I have been using 5% minoxidil for about 4 months and have been happy with the results, I have brown hair but want to dye it black will this cause hair loss or cause the minoxidil to not work properly?
Thanks
Hair dye will not cause hair loss unless is it improperly used or perhaps you have a bad allergic reaction. I wouldn’t think hair dye and minoxidil have any deleterious effects on your hair loss issue. To be safe, you could wait 24 hours to apply minoxidil after you dye your hair.
I’m 31, and have been using Nioxin for about 6 years. My hair has always been thin and my hairline has been continuously receding since my early twenties. I do believe the Nioxin has helped slow my hair loss (I have a younger brother whose head is nearly bald!). But I still have major shedding every morning in the shower.
Now I see a new product called “HairSil” – which is “clinically proven with Bioactive Peptide TA-5.” What the heck is that stuff, and how would it benefit a balding head? I’m considering giving it a try but don’t want to throw away all those years I’ve invested in Nioxin already.
I read on a forum where someone said the product claims “100% of patients in the study saw increased hair growth” and “80% saw a reduction in hair loss by 8 weeks“, but I can’t find an official site for HairSil that says that. If indeed that’s what the makers of HairSil actually claim, the FDA should probably look into it.
On the surface, HairSil just sounds like it’s a shampoo like any other. It’s hard to find much information on it outside of what others have written on hair loss forums. It’s worth noting that they offer a 20% commission to affiliates that sell this shampoo, so it might be another in a long line of products that people are hyping up just to get your money.
Dr Rassman,
I take a 1 quarter proscar pill in the mornings at around 7:30am, then later on in the day either in mid morning or afternoon i will take a multivitamin tablet and vitamin E capsule, is that ok? And would there be any DDI if i take proscar and the multivitamins at the same time?
Thank you.
You can take vitamins and finasteride together. Known drug interactions with finasteride can be found here.
Remember, if you have concerns about what you’re taking or questions about taking supplements and medication together, talk to your prescribing doctor or pharmacist.
Hello Doctor Rassman,
I am quite bald (confortable with that part) and keep my hair very much cropped. However, the sidelocks have now started turning quite gray (say 50%). I was told my someone to use a dye which is PPD free. Which brand do you think is safer?thanks in aniticipation.
I am not a hair stylist and I have no skills or special knowledge in the various brands of dyes. Probably best to ask your stylist.
hi
I have a serious hair loss problem and recently i came to know about kamino moto and i’ve been using it so far and i feel really good about it because it is a good solution for my dandruff but my question is now i am little bit scared to use it because it comes from japan and don’t know whether this product has been contaminated by radiation so please let me know all about this situation.
thank you
Unless your shampoo was made in close proximity to the Fukushima nuclear plant, I think you are overreacting and contributing to the hype of unfounded radiation scare. But if you are scared, there is a simple solution: Don’t use it. Does the bottle have a manufactured date on it? When did you purchase it? That might help set your mind at ease.
Also worth noting — the US FDA has been testing products imported from Japan, and other countries also considered radiation testing (the article is from right after the earthquake in Japan, so I don’t know what testing has taken place in the past couple months).
Dr. Rassman,
I enjoy reading your blog, and nearly always agree with you, but I do feel you are a bit to pessimistic about ketoconazole. In another response to another member you dismissed of a Japanese, justifiably I suppose, because of the small sample size. (Have you seen the pictures of the impressive regrowth seen in three of the six patients? They shows an obvious reversal of AGA.)
What about this controlled study: “Comparative efficacy of various treatment regimens for androgenetic alopecia in men”
In this study men were divided into four groups: “Group I (30 patients) was administered oral finasteride, Group II (36 patients) was given a combination of finasteride and topical minoxidil, Group III (24 patients) applied minoxidil alone and Group IV (10 patients) was administered finasteride with topical ketoconazole. Treatment efficacy was assessed on the basis of patient and physician assessment scores and global photographic review during the study period of one year. At the end of one year, hair growth was observed in all the groups with best results recorded with a combination of finasteride and minoxidil (Group II) followed by groups IV, I and III. Subjects receiving finasteride alone or in combination with minoxidil or ketoconazole showed statistically significant improvement (p<0.05) over minoxidil only recipients. No signifcant side-effects related to the drugs were observed. In conclusion, it is inferred that the therapeutic efficacy is enhanced by combining the two drugs acting on different aetiological aspects of AGA.”
I don’t believe this has been mentioned on your blog before, and the results are exactly as most men would expect them to be:
Finasteride + Minoxidil > Finasteride + Ketoconazole > Finasteride Alone > Minoxidil Alone after one year.
I’m sure, like every study, this one also has it’s flaws, but together with all the other research — from Piérard-Franchimont C (1998) to Rajput RJ. (2010) — I’d say that the evidence for the efficacy of ketoconazole in AGA is highly suggestive. It’s certainly much stronger than for the majority of the things men try outside of finasteride/dutasteride and minoxidil.
And we know that all anazoles are somewhat antiandrogenic, but only ketoconazole will compete for the AR, and is used in androgen modulated prostate cancer.
How can you be so pessimistic about it in light of the totality of the evidence? Do you believe it to be dangerous?
I am not pessimistic about ketoconazole. Our job on this site is to educate you, the reader, on the realities of such claims and treatments and warn you if there is danger in using such “stuff”. While I don’t see ketoconazole (better known as Nizoral) as dangerous, it has yet to be proven to my satisfaction that it’s a treatment for hair loss. I’ve always maintained that Nizoral is a good shampoo for treating dandruff and fungal infections.
What I have always maintained is that nothing stops a genetic trait. There are drugs that slow it down and there may be other remedies that also work, but my mantra has always been “buyer beware”. The small study you referenced is indeed suggestive of positive benefits, and if the readers out there want to try it, I think that is their choice to make. But keep in mind that while the 1% ketoconazole is available as an over-the-counter shampoo, 2% ketoconazole (as used in that small study) is a prescription medication and as such, you need a physician to oversee the treatment. Side effects include burning and itching sensations.
I just had a 2000+ graft transplant 5 days ago. I trust my doctor implicitly and felt his staff was wonderful and professional.
My question is regarding post-op care. There doesn’t seem to be a consensus among surgeons. I suspect this is because good evidenced based studies are lacking but I was particularly curious for an opinion regarding concealing products like Toppik. I’ve heard ranges regarding safe use from 2 days post op to 1 year. Seemed like quite a range? Do you have an opinion? Thanks.
Generally you can use hair camouflaging products, such as Toppik, as soon as the scabbing is gone. That depends upon your cleaning technique or just the type of instruments your surgeon used during the procedure. If the granules get under scabs, they will act like a foreign body.
Refer to your transplant surgeon, of course.
I am here in Dubai for last 4 years. Two years back my hair loss started then i tried few products like keshyog hair oil for 3-4 months but no use, regain for 4 months no use. Now somebody told me Amazonia Natural Hair Lotion from Brazil is good and having good results. If anybody used it then please help me to decide or share any other product which is good.
I’m unable to find any listed ingredients on the product site, but there are some completely unbelievable before/after photographs shown. In this apparent before/after photo set, it looks like they’re trying to say that this lotion will make someone go from a Norwood Class 6 to a nearly juvenile hairline. That’s absolutely ridiculous.
I’ve got no idea what magic is in this lotion, but in all of my years I’ve never seen any product that could even come close to producing results like that. If this lotion could really do what their photos show, that would make this essentially a cure… and I’m sorry, but a cure for hair loss doesn’t exist. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say I believe that it’s fake, but you’re welcome to try it and report back.
Also, it’s worth noting that Rogaine (or Regaine) should be used for more than just a few months if you hope for benefits. I understand your impatience (we all want hair right now), but if you expect miracles when it comes to treating your hair loss, you run the risk of being extremely disappointed and bald.
—
Update: See Dr. Bauman’s comments below. The makers of this product are using transplant patient photos and passing them off as results from their product.
Hi doctor rassman, my question is regarding hair colour. I have grey hair scattered all over my scalp. I still have more black hair than grey, but the grey is there, and I don’t like it.
if i were to colour my hair black and eliminate the grey until the colour fades, is there a chance that it can make my grey hair worse? basically causing the natural black hairs that I have turn grey faster. Basically can colouring hair speed up the greying process?
Coloring your hair will not speed up or slow down the natural graying process of your hair.
hello, I’m a little confused about what hair regrowth is and what hair thickening is. is regrowth when hair grows where it isn’t or is it when a small hair thickens?
Regrowth is when hair grows where it once was. It’s all a matter of semantics. One can thicken the appearance of a head of hair by increasing the number of hairs in the head (regrowing new hair), moving the hair around (transplant), using camouflage (pigments), or increasing the thickness of existing hair (products). This is done by:
So you see, there are many ways to get a fuller look that may not be the results of a full head of hair, but if it fools the eye, then many people will be satisfied using these approaches.
I was wondering what a good alternative would be to Minoxidil or Rogaine foam as they contain alcohol and resulted in redness of the scalp. I have tried Propecia but there were side effects so I stopped. I recently started using Tricomin shampoo but from what I heard it generally won’t result in regrowth, only in retaining what you have left.
Androgenic alopecia is a genetic trait and there are no drugs or potions that will stop it. Propecia and Rogaine seem to slow it down or sometimes reverse it for a few years (it buys you time), but you will continue to lose hair. In other words, there’s no cure. In your case, it is unfortunate that you cannot take the two medications that actually work and are FDA approved to treat hair loss.
There might be an alcohol-free minoxidil out there, but I couldn’t name any off the top of my head (no pun intended), nor do I know if the lack of alcohol would make it more difficult to apply evenly. I’m not sure which Rogaine you tried, but the 5% has less alcohol and more propylene glycol; the 2% has more alcohol.
As for Tricomin, I’ve written about it before here. A key ingredient in that shampoo is apparently copper peptide, and you can learn more about that here.
I’ve been using Rogaine for about a year now with good success on my hairline, and recently started using it for my crown. I’m adding Nizoral 1% to my routine every third day–what should I expect? Further stabilization? Nothing?
Although it is a good shampoo, Nizoral (ketoconazole) isn’t proven to regrow hair. Some people suggest it has benefits for hair growth, but I’ve written about that before.
But as for expectations, I’d expect Rogaine to help in the crown now that you’ve started using it there (particularly if you had success in the hairline, which is rare). I suppose it depends on how you define success.
Dr. Rassman –
An anecdotal, first-hand report on my experience with finasteride and saw palmetto/beta-sitosterol for your readers: taking the latter for about 10 months, my frontal area continued to thin and my libido was crushed. Taking the former for now about 13 months, my frontal area has maintained and my libido is totally normal.
In other words, you’re saying saw palmetto and beta-sitosterol caused libido issues. I don’t know what dosage you were taking or if you were strictly taking it for treating hair loss, but thank you for the reporting your experience.
Good Day Dr. Rassman,
I am 21 this year. I have been using excessive amount of hair spray and wax for a period of 4 to 5 years, on top of poor washing of the head. As a result, my scalp has a shiny layer, what I think is product build-up, over it. After 2 years away from the products, the shiny layer has cleared considerably. I want to seek your opinion on this shampoo, Menscience Daily Shampoo (with AHA and BHA), on its ability to clear product build up and sebum from my oily scalp. Would such product build up actually cause temporary hair loss?
On addition, as I reside in a hot and humid country. Is it okay to shampoo twice a day, once in the day and once at night? If not, my scalp would feel very oily and uncomfortable.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate your effort!
Styling products like hair spray or hair wax will not cause balding, even if you leave it on. If the product is not a known safe product, you could damage the hair, but it would be doubtful that the damage would extend below the skin surface. Shampooing twice a day is not a problem either.
Thank you for your time. I am a 33 year old male and I have used propecia for some time now and my hair loss has been minimal up until the last few months. I have good reason to believe that my ex-girlfriend has been putting nair in my shampoo, conditioner, or styling paste. It has changed in texture and I am losing it in patches and generally all over my scalp. If this is the case then is the damage permanent or will it grow back? Also, what can I do to repair my hair?
Again, thank you for your time.
Yes, if that suspicion is true then it will grow back, provided the assault stops. You might want to have a serious discussion with your ex or threaten to take legal action against her. Or at the very least buy new shampoo, conditioner, and hair product…