Is Propecia Less Effective After Prolonged Use?

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

Dear Doctor
I have been using proscar tablets(5mg)instead of propecia,quartering the 5mg tablet & taking 1/4 tablet a day.This has worked 4 many years but now it has lost it’s effectivness & I am shedding hair rapidly. I have found many articles on the net were doctors suggest that patients increacse the dose to 2.5 mg to stop shedding & the risk of side efects will rise only slightly. What do u think ? Please respond,I am really depressed. Avodart is not available in Australia & regain liquid burnt my scalp & the foam isn’t available in Australia either.
Thanks in Advance.

You need to speak with your own doctor about this. I can not advise you over the internet. Generally, some people will go into accelerated hair loss in cycles and that may look like Propecia is not as effective, but it probably means that your balding process is more active than before. As far as Avodart (dutasteride), the studies on this medication are not available at this time. Experimental work is presently going on in Korea under the US FDA guidelines that may eventually answer your questions.

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

Homeopathic Treatments Stopped My Hair Loss, But Not Regrowing Hair

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

hello doctor. i am a 20 yr male and have been experiencing hair loss since the past 2 yrs. i have been taking homeopathic treatment.the hair loss has stopped but there is no growth as such. i have been experiencing loss in the frontal areas.according to the norwood charts im something between a class 1 and 2.is there any non-surgical treatment in my case??

It is not easy to evaluate your hair loss without seeing you in person or at least a picture from you. It might be difficult to differentiate early stage hair loss and hairline maturation in early stages without microscopic examination of the scalp (see Maturation of a Hairline — Moving From Juvenile to Mature). You can elect to treat yourself and not know what is happening to you, or you can be evaluated by a hair doctor for proper recommendation and possible treatment once a diagnosis is made.

Tags: homeopathic, hairloss, hair loss, mature, hairline

Parachute Therapie for Hair Loss?

/by William Rassman, M.D./8 /,

ParachuteI just wanted to know that there is a product in Indian market by MARICO – called Parachute Therapie ,its a reputed company but I want to know if the reasons for Hair Loss mentioned and treatment is genuine??? you can consult parachutetherapie.com

Thanks a lot…I am really troubled with Hair Loss

That’s an attractive website with no real information on it, so I can not tell you what it means or if it contains anything of its value. What I did learn was that it is a 45 day oil treatment. The site says, “Parachute Therapie’s Natural Root Activising Alpha Proteins are a unique combination of various ingredients that are researched and proven.” Really, this tells me nothing.

When I read your question, I immediately thought of jumping out of an airplane…

Tags: parachute, therapie, hairloss, hair loss, hairfall, hair fall

Will Propecia Ruin My Chances of Using Stem Cells In the Future for Hair Loss Treatment?

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

Hi Dr!

I am 21 years old and I am struggling with hair loss. I spent a lot of money on laser treatment, but it is now a year later and my hair is back to looking terrible! should i begin propecia? if a cure for baldness ever comes along with propecia ruin my chances of using it? (stem cell) thanks! i need help bad!

(I am also afraid of the side effect of propecia)

The simple answer to your question is probably no! The medication (Propecia) is gone from your blood stream in a day or two and probably out of your body in under a week or so. If you are genetically balding and take Propecia and experience side effects, you can stop the medication and the side effects will go away.

Tags: finasteride, propecia, cloning, stem cells

Perform a Skin Test Before Trying Hair Products?

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

Hi Doc,
when we buy new hair products for our hair, like shampoo, conditioner, etc, is it necessary to do a skin test? This is because some products may be sensitive to a person’s scalp?

Yes, that may be a good idea, but most commercial products are designed to by hypoallergenic (low sensitivity for a reaction). It is generally safe to use almost any known brand on the market today.

Tags: skin, test, reaction, allery, shampoo, conditioner

Could My Shampoo and Conditioner Routine Prevent Hair Regrowth?

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

My hair is dry so I shampoo and condition once a week and spray in a condtioner everyday. Is it possible that my routine could cause a build up and prevent hair regrowth?

While I doubt your hair washing regimen is preventing hair growth or promoting hair loss, there may be a hygiene issue. There are no topical shampoos, conditioners, or medications (other than minoxidil) that are proven to grow hair.

Tags: shampoo, conditioner, hairloss, hair loss

Why Does the Back and Sides of the Head Not Lose Hair?

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

[/bq] Most cells in our body have a ‘death’ time programmed into them. For reasons unknown, part of the hair on the scalp in about 45% of the male population may have programmed earlier death (the balding pattern seen in balding men). This patterned hair loss does not impact the hair around the sides and back of the head, the 3 inch wreath of hair we call permanent hair. Men generally do not lose hair on the sides and the back part of their scalp, because it is a genetically programmed trait not to lose the hair. This fact allows hair to be transplanted from the back and side of the head (permanent hair) to the balding areas. Furthermore, hairs on the side or the back of the female scalp are not generally considered permanent and when they have female genetic hair loss, it is usually a more diffuse type of hair loss impacting the hair all over the head. This is why most women are poor candidates for hair transplantation as they do not have this permanent wreath of hair around the sides and back of the head.

There has not been a good explanation that I’ve heard for this permanent rim. There was an interesting book I recall titled Sex, Time and Power: How Women’s Sexuality Shaped Human Evolution by Leonard Shlain, who had proposed a connection that might explain male patterned balding. He postulates that man’s history really goes back to tribal living when we had 150 people in a tribe (no large civilization existed at that time). He noted that 7% of men had extreme balding, and the same number of men were left-handed, color blind, and gay. He postulated that in the days when men hunted, there were left-handed spear tossers, men who could see through the camouflage of animals (color blind), men whose heads would go above the bush to spot game animals would not frighten the animals (animals knew to run from men and balding men did not look like men to these animals). The same number of men had to stay ‘back at the camp’ and protect the women (gay men). Not a bad guess, eh?

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, history, tribal, tribe, colorblind, gay, left-handed, left, balding, genetic

I Found this List of What I Can and Can’t Do After Surgery…

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

Hi Dr. R!

Captain Forehead here. I’m one week post-op. Staples are good so far. Not too much discomfort.

Wow, there is SO much different info online about what you can and can’t do after surgery. I found this elsewhere on baldingblog.com, a very helpful guide.

Patients…

* Can lie flat
* Can have full aerobic exercise in 1 week (even run a marathon if they want)
* Should limit weightlifting greater than 25 lbs for 4 weeks and keep the back straight
* No sit-ups or pull-ups for 4 weeks
* May play with pets in 1 day (but no licking the transplants by your dog until the crusts are off – it had to be said)
* Smoke and dust in the environment are not a problem unless you are not clean
* Passive sex is ok for the first 2 nights, then everything after is a go

It’s just weird ’cause sometimes I feel more tension while yawning than I do after the pushup I just tried, of course while keeping my head totally back!

I guess I’m just writing to say, I wish I knew for sure how “zombie-like” I have to remain after surgery and how much of my history of widened scars is due to junky genetics.

Thoughts?

P.S. See ya at the Open House in L.A. this Saturday!

You don’t have to be a zombie after a hair transplant surgery. The precautions are so that it protects and minimized the donor area scarring and most of the rules are to protect the people who are not generally careful and do unsafe things. I am generally open to shortening all of the time lines with more careful people. To simply think about it, the more tension you put (sit-ups, etc), the more there is a risk of widened scarring when your neck muscles are pulled. You will know that if you put your hand on the back of the neck and see how much pull you get from what you are doing.

Tags: hairtransplant, hair transplant, hairloss, hair loss, surgery, aftercare

How Much Time Should There Be In Between Transplant Procedures?

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

Dear doctor,

last week i underwent a 2500 grafts transplant to my front and sides of the head, however i still need another 2000 grafts to cover the
crown.

my question is – what is the average time gap between two transplant operations ?? when should i go in for the second tranplant?

Also is it necessary that i take medication after these transplants.

The spacing of hair transplant procedures should be at least 8 months apart to allow the grafts to grow from the first session. I always tell my patients that when they see the growth, they will know:

  1. If another hair transplant is needed, and…
  2. Where these grafts are needed in the second session

The only medication I recommend after a transplant is Propecia to arrest or slow the progressive nature of genetic hair loss. I suggest taking the medication before the transplant as well.

Tags: hairtransplant, hair transplant, hairloss, hair loss, propecia, finasteride

Hair Regrew After Chemotherapy — Now It’s Falling Out Again!

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

i lost my hair from chemo. it all grew back, but my problem is now it seems to be falling out again and i’m not sure what to do or if it will all fall out again. could you please help me

Hair will generally regrow after chemotherapy. Your new hair loss problem may not be due to chemotherapy. There are many causes of hair loss and the chemotherapy may have had something to do with other organ system, the general state of your health, etc. There may be other medical issues that you are not aware of so the hair problem may reflect some other systemic problem. Be sure to get your doctors involved in your problem.

Tags: chemo, chemotherapy, hairloss, hair loss

Hairline is Thinning, Face is Aging — Stress?

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

Hi,
I began noticing a very slight loss on my front right side at about 29yo, though everyone told me I was crazy. Since then, I have moved to NY and have remarkably increased stress level. After being here 2 years now, I’m 32 and have noticed my hairline thinning more and my face aging. Is this all due to stress, or is it just the aging process coincidentally starting at the same time my stress level increased? Btw, I’m a male; my father was not bald until he had chemo at 50; my uncles all have their hair; my grandfather on my mom’s side was bald. Since graduating college at 28, I have been through a lot and my diet has gone downhill for lack of money. I was a vegetarian for 8 yrs until about 28.
Thanks.

ElderlyWe have seen aging differences in twins where one is more stressed than the other so, yes, stress changes the rate at which we age. Male pattern balding is a genetic process that is certainly accelerated by stress. If you can barely see it, then you should get your hair mapped out for miniaturization so that a diagnosis can be made.

Tags: stress, aging, hairline, hair loss, hairloss

K17 Protein

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

I thought you might be interested in this article I found:

ScienceDaily – Bedsores And Bald Hides: Novel Roles Revealed For A ‘Scaffolding’ Protein

Yes, it is an interesting article. We still have way to go before the elusive cure for hair loss. As the article says, “….investigators were quick to caution that there’s nothing in their work – yet – to suggest a way to prevent or cure human baldness.”

Tags: k17, protein, hairloss, hair loss

I Have High Acidity and Hair Loss

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

Hi
I suffer from high acidity which is virtually triggered by anything I eat. I have been loosing hair from the time I started being acidic. Can it be a contributing cause to hair loss?

I do not know of a connection between stomach acid and hair loss.

Tags: acid, hairloss, hair loss, stomach

Perfectil Supplement for Hair

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

I know taking too many vitamins can cause hair loss, but do you think taking (perfectil) which is a beauty supplement for hair and skin,would be ok while I am still having a balanced and good diet?

Best

While I doubt it will hurt you, I do not know what effect it will have on your health and hair. All supplements in the U.S. are relatively unregulated since they are marketed under the guise of a natural food product. I do not endorse any such products. It is a buyers beware market. Use at your own risk.

Tags: perfectil, hairloss, hair loss, supplement

My Penis is Smaller While Taking Propecia

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

I read a post you made about someone asking you about propecia and penis shrinkage… I know the internet isnt the most reliable place for facts but i did a little reading and if DHT is responsible for male sex characteristics and propecia inhibits the conversion of testosterone to DHT then how could it not have such effects? Also why would this be considered improbable?

I am going to think this out logically with a little help from reference sites, such as Wikipedia.

The side effects of Propecia (finasteride) deal with the DHT effects that are either hormonal or cyclical on a body part. Penis size is based upon two factors:

  1. The anatomical parts of the penis (cultural, diet, genetics)
  2. The degree in which the penis is in its flaccid state

The corpus cavernosum is the portion of the penis that gets engorged with blood when it is erect and makes it harder. A man’s penis varies in size based upon his environment and his activities. For example, when exposed to cold the penis shrinks as the blood supply leaves the corpus cavernosum, which deflates the penis, shrinking the penis to its smallest size. See Wikipedia again for a penis anatomy lesson.

The most common cause of a small penis that was larger at one time is probably weight gain, where the peroneal fat surrounds the penis, making it hide in the fat. In severe obesity, the penis may not be visible. I would also suppose that if a man did not have a sex drive and his penis was constantly very flaccid, it might appear that the penis was smaller than the person’s normal penis when it is in a partial state of excitement. You did not post your age, but assuming that you are over 21, your penis size should be relatively constant. None of the patients I have treated with Propecia have complained that their penis is shrinking on the drug. That alone tells me a great deal, because my patients have generally been very direct with me on issues of sexual function while they are on Propecia. I probe their sexuality looking for sexual side effects in case they are shy in telling me about it.

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