Estradex for Women?

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

(female)
Hi, I have been using a product spelt Estradex drops 2% but have read somewhere it has been banned? My hair has started growing using this product, I have been informed I have female pattern baldness by a trichologist. Would you use this product? and is it safe. Thankyou.

I’m not familiar with Estradex, and I have no idea if it was banned (by whom?). I did look it up, and although I could find very little about this lotion, it appears to be something sold by a UK trichology clinic. I don’t know about its safety profile, but I do know it’s not something I’d likely recommend to my own patients. If you were using it with good results, you can talk to your doctor about continuing it.

The only product I recommend for treating female hair loss is minoxidil, as it is the only FDA approved female hair loss medication. You can get boutique formulations of minoxidil with various ingredients, but the active ingredient is still minoxidil.

Tags: estradex, hairloss, hair loss, female hair loss

I Stopped Parting My Hair and Realized I Had a Bald Spot at My Hairline

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

Hello Docs,

I’m a female, 18, and a few years back I’ve been parting my hair at my right. Recently, I’ve been combing my hair back with no parting and I realized I have a bald spot in the front of my head. Is there anyway my hair can grow back in that area? I would love any information you can give.

The photo you sent was blurry and honestly, without examining you, I can not tell what the spot is about. It could reflect a disease called alopecia areata, or it could just be the way your hairline is, or perhaps you had an injury earlier in your life (or a variety of other possibilities). There is no substitute for a good examination, and that should be your next step if you’re concerned.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, hairline, female hairline

My Scalp Feels Prickly Where I’m Thinning

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

I have noticed some thinning of my hair. When I run my fingers through the thinning part, the scalp feels ‘prickly’, whereas it feels smoother on my safe donor zones. Is that normal?

I don’t know what you mean by a “prickly” feeling. Is it painful? Some people who have reported male pattern loss have unusual sensations in the balding area. I do not think a “prickly” feeling should be normal. See a doctor and find out if you really are balding and plot out the area of sensations that you are feeling with that doctor.

Tags: scalp sensation, hairloss, hair loss

Finasteride Has Been Out for 20 Years and Suddenly There’s Negative Media Attention?

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

I have been on a 1/4 pill Proscar for 5 years now with great results and no noted side effects. I am becoming increasingly concerned with the increased media attention finasteride has been receiving in regards to permanent sexual side effects. But what I don’t understand is that proscar has been on the market since 1992, and no major studies were found that this causes permanent side effects at 5 times the dose?

I think you are correct in your assessment on the media hype. I agree that it is strange to see this all this media hype when Proscar, which is FIVE times the strength of Propecia, has almost no media coverage.

I can perhaps speculate or give you my personal experience and opinion. Sex sells — it garners media and public interest. Moreover tragedies, fear, and bad things also get the media buzzing. Our media is filled with controversy that sensationalize tragic stories (real or otherwise). So one study about Propecia (that collected its information from surveying men on a Propecia complaint forum and was a not really even a true research paper, reporting some 50 people) caught the eye of the news media.

More specifically, I was even personally contacted by a producer of the Anderson Cooper talk show, asking me if any patients would be willing to speak about their experience with Propecia. After I obtained permission from a few patients, I gave their contact info to the TV producers. It turns out they were trying to select only patients that had a negative opinion about Propecia in return for free airfare and hotel room in NYC. None of my patients were chosen (because none of them had anything bad to say) and instead the show sensationalized the topic by interviewing a transgendered individual. It’s disappointing, but this is the type of thing the media does to attract interest from viewers.

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

Did I Lose My Hair Because My Body is Overheating?

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

Sir, i am 27yrs old, not married, lost 75% hair in my head, due to genetic reason. my body produce over heat at all times. My ques is, is it because of heat i lost my hair, if i do hair transplantation will it be a success and finally, is there possibility because of the heat it will affect my semen health.

You lost 75% of your hair and your body overheats? Your body temperature doesn’t cause your genetic hair loss, and your hair transplantation candidacy (or surgical success) should not be impacted by your body heat. I couldn’t speak to your sperm health, as I don’t know about the reason for your increased body temp.

You should see a doctor to find out the reason for your change in body heat (possibly hyperthermia). That should be more important than treating hair loss.

Tags: hyperthermia, hairloss, hair loss, body heat

The Wind Causes Scalp Pain Where My Hair Parts

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

Hello doctor, sort of an unusual question for you.

I have been noticing that when the wind blows and it blows my hair, I feel a pain in the line where the hair parts. It’s hard to explain exactly what I mean, but when the wind blows, it causes my hair to stand up (as the wind would do) and it feels like something is being poked. I have longer, curly/wavy hair and have been noticing this only happens sometimes but not always. Any idea as to what this could be or if it’s cause for concern?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

I do not know what you have, but I have heard this complaint before. Perhaps your scalp is sensitive from an undiagnosed scalp/skin condition. You should see a doctor for an examination if you’re concerned or if the pain becomes too much.

Tags: scalp pain, hair, pain

Should I Have a Transplant Into My Deep Corner Recession? (with Photo)

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

Hi doctor, I’m 27 and been using propecia for 4 months.. My hair is strong and feeling thicker..

I’m wondering however, would getting a HT on the front edges to match the front middle be a good idea in your opinion?

Thank you for your patience and understanding

Click the photo to enlarge.

 

Your photo shows more balding than just mild corner hair loss, the type of loss that we often transplant. But do you want a hair transplant? I can’t tell you if you’re a surgical candidate just by looking at one photo and I can’t say if it’s a good idea for you to have surgery, since it’s a decision you’re going to have to make. It’s a cosmetic procedure, and I can only advise patients on their realistic expectations with guidelines. Nobody needs a hair transplant surgery.

I do not provide medical or surgical recommendations on BaldingBlog, and it’s best if you set up a private consultation with us (over the phone will work). You can call my office at (310) 553-9113 if you’re interested.

Tags: hair transplant, hairline, hairloss, hair loss

Taking Propecia After Gynecomastia Surgery?

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

Is it safe to take propecia after getting gynecomastia surgery? I am scheduled to get surgery for gynecomastia that I got during puberty and not from propecia use but I am worried that if I take the medication after the surgery I am putting myself at risk of the drug causing breast swelling and tenderness

I do not know your personal medical history, so this is a question that you need to ask your doctor. If you choose to take Propecia or any other medication, you would need to be monitored by a doctor who can follow up with you regarding side effects and risks. Propecia has a known rare side effect that can cause gynecomastia. If you already have gynecomastia (without Propecia), I do not know how the drug will affect it.

Generally, in our experience, this has been a difficult problem to address. If you balance the risk against the reward, only you can make this decision. Many people with gynecomastia can be treated with surgery alone (often just a lump) and the problem goes away, but not always. Thus, you will need a close follow-up with your doctor.

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

Borage Oil as a Hair Loss Treatment?

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

I’ve heard that borage oil, taken either orally or topically, can help with hair loss, and I don’t see any posts about that here yet. What is your opinion? I’m a guy in my early 30s with mild hair loss, diagnosed by my dermatologist as MPB.

Borage (also known as starflower oil) is used by herbalists to treat PMS issues in women. At least, that’s what I found via Google… because I wasn’t familiar with it.

It’s just another herbal treatment that some people claim can treat hair loss. It doesn’t. There’s no herbal treatment that I’ve found to treat MPB anywhere near the claims people make. If you decide to use this to treat your genetic hair loss, that’s your call to make — but don’t be too shocked when your thinning continues.

Tags: sunflower oil, borage oil, hairloss, hair loss herbal

My Facial Hair Started Growing Faster, Just as I Started Losing More Scalp Hair!

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

Dear Doctor.

I have been slowly losing my hair for some time now. I am 30 years old and have been on finasteride for a few years. I have always lacked a lot facial, chest, and back hair. Most of my peers have full beards and tons of hair on their chest while I have only a little bit.

In the last year, I have noticed that my facial hair has been growing in quicker (not thicker), instead of taking a week to 10 days to grow in, its been coming in at 3 days, and as a result of that I have been losing hair faster now. I am no doctor, but couldn’t there be a correlation between facial hair growth and hair loss?

Thank you kindly. God bless

I do not believe facial hair has any correlation of scalp hair in terms of growing or balding.

Finasteride does not affect facial hair. It only affects scalp hair (mostly on the top crown area). Rarely I have heard a few patients (under 10 in the last 10 years) report less body hair growth from finasteride use.

Tags: facial hair, beard, hairloss, hair loss

Do I Have Cobblestoning In the Recipient Area 10 Weeks After FUE Surgery? (with Photos)

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

Hi Dr,

I had an FUE surgery performed around 10 weeks ago in Europe. However, my hair transplant Dr has not been very helpful in post-patient care. Because of my concerns, I have since become quite depressed and worried about the future success of the transplant.

So I now I hope you can assist me, being on the other side of the world, there are few people here available that could help (I am from Australia). Specifically, do you think I have cobblestoning in my recipient area? Or a nasty case of follicultis? I have sensitive skin and it has stayed pink since surgery, so I was hoping you could address some of my concerns through the attached images.

If so, what recommendations could you make to removing the redness and/or follicultus/red dots?

Also, are the little pits around the hairs normal that are trying to break out? Do these go away with time? There are some dark hairs breaking through and lots of light blonde ones too.

Thank you very much for your help. Feel free to use my pictures.

Thanks

 

If you have issues after a hair transplant surgery (or any surgery) you need to follow up with your doctor/surgeon. In your case, you traveled to another continent for your surgery, but you should be able to email some photos to your doctor and speak with him/her over the phone. It’s unfortunate that your doctor hasn’t been helpful to you after your procedure.

In general, redness and folliculitis can develop with any hair transplant surgery and sometimes it just needs a good physician follow-up. This may involve something as simple as warm compresses, to something like a course of antibiotics. The reddened areas can persist for a few months on rare occasions.

I suspect you may be overreacting, but to find out exactly what is going on, an examination by a doctor is your best bet. You can always get a second opinion (visit the physician search at ISHRS.org for other doctors in Australia).

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, hair transplant, aftercare, redness, photos

I’ve Been Taking Finasteride for a Year and Had No Baselines Done

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

Dr. Rassman,

I would like to request your insight into my situation. I am a 20 year old male and have been on finasteride 1.25mg and minoxidil 2% for one year now. I went to my doctor at the age of 19 requesting finasteride for minor hair thinning. I had not yet lost any hair, or even had any major thinning, but my scalp was visible in the front to middle area of my head under moderate lighting. I have also been expecting to lose my hair for a few years now because of a horrible family history; father, both grandfathers, and all biological uncles but one have progressed to NW5+. My doctor agreed based on sight that there was initial thinning and she prescribed. But I have not ever taken any actual photos or measurements of my hair.

Now, one year later, I am unable to tell by the naked eye whether there has been any improvement or not. Essentially, I seem to have basically the same full hair that I had last year, with maybe some minor thinning visible under the right lighting. I have had no side effects on the medications and I continue to use them.

What would you recommend I do at this point? I know that you do not give medical advice online, but this is more of a procedural question. Is it worth continuing both medications if I am uncertain that they have even been needed at all? Should I try to take some measurements now to gauge my hair loss progress for the future? I am not aware of any doctors in my community, in Hamilton Ontario, who perform bulk measurements or miniaturization tests.

Thanks a lot. All the best.

Did you ever receive a diagnosis of androgenic alopecia? I mean, do you even have actual balding or did you get prescribed a medication base on your insecurity? Almost everyone has their scalp visible under moderate lighting, but that doesn’t mean you’re necessary losing hair. Taking a life-long medication like finasteride without a good diagnosis just because you have a fear of balding is not good common sense.

At this point, I would voice your concerns with your doctor. If that does not help, I would find another doctor for a second opinion.

Tags: finasteride, hairloss, hair loss

I Added Biotin to My Regimen, But It Made My Forehead Oily

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

Hi Doc,

i recently added to 5mg Biotin to my regimen (i’m on Finasteride since 14 months, for maintaining). However i noticed that Biotin made my forehead so oily after 6-7 days of Biotin usage. i took biotin for 12 days, then i thought Biotin could cause sebum on my skin so i decided to give up on it. then my skin returned to normal conditions and dont have any sebum any more.

i need something which can speed up growth of my hairs and nails, also considering my nails are weak and grows late. Would you please advice me something instead of Biotin? or i should decrease the dosage and continue on Biotin, such as 5mg for 3-4 days?

Thanks in advance.

Thanks for sharing your experience. If your side effects from biotin supplement produces oily skin, the simplest thing would be to stop using it. I do not know of any supplements in medical literature that have been proven to make hair grow. If you’re on finasteride already, have you talked to your prescribing doctor about this?

I’ve written my thoughts about biotin being used as a hair loss treatment here, and my advice is “buyer beware”.

Tags: biotin, hairloss, hair loss, oily

Hair Cream and a Lack of Specifics

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

Is using hair cream good for a young man going bald good?and is afro american good for my type of hair.

I get questions like this from time to time, but I have no idea what you’re referring to as “hair cream”. Perhaps it is a language barrier, but you’ll need to be more specific as to what product you’re talking about. Some creams are good for hair to keep the looking vibrant or for styling, but I don’t know of a cream that treats a balding young man (even though I’m not even sure of your age).

Tags: hair cream, hair products