I’m Growing Hair in the Temples After Taking Propecia for a Week

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

I just started taking propecia about a week and a half ago and have been taking rogaine for about three months…I still have relatively thick hair and have only experienced hair loss mainly in the temporal area with very slight thining in the crown…still full coverage however. I have noticed that in the temporal area hair follicals are starting to appear and i’m growing a few very fine hairs in the temporal area…I think i am responding very well to the medication as i am only 21 years old.

I was wondering how rare is it to regrow a descent about of hair in the temporal area? As well as the hairline on the side of my head? If i were to take propecia for one year and experience good results and no further hair loss would it be wise or would you recommend a 700-800 hair transplant in the temporal area? I hair a very low hairline in the back of my head…i.e. the donor area. How many hairs in the donor area can be transplanted?

I know i have a lot of questions…I thank you very much for your time and consideration. I look towards your blog for guidence and i am also very optimistic of saving my hair as i took control of it early. Only noticed hair loss over the last 8 months.

A week (or even three months) is too short a time to draw any significant conclusions, but what you are reporting is good. When you talk about temple hair, I think you are talking about the hair in the hairline (corners). I have seen it regrow in a very small number of people but almost all have been under 23 years old. At 21 with good results from Propecia and Rogaine, you probably should not be transplanted at all, but whatever you do, see a doctor with integrity and a high ethical standard. Many doctors chase the almighty dollar and you never know what you really needed when you see one of them.

I know of some doctors who put 3000+ graft in the first 1/2 inch of hairline where the juvenile hairline was, and those doctors are not doing a service to their patients. Rather than focus on hair transplants and how many grafts you might need, I would rather like to see (at least) your pictures in a year. Maybe I can help you avoid the pitfalls in this industry and offer advice for you that would be helpful.

Tags: hairline, propecia, temple, hairloss, hair loss, rogaine, minoxidil, finasteride

A Doctor on YouTube Says Finasteride Will Leave You Impotent

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

Hi,

I was watching this video on youtube

This gentleman, John Crisler, D.O. says finasteride can smash an endocrine system ans leave you impotent, even in cases where a person has been taking it for as little as week. Can you speak to this? Is this doctor, just pushing his own concoctions. This is quite scary, no?

Thanks in advance

In my opinion, he is just promoting his own product. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and just because someone has two letters behind their name, it does not make them an authority. Yes, that includes me.

For what its worth, in the video he says he has NEVER prescribed finasteride. So how can he be such an authority just by reading unverified posts on a “Yahoo discussion forum”? I have been prescribing Propecia for over 10 years now and I have not seen a patient with such “terrible” and “irreversible” side effects. I do see some patients (1-2%) that have side effects, but when they stop or lower the dosage of the medication, the side effects reversed. Maybe I am just lucky.

Tags: propecia, finasteride, hairloss, hair loss, video, doctor

Wet Hair Weakness

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

Is hair really weaker when wet?

Also, I’ve read you shouldn’t brush your hair when wet, but use a comb. But either way, it would seem to stress the hair if there are tangles.

In Chapter 3 of my book, Hair Loss and Replacement for Dummies, it discusses the status of wet hair, combing the hair and tangles. You are correct in that you should not do much with wet hair, as it is fragile. Using a wide-tooth comb is in your best interest. Drying is best naturally, and using a blowdryer can damage the hair. But I will not steal the thunder of Chapter 3, so buy the book or if you visit my office, I will give you a copy just for making the trip.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, wet hair, fragile

I Got Testicle Pain After 3 Days of Finasteride

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

i recently took 1/4 of proscar for 3 days i experienced testicle pain and side effects, how long till the side effects get reversed after quitting, and is 3 days enough to make me lose more hair after quitting?

You should see your doctor about the testicular pain. There are many causes for testicular pain (see list). Propecia can potentially cause it, but that is very rare. Three days on or off the drug is not the issue here — the fact that you have pain is troublesome and should be checked out at once.

Tags: finasteride, propecia, hairloss, hair loss, testicle, testicular, pain

My Libido is Much Higher Now on Propecia!

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

I am a current propecia user who is currently 23 years old. For the longest time I was scared to death of taking this medication because of the horror stories I read all over the internet. About a month ago I finally decided I’d go for it after researching it more and listening to your take on it. Well so far it has been working great and I have not experience any of the potential sides except a large increase in my sex drive. It is so much so that I have to masturbate at least once a day just to relieve myself. With your patients is this fairly common? It seems like most people experience the opposite.

I have found that this is not an uncommon finding with Propecia, but most people who experience it report that it returns to normal levels after a few months. I hope, for your sake, it is something you want along with the hair you save. Thanks for writing and sharing this with our readers.

Tags: propecia, finasteride, hairloss, hair loss, libido

Unethical Graft Counting, Follow-Up

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

This is in response to Unethical Graft Counting — Avoid the Scam!

That’s scary! I have a related question – do you think these Doctors “waste” grafts or do they cut thin strip containing less number of grafts to begin with? i.e., cut 3000 grafts from “donor” area and put only 1000 grafts on balding areas to save labor cost? or, Do they cut a strip with ~1000 grafts and put 1000 on head.

If it’s the later, at least the patients will have the grafts for a later surgery. If the later, the doctors are worse than Bernie Madoff!

Having been through 3 surgeries, one good way to approximately estimate how many grafts were implanted was to count (a) number of hours and (b) number of technicians putting those grafts on your head. For 1640 grafts HT — it took 2 techs@NHI about 5 hours (excl lunch break); for 1850 grafts HT — it took 3 techs about 6 hours; for 1400 grafts HT — it was about 4 hours for 2 techs. I don’t know if these are somewhat standard.

SkunkThe question is really whether or not you always get what comes out of the head. Most hair transplant doctors will be close to the graft estimate when cutting the strip, but what if the doctor got more grafts than you paid for? Does he/she throw the extras in the garbage? This is a matter of ethics and you must know that your doctor cares about your hair supply and does not waste it. Everyone has a finite amount of donor hair, and to throw those precious follicles away would be awful. If you have an ethical and honest doctor, the doctor will ALWAYS do things in your interest, even if it means giving you more than you paid for. But if he scams patients as a way to make his living, a skunk should be known by his smell.

As for speed of your procedure — all technicians are not created equal. Some are efficient and fast, while others are just the opposite.

Tags: hair transplant, hairloss, hair loss, scam, graft counting, hair restoration

Dr Bernstein on Fox and Friends (Videos)

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

Dr Bernstein on Fox NewsMy friend Dr. Robert Bernstein was recently featured in a couple of segments on the Fox News Channel’s morning show, Fox and Friends. I got the 1st segment posted in a video below:

 

I can’t figure out how to embed the video for the 2nd segment (“After the Show”) on the page, so I’ll just link to it below. I hope I’m not spoiling any surprises, but in this clip, Dr. Bernstein gets asked about treating a seal for hair loss. And no, they were not talking about the singer.

Tags: bernstein, fox, fox news, hairloss, hair loss

In the News – Sarah Palin’s Stress and Hair Loss

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

Snippet from the article:

Can stress really cause hair loss?

Yes. Studies on both laboratory mice and disembodied human hair follicles have shown that external stresses can cause hair loss. Researchers have exposed otherwise healthy mice to mouse-repelling sounds at 15-second intervals for 24 hours. The follicles of the stressed mice went dormant significantly faster than their more relaxed cousins. No such experiment has been conducted on people, but scientists do know that if you expose human hair follicles to substance P, a stress-related neurochemical, they will also become dormant.

Sarah PalinRead the rest — Slate: Can Stress Really Make Your Hair Fall Out?

The article references a recent tabloid-style story (in the New York Times) about soon-to-be-former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s mystery hair thinning, and wonders if it is due to stress (telogen effluvium), alopecia areata, or genetic hair loss. I haven’t seen the hair loss they’re talking about, but if I had to guess, I’d put my money on it being stress-related.

Tags: sarah palin, stress, telogen effluvium, hairloss, hair loss, alaska, politics

Using Minoxidil 2 Months After a Hair Transplant

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

I had a 1500+ transplant about 2 months ago. It was a phenomenal experience, and I haven’t had any issues, aside from some minor itching. My question is I have been using Xandrox with 15% minoxidil at night. Is there anyway the concentration of minox in this product or amount of alcohol (80%) damaged the newly transplanted follicles? Any information is appreciated.

Fantastic blog btw.

I don’t believe that minoxidil will cause damage to the new hair grafts. I also do not believe it will help cause more rapid hair growth on the newly transplanted hair either. I tried applying minoxidil to half of the head on a number of patients some years ago to see if it made any difference and it did not.

Tags: minoxidil, hair loss, hairloss, hair transplant, xandrox

Hair Count Across Different Races

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

I have a question about the number of hairs a race typically has. Since Caucasians typically have 100K as opposed to Africans who have 60K, is African hair, strand per stand, literally thicker, or something? Because at least I usually see Africans and notice Caucasians have almost twice as much density on their head.

Hair thickness has nothing to do with hair density. You find fine, medium, and coarse hair in all races. African hair mats together and gives the illusion of more fullness.

Tags: hair thickness, hair character, race, caucasian, african, asian

Are You Sure Sebum Doesn’t Cause Hair Loss?

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

I’ve read in many instances here that sebum does not cause hair loss. While I believe this, a small part of me has some doubts. Is there any definitive proof you can convey to us here?

What sort of proof are you looking for? Sebum is an oily substance secreted by the sebaceous glands. We all have sebaceous glands and we all secrete sebum. Sebaceous glands secrete the oil to give your hair the healthy shine, coating and protecting it from the environment so your hair does not get brittle and break off. Sometimes excess sebum can cause oily skin/hair. You can treat this by washing your hair with shampoos that address oily hair. If you do not wash your hair and let sebum build up you can have bacteria growth that causes a foul smell or even clogs up the pores to cause pimples and cysts. But this will still not cause hair loss, just poor hygiene. If sebum caused hair loss, there would be many more balding women out there.

Hair loss in men is caused by genetics 99% of the time. It occurs in specific patterns, thus the term “male pattern baldness”. Its not called sebum-baldness.

Tags: sebum, hairloss, hair loss, oily

Switched from Rogaine Foam Back to Liquid

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

I have been on Propecia for 11 months now and on rogaine for about a 6 months. I have found that it is harder to style my hair after using the rogaine foam due to it making my hair stiff. Due to this, I started using the rogaine foam only at night. I have recently gone back to using the rogaine twice a day and just putting up with the difficult styling. The problem is that I have seen more and more hairs on my hands after applying the rogaine foam after a shower then before. Is this due to the change in using the foam once a day to twice a day? Also, do you have any recommendations for a doctor in Washington D.C./Northern Virginia area?

Thanks!

Rogaine FoamSome people report not liking the Rogaine Foam for the same reasons. Having never used it, I can not comment on your complaint. It should be the same when comparing liquid and the foam with regard to results. Twice a day use should be better than once a day use, but you may have accelerated the cycling, which in the long term should be fine for you.

I don’t have any specific recommendations in the DC area, but Dr. Robert Bernstein is in New York and does work that I have seen, approved, and I therefore can recommend him. It is worth the trip to NY. Or better yet, come visit me in Los Angeles and you can see Disneyland or Universal Studios as part of the trip.

Tags: rogaine foam, rogaine, minoxidil, regaine, hairloss, hair loss

My Doctor Told Me to Take Finasteride for Just 2 Years

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

this is my first post and i really appreciate the community you’ve made here. Thanks to the internet and specially all you contributors.

I am 28 years old (29 in september) healthy male. Been losing hairs since i was 17 (its in the genes). I had a hair transplant (FUT) 12 days ago with 2024 grafts. Yesterday i went to get my stitches out but since my overall hairs are very very thin and weak my doctor has advised me to take: 1 tablet GENESIS (Finasteride 1mg) daily. The whole medication has been advised for 2 years

I really have doubts about this ”Finasteride” thing. I would really appreciate answers from doctors and professionals whether i should take Finasteride’ 1mg daily or should i take it alternate days..

What is the time frame in which the sexual side effects can be detected and it is possible, for example if am not having any side effects for the first 2 months of taking finasteride I wont get any side effects in future.

Finasteride will help prevent further loss and should be taken daily. Side effects are rare, but vary for each person. If you take the medication for just 2 years and stop, any benefits you saw will disappear… so I’m not sure why you were told to just take it for a limited time. It is a medication that must be taken forever (or until something better comes along that works in a similar fashion). Stopping the finasteride will produce catch-up hair loss.

Tags: finasteride, propecia, hairloss, hair loss

Could Supplements Have Caused My Sudden Hair Loss?

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

Hi I have recently been experiencing sudden hair loss. I am a 23yr. old male, and have always had thick brown hair. This past march I took some pro-hormone supplements (oxyguno) to help my workout program. At the end of May, I noticed my hair was alot more blonde in areas, and noticeable thinning in the front hairline. I immediately went to a physician, and he said it was probably the supplements I took. I also had two tough last semesters (both 18hr loads). My doc prescribed me some propecia & told me to take Rogaine. My hair began to shed really bad after starting the two medications. After about a month I decided to stop the Rogaine, because my scalp was itching and I was continuing to shed alot of hair.

My question is, do you think this was caused by the supplements? Also is I got back on the Rogaine do the shed hairs grow back? Also there is some MPB in the family, although this hair loss just seems too sudden.

I would doubt that supplements caused your hair loss. The stress you are apparently experiencing will accelerate the genetic process and it can happen in a relatively show time frame. I can’t say what Rogaine will do for you — not everyone reacts the same.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, supplement

Healing After Small FUE Procedure

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

I recently had a FUE procedure (about 200 grafts) for a revision on some old scars (traction alopecia scars from a hairpiece system with clips)on the back and side of my head (about two weeks ago). When will the little holes turn white and how soon can I buzz my head down to a 1 blade without disturbing the grafts in the scars? I’m 49, bald most of my life, I just wanted to improve the scars a little bit for the buzzing…

For FUE, healing for the recipient area is easily complete in 2 weeks provided that the scabs are gone. You can do what you want as soon as the scabs comes off.

Tags: fue, follicular unit extraction, hairloss, hair loss, hair transplant, scar revision, scars