Effexor XR and Hair Loss

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

Hello to All!

I will begin with ……I am petrified of going bald. I recently began taking an antidepressant called Effexor Xr. Now, I began taking this med in late August of 2006 and have noticed increased hair loss as time has passed by. Especially, the months of Oct., Nov., and Dec. When I part my hair I can really see my scalp and it really began receding at the temples ….
although since this has occured I have been really stressed and began having bad anxiety as it does not subside. I have always had fantastic hair, blonde and below my shoulders. I am a female that really does take care of herself and this continuous hair loss is really effecting me seriously.

So, if there is anyone out there that could give me some advice as to what to do I would be most thankful.

Warm Regards to All.

From the tone of your email, I can tell you are “petrified” (as you say) of going bald. However, I can also sense that you have a component of anxiety issues and the antidepressant medications may be beneficial. But, antidepressant medications are known to cause hair loss. You should start out by having a complete physical exam and/or even seeing a good doctor with knowledge and interest in hair loss. Dermatologists are often the best place to look. You should have your scalp hair examined for miniaturization for specific pattens of hair loss, but you need a diagnosis and the internet is not the place to get it.

Tags: effexor, hairloss, hair loss, antidepressant, medication

US Marine in Iraq with Infected Wound on Head

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

I am writting to you so that maybe you can answer some questions for me. I am a US Marine currently deployed in Iraq and about a month ago I got a bite or something on the back of my head. It swole up really big and when squeezed alot of puss and blood would come out of it. I was given atibiotics like cephalexsin and steriods such as zithromax, which worked temporarily, but the infection would come back after about a week. I now have a bald spot the size of a dime-nickel which continues to get bigger. Will the hair grow back? ANd if not, could any surgery or procedure be done to fix the bald spot? Thank you so much for your time, and I eagerly await your response. Thank you again

It sounds like you had a local infection that has now cleared. Unfortunately, it seems you are left with a bald spot that is most likely the result of ‘reactive’ hair loss, something that we often see in such situations. The localized hair loss is likely temporary and it may return in 3-8 months.

If it does not return by the 8-12 month time frame, it is probably permanent. You can have a hair transplantation to cover the area. In fact, it is a relative common procedure to cover the scarred/bald areas on the scalp. Hopefully though, you will not need a hair transplant and it will regrow on its own.

I am a former Army Vietnam surgeon and I personally understand what war is from a first hand experience and how painful war is for everyone involved. Have a safe return home. Hoorah!

Tags: marine, hairloss, hair loss, infection

Why Does Propecia Take Months to Show Benefits?

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

Doctor,

You have the best website by a mile! I have a couple of unrelated questions:

1) Why does Propecia take 8-12 months to show hair regrowth ?
2) Any comments on hair club for men’s biomatrix process (which is advertised on their website). I believe it is a hoax but wanted to confirm.

Thanks

Thank you for your compliment!

  1. It takes months 6-12 months for finasteride (Propecia) to show its effectiveness, because it is dependent on the hair growth cycle which takes about that long just to ‘switch gears’. Then hair grows at 1/2 inch per month.
  2. I believe Hair Club’s Biomatrix is a type of wig applied with a special process. Sometimes it is difficult to tell what it is that is being sold.
Tags: biomatrix, hairclub, hair club, propecia, finasteride, hairloss, hair loss

Hair Loss After Coloring, But I’ve Colored It Before Without Problem

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

I dyed my hair and it came out in clumps. I’ve colored it before and never had a problem. I’m only 20 yrs old and female. Why would this happen?

Coloring hair is not one of the causes of hair loss, but skin irritation due to chemical agent sensitivity could speed up hair loss in some folks. Some people can also become allergic to dyes after repeated use. Get your hair mapped for miniaturization and that will tell more about the nature of your hair loss. A hair specialist can examine your hair and see whether you are vulnerable to female pattern baldness or find out if there is something else causing you to lose hair.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, female, women, woman, color, dye

Small Hairs Growing After Using Minoxidil

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

Two and a half months ago I started using topical minoxidil and now I see some really small hairs that have appeared on the sides of the forehead. Since I’m sceptical and dont believe they will amount to anything bigger I have stopped the treatment (2 weeks ago). My question is, is this good response or just wishfull thinking and should I continue the treatment taking in account the possible shedding in the future?

Thank you for any response

It seems you have already made up your mind. How will know know if you don’t continue using it for 8-12 months? It is true that some patients observe what you’ve observed and these people may actually get a good response. If you go on it again, you have to start the count down from zero again, as if you never took it before.

Tags: minoxidil, rogaine, hairloss, hair loss, regrowth

BaldingBlog’s Growing Pains

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

Ouch. We got hit with some massive downtime on the first day back from the long holiday weekend — a new server at a new host was just the fix we needed. Thanks to Dreamhost.com for helping getting us back to where we need to be. Comments will be reinstated soon, at least on a trial basis.

We appreciate your patience and look for a full day of posts to resume first thing tomorrow morning (at least, first thing here in California).

Hopefully things will run much, much smoother from here on out.

Dermatologists are Clueless About My Hair Loss

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

I’ve been experiencing excessive shedding off and on for the past 1-2 years. When the hair falls out is almost always has a large ball of white/yellowish skin on the end. Sometimes there will be 2 hairs attached to one ball. What could this be? I’ve been to dermatologists and they seem clueless to what it is. I’ve had the standard blood work done and it all seems normal.

The yellow/white “balls” at the end of your fallen hair are just sebum, wax, and dead skin. It is normal to lose around 100 hairs a day (as there are other new hair growing constantly). That being said, if you are concerned about losing hair in specific pattern and notice excessive loss or thinning, you may want to see a hair restoration doctor who can map your scalp for more signs of miniaturization and/or pattern of hair loss. There are many competent doctors out there who can help you. Don’t get discouraged. Take command!

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, miniaturization, sebum

Balding Like My Grandfather?

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

hi dr. my dad is in his early 50s and has a full head of hair, but his father had a noticable receding hairline at sides of the crown(not completely bald). do i have to be concerned with my grandfathers receding hairline….or just my fathers?

You need to find out if your balding pattern (if you have one) parallels your grandfather’s pattern at the age his started. That may point to your answer. Hair loss can skip generations, and the gene can be carried from either the maternal or paternal side.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, genes, balding, generations

Oral Minoxidil (Loniten) for Hair Loss

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

Is oral minoxidil (loniten) good for treating hair loss?

No. Taken orally, minoxidil’s major impact will be a drop in blood pressure, not a treatment for hair loss. That is the reason it is placed on the scalp when used for hair loss.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, minoxidil, loniten