Taking Dutasteride Once Every Few Days Instead of Propecia Daily?

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

I am a 26 year old male and have been slowly losing my hair over the past four years. I intend on seeking a medical doctor to assess and monitor my hair loss situation. Unfortunately my funds are limited. I have noticed that some people take 1 mg finasteride doses every other day but its half-life is only around 5 hours so this seems “iffy.” Dutasteride, however, has a half life of several weeks. Couldn’t I take Avodart (dutasteride) once every 48- 96 hours and experience a benefit equal to someone who, say, takes Propecia (finasteride 1mg) daily?

Medications are not something you should just adjust and change because of financial issues. You are doing the right thing by seeing a doctor. Your first step should be to get a miniaturization study to document what you are treating. There are other options such as finasteride 5mg (Proscar generic) that you can break into quarter pieces. This would cost less than finasteride 1mg (Propecia) as an alternative. Use the search at the top of this site and you will see some patient statements about Avodart (dutasteride).

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

I’m a Male, But My Hair Loss is a Female Pattern

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

Dr Rassman,

I have a question about my hairloss. I am a 26 y/o male…and my hair has been thinning all over my head. I do not follow any MPB stage…but rather the female pattern baldness stages. Specifically, I am a Ludwig II. My hair is thinning heavily in the middle of my head and spreading towards the right side of my head. Have you had any experience with this? If so, is propecia an effective solution? Would minoxidil in this case be more effect? Can you do an online consultation with pictures? Please advise. This situation has caused me much distress. I appreciate the help Dr. Rassman.

You need a good physical exam and a miniaturization study to see the degree and pattern of hair loss under a microscope. If you do not have androgenic hair loss (MPB), Propecia may not be an effective solution. You are trying to match pictures to what is happening to you and that may not be appropriate for you. If you would like a consultation, please send me a set of good digital photos and I will tell you what I think, but sooner or later you will need to see an expert, one on one. Please reference this post when sending.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, mpb

Using Anti-Estrogen Drugs to Combat Propecia Side Effects?

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

Hi,

Just wondering whether you can comment on the use of anti estrogen drugs to combat side effects related to propecia (lowered libido, gynecomastia etc)?

I have just started on 0.5mg of Arimidex twice a week. I tried lowering propecia dosage but this decreased effectiveness and did not reduce side effects. Are any of your patients on Arimidex? what dosage?

cheers

Arimidex is an anti-breast cancer drug. I do not prescribe Arimidex or know of any of my patients who are on Arimidex. You should consult with your doctor before considering any changes to your medication. Also note that Arimidex can cause it own set of side effects. It is not a ‘walk in the park’ solution.

Tags: arimidex, breast cancer, estrogen, hairloss, hair loss, propecia

Hair in a Bun Causing Female Hair Loss?

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

(female) i am 31 years old and have been wearing my hair up in buns and ponytails since i was young. i noticed that i started to get patches at the sides of my head and at the base of my neck. this has been going on in between 5 to 10 years. i have now stopped wearing my hair up but am worried that i have caused permanent damage. i still have strands of hair within the patches, and it does not look no where near as bad as some of the pictures i have seen,will my hair grow back or has it gone to far.

You may be experiencing traction alopecia from the constant pull on your hair. This may be permanent depending on the degree and length of the insult to your hair. Only time will tell if your hair will grow back. It may take up to a year. In the mean time, I would advise you to not wear your hair in a bun if you feel it has caused you to lose hair. If the hair has not returned after 1 year, you may have permanent hair loss in the areas of your concern.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, female, women, woman, traction alopecia, alopecia

Transplanting Into Burn Tissue

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

does hair transpalnt work if you had a 3rd degree burn on the back of your scalp the size of a silver dollar?

Yes. However, there may be a blood supply issue and the growth to a scarred or burned tissue may not be as optimal as normal skin. Alternatively, if the scar is small enough, you may explore the option of a scar reduction or other creative type of surgery in the hands of an expert who knows about scalp scars.

Tags: scar, hairloss, hair loss, burn, burned, tissue

Child Got Too Close to a Candle, Burned Scalp in 2 Spots

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

My 3 yo Grandaughter has 2 spots on her scalp where she had gotten too close to a candle and burned the hair. The spots did blister and have healed nicely. They are still red-pink in color. Is there a chance that hair will grow back in these areas?

If the time since injury is within a year or so, it might come back. Otherwise, see an expert and a simple approach with hair transplants might easily solve the problem. Of course, a 3 year old requires special considerations and I am not suggesting a surgery. Start off by getting an opinion from an expert.

Tags: candle, burn, hairloss, hair loss, child