The Masturbation Brigade Returns

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

I find your information inaccurate, and I personally disagree. Me and many like me, suffering from many symptoms of excessive masturbation. A major notice sign is thinning hair, and hair loss. Ive noticed that you have photos of older generation, I doubt these people suffering from masturbating addiction. Check this site if you want to know the truth about excessive masturbation. it explains in detail.

ayurvediccure.com

Door knobI don’t understand people like you. Truly, you confuse me. I seem to get emails like yours in clusters — I’ll read nothing about masturbation and hair loss, then suddenly I’ll get a dozen emails within a couple of days from various people all telling me I’m wrong and trying to prove it by telling me that you notice your hair thinning when you masturbate. I’m sure you also see hair loss after you sleep, so why not avoid that, too?

And what is this you mention of the older generation? Do you think masturbating was invented in the 1980s or 90s? Give me a break. Your “proof” is some holistic “cure” website that states wrong information about masturbating, but includes ordering instructions for a pill that will make you “last longer” and will solve all of your problems. If you believe that, you are ridiculously misguided and I might have a bridge or two to sell you. I don’t know what else I can say to help you or people like you understand that there is simply no link. Just because your mother told you to not masturbate or you’d go bald, it does not make it true. My mother told me that when my hand itched, that meant money was coming to me… and yet I’m smart enough to know to not expect coins to rain down every time I get a tingle in my hand.

I don’t know what more I can write about this topic than I already have. It’s not like I have something to gain by telling you there’s no connection. Last I checked, there was no tax on masturbating, nor do I care if you do it or not. Slam it in a door if you want!

You will also not lose hair from masturbating, nor will you go blind, deaf, and you certainly will not grow hair on your palms. These are old wives tales to prevent kids from touching themselves, many times created for religious reasons. So please read this carefully — there is no link between hair loss and masturbation. The end.

Tags: masturbate, masturbating, masturbation, hairloss, hair loss, ayurvedic, dumb

I’m 22 Years Old and Showing Norwood Class 4 Already!

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

hi dr. william rassman.

i am a 22 year man suffering from male baldness pattern near to stage 4. at this young age i have lost most of my front hair and from front i am almost completely bald. i want to have hair transplant surgery within next a year or two. what is your suggestion? thanks and waiting for your reply soon.

Norwood 4Without an examination, I can’t tell you whether you are a candidate for transplantation or not. You should have your scalp mapped for miniaturization, which will help determine how advanced your hair loss pattern will get. For example, you wouldn’t want to rush into a surgery at 22 years old only to lose more hair as the years pass, leaving you with an unnatural looking pattern. At your age with class 4 hair loss, your pattern may continue to recede further. You should meet with a doctor that can help you form a Master Plan (an outline of your surgical requirements and plans for the future). The use of Propecia (finasteride) should be an absolute in slowing or stopping the hair loss in its tracks. Don’t get me wrong, even at 22 years old you still might be a candidate for a hair transplant, but you need to have a good doctor focus on building your Master Plan that will protect you for years to come.

Tags: hair loss, hairloss, hair transplant, norwood

Growth After Hair Transplant

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

I had a hair transplant of 2010 grafts almost going on 5 months ago. My hair stylist tells me that the transplanted hair goes through a cycle and will fall out approx 3-4 months after the procedure then grows back in. Is this true? And why does it look really good in some light then in different light? When I go to work, the lights that are on there make me look like I had nothing done! I’ve been feeling very frustrated at this point.

LightAny hair (even non-transplanted hair) looks thinner under bright light or certain lighting conditions.

In general, transplanted hair falls out within the first month or so and new hairs start growing in 3 to 4 months later. I tell every patient to wait 7-8 months before judging the results. Patience is a virtue! I can’t tell you if your surgery was a success or not. You need to go back to your doctor and ask to see your before photos to compare for yourself. Also, ask your doctor his/her professional opinion on the matter. Whatever you decide to do, you will not know the results until 7-8 months after the transplant was done.

Tags: hair transplant, hair growth, hair loss, hairloss, surgery

In the News – FDA Warns Allergan About Latisse Website

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

Snippet from the article:

The Web site of Allergan Inc.’s Latisse is misleading because it suggests the company’s eyelash thickener is more safe than proven, federal regulators said.

In a letter to Allergan dated Sept. 10, the Food and Drug Administration said the company’s Web site omits information about how people using Latisse are at risk for contracting bacterial keratitis, which can be blinding. The letter was posted on the FDA’s Web site Wednesday.

Read the full text at Wall Street Journal.

This problem shows the value of the FDA in protecting our interests. You would not want to go blind and without proper informed consent on drugs, you may not know what you are getting yourself into. Cheers to the FDA.

Tags: allergan, latisse, fda, warning

Copper Peptides and Hair Growth

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

Hi,

I’ve been here for a few years and have found many of your explanations to the various articles useful. I would like to share this link that was highlighted to me by a friend and to seek your advice on how true it is. SkinBiology.com

There was some push to use copper peptides in the hair restoration field, but there has been little proven in terms of value. That being said, there’s an interesting article about copper peptides from a couple years ago over at the Regrowhair.com blog.

Tags: copper peptides, hairloss, hair loss

Temple Reconstruction Results (with Photos)

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

The patient elects to wear a hair system, which explains why it appears that he has a full head of hair in the After photos. The system, however, doesn’t extend to the sides of the head / temple peak area, which was the targeted transplant area. He had exploited his donor area with many transplant procedures and the available donor hair was limited. The areas which were circled were plugs that came down below the leading edge of the hair system and these were removed at the time of the transplant. These are very difficult reconstructions and your surgeon and his team must be experienced when balancing risks and rewards. Harvesting a tight donor area in particular, has wound risks. This patient has extremely fine hair and the density of his donor area was poor. These two issues (hair thickness and donor density) produce a great challenge and in this patient required two surgeries to achieve his goals. Click the photos below to enlarge.

After (two procedures totaling 2151 grafts):

 

Before:

 

Tags: temple, hair loss, hairloss, hair transplant, reconstruction, hair restoration

50% Miniaturization and Losing Hair When You’re Young

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

dr rassman
in your experience is it always evident that the earlier the balding process begins the more advanced the pattern will be? or can an individual simply be limited to losing only his crown at 20 years old then have the hairloss stabilize?

also when someone is diagnosed as having 50 % miniaturization does that refer to their entire scalp or a specific area (ie the crown is 50% miniturized)

It is possible that you could start losing hair early and have it stabilize. When Dr. Norwood did the original study for classifying hair loss, he did note that of those men who progressed to a Class 6, the hair loss started in their early 20s. But, your hair loss pattern is decided by your genetics. Or in other words, if you lose your crown hair at 20 years old it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to be a Norwood 7 by the time you’re 30.

But in your case with 50% miniaturization, I assume whoever did that test was talking about the entire scalp, not just the crown. I don’t know how the measurements were taken, though. If you have 50% miniaturization throughout the top of your head, you’re likely going to have a large balding area. I generally measure each area in the balding patterns so that I can predict where the patient might go as they lose their hair. From these numbers, i will re-look at the patient in a year and see if there were benefits from medication and assess what the value of the drug was in modifying the hair loss pattern and rate of appearance.

Tags: miniaturization, hairloss, hair loss, genetics, norwood, age

What If I Want a Hair Transplant Without Taking Propecia?

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

Hello Dr. Rassman,

I have been following your blog for over two years. I appreciate the work you do.

I had a question about hair transplant procedure. I understand that before or during hair transplantation, patients are prescribed propecia to help with the results. How would the results be affected if someone opts to get into hair transplantation but does not take propecia.

Your input will be greatly appreciated. Thank You.

Some of my patients do not take Propecia (finasteride 1mg) by their personal choice. It is your choice as well. The risk is that you may have increased shock hair loss without taking Propecia before surgery. Shock hair loss is common in men under 30 years old or those who are losing their hair actively when they have a hair transplant. Propecia will prevent this complication in most men.

My personal opinion is that you are investing a lot of money in a surgery to have hair so why not try to maximize your return by taking Propecia?

Tags: propecia, finasteride, hairloss, hair loss, shock loss, hair transplant

12 Days After My Hair Transplant, I Massaged the Scabs Away

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

I have a very important question?

After my surgery, i started getting scabs (crust- normal), which lasted about 10- 12 days. After the 12th day, i decided to massage the scabs with oil. I did that for two days and further massaged it with my hands in the shower, used shampoo to wash it up. Now, i feel like i have made a mistake. massaging the scabs away? does it mean that my hair follicles are also damages and my hair transplant is a failure? I am scared and confused. please reply ASAP

We performed a study on grafts being secure after a hair transplant by pulling our grafts on successive days. We found that at 12 days, the grafts are secure. If you were gentle on the washing technique, usually the scabs that remain will loosen easily with soap and water. I don’t think you did anything to be concerned about.

You can read the article in PDF format here — Graft Anchoring in Hair Transplantation

Tags: graft anchoring, hairloss, hair loss, hair transplant, scabs, scabbing, aftercare

Any Way to Prevent Hair Loss from Pregnancy?

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

I understand that you have answered questions about pregnancy and hair loss but I was wondering what preventive measure I can take to avoid prolonged hair loss or hair thinning as I already have thin hair.

I am 23 years old and nine months pregnant and I have wonderfully thick hair right now, due mostly to the lack of hair loss that pregnancy can cause and also, I think, to the daily prenatal vitamins I have taken, since I never used any before. My older sister started her family at age 29 and after each of her four children experienced about 6 months of hair thinning and loss. Our family has thin hair already, so I’d like to avoid this as much as possible.

I plan on breastfeeding which is supposed to help limit hair loss. Are there any vitamins, minerals, treatments, foods or natural methods to encourage hair growth or prevent hair loss in the year following pregnancy? [Note: I’m not going to ‘stop having kids’ so I’ll use your advice after future pregnancies too :)]

There is little that can be done to prevent pregnancy related hair loss. Fortunately, it does not happen to most women. It is normal, though. You can learn more at the American Pregnancy Association.

Unrelated to your question though, I wish you good luck and hope everyone is happy and healthy.

Tags: pregnancy, pregnant, hairloss, hair loss, female hair loss

Density and Coverage From a Hair Transplant

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

This is in response to Why Don’t More Men Get Their Hair Back? —

I believe that for many it is also the fact that the coverage and density you get from a hair transplant is not considered sufficient.

If you look at photos/videos of men having hair transplants, the density is at times not great – i.e. very much see through.

If density + coverage was good (cloning?!), then I believe alot more men would go and get it done even though the price would be fairly high.

The amount of hair that is generally needed to give a man the coverage he wants/needs is upwards of 25% of his original density. As each man is different, the coverage of a single hair (one out of many) reflects:

  1. The thickness of the hair shaft (coarse hair has up to 5 times the coverage of fine hair)
  2. The color contrast between hair and skin color (white/blond hair and light skin does better than black hair and light skin)

… so the hair requirements must be tailored to the particular patient. At our Open House events held each month, there are often 2 patients who stop by with black hair/white skin and a medium hair weight, and their results are spectacular. Sports news personality Steve Hartman had it done in one session and he does not have a see-through look, probably because his hair character is very good and wavy.

Generally, I tell patients to visit an Open House event so that questions such as those that you raised can be answered by meeting patients who have already had the procedure done. You are correct, of course, that people with fine hair may not get the fullness (density) they want and need, but such issues are best raised with the transplant surgeon.

Tags: hair transplant, hairloss, hair loss, density, coverage, hair restoration, surgery

I Read About Propecia Side Effects, So I’m Stopping it After 5 Years of Great Results

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

I have been using Propecia for five years with great results. I have been reading about the significant side effects. I have started to use Rogaine and plan to come off of Propecia. As an aside, I would like to start a family with my wife, which is the catalyst in my decision.

Will I keep all the good results from Propecia

Propecia I am a little confused. You’ve taken Propecia for 5 years without side effects, and you are now stopping the medication because you’ve recently read about potential side effects (that you don’t have)? If you stop taking Propecia, you will lose all of the results and the hair that has remained with the help of the medication. Rogaine will not keep the hair grown that you saved while you were taking Propecia (and Propecia won’t keep any grown by Rogaine).

As for starting a family, I’m not sure what you’ve been reading, but I’ve written about this many times before. Here’s one from Merck, the drug maker, about this very issue.

Tags: propecia, finasteride, rogaine, minoxidil, hair loss, hairloss, pregnancy, family

I’m in My 60s and Losing Transplanted Hair — Would Avodart Stabilize That?

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

Hello Dr. Rassman,
In your opinion, would avodart as a substitute for propecia in my situation be ok to take & would the avodart dosage be more effective in stabilizing hair loss? I’m in my 60’s & the avodart sterility side effects don’t concern me. I have been taking propecia for approx. 8 years, & have been experiencing substantial hair loss in the last few years of even previously transplanted hairs from two HT’s as I was a Norwood 6-7, & had very thin, fine hair in my donor site, & quite bald on top.

I’m out of state now, but my surgeon is very well known & extremely skilled & I respect him & was enormously happy with my HT’s I had 7-8 years ago. I’m assuming my donor hair is one of the few cases where it wasn’t destined to last a lifetime. I still some have hairs on top, but quite thin & sparse.

I realize you won’t give specific suggestions concerning Avodart, but any direction would be appreciated. I don’ want to go back to wearing a hairpiece (over 30 years)! Thank you!

Taking Avodart (dutasteride) for a man over 55 years old and not concerned about fathering more children is a reasonable approach. I have heard from the transplant physician community that when hair loss is not stopped with Propecia, the use of Avodart may help.

I am curious about the loss of your transplanted hair, however. This should not typically occur and should be discussed with your surgeon. Don’t just assume! Talk to your doctor!

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

I’m in My 60s and Worried About Possible Shock Loss

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

I’m thinking about an HT, and after reading all your topics I see my biggest concern is shock loss. I’m a 61 year old male and have a high degree of miniaturization in the proposed recipient area. In one of your responses, I believe you recommended not having an HT for thinning hair?

You often recommend Propecia for younger men and say it might prevent shock loss for possibly 90+ cases? You also recommend taking Propecia 2 weeks to a month in advance of the HT(but even the day before the HT is better than not at all?). Would this advice apply to an older guy like me? Or if I’m correct that you would not advise cases of older age onset thinning to not seek HT?

Propecia works at any age to prevent shock loss. It is best to use this medication in advance of the surgery (at least 2-4 weeks). Older men generally have less hair transplant shock loss than younger men. I would need to know more about your miniaturization and your last 1-2 year history of hair loss. At 61 years old, few men are actively losing hair.

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

Age and Finasteride

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

Doc,

Do you find older men may need more that 1 mg of Propecia. I’m in my 50’s.

Not usually. The dose is fairly standard and effective for treating hair loss at the 1mg level. More won’t hurt (possibly more side effects), but the impact just might be stronger in a slightly higher dose. Also remember that Proscar (finasteride 5mg) is commonly used for treating the prostate, something that older men should be concerned with.

Tags: proscar, finasteride, prostate, hairloss, hair loss