I Make Minimum Wage and Want to Make Monthly Payments on a Hair Transplant

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

i was wondering if it would be possible to start hair transplant as early as 19, ive been losing since i was 17 and am currently taking propecia, propica has stopped most to all thinning around the tops of my head but my hair line is really embarrassing, i barley want to leave my house because of it, and when i do i wear a hat, i have long hair so this is really a stress

also i was wondering if you new of any hair transplant clinics that accepted monthly payments instead of one big down payment, i work a minimum wage job and really have been wanting to get this.

First you’ll need to get an assessment by a doctor to see if you’re a candidate for surgery. Rarely will a teenager be accepted for a hair transplant. We have loans in our office for those people who do not have enough money to pay for the procedure, but that requires good credit.

Tags: hair transplant, hairtransplant, surgery, payment, layaway, propecia

Did My Eating Disorder Trigger My Teen Hair Loss?

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

(male)
I hate to admit it, but I used to have an eating disorder.

For about a year I was bulimic, I purged just about every day after dinner. I had periods where I tried to stop, the longest I went without purging was a month. After a while though, I noticed significant hair loss (a spot on my crown so thin it’s almost bald). I stopped my bulimia about a month ago, and no hair has grown back and it still seems to be falling out! Now, I am a male so it may be male pattern baldness right? But I’m only 17!

As for genetics, all the men on my mom’s side of the family still have hair, and the only person on my dad’s side that’s gone bald is my father himself (he started going bald at 26).

Will I regrow my hair? Or is this male pattern baldness beginning to rear its ugly head?

Bulimia can certainly cause nutritional deficiencies that may cause many health issues, with hair loss being one of them. The most common cause of hair loss in men, however, is genetic male pattern baldness (MPB) — otherwise known as androgenic alopecia (AGA). Hair loss from nutritional deficiencies is diffuse (you lose hair all over your scalp), but in some men with AGA, bulimia can trigger the genetic process, though this is rare in males under the age of 17. Hair loss from male pattern baldness is in a specific pattern (as the term implies).

From your perspective, it does not really matter if your mom’s or dad’s side of the family has hair loss, because if you have the gene, you have the gene. It can skip generations, but it can also be passed down directly from your father to you. I can’t tell you that you will regrow your hair, because as I said, the bulimia could’ve triggered the process early. The only way to really tell what’s going on is to map your scalp and repeat the process over time to see how your hair loss is progressing.

Tags: bulimia, bulimic, eating disorder, hairloss, hair loss

How Much Would a Hair Transplant Cost Me?

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

Dear Doctor,
Im 23 and im a about 2 – 2A on the norwood scale (male pattern baldness on moms side, no balding on fathers). dark brown straight hair and my brother and cousins on my moms side all show signs of balding. I realize you are unable to make a proper evaluation of my hair characteristics with out photo’s and testing. But my question is this:

approximately what is the best, and all time worse case scenario on how much a hair transplant would cost me?

And I truly do realize it is hard for you to answer considering the circumstances so I will keep a very open mind on the subject. But there must be some rough numbers along with a brief description you could possibly throw at me to help get some idea on what a person like me should be expecting for the future. Thanks so much

Costs could range anywhere from $3000 to $10,000 on average depending on how much hair you need, but at this point you’re likely not to be a candidate. I couldn’t even begin to guess what an all time worst case scenario would be for you. If you’re worried about retaining your hair, I suppose the worst case would be that you develop alopecia universalis and lose all hair on your body, making hair transplantation impossible.

What you want to do is examine your scalp for miniaturization (here’s a handy guide to doing it yourself) and if it is present, you should try to prevent further loss by using medications. Surgery shouldn’t be the first solution you rush to, particularly as you are still young with very early hair loss. Finasteride (Propecia) is the drug of choice and requires a prescription by a doctor.

Tags: hair transplant, age, miniaturization, finasteride, propecia, medication

In the News – 80 Year Old Man Looks Much Younger Thanks to His Hair

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

Snippet from the article:

Ron WilliamsonWhen strangers mistake him for a man 30 years younger, Ron Williamson doesn’t turn a hair.

He explains that he is in fact 80 – but his luxuriant dark-brown mane refuses to show any sign of age. The secret of his follicular success, he claims, is two fold – good genes and a healthy blob of his favourite hair cream.

Read the full article at DailyMail UK

No, the man in the photo above is not a patient of mine… but according to the article, he is 80 years old. Remarkable! What more can I say? For those people who have not found the elusive cure for hair loss, I have performed hair transplants on men in their 80s and they are generally very satisfied patients. Safety for such a surgery is not a problem as the procedures are performed under local anesthesia.

Tags: hair, age

Lisinopril Causing Hair Loss at 52 Years Old?

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

I have been reading your forum about medications and hair loss. I am a 52 year old male and i have been taking lisinopril 10/12.5 and ziac 2,5 for years i have been loosing hair gradually over the years but i thought it was just heredity and now i find out that i have killed my hair from taking these drugs that makes me angry that i wasnt told. About 6 months ago i started a different generic brand of lisinopril and now my hair is thinning faster than ever before, could it be the medicine or what do you think might be happening.

Blood pressureI’ve written about this before, but Lisinopril is a blood pressure medicine. If you believe you are having hair loss side effects from lisinopril, discuss this with the physician that prescribed it to you, as you should not stop any medication without speaking to your doctor.

If your hair is thinning and you are male, the most likely cause of hair loss is genetic hair loss. Aside from that I really do not know what is happening. Even at 52 years old, hair loss from genetic causes can happen, so there may or may not be a connection between the drugs you are taking and the hair loss. You can’t completely rule out the medication, but my advice is to discuss these issues with your prescribing doctor.

Tags: blood pressure, hypertension, heart, lisinopril, hairloss, hair loss

The Odds of Going Bald

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

Hi, I just turned nineteen and have become concerned about hair loss. The corners of my hairline seem high and an abundance of small hairs have sprung up around the hairline. Are these signs of recession, new hair, or can it be either? No one on either side of my family has ever been bald except my great uncle on my father’s side. What are the odds of me becoming bald?

Norwood 7There is no way to predict your hair loss completely, that is, until you are older. This site is full of information to educate you and if you are concerned, then take charge of your problem. The hairlines in men generally rise between the ages of 19-29 (see Maturation of a Hairline).

Overall, 50% of men develop some level of balding by the time that they are 50 years old and only 7% will have the most extreme form of balding, Norwood Class 7 (see image at right).

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, hairline, teen, age, odds

My Doctor Says Propecia is Dangerous for Me at 19 Years Old

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

Is it safe for a 19 year old with androgenetic alopecia ( diagnosed ) to use propecia? my doctor insists that propecia is too dangerous for a male of my age. instead he prescribed minoxidil 5%. by the way which is better treatment for MPB minoxidil or propecia?

Propecia is the best drug to prevent and possibly reverse balding/miniaturization in a man of your age. Propecia is a lifetime commitment, so I always want to be sure that there is miniaturization present. The clinical trials on Propecia were conducted with men that were 18-41 years old and proven to be safe and effective, so I’m unsure why your doctor feels it is dangerous at 19 years old. My opinion obviously differs from your doctor’s opinion.

Tags: propecia, finasteride, danger, safety, hairloss, hair loss, teen, youth

I Made a Terrible Mistake By Stopping Finasteride Last Year!

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

I made a terrible mistake and need advice on what to do now. I used finasteride for about two years, and got fantastic regrowth. I became afraid of side effects, stopped using the drug about last year, and have now lost all my gains, and possibly more. Is it still worth it for me to jump back on the drug after being off for a year? Is it still possible that I will regrow the hair as I did during my first stint on finasteride?

My pattern is more of a diffuse pattern with no bald spots, but extensive thinning. 26 years old here.

Going back on the drug may help, but I would doubt that it will bring back all of the gains you had before. Because of your youth, you have a better chance than most men at getting benefits from Propecia. Let this be a lesson for those who take the drug so that they know the impact of stopping it.

Tags: propecia, finasteride, hairloss, hair loss

Infant with Ringworm = 12 Year Old With Bald Spot

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

My 12 y/o son had a ringworm in his head when he was an infant. The doctors prescribed medicine to be taken orally, and the ringworm went away, however his hair will not grow in that spot anymore. Is there anything you can recommend to promote hair growth in this area? This is affecting his self-esteem.

Ringworm is usually successfully treated with medication and does not generally cause hair loss. Maybe there is some deep scarring that had caused hair loss around the area of infection, as I have seen some cases where this has happened in childhood and then the patient comes to see me as a young adult with that history.

My best advice is to see a physician or a surgeon who specializes in hair transplants. Hair transplantation may be an answer, but your son definitely needs a good diagnosis first. A 12 year spread indicates that the hair will not return, but I would generally not treat it with transplants at that age unless it bothers him, though that may occur further into his teens.

Tags: ringworm, hair loss, hairloss, hair transplant, child, infant

In the News – 10 Year Old Gets Hair Transplant

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

From the article:

Jacob Vara, of Corona [California], loves playing baseball and wears his Yankees cap everywhere.

He has worn it ever since he was 10 months of age when he tugged on a wire attached to an electric grill and spilled searing hot cooking oil on himself. He suffered second- and third-degree burns in an accident that left him with a softball-sized bald spot on the front of his head.

Read the full story — Corona boy undergoes rare hair transplant

Although the article states that they transplanted 1500 follicles from the back of his neck, I assume that means the doctors got 1500 grafts from the donor area (above the neck). The author of the article likely doesn’t fully understand what he was writing about, so errors like that can and do occur. Obviously, transplanting a child is not a usual procedure, but this is a case of a large bald spot due to a burn. I hope this young man has an excellent result that will give him confidence that he deserves.

Tags: child, hair transplant, hairtransplant, young, burn, hairloss, hair loss

Child Hair Loss — It’s Not Fungus, So What Is It?

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

My daughter is 9 years old and I just found out she has several bald spot in the back of her head . We took her to the peditrician doctor, they scrape the bald spot to get it test. The lab just call me and they said that it wasn’t fungus nor ring worm. Can you please give me some information on what it could be? I’m very worry, please response back to me ASAP. Thank you.

I can only tell you what is not (fungus or ringworm). I cannot diagnose your daughter’s condition on the Internet without any examination. I would take her to see a dermatologist so that doctor can take the next step in the diagnosis. She may need a biopsy rather than skin scraping. There are many differential possibilities, such as alopecia areata, but that diagnosis has to be made by a physician who can examine your daughter in person.

Tags: child, hairloss, hair loss, fungus, ringworm

Is Puberty Causing My Hair Loss at 16 Years Old?

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

Hi,
I am a 16 year old male, and i think i m losing my hair but i don’t know. Is it possible that this could be because of puberty perhaps, and to what extent is shedding hair normal?
Thanks

I am not sure how to comment without knowing more about you. Everybody loses 100 hairs per day… sometimes more, sometimes less. If you are paying more attention to your hair you may be noticing something that is normal, but you can definitely be noticing an increased hair loss rate. As you are a male and maturing, you may notice some stages of early genetic male pattern baldness (MPB). MPB starts as early as 16 years old in some men and it is related to the changes in your hormones combining with the balding genes. I am NOT suggesting you indeed have MPB, but I am just answering a generic question. To find out, go get your hair mapped out for miniaturization and if you are really in the evolving balding process this will make the diagnosis.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, puberty, mpb, teen

70 Year Old Missing Pubic Hair

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

(female) I am 70 years young and I would really like to grow my pubic hair which has almost disappeared. how can it be done

A hair transplant works nicely for pubic hair and age should not be a problem provided that the donor area is healthy. It will be taken from the scalp and you can make it as dense as you like. Pubic hair transplants are very common in Asia.

Tags: hair loss, hairloss, pubic, pubic hair, age

In the News – 12 Year Old Girl Gets Hair Transplant

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

From the article:


When Ashley Stewart was just two years old, a pot of soup fell on her. She was badly burned and lost some of her hair on the front and left side of her head.

On Wednesday, the now 12-year-old Fridley girl is getting a new lease on life and new locks.

I wasn’t able to see any before photos to render an opinion on whether the 3600 grafts that she received will do the trick. The quotes in the article seemed to be a bit misleading (or over-confident, I suppose), but it’s good to read stories of children having their confidence restored.

Read the full article — Girl, 12, Gets Hair Transplant; New Found Freedom

Tags: burn, child, hair transplant, hairtransplant

Doctor Recommends Vitamins and Biotin for 21 Year Old with Early Hair Loss?

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

Hey Doctor,
I am a 21 year old starting to experience hair loss. For the last year and a half, my temples have receded and the front of my hair is becoming more and more thin. I recently went to a dermatologist, who confirmed that I am experiencing frontal hair loss. The doctor’s diagnosis was not what I was expecting, though. She stated that I should take a multi-vitamin supplement and biotin for about 6 months, and if by 6 months i am still experiencing hair loss, then i should begin using rogaine for the front of my head, not propecia. I am a little confused by this, mainly because i was under the impression that rogaine was only for the back of the head. I am also skeptical about only taking a multi vitamin for six months, fearing that the longer I wait the worse my hair will get.

What do you think about this regimen? Do you think I should go find a second opinion?

I don’t agree with the regimen your doctor recommended and I’d suggest you see another doctor. You should get your hair mapped out for miniaturization to make the diagnosis of genetic hair loss and then the drug Propecia (which must be prescribed by a doctor) would be the best choice if you have indeed have genetic hair loss. Since you’re a young man with early hair loss (if it is as you describe and the miniaturization mapping shows it), Propecia is the best FDA approved treatment to get your balding to slow down or stop and possibly regrow hair.

Tags: biotin, hairloss, hair loss, minoxidil, rogaine, propecia, finasteride