Not Hair Loss News – BPA Exposure Linked to Prostate Cancer

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

Snippet from the article:

BottleFetal exposure to a commonly used plasticizer found in products such as water bottles, soup can liners and paper receipts can increase the risk for prostate cancer later in life, according to a study from the University of Illinois at Chicago published Jan. 7 online in the journal Endocrinology.

Bisphenol A, or BPA, is widely used to soften plastics. Steering clear of the chemical is nearly impossible, says Gail Prins, professor of physiology at UIC and lead author of the paper.

“Previous studies have shown that people who avoided all contact with plastics or other BPA-containing objects for up to a month or more still had BPA in their urine, which means they must have come into contact with BPA in the last 24 to 48 hours, since it clears the body rather quickly,” said Prins, who is director of the UIC andrology laboratory. “It’s very hard to avoid.”

Read the rest — BPA Increases Risk of Cancer in Human Prostate Tissue, Study Shows

Tags: prostate, cancer, bpa, plastic

Any New Dutasteride Studies?

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

Has there been any new studies published on the use of dutasteride for hair loss? I thought a study in Korea was being done.

I’ve mentioned the Korean study before (here, here, and here), but the ClinicalTrials.gov site just says that it was last updated this past September, though no results were posted. So that doesn’t appear to be much help.

The only dutasteride studies I can find relating to the drug as a hair loss treatment are:

I don’t know more beyond what you can find in those links, though.

Tags: dutasteride, avodart, hairloss, hair loss

Over 4 Months Post-Surgery, I Have Flaky Skin and Bleeding!

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

Hi Dr. Rassman,

I’m 4.5 months post-op and noticing some issues in the past 30 days. I’ve been seeing a lot of dry skin/flaky areas all around where my transplant was completed (dandruff like). These patches of dandruff tend fall off in the shower or when my hair is brushed and have hair attached inside them. Today, I noticed a new one formed and I dabbed at it with my finger and it came off! There was three hairs inside the piece of skin and my head begin to bleed where the hair came from. I thought this flaky skin was a sign of the new hair coming through, but why is hair coming out with them and I should surely not be bleeding? I went through the shedding phase the first month; it should not be happening again.

Clearly there is something wrong, but I do not know what is going on without an examination. In general, you should not have these issues. You may have an infection, you may not be keeping your hair clean, you may have a skin condition, etc. These are all wild guesses, though.

Please go see your surgeon. What you’re describing is not normal.

Tags: hair transplant, surgery, complications

Transitional Zone for Medication’s Effectiveness on the Scalp

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

Hi Dr.Rassman,

I was wondering what is the transitional zone for propecia/rogaine on a scalp for its effectiveness? Since propecia/rogaine works better/only on the back not the front of the scalp? I need to know so I can figure out a masterplan.

Thanks

Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil) generally work best on the top crown area. The medications do not work as well (or much of the time at all), on the front of the scalp.

Your doctor should be able to help you create a Master Plan, but I am not sure what you mean by a “transitional zone” on the scalp.

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

My Doctor Said I Should Take Oral Minoxidil for Treating Hair Loss

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

hello, i recently started propecia and minoxidil tablets one each daily. here in japan doctor said minoxidil tablet is ok, but i read on internet it is only for heart problem. is it ok to take it for my hair loss? thank you very much

LonitenWithout seeing the patient in person for my own assessment and examination, I do not usually like to override another doctor’s opinion since they may have their own reasoning for giving a particular recommendation.

But in this case, I disagree with taking oral minoxidil tablets (also known as Loniten) for treating hair loss.

Perhaps you misheard your doctor or were confused by the instructions. Oral minoxidil is a blood pressure lowering medication. Topical minoxidil is a hair loss treatment. Propecia is an oral hair loss treatment you can take (with a doctor’s prescription).

Tags: minoxidil, rogaine, tablet, oral minoxidil, hairloss, hair loss

In the News – Kim Kardashian’s Hair Loss

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

Snippet from the article:

Kim KardashianShe’s left fans green with envy thanks to her incredible post-pregnancy weight loss.

But it seems that Kim Kardashian’s rush to regain her svelte frame has had an unwanted effect on her hair.

Images of the 33-year-old with her hair tied up in a high bun while out in Los Angeles last week show the extent of what appears to be extreme hair loss, which the reality star seems to have been attempting to cover up with weaves and hair extensions.

Read the rest — Kim Kardashian displays shocking hair loss and extensions after ‘relying on weaves to boost her post-pregnancy thinning locks’

It’s possible that the loss is caused by hormone changes following her recent pregnancy, but hair extensions into weakened hair might be doing more harm to her hair. The loss in the photos seems to be closer to traction alopecia that is commonly seen in people with tight braids or weaves.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, hollywood, kardashian

Not Hair Loss News – Cancer Death Rates Drop 20 Percent in 20 Years

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

Snippet from the article:

Cancer death rates in the U.S. have dropped 20 percent in the past two decades, thanks largely to less smoking, increased prevention and better detection, a new report finds.

The rates have fallen dramatically in some areas — plunging 50 percent for middle-aged black men, for instance — while barely budging for elderly white women. And disease experts say there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

“Contained within this data are areas of remarkable progress and areas that remain frustrating,” said Dr. Clifford A. Hudis, president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and a chief expert in breast cancer at Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

An estimated 1.7 million new cancer cases are projected for 2014, including some 586,000 deaths, according to the new report from the American Cancer Society. And cancer remains the second-most common cause of death in the U.S., behind heart disease.

Read the rest — Slow but steady: Cancer death rates drop 20 percent in two decades

Tags: cancer, death, health, american cancer society

I Had Decent Results from Propecia, Then Stopped Because of Internet Fears

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

I am a 21 year old suffering from mild/medium hair loss. I started taking Propecia at roughly 18 years of age up until this past June. I had decent results with the drug. Being a curious individual I read many stories of users with various side effects and decided to stop taking the drug. I have been experiencing visible hair loss for the past few months now. If I were to start taking the drug once again would the results be just as good?

Thanks

What you describe sounds like “catch-up” hair loss. When you stop taking Propecia (finasteride 1mg) the hairs that benefited from the medication will fall out and you will catch up to where you would have been if you never took the Propecia. The hair loss will not be any worse off than if you never took Propecia in the first place. If you were to restart Propecia you will likely never regain what you lost, but it may slow down the process from this point on.

You should discuss these issues with your doctor. If you both agree, you can consider restarting the medication. If you didn’t experience side effects the first time around (you didn’t mention that you did), it’s unfortunate that you let internet fears get into your head.

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

Crushing Up Propecia to Mix with Minoxidil?

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

I saw in a newspaper article of comments and questions concerning various drugs. One person wrote that he crushes propecia tablets and mixes them with minoxidil and it works like a charm with no sexual side effects. I told my friend (age 62) about this and he tried it and I saw him few months later. He did appear to have grown some new hair. By no means was it a thick head of hair, as he is still quite bald by any standard. I don’t recall the ratio of mix, but my friend uses 25 milligrams.

Have you ever heard of this along with any success stories? Might someone who is only slightly bald benefit from this?

What you are describing is nothing new, but in my experience it doesn’t work. I don’t know that topical finasteride has been studied enough (perhaps it was studied and didn’t work), but the minoxidil by itself likely did most of the regrowth for your friend.

There was a product that was sold up until a few years ago (before the company that produced it was shut down by the the FDA), which was a minoxidil formula with finasteride in it. There was no evidence or science that it did anything more than minoxidil alone, though.

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

Can I Have My Hair Character Changed During a Transplant?

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

I have wavy hair and would like a hair transplant but I prefer FUE so I don’t get a scar at the back of my head. I understand that the hair shaft slightly curls under the skin for wavy hair. Once my hair is extracted via FUE is it possible to implant it into my thinning area but make the hair shaft or bulb of the hair straight so I have straight hair growing out instead of wavy. I know it sounds weird but can it be done?

I had a patient once tell me that another doctor he saw for a consultation had told him he could have his hair character changed from curly to straight, but the surgeon has no such control. If a surgeon tells you he/she does have that ability, run away, because he may have other personal reasons to do your surgery ($$).

Tags: hair character, hair transplant, surgery

Will Hair Transplants Become Cheaper with Technology Advancements?

/by William Rassman, M.D./7 /

Hello Doctor,
I was just wondering, with all the advancements in technology and the rising demand for restoring ones hair do you think that hair transplants will become relatively cheaper in the near future? if so when would could someone predict a drop in price? 5, 10, 20 years?

thanks

Perhaps surgery may drop in price if you adjust for inflation, but overall hair transplant surgery is an elective cosmetic surgery and as long as there is a demand, it will still likely be relatively expensive. I am sure (even now) you can find doctors who offer a very low price of around $1 per graft, but the quality and results may be questionable. I often fix many patients failed hair transplant surgeries from Tijuana and even local clinics where patients go to get bargain hair transplants for $1 to $3 per graft. In the end, the patient ends up spending a lot more to fix the bad work.

I am often amazed at how someone would go bargain hunting for cosmetic surgery that will last a lifetime. If you have a bad meal you can always go to another restaurant tomorrow, but a hair transplant is for life. You’ll be looking at the bad work on yourself each time you look in the mirror. I realize finance and fees are definitely a factor, but it should not be something to base the decision to have surgery.

I believe there will always be patients who seek out the cheapest surgery from doctors who want to compete and offer a low fee. And there will always be top surgeons who will command a very high fee for quality work and the patients who seek out top quality work. Not all hair transplant surgery or surgeons are the same, which is why many patients fly in from all over the world to see us at New Hair Institute.

Tags: hair transplant, surgical pricing, hairloss, hair loss

Does Propecia Peak?

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

Doctor, I’ve been using propecia now for 17months, it’s going well the hair on the crown has definitely thickened up a bit..

My question is, when does propecia peak? Is what I have now the best I’ll get?

Most people notice the full effects of Propecia at about 12 to 24 months. You must also understand that hair loss is a dynamic process and you may notice hair loss despite being on Propecia.

More importantly, you must also understand that if you stop taking Propecia your results will fade away (also known as catch-up hair loss).

Tags: propecia, finasteride, hairloss, hair loss

Can Bonding Glue Cause Damage to the Scalp Before My Hair Transplant?

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

I’m gonna have a hair transplant in 2 months, In the meanwhile I wear a contact skin bonding foil system applied by glue on the scalp. Can this damage my existing hair or handicap my hair transplant success? I’m removing the contact skin on a weekly basis for washing my scalp.

At the moment there’s no single sign of irritation on my scalp, everything looks fine.

The glues can cause damage to existing hair, but it shouldn’t cause problems with a hair transplant surgery as long as you don’t continue to use it after the procedure. Ask your doctor what they recommend in terms of your preparation and post-surgery concerns, as every doctor is different.

Tags: hair transplant, bonding glue, hairloss, hair loss

Bad Doctors or Bad Technicians?

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

Doc, I’ve learned many years ago the difference between a top doctor and an average one. Since then if I need to see a doctor I always try to see people at the top of their field. Especially when it comes to surgery which is a true art. My concern is the reliance on technicians. I know time is a consideration when dealing with a thousand or 2 hairs. You often see patients who had bad doctors. Maybe they had bad technicians. You have stressed the importance of the placement and angle of hair, yet you leave that to technicians. Technicians turn over quite a bit in any field. So there’s a good chance some workers are learning on a patients scalp. Not a comforting thought for someone who’s gone through enough emotional concern over hair loss, not to mention spending the money their spending for top work.

I’ve seen the difference between a gifted surgeon and an average one.. forget a technician. I guess there’s nothing one can do about the harvesting.. that requires technicians. Are there HT docs who do all the placement themselves?

Thanks

Hair transplant surgery cannot be done with just one person. It is a team effort between doctor and technician. A great surgeon cannot produce quality work without great technicians. It is true that there is technician turnover and technicians-for-hire who jump around to different clinics, so when you interview doctors you should also ask about the turn over or if they use per diem technicians.

New Hair Institute has been open for over 22 years. Many of my staff members have been with me for close to 15 to 20 years. That is how we produce quality work.

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

My Hair is Already Thin and I Will Soon Have Bariatric Surgery

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

(female)
I have thin hair and soon will have bariatric surgery. I am worried about hair loss. I will follow my doctor to the letter, however is there something else I can do to minimize hair loss?

It seem like you have a conflict in choosing the lesser of two evils — lose weight or lose hair. I do not know the answer to your dilemma.

Bariatric surgery does not necessarily cause hair loss in everyone that has it done, but it is a possibility. I do not know of anything that can minimize that chance, though.

Tags: bariatric surgery, lap band, hairloss, hair loss