In the News – Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Pick Ryan Shazier Has Alopecia Areata

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

Snippet from the article:

Ryan Shazier[Ryan] Shazier overcame childhood taunts while growing up in South Florida, and he continues to have the last laugh over those who teased him when Alopecia, a condition in which the immune system attacks hair follicles, robbed him of his hair.

“I was probably the only little kid walking around with a bald head,” Shazier said. “It was tough because kids are mean. I just embraced it. I feel like if you didn’t like me for who I am, it’s a problem with you. I feel like it’s my signature now. I love having Alopecia. Having a bald head actually saves me a lot of money.”

Read the rest — Ryan Shazier continues to get the last laugh

Even though Ryan Shazier says that alopecia areata is his signature look, many people with this condition still desire the look of a closely clipped scalp that can be achieved with Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP). See one such patient here.

Tags: steelers, shazier, smp, alopecia, hairloss, hair loss, nfl, football, athlete

I Can See Scalp When My Hair is Wet (with Photos)

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

Hi,

I am 24 years old and over the past year I have seen a huge change in my hair. When my hair is wet and when I wake up in the morning I can see parts of my scalp. I have always had a high hair line and I have noticed on the website a lot of talk surrounding your highest wrinkle and a mature hairline, however, my hairline has always been a good bit above this even during primary school. My highest wrinkle lies at the freckle on my forehead.

What has been worrying me is that when my hair is wet I can see my scalp on both the top and sides of scalp.. My hair has always been medium length, but now that I have cut the sides shorter I can even see my scalp through the side of my hair when it is wet and I style it in certain ways. There is no MPB on either side of my family at all, my father has thinning hair, but he is in his 50’s.

I appreciate any help, my GP will not refer me to a dermatologist as I am male.

I have attached photos of my hair when dry and wet.

Click the photos to enlarge:

 

First, I have no idea what being male has to do with being referred to a dermatologist. Dermatology is for men and women. Maybe you’re thinking of a gynecologist.

What does this mean?

It’s not unusual to see the scalp when your hair is wet, and it will particularly stand out for those with high contrast between skin and hair color, like yourself. That said, based on the few photos you sent it does appear that you’re thinning at the hairline. The photos aren’t very clear so I can’t really provide much info about whether it is a maturing hairline or something more advanced.

How to do a Hair Check Test

I would like to see you get a HAIRCHECK test which can actually measure the degree of hair loss that you think you have.  From that measurement, treatments can be planned and followed yearly with repeat HAIRCHECK tests to see if you are gaining or losing ground.

You can find a doctor that specializes in hair loss by using the doctor search at the ISHRS.org site (they are transplant surgeons, but you shouldn’t rush into surgery — these doctors just know hair loss).

Set up a Virtual Consultation

Get a virtual consultation with Dr. William Rassman and Dr. Jae Pak for hair loss options. You can learn more at https://newhair.com/virtual-consultations/

Tags: hairloss, hair loss

In the News – Henna Temporary Scalp Tattoos for Chemotherapy Patients

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

Snippet from the article:

Complete hair loss is one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy. Patients often turn to wigs, hats, and scarves to cover their heads, but now there’s a new alternative.

Henna Heals is a global community of artists that tattoos temporary “henna crowns” on patients’ bald heads, as a form of empowerment.

In 2011, Henna Heals began as a group of five women in Toronto,Ontario, but has since expanded to nearly 150 artists worldwide — in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Australia.

Read the rest and see the photos — Overcoming Cancer With Henna Heals: Global Artist Community Empowers Patients With Temporary Head Tattoos

Henna

 

You can learn more about Henna Heals at their website.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, chemotherapy, chemo, cancer, henna

Not Hair Loss News – Aggressive Prostate Cancer Genes Discovered

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

Snippet from the article:

Treating prostate cancer has always been trickier than most patients anticipate. Unlike other cancers, most prostate tumors are slow-growing and emerge late in life, so the majority of men affected are more likely to die of other causes than their cancer. For up to 15% of cases, however, the disease can be fast-moving and life-threatening, and because doctors don’t have good ways of separating these aggressive cases from the less dangerous ones, many physicians and patients prefer to err on the side of over-treatment. Recent changes to prostate screening recommendations advising men not to get routine blood tests that can signal the disease have made matters more confusing for men worried about the disease.

That may soon change, thanks to a test that can pick out the slow-growing cancers from the faster-growing ones. Researchers at Columbia University report in the journal Cancer Cell that they have identified two genes that are likely driving the most aggressive cases of prostate cancer. Other scientists had linked the genes, FOXM1 and CENPF, to cancer, but none had connected them to prostate growths. And more importantly, none had figured out that the two genes’ cancer-causing effects only occurred if they are turned on at the same time.

Read the rest — The Genes Responsible for Deadly Prostate Cancer Discovered

Tags: prostate cancer, cancer, genes

My Wife Is Losing Hair and I Want to Cure It!

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

Hello Sir,
My wife is suffering from thinning hair from last 3 years, now one can see the scalp in front. However, she has got good long hair and the hair density is reasonably good at the back. But it is thinning in front which is really a matter of concern. Earlier she used lot of Richfeel products but none of them was helpful. Richfeel, is one of the company from India specialized in curing hair related issues.

Currently, one of the local dermatologist has suggested her Ducray’s Neoptide along with novophane plus tablets. I hope that this will work. It has been 45 days she is using those. I hope it wont have negative impact which lead to further hair loss.

I am really worried and am ready to take her to any part of this world to get the best hair of her dreams. Please suggest me the best treatment for her, do you think hair transplant is too early and that should be the last option to be considered. She is 27 now. I have also got her laser comb from hairmax, will it be helpful in any case.

I am so worried, because she is only 27 and I am really afraid that in 10 years time she will lose all her hair.

One good hope I can see is that she has got long hair and hope that with advance oil and medication she could easily grow her or make her hair thick on front side. Moreover, her mother has also got thin hair but not so thin like my wife. In fact my wife’s mother hair were good when she was 27 but my wife problem of hair loss has become serious now at this early age. Is it heredity that she is losing hair so early. Is it curable?? I hope there are no side effect of the medicines and lotions, especially in women we have to see when it comes to pregnancy and fertility related issues.

Please guide me.

We’ve written briefly about the Richfeel Anagrow product before, which apparently contains plant stem cells. Unfortunately, there is no clinical science to back up their claims. You said that this company specializes in “curing hair related issues”, but there is no cure for hair loss that I know of.

I can tell that you’re trying to help your wife, but you’re throwing money at a problem that is not as simple to fix as you’re hoping. The LaserComb is unlikely to do much, if anything, for her hair loss. The only FDA approved medication for treating female hair loss is minoxidil (Rogaine/Regaine), and the collection of oils and lasers are more than likely just going to provide no results, wasted time, and poorly spent money. Female hair loss can be tricky to treat, as there are a variety of possible causes in addition to genetics. See a partial list here.

There’s no way for me to know if your wife is a candidate for hair transplantation without an examination first, but depending on the hair loss pattern, she might be a candidate for Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP). First though, your wife should go to an actual medical doctor (a trichologist is NOT a medical doctor) to find out the reason for her hair loss. It could be a vitamin deficiency or related to some other medication she is taking. Once a cause is determined, then a treatment path can be planned.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, female hair loss, richfeel

If I Use Minoxidil Without MPB, Is It Going to Ruin My Healthy Hair?

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

If I do not actually have mpb and was just thinning naturally to a certain point (I was always more of a diffuse thinner) is taking minoxidil doing more harm than good? I know it says on the medication do not use unless you have mpb, but then as I am aware, hairs that are healthy are not affected by the minox, so why does it matter if you use it?

surely any hair that regrows will be lost upon ceasing the medication, yet would I not just end up with my original thin hair situation when it no longer works (or perhaps a little below baseline)?

It shouldn’t ruin healthy hair, but it could cause an initial shedding that some people have reported.

But really… if you don’t know what you have or you don’t have a clear diagnosis, I don’t think it is a smart practice to treat yourself with medication. Get a doctor’s diagnosis first before you try to treat a specific condition that you may not even have!

Tags: minoxidil, rogaine, hairloss, hair loss

In the News – Discount for Balding Diners in Tokyo Restaurant

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

Snippet from the article:

A Japanese pub deep in the heart of white-collar Tokyo wants to help out their customers whose heads are showing the consequences of too much stress and hard work (and perhaps a bit of genetics too).

The restaurant hopes that instead of covering their heads with a complex comb-over or taking a cue from monks to shave it all off, “salarymen” white-collar workers treat their thinning hair as a badge of honor and proof of their dedication to help the struggling Japanese economy. And to show their support, the restaurant has announced a generous “balding discount” as a way of thanking follicly-challenged gents for sacrificing their precious locks for the country!

Read the rest — Tokyo pub offers “balding discount” for follicly-challenged diners

So if you find yourself in Tokyo, Japan and have some thinning hair, head on over to this pub to claim your discount!

Tags: japanese, japan, tokyo, hairloss, hair loss, balding, discount, restaurant

How Can Redness Be Eliminated Following a Hair Transplant?

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

One thing I’ve read about online is that some people are suffering from long lasting redness in the donor area after a hair transplant. What should be done to eliminate the redness within a 2 week period before someone can go to work without being noticed he had HT?

I ask this question, because i tried your test for redness and my skin looks very sensitive.

If your skin is prone to redness, then there really is no way around it (just like if you’re born with the gene for balding, you really can’t stop the balding… it will happen). Typically, most doctors give a small dose of cortico-steroid to minimize the redness.

Otherwise, if you’re not a Norwood 6 or 7 and have some existing hair near the transplant area, you can try growing that hair out a little prior to the procedure so that you can use styling techniques to cover any redness that may be otherwise visible.

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

Ugraft FUE Tool?

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

Have you used this Ugraft tool before ? Is this a next generation FUE tool?

Video link: UGraft FUE tool

I have not used this tool.

Follicular unit extraction (FUE) is a difficult technique for many surgeons. There are many inventions and tools constantly being developed all over the world, but a new tool does not necessarily mean it is the next generation. From what I’ve seen in the video, it appears that it was developed due to difficulties Dr. Umar faced when performing body hair transplants (BHT).

Tags: ugraft, body hair transplant, bht, fue, hair transplant

How Long Until There Are No Signs of Hair Transplant Surgery?

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

What do you tell prospective clients who say that they want hair restoration surgery, but it is absolutely imperative that all signs of the procedures, as well as the result, be undetectable? Let’s say for example that I was able to take 3 weeks off of work to have this done while I go on “vacation”; with what degree of certainty could you say that signs of the procedure, including scabbing, and what I’m more worried about being the “pinkish” scalp, would have subsided within a lets say 17 day period?

As is the nature with the internet, I have read posts with wildly different interpretations, and have also seen very different outcomes in the online photo-blogs I’ve looked at. I have no doubt you must receive hundreds upon hundreds of questions, so thanks so much for what you do for so many of us in this frustrating predicament; any help with my question would be greatly appreciated.

Every patient is different, but in general the scabs and the redness (if there is any) goes away anywhere between a few days to around 2 weeks. On the other hand, the short hairs from the transplant look like a newly grown beard, and in a woman that might make it detectable if she does not style her hair to cover it; however, these short hair will all fall out in about 3 weeks, so by that point there should be no trace of a transplant. The hairs that fall out will reappear somewhere between 3-6 months and then start growing at about 1/2 inch per month.

Most people have no signs of the surgery between 3-4 weeks afterward; however, on rare occasions there have been some patients that will hold redness in the recipient area for up to 8 weeks. With a simple scratch test (where you scratch your forehead with your fingernail with some moderate pressure), the skin might produce a red mark in the scratched area within a few minutes of doing this. That indicates a positive scratch test, and those with the positive scratch test will often hold the pinkness of the recipient sites for a few weeks.

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

In the News – Did Gordon Ramsay Have FUE?

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

Snippet from the article:

He was famously spotted leaving a hair transplant clinic in Los Angeles in 2011. But Gordon Ramsay’s latest look has sparked fresh rumours that the no-nonsense celebrity chef has undergone follicular surgery.

The 47 year-old attended Victoria Beckham’s 40th birthday meal at The Arts Club in London’s Dover Street on Sunday sporting a brushed-forward fringe and seemingly shaved back and sides. The back of Ramsay’s head also looked to have been covered in some sort of camouflage substance, perhaps a fibrous spray to give the illusion of hair density.

Normally, Gordon’s blonde hair is worn with a spikey fringe, so the look is certainly a diversion from his standard style. Suspiciously, the line between his shaved hair and his longer growth isn’t blended, which will further raise suspicions.

RamsayRead the rest — Gordon Ramsay sparks new hair transplant rumours with questionable hairstyle at Victoria Beckham’s 40th birthday meal in Mayfair

We’ve posted about a possible 2011 hair transplant for chef Gordon Ramsay before, and the photos at the above link do appear that he’s trying to mask possible FUE scarring with some poorly blended camouflaging agent.

Perhaps he didn’t realize that his concealer didn’t look very good under certain lighting conditions, because the photos show some very obvious stuff smeared all over the shaven donor area at the back of his head.

Tags: gordon ramsay, chef, celebrity chef, hair transplant, hairloss, hair loss

I’m Already Taking Propecia, So Doctors Can’t Determine My True Norwood Pattern

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

Hello dr.rassman.
I am in my early 30’s and receding and losing hair in the front area of my scalp. I recently went to get a hair consultation done and they said I could end up a norwood 4 but they do not know because I am on propecia and there is no really way of telling what norwood pattern I will eventually end up at and when. Currently, I am a norwood 2.

If there is no way of knowing what my pattern will be and when my hair will stabilize or if it will at all, isn’t it pointless to go for a procedure before I fully stabilize because if I don’t, my native hairs will fall out and the transplant will look bad. For all I know, it can take 20 years before I stabilize and reach my pattern!

It really doesn’t have to be that complicated.

Most men show signs of thinning in a specific pattern by the time they are in the mid 20’s to 30’s. Taking Propecia would not affect it too much if you pay close attention and have good miniaturization measurements and bulk measurements.

Remember, Propecia does NOT completely stop hair loss. It slows it down. You will see a pattern if not in the first exam, but over the course of several months with interval measurements.

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

Is It Normal for Hairs to Have Varying Diameters?

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

Hello Sir and thank you for your blog.

I am an 18 year old male with thick dark hair and suffer from moderate hair loss with temple thinning. I have noticed not every hair on my head has the same diameter: they can vary quite dramatically with thick very dark strands and lighter thinner ones. Is this normal ?

Thank you very much for your answer

Yes, it’s normal. We all have varying diameters of hair as different hairs are in different phases of the hair growth cycle (anagen, catagen, and telogen).

If one area is much smaller in diameter (miniaturized) and it occurs in a specific pattern, we call it male pattern baldness.

Tags: hair cycle, hair thickness, hairloss, hair loss

In the News – Swimmer Lost Hair from Toxic Pool Water?

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

Snippet from the article:

A longtime swimming buff, lawyer Robert Prignoli typically hits the pool for two hours at a time, four days a week.

But a swim earlier this year in “toxic pool water” at the LA Fitness in Travis cost him more than some wrinkled skin, Prignoli alleges in a $5 million lawsuit.

“Poisoned” by a ”hazardous and toxic stew” of chemicals, Prignoli suffered “severe” hair loss, skin rashes, eye irritation, headaches and loss of taste and smell, for a time, contends his civil complaint.

Read the rest — Swimmer burned, lost hair from ‘toxic stew’ of chemicals in LA Fitness pool, lawsuit alleges

I haven’t seen any studies that show high levels of chlorine in pool water cause hair loss, though there have been a couple previous cases (here, here) where that has been the suspected culprit.

Tags: chlorine, swimming pool, hairloss, hair loss, toxic