Why is Dr. Bernstein bald? He is practically a Norwood Class 6/7. Does he suffer from DUPA or is he just adamant about not getting transplanted?
Some say bald is beautiful! Dr. Bernstein is comfortable with his looks and understands the burden of balding. When he was younger, had the transplant solution been as good as it is today, he might have gone for it. Hair transplantation is a personal decision and not for everyone.
I know this is years down the line, but when Juvista comes out, do you think that Juvista combined with tricho closure on HT scars (either after the process or in a revision) will allow men to cut their hair down to a 1 grade or even to the skin without the scar being too obvious? I know your response would be conjecture at this point, but it would be interesting to get your thoughts.
The scarring may be reduced, giving it a better ability to blend in (without being hyper- or hypo-pigmented or raised), but the hair will not grow on the scar. Scarring is very individualized. Even under the worst case scenario without a trichophytic closure, some people heal great and are able to cut their hair really short without visible scarring in the donor area. How well you scar is also a genetic factor (much like hair loss) and there is only so much you can do.
If Juvista does as it sets out to (eliminate scarring with a simple injection at incision site), it could be great for a percentage of those that it works for, but the drug just failed in its most recent clinical trial. Read Renovo, Shire Developing Anti-Scar Drug and Bad news on drug rocks Renovo for more.
So, the short answer to your question is… probably not.
I have come up with a solution for balding just kill all bald males in this world and by then at least there will be a signifcant of ppl who will inherit the genes. The method is slightly extreme but my logic is undenyable. As a proud former bald (thanks to revivogen which you so blantently knock great doctor… not) i say get rid of these hairless idiot so our children can just…….. live better lives, im sure you will find time to read this as you are not a real doctor thanks for your time
I wasn’t going to even bother posting this, as you’re either an unnecessarily angry moron or a just “hilarious” prankster. Hopefully you’re joking, but I’m posting this as a shocking reminder that prejudice and discrimination exists for hair loss. The ironic part is that you stated that you are a “former bald” — meaning you most likely carry the same genes for baldness that the men you want to eliminate have. Talk about self hate!
To give a positive slant to this ridiculous post — of interest, the American Indian has no history of balding and is the only race that has that unique distinction. Some have postulated that in the migration from Alaska (only this group of American Indians have no balding), that ethnic cleansing may be an explanation, but if that happened, it was part of a barbaric process in a primitive people. Your solution falls into this category.
I’m a 23 year old male with thinning hair to what has been diagnosed is a 5A pattern. Unfortunately, i’m one of those few who cannot use propecia. I’ve tried it at the 1mg and .5mg doses, but experienced libido/ejaculation side effects both times after a few months. However, i use rogaine 5% 2x daily. I wonder if you would ever consider operating on a young male who IS NOT on propecia. I know there is a risk of shock loss, but how big is this risk? What if you transplant hair in a pattern that will still look ok if the future hair loss occurs? Although i’m not going to get a transplant tomorrow, I am curious as to what you have to say on the matter. Thanks.
It is true that finasteride may be causing the decreased libido, as it occurs in 1 to 2% of the males who take the medication. A decreased volume of ejaculate is also a known side effect reported in over 10% of men. However, there is also a possibility that your sexual problems may be related to other problems, such as other medications (antidepressants) or uncovered medical issues. At face value, if finasteride is the cause of your sexual issues, hair transplant surgery is still an option. You do have a higher risk of shock loss, but the risk versus the benefits must be discussed in depth with your treating physician. It is not a perfect world! The best way to find out if finasteride (or dutasteride) is causing your reduced libido is to stop it for 2 weeks and see if the side effect disappears — but as I am not your doctor, this is not me telling you what to do! Discuss this with your physician, please.
can i get an idea what the price would be to increase hair density in pubic area? male 50 yrs, good health. donor area good.
We charge per hair graft — a hair graft contains one, two, or three hairs. Generally, a hair graft is approximately equal to two hairs. Our complete fees are available on the Fees and Financing page, but in short it is $6 per graft (or $5 per graft on stand-by basis).
The pubic area requires anywhere from 500 to 1000 grafts. This is an over-generalization and depending on the patient you may need more or less.
I recently had a sports injury on right above the hair line in the center of my scalp. Six stitches were put in and later removed. it has been over a 2 months now and very little hair growth has occured since the injury. The scar is about an inch long vertically and about 1/4 inch wide. I was wondering if there were any ointments or other treatments other than a hair transplant that I could use to encourage hair growth. Thank you in advance for your timely response.
Based on what you describe, I doubt hair will grow on the 1″ x 0.25″ scar, and while there are no medications or products that will cause hair growth on this tissue, hair transplanted into the scar will work in most cases. A small scar like what you are describing should not cost a lot to get it fixed. First, I would wait out a period of 6 months before concluding that it is a permanent problem. Without examining you, I can not tell.
(female) I am taking coumadin for the rest of my life,Is there any thing that will stop the hair loss?
There are many potential causes of hair loss and you need to be evaluated for the cause of your loss. In your question, you are assuming the hair loss is related to the drug Coumadin (warfarin), but that may not be the case. Get a complete medical work-up for hair loss first. Coumadin is clearly important for your life, so that is not an variable that you can control.
(female) I had a question about hair loss. I recently have had grey-yellow like scales develop in the scalp, and when removing them caused hair loss, and sometimes bleeding. Can a product with Minixodil grow my hair back and prevent dryness to the scalp, or cause even more hair loss. In addition, I use a lye relaxer and had braids that caused hair loss. I stopped wearing braids but haven’t had luck with stopping the hair from falling out. It seems to be growing even though its very then.
Gray and yellow scales (especially bleeding) are NOT normal! You have a dermatological problem and need to see a dermatologist or a primary care physician who can look at the scales and then give you a judgment. This is something I simply can’t do online.
Dear Dr. Rassman,
I have heard from people on the Internet, especially from the following two websites, that the sexual side effects of Propecia can be permanent, along with many others. Can you dismiss all the information on these websites?
Anyone can write and publish anything on the Internet. You can you find contrary evidence to those sites you listed at Propecia.com. I can’t dismiss everything on these anti-Propecia/finasteride websites, because I simply don’t have time to go through every post made there. I’m sure some of the claims made there are based in fact and might have some validity — and those have more than likely been addressed here before (search for “Propecia side effects”). I’m also sure that much of the info on those sites is created by people that have no medical background and simply write what they believe to be true based on FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt).
The people that speak the loudest are usually the people that want their complaints to be heard. In other words, you don’t necessarily see a lot of people visiting message boards just to tell others that Propecia works great for them, but you certainly will see the unsatisfied few going to every website they can find to make their opinions known. When doing your research online, try to find out if you’re getting information from fact-based sources. Are these other sites just shills for the various snake oil products on the market today? What better reason to shoot down a proven treatment like Propecia than to promote your non-proven treatment that sells for double the price. I’m not saying that this is 100% the case, but anything is possible. Take BaldingBlog (this very site), for example — I’m a hair transplant surgeon, yet I’m not trying to “sell” people on hair transplantation procedures. I write a lot about Propecia because I get asked a lot about Propecia, and because I’ve seen first hand what this medication can do to treat hair loss. I don’t want to see anyone go through an unnecessary surgery when a simple daily pill could be the answer to their problem. I, along with the other doctors that write here, are just trying to help.
It seems what you really want is a doctor’s reassurance. Although I am a doctor, I am not your doctor… and you need to discuss these concerns with your doctor. You may not even be a candidate for Propecia.
feel free to respond in the form of an email….please i dont know what to do
this is very depressing to hear. i have awful thinning on the top of my scalp, and i am over the age of 18, BUT i look younger than most people my age and still have a few patches on my face, where facial hair cannot yet grow, along with other signs that there is more development to come. i saw a VERY reputable hair loss specialist whose last name starts with a B, im sure you know who im talking about dr. rassman, and he said it is fine if i take finasteride. i have been prescribed 1.25 mg’s a day. but i decided to only take .25 a day. im a terrified, am i going to never finish developing now?!??!?! should i stop taking propecia?!??!?!
It sounds like you are extremely confused at this time. I will share some thoughts, but this is not a substitute for your doctor who is prescribing the drug and dispensing it to you. Let’s try to answer your concerns the best way possible. It seem you are stating that you do not have many of the physical attributes of an adult despite the fact that you are over the age of 18 (past puberty). You may be a late bloomer, but if you are concerned you may consider seeing an endocrinologist (doctor that specifically treats disorders affecting hormones). In my opinion, finasteride 1mg or 1.25mg should not affect your normal development if it is still occurring, although at 18 years old I do not expect you to grow another 1-2 feet.
During puberty, testosterone has several roles, including sperm production, increase in muscle mass, growth of penis and scrotum, voice changes, and male sex drive. DHT (during puberty) has different, yet important functions such as growth of the prostate, terminal (mature) hair, growth of arm pit, beard, chest, and pubic hair. If you take finasteride (Propecia) and block some of these effects of DHT there is a very slight chance that these secondary sex characteristic may be affected, but I would think that this is minimal as I have not seen reports that address your concerns. I would have expected to see reports in the literature if your concerns were experienced by others, but in my opinion it is very unlikely. If you are still concerned, you need to discuss these issues with your “Dr. B” or see an endocrinologist. Remember, I am not your doctor and this is not a platform for specific medical advice.
Hey.
Over the past 4-5 months, my hair is becomes remarkebly thinner. When I look at the hairs that fall out (approx 8 cm), one end of the the hair is very thick. However the other end of the hair is very very thin.
I read that miniaturization of hair would takes a few years?
I was wondering if this could also be due to my lifestyle changes over the last 4-5 months. I have always taken part in regular excercise, almost an hour every day. HOwever, in the last 4-5 months i have barely been able to do any excercise (less then twice a week) due to exams. Also, my diet these last few months has become less healthy, eating alot of fast food, fried, and deep fried foods.
COuld this be the reason for my rapidly thinning hair?
The most common cause of hair loss is genetic. I doubt that a fried food diet or a fast food diet or a lack of exercise has much to do with hair loss. You should be more concerned about your general health with what you describe.
Get your hair examined and mapped out for miniaturization to see what the diagnosis could be. But before you see a hair transplant surgeon, you should see your primary care doctor to have a health check with all the bad food and lack of exercise. Stress, added to the genetics for balding, is a combination that could accelerate hair loss for most men so inflicted.
Dr. Rassman:
In one of your replies to a question about Scalpmed, you stated that it is “normal” to lose 100-150 hairs per day. While this may be true for people with NW 0, it certainly is not the case
for NW2+. I would imagine that daily hair loss is PROPORTIONAL to the amount of hair left on the head. Your assertion is misleading and quite untrue.Thank you
I’ve often said that a “normal” range of 100-150 hairs (sometimes even 200 hairs) are lost some days. While it is true that this is a generalization, the importance of a miniaturization (microscopic) examination of your scalp is all the more relevant if you believe you are losing more hair and not growing it back. For a man who lost 50% of his original hair, for example, the daily loss of hair will be half of the original daily cycling loss, reflecting the population of hairs that remain.
The one thing I stress most on this site is the importance of a miniaturization study and not just making assumptions based on the fixed number of falling hairs you may be seeing.
How is Proscar “crushed” absorbed through the skin? I touched Proscar crushed diluted in water and my skin is intact (no cuts or tears, etc.) and I am a female and pregnant. Is it only absorbed through the skin if the skin has an open area?
And is the fact it was diluted in water decrease the risk of absorption, if it can be asorbed through intact skin?
I asked my physician and he did not know.
Worried in Ohio…
It is HIGHLY unlikely you will have absorbed any significant amount of the drug by touching it with intact skin. The warning label, in my opinion, is more medical-legal in nature. The risk is so minute I would not even think twice. The impact on the fetus had been noted when women had taken large doses of the natural equivalent of finasteride as it was in their diet. The impact only occurs in the first trimester when it is ingested, as I understand it.
Doc,
I’m confused! We all know that finasteride reduces the amount of DHT in a man. This hormone is known to be the cause of secondary male characteristics, like hair growth and muscle development. So with reduced DHT levels, it should be HARDER to gain muscle, right.
Then how come in many of your previous posts you mention that taking finasteride makes it easier to build muscle since it increases testosterone levels by almost 20%? Granted testosterone levels increase since more of it doesn’t convert to DHT, but DHT, which is more responsible for muscle growth than testosterone, decreases!
How do you explain this?
I’m not seeing the connection here.
To clear any confusion, DHT blockage with Propecia may give you a small transient increase (not permanent or persistent) in testosterone levels, reported as high as 15%. These minor changes in hormones will not likely affect muscle mass (gain/loss) and are not long term.
i had a hair transplant about 5 months ago and everything seems to be fine and the hairs are growing fine, however recently i have had a tiny small raised lump on the transplanted area which looks slighlty red and hurts to touch. It doesnt look at all infected. What might this be and will it go its self.
It is probably an inclusion cyst (ingrown hair or a pimple). Warm compresses or a simple incision and drainage (squeeze out the cyst) should do the trick. This should have been a part of your normal post-operative care instructions. You should speak with your surgeon.