Does a Higher Concentration of Minoxidil Provide Faster Results?

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

I’m 24 years old male and have hair loss both at the front of my head and the crown. I’m starting to use rogaine foam in combination with propecia. I’ve heard that using minoxidil in higher concentrations (10%) makes you see better results faster. Is this true?

Perhaps it’s possible that high concentrations of minoxidil will bring about faster results (I’m not sure), but nothing occurs overnight in this business as the timeline often goes into months. In other words, don’t expect a miracle. I don’t recall seeing any studies comparing the speed of regrowth for the 10% vs 5%.

Higher concentrations of minoxidil will produce more side effects, so read the instructions carefully.

Tags: minoxidil, rogaine, foam, propecia, finasteride, hairloss, hair loss

Musician Lindsey Buckingham’s Hairline

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

Lindsey BuckinghamHello Dr. Rassman,
With Fleetwood Mac starting up on a new world tour this year, I was just wondering if you could shed some light on guitarist Lindsey Buckingham’s hairline. It is without a doubt much higher than when he was younger, but its perfectly straight across the temples. Hair transplant or genetics?

Photo

His hairline did move up, but it’s difficult to tell for sure if there was work done based on the small photo you linked to. I did a Google Image Search and found some larger photos that appear to show a natural hairline. Maybe he has some styling at the corners to change the hairline’s appearance.

There’s a larger version of the above photo here.

Tags: fleetwood mac, lindsey buckingham, musician, hairloss, hair loss, hairline

Female Hair Loss Patient Immediately After One SMP Treatment (with Photos)

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

We’re always updating our Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP) site with new patient before and after photos, but I thought I’d take the opportunity to post a patient here so BaldingBlog readers can see an example of the visual impact that occurs.

This is a female patient with thinning hair. You can see the immediate results after just one SMP treatment. Further SMP will be done for increased darkness and density.

Before SMP on left / After SMP on right. Click the photos to enlarge:

 

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, female hair loss, smp, pigment, photos

My Doctor Prescribed Tricovivax, But I Don’t Know If It’s Safe!

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

Hello doctor,
I am a 19 year old student suffering from hair loss since I was around 17. As you would know this is normally a very young age to begin losing hair. My mothers side of the family unfortunately seem to have the baldness gene, with all of her brothers being bald.

I recently saw a doctor whilst abroad who confirmed for me that I was indeed losing my hair and that I was beginning to thin around the sides. He recommended and prescribed Tricovivax to me. I wanted to know whether it would be safe for me to use especially at my age and whether or not I should begin to try it.

I have been using Alpecin caffeine shampoo but that doesnt seem to be doing anything at all to be honest, My hair gets greasy very very quickly and I normally have to wash it once a day, I also tend to find I have a dry skin on my scalp after I wash it. I am considering starting propecia but am worried of the side effects. Please advise, any information would be highly appreciated. Thank you

Tricovivax is just a brand name of minoxidil sold in some international markets. Minoxidil is also known as Rogaine or Regaine, depending on where you live. At 19 years old, I don’t see a problem with you using minoxidil. It works best in the crown, but I don’t know where your hair loss is.

I wouldn’t expect caffeine shampoo to do anything to treat hair loss.

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

How Many Times Does a Hair Need to Be Pulled Out Before it Stops Growing?

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

How many times a hair must be pulled so that the follicle become damaged. After 3-4 times of pulling the hair can grow back?

I don’t know the answer to your question, but I suspect it varies with the individual. Patients with trichotillomania pull hairs over long periods of time. Those people who pluck their eyebrows may be able to give us an answer.

Tags: hair pulling, hairloss, hair loss

Study from 2008 Finds Finasteride Doesn’t Lead to Erectile Dysfunction to a Significant Degree

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

Hey doctors,
I know there’s all this debate about Propecia and ED……and whether or not there’s a placebo effect or the power of suggestion at play. Have you seen this study from 2008?

Link: The effect of 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors on erectile function

This was published in the Journal of Andrology in late 2008, but I don’t remember if we wrote about it before. Thanks for sending in the link.

Based on this study, finasteride was associated with a significantly higher proportion of erectile dysfunction (ED) in patients that were informed of possible erectile side effects as compared with patients for whom the same information was withheld. For patients taking the 5mg finasteride to treat BPH, the incidence of ED was 9.6% for the group without counseling and 30.9% for the group with counseling (source: Mondaini et al, 2007).

The abstract concludes: “We conclude that 5 a-reductase inhibitors do not lead to erectile dysfunction to a significant degree, and we support the position that dihydrotestosterone is less relevant than testosterone in erectile function.”

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, finasteride, propecia, side effects

Minoxidil On My Temples Causes Hair to Grow, But It Accelerates My Hairline Loss!

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

Dear Doctor,
Whenever I use Minoxidil on my temples (I’m 27 years old and a NW3) I see some small hairs on bald areas but it accelerates the thinning of my hairlines middle which currently is turned to a V shape. The longest I have used Minox on temples was 6 months in which time I had quite a few hairs on previous bald areas but thinned considerably the middle sections. Now after some months of not using Minox I have started using it for 1.5 month and again am seeing the same results which means shedding of the middle section and small hairs on temples.

What should I do? should I continue and ride the shedding or stop cause i dont think the shedded hairs are going to grow back?

I really appreciate your Opinion on this. Many Thanks In advance.

Minoxidil topical (Rogaine) does help regrow hairs on the top and crown areas of your head (it is not generally used for the frontal and middle hairline). Minoxidil takes anywhere from 6-12 months to notice change, so your results are not typical. The only way you could tell progress (positive or negative) would have been with good before photos, miniaturization mapping, and bulk documentation.

See a dermatologist. Some people experience short term shedding from minoxidil, but I can’t explain why it’s causing quick regrowth at your temples while simultaneously making the middle of your hairline thin.

Tags: minoxidil, rogaine, hairloss, hair loss

My Doctor Told Me Dutasteride Was Safer Than Finasteride, But I’m Losing More Hair Now!

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

Hello
I have been on Finasteride 1mg for a year and had controlled the hair loss totally. Also had seen some thinning areas getting thicker and almost no side effects,but some months back i visited a skin doctor for some skin rash. Later while leaving I just mentioned that I used finasteride and he then told me i should try Dutasteride 0.5mg, which he claimed to be safer and greater results. But now i have been on it for four months have been losing lots and lots of hair everyday, front hair line which was earlier thicker is thinning rapidly.

i just don’t know what to do? should I go back on finasteride 1mg and again wait for months for it to kick in or wait and complete 6 months of dutasteride?? is dutasteride not suiting me cause of my life style of heavy workout and hi protein diet? I had read somewhere that dutasteride releases high scalp testosterone ….plz advise

This is an unusual complaint, as dutasteride is at least as effective as finasteride. It is possible that if you have genetic hair loss, it is accelerating. I don’t know why your doctor would say dutasteride is safer than finasteride, but I didn’t prescribe either medication to you and I can’t give you dosing advice or a treatment plan. Get to see a specialist to address your issues.

Tags: finasteride, dutasteride, hairloss, hair loss

I’m Still Losing Hair After Taking Propecia for 5 Months — How Do I Know If I’m Responding?

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

Hello,
I am a 19 year old male, I noticed my hair started thinning 1.5 years ago after starting college. I do a lot of aerobic sport and I think that I have a balanced and healthy diet.

Since 5 months I’ve been on Propecia prescribed to me by my dermatologist. Since then I haven’t seen any difference in the amount of hair I lose everyday, although during exam periods with a lot of stress, I seem to lose more hair than usual (this over a period of 4 weeks).
Since starting, the top of my head has thinned quite a bit to the point that you can see parts of my scalp under light.

A lot of the hair I lose (other than thick hair) seems to be new hair (thin hairs, with “pointy” ends). I notice small bulbs on many hairs too. I also have a tiny bit of dandruff in my hair since starting propecia. Ever since I started losing my hair, each time I run my hand through my hair I get 3-4 strands… This is on any part of my head (sides, back, top).

I wanted to know if Propecia is working for me or if there a way to check if I am responding to the medication? Thank you

In general, Propecia takes about 6 to 12 months for one to see the effect. You can also continue to lose your existing hair while on Propecia, and one must remember that the medication is not a cure and it does work better in some patients (each patient is different).

If you want to know if Propecia is working for you, follow up with your doctor. Hopefully, there were some good pictures taken before you started and maybe even miniaturization and bulk measurements were documented, which are scientific ways to determine if the drug is working. Otherwise, it is just a guess and your own subjective opinions.

Tags: propecia, finasteride, hairloss, hair loss

Am I Causing Permanent Damage By Scrubbing My Seborrheic Dermatitis?

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

Hi, I am a 21-year-old female. I have always had seborrheic dermatitis, so my scalp has always been scrubbed during shampoos, with nails, until I was about 16, when I learned it was not alright to do.

Sometimes (about a few times a year) I scratch my seborrheic dermatitis if it is itchy, or run my fingertips through my hair (with a bit of pressure) to push out blackheads on the scalp. Hair rarely comes out. Today I was running my fingers through my hair (with pressure) intermittently all day, and ended up losing about 10-20 hairs (I did not comb or wash my hair for a few days, though). When I play with my boyfriend’s hair, I end up removing his blackheads too, through fingertip-rubbing, about a couple times a month. Did I cause any permanent damage to our hair follicles?

Thanks!

If you pick at your scalp and repeat the process in the same area, you may lose hair permanently (see Trichotillomania Learning Center). So while I don’t know if you caused permanent loss, it’s doubtful at this point. Losing 100 hairs a day is normal, and since you didn’t comb or wash your hair for a few days it’s entirely possible that those hairs were already fallen out and just trapped.

Seborrheic dermatitis is a common condition and there are many good commercial products out there that can address it with traditional shampoos like Head and Shoulders (one of my favorites).

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, trichotillomania, dermatitis

I Have a Bald Spot in the Middle of My Hairline and It Is Painful!

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

My hairline is thinning FAST. It was just a few weeks ago I noticed thinning in the middle of my hairline now I have a bald spot on the middle of my hairline. My left side of my hairline is thinning too. Sometimes when I touch the top of my head it hurts real bad as if I had a deep cut. I went from my normal hairline to really bad thinning all over my head, noticeably my hairline in just 1 month. Its getting worse. What should I do? Im 20 years old male.

I can’t explain the pain you’re feeling at your hairline, but if you visit a doctor he/she should be able to address your problem. All of this change, assuming it is really a very short term problem, is a concern, and it sounds like you need immediate medical attention. Start off with your family doctor.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, hairline, pain

I Have Obvious Hair Plugs and Now I Just Want to Be Naturally Bald

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

Dear Dr. Rassman:

I am a 45 year old male with obvious hair plugs. I had two sessions done back in 1993. In considering all of my repair options, I would like to just be naturally bald. I wonder the hair transplanted can be removed. I am not interested in additional grafting. I like to be bald. Thank you.

Shaving your head will probably bring out the pitting in the recipient area that often accompanies the old style of hair plugs. We have developed a process call Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP), which works well when the hair is clipped very short to make you look like a normal fellow with a shaved head. The pitting I mentioned is often hidden by this process, but I would have to see you to tell you what can be done.

Here’s an example of a patient that had SMP done to hide his plug scars in the donor area. The photo was taken immediately after one session.

SMP

 

If you are not in California, send some good photos with multiple angles to the email address on the Contact page and I will try to give you an opinion over the phone.

Tags: repair, scarring, hair plugs, smp

Any Word on a Dandruff Cure?

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

In this video they talk about advances made in dandruff research in relation to studies made on malazzia yeast by P & G researchers and say that their looking for a cure. I know hair is your specialty not skin but do you know if P & G is likely to find a cure or better treatments for dandruff any time soon? I’m not complaining about the current treatments but I would love it if I could cure the dandruff aspect of my seborrhoeic dermatitis someday.

Link to video – YouTube

 

I’ve embedded the video above for those curious. It appears to be from 2008, but I’m not sure what has come of their research since then. I generally do not treat dandruff issues and I don’t really follow dandruff cure related news bits too closely, as I spend too much time already following up on supposed hair loss cures.

I realize you said you’re fine with the current treatments, but for everyone else — There are a variety of shampoos that are formulated to address dandruff, and it is worth trying a few of them to see what works best for you. Of course, the best thing to do is to see a good dermatologist.

Tags: dandruff, cure, treatment

Not Hair Loss News – Eating Fried Foods Once a Week Boosts Prostate Cancer Risk

/by William Rassman, M.D./6 /

Snippet from the article:

Eating deep-fried foods, such as French fries and fried chicken, on a regular basis may be tied to an increased risk of prostate cancer, a new study suggests.

Previous research has suggested that eating foods prepared with high-heat cooking methods, such as grilled meat, may increase the risk of prostate cancer. But this is the first study to look at how deep-fried foods may affect that risk, the study authors said.

Researchers examined data from about 1,500 men diagnosed with prostate cancer and about 1,500 men who did not have the disease. The men, who ranged in age from 35 to 74, provided details about their eating habits.

Men who said they ate French fries, fried chicken, fried fish and/or doughnuts at least once a week were 30 percent to 37 percent more likely to develop prostate cancer than those who ate such foods less than once a month.

Read the rest — Fried Foods May Boost Prostate Cancer Risk, Study Says

The article points out that the increased risk may be due to the oils used in the frying process, or just a high fat diet in general.

Tags: fried food, prostate cancer, cancer, health