Why All The Fuss About the LaserComb?

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

Why all the fuss on your site about the Hairmax Lasercomb? You constantly remind your readers that it’s a buyers beware market, and with all the garbage cures out there, I assumed you would be supportive of a company that went to the trouble of getting FDA approval (no easy task)for their treatment, and offers a money back guarantee after using their product for 5 months.

Why do you approve of Merck’s FDA approval for Propecia but not Lexington International’s for the Lasercomb? Was Merck’s research better or more independent? And if yes, how so??

As a side not, you said you offer laser treatment in your office free of charge to your patients. Why do you do this if you dont believe in the treatment?

As I understand it, the LaserComb was not approved for effectiveness, but was approved based on a predicate device which they showed was similar. The Merck studies are extensive drug studies, which show statistical value in hair growth and hair retention. You can review the Merck data, which is all over the internet.

You are right, the only thing you can lose is the few hundred dollars you pay for the laser comb and assuming that the company will be around to refund your money, there appears to be no down side other than to delay proper diagnosis and treatment in some patients. All of the fuss you are talking about reflects:

  1. Many doctors feel it is a scam
  2. Many doctors wish they had a piece of the pie, as it may make many millions for those who put the product together — so it is $$$ envy behind the fuss

I, for one, have my integrity and will not put it up for sale, so I am free to express my opinions when I feel that the product offering may be misleading the public.

Tags: lasercomb, hairmax, lexington, hairloss, hair loss, laser comb, laser

Tomatoes and Hair Loss

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

Have you ever heard of tomato consumption causing hair loss?

TomatoNo, I have never heard that before.

Here are some interesting facts about tomatoes that I’ll repost from Epersimmons.com:

  1. Tomatoes originated in the South American Andes. They were cherry sized and grew wild. The tomato was once considered an aphrodisiac, and in fact the word tomato in Italian is poma amoris or “love apple”.
  2. It’s hard to believe that this main ingredient of our diet was not that long ago considered poisonous, by Americans. We have Robert Gibbon Johnson to thank for saving the tomato. In 1820, he stood on the steps of a New Jersey courthouse and ate a tomato, proving they were harmless. Thank you Robert, after all where would we be without ketchup for our french fries.
  3. Today, far from being poisonous it is considered one of the most healthy vegetables around. And yes, I did say vegetable. In 1893, the Supreme Court ruled that tomatoes are vegetables and not fruits.

Tags: tomatoes, tomato, hairloss, hair loss

What is the Accelerated Hair Loss After Stopping Finasteride?

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

I am a 51 year old male with some recent thinning in the vertex area, but otherwise a I have a full head of hair. I don’t seem to shed many hairs. In fact, after combing my hair, I may see only 1 or 2 hairs in the sink and never any hairs on my pillow when I awake in the morning. I have recently procured a prescription for Proscar, but I’m hesitant to use it because of some of the side effects mentioned. In an earlier answer to someones post,you mentioned the fact that if one was to use Finastaride, then discontinue it’s use, that subsequent thinning would occur at an accelerated pace. Does this mean only the hair you may have grown as a result of proscar use, or your overall hair in general? I’m currently trying grape seed extract, multi vitamins and Sawpalmetto. I’m also considering just letting things take their natural course and joining the rest of bald headed America.

Thanks for your anticipated response

In my opinion, grape seed extract, multi vitamins, and saw palmetto will not significantly affect your hair loss problem. Bald can be beautiful. There is nothing wrong with being bald.

With regards to finasteride (Propecia or Proscar), it may not cure hair loss, but it is the best medication available to slow down hair loss or even grow some hair back. If you stop taking this medication after many years, you may experience what I describe as “catch up” hair loss in which you lose all the hair that grew or stayed as a result of the drug. In short, your hair state will be at a point if you had never taken the drug in the first place.

Tags: propecia, proscar, finasteride, grape seed, saw palmetto, hairloss, hair loss

My Doctor Said I Only Need to Take Propecia Every Other Day

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

Hi I have been using Propecia for just over 6 months with no visible benefits so far. I understand that it can take anwhere up to 18 months for you to see results.

The trichologist that I have been seeing and who prescibed the Propecia has told me that the half life is such that I only need to take it every other day. Which is what I’ve been doing for the last 6 months. Is this correct?

Thanks for your site its a great help.

Half life of Propecia is around 4 hours. The half life is the time it takes half of the drug to be out of your blood stream. Let’s do the math…

6am – take Propecia (assume 100% got into your blood stream…)
10am – 50% of Propecia is in your blood stream
2pm – 25% of Propecia is in your blood stream
6pm – 12.5% of Propecia is in your blood stream
10pm -6.25% of Propecia is in your blood stream
2am – 3.125% of Propecia is in your blood stream
6am – (a day later) only 1.5625% of Propecia is in your blood stream

Realistically, all the Propecia is out of your blood stream after 24 hrs. That is why you take Propecia once a day.

Tags: finasteride, propecia, proscar, hairloss, hair loss, halflife

Why Do I Have a High Forehead?

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

hi i am a 16 year old male and for as long as i have known i have had a high forehead. my hairline is straight not receded but when i push up my eyebrows my highest wrinkle is just short of an inch below my hairline. i have never noticed any change of my hairline so what could be the problem.

We see wide variations in the construct of people’s faces. I remember a hairline that I put back which was less than an inch from the eyebrows. The man told me that it was his family mark and that he wanted to look like everyone else in the family. It would not have been my choice, but it was his. You can always move it if you do not like it, but at 16, I would want to get your parents involved in any and all decisions with regard to altering your hairline.

Tags: forehead, hairline, hairloss, hair loss

Using Grecian Formula or Youthair

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

I had a HT procedure done 5 months ago. It went successfully. I addition, around the time of my HT, I decided to begin using propecia and Minoxidil. It has been a great success. My new hairline has been lowered by about 1/2 to 3/4 inch below the the hairline established by the HT.

While I am extremely happy with the result. I want to tackle another problem, gray hair especially near the temples. I want to try either Grecian Formula or Youthair which contains some lead based compounds such as lead acetate. Is it safe to use these product with propecia and minoxidil?

I am not familiar with the Grecian Formula or Youthair that you mention. From a medical perspective, I would be cautions of lead based products. Lead is a poison. And while I hope you are not ingesting these products, the application on skin/scalp can still have a systemic effect as it is absorbed through your skin. See Lead Based Hair Products: Too Hazardous for Household Use – Results.

Tags: grecian, youthair, hairloss, hair loss, minoxidil, propecia, lead

Procyanidin B2 Research

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

Dr. Rassman, I know you get questions about procyanidin b2 every day and I understand enough data is not currently available to determine whether the product is indeed efficient. But my question to you is: is research on it being done by serious, credible institutions? Can we expect to see any YES/NO recommendation that can actually be trusted any time soon? Thanks!

The bulk of research on procyanidin B2 is published by one group of authors in Japan in last few years. Although some of them are published in peer reviewed medical journals mostly on small group of patients, more research with a larger number of patients seems to be necessary for assessing the efficiency and safety of this product.

Tags: apple, procyanidin, hairloss, hair loss

Recurring Hair Loss That Starts as a Pimple at the Hairline

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

Hi Doc

I have been having recurrent hair loss since i was 18 (now 23). It starts with a pimple which doesn’t itch but the area is tender with fine hairs at the bottom of my head also around the hairline.

Infected cysts can cause hair loss (sometimes temporary and sometimes permanent). Your history is too sketchy to make much sense out of it for me. You need to have a doctor examine these ‘pimples’ to see if this is acne or something else.

Tags: pimple, acne, cyst, hairloss, hair loss

3000 Grafts Transplanted in the Front Does Not Look Like Enough

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

Good day and thank you for past respones. My question is..Does 3000 grafts at the front of my head cover alot of area?. I ask this because thats what I had done. Thing is though after 1yr. I feel there should have been more hair in obvious areas of need. Maybe I expect too much density or what was done never sprouted. Thank you…

Hair transplantation does not give you 100% of the hairs that you lost. As a rough estimate, it replaces 15 to 35 percent of your original hair density in a single session. Usually this is enough to achieve a positive cosmetic effect, with these factors also playing an important and subtle role in making the transplant look more full:

  1. coarseness (thickness) of your hair
  2. contrast between your hair and skin color
  3. curliness of your hair

As an example, a man with black hair and fair skin with very thin and straight hair would not have a full hair appearance as compared to a man with blond hair and fair skin with coarse and wavy hair.

If you are concerned about your hair transplantation results you should see the doctor who performed your surgery and express your concerns. It is impossible to tell you if your expectation is too high or if the surgery was not a success without a good physical exam. You can also look at NewHair.com for before and after pictures of patients who had similar surgery performed.

Tags: hairtransplant, hair transplant, results, photos, hairloss, hair loss

If I Already Lost Half My Hairs, Should I Still Be Losing 100 Hairs a Day?

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

I have already lost more than half the hairs on the top of my head. I have been reading on your blog, that it is normal to lose up to 100 hairs a day. However, given my current state of hair loss, does the number of “normal” hairs to lose decrease? In other words, since I have lost half the hairs on my head already, should I only be concerned now if I lose more than 50 hairs a day?? I ask this question largely because I am about to start taking Propecia and I want to guage an idea of what kind of benefits I can hope for. Thank you!

While it is normal to lose 100 hairs a day, there should be 100 other hairs growing at other parts of your head to replace the lost hairs. It is just difficult to find the growing hairs and easy to see the falling hairs. If you are bald and have lost 50% of the hair population, then you will cycle about 50 hairs per day, not 100, and that is what you will see on your pillow (if all of the hair loss was at night when you slept).

If you have considerably thinned and are still losing hair (100 or 50 or 20 hairs a day), you may have hair loss that is genetic in nature (male pattern hair loss). If this is the case and you are worried about this, you may consider having your scalp hair mapped for miniaturization to see the pattern and state of your hair health.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, miniaturization

I Have Thousands of Translucent Hairs on My Scalp

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

I have male pattern baldness, yet I have thousands of tiny translucent hairs on my scalp. They are short, and do not seem to grow much, if any. When light is shinning from behind me the hairs are very noticable and people look shocked, as I look bald when no back light is present. What are these hairs and why don’t they grow to full length? Have not been able to find anything written about these type of scalp hairs on the internet.

Polar bearCongratulations! You are a polar bear. A polar bear’s fur is translucent despite its apparent white hue.

Kidding aside, what you are describing seems to be vellus hairs that commonly grow all over our body (look closely at your face… its all over — except for our palms and soles). These hairs are not like normal hair on the scalp and will not grow to normal scalp hair length, and in each follicular unit (which normally has 2-4 hairs normally) there is usually one vellus hair (which is not seen with the naked eye). When there are translucent hairs on the scalp that do not grow (instead of full pigmented hairs) then that is often seen in advanced balding/thinning. These hairs are usually miniaturized and do not grow normally as the genetic factors come into play. You should have your hair mapped out for miniaturization to find out what is going on.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, vellus, polarbear, polar bear, miniaturization

Hair Loss and Blood Pressure Medication

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

I have been taking LisinoprilHctz10/12.5 and ziac 2,5 together for high blood pressure i recently stopped the ziac and increased the lisinopril to 20/12.5 my hair started coming out ,my question does a beta blocker block dht to some fashion, because from what i have read it should make my hair fall out when taking it not when stopping it.I thought it was my imagination but it has happened 3 times now, or maybe its the shock of getting off the drug,, any ideas!!!

You are on some medications for controlling of your high blood pressure. I am gathering that you have stopped Ziac, one of these medications, a few times and every time experienced hair shedding afterwards. The medication Ziac combines two antihypertensive agents; a synthetic beta1 selective blocking agent (bisoprolol) and a diuretic (hydrochlorothiazide). There is no report of enhanced hair growth with any of these components. Although physical and emotional stress can enhance hair loss, I don’t believe that getting off medication qualifies as one. Think back and see if there was any other factor enhancing your hair loss, besides changing medication.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, blood pressure, bloodpressure, ziac, bisoprolol

Propecia and Fertility Levels

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

I am a 23 year old male and have recently started using Propecia. I have two questions concerning the drug. My first is whether or not it works better in younger men, since the hairloss is caught earlier (maybe easier to reverse the process). I heard that the sooner you catch the problem, the more of a chance you have of at least retaining what you have. My second question is whether or not the decreased amount of ejaculate, as a side effect, (which I have experienced to a degree) has an effect on my fertility levels. Thanks much for your time.

Propecia seems to work better on younger men, particularly those who are at the earlier stage of hair loss. The decreased amount of ejaculate may be one of the side effects of Propecia, but it has no impact in fertility levels. Furthermore, the decreased amount of ejaculate has no correlation with a decrease or increase in libido.

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

Dutasteride Causing Frontal Hair Loss?

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

Dear Doctor: Have you heard anything about the use of .5mg of Dutasteride associated with frontal hair loss or thinning? I have been taking .5mg Avodart and 2% Keto shampoo for the past 3 months. I have noticed a cessation of the hair loss on my crown, and a mild thickening, but my widow’s peaks appear to be progressing with a mild diffuse thinning. Any thoughts? Also, I am hearing that topical caffeine is beneficial for hair growth. Any thoughts? Thank you very much!

Dutasteride, as far as I know, has NOT been linked with causing frontal hair loss. Moreover, dutasteride is not FDA approved for the treatment of male pattern hair loss. I do know that there are patients that use it for treating hair loss, but it is a very potent drug and I trust you have had a long discussion of all of dutasteride’s pros and cons with the physician that prescribed it to you.

I’ve written on topical caffeine before…

Tags: caffeine, dutasteride, hairloss, hair loss, hairline

Bald Spots in Facial Hair from Electric Razor?

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

I have developed a bald spot in my facial hair. Two actually, each about the size of a quarter and in close proximity to each other. i never had these spots untill about 9months ago. The spots themselves are very smooth without a trace of facial hair. The only correlation i can figure is that roughly around the same time i started using an electric razor i noticed the spots ( not the 1st time or anythig but thats the only thing i can think of ). Also i am 1/2 native American but assume genetic bald spots are there from the get go. Any info would be very helpfull (especially the scientific name of this condition).

Thanks!!

Loss of beard hair can be caused by a variety of conditions such as ringworm, alopecia areata, or genetic factors, amongst others. You need to see a good dermatologist to evaluate your situation. I would doubt the electric razor is the cause.

Tags: razor, electric, hairloss, hair loss, beard