Female Hair Loss After Stevens-Johnson Syndrome

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

I hope you can help me. My 83 year old mother has just recovered from Stevens Johnson Syndrome. While hospitalized and for 2 weeks after she got home (December 2006) she was on high doses of steroids. Her hair has been falling out. My question is…will this hair loss slow down? Will the hair that has fallen out grow back? Is there anything we can do? Your help is very much appreciated.

Any protracted illness can precipitate female hair loss. So can systemic steroids. To find out if it will grow back, one complete telogen cycle must occur (up to 6 months). If she is still sick, the clock on regrowth starts at the time that the illness is history. See WrongDiagnosis.com – Stevens-Johnson Syndrome for more.

Tags: stevens-johnson syndrome, hairloss, hair loss, stevens, johnson, syndrome, steroid

Scar on Top of Head Isn’t Taking Hair Transplants

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

I have roughly been losing my hair slowly for nine years, all in the frontal hairline area. I have had a couple procedures to thicken up the frontal hairline, and the doctors upon examining always comment on how thick the rest of my hair is. However, on the vertex of my head I have a twenty year old scar (dent) the size of a quarter which has been grafted into, but does not retain much of the hair (I am aware scars have a lower success rate). It is very thin compared to the surrounding areas, and makes it look as if I am losing the hair on the top of my head. I was curious if a revision of the scar (to make it smaller and more linear) would be possible. Thankyou.

Scar revisions are possible depending on the location and the size. Without a physical exam, it is difficult to give you a specific answer. You may consider sending me your picture and I would be happy to give you a private consultation. Please reference this blog post when sending.

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

Nutricap

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

hi
im 17 yrs old. lately i have noticed my hair falling out more and more increasingly. i have no stress, i get enough sleep and my diet is fairly balanced. however i have used the hair dryer and straightener very often, do i need to stop their use?

is taking NUTRICAP tablets enough to stop/reduce my hair loss? do i have to complement this medication with NUTRICAP serum and shampoo? thanking u in advance!

A hairdryer and hair straighteners in general will not cause you to lose your hair.

Nutricap, supplements, and shampoos may claim benefit for hair loss, but there are no medical studies that prove they actually work. You are free to try these products but from a medical perspective, I cannot recommend these products over anything else. Hair straighteners can damage hair, so be careful with their use.

Tags: hairdryer, hairloss, hair loss, damage, nutricap, supplement, straightener, shampoo

Hair Loss After Total Hysterectomy

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

I had a total hysterectomy 5 years ago. I immediately started HRT. I take Premarin and a testosterone cream. My beautiful thick hair is disappearing. It won’t stop thinning. What can I do?

Hormone Replacement Therapy can precipitate hair loss in genetically prone women. You might consult with the doctor who is prescribing the medications you are taking. The response to different medications vary with the person, so adjustments in the HRT may help.

Tags: hormone, therapy, women, female, woman, hrt, hysterectomy, hairloss, hair loss

Young Teen Girl Experiencing Major Hair Loss

/by William Rassman, M.D./7 /, ,

Hello. I have been experiencing excess hair loss, which is making me very stressed out. I am scared to brush and wash my hair that its so bad. I am only a 13 year old female, and I really do not want to go bald by the age of 14. Yes, I do have a full head of hair, and no, it is not getting thinner. My parents set me up an appointment with a very good dermatologist. Nobody, on both sides of my family, have any hair loss problems. Everyone has extremely thick hair, including me. I have a few questions though:

  1. I have experienced major vaginal yeast infections, so could this be the problem?
  2. Can puberty cause hair loss? If so, is it permanent or temporary?
  3. When you say hair loss can be temporary, how long is temporary?
  4. Can the Hair, Skin, and Nails vitamins treat hair loss?

Please pleaseplease please help me, sir. I can not force myself to have fun, when I know I am losing 150-160 hairs a day. I’M SCARED! HELP HELP HELP! :(

Thanks for your time, and have a good day Dr.

  1. Vaginal yeast infection is not a cause for hair loss.
  2. Puberty can trigger changes in hair character because hormones do influence hair thickness, but this report is unusual. I would rather look for other causes of your hair loss.
  3. Hair loss, if it is temporary, may return after a few months to a year as the hair cycles over the course of many months, but you must be healthy and I would first check out the various causes of hair loss in young women with your family doctor.
  4. Vitamins do not cure hair loss, but many supplement advertisers want you to think so.

You need to have a complete evaluation by a good family doctor as the cause of your hair loss most likely lies there.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, teen, girl, female, women, woman, yeast, puberty

Rogaine Foam vs Regular Minoxidil

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

hI, My hairline started to recede two years ago. My Dr. recommended me Rogaine foam but I’ ve read that it does’ nt work to build or reconstruct the hair line. I do have male pattern baldness. Do you think that with Minoxidil or Rogaine foam I will recover some hair in my hairline. Wich one do you think is better Minoxidil or Rogaine foam?

Are you really talking about frontal balding or the maturing hairline? You are correct in stating that Rogaine is not effective on the hairline. Propecia is also not very effective on the hairline. These medications are effective in slowing down hair loss from genetic balding, not the maturing hairline.

With respect to foam versus the generic solution version of minoxidil, the foam is relatively easier to use and I have been told by other professionals that the foam is possibly more effective because of the delivery mechanism. The foam also produces better compliance amongst its users.

Tags: rogaine, foam, minoxidil, propecia, finasteride, hairloss, hair loss

Skin Still Pink Months After Eyebrow Restoration

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

I had an eyebrow transplant nearly two months ago and still have alot of pinkness in the transplanted area, which also goes much redder after I have had a shower. I am presuming that this is because I have histamine positive skin. I asked my doctor and he said it would go within a week of the operation. Can you give me your advice, as you are the only doctor I can find who mentions anything about histamine positive skin. Obviously I am concerned that it will not go away. I did have a very bad reaction to the surgery with two black eyes and terrible swelling which tooks weeks to go. thanks alot

EyebrowGenerally, the redness goes away after about a week or two. Histamine positive skin is a general description of how your body reacts to irritation with resultant vasodilitation. The good news is that the redness will slowly fade away. You may consider the use of topical steroids, but do not use them for more than a week, twice a day. A light makeup to disguise the redness may help. It will not affect the transplanted hairs.

Tags: eyebrow, hairloss, hair loss, hairtransplant, hair transplant, histamine, red, pink

Online Pharmacies

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

Doc,

What are your thoughts about online pharmacies regarding propecia?

Thanks

As long are they are reputable, online pharmacies are one of many resources available to consumers today. Remember that Propecia is still under U.S. Patent protection and there is no legal generic Propecia (the 1mg version of finasteride) available in the US. I know people likely purchase these from online pharmacies located outside of the US, and I realize other countries make generic finasteride in 1mg strength, but I have no way of knowing its purity.

Tags: finasteride, propecia, generic, online, pharmacy, pharmacies, hairloss, hair loss

Zhangguang 101

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

hi dr. Rassman,
i would like to know your opinion on Eastern Medicine regarding hairloss, particularly this product which i’ve heard over an asian website recently https://www.101international.com/

created by Dr Zhao Zhangguang. Do you think this is a scam? thank you

I do not know much of eastern medicine nor of Dr. Zhangguang so it would be unfair for me to comment on it. There could be value here, but no one knows. There have been many products and treatments for hair loss since the beginning of time. To date, I only know of two products for treating hair loss that have been scientifically proven and approved by the FDA to work — Rogaine (minoxidil) and Propecia (finasteride). Even Rogaine and Propecia have limitations and neither are a miracle cure. Remember that the power of suggestion and the placebo effect (sugar pills) can also work for some.

Tags: zhanguang, propecia, rogaine, hairloss, hair loss

Selsun Blue Shampoo and Hair Loss

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

I am 17 years old and recently it seems like my crown is thinning. There is a visible area in the back and my brother was the one to point it out. I recently started using Selsun Blue for my dandruff. I’ve heard that it can cause hair loss. Any truth to that? This is really making me go crazy.

Selsun BlueI highly doubt that Selsun Blue is the cause of your hair loss. If you are losing hair on the crown area which is typical of male pattern hair loss, you may have “genetic male pattern hair loss”. If you are still concerned about hair loss, see a good hair transplant physician to see if you are a candidate for medical therapy such as Rogaine or Propecia. A good doctor will map out your scalp hair for miniaturization and can put a number that will tell you if you are balding.

Tags: selsun blue, shampoo, hairloss, hair loss

Flaking Scalp — Is This a Reaction to Rogaine Foam?

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

I have been using propecia for years and have also been using Mens Rogaine Foam for about 6 months. I thought the rogaine and propecia combo was working, but just recently my scalp has started to look like it is peeling and flaking in the front, could this be a reaction to the Rogaine, even though it wasnt doing this to me before?

The scalp irritation you describe may be a reaction from your use of Rogaine, which is a known irritant for some people. It does not matter if you have been using it for 6 months. Irritations can still occur.

Tags: minoxidil, rogaine, foam, hairloss, hair loss, propecia, finasteride, irritation

What is Livon?

/by William Rassman, M.D./7 /

Hi.
I want to know that what is livon and what is ingredients oil or what is the name of chemical or other? how it is care our hair?

Best regards

My quick Google search shows that Livon is some sort of a hair product, but the fact that it is difficult to define what the ingredients are says a lot to me. I am uncertain if it claims to grow hair, but if it does claim to do that, it is just one of the many hair growth products in the market making such statements. I do not know of this product, but my motto has always been that it is a “buyer beware” market. Proceed with caution.

Tags: livon, product, hair growth, hairloss, hair loss

I’ve Been Using the Hairmax Lasercomb for 5 Months…

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

I have been using the Hairmax Lasercomb now for about 5 months and have noticed that my hair is thicker BUT not necessarily thicker from the root or epidermis.. It seems like it makes thin hair look thick but it still falls out at an alarming rate and still ACTS like thin hair. On some of the hair that falls out, you can tell that around the bulb area the hair is still thin-and then on other hairs, it looks thick all the way through which is encouraging. What is your reaction to this?

LasercombI am not sure if you are stating that you are seeing a benefit, even though your hair is falling out. If it is working for you, I am happy for you. If you can achieve the same (or better) thickening result from a product like Toppik, wouldn’t that be a cheaper solution?

I know that I tell everyone that they should get their hair mapped out for miniaturization to obtain a metric for change, and I’ll recommend doing so again — then you could put numbers to what you are telling me about.

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

Big Scar After 3rd Hair Transplant Procedure — I Want to Hide This!

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

I’ve had a 3rd FUT HT procedure almost 4 months ago. A gross infection followed and split skin graft was needed to close the donor area which was about a 6 1/2 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. The skin graft is 2 months old and has contracted to 3/4 of an inch. Once the skin graft is healed can FUE help to hide the scar. Scar is also depressed about 3 mm.

I’m very demoralized and looking for help.

Thank you.

You should discuss this with your doctor and/or seek another opinion. Unfortunately, I do not have the luxury of a formal physical exam with you via the internet. Generally, there are options available to you which may include hair transplants around the area or scar reduction (often best used with balloon expanders if the scar is as wide as you claim), etc. Balding Blog is not a good avenue to seek a second opinion.

My offices are in California, but as you are on the east coast, I can recommend Dr. Robert Bernstein in NY. If you can make it out to California, I’d be glad to provide you with a private consultation.

Tags: hairtransplant, hair transplant, fue, infection, scar