In the past year or so I’ve slowly lost my facial hair. First it started with a small patch then grew bigger. My wife looked up what could this be from and came to he conclusion ring worm. But at the time I had no round red ring on my face. Interesting though the very next morning I woke up to a very obvious red ring on my face. I bought lotriman and applied to my face as more then recommended. Then my skin was dry and red and then the baldness spread to my neck. I started seeing a dermatologist at this point 8 months ago and she prescribed cortisone cream and cortisone shots. Nothing and spread to other side of face. I’m not seeing her anymore and I don’t know what to do. It is very embarressing! Now on the opposite side of my face I have another suspicious red round mark with itching and dryness. Please help! Any, Any thoughts on why this is happening to my face?

You need to see a dermatologist. As you hopefully know, dermatology is a specialty and the doctors trained in this field are more familiar with this type of presentation than I am. Emailing a surgical doctor 3000 miles from you, unfortunately, is not in your best interests.

Dr.Rassman, this question may sound ridiculous and from looking at your replies to many questions on this blog it seems you are a very modest person. My question is, would you say you are the best hair transplant surgeon in the world. you have the most extensive collection of before and after photos which i must say have not failed to impress. also i have looked on hundreds of other sites and they dont have even half the amount of photos you have., or (evidence) as i say. John lennon once said ‘we are the greatest band in the world and the greatest songwriters, we have had more number ones than any other artist’, what i think he is saying isnt arrogant he is simply saying that they have more number ones than any other act. as you have the best results and more results than any one else would you say for arguments sake you are at least one of the best hair transplant surgeons.

I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) awarded me with the 2004 Golden Follicle Award, which reflects what the doctors around the world may think about me. Only about 14 physicians have ever received this award in the history of the society. Our hair transplant organization has outpatient surgery facilities which are certified by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), which is a national accrediting agency for outpatient surgery facilities and holds these facilities accountable to a known standard of care. In the field of hair transplantation, there is no requirement to build a certified facility, but I have been adhering to this standard for the past 10 years and every three years or so, we get a physician reviewer who comes in to judge the standard of care, the outcome of our work, the infection incidence, the accident status, and the things that go wrong. If we have not met some minimum standard, we do not get the accreditation. Few hair transplant centers in the United States undergo this process, because it is a difficult standard to meet and the cost to adhere to their requirements on quality cost us well over $100,000/year. Even with this high cost, the comments of the reviewers guarantees that we are constantly observed and criticized to help us improve our quality of care. I generally tell those patients who are considering us to be their doctors, to check out any doctor that they are considering for such national certification. Our facility and our standards are the best and it is backed up by the accreditation of the AAAHC. What I’m getting at is that we strive for the best, and if people see us as the best, then we’re doing our jobs.

I thank you for your direct question, but although I like a pat on the back as much as the next guy, what I see, read, and hear from patients at our monthly Open House events (which we have been holding for over 15 years) says it all for me. I love the people side of this field… the doctor/patient interaction from the patients I meet. The diversity of my patients is what stimulates me to work, to listen, and to help them, and that is what makes me what I am, whatever it is.

Anytime I consume dairy products especially milk and butter and sometimes ice cream,(yogurt and cheese do not bother me), I start getting a secretion on my scalp within a day or so and it hardens while trapping the hairs on the scalp. It is almost like putting gum or glue on the scalp. I wash my hair every day and sometimes I can dig my fingernails into this stuff to try to get it off my scalp but then tons of hair come off with it. Polysorbate 80 works great for eliminating this stuff but I have avoided consuming milk and butter for well over 10 years and that works better. I also notice that by just being overweight(even without consuming milk or butter), I am afflicted with this problem so I have slimmed down. I would like to know what is this stuff that forms on my scalp and why does it do that in the first place?

Maybe you should not consume dairy products at all. Perhaps switching to soy will be a solution. I couldn’t tell you why the sebum output on your skin/scalp seems to be stimulated by the dairy you consume. With regard to polysorbate, Wikipedia says:

“Polysorbate 80 (commercially also known as Tween 80, a registered trademark of ICI Americas, Inc.) is a nonionic surfactant and emulsifier derived from polyethoxylated sorbitan and oleic acid, and is often used in foods. Polysorbate 80 is a viscous, water-soluble yellow liquid.” … “Polysorbate 80 is often used in ice cream to prevent milk proteins from completely coating the fat droplets. This allows them to join together in chains and nets, to hold air in the mixture, and provide a firmer texture, holding its shape as the ice cream melts.”

Thanks for the interesting question.