WRassman,M.D. BaldingBlog
    • Menu

    Lasers and Hair Growth

    Sep 11, 2014/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Loss Causes, Hair Pieces / Systems, Other

    Can you stimulate the scalp to grow hair with Lasers? One hair restoration site was promoting hair growth with Lasers used for women’s hair loss.

    The following is just my personal opinion. In my practice I have offered lasers and have carried out limited trials on various lasers offered. I got these lasers free so I tested them on my patients and did not charge them for these treatments. I saw no consistent benefits from the lasers in most of the patients who had the treatment. Some patients have reported subjective benefits and they have been happy. But I have not seen the benefit on a measurable scale so I do not promote it in my practice.

    Low Level Laser Light Therapy (LLLT) is pushed by many doctors because they sell these lasers as laser combs, Laser Hats and other Laser delivery systems under the premise that they bring blood to the balding area and the hair growth therefore improves or there is some direct impact of the LLLT therapy on the hair. There has been no clinical demonstration that these lasers actually help grow hair. If in fact it did bring blood to the area (which I doubt), bringing blood to the area cannot make hair appears where it has died from genetic hair loss. As hair is being lost, it is often impacted by miniaturization (a transition period leading to full hair loss in some people) and the Lasers have not been shown to be effective in these conditions either. Hair won’t suddenly appear, but your wallet will get lighter. Some doctors make a killing selling lasers for as much as $3,000 each.

    wallet

    SMP Scalp Micropigment Patient Talks About How Others Were Upset

    Jul 31, 2014/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Pieces / Systems, Hair Transplantation, Scalp MicroPigmentation, Videos

    before_SMP_1 Before SMP

    This patient talks about how others were upset that he was visiting a hair transplant clinic when he had so much hair! They didn’t know he had SMP.

    Can Bonding Glue Cause Damage to the Scalp Before My Hair Transplant?

    Jan 6, 2014/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Pieces / Systems, Hair Transplantation, Post-Operative

    I’m gonna have a hair transplant in 2 months, In the meanwhile I wear a contact skin bonding foil system applied by glue on the scalp. Can this damage my existing hair or handicap my hair transplant success? I’m removing the contact skin on a weekly basis for washing my scalp.

    At the moment there’s no single sign of irritation on my scalp, everything looks fine.

    The glues can cause damage to existing hair, but it shouldn’t cause problems with a hair transplant surgery as long as you don’t continue to use it after the procedure. Ask your doctor what they recommend in terms of your preparation and post-surgery concerns, as every doctor is different.

    Tags: hair transplant, bonding glue, hairloss, hair loss

    In the News – Sony Patents the SmartWig

    Dec 5, 2013/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Pieces / Systems

    Snippet from the article:

    SmartWigMost large tech companies are either making wearable devices, or at least showing an interest in them. Sony’s got a smartwatch, sure, but it’s bored of such “in-the-box” thinking. Either that, or someone at Sony’s been hitting the pipe, as the company’s trying to patent what it calls a “SmartWig” (yeah, seriously).

    The application describes a standard wig that could “be made from horse hair, human hair, wool, feathers, yak hair or any kind of synthetic material,” with a circuit board hidden among those luscious locks. That board can talk to a “second computing device” wirelessly — such as a phone or even a pair of smartglasses — and actuators embedded in the hairpiece could “provide tactile feedback to the user.”

    Read the rest — Sony’s SmartWig patent is a real head-scratcher

    I love creativity and innovation. We’ll see where this ends up in the marketplace (if it ever does). You can check out the patent at the USPTO.

    Tags: sony, smartwig, wig

    I Have an Ugly Head, So Should I Get a Wig?

    Jul 11, 2013/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Pieces / Systems, Hair Transplantation

    I have a couple questions. Do you recommend a daily multivitamin or anything like b-6 or zinc?

    I have an ugly head…if I see nothing works and I decide to go with a semi permanent toupe, would you recommend something like cyberhair, which can be glued on a month at a time? The pics look so good but I couldnt glue it on or make it match. Or do you think this is the worst thing a person can do?

    Multivitamins are always good. No problem with using them, but they aren’t going to make your hair regrow.

    People who have abnormal shaped heads love hair transplants, as a good hair transplant with long hair covers most skull abnormalities. Wigs also work, but that choice is clearly yours to make. Obviously, the biggest difference is that the surgical method is permanent and doesn’t require the same maintenance or financial costs that a wig does in order to look real.

    Tags: hairloss, hair loss, hair transplant, vitamins

    In the News – Locks of Love Could Be Missing Hair

    May 20, 2013/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Pieces / Systems, Other

    Snippet from the article:

    Hold onto your ponytails: A new report alleges that Locks of Love — a well-known charity that makes wigs for children suffering from medical hair loss — has disclosure inadequacies that could total up to $6 million annually.

    Locks of Love reportedly receives around 104,000 hair donations per year to make “hair prosthetics,” according to the report by Nonprofit Investor, an organization that evaluates charities. That should be enough to produce around 2,080 hairpieces, taking into account that 80% of donated hair can’t be used (too short, gray, or bleached), and that it takes six to 10 donations to make a Locks of Love wig.

    But in 2011, Locks of Love made just 317 of its custom-fitted wigs, according to Nonprofit Investor.

    Read the rest — REPORT: $6 Million Worth Of Hair Donations To Locks Of Love Have Gone Missing

    Tags: locks of love, charity, wigs, hairloss, hair loss

    Will Wearing Wigs Damage My Scalp for Future Hair Transplantation?

    Jan 18, 2013/by William Rassman, M.D./1 /Hair Pieces / Systems

    Hello.

    I am 18 years old and by looking at my family history, I’ll start losing my hair between 20-22.

    I have decided not to take propecia (I know the percentage of side effects is rather small, but I dont wanna risk any sexual side effects, and definitely not any brain fogs, as my brain is my main asset). I’ve contacted and visited a guy here in London, who’s wearing a hair system, and its actually not visible, even if you put your eyes like 2cm from the hairline. And you wear it 24/7, usually for a week.

    Now, I would imagine wearing a hair system till like 30, so till in 12 years, and then go for an intelligent combination of treatments (hair cloning -replicel,aderans etc + body hair transplantation + several GHO sessions) to turn my NW6 to NW2.

    THE QUESTION i’m asking is if like 6-7 years of wearing wigs, which include like putting glue on your scalp and cleaning it off with alcohol and putting it back on weekly, will damage my scalp skin and thus make a hair transplantation difficult.

    Thanks. Please answer. Bye

    You are getting way ahead of yourself here. You need to first get a diagnosis from a physician and then discuss your options in a Master Plan for treatment. If you are scared to take a medication due to potential side effects, that is up to you and your doctors to decide.

    Finally, wearing hair systems long term can cause scalp irritation, scarring, and localized hair loss from traction alopecia. Many wig wearers have balding areas at points of attachment. Not to mention the expense of maintaining the hairpiece, which is something many people don’t consider.

    Tags: hairpiece, wig, hairloss, hair loss

    In the News – Man Sues Hairpiece Company and Wins

    May 22, 2012/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Pieces / Systems

    Snippet from the article:

    A judge has awarded damages to a man suffering hair loss who had gone to a clinic in Dublin to undergo a hair restoration procedure.

    Judge Raymond Groarke held it would have been ridiculous for garage worker Jeremy Keogh to have believed that having a wig or membrane glued to his head would cause his hair to regrow.

    He said Mr Keogh (29), St Killian’s Crescent, Staplestown Road, Co Carlow, had succeeded however in convincing the court he had not been provided with what he thought he had purchased at Advanced Hair Studios, Dublin, in March 2009.

    Read the rest — Man wins court case over anti-balding treatment

    Tags: wig, hairpiece

    The Most Extravagant Wigs in the World!

    Mar 8, 2012/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Pieces / Systems

    DogGood Morning Balding Blog,

    I got an article to share with you today: 7 Most Extravagant Wigs in the World

    p.s: check make sure you check out Andy Warhol’s wig which cost $10,000!

    That’s a fun look at some funky wigs. It’s too bad this dog didn’t make the list, as it’s a pretty extravagant wig (for a dog).

    Tags: wigs, toupee, hair piece

    Press Release – Jason Alexander’s Hairpiece

    Mar 6, 2012/by William Rassman, M.D./8 /Hair Pieces / Systems

    Snippet from the press release:

    Farrell Hair Replacement, a world leader in ultra custom, non-surgical hair replacement, announced today the release of a new video interview with film and television star Jason Alexander.

    Most of us are familiar with the character of George Louis Costanza in the American television sitcom ‘Seinfeld’, and know that George was constantly trying to find a miracle cure for his baldness. The character of George was played by Jason Alexander who embodied the 1980s bald look. The amazing thing is that now, despite the fact he is in his 50s, Jason looks more youthful than he looked in his 30s while playing George.

    Jason AlexanderRead the rest Jason Alexander Reveals The Company Behind His Custom Hair System

    I’ve written about actor Jason Alexander’s new look before. He clearly wanted to change his image. I am certain that it’s the man in the mirror that drove him to use a hairpiece. Take a look at successful men in Hollywood (Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin) and political candidates (Romney, Santorum). It takes hair to create an image. Granted, Jason Alexander had success as a bald sidekick to Jerry Seinfeld… but he was likely limited in the roles he was offered. For the aspiring actors or job seekers, the men with a good head of hair will have a better shot at success than their bald counterparts. That is a fact, even if you don’t like the message.

    Jason Alexander has the money to go the toupee route, which can get pretty costly with maintenance required to keep it looking good. I’ve written about this before here.

    Tags: actor, celebrity, hollywood, seinfeld, wig, toupee, hairloss, hair loss

    Why Would Celebrities Wear Toupees?

    Feb 8, 2012/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Pieces / Systems, Hair Transplantation

    Why would Elton John and William Shatner wear toupees when hair restoration is easily available?

    Elton JohnSurgery is a personal decision, so I can’t speak for everyone… but I can make an educated guess. Hair restoration or hair transplant surgery is in essence about moving your existing hairs around. If you don’t have lots to move around you cannot cover a huge area of balding or achieve the look of a 16 year old fullness.

    Moreover, many older celebrities with their financial success have had a hair transplant surgery 10, 20, 30 years ago when hair transplant surgery results were not the best. So with their fortune they depleted their donor hair supply and do not have enough donor to fix the problem. As a result, their only option is a wig and or toupee.

    Tags: celebrities, hairloss, hair loss, wigs, toupee, hollywood

    Renting “Hair” in the 1970s

    Jan 24, 2012/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Pieces / Systems

    I saw the below advertisement on BoingBoing, and it apparently ran in a UK newspaper in the early 70s.

    Would you rent some hair?

    Hair rental ad 1973
    Tags: hair rental, old ad, 1970s

    Can I Save My Fallen Hairs for Transplants?

    Nov 28, 2011/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Pieces / Systems, Hair Transplantation

    Hi Dr. Rassman,
    Thanks for writing such an informative and entertaining blog. Keep up the great work. I have some questions:

    (1) Everyday the grafts fall out from the head with the follicle on one end, is it possible to collect these grafts and preserve them in a certain condition for future surgeries? If possible, how? And for how long can they live?

    (2)If I use tapes to attach a toupee 5 hours every month, will it hurt the scalp which will house the grafts of future transplants?

    Thanks!

    The hairs that naturally fall out of your scalp are those that have gone through the normal cycling of hair (telogen, catagen, and anagen) and there is nothing on them that is ‘alive’. We all cycle our hair and when the hair falls out, its root goes into a resting stage and then re-grows a new hair 2-6 months later. Since the hairs that fall out are not alive, there is no chance that it will ever grow again, as dead is dead.

    The tapes used on the scalp for attaching wigs can still cause traction alopecia (hair loss where the tapes are attached), even if the adhesive is kept on for long periods of time. Traction alopecia occurs in these areas, as I have seen in my exposure to such patients. The tape should not harm the skin or prevent future transplants into the area.

    Tags: hairloss, hair loss, hair transplant, wigs, toupee

    Safe Hair Extensions?

    Nov 16, 2011/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Pieces / Systems

    Can i use the real hair to do the knotting as cyber hair? Is there a safe hair extension method in the market?

    I am not an expert in hair extensions, so I cannot comment if one is safer or better than the other. In general, if there is a constant pulling on your native hair (which you will feel), it may cause traction alopecia over a period of time. The extensions that are fixed in place have more traction alopecia than those that you place and move around by yourself.

    Tags: hairloss, hair loss, hair extensions

    SMP with a Hairpiece?

    Nov 14, 2011/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Hair Pieces / Systems, Pigments

    I had the idea of combining SMP with the occasional use of hairpieces to basically give me the hair style options of any non balding man (at a much higher price of course.) This way, each would get rid of suspicion of the other; being able to grow hair and being able to shave it. My question is, would the glue used to bond the hairpiece to the head ever damage the SMP? I’d never excessively use hair pieces- just now and then for special occasions.

    Wearing a hair piece or hair system will not damage the Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP) pigment. If the glue does not damage your skin it should not damage the micropigment under your skin.

    Tags: smp, pigment, damage, hairpiece, hair system
    123
    Older Entries
    Page 1 of 8

    Videos

    Podcasts

    Ask Dr. Rassman

    * Your questions may be published (without your contact information).

    [contact-form-7 id=”27935″ title=”Sidebar Contact”]

    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.

    Dr. Rassman is a world leading expert in hair loss with over 25 years of experience and over 50,000 satisfied clients.

    About

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

    William R. Rassman, M.D.

    Categories

    • ACell
    • African American
    • Age
    • April Fools
    • Density
    • Diseases
    • Drugs
    • Drugs (Cause Hair Loss)
    • Favorites
    • Female Hair Loss
    • FUE
    • Hair Cloning
    • Hair Loss Causes
    • Hair Pieces / Systems
    • Hair Products
    • Hair Transplantation
    • Hairlines
    • Megasession
    • Other
    • Other Surgical Procedures
    • Personal Stories
    • Photos
    • Pigments
    • Podcasts
    • Post-Operative
    • Repair
    • Repost
    • Scalp MicroPigmentation
    • Scarring
    • Thinning
    • Tidbits
    • Training
    • Videos

    Archives

    • March 2023
    • February 2023
    • January 2023
    • December 2022
    • November 2022
    • October 2022
    • September 2022
    • August 2022
    • July 2022
    • June 2022
    • May 2022
    • April 2022
    • March 2022
    • February 2022
    • January 2022
    • December 2021
    • November 2021
    • October 2021
    • September 2021
    • August 2021
    • July 2021
    • June 2021
    • May 2021
    • April 2021
    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • March 2020
    • February 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    • December 2016
    • November 2016
    • October 2016
    • June 2016
    • May 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • January 2016
    • December 2015
    • November 2015
    • October 2015
    • September 2015
    • August 2015
    • July 2015
    • June 2015
    • May 2015
    • April 2015
    • March 2015
    • February 2015
    • January 2015
    • December 2014
    • November 2014
    • October 2014
    • September 2014
    • August 2014
    • July 2014
    • June 2014
    • May 2014
    • April 2014
    • March 2014
    • February 2014
    • January 2014
    • December 2013
    • November 2013
    • October 2013
    • September 2013
    • August 2013
    • July 2013
    • June 2013
    • May 2013
    • April 2013
    • March 2013
    • February 2013
    • January 2013
    • December 2012
    • November 2012
    • October 2012
    • September 2012
    • August 2012
    • July 2012
    • June 2012
    • May 2012
    • April 2012
    • March 2012
    • February 2012
    • January 2012
    • December 2011
    • November 2011
    • October 2011
    • September 2011
    • August 2011
    • July 2011
    • June 2011
    • May 2011
    • April 2011
    • March 2011
    • February 2011
    • January 2011
    • December 2010
    • November 2010
    • October 2010
    • September 2010
    • August 2010
    • July 2010
    • June 2010
    • May 2010
    • April 2010
    • March 2010
    • February 2010
    • January 2010
    • December 2009
    • November 2009
    • October 2009
    • September 2009
    • August 2009
    • July 2009
    • June 2009
    • May 2009
    • April 2009
    • March 2009
    • February 2009
    • January 2009
    • December 2008
    • November 2008
    • October 2008
    • September 2008
    • August 2008
    • July 2008
    • June 2008
    • May 2008
    • April 2008
    • March 2008
    • February 2008
    • January 2008
    • December 2007
    • November 2007
    • October 2007
    • September 2007
    • August 2007
    • July 2007
    • June 2007
    • May 2007
    • April 2007
    • March 2007
    • February 2007
    • January 2007
    • December 2006
    • November 2006
    • October 2006
    • September 2006
    • August 2006
    • July 2006
    • June 2006
    • May 2006
    • April 2006
    • March 2006
    • February 2006
    • January 2006
    • December 2005
    • November 2005
    • October 2005
    • September 2005
    • August 2005
    • July 2005
    • June 2005
    • May 2005
    • April 2005
    • June 202
    • May 202

    Links

    Disclaimer

    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.

    Scroll to top