Difference Between FUE Techniques?

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

i wanna firstly thank you on this great website, with so many insights and advice from you which has helped many troubled souls.. I am a 27 year old indian male who started losing hair at the age of 18 have been using minodoxil for the past 2 years hasnt helped much but has certainly slowed down the process, also started finastide 1 mg daily from past 1 month, have lost substansial hair from the front to the crown area as in like a horse shoe shape..

have now been considering transplant from the past few weeks was doing my research on the net to come across a clinic in greece called DHI (direct hair transplant) which claims that they perform surgeries without removing the scalp from the back of the head. have read about your FOX technic too.. can u tell me the difference between the two procedures and how effective is the DHI Method is it something new due to patent laws cannot be used by any other surgeons and what exactly is the procedure when compared to FOX.. thanks you’d be of gr8 help as i’m very confused as to which one to consider for the best results would like to avoid removal of scalp or stiches thou.. is there any way i can get a hair transplant without FUE!

Please read What Doctors Don’t Want You to Know About FUE.

I had published the first article on the FUE / FOX technique in 2002. Since then, many doctors and clinics have started offering this service because of its appeal. There is NO STANDARD and NO WAY for the consumer to know what they are getting. You need to see former patients (more than one) in person and ask these patients about their experience in person. Pictures and website presentations are just not enough. Continue on with your research and make a well informed choice.

Tags: fue, hairloss, hair loss, hairtransplant, hair transplant, fox

Propecia vs Rogaine?

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

My doctor has recommended me to use Rogaine instead of propecia cuz he believes it affects the prostate tissue and so the side effects of this drug could persist even if I stop it (that’s if I got some), do you think this might be true since you doctors prescribe it to your patients!?

what do you think of the effectiveness of rogaine?? it must be sure that you have prescribed this drug to many patients since it was the only drug approved to treat the hair loss and before propeica was available on the market, do you think its really effective?? did you see patients that could restore their hair using this drug??

please let me know the answers to these questions

Thanks

Propecia (finasteride) does impact the prostate when it is swollen. What your doctor is saying, or at the least the way you are telling it, makes no sense to me. The two drugs work differently. Propecia is more predictable than minoxidil, but they could work together. I have seen hair come back with minoxidil, however I have seen more patients show great benefits from Propecia.

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

Any Studies On Using Minoxidil and Finasteride Together?

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

Since Minoxidil and Finasteride working differently, what happens when they are combined?

Is there any studies on using both Minoxidil/Finasteride vs. just finasteride?

Wouldn’t Minoxidil be a lot more affective if combined with a DHT blocking agent (finasteride/Dus.)?

I agree finasteride is a better drug since it addresses the cause. But with one blocking the cause (DHT) and the other stimulating the follicle wouldn’t the results be a lot better?

As a matter of fact, this has been studied and your answer is positive. Minoxidil and finasteride have a synergistic effect and using both is proven to be more effective than only one.

Tags: minoxidl, rogaine, propecia, finasteride, hair loss, hairloss

White Sheath at End of Pulled Hair

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

Hi,

I am 20 male and when I pull on my hair, it comes out with a white sheath at the end. It is not just a white bulb, but rather it is a white sheath. Also, sometimes when I pull out hair, two comes out in the same white sheath. So sometimes I am not even pulling out one single hair, but two hairs attached to the same white sheath. Is this what normal balding hairs look like?

If you pull on your hair, less than 5% of the hair should come out like what you are saying. If it is more than that, maybe you have early hair loss and should get your hair mapped out for miniaturization to make a diagnosis. The white tip you are seeing is mucus (sebum) in a hair that has started to go out of anagen and into telogen and is nothing to worry about by itself.

Tags: mucus, sebum, anagen, telogen, hairloss, hair loss

Can a 16 Year Old Use Propecia?

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

I am a 16 year old male who has been losing hair in the crown area only for the past 2 years. I don’t really see any hairs in the drain or on my pillow, but my crown area is getting thinner and more noticable. I was told I could not use propecia until I was 18 or 19 years old. What would be the reason for that and is it true? Is there anything else I can do?? I was told to use Rogaine, but does that actually work??

Safety of Propecia (finasteride) is studied at age 18 and above. Get your hair mapped out for miniaturization and let’s get a metric for your hair loss and a diagnosis. With that in hand and your parents’ cooperation, a good doctor may elect to put you on Propecia if everything is understood and risks are discussed in detail.

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

Cirrhosis and Propecia

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

diagnosed with alcohol cirrhosis august 2005. haven’t drank since (life is great thank GOD). liver enzymes normal, checked in january 2007. ast was 32 (30 high). would like to take propecia. what type of medicine or class of of drug is this or what can i compare this as to taking say glyburide for diabetes? what scale of toxicity from say 1-10 is it?

Propecia is metabolized by the liver, so doses of the drug should be lower. The actual dose needs to be controlled by your doctor. To my knowledge, Propecia is not toxic to the body, but if you have poor liver breakdown of the drug, blood levels will rise with more incidence of side effects possible.

Tags: cirrhosis, propecia, finasteride, liver, hairloss, hair loss, alcohol

Jungle Warfare Supplement and Hair Loss

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

A short while ago you answered a question regarding hair loss and testosterone boosters (T Bomb II was the product in question). Your answer made sense and was helpful. I have slight variation on that question for you.

I’ve been on Proscar (1mg daily) for about 8 months. I’m happy with the results. I’m thinking of buying a supplement similar (i think) to T Bomb II called Jungle Warfare. It’s different than T Bomb, but I’m guessing the same rules apply: boost your testosterone and you boost your chances of going bald. My question is, what if I’m already on Proscar, will that be enough to offset any increase in testosterone? If I take Jungle Warfare, should I increase my Proscar dosage?

A rise in your testosterone level will increase your hair loss and it might not be helped by finasteride (which is only about 80% effective as a blocking agent for DHT).

Tags: testosterone, dht, jungle warfare, hairloss, hair loss, finasteride, propecia, proscar

Happy Belated Birthday and Other Hair News

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

2 Years Old!First of all, we forgot our own birthday! The first post was made on BaldingBlog.com on April 6, 2005. We’re now over 2 years old… with over 3400 posts! Where does the time go?

I want to bring some attention to the news feeds we’ve added to the right sidebar from our friends at HairLossHelp.com. Direct links to the 5 most recent articles in their News section, and the 5 most recent forum posts from their Open Topic board. Scroll down a little ways and check them out when you get a chance.

Speaking of news, here’s a quick round-up of news items that I’ve either found or that readers have sent me that I just didn’t have time to write in-depth commentary about. I wanted to provide these links anyway, as they are worth reading (well, some of them are, anyway). Enjoy…

Hair-related stuff:

  1. I’m quoted in this one — Can Surgery Fix Balding Heads?
  2. “Bioabsorbable scaffolds are useful for the tissue engineering of new hair follicles…” — Hairlosshelp.com – New patent issued to Aderans for hair cloning technology
  3. Hair Club for Men videotaped ex-clients to sue their wig stylists — TheSmokingGun.com – Follicle Firm Surveilled Ex-Clients
  4. Based upon her upcoming movie, could balding women get a fair shake? I hope so! — CNN – Halle Berry set to go bald for new movie
  5. An inspiring young lady with alopecia — MaineCampus – Student won’t let hair loss condition rule her life
  6. Article about female hair loss treatment — WRAL.com – Women Have Options to Deal With Hair Loss

Other health stuff:

  1. An important health matter for the readers over 40 — NY Times – Lessons of Heart Disease, Learned and Ignored
  2. Protein in ear hair cells could power spacesuits — NewScientist.com – Motion-sensitive spacesuits could generate power
Tags: hairloss, hair loss, rassman, news, hairtransplant, hair transplant, baldingblog, hairlosshelp

Marijuana and Finasteride

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

hello doctor, i was wondering, does marijuana effect the side effects or progress of Propecia at all? that’s it, thank you.

I read so many concerns from people in emails and other various corners of the internet about the negative sexual side-effects of Propecia. Yet you ask about the effects of marijuana, which in itself gives you a low libido and other negative sexual side effects. So if you are a worst case scenario type of person, your chances of a negative sexual side effect most probably more than doubles. We also know that there are reports that marijuana may contribute to hair loss either directly or indirectly.

There is no interaction between marijuana and Propecia.

Tags: finasteride, propecia, marijuana, pot, hairloss, hair loss

Swelling in My Head After Hair Transplant

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

hello doctor..i come from greece and i had hair transplantation about 3 months ago..a few weeks ago i noticed that the area where the new hair was transplanted it started to swell and raise up a little bit..i went to see my doctor again (actually it was a clinic, specialized in cosmetic surgery) and they told me it due to the new hair trying to find their way out but couldnt…they used a needle to cut it open a little bit and cleaned it from the blood and pus that was gathered in it..when i asked them if that is natural they told me yes, it happens from time to time cause some hair get trapped and inverted but they told me the transplanted hair will grow normally after that..is that true? could the transplants have died because of that? im sick worried..thank u

If what you are talking about is a few cysts, this occurs in about 5% of patients and with proper soaks (or drainage) they should go away. Sometimes they need antibiotics. If the pus or drainage was any bigger than a drop, then you could be having problems. You need to trust a doctor to deal with this (in person), not someone like me over the internet.

Tags: hairtransplant, hair transplant, pimple, swelling, bump, pus, cyst

Wearing a Baseball Cap After a Hair Transplant

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

How soon after a procedure can a patient wear a baseball hat to conceal the procedure?

Would a slighty oversized, baseball hat, placed gently on the head be OK?

CapYou can wear a cap on the same day. In fact, at NHI we discharge almost all of our patients with a baseball cap. Written on the baseball cap is, “Look at me! I just had a hair transplant!”

Hey, I’m kidding!

All joking aside, as long as you wear the cap loosely it is OK and a good cover for even the most extensive hair transplants we do. The baseball cap we supply is plain blue with no markings on it.

Tags: hairtransplant, hair transplant, aftercare, cap, baseball, hat, cover

When Does the Maturing Hairline Stop?

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

At what age should the maturing hairline process stop? I’m 33 and I’m getting a bit paranoid about my receding hairline not stopping. I’m at least at the 2nd stage in the Norwood pattern, but have no hairloss on the crown.

A maturing hairline usually stops around late twenties, but that rule is not followed by everyone. If you are concerned about hair loss and its progression, you should have your scalp hair measured for miniaturization and get someone who is an expert to let you know if you are actually balding (see Maturation of a Hairline — Moving From Juvenile to Mature).

Tags: mature, maturing, maturation, hairline, hairloss, hair loss

Female Hair Loss After Moving

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

(female)
Hi there.
Right after I moved to TX from CA, I’m experiencing a great amount of hair loss. I’m losing hair in patches all over my head. I went to see a doctor and he couldn’t find anything in my blood to indicate illness. Could water be the cause of my hair loss? IF no, what else could be the culprit for causing my hair loss? My diet is regular, no medications, no stress, and it does not run in the family.

If the hair loss is in patches, there is something wrong and you need to get a good opinion from a doctor. I would not think the water is causing your hair loss, unless there is something in your water that makes it different from anyone else’s tap water in California. I’m not sure what area of the state you’re in, but we are located in both San Jose and Los Angeles (Beverly Hills area) and you should consider a consultation. If you can’t make it to one of our offices, a good dermatologist should be able to determine what is happening to your head that is causing your patchy hair loss.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, water, female, women, woman, patchy

2% Minoxidil vs 5% Minoxidil

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

Dr. Rassman

I have been on propecia for about 6 moths with some moderate improvement. I was thinking about starting minoxidil as well. What I was wondering is what is the most effective 2% or 5%. I have heard different opinions on this and would really appreciate your advice. I also heard that you cant get 5% minoxidil in Canada…Is that true?

Thanks for all the help Dr.Rassman

I generally recommend 5% minoxidil. You can get generic minoxidil (brand name Rogaine) just about anywhere. Furthermore, the brand name Rogaine comes in a different formulation of a foam which is reportedly much easier to apply and use, and may be more effective at the same strength based on absorption.

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

How Long for Results from Avodart?

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

I’ve been on Propecia for a year now, and have just started on Avodart, taking it once a week.

I know that research is very limited in terms of the optimal frequency and dosage for Avodart…but roughly speaking, do you think it would also take 6-12 months to see any benefits from Avodart, just like with Propecia? And a second question, if the answer is yes, since i’ve been on Propecia for so long do you think the time required to see results would be much shorter?

I know you can’t give me an exact answer but I’d be happy with an educated guess so I know roughly what to expect.

Thanks

If there is an incremental value between Propecia and Avodart, it will take 6-12 months to see it (educated guess). I do not know the answer to your next question.

Tags: avodart, propecia, finasteride, dutasteride, hairloss, hair loss