Dr. Rassman, you once expressed an opinion, that hair transplant candidates should go ahead and get their hair now while they are young enough to enjoy it. Will I however be able to restore all the hair, which is harvested from the donor in a FUE, IF cloned hair one day becomes available? Do you believe that the cloned hairs can be implanted into the donor with the density as high as it was before the FUE?

My opinion remains the same. Let’s start with the basics: Hair transplant procedure is a cosmetic procedure to make you look better. If you don’t like your balding or your receding hair line and you have hair transplant procedure, you can enjoy your hair now. You don’t have to wait for cloning which still may take another 15 years and unlike a baby which we know arrives 9 months after conception, the arrival of hair cloning has been predicted as just around the corner since 1989! I always stress the Master Plan and the importance of being informed with a competent and ethical doctor who should give you a realistic expectation for your hair loss possibilities. Then you and your doctor, knowing where you are in the balding process, can set the goals you want to achieve. Hair transplant does not restore all your hair since it is basically moving hair from one location to another location. If or when cloning of hair becomes available, you will still need the same type of hair transplant to add more hair. Theoretically you will have an endless supply of hair and your hair density can be as high or higher than what you started with, but what good will it do for you if you are 80 years old when hair cloning is available.

FDA says there is little evidence testosterone treatment works.

The NBC Nightly News (9/3, story 6, 0:30, Williams) reported in its broadcast that the FDA “says there’s little evidence that testosterone boosting drugs taken by millions of American men are actually effective.” NBC notes that the agency also pointed out that it’s not convinced they carry serious risk either. “The condition has been marketed as low ‘T’ and the medications are offered to help with low sex drive and fatigue among some men,” notes NBC.

The FDA’s comments come ahead of a public meeting “to discuss the benefits and risks of treatments that raise levels of the male hormone” on Sept. 17, according to the AP (9/4, Perrone). The meeting comes after two federally funded studies “found links between testosterone therapy and heart problems in men.” The AP also testosterone boosting treatments have come under the spotlight “amid an industry marketing blitz for new pills, patches and formulations that has transformed testosterone a multibillion-dollar market.”

We conceived while taking finasteride 1mg a day for my hair loss my wife is 6 weeks pregnant should I be worried? I’m quite anxious after reading some of the stuff on line
Kind regards

The Internet is a great source of information but it can also be misleading and cause great anxiety when it comes to medical information.

Men taking Propecia/ finasteride for androgenic alopecia can still father a baby – no issues. To my knowledge, there have been no reports of abnormal babies with men fathering a child while on Propecia. The issue is if WOMEN take the medication and get pregnant, then there is risk with sexual development of the baby, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy. You can always mention this to your doctor or your partners obstetrician to assuage your anxiety and you will likely get a similar answer.

I personally would not worry.

For more information this is the official drug insert from Merck (the makers of Propecia)

Dear Balding Blog,

First of all, trust all of you are well. Let me express my sincere thanks for this wonderful blog. Honestly, I am sure, and many would agree with me, that this is the best website for information regarding such matters. It is very simple, very informative, and very consoling.

My Question to you is regarding my Mother. Let me provide you with some background information.

My Mother is 51 Years old, She was diagnosed with Thyroid about 22 years ago. Before that she had beautiful hair. However, after her diagnosis, she began to lose her hair rapidly (starting from her hairline to the crown, until now it ended up like a norwood 6, much like in the pattern of male baldness). It is unfortunate that nothing could be done, she was in Pakistan at the time and no effort was made on the Doctors part to help quite honestly. That being said, I really want to see if a hair transplant is possible in her case. She is living in Dubai at the moment, and has been to several doctors. However, I trust your opinion above theirs. So just to summarize:

-51 year old Female
-With Hypothyroidism
-Hair loss has been significant (almost a Norwood Class 6)

Relative to these factors, is there a chance of a hair transplant? Or any other way for a hair treatment? Possibly any other option?

I am desperate as I know she has suffered a lot because of this, and not once has she complained. I am very eager to help her.

Thank you so much for your time and effort. I am forever grateful.

Thank you for writing to us. When you call hair balding pattern a Class 6, I suspect you are talking about thinning, not complete balding. Women almost never develop complete balding. Depending on the degree of thinning, the one approach to a thinning pattern is Scalp Micropigmentation. Generally hair transplants for women are not productive if the donor supply (hair on the back and side of the head) shows significant miniaturization (this is the case in most women with female genetic balding). If a woman has hair loss pattern like Class 6 Norwood pattern balding, then she would need a good examination and a diagnosis of the hair loss cause and an assessment of the extent of balding, to include what the hair in the back and sides of the head looks like. She would also need to understand the limitation of a hair transplant surgery and realistic expectation since a hair transplant surgery does not restore all of your lost hair, and in many cases, it is not possible to achieve this goal. Women with known thyroid disease, often are not candidates for hair transplants as their donor area contains many miniaturized hairs

We really cannot give you a plan or a diagnosis for your mother on a blog. She needs to see a doctor in person, or as a start, contact us for a formal consultation. Many women are good candidates for Scalpmicropigmentation (SMP) even if they are not good candidates for hair transplants (see: www.scalpmicripigment.com)

You can also visit our other websites New Hair Institute Medical Group and Scalp Micropigmentation

This is a review of the SMP Scalp MicroPigmenation results at NHI. This patient had been wearing a hair piece (wig) for his balding for years. Notice the white untanned scalp area that the wig covered from the sun. He finally decided to discard the hair piece and get SMP. He developed a nice looking bold look that gave him confidence.

Scalp MicroPigmentation SMP – No More Hair Piece !