Accelerated Follicular Restoration to Speed Up Growth After a Hair Transplant?

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

Any thoughts on this Help Hair product that claims to accelerate the growth process after a transplant, so that it only takes 6 months to see the full results after surgery? It claims to reduce or eliminate the telogen phase after a hair transplant!

Press release from 2011 – link
Product page (with link to a study of 115 hair transplant patients) – link

I have been following the Help Hair product for some time, but I have been reluctant to hop on board because of the lack of clinical evidence that it works. On a positive note, it is logical, and the theory that “increased anabolic metabolism can affect regeneration of the hair follicle” makes sense (after all, we are what we eat). The change in diet brought on by this product may have no effect on a person who is healthy and eats healthy foods, but there may be a fine line between those with a good diet and those who might benefit from a better diet.

If I saw a good scientific study, I might want to endorse this product’s use in our practice, but as this increases the costs for our patients, I really want to see better evidence.

In our practice and in the years I have been doing hair transplants, most of the grafts routinely have started to grow within 6 months, and once hair starts to grow, it grows at 1/2 inch per month. So for example, for the transplanted hairs that grow out by the 5th month, we will see 1/2 inch length at the 6th month. I would be interested to see reports of when the hair actually starts to grow, and then use the 1/2 inch rule to determine when the “full results” are actually achieved.

Tags: afr, accelerated follicular restoration, help hair, hair transplant

Not Hair Loss News – Doctor Claims to Cure Cancer, Is Possibly a Quack

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

Snippet from the article:

Hundreds of thousands of pounds have been raised to send British patients to a doctor in America who claims he can “cure cancer”. But Dr Stanislaw Burzynski’s treatment has been dismissed by practitioners of mainstream medicine.

It looked like something out of Willy Wonka’s factory. A room full of pipes and noise; a production process that flowed through steel tubes, steaming boilers and glass tanks of bubbling liquid. But there was one striking difference from a chocolate factory – the whole room smelled of urine. This is an industrial facility in Texas which produces the drug at the heart of Dr Stanislaw Burzynski’s treatment. He thinks the cure to cancer can be found inside our bodies, substances in blood and urine that switch off cancer cells.

Dr Burzynski calls them antineoplastons. He used to extract them from human urine, but he now uses chemicals. Up to 300 litres of the drug, which has never been licensed, are produced in this factory every day.

Read the rest — Curing cancer or ‘selling hope’ to the vulnerable?

We look for heroes who break the rules imposed by traditional medicine, working with diseases impossible to cure. Hope is a strong drive and many times regular channels in medicine do not give the hope to those who feel abandoned.

I have seen reports on this doctor and although there is little evidence that what treatments he offers has value, he offers optimism for people with terminal diseases who do not otherwise have much to hope for.

Tags: cancer, urine, quack

Would Finasteride Treat Hair Loss While I’m Taking an SSRI?

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

I’m 18 years old and have been on an SSRI, which has caused a diffuse hair loss. This has also seemed to kick off MPB. Obviously my mental health takes priority however is there any chance of finasteride being successful in treating the MPB side while i am still taking the SSRI which causes a telogen effluvium?

thanks.

If your SSRI (e.g. some antidepressants) kicked off the genetic balding process, then the use of finasteride may have value for the treatment of the genetic component of your hair loss. If the hair loss isn’t related to your genetics, the finasteride is unnecessary.

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

I Quickly Saw Great Improvement from Propecia, Then It All Started Shedding Just as Fast

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

I am 23 and have been experiencing MPB since age 16. I decided to try Propecia 6 months ago. After 2 months, I started getting fantastic results (hair looked WAY thicker, nothing was falling out). However, a month or so later, Propecia seemed to stop working. I am now in month six, and for the last 3 months my hair has been shedding and falling out like it was before I started the drug and it seems it has completely stopped working. I even called Merck and they told me they had NEVER heard of anyone responding positively so quickly and then stopping. Is it possible for a “shed” to last over three months and then revert back to positive results?

Interestingly, I had the SAME reaction when I tried Saw Palmetto a year ago. It worked great for a month or so and then completely stopped. Does my MPB overpower the DHT inhibitors and create some sort of immunity? I did not stick with Saw Palmetto for more than a few weeks after it stopped “working,” but I have stuck with Propecia so far.

Please let me know if you have any advice as I am desperate for some guidance. (I am no longer with my prescribing doctor and have nowhere to turn)

An uncommon report from some people starting on the drug is that they experience shedding. When this occurs, it generally disappears after one or two months. You’re asking about three to four months of shedding caused by the drug, and I frankly have not seen that report. The real effects of Propecia take a year or so, in some people up to two years. Patience is a virtue.

It is unusual to see fantastic results in just a couple months, so I’m not really sure what you saw. Since it is a prescription medication and you’re no longer with your prescribing doctor, the best thing I can recommend is to find another doctor and have him/her handle your care. Hopefully you can get some metrics to compare your hair today to your hair a year from now to see if you’re experiencing any benefits from the medication.

You could have accelerated hair loss from the genetic impact. The hair loss cycle with those that have genetic hair loss can come in spurts and slow periods, and the only way to know is to watch it over time while you are on Propecia.

Tags: propecia, finasteride, hairloss, hair loss

I Found a Bald Spot in the Back of My Head (with Photo)

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

I am 24, male. And found this bald spot a few days ago and getting really worried and dont know why or how it’s there. I would like help and advice if possible please thanks.

Click the photo to enlarge:

 

You should see a dermatologist. There are many conditions that can cause such a bald spot, including alopecia areata, fungal infection, allergy, injury, stress, etc. Is the spot growing in size since you first noticed it?

Tags: hair loss, hairloss, bald spot

In the News – Growth Factor for Follicle Generation During Wound Healing Identified

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

Snippet from the article:

Researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have determined the role of a key growth factor, found in skin cells of limited quantities in humans, which helps hair follicles form and regenerate during the wound healing process. When this growth factor, called Fgf9, was overexpressed in a mouse model, there was a two- to three-fold increase in the number of new hair follicles produced. Researchers believe that this growth factor could be used therapeutically for people with various hair and scalp disorders. The study appears in an advance online publication of Nature Medicine.

“The findings help explain why humans don’t regenerate their hair after wounding,” said senior author George Cotsarelis, MD, professor and chair of Dermatology. “The study also points us to a way to treat wounds and grow hair.”

Read the rest — Growth factor responsible for triggering hair follicle generation during wound healing identified

Exciting stuff from a world renowned researcher!

Tags: cotsarelis, hair growth

I Started Shedding 9 Days After a Hair Transplant

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

Doctor,

After 9 days I’ve begun shedding. Is this too early? I’m really worried.. All I can say is I’ve been relaxing in my hotel with air conditioning would that of helped ‘dry up’ and speed the process up?

10 days after my hair transplant, the scabs have formed and are flaking off, however, I’m noticing some hair inside the flake! I thought shedding occurred 2 weeks after op?

Thank you doctor great website!

I am not sure what you mean by shedding. If you are talking about the grafts falling out with hair in them at 9 days, that is typical and should be of no concern. Although we call this a hair transplant, it is really a stem cell transplant and that the stem cells shed off of the graft into the recipient site. At the point when the grafts are routinely shed, the stem cells already are secure in the recipient area, even though most of the grafts have fallen out. Then comes the dormant phase, followed by hair growth some months down the line.

If you are saying that the native hair around the transplanted grafts in the recipient area are shedding, then I would be concerned. I routinely put my young male surgical patients on finasteride (as well as anyone actively losing hair) prior to the hair transplant to prevent this type of shedding, also referred to as shock loss.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, hair transplant

Propecia Has Halted My Hair Loss for 2 Years, so Is it Time to Stop Taking It?

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

I have been on Propecia now for about 2.5 years (I am 22 now) and I noticed a receding hairline back when I was 18/19, so I decided to act on my hair loss quickly. Ever since being on Propecia I havent noticed any further hair loss. I was wondering is there a time where I should think about stopping Propecia?

I’ve heard that it can affect fertility (I know that you have said that many people do complain and the ones with positive experiences don’t) but I was just
wondering is it safe to continue? should I consider stopping? thank you in advance

These are decisions that you should speak with your doctor about. If you stop it, you will lose all of the hair that benefited from the drug from the day you started to where the progression should have taken you.

There are extensive risks and you should have read all about them from your doctor at the time you started the process. It is uncertain if fertility is one of those risks. For my own son, I have kept him on this drug as it completely stopped and reversed his frontal hair loss.

Tags: finasteride, propecia, hairloss, hair loss

Is Hair Cloning Happening Outside the US?

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

interested in hair cloning. is anyone doing this now? I know aderans completed phase 3 trials. but I was wondering if anyone outside united states is already doing this successfully of course.

thanks

There are no proven cases where hair cloning has been performed successfully as a clinical treatment.

Tags: hair cloning, hairloss, hair loss

Deciding When the Best Time Is to Get a Hair Transplant

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

I am 27 years old and have diffuse hair-loss on the top of my head with my crown being the worst. I have been on Finasteride for around 5 years and I think I am slowly losing ground. It definitely helped me maintain but lately I am noticing a lot of hairs falling out which leads me to believe Fin will no longer be effective. I think I the next step for me would be to get a hair transplant but I have a few questions:

Is it possible to get a hair transplant when you are diffusely thinning all over the top? I am afraid that a hair transplant will cause shock loss and I will lose my remaining hair. Is there any way to get good results?

At 27 years old, is it still to early to get a transplant? Should I wait until my hair-loss gets much worse? How do you decide when is the best time to get a transplant?

These are personal decisions. Like the stock market which is losing ground, when is a good time to sell your stocks? Is it when the stocks drop another 50% (i.e. you lose 50% of your existing hair) or do you wait out the possibility of the stock going up (like waiting for Propecia and/or Rogaine to kick in and reverse some of the loss)? The analogy falls short here, because the stock market in the long term does well, but your hair loss in the long term is progressive, leading to a greater degree of balding.

In your case, have you been back to your prescribing doctor to see if you are losing ground after 5 years on finasteride?

I would need to see your photographs to really answer your question, so if you’d like me to take a look, you can send them to the address on the Contact page and I can get back to you privately. Reference this post when you send the photos.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, finasteride, hair transplant

I’m Wondering if the Humidity Here Has Made My Finasteride Less Effective?

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

Hi Dr. Rassman;

Thank you for this blog and the excellent information you and your team provide. I have one quick question – does the temperature at which Finasteride is stored change its effectiveness?

I’m a 23 year old male, and I’ve been taking 1mg Finasteride for 2 years and 9 months (when I first noticed my hairloss), and my hairline has remained fairly stable until recently. But over the last few months I’ve noticed it move noticeably from about Norwood II to Norwood III, and my upper scalp has begun to thin. I assume this is the result of my genetics gradually beating out the drug’s effects. But as I’m a Peace Corps volunteer living in a southern, tropical country without access to air conditioning, I was wondering if the heat and humidity could have somehow broken down the Finasteride?

What do you recommend for storing Finasteride? Would it be better to store it in a refrigerator or to risk the sometimes 100+ degree heat? Or would you say that the temperature probably doesn’t make a difference, and that my genetics are slowly winning over the drug?

Thanks for your response!

We are told not to let the medication heat up, and you should realize that humidity could negatively effect its potency. The balance between the drug and the normal course of the hair loss process is very difficult to analyze; however, effective drugs of all types do depend upon low humidity and no increase in temperature over 100 degrees F.

As for storing in it a refrigerator, I’ve answered that before here.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, propecia, finasteride, storage temperature

In the News – Hair Science International Claims Hair Loss Cure, But Actually Just Selling Wigs

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

Snippet from the article:

A ”CUTTING EDGE” hair loss clinic that says it can cure baldness in fact hands out cheap wigs to cover bald spots. Hair Science International was fined $100,000 after Consumer Affairs Victoria exposed scores of false claims made by the Melbourne-based company that advertises to have “20 years in Hair-loss research across the globe”. The business even starred footballers Brent Guerra and David Hale on their website.

Consumer Affairs Victoria took the company, former director Steve Sindiris and ”senior hair loss specialist” Joseph Zwaigoft to Melbourne Magistrates’ Court after unhappy customers spoke out. Customers claimed they paid $6,000 to $8,000 for poor-quality hairpieces which were glued on to their head. Hairpieces also needed to be reattached every five to six weeks for an additional fee.

Consumer Affairs Victoria alleged that the company claimed it could grow hair on synthetic liquid skin and then attach this hair to the client’s scalp.

Read the rest — Hair loss clinic fined over wig claims

Tags: wigs, fake cure, hair loss, hairloss, australia

DHT and Genetics

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

If you say DHT is produced in all men, then how is it genetic? And why some get bald and some have a full head of hair even if they also produce DHT?

Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is produced by all men and women. Testosterone made in the bodies of men and women is metabolized by the liver, and DHT is a byproduct of this process. When a person inherits the genes for balding, this hormone causes the hair to be lost in a pattern that is genetically determined. There are a number of balding patterns that were charted, and Dr. O’Tar Norwood standardized these patterns found in men back in the 1970s.

The treatment for balding is to try to block the action of the DHT at the hair level. Fortunately, the hair follicle is very sensitive to this hormone, which is easily blocked. Propecia (finasteride 1mg) is not a complete block of the actions of DHT on the hair follicle, but about 70% of it is blocked and this reduces the impact of the DHT on the balding process.

So everyone makes DHT, but only the genetic markers in some people will result in the DHT causing hair loss.

Tags: dht, hair loss, hairloss, genetics

I Was Born with an Undescended Testicle — Is That Why I Have Diffuse Hair Loss?

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

I believe I am suffering from diffuse patterned alopecia aka DPA. I was born with an undescended testicle causing a hormonal imbalance in my body. I am now 24 and have been experiencing diffusing hair loss for over 5 years. Ive been scared to take the next step and obtain treatment until now.

There is no connection between the testicle that did not descend and your hair loss. I hope you had the testicle addressed by now with a good doctor, as these testicles that are kept in the abdomen have a higher risk of testicular cancer.

The hair loss sounds like it’s probably typical genetic male pattern balding, for which you should be evaluated by a competent doctor.

Tags: testicle, hairloss, hair loss

I Went Off Propecia After 14 years and Lost My Hair!

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

I started taking Propecia when the drug first hit the market. There was some early hairloss when I started the medication. I stayed on it faithfully for about 14 years and last year I decided I did not need it anymore and would try to be off of it. I had no side effects, but I wanted to be free of taking drugs. About 1 month later, the hair loss started and got really bad by the third month. I am not sure why I did not go back on the medication, but I was scared. My hair loss was worse than when I started on the drug.

After almost a year I made the decision to go back on the drug and saw the hair loss stop again and some hair started to grow back. Will I get it all back?

As you were off the drug for almost a year, I would not be surprised to see little regrowth. Only time will tell, and this time stay on the drug as it is a lifetime commitment.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, finasteride, propecia