Not Hair Loss News – Vitamins Don’t Prevent Heart Disease or Cancer

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

Snippet from the article:

There’s not much evidence that vitamins can prevent heart disease or cancer – the two leading killers of Americans, experts said Monday.

Even though half the U.S. population pops vitamins in the belief they can help people live longer, healthier lives, a very extensive look at the studies that have been done show it may be a waste of time when it comes to preventing the diseases most likely to kill you.

The findings, by a team at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore., being used as the basis to update recommendations by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), aren’t clear-cut. They are likely to add to confusion over the benefits of vitamins.

Read the rest — Vitamins don’t prevent heart disease or cancer, experts find

With nearly $12 billion annually spent on vitamins and supplements in the US, the article adds that “study after study has returned mixed evidence, at best, that they help most people in any way. The exceptions are people with vitamin deficiencies.”

Tags: vitamins, heart disease, cancer

Assessing a New Hair Transplant Before the Hairs Go Dormant

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

Hi Doc

The way your hairline looks right after a procedure before the transplanted hairs fall out, is that a pretty good indication of what you’ll look like when the hairs grow back?

When restoring a hairline how do you stay ahead considering balding is progressive? it would seem a year or 2 later after your transplanted hair are fully restored you’re still 2 years thinner with the surrounding hairs.

Thanks

The day after the hair transplant is a good time to assess what you might look like with regard to distribution of the hairs and the position of the hairline. How the fully grown transplant looks is dependent on many factors, including your hair character, skin/hair contrast, and the surgery itself (proper direction placing of the grafts, minimizing graft damage, etc).

As for the second part of your email — Yes, genetic hair loss is progressive and that does mean that further recession might occur after a transplant. This is particularly true in men under 30 years old and in those men who do not take finasteride (Propecia) to stop the progression of the balding. If you stop the hair loss with medication, then in two years (in general), you should see the benefits of frontal hair growth from the transplant without loss behind it.

Tags: propecia, finasteride, hair loss, hairloss, hair transplant, hair growth

CarboxyTherapy?

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

What do you think of this new carboxytherapy for hair loss?

Link 1, Link 2, Link 3

Serious therapy or scum? Thanks in advance for your help!!!!!!

There seems to be a neverending stream of new tricks to reverse or treat hair loss, and this is just another one. To prove than any new treatment works, one needs to do a controlled clinical study. There is a process for this, although I am not going to define it here. The Carboxy Therapy results on a single patient does not meet criteria for a treatment or a cure.

Tags: carboxytherapy, carboxy therapy, hairloss, hair loss

Is A Certain Hair Color Better for Transplanting?

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

Is lighter hair color or darker hair color better for a transplant and why is that the case?

Hair transplants work on any color hair; however, a lower contrast between hair and scalp color makes less hair look like more hair. That means that a blonde with light skin is ideal. Brown hair against brown skin and black hair against dark skin also looks better and takes less hair to accomplish a good sense of fullness. For example, a 1000 graft surgery on a blonde hair , pale skin tone person will look fuller than the same 1000 graft surgery on a pale person with black hair (with the same hair loss pattern).

Also note that hair texture (fine vs coarse), hair length (long vs short), hair wave (straight vs curly) also play a BIG part. These characteristics are not only for hair transplantation itself, but how one’s hair looks in general. If a blonde hair pale skin patient who keeps their hair long and wavy has a hair transplant and decides to cut their hair very short, straighten their hair, or dye it black, often the results of a hair transplant would not appear as good.

Tags: hair transplant, hair color, hair character, hairloss, hair loss, hair restoration

In the News – Hair Loss in Singapore Is a Large Concern in Relationships

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

Snippet from the article:

Seven per cent of Singaporeans would contemplate breaking off relations with their partners, and a further 10 per cent would be embarrassed about introducing their partners to friends and family, if their partners were suffering from hair loss.

These were the findings of a study which sought to understand the perceptions of Singaporeans towards the hairy issue of balding.

In contrast, a majority of the 600 respondents – nearly 75 per cent – reported a more moderate response, choosing instead to urge their partners to seek treatment immediately.

The survey also found that hair loss negatively affects first impression.

Read the rest — Hair loss threatens nearly 1 in 5 relationships in Singapore: Survey

Some time ago, I had a radio show for a year called “The Inner Man” and it covered a wide range of subjects. One of the shows focused upon prejudice against balding people. I remember a caller who said he had an advanced balding pattern, but that even though he was a Senior VP of a large company, he would not hire balding men because he claimed they often couldn’t be trusted. So it does seem that prejudice runs deep in our culture.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, prejudice, relationships, balding, singapore

Not Hair Loss News – Matt Lauer and Al Roker Get Prostate Exams on TV to Raise Awareness

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

Snippet from the article:

Matt and Al undergo uncomfortable prostate exams on ‘Today’ to help raise awareness of prostate cancer during men’s health month.

What some people on the Today show will do to promote good health — and ratings: Matt Lauer and Al Roker underwent prostate exams on live TV today.

Cue the urological jokes and the funny faces. Yuck, yuck, indeed. But it was all for a good cause and, let’s face it, celebrities undergoing medical procedures in public can grab the attention of the medically clueless.

Read the rest — Matt Lauer and Al Roker get prostate exams on ‘Today’

Getting a prostate exam on morning TV is one way to raise prostate cancer awareness… and to try for a ratings boost.

Tags: prostate cancer, prostate, today show

My Doctor Suggested I Increased My Finasteride Dose to 2.5mg Daily

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

I have been on propecia for about 4-5 years with success. I have recently been getting rapid thinning and spoke to my doctor who said I could take generic finasteride at 2.5 mg per day to see if this would help.( the generic approach was to save some income at a higher dosage as 2 propecia pills would be way too expensive)

Have you seen anyone get any benefit from the increased dose? I know on your blog there has been talk of increasing but no word on if it has helped. Also is there any advantage or disadvantage to taking 1.25mg twice daily or 2.5mg once daily? Thanks so much and keep up the work. I also will be contacting you soon to make an office visit to look at future options. Thanks again.

I’m sure most everyone on this site knows, but just to make it clear for the few that may not… The recommended dose of finasteride is 1mg daily for the treatment of genetic androgenic alopecia. Propecia is the brand name for finasteride in 1mg strength. Some patients take the 5mg finasteride and break it into quarters (taking 1.25mg daily) since this method can save them hundreds of dollars a year (over the brand name). There is no clinical difference if you take the generic medication and break it up in quarters as long as you take it consistently daily.

Taking an increased dose of the medication will likely not do much for hair loss/growth. Some doctors and patients have tried it, but there is no evidence that this really helps. Taking it twice a day is also not a recommended dose, and probably would not have any benefit. In the end, it’s not the dose or the frequency of taking finasteride that determines its efficacy. 1mg a day everyday is good enough. If you believe the drug is not working as it should, then it means your genetic predisposition is winning out over the medication’s limit.

If you still feel taking more of the drug will help, talk with you doctor. I can’t say that I’ve seen any additional benefits in patients who have taken double the dose.

Tags: finasteride, proscar, propecia, hairlos, hair loss, dosing

I Bleached My Hair at 15 Years Old and It’s Been Falling Out Since

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

(male)
I’m 17 and I’ve noticed that the hair on the top of my head has been thinning and falling out alot in the past two years. I strongly think that the problem was caused when I bleached my hair unprofessionally two years ago. After I bleached it and washed it off, I felt irritation and burning sensations on the scalp for about half an hour to an hour or so. What has happened to me and what can I do to prevent my hair loss? Also what products can I use to help?

Maybe the bleaching was coincidental to the natural genetic male pattern balding. Do you have a pattern to the thinning? In general, bleaching your hair doesn’t cause hair loss. If it did cause your hair loss, I wouldn’t expect it to reverse now that it has been 2 years since the insult happened. I don’t know of any products that will regrow hair that fell out from chemical damage.

I also can’t advise you without seeing you, or at least a set of good pictures.

Tags: bleach, chemical burn, chemical damage, hairloss, hair loss

A Thank You Letter From a Patient

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

Hi Dr. Pak and Dr. Rassman
I’m writing a thank you letter to thank everyone at NHI, from you Dr. Pak who has done my procedures (FUE hair transplants) to Dr. Rassman who invented the procedure. Also to your amazing staff who are so kind and nice human beings. To tell you truth I don’t have word to describe how I feel, because everyone at NHI is so nice and are willing to go out of there way to help out. I truly appreciate what everyone at NHI has done for me and giving me hope to feel about myself.

One last thing Dr. Pak and Dr. Rassman, I truly applaud you Dr. Pak and Dr. Rassman and your staff from the bottom of my heart for being so nice, polite and knowledgeable in what you all do.

There is no better reward for a doctor to have a patient reflect upon our caring. It is the core of what we, as doctors, are about. Everyone who goes to medical school, does so with the intention to address human suffering as best we can. Our staff must be organized to rally that mission.

A simple thank you is the greatest reward we can hope for. We are so blessed by people like the man who sent the above email, that they put their trust and confidence in us to work through their problems. We get thanks every day, because we genuinely care.

We appreciate comments like this more than anything. What a great way to make a living.

Tags: rassman, pak, new hair institute, patient thanks

Myotonic Dystrophy and Hair Loss?

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

Hello, I am currently a 20 years old male, with extremely fast paced MPB in the front region. There is no extreme history of MPB in my family, although my dad and his brother are both above 50 and both thinning.

Anyways, my question is, my father has miatonic dystrophy, which of course is a genetic disease effecting muscles. I have never been tested for the disease, however I was looking up symptoms and one was listed as possible frontal hair loss at an earlier age due to hormone changes. My dad of course, did not experience this. I had just got a prescription from a dr for proscar, and was wondering IF this was the case, would there even be a point to taking it? I write to you because none of the physicians I’ve seen seem to know what they are talking about.

Hair loss in the great majority of men (especially frontal hair loss that occurs in a specific pattern) is due to genetics. It does not matter if your father or uncle didn’t see male pattern baldness until their later years, as the gene can also come from your mother and can even skip generations.

Though myotonic dystrophy can cause hair loss, I am a bit worried if none of the physicians can explain this to you before you were prescribed a medication to treat genetic hair loss in the first place. Was your doctor not aware of your family history?

Tags: myotonic dystrophy, hairloss, hair loss

In the News – Teen with Alopecia Crowned Beauty Queen

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

Snippet from the article:

A Salt Lake City woman is preparing for the next round of a beauty pageant, after winning a crown in a competition last weekend. The catch, she has no hair.

19-year-old Angelica Galindez was diagnosed with a condition called Alopecia, when she was 12. “The hard part was just looking at myself in the mirror,” says Angelica, who is now completely bald.

Alopecia is a type of hair loss that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles. Angelica lost nearly all her hair by the time she was in high school. “It was very challenging, I cried a lot, I slept a lot, just to sleep away the pain,” says Angelica.

Read the rest (and see the video) — Bald SLC Woman Crowned Beauty Queen

This young lady proves that beauty shows through even without hair. I applaud her for her courage.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, alopecia, beauty queen, pageant

Why Aren’t Men Embracing Their Baldness in a Positive Way?

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

Dear Dr. Rassman,

You are clearly at the top in the field of hair transplant surgery and not only that, you are also a public figure due to your extraordinary efforts on this blog. However, I cannot help but think that your efforts are actually making the problem of male pattern baldness worse for many men.

Baldness is not a modern problem; it has been around for as long as history can record. Many of the greatest figures in history were bald men: Socrates, Shakespeare….Larry David… So why must we persist in seeing this harmless condition as a problem? Many would doubtless answer that it is not harmless because it effects a man’s confidence. However, it is only because of the stigmatization of baldness and the various attempts of Hollywood actors and other public figures to hide their baldness that this is a problem. The more people that come to you to ‘fix’ their baldness, the more baldness becomes a problem.

It is the equivalent of breast enhancement surgery for women. Women are led to believe that only large breasted women are attractive and the more women that get surgery, the worse the problem gets. Why must we seek a media generated image of a perfect male or female appearance?

I am 20 years old and beginning to (very slowly) recede at the hairline. Yes, it is a little scary and unpleasant – isn’t any dramatic change to our person? Yet, I know I can maintain my confidence knowing that self-worth comes from more than simply a rock solid hairline. It comes from treating others well, following one’s ambitions, intellectual fortitude and enjoying life’s pleasures.

Plus, on a purely superficial level, anyone can look good bald providing they are healthy, fit and well dressed. Dr. Rassman, you do fine work on those who are genuinely effected negatively by baldness. For most though, I would like to see them embrace baldness positively rather than resort to surgery.

Bald is beautiful, and I do believe that there are many men who embrace their balding in a positive way, accepting their fate as their genetics intended. I do not think I am making the stigma of balding worse for men.

On the contrary, I do provide a professional medical service to educate and address hair loss issues to men and women. It is true, I perform hair transplant surgeries, but the decision to have the surgery is made by the individual with a consultation with a doctor. After all this is a cosmetic elective surgery.

If you are balding and you don’t find the need to have hair transplant surgery, I think that is great and it is your prerogative! But there are many men and women that are bothered or concerned by their hair loss, and I am here to help them as much as I can.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss

My Hair Stopped Growing 4 Months After My Transplant

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

Dr,

It’s exactly 6 months since my hair transplant. I have plenty of hair that came through at month 4 but it hasn’t changed for 2 months! It’s the same weak, whispy hair that looks awful. I was hoping the transplanted hairs would match my forelock but no luck.

Why is it taking so long?

Maybe it was a bad hair transplant. Maybe you still have have to wait 6 more months. I do not know. You may see results as early as 2 months and as late as 18 months. In general, it takes 6-10 months to see results from a hair transplant.

You also must consider that you may be losing your non-transplanted hair in the area where the transplant was done as a natural progression of balding (which has nothing to do with surgery). You will learn much over the next couple of months. In the meantime, you should follow up with your doctor.

Tags: hair transplant, hair growth