Aidoo Aid?

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

I am suffering from male pattern baldness and was recently surfing through the internet looking for some breakthroughs in the hair loss area. I came across a webpage of an interesting company called Aidoo International and they had posted some very compelling information and results on their website claiming to have achieved a breakthrough solution in this area way back in 1997. Just wanted to know if you are aware of this company and it would be nice to know your thoughts on their claim.

AidooAidI’m not familiar with Aidoo products, but if they really achieved some great breakthrough over a decade ago, I expect I would’ve become familiar with it by now. Or I would’ve at least heard of it.

I found their site, and there’s really no substance to it. The product appears to be a kit containing shampoo, conditioner, and some kind of lotion. I can’t find the ingredients, but I do see a bunch of outrageous statements with no science to back it up. Aside from the basic hair loss treatment claims I see all the time from products sold online, this one even boasts about curing alopecia totalis! If that were true, it definitely would’ve made headlines.

Hope springs eternal. If you do end up trying it, feel free to let us know in the comments.

Tags: aidoo, hairloss, hair loss, aidooaid

I Don’t Pay Attention to How Much Minoxidil I Use

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

I’ve tried searching for this question i’m asking now, but i felt like i wanna get more of a detailed answer to satisfy my curiosity.

how much minoxidil i should apply at a time ? i don’t feel like 1ml is enough at all especially for people like me who have diffuse thinning…

(1) is this 1ml for the entire head (crown) or for each bald-spot ?
(2) I also have some thinning on the sides can i use extra 1ml for the sides and back together ?

basically i use a dropper but i don’t count how much of the solution i pump out. i just let a drip fall over each gap to get my entire head covered with the liquid eventually. is this a sound way to apply minoxidil ? thanks much …

1. Apply 1 mL total over the entire area twice daily, not 1 mL to each individual spot.

2. You can try, but using too much minoxidil could result in a drop in blood pressure, among other possible side effects. It’s a medication with potential side effects. You should be careful and read the instructions thoroughly before using it.

If you’ve got diffuse thinning all over your scalp (including the sides), perhaps you have something else going on. Typically, male pattern baldness does not result in hair loss on the sides of the head.

Tags: minoxidil, rogaine, hairloss, hair loss

Can I Have MPB and Another Condition That Causes Hair Loss?

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

Hey Dr Rassman
I was just wondering if a patient has MPB does that rule them out for other condition such as DUPA or alopecia areta/univeralis, and if not do those conditions have a genetic component? Like if no family members have them can they still occur?

Anything is possible, but you must think of what is most probable. I have seen patients who had diffuse unpatterned alopecia (DUPA) as well as genetic hair loss that looked like male pattern baldness. I also also seen alopecia areata patients who had male pattern baldness. So one doesn’t automatically rule out the other.

I am not certain on the genetic component when comparing DUPA to male pattern baldness or alopecia areata, etc. We (the medical community) still do not understand male pattern baldness as we should.

Tags: mpb, dupa, hairloss, hair loss, alopecia areata

How Long Will NHI’s ACell Study Be?

/by William Rassman, M.D./10 /

Hey Dr. Rassman, thanks a lot for taking the initiative to conduct a large-scale ACell study.

When can the general public expect an update regarding your progress? That is, how long do you think it will take for your team to determine whether or not autocloned hairs cycle regularly and whether or not the yield percentage is statistically significant?

The cycling question will reflect the normal cycles in the individuals under the study. I would assume that the cycle will run about 3 years, but indications may become apparent if the hair count starts to drop after a year or so.

Tags: acell, study, research, hairloss, hair loss, hair cycle

My DHT Levels Dropped Significantly from 2 Weeks on Saw Palmetto

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

Thank you for writing this blog, it is a wonderful resource for so many people. My question is regarding Saw Palmetto. I had my serum DHT levels checked, then began a regimen of Saw Palmetto extract for two weeks and had my DHT tested again. The results showed that my DHT dropped from 62 to 22 during that period.

This is a pretty significant drop in DHT but I am wondering if there is more to the story from a hair loss perspective. Does an overall drop in serum DHT mean that it should have a similar effect to Finasteride in stopping hair loss or is there something else to the equation?

It is hard to believe only two weeks on a herb (saw palmetto) can have a significant decrease in DHT levels. I do not believe even finasteride can have that effect. I simply do not know the significance with respect to how it can be interpreted for hair loss treatment.

Please note that the human body and its functions are not as simple to just quantify with a blood test and hormone levels. For example, testosterone level may vary in your bloodstream throughout the day! It may be high in the morning and low at night, and this may even vary from individual to individual depending on their work habits, exercise habits, sleep habits, etc, etc. So DHT levels can vary as well. The conclusion or associations that you are trying to make is unclear.

DHT may be implicated in male pattern hair loss, but as we have said over and over again, just lowering your DHT level is not “THE” answer to MPB. Sorry to be a party pooper.

Tags: dihydrotestosterone, dht, testosterone, hairloss, hair loss, herbal, saw palmetto

In the News – Guy Blames Hair Transplant for His Meth Addiction?

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

Snippet from the article:

MethA mechanic has been jailed for four years on drug charges although he claimed in court that he was only taking medication to stop the recurring headaches he had been suffering ever since a hair transplant procedure.

The Dubai Court of First Instance jailed the 35-year-old Pakistani mechanic after convicting him of smuggling and possessing 0.06 grames of methamphetamine for personal consumption.

Read the full story — Convict claims drug was only medicine

Blaming your meth use on a cosmetic surgery? Good one. Unless his dealer was his surgeon, I can’t see how the use of meth and a hair transplant can be connected.

Tags: meth, drugs, illegal, dubai, hair transplant

Bald Spots Are Growing After Chemical Relaxer

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

(female)
I received a relaxer almost three months ago and a wk later I washed my hair and noticed I had two bald spots the size of a quarter on the corners of my hairline at the neck. The hair seem to growing in the area where it started coming out, but it seems as if the bald spots are increasing in size and going further up the neckline. What can I do?

I would not know where to begin. You need an examination and a diagnosis. It’s difficult (if not impossible) to tell what you have going on just based on two sentences. I’m good, but that that good! Go see a doctor — perhaps a dermatologist might be someone to make an appointment with. Otherwise, only time will tell if your hair grows or not.

If the hair loss was from a chemical trauma it may take several months to see some growth if the damage did not go too deep.

Tags: chemical relaxer, chemical burn, hairloss, hair loss, female hair loss

Hair Around My Ears Just Falls Out from Touching It

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

Hi, I am 25 and male.

I have for the past year or so been losing my hair round on the sides of my head to the point that you can now see the scalp through it. The hair round my ears falls out even if I gently touch it and the thinning is worst just above and behind my ears to the point there is almost a bald spot above/behind both.

Although I am in early stages of MPB (between II and III vertex) could you please advise whether this is anything more than MPB – as pretty soon I won’t even be able to shave my head without looking slightly odd? Thanks

Hair loss around the ears is not from male pattern baldness (MPB), as that area of the scalp is considered the permanent fringe area. That doesn’t mean you do not have MPB, but it should not affect the hairs around your ears. It seems you need a diagnosis and I cannot provide that here.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, mpb

I Wish I Found Out About You Before I Got Hair Transplants Elsewhere

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

Doc, I appreciate this site so very much and all you’ve done to help us guys going bald.

Even though my results from a hair transplant 2 years ago look fine to me, I’m still suspicious that I got all 2300 grafts so I can totally understand why people are skeptical about their doctors. I wish I found out about you before I had my surgery.

Anyways I just wanted to drop you a line to say thanks

Thank you for your encouraging words. I also wish you had found out about us first. The purpose of this site isn’t to direct people to NHI for surgery (though if that happens, I won’t complain), but rather, to inform and assist the millions of people out there that are losing hair.

Some of the more common complaints I’ve received via email lately from folks regarding their surgery have been:

  1. The doctor did not do the surgery and only came into the room for 10 minutes or so
  2. I believe that he did not give me the number of grafts I paid for
  3. The hair never grew out and it is now almost a year after the surgery

I get comments from people questioning their doctors and looking to me for help, but I wasn’t in the room when your surgery took place and there’s only so much I can do via email without seeing you. Remember, don’t be afraid to question your doctor if you have any concerns. Some of these patients ultimately come in to see me, but they somehow never got our message on how to choose a good doctor. I realize any surgery can be a nerve-wracking experience, particularly an elective cosmetic procedure, but you should always do plenty of research and meet with the doctor before the surgery to feel some level of comfort and establish trust.

So for those of you thinking about hair transplantation, please check out this featured 3-part article about selecting a hair transplant doctor. It includes a checklist of sorts, along with a bunch of links for further reading. We’ve written nearly 9000 posts at this point, and that article is one of my favorites.

Tags: hair loss, hairloss, hair transplant

Could ACell Mean the End of Propecia?

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

Hi again, Dr. Rassman. The blog keeps getting more interesting, congratulations! My question is: in theory if the ACell procedure works, would patients on Propecia need to keep taking it or there would be no need for the drug anymore? Thanks!

You will likely need Propecia (finasteride) to maintain any benefits, whether that includes regrowth or just slowing the loss down. I have a feeling I’m going to be writing this quite a bit over the next few months, but ACell is not a hair loss cure.

We are all optimistic, but even in the best case scenario it is not a complete answer to hair loss and you will always likely need a medication (Propecia) adjunct.

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

Propecia Slowed My Body Hair Growth, But That’s a Good Thing for Me!

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

Last week I asked readers to share their stories about body hair growth (increased or decreased) while taking Propecia…

Hi Dr. Rassman,

About the body hair thing..

Background on me….I am a 25 year old male, started finasteride about a year ago. Thanks to YOU and YOUR blog I decided to walk into Dr Bernstein’s office one day and do something about my early hair loss. Without your blog I would have gone into further denial, waiting until I was a NW3 or NW4 to finally accept the fact I had MPB. Thanks to the information you provide, I started early. Dr. Bernstein classified me as a NW2.5 and prescribed 1/3 of a 5mg pill daily (normally he said he gives 1/4 but I am a pretty big guy). Now, a year later, I have not missed a dose my hair definitely has not gotten any worse. I think it has gotten slightly better actually. Either way, I am content with what I have. Would I like to have hair like Reagan or Clinton? Of course. However, I am pretty darn happy that I have what I have and started early. I have hair like a Bush or Carter and thats good enough for me! So thank YOU Dr Rassman for being so informative and helpful.

About the body hair. I have always had a lot of body hair – arms, legs, thighs, chest, back and shoulders. This is hair I keep groomed. The finasteride has DEFINITELY slowed the body hair growth. It is definitely not in my imagination, I am positive. I have always been conscious of my back hair and kept it shaven. I also trim my chest, armpit, and pubic hair. However, I now do it every 2 months instead of every 2 weeks. So it has been a good thing for me.

If you are still reading this you should also note that Dr Bernstein suggested Rogaine along with the finasteride. I decided to do a year of finasteride BY ITSELF first. Now a year later, things are looking fine with finasteride alone. I made this decision based on information you have provided about the two drugs in the past. So thank you again for the knowledge you provide. If I had used the Rogaine, I’d now be wondering which drug was doing the work. I might try it some day, but for now finasteride is doing the trick.

I should also note that other side effects are not present :)

Thank you again

This is not an atypical story. Most men who do their research and keep a level head about the hair loss problem will tackle it with logic. The logical steps are clearly defined in this and other good websites. I’m glad it has worked out for you thus far and thanks for sharing your story.

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

CNN Chimes In On Weightlifting and Hair Loss

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

CNN asked Dr. Rawnsley, a hair transplant surgeon and clinical associate professor of facial and plastic surgery at UCLA, about hair loss from heavy workouts.

Snippet from the article:

So it is very unlikely that your weight lifting program is contributing to hair loss. More likely, your hair has been thinning over time and you are beginning to notice as a critical level has been reached, usually about 50 percent, according to Rawnsley.

Read the full blog at CNN.com — Can heavy weight exercise cause hair loss?

So while I’ve said the same thing before (that I doubt the two are linked), it’s always nice to have confirmation from another source to show those readers that tend to question my opinions about stuff like this.

Tags: weightlifting, hairloss, hair loss, exercise, workout

I Can Still Pull Out Hair After Taking Propecia for 6 Months

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

Hey Doctor,

I’d like to start off by thanking you for such a wonderful blog you have set up. I am 18 years old and have been on propecia for about 6 months or so and I am still able to pluck hairs from the top of my head. This worries me. Does this mean I am not responding to propecia well or further time is needed for propecia to to take effect? Do new hairs grown or maintained by propecia remain weakly intact to the scalp? As of now, I have not noticed any significant changes to my thinning hair except the hair in the crown appears just a little bit thicket (I believe I have a diffuse thinning pattern on top of my head), then again I do not have the proper equipment to verify it’s working.

Is there a place in Vancouver, BC that you know of that can help me develop a “Master Plan” and contains a densometer to confirm any results?

Thanks

Propecia isn’t going to cement every hair into your scalp, and by that I mean if you pull on your hair, you will still see some come out. That is normal. I don’t know if you are responding to Propecia, but if you do have regrowth I’d expect they wouldn’t be weak after some time. Pulling or plucking your hair isn’t going to help with your hair loss situation. If you keep on pulling it, you can develop traction alopecia which will clearly add to your problem.

Your prescribing doctor should be able to help you figure out if you’re seeing any benefits from Propecia. If you really want to know if you are gaining or losing the hair loss battle, read up on a device called Haircheck. If you grow your hair out to 1.5 inches in length, a doctor with this device can measure the bulk of the hair in the crown, compare it to the donor area, and then repeat it in a year to see the impact of the drug. I’ve advocated the microscopic miniaturization mapping for years, and this tool takes it one step further by providing actual numbers.

I don’t have any personal recommendations in BC for you. Check the physician search at ISHRS.org to see if there’s a doctor in your area. Call the doctor and find out if they offer Haircheck or at the very least, video microscopic miniaturization mapping.

Tags: haircheck, hairloss, hair loss, propecia, finasteride, miniaturization

Diet Coke and Hair Loss?

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

Does drinking diet coke cause more thinning? one glass a day? I am a 41yr old woman, with thinning scalp/crown especially, and thinning on sides of head.

My diet is very nutritious, but I am wondering exactly HOW diligent I have to be with food…..or will my hair progressively thin by itself….. if you know what I mean….
should I be worrying about a coke, or some chocolate at night etc etc.

thank you

Diet CokeMany diet or light sodas (like Diet Coke) contain aspartame, which is an artificial sweetener used as a sugar substitute. As far as I know, it does not cause hair loss. There are natural health “experts” that will claim that aspartame and even chocolate are toxic to hair, but I’ve not seen any actual proof of such.

Enjoy life — eat your chocolate and drink your Diet Coke (in moderation of course), as I see no reason why either would cause hair loss. Female hair loss can be caused by a variety of issues, some of which are listed here.

Tags: diet coke, diet drink, soft drink, hairloss, hair loss, chocolate