Is My Hair Loss from Switching to a Single Minoxidil Dose Daily… Or Stress?

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

Doctor..

Thanks for keeping an archive.. It’s a treasure chest of info.

I had a couple of months were I was taking care of a sick family member and missed a minox application usually at night.. so I was down most days to just one application.. maybe 6 weeks. Had a lot of loss the last 5 or 6 weeks. I’m guessing since minoxidil is dose dependent there’s going to be loss from twice to once a day application. Also I switched to an online source that supposedly took over for Dr. Lee’s products. Which like Dr. Lee, is now out of business also. So It could have been a possible scam with phoney products. I needed a non PG formula.. though even the Rogaine foam is a problem..

I’m wondering if the loss is due to twice to once a day application for some weeks. The stress and lack or sleep in being a caretaker.. or could it be Minoxidil Solutions LLC was just a scam. In which case maybe some of your readers may have had the same result and offer a comment.

Thanks for being a “reliable” place to turn for the hair loss community.

You have suggested the many reasons why you experienced the hair loss. I can not tell you which is more possible than the other.

It could be from changing the dosing, or it could be from bad medication (I don’t know if it was indeed a scam), or it could be from stress… or it could be a combination of it all.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, minoxidil, stress

Large Occipital Bone and Hair Transplants?

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

Since birth, I’ve had a large bone/lump where my head meets the neck. I think its called the occipital bone? I was wondering if I could still have a FUT surgery? My concern was basically would the area be more difficult to close after the strip was removed?

No problem at all! We see larger occipital bones in many patients who have had FUT (strip surger). We just saw a patient in the office with this same question and there is no issue.

Tags: hair transplant, surgery, occipital bone, skull

Would Constantly Shaving My Head Destroy the SMP?

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

My question is in regards to the SMP (scalp micropigmentation) procedure. I’ve been taking propecia about four years now–started when I was 18. My hair has halted the balding process, but I cant tell it’s slowly creeping back up, which is what I expected anyways. I’m very interested in the SMP procedure, since scarring (even minimal) and a life-time commitment to propecia just isn’t for me. My questions are:

1) As opposed to hair transplant, how old does one have to be to become a good candidate for SMP?
2) If the procedure was done, would constantly shaving the head destroy the tattooed “hair”?
3) If after SMP, one would to stop propecia and lose their hair that was retained from the drug, would the loss of natural hair be noticeable even with SMP?
4) Lastly, are there any more recent photos you could share with us other than the ones already listed?

Thanks

Any age above 18 years old will work for me if the patient understands the positive and negatives associated with the process. There’s a list of frequently asked questions at the SMP site.

Many people will shave the head every day or every other day. This is a personal preference. Shaving your head shouldn’t destroy the SMP.

If you stopped the Propecia, you would lose all benefits of the drug and the hair loss will play ‘catch up’ to what it would have been.

We only post the photos of patients that grant us permission, but we keep updating the SMP site with new photos all the time. Keep watch on it.

Tags: smp, scalp micro-pigmentation, pigment, hairloss, hair loss

I Had a Bottle Busted On My Head and Want the Scar Removed!

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

Hello. I had busted my head from a starbucks cappuccino bottle(Please don’t ask how It’s a personal issue..) And I was bleeding harshly from my head so my parents wrapped my head with some bandage really tight and put some healing glue over the scar. In like a week in a half it healed and the glue came off like a scab and I was left with a very smooth scar on the back of my head near the root of my head about the size of a quarter, the top part of your pointer finger(the first line part and up cant explain it good). I know hair isn’t growing back because its been three years.

I want to have the scar removed from my head, the surgery is they cut it out then sew your scalp back together and your left with a lined scar that is barely visible when hair is grown a little. I do NOT want hair transplant please don’t give me information about it. Please explain as much as you can about the “scar removal” surgery I have in mind and also a cost for this.

What I would like to have is have a surgeon cut out the scar since its a little smaller than a quarter and stitch the scalp back together leaving me with just a tiny thin line scar that would be. No wider that the original sizer of the sizer or length. Also since I am african american, I want to cut my hair down low to about a 2 but I can’t cause of this baldspot, my dad is willing to try surgery but not until its reasonable. Remember it is about the size of a quarter which is very small compared to others.

Thank you please help me with my problem. Also the color of the scar is about my skin color maybe even a bit darker, I have black indian hair so a big brown baldspot sticks out. Please fill me in with everything you possibly can.

Scar removal from the scalp sometimes works well… and sometime doesn’t work well. That depends upon:

  1. Your healing abilities
  2. The location of the scar
  3. The direction of the excision scar
  4. The surgical technique used

I would have to see your scars to determine what I would do. From what you described here, I am at a loss. You need to see a cosmetic surgeon with experience in scar revision.

Tags: scar revision, bald spot, scalp scar

How Many Times Per Week Should I Wash My Hair?

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

Dear Balding Blog,
With so much conflicting evidence, how many times do you recommend washing your hair per week for optimum hair regrowth/restoration? The reason I ask is because I ride a motorcycle and my scalp gets quite oily, particularly during summer.

Thank you.

If your hair gets oily, then wash as often as you like to keep it feeling good and clean. Once or twice a day (when you ride your motorcycle) should meet your needs. It will not cause hair loss, nor will shampooing your hair cause it to regrow.

Tags: oily hair, shampoo, hair wash

I’ve Been Taking Propecia Daily For a Year But I’m Still Losing Hair!

/by William Rassman, M.D./3 /

Hello doctor,

I want to start by commenting on this awesome blog to educate people on hair loss topics.

I’m 23 and I have had (noticeable) hair loss for about one year now. I saw a doctor that prescribed me 1mg of Propecia and I’ve taken it everyday since. In my family, my father and my uncle (mom’s side) both experience hair loss. But on both sides of my family, my grandparents have/had full heads of hair.

It’s been about one year since I started taking Propecia and I’m still thinning and losing hair. What are my options from here?

I look forward to your response. Thank you

See a doctor who will measure your hair bulk and map this out on your scalp. This will give you a metric on hair loss and if you compare this measurement over time, you will know if you are losing the battle or not.

If you are indeed losing hair continuously (and at the same pace), it’s possible Propecia isn’t working for you… and in that case, your options are even more limited. Minoxidil might be worth a try. Have you taken the HairDX Test for Finasteride Response?

Tags: propecia, finasteride, hairloss, hair loss

My Girlfriend Might Be Pregnant — And She Might Have Touched Finasteride Dust

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

Hi,

Me and my girlfriend are trying to have a baby. This morning, my girlfriend maybe touched, maybe not, some dust of finasteride… I am not really sure that I’ve well cleaned after cutting the pill. If she’s pregnant, it should be for 4 or 5 days because she stopped contraceptives two or three weeks ago.
Is there a risk for the foetus (if there’s a foetus… some cells actually – which is not proven at all…) ?

Thank you in advance for your reply. Best Regards.

I would not worry about this. To get the fetus to be impacted by finasteride, there has to be absorption of the drug into her body and the fetus must be in the process of forming sexual organs. At 4-5 days, this does not happen and the ‘dust’ you are reporting is doubtful to be putting her at risk. Enjoy the pregnancy without worrying.

Tags: finasteride, propecia, proscar, pregnancy

Are My Erections From Rogaine Use?

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

I’ve been using Rogaine for the past 6 months and I’ve notice that since I’ve been using the product I get erections, especially at night. Is this normal?

Maybe you feel better taking Rogaine and that is your now, normal state. Rogaine (minoxidil) does not produce erections.

Tags: minoxidil, erection, rogaine

I don’t see vellus hairs, so am I balding?

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

I am 23 years old and I see some problems with my hair with an absence of softness in the hairline. Also, my hairline seems to be going up. What do you think?

I think that if your hairline is mature and you see some very early erosion, then it could be suggestive of early signs of balding. I would get a HAIRCHECK test done to see if there is loss of hair bulk behind the hairline. This test is very valuable in detecting balding before your eyes can pick it up. Then prompt treatment with finasteride is someone of your age will have terrific effects at slowing, stopping or reversing it.

How Visible Are FUE Scars if I Shave My Head?

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

Does having an FUE procedure to hairline and mid scalp make it artistically unpleasant to shave your entire head? I like to wear my head closely cropped, but I’m unsure if the punctate scars from FUE are extremely visible when you closely shave your head

There are many variables that produce different scars with follicular unit extraction (FUE). These variables include:

  1. The size of the punch used (ranges of punch sizes are from 0.8-1.5mm). The larger the punch used, the bigger the scar.
  2. The density of your donor hair dictate the visibility of these scars. Low density donor sites tend to show the punctate scars more than individuals who have high density.

What I am referring to here is shaving your head bald, not clipping it to a #1 length. Shaving the head will almost always show the punctate scars. There’s an extreme photo example shown at this page to give you an idea of scarring from a large FUE session.

Tags: fue, follicular unit extraction

My Transplanted Hair is Falling Out 2 Months After My Procedure

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

Is it safe to use minoxigel 5% after hair transplantation? my transplanted hair falling down. its just second month after my transplantation.

It’s very common for transplanted hair to fall out after the surgery and go through a dormant phase. It will regrow in a few months. Talk to your surgeon about aftercare. I’m surprised your doctor didn’t explain what to expect following your hair transplant.

I’m not familiar with minoxigel (unless you mean minoxidil), but if you’re two months out of surgery it should be safe.

Tags: hair loss, hairloss, hair transplant, minoxidil

Would Testosterone Gel Ruin the Good Results I See From Propecia?

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

I am getting good results from Propecia. My question is: would using a testosterone gel for low testosterone overwhelm the therapeutic benefits of Propecia and speed hair loss, or would the DHT inhibitor deal with this increased but now clinically normal amount of testosterone?

Probably not a problem if it returns your testosterone to normal levels.

–

(On an unrelated note, this is the 10,000th post on BaldingBlog!)

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

Protein Shakes, Amino Acid, and Hair Loss?

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

hello dr rassman
i just want to ask you about protein shakes. do they cause hair loss? i heard if it has amino acid will cause hair loss. can you take a look to this kind of protein: Combat Powder.

thanks

These protein shakes may have nutritional value, but I doubt that whey protein shakes will impact hair loss or hair gain. One recent push by a prominent hair transplant surgeon and dermatologist is for a protein shake to increase hair growth after a transplant, but the evidence is just not there for me to take any position in the solution.

I would be careful that in the process of using such a shake, that there is not hidden steroid in it. Some of the “muscle milk” products that are on the market have steroids in them and that is bad for both overall health and maintenance of hair.

Tags: whey protein, hairloss, hair loss

Minoxidil Makes Me Rub My Scalp While I Sleep

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

Hello Dr. Rassman,

First of all, thank you for this website. It actually helped me stopping wasting money on some useless products.

I have been on minoxidil (Kirkland) and propecia since Aug. 2011. So far there is no significant improvement but no visible further loss either. So I think I should stay on them for another 8 months to see the results.

However, for minoxidil, my head always gets a little itchy after I apply it. In day hours I don’t feel much so it was all right, but recently I was told that I rub my head a lot while in sleep. I am wondering if I should stop using minoxidil at night since rubbing might accelerate the hair loss. Or maybe I can find something like a hat to wear at night. I would like to hear your suggestion on this.

Thanks

Traction alopecia can occur from rubbing your scalp on a regular and rough basis. Some people do report irritation (or sensitivity) when using topical minoxidil. Some try different types, such as the foam version (Rogaine) and maybe you’ll see some improvement.

It may seem silly, but maybe you could wear mittens while you sleep. I’ve suggested that to my patients who have similar problems.

Tags: rogaine, traction alopecia, hairloss, hair loss, minoxidil

I Had Highlights Put in My Hair 5 Years Ago and My Scalp Has Itched Ever Since

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

My question for Dr.Rassman is: Can highlighting/coloring your hair using a salon cap cause baldness due to inflammation? Five years ago I got streaks put in my hair by stylist. She used a cap to do so by pulling strands of hair through the holes in the cap. It was very uncomfortable process and afterwards I began noticing my scalp was very sore and itchy, a condition which has persisted ever since. Could this have started the inflammation process that has led to hair fallling out over the years?

I have no way to know how to answer your question without even seeing what you mean. You may have developed an atopic dermatitis which has persisted over time. I would suggest that you see a good dermatologist in your area.

Tags: scalp inflammation, highlighting, itch, redness