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    Can Calcipotriol or Vitamin D Analog Stimulate Hair Growth?

    Aug 31, 2015/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Loss Causes

    Does calcipotriene, or any of the D3 analogues, stimulate hair growth?

    The reason I ask is because I have been prescribed both Clobetasol Propionate and Calcipotriene to treat a chronic, non-psoriatic, scalp condition I have had for the past two decades. Severe itching and burning, but no psoriatic lesions.

    After roughly one month of using the Clobetasol shampoo, sparingly and once per day, followed by liquid Calcipotriene, I have noticed the triangular-shaped area of the sides of my scalp, in line with the tips of my ears, is becoming very noticeable, as well as dark.

    I did an experiment where I put ten drops of the Calcipotriene on the right side of this triangle only, once per day. After two weeks of daily application, the right side is visible and pigmented, while the left side is nonexistent. Both were originally nonexistent.

    I have also noticed my crown appears to be getting much thicker as well. I have been using 2.5mg of Finasteride (generic) once per day for the past seven months, however it has only been since I have been using the Clobet / Calcipo combination that I have truly seen any regrowth or thickening.

    Since there is an inflammatory aspect to alopecia, in addition to the DHT, could it be that the Clobet is contributing to the thickening as it is a super-potent anti-inflammatory?

    I have heard, recently, that a misconfigured D3 receptor may be implicated in alopecia and that D3 analogues may hold some promise.

    In your experience with those with scalp psoriasis undergoing topical Clobet / Calcipo therapy, have you noticed any thickening or regrowth that you could not attribute to Finasteride?

    Thank you very much for your most valuable time and for all the information, and hope, that you give to those desperately seeking Susan…I mean, hair.

    vit D
    Calcipotriene or Calcipotriol is Vitamin D Analog for treatment of psoriasis. There are actually some thought that theoretically it may INDUCE hair loss. Some recent papers suggest it may help for those with alopecia areata but only for those with a specific vitamin D receptor (VDR) mutation.

    Your specific question is likely pertaining to genetic male pattern balding (MPB) or androgenic alopecia (AGA). This is a separate genetic trait that is not related to the vitamin D receptor (VDR) mutation. Thus, it will likly not affect hair growth.

    Beard Hair Transplant Video With Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)

    Aug 28, 2015/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Loss Causes

    Many men want a beard or a goatee. They want to know how to promote beard hair growth. Unfortunately beard hair is a separate genetic trait much like male pattern balding. If you were not born with the genes for beard hair growth, you can’t grow a beard. Some try Rogaine with minimal success. One other method would be a hair transplant surgery using scalp hair. The following is a video showing the process.

    ;

    What Are The Best Options For Improving My Hair Transplant Scars?

    Aug 27, 2015/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Loss Causes

    What are the best options for improving my hair transplant scars so that I can wear my hair shorter?

    I had strip done 10 years ago with DR .xxxx (for privacy name omitted)

    There is no universal answer or solution to improving a hair transplant scar. Some try scar revision surgery. Some try FUE to scars. Some try SMP to scar. My Scalp MicroPigmentation reviews have been very positive. See the results on the video.

    Scalp MicroPigmentation and hair transplant FUE Review of this patient’s Experience on his scalp scar and hair restoration.

    What Product Can I Use to Make My Thinning Hair Look More Full?

    Aug 27, 2015/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Loss Causes

    So my hair is thinning in the front and I would love to find a product that I can use everyday for styling that makes it look good?
    Right now I use dry shampoo and I style that way but it’s drying out my hair… I wouldn’t use gel or hairspray because it makes my hair look oily which makes me look even more bald. I would love a product that keeps hair in a style but also looking dry so it looks more full.
    Thank you so much in advance.


    Many men and women use Toppik, Dermmatch, or similar concealing products to thinning hair. Scalp MicroPigmentation is a permanent concealer. Some of these women had Scalp MicroPigmentation as well as hair transplant surgery.

    Can Scalp Exercises Grow Hair?

    Aug 26, 2015/by William Rassman, M.D./1 /Hair Loss Causes

    I see you posted about this website before – https://www.hairloss-reversible.com/my_approach.htm. It recommends treating hair loss by using the muscles at the front and back of the head to move the scalp back and forth.

    I know this is unscientific and likely ineffectual. But I actually discovered how to do these exercises as a way to self-treat tension headaches and scalp tension, before I read the website or had any hair loss.

    So my question is, might such exercises have any impact at all on miniaturizing follicles, particularly those being treated with minoxidil? I still like to moderately exercise my scalp in this way during the day (when no-one is looking, of course) but wonder if there might be some negative cross-over effects to moving about the scalp and follicles?

    On the flip side, scalp exercises seem to be recommended to help loosen it prior to hair surgery?

    exercise

    Someone put the time and energy to put together that information.

    From a medical point of view, scalp exercises will not grow hair or help miniaturized hair.

    My Transplanted FUE Hairs Look Uneven.

    Aug 26, 2015/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Loss Causes

    I had a hair transplant by fue technique and as to be expected I did start shedding around the 2nd week point. However, when I inspect the shedding hairs I noticed that some of the transplanted hairs that shed are short and some are longer. Is it normal to have different lengths of transplanted hairs? Or does that mean something that isn’t a good sign?

    barber

    It is normal to have different length of transplanted hairs. Doctors usually trim the hairs before FUE. Doctors are not the best hair stylists or barbers so they may have not trimmed your hair perfectly even.

    I am thinking Scalp MicroPigmentation for my strip scar. Can it be done without shaving? How are your reviews?

    Aug 25, 2015/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Loss Causes

    I m thinking Smp for my strip scar.can it be done without shaving?

    Yes we do this everyday at the New Hair Institute. See the video and the reviews for Scalp MicroPigmentation:

    RealSelf Patient Reviews of Jae Pak, MD

    Is Receding Just One Temple Peak Normal?

    Aug 24, 2015/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Loss Causes

    I have a question about temporal hair peak, my temporal hair peak in my left side has disappeared whereas the right side temporal hair peak is still ok, thus it makes an asymmetrical looks. It does not bother me since the temporal hair peak is not as important as baldness, however, I just want to know that does loss of temporal hair peak indicate the onset of hair loss on my scalp? And will my right side temporal hair peak follow the loss with my left side? Cheers

    symmetry

    Your description of asymmetrical temple peaks are relatively common. It is one of many examples that humans are not perfectly symmetrical. It does not signify the onset of hair loss.

    Can You Have Hair Loss After Stopping Propecia For Three Weeks?

    Aug 21, 2015/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Loss Causes

    I have a question for you.

    I’m taking finasteride 1mg now for two years and my hair improved a lot.
    Now with exams and very busy schedule I forgot to make an appointment with my docor. I now have one in three weeks. But now i’m afraid i’ll lose my hair again because i’m out of finasteride for three weeks.

    Is it possible i can lose a lot of hair in three weeks?

    catch up

    It is possible that you can lose hair after stopping Propecia for three weeks. It generally takes longer for “catch up” hair loss to occur. Catch up hair loss is basically the loss of your native hair that benefited from the use of Propecia.

    I Want To Have Hair Transplant Surgery In USA But There Seems To Be Better Advanced Techniques Out There.

    Aug 20, 2015/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Loss Causes

    Dear Dr Rassman,

    I thoroughly enjoy reading your blog and you have become something of an inspiration to me. Not only due to your career success but it seems like to me you have a great aura! I am due to study graduate medicine at the age of 30, nervous.

    I am probably a NW2-3 and on Propecia. It is regrowing my hairline the past year I have been on it. I was looking into a FUE and the surgeon was talking about DHI being advanced? I am a bit concerned now regarding exactly what it is and how it differs from traditional FUE. Online there is such a mix of information I am not sure what to believe.

    So I was hoping you could advise me on its merits. I couldn’t find much information using your search function.

    If I could, I would come to you but I am not based in the States :(


    dolls

    Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is a method of harvesting hair with a circular instrument one hair follicle (graft) at a time. Many doctors or clinics have their own technique and call it something different. It is partly marketing and partly something unique to their own practice. What doctor or clinic would not promote themselves as “The Best”?

    The FUE or harvesting method is only part of the surgical process. The most important part of surgery that is often not mentioned is the IMPLANTATION process and the FINAL RESULTS.

    You can have the most sophisticated harvesting FUE technique but it will not mean much if your final results are sub-par.

    A bad hair transplant result is like herpes. It’s for life!

    I Am Losing Hair Please Help Please Help.

    Aug 20, 2015/by William Rassman, M.D./1 /Hair Loss Causes

    Hello doctor
    Hope you are doing fine…
    I am a 40 years old lady and always had thick densed hair.
    But since july’14 I suddenly started losing hair. I was devastated when doctor said it Will take 3-4 months to stop… I was losing 100+ hair.I got my blood test done and my DHT and dhea was high. So doctor gave me fincar 5 mg daily and aldactone 50 mg twice daily. After 3/4 months hair fall reduced to some extent but never came to normal. But I was feeling little better.. my hair fall from December’14 till march’15 was arlound 50/60 on average with little fluctuation on and off. though 11 months back i used to lose just 20/30 hair a day.

    In my march’15 report DHT, testetrone and dhea all was normal so doctor asked me to reduce aldactone to 25 mg twice daily and take dutas. 5 daily…

    But after reducing aldactone my hair fall increased again… SO I STARTED TAKING ALDACTONE 50 MG TWICE A DAY AND DUTAS DAILY

    BUT SINCE 26th JUNE 2015 my hair fall again 100+ on hair wash days

    LAST 45 DAYS even non hair wash days i am losing 100 hair.
    I am so devastated and can’t stop crying…

    Read your article so felt like seeking your help..
    PLEASE TELL ME IF THIS IS CHRONIC TELOGEN, WILL ALL MY HAIR REGROW OR THEY ARE FALLING PERMANENTLY?
    I ALSO LOSE TINY HAIR WITH ROOTS, IS IT ALARMING?
    IS DUTAS AND ALDACTONE CAUSING HAIR FALL?

    i switched to dutas from fincar in april and my hair fall increased from june… is it due to dutas?

    if i stop dutas and switch to fincar now will it cause more shedding?

    I AM USING NEUTRIDERM LOTION FOR LAST ONE YEAR

    I GOT MYSELF CHECKED …I HAVE NO THYROID, NO PCO, NO OTHER ILLNESS…

    PLEASE HELP

    PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HELP


    help
    I see the desperate undertone in your email. You are under the care of a doctor and you need to follow up with your doctor for treatment. The Internet is a great source of general information and NOT a place for personal medical treatment.

    There is one thing I must stress that you should ask your doctor about: Finasteride or Dutasteride is NOT meant to be taken by women.

    How Long Can A Hair Graft Survive Outside The Body

    Aug 18, 2015/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Loss Causes

    I was wondering how long can you have a hair follicle outside the body before it dies? I had surgery that lasted 10 hours and I am worried because I saw my grafts sitting in a clear solution for over three hours. Is this normal?

    ice

    A freshly extracted hair follicle or hair graft can survive outside the body for as long as 6 plus hours. It is very fragile and if mishandled it may desiccate and “die” in as little as a minute. A harvested graft must be hydrated, kept moist, and cooled as soon as it leaves the body. Cooling slows down the metabolism process. If your grafts were not cooled, it may be an issue!

    It all comes down to the experience and expertise of the surgeon and staff. With poor coordination, and standardization the surgery may be failure even before it has a chance to be implanted.

    Some doctors use special solutions and precise temperatures to keep the grafts alive longer. However, this DOES NOT guarantee that the grafts will go on to survive the implantation process! More importantly there have been recent concerns that these new “solutions” to maximize the graft survivability may actually do harm than good. Often times doctors may advocate PRP but these solutions also have not been proven by randomized controlled scientific studies.

    The implantation process can also dry up the grafts and harm the grafts if mismanaged by an inexperienced staff. In other words, cooling or preserving the harvested grafts would all be for nothing, if the team cannot transfer it from the petri dish back to the recipient site with care and expertise.

    This is one of the many reasons that hair transplant surgery is not a standard or a guaranteed process. In other words, shopping for “cheap” surgeries may sacrifice these critical quality control issues.

    Doing Hair Transplant Surgery On A Teenager Is Not Good Standard Of Care

    Aug 12, 2015/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Loss Causes

    Source: NY Post: “Teenagers are fighting the “recession.”
    The battle against baldness is sprouting to new heights as boys as young as 16 flock to surgeons for hair transplants, doctors and patients told The Post
    .

    teen

    These young men have a high return rate for their hair when put on Propecia. Propecia is an elective medication and like all drugs, it has it’s side effects. The side effects are well publicized in the Internet balding forums and hotly debated. The reality is that Propecia works and the side effect only affects 1 to 2 % of men.

    Doing a hair transplant commits a young man for a life time of hair transplants without giving him the opportunity to reverse or stabilize the hair loss. Doing surgery at an early stage can often accelerate the genetic balding in young men. The overall profession does not look kindly on hair transplant surgeries on teenagers. The only exception may be if the teenager is completely bald (Norwood 6/7) and understand the full implication and limitation of a hair transplant surgery.

    I Think My Hair Transplant Surgery Failed.

    Aug 12, 2015/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Loss Causes

    I had a hair transplant surgery three months ago by a reputable doctor, but I am not seeing any results. I think it may be a failure. What can I do?

    hybernate3

    Transplanted hair grafts usually shed and fall out within the first few weeks after surgery. Transplanted hair grafts usually go into a dormant state and will not produce new hairs or continue to grow. The first few months after surgery you may look worse as you may continue to lose your native non-transplanted hairs. Not much happens in the first three months as the grafts are mostly in the dormant state. Be patient, you will start seeing results in 6 to 12 months (sometimes longer). At this point (at 3 months) think of the grafts is if they are “hibernating”.

    Transitioning From Hairpiece to FUE Surgery

    Aug 10, 2015/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Loss Causes

    I currently wear hairpiece that I’ve had for about 25 years (I’m 50 now). it’s a bonding tape/glue kind. my shop in phila is closing and I’m wondering if it’s time to consider transplantation. however, how would i transition to that w/o everyone knowing? do you have anyone that is/was in this situation


    closet
    We’ve transitioned many patients from a wig/ hair piece to hair transplant and SMP.
    If you choose the SMP method, you can still have the hair piece during the process and when complete, have a “coming out” party and show the world you decided to shave it all off.
    If you choose the hair transplant method, you can have the FUE surgery and still wear the hair piece (without the glue) and over the course of several weeks to months, have the hair piece made with thinner looking hair.

    This a of course a very simple way of explaining a delicate process. You would need to sit down and discuss the plan with a doctor in detail.

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    Over 21 million women and 35 million men in America suffer from hair loss. For many of these people, the psychological impact on their life is debilitating.

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    This site exists to educate about hair loss and hair restoration.

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    This site is intended to educate the public on hair loss topics based on personal experience and opinions from Dr. William Rassman and contributing physician editors. Information provided on BaldingBlog.com should not be used for the purpose of medical diagnosis or treatment.

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