I Had Mini-Micrografts Transplanted 2 Years Ago in the Crown and Now My Sides Are Thinning!

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

I am 24 years old. My hair loss was started when i was 20 years old. I had full head of hairs before I shaved em off for summer and surprisingly they never grew back :( My areas were crown and front. 2 years ago, I went under the surgery for my crown area but there is nothing worse if you runs out of luck. The surgery was mini-micrografts which according to you should not be recommended. Now my crown has just few hairs and front is totally gone but i dont know why my sides are going thinner too. I am definitely not a candidate for strip surgery anymore but for FUE I am very confident that I can be a good candidate. All I desperately wanna ask you that does propecia can do any good for my sides and back? I am a poor guy who believes in miracles because I cant afford another surgery, I did but got disappointment. PLZ reply me on my email address and plz plz tell me if there is anything I can still do from becoming completely bald..

Your scenario shows what happens to a person who does not have a Master Plan and starts getting hair transplants in the wrong place and at the wrong time. Based on what you’re telling me, I question if your doctor even had your real interest at heart. Propecia (finasteride 1mg) may slow down fringe loss, but I suspect that you are going to have a very advanced hair loss pattern. For your own sake, please get to a caring, competent doctor to build a Master Plan for you with your present situation as the baseline.

I do not charge for a consultation and at the least you will get an honest assessment of your situation. You indicated that you are not near my offices in California, but you can still send me good pictures and we can try to do this by phone. Reference this post when sending the photos, please.

Tags: hair transplant, hairtransplant, crown, hairloss, hair loss, mini-micrografts

Melanocytes and Hair Color

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

I have a question about greying process.

Scientists say that someday in the future it would be possible to reverse grey hair back to its original colour, because grey hair still have melanocytes but they are reduce in number. What do you think how long melanocytes survive in grey hair, and is it true that grey hair still have melanocytes but white hair have no more melanocytes.

DO you think that it will be possible to reverse also those hair which have no more melanocytes. (white hair?)

Hair dyeThe reason that your hair becomes gray and eventually white is that over time you lose the cells that make melanin, the pigment responsible for hair color. It is very likely that we can reverse the process of graying hair with gene therapy in the future by prolonging the life of melanocytes.

I can not predict how soon we can have a method to reverse the color of gray hair to its original color and I recommend that you use dye to color your hair for now, rather than waiting for scientists to come up with that solution. Be careful that you use a professional quality hair dye and follow the instructions provided with the dye. I don’t want to see you back here with questions about treating chemical burns and experiencing hair loss!

Tags: melanocyte, hair color, color, hairloss, hair loss, hair dye, dye, gray, grey

My Hairline Started Changing at 15 Years Old

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

Dear Dr Rassman,

I am male and aged 18. My dad receded in his early twenties, while my maternal granddad kept his mature hairline into his 70’s. I noticed a change in the corners of my hairline and have read your articles on the maturation of the hairline which I have found very informative. I noticed hairline changes in the corners probably since I was about 15-16, and the changes since then are negligible, and there is no noticeable miniaturization.

My question is, is it likely that I have experienced the maturation of the hairline in such a short period of time, at such a young age, or is it more likely that I am balding? My temples
are about an inch from the crease when i raise my eyebrows. I’m not sure how revelant it is but I also developed body hair before my peers. Would you recommend I wait and see if its balding or start treating?

Thanking you in advance

Your question is complex. Simply, balding can start as early as 15, but it would have to show miniaturization if it is the genetic form of male pattern baldness (MPB). Hair does change in character from pre-teens to teens to early adulthood and throughout the maturing process into old age. Generally, hair becomes finer over time, usually not very fast in the teen years, but it might change faster in some young people than others.

Tags: hairline, hairloss, hair loss, hair character, teen

Rogaine Foam Not Suitable for Women?

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

Could you please explain why Rogaine foam is unsuitable for women. My daughter, on the recommendation of her dermatologist, was using Rogaine 5% until she developed an allergic reaction (confirmed by an allergy test) to the propylene glycol.

If he suggested Rogaine 5%, why then is the foam, which contains 5% minoxidil, unsuitable?

I believe that the Rogaine Foam does not contain propylene glycol (which is the most allergic component with minoxidil). I don’t see a problem with women using Rogaine Foam, although it is not marketed towards women. I’d expect a Women’s Rogaine Foam to be available at some point with a slightly different formulation (similar to how Rogaine and Women’s Rogaine are the same, yet different).

Tags: rogaine foam, minoxidil, foam, women, woman, female, hairloss, hair loss

Dr. Rassman’s Hair Surgeries

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

Dr. Rassman, I was wondering about your own hair and treatment. I found the past blog entry where you provided a photo showing your donor scar. I was just curious to know how many procedures you have had done and was it one of the other doctors at NHI that did the procedure? Also, how long have you been taking Propecia and have you ever experienced any side effects, mild or otherwise? If these questions are too personal, feel free to not answer! Thanks as always for such a well informed blog.

I had two hair transplant surgeries done by a doctor at New Hair Institute with our experienced team. He fixed my scars which came about from a series of mistakes where I had three scalp reductions in 1992. The hair transplants solved my balding crown and scars in the crown. I take Propecia, and did develop some mild reduced sexual performance which was transient.

Tags: propecia, finasteride, hairtransplant, hair transplant, scar

Hair Loss from Straightener?

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

(female) Can you permanently lose some of your hair if you straighten your hair too much with a straightener? If so, is there a home remedy or a cheap way to grow it all back?

You can permanently damage the hair with chemicals and it is not uncommon when people continuously straighten their hair and experiment with the chemicals used for this. The 2nd part of your question is a little ridiculous to me — if there was really a magic formula to grow back all of your hair (and cheap, too), I highly doubt we’d see half of the population with some form of hair loss. In other words, no.

Tags: hair straightener, straightener, hairloss, hair loss, chemical, burn, damage

Propecia Gives Me More Erections and a Higher Sex Drive

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

I noticed that for the 3 weeks I was on Propecia, I have more frequent erections, strong ones and a higher sex drive. Is this normal? I really don’t mind the side effect and my wife actually likes the change!

I actually hear about this from about 10% of my patients on Propecia. This results from a raise in testosterone, reported as high as 18% on average. The testosterone levels generally do not stay higher than normal and will eventually come back down to normal. Tell your wife… well, maybe don’t say anything. Ha!

Tags: propecia, finasteride, testosterone, hairloss, hair loss, erection, sex

20 Year Old Healthy Woman Experiencing Hair Loss

/by William Rassman, M.D./6 /

Hello,
I am a 20 year old female and just had a question about my hair. I have been experiencing abnormal hair loss for the last year or so. My hair has always been really thick so it’s been really noticeable for me. I went to the dermatologist last year and he said it was stress. I was and have been under no stress so I ruled out that possibility. Then a doctor told me low levels of iron can contribute to hair loss. I got some blood work and my ferritin level was 4 which, from the information I’ve gathered, is very low. I read that the level needs to be around 40 to stop falling out and up to 70 to start to regrow. My doctor recommended that I take ferrous sulfate 325mg so I have been taking one tablet a day since May 2007. She said it may take 2-3 months to notice any results, but it’s been almost 5 months and I still haven’t noticed any changes. I just wanted some professional advice on the whole situation. I am getting pretty worried that I haven’t seen any results and starting to think that my hair loss may not be due to low iron levels. I have looked up TONS of information on hair loss; I am a very healthy women with no serious health problems. My thyroid levels are fine, I don’t have diabetes or lupus, I’m not under any stess so I don’t know what to do. Could this be just a phase? Please help me!!

Hair loss in women can be the result of a variety of medical conditions. At top of the list of culprits — iron deficiency, thyroid disorders, autoimmune diseases, and hormonal imbalances.

Iron deficiency could be the cause of your hair loss. Treatment of iron deficiency is usually easy, but you need to continue taking iron for a while to overcome your deficient status and then continue for months to fill the iron reserve in your body.

After completion of iron deficiency treatment, it may take a few months before you see any hair growth and even after that the new hair may not be noticeable due to its short length compared to the rest of your hair. It is possible that the hair won’t fully come back to its original strength. I recommend that you complete the treatment of iron deficiency and wait for at least 6 to 8 months. At that point if you are not quite satisfied with the growth of your new hair, you should see a hair specialist for further evaluation.

Tags: iron, ferritin, hairloss, hair loss, women, woman, female

HIV and Hair Transplants

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

I just got a call from a young man who is HIV positive. He has been turned down for a hair transplant by a number of doctors. He said he felt like he was some leper.

I have performed hair transplants on many HIV positive patients. Just like poor or rich patients, I do not discriminate. I have transplanted men with known heart disease, diabetes, women with active cancer, men and women with sexual identity problems and even people with a variety of mental illnesses. Each person is first a human being and I swore an oath to help people in need. That applies as much to cosmetic surgery as to people who are sick and in need of help.

Tags: hiv, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hairloss, hair loss, hair transplant, hairtransplant, oath

Can I Send Samples of My Hair for Analysis?

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

Dr. Rassman,

For the longest time I have wanted to visit your clinic, but I am as far away from California as I can get. I am a 20 year old male experiencing abnormal hair growth throughout my entire scalp. I saw a dermatologist recently who told me that I do indeed have bitemporal recession, but that the kinked and bizarre hair growth is something independent of MPB. Beyond this, he was not helpful in the least. What concerns me most is that hairs all throughout my supposedly permanent region are growing in wiry, almost identical to a mathematical sine curve. As the hair thins, I noticed that the amplitude of the waves also gets smaller.

I have a sample bag of at least 100 such hairs and would like to send them to you or your clinic so they can be analyzed. Is this possible? I have waded though alot of literature, and the closest thing I can find to my condition is progressive acquired kinking or “woolly hair” – except it is not isolated in any one spot. I have looked at the hairs under a microscope (I’ve got access to a lab) and they are clearly abnormal. It looks similar to pili torti, but the hair is waved and not twisted. It also shows a spangled appearance when I view it under bright light.

Please help me, doc! I understand there may be no cure, but at the very least I’d like a diagnosis, or a name by which to call it. If you can supply a mailing address, I’ll send the samples to you.

Unfortunately, sending samples of your hair will not help me to figure out what is going on, as I do not do hair analysis outside the head and scalp. I am afraid that I can not offer you experience or insights with this condition without a proper examination. Sorry.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, sample, pili torti, dermatologist

I Tend to Form Keloids — Will FUE Give Me Problems?

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

hello doctor,
my skin has a tendency to form keloids. i’m considering of having FUE on my frontal hairline. I know that keloid will probably grow on the donating area, but is there any possibility at all that it will form on the recepient area? Your answer is very important to whether I’ll have the procedure or not.

Thank you.

Keloids in the frontal area are extremely rare. In fact, I do not recall ever seeing a case or even hearing from the medical community about this complication. Although an unscientific study, hundreds of doctors were polled some years ago in an audience setting and the results were that not one hand was raised asking about keloids in the frontal hairline. With that said, I would do a few test grafts and wait 6 months or so before undergoing a hair transplant. Better to be safe than sorry.

Tags: keloid, keloids, fue, hairloss, hair loss, hair transplant, hairtransplant

Getting Accurate Lab Work After Stopping Propecia

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

My question revolves around accurate lab work in regards to one’s hormonal levels. Propecia has a half life around 4 hours. It should not take too long for the medicine to be out of the body. The question I am curious about is how long does it take after one’s last dose of Propecia to get an accurate picture of one’s hormonal levels without the levels being affected by Propecia? I imagine even if the medicine is out of the body, the affects might still be present. Thank you for your time and website!

There is tissue fixation which may take a few weeks to disappear, but I really don’t know the statistics. In a few weeks, it will not matter. If you are a professional athlete or a blood donor, then there is a different standard, but that is not my expertise. Sorry.

Tags: finasteride, propecia, hairloss, hair loss, blood donor, athlete

Growing Long Hair After a Transplant

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

Dear doctor,

can you tell me why every hair transplant picture that I see, the hair is normally short and combed back. I understand that this is to demonstrate how natural the hair line can look,
however, can people who have the opp grow their hair long? If so, do you have any pictures?

Kind Regards.

I believe the hundreds of patients shown on the New Hair Institute website have just about every imaginable hair style. This is all individual preference. A good hair transplant means that you decide how to groom your hair, not the doctor. Short, long, combed forward, back, to the side — whatever. I have even had a few patients visit after getting a crew cut.

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

I Shaved My Pubic Hair — Now It Is Growing Back Weird

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

Dear doc,
I am a male, and a shaved my pubic hair. The hair has now regrown with multiple hairs in each follicle. it looks very strange. What is happening? also… can sleep depravation speed up mpb?

Let a professional evaluate your pubic hair. I don’t quite understand what you’re describing. Yes, sleep deprivation can promote hair loss in genetically prone men.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, pubic hair, hair character