Female Hair Loss and Spironolactone

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

I am 31 and I have had thinning hair for the past 5 years and it is getting worse every year. My doctor whats to give me sapronolactose shots. Is this safe? I still want to have children

The use of spironolactone has been around for years. There is controversy in the medical literature on its effectiveness. Some people feel that women with hyperandrogenic hormonal influences may benefit more than those without. As this medication influences hormones in your body, I would be skeptical for its use in a woman wanting to get pregnant for if she did get pregnant, it will almost certainly impact the baby. There are also reports that there are side effects in women your age (cancer risk potential). Speak with your doctor about these issues.

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

Hair Loss and Interferon

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

I have a question with regards to hair loss and interferon. I finished a six month regime of the drug and have noticed that the last few months my hair has been thinning considerably. This concerns me because fifteen years ago i underwent a hair transplant and have been blessed with a full head of hair, but now that it is thinning because of the drug I am worried about whether it will come back or not. Nobody can really give me any insight on this issue and I would appreciate some guidance here. Thanks in advance

Interferon is known to thin hair or cause hair loss, and that would include transplanted hair as well as other hair on the scalp. See https://janis7hepc.com/hair_loss.htm for more.

Tags: interferon, hairloss, hair loss

Would Ringworm or Alopecia Be Obvious to a Dermatologist?

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

Hi, I have a 9 year old daughter who has a small bald spot on the top of her head. The spot is a little smaller than a dime and is a spreading a little in into an oval. There are a few hairs growing out of it and the skin is a little pink. She also has a dry itchy scalp. My daughter used to have a thick full head of hair, and I also noticed that it is thinner. I did take her to the doctor who told me it was from stress and it should grow back. He said to wait six weeks, but it has been there a couple months already! Would it be obvious to him if is ringworm or alopecia? I am currently waiting to see a dermatlogist because they are booked for a month. Should I be worried? Does it sound like she should see someone sooner?

Thank you for any advise you can give.

Your pediatrician can diagnose and treat ringworm and certainly your dermatologist will have no difficulty making the diagnosis and treating it. See Head Fungus Won’t Go Away.

Tags: ringworm, dermatology, alopecia, hairloss, hair loss

The Great American Dream Vote Winner Update (Video)

/by William Rassman, M.D./2 /, ,

College student Russ Jowell’s dream was to have a head of hair again, and as the winner of ABC TV’s “The Great American Dream Vote”, his dream was granted by the New Hair Institute in the form of hair transplantation surgery.

I sat down to speak with him the day after his surgery so he could tell the viewing audience what it’s like to win all that money, the car, and the rest of the amazing prizes. Plus, find out what his hair transplant surgery experience was like and how his life has changed since the show. Look at him and see if you can tell that he had a hair transplant the day before.

For more about the show, click here.

Tags: dream vote, dreamvote, abc, rassman, nhi, tv, hairloss, hair loss, hairtransplant, hair transplant

Egg Yolk and Vitamins to Keep Hair Healthy?

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

EggHello, i have been reading your blog for a few months now, and i think its very informative well done, however i am unsure over a few area:

  1. If you start to develop your “mature hairline” between 17-20 does this mean that you are destined for balding?
  2. I have viewed a couple of other sites apart hairloss products to prevent hairloss, i noticed a few vitamins such as A and B were said to help keep the hair healthy also the website stated that egg yolk’s keep the hair healthy aswell.

  1. The maturing hairline has nothing what-so-ever to do with genetic balding. So to answer your question — no.
  2. If you have a healthy diet, taking vitamins will have little impact on hair loss that is not caused by vitamin deficiencies. With regard to egg yolk on the hair, I’ve read that it can make a good conditioner, but I personally stick to the bottled conditioners.
Tags: egg, yolk, vitamin, hairloss, hair loss

Applying Instant Coffee and Aloe Vera to Crown

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

CoffeeDear Doctor:
I have read interesting information regarding the use of caffeine and the stimulation of hair growth. I understand that the ammount needed to affect hair growth would require massive ammounts of caffinated beverages. I have been applying a teaspoon of instant coffee mixed with aloe vera gel to my thinning crown in an attempt to stimulate growth because the hair on my crown is MUCH shorter than the surrounding hair. I have ordered anhydrous caffeine powder and will discontinue the coffee. Chances are, there will be no appreciable effect. Am I damaging anything? Is there any evidence that you know of to support the idea that caffeine, applied topically, can dammage hair? Here is the link I am referencing:

PubMed – Effect of caffeine and testosterone on the proliferation of human hair follicles in vitro.

Thanks!

You are a creative person, but being creative will not (statistically) discover the cure for balding. Caffeine applied to the scalp should have no effect on your hair (unless you pour burning hot coffee on your head — which I am sure you know not to do).

Tags: coffee, aloevera, aloe vera, crown, hairloss, hair loss, caffeine

Could Medications Suddenly Cause Hair Loss?

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

I am 51 years old and up until just recently I was satisfied with my hair. I’ve noticed a considerable amount of thinning especially in the front, but more concerning to me than that is my hairline that goes back on the left and right side is receding rapidly. What could cause this? Could medication that I have been taking for quite some time now all of a sudden caused this? I would truly appreciate it if you could get back with me as soon as possible, and do you feel that it would help any to see my local position.

Thank you very much

Balding can start at any age. You should get your hair mapped out for miniaturization to determine if there is a pattern to the thinning. Medications can cause hair loss, and in fact, there are a lot of medications that seem to list this as a known side effect. If there is miniaturization, then Propecia may help stop it. You need a good examination by a competent doctor. The most probable cause of your hair loss is genetic, and I would doubt that medication that you have taken for a long time with no hair loss evident, will all of a sudden cause hair loss.

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

Finasteride and Acne

/by William Rassman, M.D./5 /

Hi, I’m 23. I’ve lost some hair around the temples and have been taking Proscar 5 mg in quarter doses for 9 months now (with gaps due to the following). I’ve been experiencing facial acne but when I stop using proscar, the acne vanishes. Is it due to proscar? Perhaps the condition they call hyperandrogenicity? Can the acne be avoided while using Proscar? May I take Finasteride and Minocyclin at the same time to avoid this problem?

I have had occasional reports that Propecia reduces body hair growth. I have reviewed a number of articles in the medical literature to answer your questions and what I learned is that there is no known connection between finasteride, loss of body hair or and that a relationship exists between this drug and acne. Many of the researchers who thought that there might be a connection found in various reslearch activities that Propecia has no value to treating or causing Acne. With regard to your last question, you can take finasteride and minocycline at the same time.

For more, see Dermatology: Finasteride for acne?

Tags: finasteride, propecia, acne, minocycline, proscar, hairloss, hai rloss

I’m Going to Miss 5-7 Doses of Propecia

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

Due to shipping problems, it looks like I am going to miss 5-7 doses of Propecia after never missing a beat for the last 3.5 years or so… I know it is not reccommended to miss doses, but will this brief gap do me much harm, if it is a one time deal? I’m getting stressed about it because it has been very helpful for me and I know that after a day or so it is completely out of your bloodstream…. Thoughts?

It is probably alright to miss 5-7 doses. There will be a minimal impact, I suspect. Your stress will probably do you more harm. It usually takes a few months to lose the benefits gained from Propecia. You must also understand that bloodstream levels and tissue levels are different. Tissue levels are more important and they probably hold for a few days.

Tags: finasteride, propecia, hairloss, hair loss

Nortriptyline, Migraines, and Hair Loss

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

(female) I have been taking nortipyline for several yrs (20+), due to migraine headaches. I also had 3 months course of accutane 6 yrs ago. I have noticed for the last 3 yrs a significant hair thinning/ hair loss around my temple, left side greater than on the right. Is possible this is due to accutane from 6 yrs ago side effect or the nortipyline? I have taken extreme measures to care for my hair, weekly shampoos and conditioners. Please help.

If you stopped using Accutane 6 years ago, I highly doubt that it is the cause of your recent hair loss. Furthermore, before you consider your medications (nortriptyline) as the cause of your hair loss, you should explore other medical causes with your primary care doctor. Hair loss in women can be a sign of a medical condition (thyroid disease, anemia, etc…).

Tags: accutane, nortriptyline, hairloss, hair loss, female, women, woman

PAN Colitis, Prednisone, and Asacal

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

Hi. I am a 31 year old female w/PAN Colitis. I was hospitalized in October 2006 due to my condition. Prior to hospitalization I was taking 800 mg. of Asacol 3xs per day.

After hospitalization, I was put on predinsone (varying doses — weened off in March 2006), asacal (1600 Mg 4xs per day — still on) & 6MP (50mg). After I stopped the prednisone, my hair started to shed, excessively. My docter told me to stop 6mp, which I did. Now three weeks later, my hair is still shedding. I know hair loss is a side effect of Asacal, however, is it possible after being on the medication for over a year? Or, does the 6mp take a while to clear the system? Any other thoughts on what it could be?

Both 6MP and steroids can cause hair loss. Chronic illness can also cause hair loss. Until you get on top of your medical problems, you may not get relief from your hair loss.

Tags: female, women, woman, hairloss, hair loss, colitis, 6mp, asacal

Transplanting the Frontal Corner, 6 Months Post-Op (with Photos)

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

See the dramatic change in just one session to the right frontal hairline of this celebrity (nameless of course). His hair is brown and medium fine thickness with dense packing of the grafts just behind the hairline. Please note that the hairline is not an actual line, and there is a transition zone that takes you from forehead to the thicker hair so that this does not look like a transplanted hairline. That is where the ‘art’ comes into play. When looking at the densitometer (magnified view of the scalp hair), I can see that there is still new hair just starting to grow from the scalp so that in another 2 months or so, he should show even greater fullness than he shows here. I placed about 500 follicular units in this corner.

The photo on the left is before, the two photos on the right is after 6 months. Click the photos to enlarge.

Tags: hairtransplant, hair transplant, photo, hairloss, hair loss

Splitting Follicles?

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

Hi!

Please review this surgery for me. https://www.ghoclinicpraha.cz/hair-loss/

What do u have to say about techniques claiming to split follicles and later transplant them sucessfully back on to head?

The GHO method is, I believe, the standard FUE procedure that I published in 2002. Dr. Gho just named it after himself. I have heard him speak and have spoken with him, so I use this as my authority on making such statements. There is a tendency to infer more than there is in his marketing efforts. Splitting hairs takes on many meaning. Dr. Kim in Japan/Korea cut hair follicles in sections, trying to get more than one hair for each. He failed to do so, often yielding hairs with less bulk when they regrow. Splitting hairs down the center rarely produces one hair, let alone two or more. Don’t believe everything you read on a website.

Tags: gho, fue, split, hairloss, hair loss, hairtransplant, hair transplant

At What Age Am I Safe From Going Bald?

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

Hi,
Is there an age at which Im “safe” from going bald? Im currently 25 and my hair has thinned a bit since I was 21, going from Norwood Class I to Class II in the last 4 years.

I have a brother who’s 37 and has a full head of hair. I also have a brother who’s 31 and has had Norwood Class Va-VI since he was in his early 20’s. I have a similar family history, where half my uncles are bald and half have a full head of hair.

Is there typically an age at which, If Im not bald yet, I will no longer have to worry about the prospect of going bald? Or is it something that can happen at any age? Does my family history give me any insight as to what to expect in the coming years?

Look to your family history on what you might expect. Get your hair mapped out for miniaturization and that may give you a good metric for your balding process, especially if measured over time. Most balding slows or stops at about 45 years of age, but that is not a hard, fast rule as I have seen some men start balding at 50-60 years old.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, age, balding, family, genetic

Performed a Strength Test By Pulling My Hair — Now It is Thinning

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

Hello, I for some reason began pulling at my hair – pretty roughly and would pull out some hairs – I was doing this to “test its strength” – anyways I few weeks of this and I noticed my hair to be thinner on the back of my head near the two cowlicks I have. I have stopped the nervous pulling- If I pulled out hair how long will it take to grow back? What is the quickest regeneration rate of the hair considering I provide my body with plenty of protein and nutrients? Thanks for the answer!

No two people respond the same way. In some people, hair pulling will become irreversible quicker than in other people. The condition is called trichotillomania.

Wait out at least one telogen cycle of about 6 months. If it does not come back, see someone about hair transplantation. The doctor may want you to wait out a year and get assurance that the pulling has stopped. The ability to make that diagnosis is easy under microscopic examination of the area in the scalp that was pulled upon. A good diet is important, but the need to stop the cause (the pulling) is critical.

Tags: trichotillomania, strength, hairloss, hair loss, pulling