Does Propecia Stop or Slow Muscle Growth?

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

Hey Dr., while taking propecia for hair loss. Does propecia stop muscle growth, slow muscle growth, or effect muscle growth in any way? cause some people say your muscle wille be slower and weaker some other say normal. I am getting confused with all the different responses on the net. One source says dht is essential for muscle development. I simply just want the truth. Please respond as quickly as possible. Thank You.

Propecia has nothing to do with stronger or weaker muscle growth. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is a metabolic byproduct of testosterone production, as testosterone is broken down by the liver into DHT. Testosterone plays a role for muscle development, therefore DHT may reflect it. The more testosterone your body produces, the more DHT will be produced– but this does not mean you will have more hair loss, per se. Theory does not always correlate to real world observations.

Tags: propecia, finasteride, dht, muscle, strength

I Took an SSRI for 18 Months and Saw Hair Loss for the Past Year

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

I was on an ssri for the last 18 months and have had telogen effluvium for the past 12. Hair loss is from all over the scalp as is minaturization. It has not thinned out too noticably except on the courners of the hairline where it is very noticable. Can i expect regrowth, what time periods would i expect?

I do not know what to expect. I would follow up with your doctor for a good examination. Telogen effluvium generally takes up to a year for the hairs to grow back. It may take longer and it may not grow back to its original density.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, ssri

Eyebrow Transplant of 189 Grafts (with Photos)

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

Hi doctors,
Are eyebrow transplants something that men have done? My eyebrows are not that thin but I am very particular about them, border line obsessive. Can I have maybe a couple hundred grafts done just to fill them in around the edges? Is this something that looks good when all is said and done?

Yes, we’ve transplanted the eyebrows of many men. I have a patient that sounds like what you’re describing, with great looking results that strengthened the overall brow by filling in the edges (and thankfully he’s given me permission to share his photos below).

This man had a eyebrow transplant procedure of 189 grafts about two years ago.

Before (with lines drawn in):

 

After (189 grafts in 1 procedure):

 

Tags: hair transplant, hairloss, hair loss, photos

How Can I Help My Strip Scar Turn White Faster?

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

Hi,
Are there any ways to speed up the process of the strip scar turning white? I have had mine for just over 2 years and although it is slowly fading it is still a light pink colour. Does vitamin E or steroid cream help as I have heard people mention these.

Thanks!

I would ask your doctor first for an examination and a diagnosis for the correct treatment plan. Sometimes, just giving it time may be the best treatment. It generally takes over a year for a scar to settle, but if it has been over 2 years, I would consult with a doctor. Most of the time the redness is very difficult to treat.

Some doctors may recommend over-the-counter steroid creams, but the redness is sometimes due to superficial blood vessels, in which case a cream would likely not be effective. Be careful, as this type of medication can be absorbed by the body with prolonged use.

Tags: scarring, scar, hair transplant

If I’m Itching from Minoxidil, Should I Stop Using It?

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

If minoxidil is causing itching probably from the PG [propylene glycol], would it be counter-productive to use it?

I had problems with the foam, so its not an option. I’m afraid to stop because I used a non PG formula for years that’s no longer available. So my hair is probably dependent.

If you are having issues with an ingredient in minoxidil, then you should not use it. It does not matter if you are dependent on minoxidil or not. If there is an unwanted side effect, you need to address it. I would discuss your options with your doctor.

Tags: propylene glycol, minoxidil, rogaine, hairloss, hair loss

In the News – South Carolina Woman Raises Awareness About Alopecia Universalis

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

Snippet from the article:

Faith Spells said it wasn’t always easy to accept her alopecia universalis diagnosis.

The 31-year-old Orangeburg resident has lived with the autoimmune skin disorder since she was 4. Her condition is the most uncommon form of alopecia, and is characterized by hair loss extending beyond the scalp to total body and facial hair loss.

“I remember waking up some days and the hair on one side of my whole head was gone,” Spells said. “It was devastating, but I never really had time to regroup because I was so young. I just knew that my mother and her friends wouldn’t let me go outside if it was too hot because of fear of me getting scarred.”

There is no known cure for the condition, but hair regrowth may occur even without treatment and even after many years, according to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation.

Read the rest — Bold and beautiful: Local woman raises awareness about autoimmune skin disease

Tags: alopecia universalis, hairloss, hair loss, alopecia areata

Since I’m Sweating Less in the Cold Weather, Is That Why My Hair Looks Better?

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

I’ve been taking Propecia for around 6 months. Recently, I’ve noticed that there seems to be improvement in my diffuse crown thinning – however, this coincides with the recently colder weather. Would the less sweat from summer cause that big of a difference in perception of thinning? If I recall correctly, I don’t sweat that much from my scalp.

In some animals, the fur coats get thicker in the winter. We have never recognized that hair cycles change based upon seasons, so the official answer to your question is that no, it should not get thicker in cold weather. That being said, many patients have told me that their hair appears thicker in the winter, so that suggests that the scientists should get better data on human moulting.

Humans have an asynchronous hair cycle, which means that we grow and shed our hair in cycles. The shedding cycle for head hair (catogen) lasts 3-6 months and the growing cycle (anagen) lasts 2-4 years depending upon the age and sex of the person. In body hair, the catogen cycle is often the length of the anagen cycle, and I would expect that the anagen cycle should be longer in winter if the body hair cycle responded to cold weather.

So in conclusion, animal hairs respond to cold, but human hairs do not (officially) respond to cold weather. I don’t have any idea if you have more or less scalp sweat today than you did in the Summer months, or if it makes a difference in your crown’s appearance.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, hair cycle, weather

If I Take a Break from Propecia, Will That Help Regain Its Effectiveness?

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

Hi, I’ve been taking propecia for around 5 years now and I’ve really seen my hair loss slow down. However, recently in the last year I’ve noticed my hair loss seem to be getting slowly worse again and it would appear the propecia seems to be loosing it’s effectiveness. I was wondering if I had a break from propecia for perhaps a few weeks before restarting it that this would help regain it’s effectiveness? Thanks

Stopping Propecia (finasteride) will cause a loss of its effectiveness. What you’re suggesting isn’t going to help. Even if you think the medication isn’t working as well as it has in the past, stopping it will make the loss even worse.

I have seen men go off of Propecia for a few months, lose hair, and then go back on it when they realized the mistake… only to find out that the hair loss that ensued could not be reversed to the state it was in when the drug was stopped. This is known as catch-up hair loss and and it’s not likely that you’ll regain what is lost if you restart the medication.

Tags: propecia, finasteride, hairloss, hair loss

If My Hair Can Be Pulled Out Easily, Does That Mean Rogaine and Propecia Are Becoming Less Effective?

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

Hello Doctor,

I have been loosing my hair since the age of 16 and finally took notice months before my 18th birthday. Currently I am on both propecia and 5% Rogaine and have been for the past year (prior I relied on just 1.25mg finasteride).My current results with my regimen have been satisfactory, as I can not for sure say what I’d look without the medication.

My question is regarding the ease of hair falling from the scalp when rubbed and the amount of hair strands that can been pulled by gently using your index finger and thumb. Recently I have been able to pull about 3-5 strands at a time out of head and hair tends to fall out easily when I rub it (a common habit of mine while studying). This has been occurring on and off for the past couple of months- especially after I was off rogaine for a period of 2 weeks in January while I awaiting for new shipment to arrive (I order the foam online through ebay since it is not available in Canada).

Do these symptoms indicate that the drugs are becoming less effective now, leaving genetics to take its course? Is there any shampoo or conditioner that you recommend or heard from prior patients to help strengthen the hair follicle?

Maybe you should stop pulling on your hair. How easily your hair falls out has no real clinical significance with Rogaine or Propecia use.

There is no magic drug, shampoo, conditioner, or potions that will help strengthen hair. There are hundreds of products out there. Try them. I am not against them, but you WILL end up spending a significant amount of money and likely be left without any benefit.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, propecia, finasteride

Hair Transplant Surgeon Told Me To Use Rogaine Foam 3 Days a Week for My Hairline

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

I saw a hair transplant surgeon some time ago about corner recession in my hairline. She said in my situation I could use Rogaine foam three days a week.

I’ve never heard of using Rogaine three days a week. Is there any situation where that dosage might be beneficial and/ or necessary?

I simply do not agree with the doctor that suggested using Rogaine 3 days a week. Twice daily use will give you the best effect from minoxidil (Rogaine), but even then, the medication isn’t likely to do much to treat your hairline corner recession. Any expert in hair loss should know that.

Tags: rogaine, minoxidil, hairloss, hair loss

Dot Scarring from a Large FUE Procedure (with Photo)

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

I (Dr. Rassman) have had a total of 2200 grafts in three strip surgeries over the past 20 years, the last one being 6 months ago. If you were to look at my single linear scar, most people (even with a comb in their hand looking for it) can’t locate it. My strip scar is certainly far less significant than the mottled scars from follicular unit extraction (FUE) in this patient below. To be fair, if the patient had let his hair grow slightly longer, the scars would be less visible.

This is not my FUE patient, but I was told that he had 2500 grafts extracted in one session four years ago (and saw extremely poor growth). FUE scars like these are very common, and as most people get FUE procedures because they want the option of cutting their hair very short without a linear scar, many of them can’t do so when these dot scars are so detectable. Click the photo to enlarge:

 

I grant that some patients will have visible scarring from a traditional strip procedure, but now with Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP) the linear scars can be made undetectable. The same treatment can make these ugly FUE scars undetectable.

My point for this post is that scarring occurs with all types of surgery. Scarring should not be the motivator for the choice of FUE over strip surgery. Considering the cost differential between strip and FUE surgery, this is just part of the calculation each person must do in making the decision between strip and FUE surgeries.

Tags: follicular unit extraction, photo, hair transplant, scarring

Does a Scalp Roller Actually Help Absorption of Topicals?

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

Can I have your opinion on scalp rollers please , if they help with hairloss / absorption of topicals / etc ? Thanks

In theory, it is supposed to help. The concept is to produce very small holes in the scalp, creating a kind of micropuncture of the skin. If it bleeds, then these rollers are going too deep. If it does not bleed, then it may be nothing more than a way of developing more uniform distribution of the medication.

I do not know if it really helps, and I haven’t seen any studies that show one way or the other. Any readers out there want to share their experience with the scalp roller / dermaroller?

Tags: scalproller, dermaroller, hairloss, hair loss, minoxidil, rogaine

Does Transplanted Hair Have a Slower Growth Rate?

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

I had a hair transplant of about 1600 grafts almost a decade ago that gave me a great hairline that had been missing for years. I’ve always noticed that when I get a haircut every month or so, the barber will point out that my hair length is uneven in the front. The hair in the transplanted area is shorter than the natural hair in my crown and even at the back of my head. Then I get the hair cut even all the way around and a month later, the barber notices the same length issue.

Does transplanted hair just grow slower or could there have been some sort of damage done to the grafts at the time of the surgery to cause this? The results are amazing and its really not that big of a deal, but I’m just curious if you’ve had any other patients mention slower growth from transplanted hair. Thanks. Love the site!!

Transplanted hair should grow the same rate as the hair on the back of your scalp (where it was taken). However, I do not know of any scientific study that proves/disproves this assumption. Your barber may have made an astute observation, particularly if he sees this with all of his transplanted clients.

Tags: hair transplant, hair growth

Non-Hair-Loss News – Man Finds Out He Has Cancer After He Uses a Home Pregnancy Test

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

Snippet from the non-hair-loss article:

If you are a lady, and you think you might be pregnant, you can take an at-home test to find out. You simply pee on a stick. Whether the results are measured in pink lines, blue lines, plus and minus symbols, or a “pregnant”/”not pregnant” digital readout, all the home pregnancy tests on the market are really looking for the same thing — Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG).

HCG is a pregnancy hormone. It’s produced by the placenta, a temporary organ that only forms in female bodies when an embryo has attached to the uterine lining. And so it was kind of weird when a male friend of a Reddit user known as CappnPoopDeck peed on a home pregnancy test and it came back positive.

Read the rest at BoingBoing — Positive pregnancy test diagnoses man’s cancer

Wow.

Tags: cancer, pregnancy test

Will Histogen, Replicel, or Aderans Play a Larger Role Than Hair Transplants in the Near Future?

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

Hello Balding Blog!

Firstly, I would like to compliment you on a fair and unbiased blog, which really has comforted me since my hair loss has developed!

I would like to gauge your opinion on the developments in cell based treatments for hair loss. I recently read the following announcement from Histogen (Initial Results from Phase I/II Clinical Trial of HSC) detailing the result of clinical trials, which to a my untrained eye, looked very promising!

In general, do you think this and similar treatment (Repicel, Aderans) will play a more exigent role in hair loss treatments, over transplants and medications, in the near future?

Thank you for your time

At the ISHRS meeting last month, there was a great focus that the cure for hair loss will come from mechanisms that awaken the stem cells that are already in the head of balding people. Prostaglandin D2 seems to prevent hair growth, while other prostaglandins compete with it to control the growth. If a drug can block the effects of prostaglandin D2, this could be the cure for balding that we are all looking for.

I can’t say if Histogen, RepliCel, or Aderans will have the next great hair loss treatment, but it’s a big enough market that I think if any or all of these can prove to be effective and safe, they’ll each have their supporters. But that still remains to be seen.

So will these new treatments play a larger role than hair transplant and medication in the near future? Well, I guess it depends on how near you’re talking about.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, stem cell, histogen, replicel, aderans, prostaglandin, pd2