Is a Cut Proscar as Effective as Propecia?

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

If I would cut the 5mg into 5 different tablets, would it be as effective as taking 1 propecia pill daily? Also, which way would your recommend?

Thanks

Pill cutterYes, but we generally recommend splitting the pill into 4 equal pieces, as it is easier to cut that way. That equates to 1.25mg a day, but unless you’re cutting the pill with the sharpest, most accurate blade around, you’re likely going to lose some crumbs here and there (bringing it down to closer to 1mg). A pill cutter should be available at your local pharmacy (see image) or you can use a knife to divide the pill if you’re comfortable with cutlery.

Only cut one pill at a time. If you were to cut a month’s supply at one time, then it becomes more likely that the pills will absorb moisture from the air… which you don’t want.

Also, your doctor needs to prescribe the 5mg dose, which is a prostate medication. Some doctors might have an issue with this, but if you let them know you want the 5mg for the cost savings and will cut the pill, they might be willing to prescribe it.

Tags: proscar, propecia, finasteride, hairloss, hair loss, pill cutting

In the News – Hair Cloning Expected to Be the Future

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

Snippet from the article:

Cloning will represent a major advance in hair transplantation when it is ready for prime time. It remains elusive for now, but new clinical therapies — along with older standbys — are helping hair loss patients in the meantime, according to a leading specialist in hair transplantation.

One of the factors limiting hair transplantation is donor density. Individuals without good donor density can be less-than-ideal candidates for hair transplantation, notes Nicole Rogers, M.D., F.A.A.D., dermatologist and hair transplant surgeon and clinical professor, Tulane University, New Orleans. The potential for cloning leaves physicians hopeful for now.

“That would be the Holy Grail,” Dr. Rogers says. “It would be great if we could harvest a single hair from the back (of the head) and create thousands of copycat hairs from that. There is significant research ongoing in that area, but we are not there yet. It’s still going to be a while before it is ready for Food and Drug Administration approval.”

Read the full text at Dermatology Times

Dermatology TimesI just wanted to post this to show that I’m not just some curmudgeon when it comes to advancements in hair cloning. I still get emails from some readers with an accusatory tone when it comes to my opinion on hair cloning, and I suppose they’d rather me post false hope instead of the actual truth. The article points out the same things I’ve been saying for years — hair cloning is not ready for prime time and although there are companies working on it, there’s no chance this will be ready for the public soon.

When hair cloning finally does become a reality, you can be sure that we’ll be writing about it here. Right now though, it’s still far too early to get overly excited.

Tags: cloning, hair cloning, hairloss, hair loss

Is Rogaine Causing Me to Grow Forehead Hair?!

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

I am a 36 year old female who has been using Rogaine 5% for about 4 months. About a week ago I noticed dark fine hair on my forehead and even a bit under my eyes. I’m fairly certain this is as a result of Rogaine. Will this facial hair growth go away or get worse with the use or Rogaine?

If you are growing unwanted hair from Rogaine (minoxidil) use, the easiest solution would be to stop using the medication, as it is known that hair on the forehead can be produced. I don’t think the hair growth will go away on its own.

Otherwise, you should take care in washing your hands after using Rogaine and not rubbing your eyes or face or forehead, which you may be doing. I’ve even seen a patient with increased hair on the back of the hand he used to apply the minoxidil. This shows how powerful Rogaine can be in some people.

Tags: rogaine, minoxidil, facial hair, unwanted hair, hairloss, hair loss

I’ve Been Losing Hair Since I Was 12 Years Old!

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

Hi, im 16 years old. I noticed hair loss since i was 12-13 and I really don´t know if it’s getting worst or not…

My brother, 14 years old. has the same problem, we both have small amounted hair. and for personally by my age its the worst nightmare ever. I really don’t know what to do! will it stop? how can i stop it? is it temporary? will I stay with this amount of hair? help!

I would have hoped that once noticed, the hair loss would have been evaluated by a doctor. There are genetic causes of hair loss that could impact your hair status at puberty, but I can not tell you very much without examining you.

Get a parent/guardian involved… and then get a good, caring doctor to start off with making a diagnosis.

Tags: age, puberty, teen, teenager, hairloss, hair loss

If the Average Person Has 10k Grafts Available, Why Are Most Patients Given Less?

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

I’ve read time and time again the average person has 7000-10,000 grafts available to transplant. If this is true why isnt there anyone on your website (Newhair.com) who is even up tp 7000 grafts?? Obviously some of the patients dont need anymore grafts but i’ve found a few pictures of your patients that have had 2000 to 3000 grafts transplanted that still have somewhat of a see through look. Why don’t these patients get more grafts transplanted? Would you say a lot of these patients are content with what they have?

I also have a random question. After the grafts are extracted from the back of the head and ready to return to the top of the head. How many grafts do you think two technicians put in on average per half an hr? A couple hundred per Technician???

Even if what you area reading is true about 7,000 to 10,000 grafts being available, it is up to the patient to want to have a hair transplant and use those grafts wisely. The Master Plan may include saving the remaining hairs for possible further hair loss. It may be a see-through look for you, but have you considered that the patient with 3000 grafts is happy with their results?

That being said, here’s a patient that has been presented on this site multiple times and had close to 10,000 grafts transplanted. He wasn’t going to be losing more hair, as his pattern was quite advanced already.

Patient ZU’s before and after (click to enlarge):

 

The speed of transplanting hair varies with each technician, along with the instruments and techniques used in the surgery. In other words, all clinics and doctors vary in technique (despite what they advertise). An average surgery of 2000 grafts can take 5 to 6 hours, so you can do the math backwards if you wish.

Tags: hair transplant, hairloss, hair loss, surgery

Did My Tapeworm Cause More Hair Loss from Malnutrition?

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

Hi Doc,

I am currently in Brazil although I live in the United States. I already have male pattern baldness, but in the past few months things got much worse and I was very surprised.

Anyway, last week I found out I had a tapeworm. I got it removed, but I was thinking that the malnutrition of the tapeworm could have affected my hair loss. If it did, do you think the extra hair loss I had would be temporary? Or is that permanent because I already have male pattern baldness?

Thanks for any help you can give

TapewormIn general, tapeworms or similar parasitic infections do not cause hair loss unless you had significant weight loss and malnutrition. I would think if there was enough stress put on to your body from the tapeworm, your male pattern genetic hair loss could be accelerated.

Unfortunately once your hair is lost, it is most likely not going to regrow on its own even with the malnutrition corrected. I guess it depends on where you’re losing the hair and whether you would’ve lost hair in the genetic progression. If you lost hair on the sides of your head due to stress, for example, that could regrow.

Tags: tapeworm, hairloss, hair loss, malnutrition

From Propecia to Cut Proscar to Propecia — Now Side Effects?

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

I’ve been taking Propecia for about a year now and recently stopped to take Proscar instead as the price was a lot cheaper. After breaking the pills into 1.25g and taking them for about a week I decided to switch back onto Propecia (I’d read that the Proscar was unhealthy for women to be around due to the powder residue from breaking the pills, and I was not sure if I was experiencing side effects).

I am now back on Propecia, but I feel like I may be experiencing side effects again, and it looks like I am losing more hair than before. Could a week on Proscar have changed the way I react to Propecia? Is it possible to start experiencing side effects all over again? Thank you!

Both Propecia and Proscar have the exact same active medication: finasteride. The only difference is the dosage. You should not be seeing these drastic changes, especially after one week! It doesn’t make sense to me. Did you have your hair mapped for miniaturization before changing pills and again after making the change to see if there is indeed a significant difference?

Proscar is not radioactive, but women should not handle the cut pill if they’re pregnant or could become pregnant.

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

Exposing a Recent Hair Transplant to Sunlight

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

I have undergone hair transplantation recently, can i wash my recepient hair with shampoo as i use to wash before transplantation, can i expose to sunlight after 3 month?

At 3 months, you can wash your hair properly as you have always done. Sunlight exposure should be in moderation and progressed to more and more sun over time. The use of a sun blocker is always a good idea unless there is so much hair that you have shade from that hair.

Tags: hair transplant, sunlight, hairloss, hair loss

Can I Trust Sites That Sell Propecia Online?

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

Hello.. My question is regarding Propecia, the cost, and comparison.. I came across a website while I searched for Propecia prices [link removed] and I was wondering if this would be a site I can trust?

Also, there is a Generic- Finasteride for a more affordable price.. What is the difference between the two and do they provide the SAME amount of benefits…

Thanks alot!! Please provide any additional information….

Legal issueI think that’s yet another site based in Canada that sells prescription drugs to US residents without a doctor’s prescription required. That is against the law. As such, I can’t vouch for any site that sells medication online illegally. There are many sites that do this, and I don’t even know how this stuff gets through US Customs without more scrutiny.

So can you trust a site that sells these drugs illegally and without any way to tell if it’s even the real deal? I guess that’s up to you. If you get ripped off (fake medication, incomplete order, etc), who are you going to complain to if the company doesn’t offer you any restitution? These are things I’d consider, but ultimately it’s your choice to make.

Generic finasteride in 5mg size is available at any pharmacy in the US, but the 1mg generic isn’t sold here yet due to patent protection. I believe the patent is set to expire in late 2013, at which time I’d have to assume the generic Propecia will be available in the US. Until then, you just need to cut the generic 5mg pill into pieces. The costs are incredibly cheap that way… and legal.

Tags: propecia, proscar, cheap finasteride, hairloss, hair loss, finasteride, pharmacy

I Was a Heavy Drinker for Years and Now My Hair is Thinning at 22 Years Old!

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

Hi,

I just graduated college (22) and was a heavy drinker for four years (drunken stuper 3-4 nights a week, and heavy smoke the last year, as well as some drug use (vynase, oxycodone). Often times i’d be hungover for 12 hours, probably didn’t eat right.

I graduated and stopped, but was wondering if hair loss/thinning is temporary or not. My entire scalp is thin, with some receding.

Dad’s entire family has/had thick hair, one uncle on mom’s side went bald at 16, and so did his son.

DrunkWhile it’s obvious that you made some poor decisions re: drinking and drug use, I couldn’t tell you if they contributed to your hair loss. Nutritional problems can lead to hair loss, but you do have some family history of hair loss. The most likely culprit is genetics. I don’t know how long your hair loss has been going on or if you’ve done anything to treat it.

I would see a doctor for an examination of your scalp, and if you can find a doctor that will do microscopic miniaturization mapping, that’s even better. If you do have early genetic hair loss, Propecia would be a good way to slow the loss down. Talk to your doctor about that, as it is a prescription medication.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, drinker, alcoholic, alcohol

Saturday Night Live’s Hair Transplant Parody

/by William Rassman, M.D./7 /

From this past weekend’s season premiere of SNL, a fake commercial for Bosley pokes fun at the use of body hair in transplantation. If you can’t see the video below, here’s the direct link.

 

Tags: snl, saturday night live, bosley, bht, body hair transplant, parody, humor, comedy, video

Is There Medication to Stop Stress-Induced Hair Loss?

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

I’ve recently moved and started a new job and, for a host of other reasons too, I have been under a lot of stress. I also lost about 15 pounds without meaning to at all–the result of stress and not eating well because of stress, I think. I have read in other posts that stress and malnutrition can lead to and enhance the balding process.

My question then is this: will hair lost as the resulnt of stress or malnutrition grow back once my life has returned to normal? Or should I be looking into some sort of medication to stop this?

If your hair loss is genetic (patterned loss) and the stress merely exacerbated it, Propecia could be helpful to you once the stress is controlled. If you don’t have genetic hair loss, the hair could regrow once the stress is under control and/or your nutrition is balanced. There’s no medication to stop hair loss caused by stress.

Tags: stress, hair loss, hairloss

Combining Aminexil and Minoxidil?

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

Female, 29

I have been using Regaine for men, as suggested by my dermatologist, for almost two months. I have not seen any difference yet, but I am planning to continue using the product. My question is: Could I use L’Oreal Professionnel Aminexil Advanced in combination with Regaine for Men Minoxidil 5%? Are the two products/substances compatible? Thank you.

AminexilI don’t have much experience with Aminexil, as it is not available in the United States… but I’ve written about it previously. As I understand it, Aminexil and minoxidil work in similar ways. There’s no drug interactions between the two that I know of, and in fact, there are products that are sold which claim to combine the two treatments into one topical. I have no firsthand experience with that topical treatment either.

You’ve only been using the minoxidil for 2 months, so it’s not surprising to me that you haven’t seen a difference yet… but are you sure you want to start a concurrent treatment at this point before the minoxidil has had time to show benefits? Assuming you use both treatments at the same time, if you do start seeing results in a few months you won’t know which medication provided the most benefit. That scenario isn’t a concern for people that don’t mind using multiple products for life, but it’s something you should consider.

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

Missed a Week of Avodart Dosages

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

Something went wrong at my pharmacy and I’m going to miss almost a week’s worth of doses of Avodart. It’s 0.5 mg/day. I’ve been taking it for 5 years now–every day. Will the drug still be in my body enough to suffice or should I be concerned that it will cause my hair loss to be more aggressive?

Thanks!

I don’t know what you will notice by missing Avodart (dutasteride) for one week. I do know missing Propecia (finasteride) for one week will be almost no issue. Perhaps your physician might know better, since he/she prescribed it.

You’ve been on the medication for half a decade so I’m sure the following isn’t news to you, but I have to point this out for the rest of the readers out there: As it is still not FDA approved to treat hair loss, we do not recommend Avodart. There is no solid study on what is the recommend or effective dose for treating hair loss. In addition, the drug lasts months in your body after stopping it.

Tags: avodart, dutasteride, hairloss, hair loss

Adderall and Finasteride Interaction?

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

Do you think a stimulant like Adderall can interact with finasteride in an undesireable way? I have been on finasteride 1mg a day for 6 months with no problems and great results. I started using Adderall for ADHD and I reacted very severely. I lost a huge amount of hair, broke out with acne, started to sweat, grind my teeth at night, and have testicle aches. From what I’ve read and from people I’ve talked to that isn’t common. Is the fact that finasteride and Adderall both influence what your hormones are doing in your body a reason to believe they were a bad combination?

Thanks.

We get questions like these all the time. What you are describing sounds pretty severe, so I would consult with your doctor and follow up on your symptoms to figure out what is going on. The internet is a great source of information, but be warned that it is also a source of misinformation. Talk to a professional in person — best to talk to a caring and competent doctor.

To answer the first question though… no, these two medications do not interact.

Tags: adderall, finasteride, hairloss, hair loss, adhd