Burning Sensation on My Scalp

/by William Rassman, M.D./5 /

About 2yrs ago I started getting an itching and burning sensation on the back of my head on the scalp around the hairline up about 2inches. I noticed my hair thinning, I went to see a Dermatologist he gave me a couple of steroid shots. He told me to come back for a follow-up, when I did he said it hadn’t helped but not to worry about it, with time it should grow back. It hasn’t and seems to be getting thinner on my right side. It still itches and hair falls out more than on the other side. Can you help or suggest any solution?

I’m not sure how long it was between the time you received the steroid shots and your follow-up visit. You’re under the care of a dermatologist, and if you feel you’re not getting adequate treatment for whatever reason, you should consider trying a different doctor. Without examining you, I can not help you. Sorry!

Tags: burning, itching, hairloss, hair loss, dermatology

Hair Growth After Chemotherapy

/by William Rassman, M.D./3 /,

I would like to know that the hair which are growing after the chemotherapy are healthy , should they be kept or should it be discarded and let the new ones grow after sometime , i am really confused . also the hair which are growing are all grey , what to do , pls answer my query. waiting for the reply. thanx

All the hair that survived the chemotherapy should continue to grow. The hair that is in your hands that has already fallen out is not worth keeping, but new hair should grow to replace what has fallen out in less than a year.

Tags: chemotherapy, chemo, cancer, radiation, hairloss, hair loss, hair growth

Grab Bag — Questions About BHT, Propecia, Tricomin, Rogaine, and LLLT

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

Hi,

  1. Does Hair Body transplant works? I mean I have a lot of hair in my chest, I could use it instead of laser hair removal..
  2. Also, do you recommend antiandrogens? I mean, what’s the difference between them and propecia?
  3. Also I have read something about a Tricomin product, is rogain better than tricomin? Which should I use? Or should I use both intercalated?
  4. And it’s rogain 5% better than 2%?
  5. Normally I just wash my hair “day yes day no”, so that I can not have an oily scalp. So, should I apply rogaine everyday even with my hair “dirty/oily”?
  6. Finally, do you recommend LLLT at long term?

Great blog and thanks for your advice!

Hi.

  1. Body hair transplants should only be used if you are out of donor hair from the scalp. The growth cycle of body hair is different than scalp hair, as well as the hair characteristics themselves.
  2. Finasteride (Propecia) is an antiandrogen. An antiandrogen is something that inhibits the effects of androgens in the body. See Wikipedia for more info.
  3. Tricomin’s website says you can use their product with Rogaine or Propecia. I don’t know what’s in it though, but I’d doubt it’s better than Rogaine. Remember, the only 2 FDA approved and proven medications to treat hair loss are finasteride (Propecia) and minoxidil.
  4. Rogaine 5% is stronger than the 2% — the 5% is sometimes marketed as “extra strength”. If you experience irritation from the 5%, switch down to the 2%. It’s good to have options.
  5. You should apply Rogaine twice daily. So, yes.
  6. I do not recommend low level laser light therapy (LLLT). I’ve not seen any results that are worthwhile. I even had a LLLT machine in my office for my patients to use for free and wasn’t satisfied with the results (or lack thereof).
Tags: rogaine, minoxidil, regaine, lllt, propecia, finasteride, body hair, bht, hairloss, hair loss

If Hair Regrowth Occurs from Medication, Does it Start Thin and Get Thicker?

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

So if I start a new regimen and regrowth occurs would it start out as thin hairs then gradually grow thicker and thicker? Kinda like a reverse minituarization?

When we talk about hair regrowth, we are talking about two different phenomena:

  1. The growth of new hair that was not there prior to the use of the medications
  2. The thickening of the miniaturized hairs that will make the hairs that are there, thicker

The studies on hair regrowth usually refer to hair counts that show more hair numbers after 9 or so months, but the reality is that much of the fullness that is created by medications like Propecia, actually reflects the thickening of hair shafts. I can see this when I compare the metric I get examining hair a year apart with the microscopic miniaturization mapping of the hair that I do in most patients.

Tags: miniaturization, hairloss, hair loss, regrowth, propecia, finasteride, medication

Hair Loss & Replacement for Dummies is Reviewed at About.com

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

Hair Loss & Replacement for DummiesAbout.com reviewed my new book, Hair Loss & Replacement for Dummies. Snippet from the review:

Overall, I am impressed with both the content and readability of this book. The content covers everything from causes and psychological effects of hair loss to pharmaceutical and topical treatments, styling options, diet supplements, replacement systems and transplant surgery. Hair Loss and Replacement for Dummies also discusses hair loss myths and how to avoid scams and expensive mistakes. The book gives you a fairly objective look at the pros and cons of various treatment and concealment options and will help you determine the costs and complications of such options.

Read the full article at About.com

Nice review, and I’m hopeful that it’ll lead to more feedback one way or the other. As I write this blog post, the book is #1 on Amazon.com in the Hair Loss category, so that’s good to see. If you’ve picked up a copy and have a moment to review it, I’d be appreciative. The Amazon listing is here.

In other news, I was recently quoted in a new article about hair and employment opportunities. The article can be found at Canada’s CBC website.

Tags: hair loss, hairloss, dummies, review, about, amazon

Who Sees More Propecia Side Effects — Young Men or Older Men?

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

Would you say that a young man is more prone to side effects from Propecia than an older man? Maybe this is related to the fact that Propecia has more effect when started at a younger age than an older age?

The studies that were done did not classify sexual side effects by age. As young men are far more sexually active than older men and more prone to demand the best sexual performance with their young girlfriends, I would suspect that there are more complaints from the younger men. Many older, married men accept a lesser libido and the incidence of erectile dysfunction is much higher as a man ages, so men may not challenge their penis to do what they may feel it will not do.

Tags: propecia, finasteride, side effects, libido, penis, hairloss, hair loss

Added Propecia 10 Months Ago and My Stylist Sees Hair Growing in My Crown!

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

Dr. Rassman,

Love the site….it is a great resource…….I am 39….and have had receding hair for years and slowly started thinning in the crown……I got serious with Rogaine Foam a couple of years ago and added Propecia to the mix about 9 months ago (maybe 10)…..I have noticed MUCH thicker hair (I can style it differently) and the crown is looking great….in fact, today, I got my hair cut and my stylist did a double take when she worked on the crown. She said, “You have HAIR growing here!” I said yes….and explained what I was doing and about your blog, etc….

To say it made me feel good is an understatement. I can tell a HUGE difference…..and I will send some pix in a couple of months (after being on Propecia for a year).

Please share my story with your readers. The fearful e-mails are silly! Go see a doctor! Propecia will only work if you try it and stick with it!

Good for you! Thank you for sharing your experience and I’m glad to hear it’s working well for you. I think in many cases, patients that see good results with Propecia would not feel compelled to share their experiences, as opposed to those that get on the bullhorn if they have or think they have a bad experience (I can’t blame them for that). It just creates an unbalanced field of reviews. Thanks again for your note.

Tags: propecia, finasteride, hair loss, hairloss, crown, medication

I Joined the Military and Now I’ve Got Hair Loss!

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

i am in the military and have never had hair loss or seen any signs of hair loss untill i joined. none of my family has anybody who is balding. so i was just wondering what the hell is happening

Did you have to get a military hair cut? Sometimes, you don’t notice how much you are thinning until you cut your hair so short. Of course I am just guessing at your particular situation…

Hair loss can be accelerated by stress if the genetics are there. Military service can be stressful.

Tags: military, hair loss, hairloss, stress

Aspirin and Hair Transplantation

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

I take baby aspirin daily as a preventive for heart and stroke, I have no history of either condition but believe it is prudent to take aspiriin daily. I am considering a hair transplant and wonder how long before a procedure should I stop the baby aspirin or is it necessary to stop taking it all? Thanks

Most doctors believe 7-10 days off of the aspirin would be adequate to have any surgery.

Tags: hair transplant, surgery, aspirin, hairtransplant

Scared About Possible Extra Unwanted Hair Growth from Women’s Rogaine

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

Dear Drs.

I am 55 and have been on Womens Rogaine for 5 weeks but the possible side effects have freaked me out! The crown and sides of my head are thinning. My doctor has prescribed Rogaine for Women. As of yet, I have not seen any side effects. Please tell me how I should be handling the application of the solution and all possible ways that the extra unwanted hair growth can occur. I wash my hands immediately after each application. If any drips on my face I wash. Once the solution has dried and I touch my hair do I need to wash my hands again? My hair seems to get so wet during applications and takes so long to dry. Am I applying the solution wrong? Also, after I wash my hair and it is still wet can I use styling gell, dry my hair, and then use the solution? Do I need to wash my hair before each application(morning and night)? I really want this medication to work because it is so embarrassing to have such thin hair. Thanks for your time and help.

Women's RogaineThere are some people who don’t bother to read instructions/labels on over the counter medication, and then there are others that read everything and every warning label. It seems you are the latter. Just go to your medicine cabinet and read all the side effects associated with aspirin, etc. If you use the medication as directed, you should have no problem. Also keep in mind that while Rogaine is a good medication and it works, it does not grow so much hair where you have to worry about growth on your palms just from touching it, though the absorption can cause hair growth elsewhere. Extra unwanted hair in women is a side effect of Rogaine, but as long as you use it as directed, you should be fine. If you let the Rogaine dry, applying product to your hair shouldn’t be a problem.

Perhaps if you are absorbing the drug and it is causing hair to grow where you do not want it, then you may have to stop the medication. Check with your doctor if that is the case.

Tags: rogaine, minoxidil, female hair loss, hair loss, hairloss

Maximum Amount of Grafts That Can Safely Be Transplanted in a Single Session

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

My question is if this,if a person had unlimited donor hair and you had all the assistance you could use at your side.How many grafts would you be comfortable transplanting in one session without fear of the grafts not surviving?

I ask this question looking into the future,if hair cloning becomes available.Would it be possible to transplant 5,000 – 10,000 – 15,000 grafts in one session? Thanks for your time.

Flying carMy personal record at New Hair Institute has been close to 6000 grafts in a day on one patient. The patient had a very high hair density and a very lax scalp. He did not need more grafts, but I was confident that if he had the recipient area to take more grafts, his donor area could have yielded another 2000. Keep in mind the most important factor is the skill of the entire staff of the medical group. This would not be possible without a fantastic staff.

As for what the possibilities are with hair cloning — it’s all very much speculation still. Perhaps we’ll be able to hop in a flying car or maybe even teleport to the clinic where you’ll get your cloned hair implanted, then rub magic lotion on it all to get everything to grow wonderfully overnight. It’s fun to speculate on the future.

Tags: hair transplant, hairtransplant, hair loss, hairloss

How Does a Patient Look When Leaving Your Office After a Transplant?

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

Hi there,

I saw screenshots of Jon from Jon & Kate Plus 8 and had some questions:

When a patient leaves the office after the operation, does he just walk out of the office looking like Jon did (in the 3 Immediatley After photos)- without a covering/hat, redness in the forhead, and hair messy?

I just wonder for people that fly into your L.A office for a procedure then fly out straight from surgery- and having concerns about being self concious as they stand in line for the flight back.

It all depends on how bald you are or how much hair you had before the surgery. If you are completely bald, it is hard to not notice some stubble and a few patients may have considerable redness that lasts a few days on the bald scalp, but we provide a hat to cover that easily. In Jon’s case, he was able to cover the transplants by combing his natural hair forward and wearing a hat and also the ‘cover up’ may be dependent upon how you can style your hair. Quite a few patients are undetectable immediately after the surgery.

Tags: hair transplant, post-operative, hairloss, hair loss, surgery

Can Hair Just Get Thinner As You Age?

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

Hi doc,
I was wondering if hair ever just gets thinner overall as you age into adulthood. I’m experiencing miniaturized hairs falling out all over my head, and I’m wondering if this is just a normal process heading into adulthood. My hairline is receding, but it is following the same pattern as my grandfather’s whose hairline stopped at a norwood 3 with thick hair all over. My hair is still thick, but the hairs keep falling out. Please help!

We often go through various stages in the thickness of the hair. Many courser haired people will see their hair shafts thin when they leave their teenage years. This also occurs later in life as well. Add to that the different lengths of the telogen cycle of the hair (see Hair Follicle Cells Growth Stages) and most people will see their maximal hair length reduce as they get older. The young girl with 3 foot long hair at age 14 may find that she can not grow it past 18 inches at age 40 and 12 inches at age 60.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, thinning, hair character, hair growth cycle

How Is it Possible That Genes Will Triumph Over Propecia?

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

I know it requires DHT, genes and age for MPB to start. Propecia reduces DHT a major cause of MPB. Surely it doesn’t lower all DHT but enough to keep hair years and years for most men. You always say that genes will eventually win over Propecia. How is that possible? Propecia supresses DHT removing what’s needed for MPB genes to work! Since that’s the case shouldn’t Propecia forever? Or is it because of the remaining DHT that Propecia doesn’t supress works slowly with genetics until one day makes MPB progress despite being on Propecia? So in that case how come they haven’t found a drug for 100% DHT suppression yet? That would do the trick!

Finasteride (Propecia) blocks about 70% of serum DHT. By comparison, dutasteride (Avodart) blocks about 90% of serum DHT…. but nothing is 100%. Also, we know that it takes more than just blocking DHT to stop hair loss. Our adrenal glands do produce androgens as well as the testicles and can contribute to hair loss. This may be a hard concept to some, so here’s a simplified attempt at answering your question with an example. You can take all the anti-aging pills you want, but you will still age and die one day. Final score — Genes 1, Pills 0.

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

If Hair is Cloned, Won’t It All Fall Out At Once if It’s on the Same Cycle?

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

Here’s an out-of-the-box question. If hair cloning ever becomes a viable procedure, once the hairs are implanted in the head, if it’s the same hair that’s cloned, won’t they all fall out at the same time? So we’d have a full head of hair for a period of time and then be bald for a period of time.

You have some interesting ideas. Your theory may be correct, but theory and reality do not always correlate. We will just have to wait and see. I suppose it is possible that you will need to have many different hairs cloned if your theory holds true.

Tags: hair cloning, hairloss, hair loss, hair transplant