain his.

As for what I’d suggest for you, I’d have to see your actual hair loss before making a recommendation. You can send photos (please reference this blog posting) and I’ll be able to provide further information.

Tags: judelaw, jude law, letterman, murray, actor, celebrity, hairloss, hair loss

I Want to Get Unstressed to Stop the Stress Hair Loss!

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

Hi,
Recently (past year) I have noticed that my hair is thinning all over the top of my head, even on the sdies too (less noticable, because of angle to lights). I have been rather stressed recently (working long hours at wierd times), and have also had a knee reconstruction. The hair that remains on the top my head is still fairly dense, and shows no sign of miniturization (colour loss or weakness). Assuming my hair is falling out due to stress, how long do I have to become unstressed before this hair is permanently lost?

If I am going bald, assuming I have 90cm square of bald patch, how many grafts will i need to get to totally cover my scalp when i want my hair about 1-2cms long (dry).?

Also, what would be the theoretical maximum amount of grafts i could put per centimetre of scalp?

If you are a woman and stress is the cause of the hair loss, it may reverse after the hair has gone through a telogen cycle (6-8 months). The surgery you had certainly adds stress. If you are a man, you should not be experiencing hair loss around the back and sides unless you have some disease going on like Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA).

With regard to estimating the need for grafts, all I can say is that the ‘art’ is not mathematical. But if you want numbers, the normal hair density is 1250 hairs per square inch. Generally (depending upon your hair color, characteristics and thickness of the hair shaft) you need less than half of that number to get back a normal ‘appearing’ density (625 hairs per square inch or about 300 follicular units per square inch assuming that your density is normal). People with low contrast hair to skin color (blonde on blonde) get away with less hair to ‘look’ normal, but people with high contrast hair to skin color (black hair on white skin) need to get closer to half of the original density. The maximum number of grafts into an area of the scalp in a single session, could run as high as half of the original density and some doctors claim that they do this, but that is rarely practical or needed in most people and all of the grafts packed together like that rarely grow.

Tags: stress, hairloss, hair loss, dupa, alopecia

18 Year Old Stressing Out About Not Losing Hair Yet

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

Hello,

I am 18 years old. Ever since I was little I’ve had the widows peak shaped forehead. My dad has the same forehead, except I have cowlicks and he doesnt, but he is 49 and isnt going bald. I don’t think my hair has really gone back much ever and my hairline is maybe half an inch from my highest rinkle in the center. Should I be worried about going bald? I’ve been stressing out over it ever since a comment my uncle on my moms side of the family made about how I was going to go bald because he is. But I dont think he developed a widows peak until he was in his late 20’s and then his hairline recided in his 30’s, he also has a different father than my mom. His father and sons are all bald. Thanks for any info/ tips.

Sounds like your uncle is the problem, not your genetics. You could, of course, wind up with your uncle’s hair loss, but then again, you could end up with your father’s full head of hair with the cowlicks. If you are really worried, get your hair mapped out for miniaturization yearly. Any signs of balding in their earliest phase will be picked up easily, well before it becomes a problem. If it is caught early, you’ll want a Master Plan which probably will include finasteride (Propecia).

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, genetic

Bleached Hair at 16 and It Has Never Been the Same

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

(female) I am losing my hair and have been since I was 16 I am 22 now and I dont see any improvement in the matter. I bleached my hair at 16 and while the bleach was in my hair I was reading the package and noticed that it said for salon use only. I ran to the sink to wash it out and as the bleach came out handfuls of hairs did too. Being a 16 year old girl I ran to my hairdresser and she said no they probably werent falling out just breaking off. But through the years they have never came back. This has a major effect on my life, my marriage, and any activities that I do. I think about it all of the time and I dont know what to do. If you have any suggestions as of shampoos, surgerys anything… I am willing to do anything to get my hair back as well as my confidence in myself and my life. Thank you

It sounds like you may have chemically damaged your hair and considering the time you have seen no benefit, I doubt that the hair will return to your original 16 year old quality. The treatment of your hair today will have to be with conventional cosmetics, conditioners, and gels that thicken the hair shafts. You will probably be better of as a blonde (assuming you are Caucasian). At this time, there are no proven medications that I know if which you can take to change your hair character.

Tags: bleach, hairloss, hair loss, damage, chemical

Pantogar and Female Hair Loss

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

I am a 22 year old woman living in essex i have a problem with hair loss wich worries me alot i have long hair but now my hair has gone weak and unhealthy and i would like to know ways in which i can do to prevent the hair loss because i know its not normal in women of this age. im takin ‘pantogar’ which is a hair loss treatment but i dont know if its good enough. if theres another solution other than transplantation please let me know. thankyou i will be waiting for your reply

Pantogar is a homeopathic, nutritional supplement which is promoted for hair and nail problems. It is claimed to be used in the treatment of early hair loss, but there is no proven science for this supplement to show how it may work, or that it is worthwhile and valuable.

The diagnosis of female hair loss requires a close examination, something that can not be done over this distance. Unlike men, a woman’s hair loss situation is not easy to diagnose and treat. You need to see a doctor who specializes in female hair loss near your home. Try using the physician search at ISHRS.org and HairTransplantNetwork.com. Sorry, but there is not much else I can offer you over the internet.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, pantogar, female, women, woman

Worth Taking Finasteride for Temple Hair Loss?

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

I’m a 23 year old male and starting to recede at the temples, and I was wondering if it would be worth it to consider taking finasteride. My hair does not appear to be thinning anywhere else.

Also, my hair loss began when I began taking wellbutrin and adderall. Can these drugs jump-start the hair loss process? Or was this merely a coincidence?

Norwood 3Drugs like wellbutrin and adderall can jump start the hair loss process. Finasteride can address any form of hair loss in men that have miniaturization. You need to have your scalp mapped out for miniaturization to be sure that there is no genetic patterned hair loss as you are suggesting. Many people will not see their miniaturization with the naked eye, but the high powered microscopic mapping will show it if it is there. When some people talk about their temples, they mean the corner hairline and that can be seen with the Class 3 Norwood patterns. The side temple fringe extending forward from the ear can have a unique form of genetic hair loss called triangular alopecia. I would need to examine you for this condition, but it is unclear what you are referring to. You can you send me pictures here (please reference this blog posting).

Tags: temple, corner, hairloss, hair loss, finasteride, alopecia

My Body Rejected Propecia

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

Hi Doctor, im 19 and have had frontal hairloss, some recession since i was about 15 i started early. i tried out Propecia for over a year and prognosis was it didnt work.. actually i had a weird side affect from it, my body would reject it and id have weird sensations in my throat and then my hairloss would accelerate, anyways stuff happens. im just curious since Propecia is the King of hairloss meds and it didnt work, what route should i take from here, is there any hope?
thank you very much for your time and generousity

I would need to examine you to understand what you are telling me. I would want to map out your hair for miniaturization as well. If you can make it to one of my offices in California, I would be glad to see you. At this point though, I can not really tell you much. The body rejecting finasteride? I’m just not clear on this. Sorry.

Tags: finasteride, propecia, hairloss, hair loss