Hair Growing Out Brittle a Year After Dying It

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

(female)
Hello
Just a quick question.. About a year ago I dyed my hair for the first time. ANd then it got really dry and brittle. Well it’s been a year and it’s still like that! Is it because I dyed it, even though since then I haven’t dyed it again and my hair is back to it’s natural color. I have very short hair and all the hair I have dyed is completely off (due to hair cuts) the problem is it’s still dry. Can you tell me why that is? What should I do?

Maybe you can try a different shampoo or conditioner? If you damaged your hair from dying it, as the hair grows out, the normal hair from below the skin will replace what is brittle. If the dying was toxic, you may have damaged the hair below the skin. I have an extensive discussion of dyes in my new book, Hair Loss and Replacement for Dummies, which you can buy at your local book store, major chain book store, or from HairOutletStore.com (powered by Amazon).

If you are still bothered by your hair, see a good hair stylist or even a dermatologist for a good examination.

Tags: hair dye, dry, brittle, dye, chemical damage

Is My Multivitamin Contributing to My Hair Loss?

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

Hello Dr. Rassman,

First and foremost, thank you for taking the time to keep up this blog; it keeps my neuroticism in check.

I am a 21 year old male with mild MPB in my family on both sides, and I have been experiencing some thinning of my temples recently. Three months ago I started taking a multivitamin, and I want to make sure this is not be contributing to this new problem. If you could please take a look at the ingredients and let me know if anything is questionable, I would appreciate it
greatly. Thank you very much, Dr. Rassman.

Ingredients are here

When I initially looked at the link you sent, I made some notes with the intention to go back and review the list of ingredients more in-depth before posting. Unfortunately, the link doesn’t work anymore and I don’t have a name for the vitamin you’re taking.

At any rate, here are some general notes: a standard multivitamin is usually fine, but I always question when there are ingredients that supply over 1000% of the daily needs. Some vitamins in excess can cause hair loss, but I have been unable to go through the list.

Tags: multivitamin, vitamin, hairloss, hair loss

How Long After a Hair Transplant Are the Grafts Safe?

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

male, 36yo. I had a hair transplant 15 days ago. I am wondering how I can tell how many or what percentage of the grafts have survived, or if it is even possible to tell that at this point. I am also wondering if there is a certain day like day 10 post op or so that whatever grafts have survived so far will continue to survive? Can transplanted grafts die at month 5 for example that before then have been just fine?

Also, will I experience shedding of the transplanted hairs before I see any growth in 4 months or so? In other words, will things look worse before they look better? Should I be concerned if I see shedding in the grafted area? Does shedding mean the grafts have not survived? I have not yet noticed any shedding as far as I can tell.

thanks.

At 15 days without scabbing, you should be safe with the grafts and they will not come out. If the scabs persist, that is another story which requires careful washing. You really should never look worse unless you experience some degree of shock loss. At your age, to prevent this, you should be on finasteride. At 5 months, the hair should be growing or just starting to grow and the hair loss from the hair within the transplanted grafts will return.

For more, see this paper I co-authored and was published in 2006 —Graft Anchoring in Hair Transplantation (PDF file).

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, hair transplant, shock loss, grafts

Taking Propecia at Night vs Taking it In the Morning

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

Dear Dr.

My question is I’ve been taking propecia at night for a while now with good results. But due to scheduling now, I would like to take it in the morning. Would the transition for the body be okay? Or would it be better just to keep taking it at night as I was doing. Hope that makes sense, your opinion and thoughts would be great

Thank you!

It really doesn’t matter when you take Propecia as long as you take it everyday around the same time. If you transition from night to morning and your schedule is off one day, I wouldn’t expect any problems.

Tags: finasteride, propecia, night, day, hairloss, hair loss

Could Vitamin D Make My Hair Loss Worse?

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

Hi,
Great site. I take proscar and it works great. My question is regarding Vitamin D. I am low in serum D and am adding a supplement. I have read that Vitamin D can help with hair loss. My question is does it raise Testosterone levels or DHT levels which would work against what Proscar is doing.I does show Vitamin D as a PRE-hormone which I don’t quite understand. Could the VitD make things worse especially on someone with diffuse hair loss over all of head. My doctor thinks this diffuse loss could be a result of my low D. What is your opinion. By the way I’m a male.

Thanks

Vitamin D is safe if taken in reasonable (recommended) doses and if your Vitamin D level is low, this supplement may help your hair situation. Super dosing it may cause hair loss.

Tags: vitamin d, hairloss, hair loss

If Propecia Loses Effectiveness, Can I Take a Break and Restart It Later?

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

Hi, can you tell me if Propecia stops working over time, if you take a break for say a year will it work again? Does Avodart have this problem of losing its effect over time as well?

Thank you

LunchPropecia (finasteride) does not work like that. It doesn’t require a lunch break. If Propecia loses effectiveness over time, you’ll have to try something else. I wouldn’t say that it stops working, because if you get off the medication altogether (like the extended break you’re talking about), you will see permanent reversal of the gains you saw from the medication. Any hair that was retained will fall out.

Avodart (dutasteride) doesn’t have the history that finasteride has, as it just became available in 2002 for prostate treatment. Propecia has been an available hair loss treatment since early 1998 and Proscar was out in mid 1992, so more patient data can be found (regardless of whether it is verified or valid — and I say that only because these are not closed studies, but reader anecdotes and forum chatter). Even though the hair loss treatment clinical trials of dutasteride have concluded in Korea, no results are public yet so the data isn’t there from that end either. So in other words, I couldn’t say if it’ll lose effectiveness over time (keeping in mind that finasteride still works great for many of my patients that have been on it for 10 years+), but my guess is that it will function similar to finasteride in many respects.

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

Increased My Finasteride Dosage and Saw Breast Enlargement

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

Hello. I have been using finasteride (1.25mg) for around 10 years and it has worked great. Recently however i started to notice an increase in shedding and increased my dosage (2.5mg). About 6 weeks later i unfortunately noticed palpable breast enlargement. I immediately went off the medication. It has been 3 weeks now and I have noticed very little regression, if any. My questions are: Will my chest return to its original state? How long does it generally take for regression to occur? Can I be off of finasteride for a couple of months without drastic consequences to my hair. Thanks for your time. I’m pretty depressed about this.

Increasing your dosage of finasteride will not cause you to grow more hair, but it will give you a higher risk of side effects. Besides, you should discuss any changes in your medication regimen with your prescribing doctor. I do not know if your chest will return to its original size, but it should. Also keep in mind that breast enlargement (while a side effect of finasteride) may not be related and there may be another serious underlying condition. I’m not trying to turn the attention away from finasteride as a possible cause, but don’t rule out that it could be a coincidence. I would suggest you see your doctor to explore your options, your risks, and your benefits.

Tags: finasteride, proscar, propecia, gynecomastia, breast, hairloss, hair loss

I Had Folliculitis and Stress Induced Hair Loss

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

Dear Dr.,

Upon graduating college at the age of 22, I began noticing hair shedding. At first I thought that it may have been hereditary, but then it got to the point where I could actually pull out the hair without much effort.

After a very exhausting effort, the first diagnosis from my dermatologist was Telogen Effluvium enduced by stress. Months later a biopsy was taken, and the diagnosis was changed to folliculitis. I am currently on Minocycline 2x per day, a two corticosteroid topicals (a shampoo in the morning, and a foam at night). My scalp has cleared up dramatically, and there is no visible scaring, though I am still noticing some hairline pimples. When my scalp itches, I do a light “hair pull” and usually one hair comes out- and the end of the hair has a bulb like shape.

I’m still VERY FRUSTRATED from the hair loss. My question is this: Since I have had Folliculitis for about two years now, is there a chance that the hair will grow back, now that the inflamation has been reduced? Are there any questions I should ask my dermatologist?

Thanks

I do not understand how you can have folliculitis for two years. Why do you have folliculitis? Did it ever go away? You need to take charge of your health and educate yourself on what is going on. Sit down with your doctor and ask him/her to explain to you what is going on with your condition. If you are not satisfied, go to another doctor for a second opinion. Generally hair loss in men is genetic. Does your hair loss fit a Norwood pattern?

Tags: folliculitis, hairloss, hair loss

Losing Hair at the Back of My Head

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

I have been losing my hair around the crown and in the front for past three to four years. However, now I am starting to lose hair in the back of my head I have never seen this happen before and I do not know why?? I have a very stressful job but am only 25. Please help!!!

I don’t know what you would like me to do to help you. Losing hair in the back of the head (below the crown) is unusual, and my advice is that if you are concerned about your hair loss and want to be proactive about it, go see your primary care doctor or a hair transplant surgeon (who will not necessarily do a hair transplant) for a good diagnosis of what is going on. There may be treatments (not only surgery, but medications) that may help with your situation.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, crown

In the News – Women with Short Hair Don’t Want Sex?

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

Natalie PortmanDaily Mail UK has a hard-hitting new bit of journalism (yes, I’m being sarcastic) where they ask hair stylists and relationship experts the question on the minds of most of the world: Does short hair on a woman mean she doesn’t want sex?

From the article:

Is short hair a conscious – or unconscious – signal that a woman is not interested in sex? The question was raised this week by sex therapist and former comedienne Pamela Stephenson, who believes ‘deliberately reducing one’s attractiveness’ can sometimes be a way of repelling men’s interest.

Read the rest at Does a short haircut mean women have gone off sex?

Tags: dailymail, uk, female, hair style, women, short hair

I Used Oxidized Vitamin C on My Forehead, Green Tea on My Scalp — Now I’m Losing Hair

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

(female) Hi About 4 weeks ago used oxodized vit c serum on my forehead. I see major wrinkles just from one application. I started reading about damage to skin cells due to free radicals which I understand travels quickly which lead me to worry about my already thin hair. I read online that green tea mixed with isopropyl alcohol will neutralize free radicals so i mixed it up and applied it so scalp using spray bottle. About two weeks later my hair is falling out big time and it ia getting me really down. it seems to have happened suddenly not gradually. what could have caused this and do you think it will be permanent?? Thanks for your time

I do not know if and what damage could have been caused by your treatments. I can not tell if this was just a possible coincidence or not. It’s just too vague to possibly know without an examination. The causes for female hair loss are numerous, and you can find a good starting point here.

Tags: green tea, vitamin c, hairloss, hair loss, female hair loss, women, woman

Can Food Allergy or Food Poisoning Lead to Hair Loss?

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

Hello doctor

Could food poisoning or food allergy cause hair loss , and if so permanent or temporary ?

Thank you

I would doubt that there is a connection, but some do believe that food allergy can lead to alopecia areata. I haven’t read anything about food poisoning causing hair loss, but I’d expect that if you had a bout of food poisoning followed by hair loss, it was stress induced (in which case it should be temporary).

Tags: food poisoning, food, allergy, environment, hairloss, hair loss

Chlorine Turned My Son’s Hair Gray, and Now It’s Thinning

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

Hi,
I just read your article about the swimmers at GW University experiencing thinning and discoloration of hair due to chlorine levels at their swimmin pool. My son is experiencing the same conditions. The first time was a couple of years ago; he was practicing twice a day in a pool that the chlorine pump was malfunctioning. We didn’t know what was going on until my sons blond hair turned colorless (gray) and it was fried off and thinning. It probably took a year for it to grow back. Now I just found out the pool he is practicing at, last week the chlorine pumps put to much chlorine in the pool, some kids experienced rashes, but my son is very noticeably losing his hair (in a weeks time). It is discolored, fried and extremely thinning. I believe the chlorine pumps are fixed now, but is there anything he can do about his hair? Is there any shampoo product that can help his hair grow back? Is there a shampoo for swimmers to help prevent this from happening?
thank you so much.

SwimmerThe hair color will reverse with time as the new hair grows in and replaces the white hair that he now has. Chlorine in high concentrations might cause hair loss. I have not seen this finding but nevertheless, it has been reported. The New York Times published a short write-up about this issue, and they point out a study published in 2000 that showed 61% of swimmers showed signs of hair discoloration compared to non-swimmers, but no increased rate of hair loss.

There’s no shampoo to prevent discoloration problems that I’m aware of, nor is there shampoo to regrow hair that is actually proven effective (products are sold that claim various things, though).

Tags: hair color, swimming, swimmer, chlorine, hairloss, hair loss

Weak Family History of MPB — Will Propecia Work Better for Me?

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

I saw Dr. Bernstein in July and he confirmed MPB and I been on Propecia ever since (a little over 4 months) with no results yet but Bernstein told me I gotta wait at least 6 months then the hair should start popping up. Currently I’m a NW2 and have early frontal hair loss and turned 22 years old in September. My question is, is it very likely that Propecia could work for many years for me because I have a weak MPB family history? The only men in my family out of the whole bunch are my father who is a NW5 at age 64 he didn’t start to lose till his 30s and my mom’s brother has a NW3 at age 41 he got that way in his early 30s and stayed that way. I know as far as great-grandfathers had great hair, nobody in my family (both sides) went past NW2.

Dr Bernstein is a good friend of mine and a very good doctor as well. You have been on Propecia for 4 months. The results can take as long as 6 to 12 months to show. Also keep in mind the benefits from the medication does not necessarily mean you will grow new hair, and it could just help to retain what you have (thus stabilizing your hair loss).

In the end it doesn’t matter if you have a strong or weak family history. If you have it, you have it! If you are looking for some sort of reassurance of if Propecia will work for your specific case, I can’t give it to you. Only time will tell. I don’t want to play guessing games and risk giving you false hope. You’ll just have to wait and see.

Tags: propecia, finasteride, hairloss, hair loss

Did My Hair Become Dependent on Minoxidil?

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

Hi
I’m a 27 asian who currently stopped using minoxidil 7%/retonic acid 0.01% prescribed through hairloss clinic in australia for about 2months along with the proscar, due to it’s side effects which i was experiencing (side effects are gone now). I started about 3 years ago when i had a haircut and noticed it looked rather patchy and seethrough, then out of paranoia went on a hair loss program. I took it for six months and noticed hair looking fuller, but could have just been their shampoo and conditioner i was using, because it looked thicker after 1st use. Stopped it and pick it up again after about 6 months. Been on just the minoxidil and proscar 1/4 tablet a day for about a 1 1/2 yrs. Still experiencing shedding hair throughout this period, did not feel like it was effective. I only used minoxidil once a day and would usually miss a day or 2 when i’m not home. Decided to rid myself of paranoia and shaved my hair down and stopped entirely.

My question is, while my hairline is still intact just has a diffused thinning look on top, but with strange normal looking patches at the front of my hairline. Would my hair have become dependent on the minoxidil and retarding its growth?? Because the hair thats there doesn’t look like they’ve thinned much but seem to lack strength and do not grow evenly next to each other and some look curved as they grew. I am asian and have naturally straight slightly wavy hair. My hair actually feels different to the hair on the back of my head, has a more lifeless feel to it. But apart from that. Havent notice any loss or hair after stopping so far though.

Also, my father and uncles all aged about 50 and over has norwood class 3 with a thinner look, except one who has a full head of hair. Would i be likely to follow in their pattern of hairloss??

thanks

I do not have a clear answer to your question. What you needed was a miniaturization study or a photograph to document what you looked like before. While I believe what you are experiencing is real, your perception may be different than what is reality.

Minoxidil after a long term use (over a year) can help grow or maintain your hair. After you stop minoxidil, you may lose the hairs that the minoxidil has been supporting. The same is true for Propecia/Proscar (finasteride).

Tags: minoxidil, rogaine, hairloss, hair loss