Is Rogaine Making it Hard to Concentrate and Changing My Head Shape?

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

Hi doctor,
I know its a really silly question but I am really obsessed with this issue. I am applying rogaine solution on my scalp everyday since I was 17. I am 23 now. I think I noticed that my head shape have dramatically changed due to the constant pressure. Its getting longer and slimmer and there is a bulge on my head. Is minoxidil or constant pressure to my head causing this situation? And my last question is, does rogaine affect my learning ability? When I apply this product, it retains me to concentrate on my daily issues. And I hardly understand what I read.

Thank you,
Regards

Feeling a “constant pressure” on your scalp doesn’t sound like something that I’ve encountered from Rogaine (minoxidil). I doubt that your head shape has changed, and while the drug does get absorbed your body, I also doubt that it is impacting your ability to learn or concentrate.

You should see a doctor about what you’re describing for an exam, as it could be unrelated to the medication.

Tags: minoxidil, rogaine, hairloss, hair loss

If I Touch a Flattening Iron to My Scalp, Will I Damage Follicles?

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

If a straightening iron touch your scalp, can it damage the follicles? Will the hair in the area that was touched by the straightening iron stop growing?

If it’s a quick touch, you might create some temporary damage… but if you left the iron to burn your scalp (I don’t know why you would), it will probably kill the hair touched by it.

Tags: flattening iron, straightening iron, hairloss, hair loss

Not Hair Loss News – Men with Blood Type O Have a Low Chance of Prostate Cancer Recurring

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

Snippet from the article:

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, and in 2010, it was responsible for over 28,000 deaths in the US. Now, a new study presented at the European Association of Urology congress in Sweden suggests men with blood type O have a significantly lower chance of the cancer recurring.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), prostate cancer is the second most common cause of death from cancer among white, African American, American Indian/Alaska Native and Hispanic men.

Read the rest — Men with blood type O have lower recurrence of prostate cancer

Tokyo Medical University’s Dr. Yoshio Ohno and his colleagues studied 555 prostate cancer patients that had a radical prostatectomy.

The article goes on to say, “After following the patients for an average of 52 months, Dr. Ohno and his team found that patients with blood group O were 35% less likely to have prostate cancer recurrence, compared with patients with blood group A.”

This is a good pick-up. Most of us know our blood type, so this might be some good reassurance for those with type O blood.

Tags: blood type, type o, prostate cancer, cancer, health, male health

Are FUE Scabs Changing Color When They Get Wet?

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

Hi,

12 days post FUE, I wet my hair, put conditioner on for 15 minutes, and then rinsed and shampooed my hair to start dislodging crusts. Though the scabs on my scalp were black, it looks like lighter color grafts/scabs are coming out.

Am I dislodging grafts which may have become swollen with water, or is it the scab which becomes lighter in color after wetting?

Yes, the scabs will turn white if they become waterlogged… but at 12 days after surgery, you should not have scabs. That tells me that you were not instructed in the proper post-operative washing routine. I would ask your surgeon for some aftercare information.

My patients are usually without scabs the next day.

Tags: fue, follicular unit extraction, scabs, hair transplant, aftercare

My Young Son Has a Large Scalp Scar from Surgery — Will Hair Regrow There?

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

My 8 year old son has a big scar on his head from one ear to the other due to head operation. Can hair grow on on that area? What are his options? Thanks

I don’t know what kind of procedure was done, but usually scar tissue won’t regrow hair on its own. Hair transplants into scars from surgery work well. If the scar is narrow enough, Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP) would probably work. The two in combination will certainly solve the detectability issue.

Tags: hair transplant, child, scarring

Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP) Thoughts from Dr. Pak

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

After listening to what each individual has to say, my general approach to surgery or any treatment (including Scalp MicroPigmentation / SMP) is to ask myself, “What would I do if it was me?” or “What would I do for my brother or best friend?” It may not always equate to a good business plan or making money.

When I see patients who are considering SMP, I know from experience they are usually people who don’t trust doctors or believe in a “miracle” fix. Most of them have seen it, done it, and spent countless nights and days researching info on the Internet. Most of them have been obsessing over their hair/scar situation for many years and have been living under a hat or hair piece that consumes part of their lives. They probably have a backup hat in their car, at work, and at home. Some have never let their significant other see them without a hair piece. Most of them probably know about this industry and the major players (competition), and have probably even spoken with or have seen other doctors and clinics, spending a small fortune in the process without satisfaction. They look at everything with skepticism. If you see the horror I haven seen committed on people’s heads, I don’t blame them!

I also see a good number of young Norwood class 6 men who thought a hair transplant was the “cure” and wound up discovering that you don’t get a full head of hair. The results may be great, as they now have a good frontal hairline and the work looks natural, but it’s just not what they signed up for. They thought a hair transplant was a solution to give them all their hair back. Doctors may not have explained it to them or they never understood that a hair transplant is basically rearranging what you already have. If you lost most of your hair, you have to work with the remaining hairs and consider a new way of styling (not a short buzz cut). And no matter how much money you spend or how many surgeries you have, you still have a thinning look you must work with (keep it longer or style it a certain way). When you cut your hair short or want a young look, you still end up with a relatively bald spot on the top.
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Any Educated Guess on When Hair Cloning Will Be a Reality?

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

Doc,

Give me some straight dope on when you think hair cloning will be available. Meaning, by whatever method, the donor supply goes up. Please give me some kind of guess. You got to have some idea based on what you’ve seen research wise. An educated guess would be greatly appreciate for me and my follicularly challenged brethren.

The 10 year timeline that has been used for well over 10 years now keeps moving.

Unfortunately, I have no more insight into hair cloning progress than you have. The research is ongoing, and I will continue to post anything and everything that I can find about it. I am keeping no secrets.

Tags: hair cloning, hairloss, hair loss

Any Considerations for an 18 Year Old That Wants to Start Propecia?

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

My son has shown signs of balding from the age of 14/15. We have very successfully been using minoxidil, and he has just turned 18. We are about to start propecia and I would like to confirm that there are no additional considerations I need to take into account because of his age.

Many Thanks

Yes, you should have him visit a doctor who uses the HairCheck device, which is a bulk measurement tool for the hair. I believe that this is important, because it tells us where he started from, then in a year when the measurement is repeated it will tell us where he is going with his hair loss.

I have recently had two patients who had their hair bulk measured with us when they were 16 and 17 years old. One was stabilized on Propecia (finasteride) and the other showed a downhill course on his hair loss. That meant some important counseling needs to be considered if he has emotional problems resulting from balding before he turns 20.

In the case of your son, he is 18 years old and has completed puberty. If a young man was to start the drug at say 14 years old, I don’t know what the growth effects might be. I don’t believe that clear documentation is available to answer that question.

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

Results of SMP into a Hair Transplant Scar (with Video)

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

This patient had one Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP) treatment on his hair transplant scar. The AFTER video was taken immediately after SMP, so you can see some redness on the scalp, which will go away in a day or two.

 

In general, SMP to a scalp scar takes two to three sessions. The patient above will come back in one week to make sure everything blends in. The redness you see in this patient is due to the fact that it was taken immediately after it was done and there was a little bleeding present. He will be able to shave his head or keep his hair long without worrying about the scar. For more information you can visit scalpmicropigmentation.com or email us at hairdoc@newhair.com. You can include a photo of yourself for a consultation. The most common questions asked about SMP can be found here.

Tags: smp, scalp micropigmentation, scarring, hair transplant, hairloss, hair loss

In the News – Stem Cells Created from Adults

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

Snippet from the article:

Scientists have moved a step closer to the goal of creating stem cells perfectly matched to a patient’s DNA in order to treat diseases, they announced on Thursday, creating patient-specific cell lines out of the skin cells of two adult men.

The advance, described online in the journal Cell Stem Cell, is the first time researchers have achieved “therapeutic cloning” of adults. Technically called somatic-cell nuclear transfer, therapeutic cloning means producing embryonic cells genetically identical to a donor, usually for the purpose of using those cells to treat disease.

But nuclear transfer is also the first step in reproductive cloning, or producing a genetic duplicate of someone – a technique that has sparked controversy since the 1997 announcement that it was used to create Dolly, the clone of a ewe. In 2005, the United Nations called on countries to ban it, and the United States prohibits the use of federal funds for either reproductive or therapeutic cloning.

Read the rest — In a cloning first, scientists create stem cells from adults

Tags: stem cells, dna, science

Hair Thinning in a Young College Student

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

I’m 23 years old, male. I was concerned about my thinning hair and my forehead is also very high. I was wondering if my forehead could be lowered along with hair transplant in one session and also a general estimate of what it might cost. Could the surgery be financed?

Another concern that I have is whether my transplant area and donor area would be red and swollen for various number of days. How many days are we talking about here? Since I am a college student I am concerned if people will be able to tell I had a hair transplant surgery after I come home from the procedure. Will the transplanted hair and the hair from donor area shed very badly and leave me looking like I have thinner hair than I used to and how much pain should I expect?

Thanks for addressing my concerns.

Thinning hair in a 23 year old man is usually caused by genetic balding. You should see a good doctor to have your hair mapped for miniaturization and have your hair bulk analyzed to be sure that you have genetic balding. If this is the case, then the use of medications like Propecia will be critical to stopping or slowing the balding process from progressing.

The redness after a surgery depends on two factors — the color of your skin (white skin is more likely to turn red), and the general way your body reacts to a wound (scratch your forehead with your fingernail and then wait 5 minutes to see if it turns red). If and when you become a candidate for a hair transplant by presenting with a clear balding pattern, then you can at the time of the transplant, lower your hairline. Costs vary depending upon what has to be done. Financing is available.

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

Is Telogen Phase the Same Length for Balding and Non-Balding Men?

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

Dear DR, hi,

I found your blog by searching about duration of telogen phase on Men with male pattern baldness. I’ve a pretty simple question: is the telogen phase the same for Baldness suffering peoples and “normal” peoples?

I’m asking you that because ive checked your blog, and i saw tons of guys complaining about masturbation/working out incidence on MPB. Alot said they saw some changes in the daily shedding (in good or worse) after 3-5 days only… How is that possible? I though a “dead” hair fell 100 days after the beginning of the telogen cycle. So how can they check the result of abstinence OR over masturbation only after a couple of days? Do i misunderstood something? As nobody never corrected them about this point, do that means the telogen phase for MPB men is equal to less than 2 weeks and not 2-3 months like for others men?

In advance, thank you. Regards.

The duration of the telogen phase varies in everyone. The cycle can be longer when there is miniaturization present . If a hair dies (apoptosis), it can die within a follicular unit or miniaturize within a follicular unit. The telogen cycle, I believe, is significantly longer than 2 weeks. So, for example, if you have a high density and many three-hair follicular units, one hair may go into miniaturization and at some point in the follicular unit’s cycle, that hair can die off.

Tags: telogen, hairloss, hair loss

When Should I Apply Minoxidil After I Take a Shower?

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

I have thinning hair on the top of my head. Should I apply minoxidil after a shower when the hair is still damp, or wait till it dries? If I apply when it is wet, it seems like more gets to the scalp since less gets absorbed by the hair and is easier to apply in between the hairs. But if the skin is nearly saturated with water, won’t less medicine get absorbed? The instructions don’t cover this.

I would use a towel to dry your hair and then apply minoxidil while the scalp circulation is increased from the warm water.

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

I’ve Been Taking Finasteride for Years, So What Should My Next Step Be?

/by William Rassman, M.D./10 /,

Cheers doctor. I live in the UK and there is not much information regarding hair loss as there is in America. I have been steadily going bald for the past 14 years and have been on proscar for some time. My doctor was reluctant to put me on proscar but finally gave in, bless him. Anyways, fast forward to now, I am 32 years old and have been seeing an increase in my hair loss in my temple area, hairline, and behind it. It is not that noticeable yet because nobody has really commented on the loss but I know in certain lighting it is very apparent and when I style my hair in different ways it is apparent.

What are the stages I should be taking at this point?
A. Continue with the medication or not take it anymore because I am losing hair regardless
B. Wait for my hair loss to continue until I have a more prominent bald spot and then go for a procedure
C. Go for a procedure now and try and stay on top of my balding
D. Get those micro dot tattoos on my thinning area
E. Do nothing and hope for the best

I always wondered about people who stay on top of their balding but the problem is when they start losing the hair behind their implants or their donor hair runs out, that is what is sort of preventing me from doing anything. Your comments and feedback would really be appreciated. Cheers.

There is no substitute for a good doctor to help you in this process. If you are really losing hair, then stopping Proscar (finasteride) could be a disaster that would lead to “catch-up” hair loss. I assume the Proscar you’re taking is cut into 4 or 5 pieces, and not the full table, which would be too much medication for treating hair loss.

You don’t need to necessarily wait for more prominent balding before you plan for surgery, but as hair loss is progressive, your pattern would need to be determined so that any surgery accounts for potential future balding. Having Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP) is also a possibility, depending on the hairstyle you plan on having. I can’t really answer your questions without pictures at a minimum.

So really, your next step should be to sit down with a good doctor (you are fortunate to have both Drs. Bessam and Nilofer Farjo in the UK) and build a Master Plan with them.

Tags: proscar, propecia, finasteride, hairloss, hair loss, smp, hair transplant

I Keep Seeing Stuff About TRX2 in the In-Flight Magazines When I Travel

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

What is TRX2? I’ve never even heard about it prior to seeing it mentioned in two in-flight magazines on my travels this year; yet it boasts on it’s website that it is Europe’s number one best selling hair loss medication. How does it differ from propecia? Does it really have no side effects whatsoever as the in-flight article claims? I’m sensing there is a catch. Is it more expensive than propecia; why have I never heard of it before?

The way it differs from Propecia (finasteride) is that Propecia is an FDA approved hair loss medication with peer reviewed studies of efficacy and safety, while TRX2 is some sort of dietary supplement without any FDA approval. The ingredients in it should not work at all in curing or treating balding, though I’m sure it does allow the maker of the product to become quite rich.

We’ve written about TRX2 before here and here. I’m not impressed by the product, though their marketing efforts seem to be working to their advantage.

Tags: trx2, propecia, hairloss, hair loss