Sir does xrays causes telogen effluvium, or accelerates hair fall in patients with male pattern baldness?

X-ray is a type of electromagnetic radiation that is all around us. It falls between the ultraviolet light and gamma rays in the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. A certain amount of X-rays is all around us so your question depends on the amount of x-ray radiation one receives or the location of where the x-ray is being received.

I would guess that you would need a ridiculous amount of x-rays delivered to your scalp to start worrying about hair loss. At that point hair loss would probably be the last of your concerns as you are dying from radiation poisoning. (I’m being facetious.) Cancer patients receiving radiation to their brain can develop local hair loss (but that’s not x-rays).

A simple chest x-ray, CT scan, or airport security should be insignificant in terms of hair loss.

This is probably the first time I write, please follow up with your physicist.

Of interesting note: “Reported in Scientific American, This Week in World War I: January 30, 1915”

X-rays were used for medical operations within a couple of months after they were discovered by Wilhelm Roentgen in late 1895.

Dr. Rassman, you probably already saw this, but I thought it was pretty interesting:

“In a new study, Sanford-Burnham researchers have used human pluripotent stem cells to generate new hair. The study represents the first step toward the development of a cell-based treatment for people with hair loss. – See more HERE”

It seems like a great step forward in generating new hair from stem cells.

This is terrific research showing the hair can be grown from stem cells. This has been done before and when it was transplanted as shown in the photograph, the hair grew in all direction and eventually killed the mice from infected ingrown hairs. It is no small challenge to get all of the hair lined up at the top of the dermis so that they break through the epidermis just as a new hair grows in when it comes out of telogen (sleep phase) and into anagen (growth phase). The challenge in front of this breakthrough is no small chore, but from the economics shown in the article, the reward for any company solving the mystery might make that company very rich!

Let’s hope the research can branch further into a clinical model in humans. If you’re wondering how long this may be… I don’t know.

The research paper is HERE

Hello, Dr William i have male pattern baldness. I am already taking finisteride 1mg daily and using minoxidil 5% spray twice daily. Sir, if I also want to add any topical dht inhibitor in my regimen then which one will you suggest?

Despite what you may find on the Internet, I am not aware of any reputable studies which show that topical DHT inhibitor work for androgenic alopecia.

I am sure you can find well made websites or a doctor that may endorse such product that may say otherwise.

The hair in every person’s scalp grows in tiny bundles called follicular units. Although this had been recognized for some time by histologists (doctors who study human tissue), the existence of follicular units was largely ignored by physicians performing hair restoration surgery.

The follicular unit of the adult human scalp consists of 1-4 terminal (full thickness) hair follicles. In areas of the scalp affected by genetic balding, the healthy terminal hairs are gradually replaced by hairs of smaller diameter and length called “miniaturized” hairs.

In addition to the full terminal hairs, the follicular unit contains 1-2 fine vellus hairs, sebaceous (oil) glands, a small muscle, tiny nerves and blood vessels, and a fine band of collagen surrounding the unit (called the perifolliculum). The follicular unit is thus the hair bearing structure of the skin and should be kept intact to insure maximum growth.

The follicular unit is seen on the surface of the scalp as a tiny group of hairs that appear to be growing together. They are best viewed under a microscope where they are seen as well-formed structures in the skin but if you part your hair (say in the middle) and look at with a bright light

A close-up view showing the hair actually emerging in small groups called Follicular Units.

With the hair clipped the natural hair groupings are visualized on the surface of the skin at 30x magnification through an instrument called a densitometer.

A histologic view of the corresponding Follicular Units seen in cross-section within the dermis.
What is Follicular Unit Transplantation?

Perfectly intact 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-hair Follicular Units removed from the donor strip using a dissecting stereo-microscope.

Follicular Unit Transplantation is a technique, pioneered by the Physicians at the New Hair Institute, in which hair is transplanted from the permanent zone in the back of the scalp into areas affected by genetic balding, using only the naturally occurring, individual follicular units.

In order to remove Follicular Units from the back of the scalp without damaging them, the donor tissue is removed in one piece. This technique, called Single Strip Harvesting, is an essential component of follicular unit transplantation as it not only preserves the follicular units, but it prevents damage (transection) to the individual hair follicles. It differs dramatically from the mini-micrografting technique of using a multi-bladed knife that breaks up follicular units and causes unacceptable levels of transection of hair follicles. Another harvesting technique, Follicular Unit Extraction, allows the surgeon to remove individual follicular units without a linear donor incision.

Another essential component of Follicular Unit Transplantation is Stereo-Microscopic Dissection.

In this technique all of the follicular units are removed from the donor tissue under microscopic control to avoid damage. Complete stereo-microscopic dissection has been shown to produce an increased yield of both the absolute number of follicular units, as well as the total amount of hair, (upwards of 25%). (This procedure differs from mini-micrografting in which the grafts are cut with minimal or no magnification.)

A major advantage of follicular unit transplantation, (besides preserving follicular units and maximizing growth) is the ability to use small recipient sites. Grafts comprised of individual follicular units are small because Follicular Units are themselves small, but also because the surrounding non-hair bearing tissue is removed under the microscope and doesn’t need to be transplanted. Follicular unit grafts can be inserted into tiny needle-sized sites in the recipient area, which heal in just a few days without leaving any marks.

When performed by a skilled surgical team, Follicular Unit Transplantation can provide totally natural looking hair transplants that make the full use of the patient’s donor supply to give the best possible cosmetic results in the fewest possible sessions.

A Norwood class 6 patient with position of new hairline marked just prior to surgery.

Results after two sessions of Follicular Unit transplantation. Note the perfectly natural appearance of the frontal hairline.

Hi doc. I have a thick donor area but the side of my hair in my opinion are a bit thin. Would I still be a good candidate for a surgery?

I have read on a few forums and websites that say a person in my situation would be better suited for FUE rather then strip because they can just go to my donor hair in the back and pick the healthy hair out instead of doing a strip and leaving my side even more thinner. But, I wanted to get a more expert opinion from you to see what you think. Thanks.

Reading forums and searching the Internet for personal health or cosmetic surgery related questions will probably cause more confusion. Each and every case is different. So when you are ready to see a doctor for options regarding a “possible” surgery, your situation will be better served with a doctor sitting in front of you.

Sorry if this is not answering your question in detail but that is really my “expert” opinion. I can’t give an expert opinion without a diagnosis or a physical exam. There have been plenty of patients who have had thinning and done well with a strip surgery. There also have been plenty of patients who I recommend no surgery at all.

This young man has very thin see-through hair. Near completion of the first session, the SMP procedure shows the difference between the non-pigmented scalp and the pigmented scalp as it is being performed. The first session uses lighter strokes than subsequent sessions which may be darker in the next session if the patient makes that choice as many often do. The dots are slightly lighter than his hair color. Click on the photo to see what we are talking about.

The drug melatonin, a potent antioxidant and growth modulator, was identified as a promising candidate for the topical treatment of hair loss. The study was conducted in 2003 at the Forenap Centre Hospitalier in Rouffach, France. The drug was found to be well tolerated. Approximately 80% of people found that it reduced hair loss during the short 90 day trial. The study concluded that there was a positive effect of melatonin on hair growth in patients with AGA. The authors recommended more studies have to be done to confirm the benefits for both short and long term hair loss treatment. The drug melatonin may behave similar to a topical drug which was marketed by a French pharmaceutical company which was known as a “morning after” abortion pill (as it was/is known and marketed some 20 years ago) and no longer on the market. A topical form of melatonin is commercialized in Spain (a topical solution called Lambdapil solution) but according to a colleague there, it is weak and no better than minoxidil.