WRassman,M.D. BaldingBlog
    • Menu

    Someone Rudely Pointed Out My Blonde Hair Looks Thin!

    Aug 31, 2011/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Loss Causes

    I have a question about baldness. I’m only 21, but kinda was rudely pointed that I may have a balding spot. I’m kinda nervous, as I have long hair (I’m a musician), and wanna keep it. Here’s a link to my Facebook (it’s the only pics I can find), with some where the light could be misleading. A friend told me it’s because I’m so blonde it looks thin, but I also may have thin hair naturally. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!

    I didn’t want to post your Facebook profile link so that I could keep some anonymity for you, but I was able to see a few photos.

    I don’t know if it’s lighting or a thin hair character (I can’t tell just based on the small photos I saw), but your hair looks thin to me. You need to get analyzed with a miniaturization mapping and a bulk analysis of your hair to determine if this is a progressive process and beginning of balding. From there, you and your doctor can figure out the best course of treatment.

    Since you’re local to Los Angeles, you may wish to see us for a consultation. You can call my office at 800-NEW-HAIR (or locally at 310-553-9113) if you’d like to setup an appointment.

    Tags: hairloss, hair loss

    My Hair Texture Changes Daily

    Aug 31, 2011/by William Rassman, M.D./1 /Hair Loss Causes

    Hi Dr. Rassman,
    I have a question regarding my hair loss situation. My hair texture and quality seems to change frequently. One day my hair is thick and curly, and another day it is flat and thin. Could this be due to a hormonal imbalance? Also even though I am 28 years old I am unable to grow a beard, and do not have any chest hair. However, my hair seems to be receding at times. As I mentioned before could this be due to a hormone imbalance? I thought DHT was responsible for promoting facial and body hair growth? So if DHT is responsible for my hair loss why can’t a grow a beard and chest hair? Thanks for your help.

    I doubt that you hair character changes daily, but your hair can reflect things like humidity in the air that make make it appear to change its character. I don’t know what kind of climate you live in, so I’m just speculating, of course.

    The presence of chest and beard hair is genetic. DHT does play a role in the process, but not on a one-to-one basis. Some men just don’t have much body and/or facial hair. There is no direct correlation between body hair and the hair (or lack thereof) on your scalp. But, if you are receding one day and it reverses another day… you probably need eye glasses.

    Tags: hair texture, hairloss, hair loss

    Do I Rub the Minoxidil In or Just Leave it On My Scalp?

    Aug 31, 2011/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Drugs

    I have a quick question: since my balding area is small i have started using Regaine’s Extra Strength Solution rub-on applicator. so i wanna ask after applying or rubbing 1ml of it do i have to massage my scalp the part where i apply or i can leave it as it is?

    There should be application instructions in the packaging, but you are supposed to rub the minoxidil gently on the scalp twice a day, and leave it on. The foam systems may work better for you with easier application and no significant rubbing.

    More questions and answers about Rogaine (sold as Regaine in some markets) can be found here.

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

    I Was Born with a Bald Spot and Want to Cure It

    Aug 31, 2011/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Transplantation

    I’m 34 yrs. old and I was born with a scar on my head I had surgery and as I grew older it turn into a bald spot and hair never grew. Is there any cure for any type of bald spots?

    Surgery would probably be your only solution. There’s no cure for bald spots or hair loss, and if you never had hair in this spot you likely won’t get it to regrow from medication use.

    Tags: bald spot, hairloss, hair loss

    How Could Wayne Rooney’s Hair Transplant Grow So Fast?

    Aug 30, 2011/by William Rassman, M.D./1 /Hair Transplantation

    I am a little confused by Wayne Rooney’s hair transplant. He only got the procedure done a couple of months ago and already has what appears to be complete growth. Even immediately afterwards it looked as if he had just a shaved head which I didn’t realise would be the case.

    RooneyFor those unfamiliar, we’ve written about soccer star Wayne Rooney’s hair transplant a few times (see here).

    I have had some patients that had their transplanted hair grow out very fast. I might see such growth in 2-3 months if every graft grew out immediately, but this is rare. I’m not Mr. Rooney’s surgeon, so I don’t have the benefit of examining his scalp. From the looks of the couple recent photos I’ve seen, styling and hair color have more to do with his new look than full growth does. I am sure he still has a way to go before complete growth is seen. Generally, it’ll take up to a year to see the final results from a hair transplant.

    One of my reasonably bald cousins that I did a hair transplant for had full growth of 2 inch long hair in 4 months… so while every patient would like to see the immediate visual impact from the surgery, it’s the lucky few that see such speedy growth.

    Tags: wayne rooney, athlete, hair transplant, hairloss, hair loss, hair growth

    German Stem Cell Hair Replication Technique

    Aug 30, 2011/by William Rassman, M.D./3 /Hair Cloning, Videos

    Dr. Rassman,

    What can you tell us about this new German development?

    YouTube

    Exciting stuff. Thanks for sending the link! I’ve embedded the video below.

    The first two researchers are certainly stimulated to find a cure (they are very bald) so I would trust them. Growing hair follicles in a petri dish has been done before by Dr. Jahoda in the 1990s (here and here). When grown in the petri dish, it is exciting, but moving them into a scalp and having them grow is much, much harder.

    Tags: stem cells, hair loss, hairloss, hair cloning

    Hair Loss Clinic Wants to Sell Me on Laser Treatments

    Aug 30, 2011/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Other

    Hello Balding Blog Team. Thank you for your very informative site. I have a question that I could not find a clear answer to in previous posts. I am a very early Norwood 3v and have decided to commence medical treatment in the form of finasteride and monoxidil.

    I am wondering your opinion on the benefits of laser therapy combined with these systemic and topical medications. I could go on a treatment plan via a specialist company which would cost close to $4000 but the only difference between this and getting the medications via my general practitioner is the laser therapy…so in effect I will be paying $4000 for a laser session every 2 weeks for a total of 8 months. Do you think A) laser therapy per se is of benefit and B) if so do the professional machines give better results than any home based machine I could buy. I REALLY appreciate your advice. Kind regards

    I’ve written extensively about laser therapies, and quite frankly, they don’t work. In my opinion, they’re a good way to sell something to the desperate patient, but the results are not what one might expect. I had a large professional machine in my office some years back and offered it free to my patients. No noticeable change was detected.

    See many past posts about low level laser treatment (LLLT) here.

    Tags: lllt, laser, hairloss, hair loss

    I Have Severe Stress Induced Hair Loss and My Doctor Suggested Surgery

    Aug 30, 2011/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Loss Causes

    I’m a male patient. i’ve been recommended to go to your practice for grafts by another CA doctor. he says i’d need maybe 1000 at most…can that be done in one session? I have a severe case of stress/surgery-induced telogen effluvium and a maturing hairline not MPB according to my doctor, who is a member of ISHRS. he says he does not see miniaturization beyond the mature hairline position, only thinning (effluvium). my concerns are…will the FUE grafts (when placed) be put over live hair follicles and damage them? Or is the magnification procedures used during surgery good enough to make sure the grafts are placed over dead follicles? Thanks,

    Telogen effluvium could be a contraindication for hair transplants if the process is still going on. A visit to my office is critical before any conclusions be drawn. I would want to do a pull test and measure your hair for miniaturization and bulk. That will help me confirm your active diagnosis.

    Tags: hair transplant, hairloss, hair loss, telogen effluvium

    Could Hair Cloning or SMP Work for Someone with DUPA?

    Aug 29, 2011/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Diseases, Hair Cloning, Pigments

    Hi Dr. Rassman:

    Once again, thank you for contributing to a great blog.

    I am a 32 yr old white male with dark hair. Approximately 2 years ago I first noticed thinning hair on the Crown (about the size of a ping pong ball). I went on propecia and have been on it ever since. There has not been any visible progression (at least to the naked eye). In terms of family history, all of my immediate family members have their hair except once uncle in his 50s has a bald spot around his crown. My one deceased grandfather buzzed his hair but according to my Dad, still hair hair (not completely bald).

    I went for a consultation with a hair transplant doctor who advised me that I would need around 2000 grafts to cover that space but since I have an unstable permanent zone (i.e. miniaturization) he did not recommend it.

    1. The doctor did not use the acronym “DUPA” but is that what he was essentially saying?
    2. I have had fine hair since I was in my teens. Is DUPA progressive or stable? I have what appears to be a full head of hair – will it stabalize here or continue to progress?
    3. Dr. Bernstein states that those with DUPA can look “fine” if they keep their hair very short. Does he mean short as in the same look achieved through scalp micro pigmentation?
    4. Can scalp micro pigmentation be of use to someone with DUPA?
    5. There has been a lot of discussion about hair cloning/manipulation being available commercially within 10 years (according to Dr. Bernstein). In your professional opinion, do you think such an advancement be of any use to someone with DUPA?

    1. Genetic male pattern baldness doesn’t include the permanent zone, so diffuse loss there could be DUPA.

    2. DUPA is often progressive, but it can be stable for a number of years. These conditions tend to be unstable if it is associated with genetic balding.

    3. No, not that short. I am sure Dr. Bernstein means clipping it to 1/4 or 1/3rd inch.

    4. It can be, but I do not like to generalize on this without examining your scalp and hair loss.

    5. That 10 year mark has been moving every year. There’s no use speculating on what cloning can or can’t do for treating various issues, as it won’t be commercially available in the near future. If hair cloning becomes closer to reality, I’m sure the answers will come.

    Tags: diffuse unpatterned alopecia, dupa, hairloss, hair loss, cloning, smp, pigment

    Did Meth Use Regrow Hair?

    Aug 29, 2011/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Loss Causes

    A website called ‘faces of meth’ shows mug shots of men and women before and after abusing the drug. Here is an article – link.

    The included picture shows a man with a notably receded hairline before the use, then after one year, a ridiculously full head of hair. Anything could have happened in that year I suppose but I was just wondering what your take on this was.

    Those are some… disturbing photos. People see what they want to see. The two pictures are not comparable, as the one with long hair does not give us a view of the frontal area in details worthy of my opinion. He could still have thinning at the hairline that we can’t see. I doubt he styled it that way on purpose for his mugshot, and in all likelihood it is just dirty and matted. But who knows — maybe he used minoxidil along with his meth.

    If you are suggesting that meth is a cure for balding, I just smiled with the inference. Sorry, but I am afraid advocating meth for treating hair loss is just not what I want to do!

    Tags: meth, speed, hairloss, hair loss, hair growth

    Razor Bumps Causing Hair Loss in the Back of My Head

    Aug 29, 2011/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /African American, Hair Loss Causes

    I’m a 26-year-old black male. I have suffered from razor bumps in the back of my head for about 10 years. The razor bumps have now caused hair loss in that area. I have a scar in the back of my head and hair won’t grow in that area. What can I do? I want my hair back. Is it possible that it will grow back? What type of treatment do I need?

    If this has been progressing over 10 years or so, then it is likely that you have lost your hair in the various areas where these bumps are. Consider not shaving your head completely, but perhaps just clipping it with a #1 guard electric shaver. Then wait up to 6 months or so and then you may know if this process reverses. Hair transplants could be used if the problem is not too extensive. I’d have to see what you’re describing to recommend much beyond just playing the waiting game.

    Tags: razor bumps, hairloss, hair loss

    Does Loud Music Keep You From Losing Hair?

    Aug 29, 2011/by William Rassman, M.D./5 /Hair Loss Causes

    Are rockers in rock bands immune to balding. would loud music keep the DHT away from attacking your hair follicles? most rockers i see have long thick hair!

    I have had many famous rockers (and not-so-famous rockers) come to my office after experiencing hair loss and then got it back with transplants. So no, loud music is not protective… it will just make you deaf.

    Tags: rock music, loud music, dht, hairloss, hair loss

    Hairline Restoration After Over 4500 Grafts (with Photos)

    Aug 26, 2011/by William Rassman, M.D./9 /Hair Loss Causes

    From time to time we treat patients that will then refer other family members. Both the man below and his brother had hair transplants, and they’ve both been just delightful. Jokes and humor abound during the surgeries and the follow-up visits. Such a good natured, fun person to be around. It took 4 surgeries spaced over a few years, but he met his hair restoration goals and is excited about the results. I am too!

    Click photos to enlarge.

    After a total of 4539 grafts:

     

    Before:

     

    Update:
    I should’ve explained the case better in the initial post, so I’ll attempt to do that here.

    The before photos that are posted above actually reflect far less hair than the pictures indicated. The patient’s hair is fine, so each hair shaft has less bulk than an average person with medium weight hair. The hair thinning went back some 5 inches beyond the leading forelock shown in the picture, but I originally decided that just advancing the hairline would suffice without going back to the thinning area. The entire forelock disappeared after the first procedure and he had more hair loss behind the area that was originally transplanted, so the second procedure was done to thicken up much of the forelock area which was lost.

    The original plan that was created brought the hairline down considerably. It took two procedures (3288 grafts total) to get him what he wanted and to fill the area behind the site of the original transplant. For the patient that is taking the drug finasteride, rarely some additional hair loss may occur after the first transplant, as was the case here.

    He is a bit of a perfectionist and the two other smaller procedures (553 grafts and 698 grafts over a year apart) were done to deal with some more hair loss behind the transplanted hair. He also wanted to put some more grafts in areas where he thought additional hair would help.

    Tags: hair transplant, hairline, hairloss, hair loss

    My Teenage Daughter Keeps Losing Eyebrow Hair While Sleeping

    Aug 26, 2011/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Age, Female Hair Loss

    My 13 year old daughter annually starts complaining about the area over her right eye hurting. Within about 2-3 weeks the eyebrow hair will fall out while sleeping, or I just have to rub my finger over it and it comes off. This has happened 3 years in a row. Her pediatrician thought she may have used a razor the first time but now I KNOW thats not happening. I personally see it rub off at the root. What is happening?

    It sounds like she might have a medical condition known as trichotillomania, which is a compulsion to pull hair out (which could also explain pain felt in the area). This can occur while your daughter is sleeping, and she is probably unaware that she’s doing it. If a doctor looks at it with magnification, he will see “Exclamation point” hairs and broken hairs at different levels in the eyebrow hair.

    You could treat it by putting a head band around her head securing the eyebrows within it. Keep this for 3 months or so and see if the hair grows back. That would confirm the diagnosis. Often, a doctor can look at the eyebrows and see changes in the hair that point to this diagnosis.

    Tags: trichotillomania, trich, hairloss, hair loss, eyebrow, teen, teenager

    Satire – Hair Loss More Painful Than Childbirth

    Aug 26, 2011/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Other

    From my favorite satire site, The Onion:

    According to a study released Wednesday by the California Pain Medicine Center, subjects suffering from male- pattern baldness were found to experience a level of physical pain at least seven times more intense than that experienced by women during childbirth.

    Read the rest — Report: Male Hair Loss 7 Times More Painful Than Childbirth

    If you’ve visited The Onion site before, you know they have some hilarious articles and photo captions there. And if you’ve got some time to laugh, other classics include:

    • Potential Baldness Cure Leads Man To Reverse Position On Stem-Cell Research
    • Archaeological Dig Uncovers Ancient Race Of Skeleton People
    • Nation’s Dog Owners Demand To Know Who’s A Good Boy
    • Tags: parody, comedy, satire, hairloss, hair loss
    123
    Older Entries
    Page 1 of 7

    Videos

    Podcasts

    Ask Dr. Rassman

    * Your questions may be published (without your contact information).

    [contact-form-7 id=”27935″ title=”Sidebar Contact”]

    Over 21 million women and 35 million men in America suffer from hair loss. For many of these people, the psychological impact on their life is debilitating.

    Dr. Rassman is a world leading expert in hair loss with over 25 years of experience and over 50,000 satisfied clients.

    About

    This site exists to educate about hair loss and hair restoration.

    William R. Rassman, M.D.

    Categories

    • ACell
    • African American
    • Age
    • April Fools
    • Density
    • Diseases
    • Drugs
    • Drugs (Cause Hair Loss)
    • Favorites
    • Female Hair Loss
    • FUE
    • Hair Cloning
    • Hair Loss Causes
    • Hair Pieces / Systems
    • Hair Products
    • Hair Transplantation
    • Hairlines
    • Megasession
    • Other
    • Other Surgical Procedures
    • Personal Stories
    • Photos
    • Pigments
    • Podcasts
    • Post-Operative
    • Repair
    • Repost
    • Scalp MicroPigmentation
    • Scarring
    • Thinning
    • Tidbits
    • Training
    • Videos

    Archives

    • February 2023
    • January 2023
    • December 2022
    • November 2022
    • October 2022
    • September 2022
    • August 2022
    • July 2022
    • June 2022
    • May 2022
    • April 2022
    • March 2022
    • February 2022
    • January 2022
    • December 2021
    • November 2021
    • October 2021
    • September 2021
    • August 2021
    • July 2021
    • June 2021
    • May 2021
    • April 2021
    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • March 2020
    • February 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    • December 2016
    • November 2016
    • October 2016
    • June 2016
    • May 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • January 2016
    • December 2015
    • November 2015
    • October 2015
    • September 2015
    • August 2015
    • July 2015
    • June 2015
    • May 2015
    • April 2015
    • March 2015
    • February 2015
    • January 2015
    • December 2014
    • November 2014
    • October 2014
    • September 2014
    • August 2014
    • July 2014
    • June 2014
    • May 2014
    • April 2014
    • March 2014
    • February 2014
    • January 2014
    • December 2013
    • November 2013
    • October 2013
    • September 2013
    • August 2013
    • July 2013
    • June 2013
    • May 2013
    • April 2013
    • March 2013
    • February 2013
    • January 2013
    • December 2012
    • November 2012
    • October 2012
    • September 2012
    • August 2012
    • July 2012
    • June 2012
    • May 2012
    • April 2012
    • March 2012
    • February 2012
    • January 2012
    • December 2011
    • November 2011
    • October 2011
    • September 2011
    • August 2011
    • July 2011
    • June 2011
    • May 2011
    • April 2011
    • March 2011
    • February 2011
    • January 2011
    • December 2010
    • November 2010
    • October 2010
    • September 2010
    • August 2010
    • July 2010
    • June 2010
    • May 2010
    • April 2010
    • March 2010
    • February 2010
    • January 2010
    • December 2009
    • November 2009
    • October 2009
    • September 2009
    • August 2009
    • July 2009
    • June 2009
    • May 2009
    • April 2009
    • March 2009
    • February 2009
    • January 2009
    • December 2008
    • November 2008
    • October 2008
    • September 2008
    • August 2008
    • July 2008
    • June 2008
    • May 2008
    • April 2008
    • March 2008
    • February 2008
    • January 2008
    • December 2007
    • November 2007
    • October 2007
    • September 2007
    • August 2007
    • July 2007
    • June 2007
    • May 2007
    • April 2007
    • March 2007
    • February 2007
    • January 2007
    • December 2006
    • November 2006
    • October 2006
    • September 2006
    • August 2006
    • July 2006
    • June 2006
    • May 2006
    • April 2006
    • March 2006
    • February 2006
    • January 2006
    • December 2005
    • November 2005
    • October 2005
    • September 2005
    • August 2005
    • July 2005
    • June 2005
    • May 2005
    • April 2005
    • June 202
    • May 202

    Links

    Disclaimer

    This site is intended to educate the public on hair loss topics based on personal experience and opinions from Dr. William Rassman and contributing physician editors. Information provided on BaldingBlog.com should not be used for the purpose of medical diagnosis or treatment.

    Scroll to top