Minoxidil and Collagen?

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

Hi Dr. Rassman, great blog.

I was wondering, whats your view on the effects of Minoxidil on collagen?

Iv heard a few reports of people experiencing bad skin and increased wrinkles on the face when using Rogain, also there is a paper out which shows Minoxidil does inhibit collagen production.

Thanks

I personally do not believe applying a topical medication on your scalp will cause wrinkles on the face, but we’ve written about this before here. What paper are you referring to? The one I’m aware of is relating to rats, not humans.

If you are concerned about such side effects, speak to your doctor and know that you have a choice to use or not use the product.

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

In the News – Woman with Trichotillomania Pretended to Have Alopecia Areata

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

Snippet from the article:

A mum who has hidden behind the hair loss condition alopecia for the last 20 years has bravely revealed a secret compulsion to tear out her own hair that has tormented her since she was a child.

Zena Williams was called ‘cancer face’ for wearing a wig at school and for more than two decades she has allowed anyone who noticed her bald patches to believe that she has the auto immune condition that causes her hair to fall out on its own. But in the wake of No Pulling Week, the mum-of-one has finally revealed that she has been pulling out her own hair since she was a child.

At various stages in her life, Zena has been left almost completely bald by her compulsive addiction to hair-pulling – a little understood psychological condition called trichotillomania.

Read the rest — Mum pretended to have alopecia for 20 years – in fact she was pulling all her hair out

Unfortunately, decades of pulling out her hair probably has resulted in some permanent loss. She says she has stopped pulling out her scalp hair, but still pulls out arm and leg hair. Hopefully she gets some sort of treatment for this compulsion.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, ttm, trichotillomania, hair pulling

Hair Growth Results from LLLT on The Drs TV Show (with Video)

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

Dr Rassman
I see that they are growing hair from laser. Is this laser different than what you have used in the past? These results are from the The Drs show in tv.I f you look at the women in the audience she had great results.

YouTube video

I’ve embedded the video here:

The results in the video look good, but they are not my experience. I had the identical low level light laser (Revage) about 5 years ago in my office. It was given to me free of charge in hopes that I would endorse the product. To find out if it worked, I offered laser treatments to all of my patients for free for up to a year. Not too many people came in to try it, but of those who did, I have before and after pictures taken.

The doctor in the video above says it could be up to $5000 per year for these laser treatments (and trips to the office a few times a week), but if you’re seeing results and have no other options, I suppose that could be worth the trouble. But if you end up seeing no or very minor results, that wouldn’t be surprising to me. During my yearlong try out on patients, I was not impressed that the patients experienced any impact on their hair, except from the hair transplants they got from me.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, laser, lllt

Herbal H

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

Hi Doctor,

Was wondering if you have heard anything whatsoever about this product called “Herbal H” for hair loss, I came across it a few days ago. I am attaching a link to their website; herbal-h.com

They have minoxidil listed as an ingredient which is obviously FDA approved. But I wanted to know if you have any information regarding the other listed ingredients or the product itself, for hair loss.

Thanks you.

This seems to basically be just 3% minoxidil with supplements in it (iron, saw palmetto, zinc, copper, angelica, and other things I’m not familiar with). There are a variety of products out there that contain minoxidil with other supplements, and I don’t know that one is any better than the other.

So the only thing I can really say is that topical minoxidil does grow hair, but the strength of minoxidil that is recommended for men is usually 5%.

Tags: minoxidil, herbal h, herbal

My 15 Year Old Daughter is Losing Hair — What Can Be Done?

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

My 15 yr old daughter’s hair has been thinning & it’s heartbreaking to watch her go through this. This has been going on slowly but surely for a few yrs & is almost certainly hereditary. Thyroid tests are normal, and, most tellingly, her maternal grandmother has lost most of her hair. Can Rogaine be prescribed for someone so young?

I would think you need to start with medical exam and a good working diagnosis for the cause of the hair loss. Your daughter needs to see a physician who can help and who is knowledgeably about various medical conditions, as hair loss in 15 year old girls generally reflects that something may be going on in her body.

Rogaine (minoxidil) is not recommended for women under 18 years old.

Tags: rogaine, minoxidil, teenager, female hair loss, hairloss, hair loss

Is My Hair Loss Related to Stopping My Cocaine Use?

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

Hi Doc

I have recently stopped a heavy cocaine habit. I started using cocaine 6 years ago intermittently but over the last year I was using every day. I have now stopped and been clean for 60 days. I want to remain clean for rest of my the (life is so much better) but I have noticed excessive shedding and my hair being a lot thinner and lighter. I have been using propecia for 6 years as well. Will this shedding stop and regrowth occur. Is it normal for increased shedding and thinning to occur After stopping a class A drug?

I am not sure how cocaine (or stopping of cocaine) would be related to your hair loss issue. I would speak to your doctor and try to obtain a good diagnosis. Maybe you have other underlying medical issues causing hair loss or maybe you have genetic alopecia that you have not noticed until now.

Tags: drugs, cocaine, hairloss, hair loss

My Hair Is Now Growing Slowly All Over My Head and Body (with Photos)

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

Hello Dr.
I would like to know what class do I fall in the Norwood scale? My hair started growing slowly and thinning at 19 and not only on my head, but also my hair all over my body – arms, legs, eyebrows, etc. Is this normal? I am now 21.

please post your answer on your site or email thank you

Thanks for allowing us to post your photos. Click them to enlarge.

 

Norwood 6You probably do not need a medical degree to look at the Norwood scale and see what your hairline looks like. You can see that your thinning seems to parallel the Norwood class 6 pattern. That suggests that if you continue to let it go, you could lose all of the hair in the thinning area… which would be a shame, as it may be treatable with medication. My opinion is just based on looking at a few photos (and not knowing anything about your medical history or family history), so you’ll want to have it double checked by a physician in person.

The analytical part comes from looking at your hair under a microscope to see if there are patterns of miniaturization or difference in bulk (which I cannot do with photos). At 21 years old, you should be concerned enough to see a good doctor and not look for a quick answer over the internet.

As for your body hair loss, this is not normally related to scalp hair loss, but it is something that you should have looked at if you’re concerned.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss

Female Hair Loss Has Continued For Months After Stopping Tramadol

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

(female)
I stopped taking Tramadol about 3-4 months ago but my hair is still falling out. My doctor had labs for my thyroid and it is fine.

I am losing less hair but still more than normal. How long should this last?

I do not know why you would think Tramadol would be the cause of your hair loss. We’ve written about this before. There can be other medical factors, and since you are under the care of a physician, that is a good place to start. Otherwise, female hair loss in general is a frustrating case for both patient and physician since there is no specific treatment if all the medical issues have been ruled out.

If it is genetic, the only medication available for women is topical minoxidil (Rogaine). Many women suffer from thinning hair / hair loss due to age and hormonal changes associated with menopause. I don’t know enough about you to rule anything out, though.

Tags: tramadol, hairloss, hair loss, female hair loss

If I Just Have a Receding Hairline, Is 1mg Finasteride Too Much?

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

Hey I wrote to you before about low/watery sperm volume when it comes to propecia. I just wanted to ask: could a side effect like this occur earlier if I’m only suffering from a receding hairline. Could 1mg of propecia be too much for a patient with only a receding hairline & thickness of hair everywhere else on the head? Should I think about lowering my dosage and try it out?

If you just have a receding hairline, it’s unlikely that Propecia will regrow the hair there, though it could keep further loss at bay. Watery ejaculate isn’t specific to those with just hairline recession, nor do I believe that the speed at which it might occur is related to the degree of loss.

You’ll need to talk to your prescribing doctor about dosage changes. I don’t know anything about you and you’re not my patient, so I can’t tell you how much or if you should be taking a prescription medication.

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

Bald Scalp, Greasy Forehead?

/by William Rassman, M.D./5 /

I have noticed that 90-95 of men who are losing their hair have a greasy or shiny forehead or scalp including myself. But what I also noticed is that men who have excellent hair never ever have a greasy or shiny forehead or scalp. I feel if we can control what is ever producing that greasiness then we can control hair loss. What are your thought or have you read or head about any research in regards to this?

I am not convinced that greasy hair is related to hair loss. If you have hair you would not notice their greasy scalp from visual observation alone (as the hair is covering it)

Male pattern balding is related to genetics. Greasy and oily skin may also be a genetic issue, but not related to the hair loss gene.

Tags: greasy scalp, oily scalp, forehead, hairloss, hair loss

Not Hair Loss News – Big Pharma Tries to Speed Up Drug Testing

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

Snippet from the article:

Pharmaceutical industry heavyweights are teaming up to address a challenge that’s long vexed drugmakers: how to improve the way experimental drugs are tested so they can get approved, and reach patients, faster.

Ten top U.S. and European drugmakers, including Pfizer Inc., said Wednesday that they have started a nonprofit organization, called TransCelerate BioPharma, to collaborate on the problem.

Read the rest — Drugmakers cooperate to streamline test process

The article points out that “5,000 to 10,000 potential drugs fail for every one approved“, and only about 5 of those even make it to the expensive human testing phases. So drug companies are looking for a way to streamline the processes and to ultimately cut costs. Hopefully this will lead to new treatments for a variety of health issues being available cheaper and quicker.

The high costs do not make drug development an attractive investment unless there is a significant return. From a financial standpoint, I would not want to be in the Propecia business today. Would you want to be, with the patent expiring shortly and competitors wanting to take away what market Merck may have built?

Tags: pharmaceutical, pharma, drugmaker

If I Lost My Hairline Corners a Few Years Ago, Am I Safe From Further Hair Loss?

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

Hi Dr,

I am nearly 29 years old and first noticed hairline recession when I was around 25. I have had it confirmed by a good dr that this is indeed balding and not just a mature hairline…but the extent of the recession is not drastic – i.e. when washed/dried, I doubt most people would think i was balding.

The extent of my receded hairline has been more or less the same for at least the last 2-3 years. Therefore my question is, can i breathe a sigh of relief that my balding is not likely to be extensive or is this just the way that hair loss works? i.e. lose the corners of the hairline one year (like me) and then five years later start losing elsewhere? I have been very obsessive about checking my hair..so I am almost certain that the thinning is for now only at the hairline corners and has only been very slow to progress if at all since the original loss.

My father is a NW6 and my maternal grandfather probably around a NW3V.

I would love to get the corners transplanted to have a more defined hairline if it is possible to do so. By the way, I had a hair density test 6 months ago and plan to to go back after a year for a follow up…but the doctor said that he didnt need to check at the corners because the recession was visible and photos would do a better job.

Many Thanks

NW6Many men have hairline corner recession and that is the extent of their hair loss. Only about 8% of the male population go on to become a Norwood class 6 or 7. If you are concerned about corner recession and do not have further hair loss, a hair transplant may be an option.

If you had a hair bulk analysis performed, it will show (with science behind it) if you have any subtle, non-visible balding going on throughout your scalp. This type of measurement will give you an idea of balding that may progress for you in the years to come. You would need an exam and good Master Plan to address your goals.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, hairline, corner recession

I Waxed My Leg Hair as a Joke and It Hasn’t Grown Back 3 Years Later

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

Hello,

I am 19 year old healthy male and am suffering from a hair loss problem on my lower shins. I thought it would have been a laugh to get my legs waxed knowing that the hair would grow back, however it hasn’t on that part of my leg.

At first I thought the hampered growth was due to the fact that I wore long-socks and the friction caused the roots to rip out. However I have been told that even with hair loss from friction, they would still grow back.

Instead it has been nearly 3 years now and the hair hasn’t grown back. I am really self-conscious of the problem as it makes me feel emasculated and I do not wear shorts, nor expose the legs anymore. I do not think it is a blood circulatory problem as I have hair beneath the bald spots.

I don’t have diabetes, nor have I suffered damage to that part of the leg (burns, scars, lacerations etc…)

I am simply baffled by this problem and will do absolutely anything to stimulate the hair growth in that part of both my shins and can’t wait to jump back in the swimming pool.

Shaving or waxing your legs should not cause permanent hair loss. Some men and women have permanent hair loss where their socks are constantly rubbing on their legs, but I can’t explain why your hairy legs were waxed one time and failed to ever regrow hair again.

Tags: leg hair, hairloss, hair loss

Shedding Transplanted Hairs Years After the Procedure?

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

Hi Doctor,

A lot of questions on here about initial shedding after a transplant, but my question is regarding transplanted hairs shedding years later, due to the natural hair growth process.

I noticed my transplanted areas have become thinner over the past couple of months. It has been almost 4 years since my surgery. It is well known that the hair growth cycle for hair is between 3-4 years, then they shed to make room for new hair. I was wondering since all transplanted hairs are relatively growing at the same rate or time period, should we expect periods of thinness every 3-4 years when these hairs are ready to shed again? In other words going through a shed similar to your first initial shed before the hairs started growing again. I hope my question makes sense.

Transplanted hair is permanent for most people. In the recipient area, the surrounding non-transplanted hairs may not be permanent and you will continue to lose those hairs. Years after a hair transplant you may be noticing the non-transplanted hairs falling. This is assuming there was non-transplanted hairs mixed in with the transplanted hairs.

If your hairs were transplanted on a completely bald area of your scalp and you are noticing shedding, this is not considered normal. It may regrow if you are experiencing telogen effluvium, which is a temporary hair loss that can occur at any time… or you could be one of those rare people who lose transplanted hair. I always look at the permanent zone when someone asks me about hair loss in the recipient area, in case they are losing donor area hair. Whatever happens to the donor area will happen to the recipient area. For example — in elderly folks, there is a condition called senile alopecia which reflects thinning of the hair throughout the head, including the donor area.

In a very rare instance, you may actually be experiencing permanent transplanted hair loss which I have seen possibly a dozen times in my 20+ years in practice. I don’t remember a cause of this to ever have been pinpointed in most of those patients and I wonder if I should be biopsying them when I see that problem, looking for diseases like diffuse alopecia areata.

Tags: hair transplant, hairloss, hair loss

Masturbating Causes My Hair Loss and Boils on My Head

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

Dr,
I am 26 & experiencing severe dandruff ,itching on skull,hair fall after masturbation.I have small boils on my head after masturbation which automatically go away if I don’t masturbate for few days also is it normal for the skull specially the top part of my skull to remain hot after masturbation(this is where I am having hair loss)?

The above mentioned problem is recurring & is specifically caused due to masturbation, reason: if I don’t masturbate for few days these problems don’t occur.Please help me with you valuable advise.

We’ve written about this many times. Simply put — masturbation does not cause hair loss. I do not know what other advice I can provide or how much clearer I can be.

If you strongly feel masturbation is causing your hair loss, then stop masturbating. I suppose at that point, it is your choice — you can choose hair versus masturbation. I have no idea how small boils could develop on your head after masturbating, then magically disappear when you’re leaving yourself alone. See a dermatologist about the boils (infections).

Tags: masturbation, masturbating, hairloss, hair loss