Glaucoma Medication Causing My Eyebrow Loss?

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

I have been diagnosed with glaucoma. Treatment was started approx 10 months ago (eye drops), and has been altered because of some allergic reaction (red eyes). In the past three months, I have been losing an excessive amount of head hair, daily. Also my eyebrows and lashes are noticeably thinning. Can there be any relation to this loss with the medicine that is used to treat glaucoma?

There is no substitute to a good medical examination of your hair. I would start looking there. I know of no connection between glaucoma and head hair loss or eyebrow loss, but I would keep the medication off of the eyebrows. There is a glaucoma medication (bimatoprost) that was recently FDA approved to treat eyelash growth, and some expect that applying it to the scalp will regrow hair (I’ve not read enough about the medication and am not clear on it yet)… but I don’t know which medication you were using, so I can’t help much more.

Tags: bimatoprost, glaucoma, hairloss, hair loss, eyebrow, allergy

Minoxidil and the Prostate?

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

Are there any data on the long-term effects of minoxidil use? I’m going for a prostate biopsy after a reading of 11+ and saw there is some connection with propecia (which I don’t use). Thanks.

There is no long term side effect of minoxidil, particularly with the prostate. The connection with Propecia (finasteride) and the prostate is that the medication drops the PSA level and has a preventive impact against prostate cancer in men with normal prostates. Minoxidil works differently than Propecia, and as such, minoxidil has no impact or connection to the prostate.

Tags: minoxidil, prostate, rogaine, hairloss, hair loss, finasteride, propecia

Would Saw Palmetto Counteract Propecia?

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

Please can you explain scientifically how taking saw palmetto can be counter productive to propecia. You have said in some replys that taking even green ‘MAY’ interact with propecia and stop it working to its full potential. I wonder wether everyday things will then, from a lot of fresh veg and fruit or other things.

I do not know of any antagonism of saw palmetto and Propecia (finasteride 1mg). The side effects of both are similar so you might see more sexual side effects when you double up on both medications. I don’t know where I’ve said anything different…

Tags: propecia, finasteride, saw palmetto, hairloss, hair loss

Hair Transplant in India Costs?

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

How Much Would a Hair Transplant Cost Me in India? As I am in India, I want to know where do get my hair transplant.

Each doctor is different. There isn’t one set price for a procedure, and even the per graft price may depend on how many grafts you need. As for where to get the hair transplant, try using the physician search at ISHRS.org to find a doctor in your area. I do not have a particular doctor recommendation in India.

Tags: india, hair transplant, hairtransplant, hairloss, hair loss, doctor, physician

Not a Cowlick, But an Actual Cow Licking Your Scalp to Regrow Hair?

/by William Rassman, M.D./4 /

I saw an unusual treatment for balding on Animal Planet. It was a show that featured the top ten weirdest animal treatments (Leeches, Maggots, ect.), and it showed a doctor who has a cow lick people’s heads to regrow hair. I know that sounds like bull (no pun intended), but there were photos that made it look like it worked great, and there were people who swear by it. There was even a woman who talked about how many really stupid things are tried by people who are losing hair. The show mentioned that saliva may have some kind of healing property, or that the men could be regrowing hair due to the placebo effect.

Cow LickThat gives me a great idea for a new business to supplement my existing hair business! I could rent an office in Beverly Hills, put a single cow in it, and charge people by the minute to get their cow licks. Hopefully I’ll be able to find a building that allows me to keep a cow indoors. And I am the perfect guy for this, for as many of you may know, I had a dairy farm in the 1970s and if there is anyone who could know how to tell the difference between a cow and bull, it would be me. One day, my father was visiting from Florida, and he saw all of the cows and asked me how to tell the difference between a boy and girl cow (no joke). My entire family laughed and laughed and it simply went over his head. So for those of you who wish to take advantage of my new cow licking venture, please leave a comment here to give me an idea of how much you’ll be willing to pay.

On a serious note, I didn’t see the special you’re talking about on Animal Planet, but there’s no cow I know of that has magical saliva that makes hair grow.

Update: A reader has provided a link to the Animal Planet clip about the bovine spit growing hair. I think it belongs on a show like Ripley’s Believe It or Not, but you can judge for yourself. Video here.

Tags: cow, bovine, saliva, animal planet, farm, hairloss, hair loss, hair growth, cowlick

Does Density Increase Between Month 8 and Month 10 Following a Hair Transplant?

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

Hi, I had last a FUT session of just under 3000 grafts at a reputable clinic last summer in Thailand. The last thing the doctor told me after my final check-up was “Don’t forget: it will take 10 months to look good!” On your site, you often mention waiting 8 months for final results. I’m now 7 months from the operation and have good results so far,but am hoping for more thickness. Is it true that more density can occur between the eighth and tenth month?
Thanks

Everybody is different! Sometimes all your transplanted hair can grow out in 3 to 4 months. Sometimes it can take over a year for 100% growth. I generally tell patients that in 8 months you will see about 80%+ of your hair growth to 2-3 inches in length.

You’ll hopefully see a little more thickness, but I don’t know what to expect in your case, as you’re not my patient and I haven’t seen you or your results. You said you have got some good results thus far, and only time will tell from here on. Otherwise, you can follow up with your doctor and ask for his/her assessment.

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

Can Zinc Block Minoxidil?

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

Dear Doctor,
i have read in a hair loss forum , that zinc can block minoxidil’s action. So it is advised that one should avoid using products, that contain these two substances at the same time or sooner than 3-4 hours. Is this claim scientifically proven?

I thank you in advance.

I do not believe that zinc will block minoxidil. There are multiple reports on various websites that I found via Google that go both ways, and I could not find a scientific article to point me in the proper direction. That being said, I don’t recall reading anything in the literature, nor does the minoxidil application information (including Rogaine’s FAQ) make any mention of avoiding products with zinc.

So to answer your question — if it has been scientifically proven, I haven’t heard about it and can’t find any reference to it. If someone has more info, please feel free to send a link to review.

Tags: minoxidil, rogaine, zinc, shampoo, hairloss, hair loss

Can Hair Regrow in a Scar?

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

I have a long scar on my head from an accident that happened just over a month ago. I want to know is there any thing that can be done to make it smaller and reduce the appearance of the scar. also wanted to know if there were any treatments that could make the hair grow back were the scar is?

Thank you for taking the time to review my questions

I looked a the photo you sent, and although I won’t publish it on your request, your scar appears to be about 2 inches long and 1/4 inch wide. This is a scar that has no hair elements within it. The only solution for this is hair transplantation, something that can be fairly easy to do. I have done surgery on patients with cranial scars from brain tumor surgery and even injury scars like this, and they can take a transplant fairly well. This particular scar can not be removed without returning.

Tags: scar, hair transplant, hairtransplant, hairloss, hair loss, injury

Can Botox Prevent Hair Loss?

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

From the press release:

Preliminary findings have shown that BOTOX® injections into the scalp may effectively delay hair loss and even prevent baldness.

BotoxNo published, peer-reviewed articles back up any of their “preliminary findings” on Botox as a hair loss treatment (nor are any photos provided of their findings). I’m only posting this for those that might be interested in it. I’ll keep my opinion to myself for now, but just remember that the link doesn’t go to an actual article. It’s a press release… and it definitely reads as a big advertisement for some clinic that provides these expensive injections.

Tags: botox, hairloss, hair loss, advertisement, botulinum toxin

Stress-Induced Bald Spot?

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

My husband is 33 years old. He recently noticed a bald spot on the right side of his head. At first it was the size of a dime and now it is the size of a quarter. There is no lump or bump in that area. He does not smoke or drink or use any kinds of drugs, but he does work in the refinery business here in South Texas. Could that be a concern? And I know they say with women, stress can cause hair loss, I would assume the same goes for men.

There are many causes of hair loss such as you describe. I would have your husband seek out a dermatologist. I doubt that stress has anything to do with the problem, but without an examination I couldn’t determine that.

Tags: bald spot, hairloss, hair loss, stress

In the News – Bill Gates Would Rather Cure Malaria than Baldness

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

Here’s a new quote from Microsoft founder Bill Gates:

“There is more money put into baldness drugs than into malaria,” Gates quipped, triggering laughter. “Now, baldness is a terrible thing and rich men are afflicted. That is why that priority has been set.”

From this article — Bill Gates playfully frees swarm of mosquitoes

To be fair to Bill Gates, malaria is life threatening, whereas hair loss is not….

Tags: malaria, bill gates, baldness, hairloss, hair loss

Why Do Hair Transplant Patients Always Comb Their Hair Back? (with Photos)

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

I am often asked why hair transplant patients seem to always comb their hair back (particularly in the After photos on the web). The answer is that they do it because they love their hair and want to show their normal hairline. I think that secretly, they get a thrill from taking a chance that someone might identify that they have had a transplant and they challenge that risk. You can comb your hair any way you want after a hair transplant, but by combing it straight back they can show off the hairline that they didn’t have for many years.

Here is a great example of a patient who had 4196 grafts (before and after) over a two year period. Click the photos below to enlarge.

After:

 

Before:

 

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

Topical Finasteride Study

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

Hello Doctor,

whats your opinion on this new study, related to topical finasteride?

Comparing the therapeutic effects of finasteride gel and tablet in treatment of the androgenetic alopecia.

Thanks

In my opinion, it is a very poor study and you cannot come to a conclusion. It only confuses consumers such as yourself. It is incomplete.

  1. Only 45 men were studied. You need thousands.
  2. The study was only for 6 months. You need at least a year to see results even on oral finasteride.
  3. They didn’t have a group of patients who took both placebos (no topical finasteride and no oral finasteride) and this is a critical flaw and it does not adhere to basic scientific methodology.
  4. Just because there were no difference in the two groups does not mean both (oral finasteride and topical finasteride) are similar. Oral finasteride does not work well in 6 months
Tags: topical, oral, finasteride, proscar, propecia, hairloss, hair loss, study, india

In the News – Medicine Man Claims He Can Cure AIDS with Herbs

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

Here’s an article from CNN about Baba Chukuri, a “healer” in Nigeria that claims to have cures for nearly everything, including AIDS. Ridiculous, right? Well, there’s money in ridiculousness.

Snippet from the article:

[Dr Uford Inyang from Nigeria’s Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development] believes the global herbal market to be worth up to $5 billion. If any of the treatments are found to work, the local healers can receive up to 10 percent of the profits in royalties.

None of Chukuri’s treatments have yet been scientifically proven to work.

Read the full text here.

Unsurprisingly, this story reminded me of all of the crap products out there people buy every single day to treat their hair loss. Most times the only thing these products “cure” is the emptiness of the wallets of some shyster, and the buyer winds up with even less hair and hope afterward. It’s a shame people fall for this stuff.

Tags: nigeria, healer, scam, aids, herbal

Should I Hold My Breath for Hair Cloning?

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

I am almost 22 and have had a shaved head for at least 3 years. I began going balf when I was 17 out of nowhere and the process was faster than lightning. By the time I was 18 or 19 I felt I had to shave my head because I looked ridiculous compared to my peers, since none of them (still) has any trouble growing hair. At 17 I saw a dermatologist who gave me a rather pathetic once over and concluded that it was normal male pattern baldness, just setting in at a rather unfortunate age. He recommended rogaine which I used for almost a year but to no effect.

I am now almost 22 and completely loathing my appearance, it really is the cause of some pretty severe chronic depression. Now I’m interested in absolutely any solution, but I’m told (or given the impression) that there really isn’t one. Even hair transplant, apparently, is not viable for someone as far advanced as I am. (Can that be true?)

And I’m NOT going to be the 22 year old who brings back the toupee. What are your thoughts?

Also, with regard to hair cloning, is there anything worth holding my breath for in the near future?

Thanks

BlueYou need to find a good, caring doctor to sit down with you after a thorough examination of your scalp and give you a Master Plan to work with. I couldn’t tell you if you’re a candidate for a hair transplant without at least seeing you… but even if your balding is as advanced as you hint, a hair transplant might still an option. I’ve transplanted men your age with very advanced balding (see here, here).

I would not hold my breath waiting for cloning. You might turn blue before you die.

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