Not Hair Loss News – New Gene Test to Quickly Scan for Cancer Markers

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

Snippet from the article:

Cancer patients will routinely be offered genetic tests to help determine the best treatment, under plans being developed at an NHS hospital.

The technique looks for dangerous mutations on 100 genes covering many types of cancer, meaning one simple test could be suitable for most patients. Women with cancers of the breast and ovaries will be the first to benefit at the Royal Marsden Hospital, before the test is expanded to other cancers.

Within three years doctors aim to have a system in place that could be used by almost anyone with cancer anywhere in the country, at a cost of a few hundred pounds.

Read the rest — Fast gene test for cancer patients

Tags: cancer, genetic test, cancer screening

I Have One Testicle, so Is Finasteride Still an Option to Treat My Hair Loss?

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

Hi doctors,
I’m 30 years old and i lost one testicle when i was 18. So now i thinking about my options to stop hair loss. Is finasteride for me? I know about some side effects of fin and i’m worried, but with only one testicle is it still safe for me to start it? Or am i in for more dangers than others?

Anyway i will definitely talk about it with my urologist before i start (if i start), just looking for more opinions. thank you

Finasteride is likely still an option for you, though your prescribing doctor will have to make the call on that. I don’t know what your hair loss situation looks like. You certainly aren’t automatically ruled out from taking Propecia (finasteride 1mg) because of your one testicle, as the safety of the medication has nothing to do with the number of testicles you have.

I would schedule that urologist appointment to at least get some more advice. If you are concerned about testosterone or other hormone production from the testicles, I would guess that your one testicle puts out as much testosterone as two testicles to compensate.

If you are concerned about side effect potential from finasteride, your risk isn’t any higher or lower than the rest of the population (less than 2% will experience some side effects). I’ve written much about the side effects before over the years.

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

In the News – Interview with a Young Woman Battling Trichotillomania

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

Snippet from the article:

Trichotillomania, an impulse control disorder that causes sufferers to compulsively pull out their own hair and can often lead to both noticeable hair loss and social anxiety, affects between two to five percent of Americans. One sufferer, Valerie Vanone, joined HuffPost Live recently to share her story of battling trichotillomania, which began at age 12 and eventually forced her to leave school in order to seek treatment.

Vanone, who began pulling out her eyelashes as a pre-teen before escalating to pulling hair directly from her scalp, didn’t seek help until she was 24 years old, she told host Nancy Redd.

Read the rest — Trichotillomania, Hair-Pulling Disorder, Caused Me To Leave School

I’ve embedded the video interview below:


Tags: trichotillomania, trich, hair loss, hairloss, hair pulling, ocd

Having Sex After a Hair Transplant?

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

Can you have sex after a hair transplant? Just wondering!

I tell my patients that they can have sex after a hair transplant and use sound judgement. You can also exercise after a hair transplant, but must also use sound judgement. In general, we ask patients to take it easy for the first two weeks…. but some patients who have very active lifestyles will do light exercises even after 2-3 days and be fine.

Tags: sex, hair transplant, surgery, hairloss, hair loss

Study – Isolated Crown Balding and the Risk of Prostate Cancer

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

Snippet from the abstract:


Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a genetically determined skin condition strongly age dependent and androgens are assumed to play an important role in its development. A link between AGA and prostate cancer has been hypothesized because of their similar risk factors.

We sought to systematically review the evidence available on the association between AGA and risk of prostate cancer.

We searched the electronic databases MEDLINE and Cochrane for studies examining the association between AGA and risk of prostate cancer. We estimated pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals. We also analyzed the OR for individual hair loss patterns, as defined by the Hamilton scale.

Read the rest — Androgenetic alopecia and risk of prostate cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Although many authors have investigated a possible association between androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and prostate cancer, there is not yet a definitive answer. Patients with any pattern genetic balding did not have an increased risk of prostate cancer, but patients with just vertex pattern AGA (crown balding without balding in other areas) had a significantly increased risk of prostate cancer versus control subjects. Vertex pattern AGA may be associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer.

In another publication, there was a higher risk of heart disease in patients with pure crown balding.

Tags: crown balding, vertex, prostate cancer, hairloss, hair loss

I’ve Lost Hair Since Starting Keppra (Epilepsy Medication)

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

(female)
I have lost my natural curl and half the amount of hair that I had as a side effect of Keppra. I would like to know since I have taken myself off it, will my hair grow back with the natural curl that I lost?

Hair loss is a known rare side effect of Keppra (levetiracetam), but I can’t say for sure if your hair will regrow now that you’ve taken yourself off of it. You’d have to wait out about a year to see if it regrows.

You were taking Keppra for an important medical reason (like seizures), and you should not be taking yourself off of medications without speaking to your doctor. I can’t even say for sure if Keppra was the cause of your hair loss.

Tags: levetiracetam, keppra, seizures, epilepsy, hairloss, hair loss

In the News – Photographer’s Images of Alopecia

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

Snippet from the article:

It’s a hair loss condition that often robs sufferers of their self-esteem and confidence. Now a photographer has taken this stunning gallery of images of people with alopecia (many with alopecia areata) to raise awareness about the condition.

Daniel Regan, 28, said he wanted to tackle an issue that is often ignored by the public.

See the gallery — Photographer’s stunning images of alopecia sufferers as part of project to create awareness about the condition

The photographer said, “I hope that my images illustrated the drastic change that sufferers experience in their body image and place pressure on those in the right positions to pay further attention to this devastating condition.”

Tags: alopecia, photographs, hairloss, hair loss, photos

My Doctor Prescribed Me Finasteride and Dutasteride to Take At the Same Time

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

Hi Doctor Rassman, I have a question, I know med advice is not given on the internet, but all I need is just an expert opinion from someone like yourself who is an expert in hairloss industry.

I am 28 years old male in perfect health. No drinking or smoking at all. I have been on brand propecia 1mg for 2 years exactly as prescribed by my dermatologist. in the 2 years I have not got the best results, hair looks almost the same as pre treatment with propecia, but doctor said looks like I am slightly below baseline. so he said for me to keep taking propecia 1mg daily because it has slowed the rate down, I have not experienced any side affects at all on propecia.

Since I have not experienced any side affects from finasteride, my dermatologist also wrote me a prescription for avodart 0.5 mg. he told me avodart is a stronger dht blocker and told me to use it ever other day at the 0.5 mg level. He suggested I still take the 1mg finasteride daily, but just use avodart 0.5mg every other day, basically 4 times a week. He told me not to drop finasteride as maybe I might experience a loss of hair that finasteride was hanging on to. I asked if this was safe and he said yes, and not to worry. Basically in your opinion do you have any positive results from patients that use avodart? do you think its better for hairloss?

I really do not know the details about you. I generally think that if Propecia (finasteride) is working, then just keep to it. If your hair looks the same today as when you started Propecia 2 years ago, that sounds like it’s working just fine. Not everyone will see substantial regrowth, and just keeping the hair loss at bay would mean the medication is successful.

Avodart (dutasteride) added to the Propecia routine makes no sense to me, as both medications work in similar ways. I’ve prescribed dutasteride in rare cases for patients that saw results from Propecia dissipate over the years… but in your case, it sounds like the Propecia is working just fine. I have no idea why your doctor would prescribe both drugs to you.

Tags: finasteride, propecia, dutasteride, avodart, hairloss, hair loss

Should I Wipe The Scalp Oil Off My Balding Areas?

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

Dear Dr Rassman

Hi, Great blog this! I have noticed that the balding areas of the crown and front are very oily/ greasy. If I take a tissue and gently wipe it, the tissue comes off with grease. Could this be blocking the hair follicles and thereby increasing hair loss? I play sports actively so I wash my head twice a day.

Would you suggest wiping the greasy areas with a tissue during the day if it helps the hair in any way?

Thanks.

Greasy areas on your scalp have nothing to do with hair loss. If you want to wipe the grease off or use any products, go ahead, but it will not affect your hair. I don’t have any particular suggestions. Your hair will fall out no matter what you do over time, because you likely have genetic balding. If you are concerned about hair loss, you should see a doctor to see if medication may be an option for you.

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

Are Back Acne and MPB Linked?

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

Thanks for answer, I make this question due the tons of speculations ive heard about back/chest acne related with male pattern baldness, does exist any relation between them?

None that I’m aware of. Where are you hearing this stuff? Acne on your chest or back is unrelated to male pattern baldness.

Tags: acne, hair loss, hairloss

Erectile Dysfunction Can Possibly be Treated with Lifestyle Modifications

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

In the first journal of the International Society for Sexual Medicine, an article appeared titled, “The Incidence, Prevalence, and Natural History of Erectile Dysfunction“. The article (from Department of Urology, St. James University Hospital, Leeds, UK) covered some important points worth sharing with our readers:

1. “The varying methodologies, definitions, and populations make comparison difficult, but in high-quality studies there is a consistent association with age, and analytical studies suggest an association with cardiovascular risk factors, depression, and lower urinary tract symptoms. There is emerging evidence of a link with smoking and obesity.”

2. “Remission was commoner in younger men, suggesting that in these men psychological and lifestyle factors might be the cause of temporary self-limiting ED.”

3. “These studies also suggest that lifestyle modifications might be helpful in the prevention and treatment of ED.”

Read the full study abstract here.

Tags: erectile dysfunction, lifestyle

The Hair Around My Ears Doesn’t Grow As Long As the Rest of My Hair

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

Hello,

I hope all is well today. I was curious as to why hair around ones ear and lower hairline (the rim around sideburns/ ears to bottom back part of head / even up to temples) only grows a certain length. I guess I just assumed this hair would keep growing for years and be as long as ones hair on top. I am not experiencing MPB or anything, I was just curious. Seems as though even no matter how long my hair on top and mid sides gets these hairs around the hairline perimeter only grow so long, maybe just a few inches.

Thanks

Hair that grows in different parts of the scalp and neck vary from each other based upon your genetic programming. We are all different, so what applies to one person may not apply to another. For example, neck hair does not grow long like scalp hair in most people and it may even be different in texture.

Tags: hair growth, genetics

In the News – Locks of Love Could Be Missing Hair

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

Snippet from the article:

Hold onto your ponytails: A new report alleges that Locks of Love — a well-known charity that makes wigs for children suffering from medical hair loss — has disclosure inadequacies that could total up to $6 million annually.

Locks of Love reportedly receives around 104,000 hair donations per year to make “hair prosthetics,” according to the report by Nonprofit Investor, an organization that evaluates charities. That should be enough to produce around 2,080 hairpieces, taking into account that 80% of donated hair can’t be used (too short, gray, or bleached), and that it takes six to 10 donations to make a Locks of Love wig.

But in 2011, Locks of Love made just 317 of its custom-fitted wigs, according to Nonprofit Investor.

Read the rest — REPORT: $6 Million Worth Of Hair Donations To Locks Of Love Have Gone Missing

Tags: locks of love, charity, wigs, hairloss, hair loss

Stagnation in Baldness Research?

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

Why is it that, despite the astounding leaps in cosmetic surgery, and in stem-cell research, we still are nowhere near the ability to give me back a full head of hair? I have recently read that scientists can now change someones eye colour for cosmetic reasons, and re-grow teeth. It seems bizarre considering the amount of money that is put in, and yet almost no treatment exists, yet other fields are advancing brilliantly so.

DuplicityAre you familiar with the romantic spy movie that came out a few years ago called “Duplicity“, starring Julia Roberts and Clive Owen? The plot of the movie included an attempt to steal a secret formula, which is documented step by step. What is the secret formula, you might ask? What does this have to do with baldness research? The secret is — it’s a cure for balding.

I understand your frustration, but the movie does show the value business puts on a cure for baldness. There is a great deal of money to be made by any group that comes up with a successful treatment. Hair loss is not necessarily government backed research, as much of it is carried out or funded because the motivation is strictly for profit. There is a lot of research looking for the cure, and we must be patient and believe in the capitalistic model to see what I hope will be a truly effective treatment for balding sometime in our future.

Just don’t ask me when.

Tags: duplicity, hollywood, hair loss, hairloss, cure

I Was Diagnosed with Lichen Planopilaris

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

Hi,

I recently went to a dermatologist to be diagnosed with AGA despite no family history (even 3 generations back). I am a 29 year old male, who has been overweight for a few years (~50-60 lbs)and generalized anxiety disorder. I was prescribed “Valium” and a beta blocker called “Propranolol” in December 2009. Sometime in 2011, my head began to itch, sometimes more, sometimes less. By February 2012, I noticed suddenly that there was a thinning patch on my crown and my scalp looked red and inflamed and itched more often.

The dermatologist also took two 4 mm punch biopsies from two sites on my vertex and pathology sent them back as AGA w/ active “Lichen Planopilaris”! I had never even heard of this before. My research just shows me it’s extremely rare, is incurable and for the most part will ruin my life unless I enjoy being bald. What am I supposed to do? Everyone else is calm about the situation, and my derm says he doesn’t yet “buy it” that it’s lichen due to my clinical presentation (Are transverse biopsies ever wrong?)

I’ve read you can’t even restore your hair with HT if Lichen is there because it will just destroy that hair too. How does this Lichen disease come about? I’ve read beta blockers can cause lichen planus, and i’ve been on a low dose for 4-5 years now. I’m not sure what to do, I don’t know why I’d have LPP or where it came into existence from. If its me reacting to the drug, would my hair restore itself if I came off of it after years?

Does LPP also cause miniaturization of hairs because that’s apparently happening as well. How statistically unlucky does one have to be to have both AGA with no famiily history + some rare LPP disease that will scar my head for life?

I’m lost and confused and so far no one has begun any treatments for anything. I know I can’t take propecia, and I know steroids won’t be tolerated well in my body if I have this lichen disease of unknown origin.

Have I received a death sentence for my scalp? The crown/vertex is thinning and a small thinning keeps developing down the parting of my hair. My hairline itself hasn’t receded at all since puberty… The top of my scalp is generally pink/reddish at all times with a little red itchy bump scattered sporadically around my whole scalp.

Thank you for reading my desperate post. I’ve gone from the extremely thick course hair I’ve had my entire life and model with, to losing what feels like 70% of it in the course of 15 months at age 28-29. It is imperative that I restore my hair to its previous glory. I do have pictures if you are interested.

Unfortunately, much of what you said is true. Transplanting hair into an area of active disease will kill the hair grafts. Most doctors will not do a surgery like a hair transplant where the odds are against the success of the procedure. I don’t know the specific statistics for those that have lichen planopilaris, as it is a rare scarring alopecia and difficult to treat.

There are some options: hair pieces, Scalp MicroPigmentation / SMP (which requires you to shave your head for best results), and topical concealers like Toppik.

Tags: lichen planopilaris, scarring alopecia, hairloss, hair loss