MesoHair / Mesotherapy

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

Can you give me your opinion about MesoHair (or mesotherapy)? Just from reading this article, it sounds like it is INJECTIONS in the scalp. Is this better than taking a pill?!?! It says “virtually painless” but I can’t see how injecting stuff into my head can be without pain. The article is at https://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/6646005cp.shtml

Thanks

I can not answer this with any authority. I read the page referenced above and am not convinced that problems of vitamin deficiency are a cause of the hair loss in many normal healthy people who have a good diet. There is a suggestion on that website that this therapy “delivers long-acting neutralizing effects on the DHT hormone” and I have a hard time understanding how this is done. If there was proof, I would love to see it, but as it exists, these appear to be just claims. I suggest that you use Google, as I have, to search out the history and science behind this approach and read the above reference carefully. “Let the buyer beware” is an axiom that still applies.

Just to be clear, the above linked “article” is actually just a press release rather than an independent news story.

Rogaine Shedding, Nizoral

/by William Rassman, M.D./9 /,

Hello, I’ve never used Rogaine, in fear of the “shedding” phase I’d heard about. What exactly is the “shedding” phase, if I may ask.

And will this product cause that? And is there a list of the ingredients anywhere or should I not be asking that? I’m just very curious.

Last but not least question, if this products is discontinued, I am assuming everything on the scalp goes back to “as it was” before, and are there any products that shouldn’t be used, such as Nizoral Shampoo?

Your help is greatly appreciated. Sorry, where can I purchase only the “hair grow” product, not the cleaner etc?

To answer your question about shedding from Rogaine use, please see my past response in “Hair Loss Worse After Rogaine”.

I am not completely sold on Nizoral shampoo, although I do believe that it is a good shampoo. I do not believe it is necessarily good at regrowing hair. There is not enough scientific data to support hair growth claims. You can buy Rogaine over the counter and I doubt that minoxidil (generic form) will ever go off the market. The miniaturized hairs become dependent upon minoxidil when you take it and when it works. If you were to stop the Rogaine (minoxidil) and there was a benefit of it, you will go back to your ‘before’ status, plus losing whatever hair you would have lost prior to starting the medication. This may very well leave you worse off.

I Don’t Want to Play Doctor with My Hair Loss

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

I’m 22 and over the last year my hair has been thinning fast. Thinning, really bad itching all over my scalp and a receding hair line. This last year i have had three major surgerys and one minor one. Also I have been under extreme stress. Plus both my grandfather and father are bald or going bald. So i really dont know were it could be coming from. I have been to hair loss clinics and doctors and been told and given different things. 5% Minoxidil, Enhanced anti-androgenic pill with saw palmetto and other herbs, some shampoo, laser light therapy and just yesterday i got propecia. What should i do? I’m scared that I am starting to play doctor with all these products. PLEASE HELP

It sounds like you are grasping for straws and may or may not find a solution. First you need to KNOW if you have genetic hair loss, like what is in your family. With measurements on miniaturization made, you can then establish a base line from which drugs like Propecia can be valued by comparing the changes in miniaturization over time. I would drop everything else, and focus on getting a diagnosis before the Propecia gets going too far, just for comparisons. Propecia may be your best approach, but you still need a Master Plan to know what is going to happen to you.

Hair Loss from Procerin

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

I noticed hair loss in my hair line back in august and about 2 months ago started taking an herbal supplement called Procerin. Since then instead of just losing it in the hair line the whole top of my head is falling out. I read something about a shedding phase that sometimes occurs when products of this nature are taken. Can you shed some light on this for me please? Thank you VERY much for you time!!

Unfortunately, since Procerin is not regulated by the FDA (as most supplements are not) there is little to no information in the medical literature regarding side effects and very few (if any) scientific studies. To complicate matters, humans will go through a shedding phase naturally and it is nearly impossible to tell if your hair loss is normal or due to some substance (like a supplement) you have added to your diet. You could do a hair count (count all the hairs you shed daily for a week – average should be no more than 100), or you could also just wait and see if the accelerated loss subsides on its own. If it continues, however, I would suggest seeing your doctor (or a dermatologist or a hair loss specialist) to get evaluated for other medical conditions which could be causing hair loss. Get your scalp hair mapped out for miniaturization. Just do not assume that the one thing you may have identified is the only cause of your hair loss; you have too much at risk.

Stopping Further Graying

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

I have MBP. To add to the trouble, my hair has started growing gray on my beard and sidelocks (age 23). What can i do to stop further graying? Whatever is gray, how can I make it black….are dyes unsafe?

Dyes in the hands of a good hair stylist, are generally safe. There is no safe and effective cure to graying that I know of.

Best Hair Thickening Agent?

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

I am a 42 year old male with thinning hair both at the front & crown area of my head. Without entertaining hair transplants, what do you recommend to improve the appearance of my hair? What is the best Thickening agent/shampoo out there? Are there any products that actually work in your opinion? I used minoxidol years ago but gave it up quickly.

Thanks

There are many thickening agents/shampoos on the market and people respond differently to each depending upon texture, shaft thickness, the wave in the hair, and other factors. I generally tell people to buy a series of such products and then test what works best, or ask a hair stylist who works with such products daily and get a recommendation from them. Minoxidil does not impact the texture or shaft thickness from above the skin as thickening agents/shampoo will.

A ProCede Horror Story

/by William Rassman, M.D./69 /

Hi DR. RASSMAN
About two months ago..I used procede to thicken my hair. I used the patch test on my arm but the results were a horror. I used the solution on election day night. It started to burn my head and it was so intense that I ran for a cold shower followed by placing my head in the refrigerator. When the burning stopped I washed and rinsed my hair out and went to bed. The next morning I found my hair on my pillow in clumps. Prioe to this experience i had hair but it was thinning. I used monoxidil and had success for five years. I guess that I just wanted more hair. I went to a hair system which was bonded to my scalp but I could not stand the glue so I use the hair piece with a tape that comes off with alcohol. I find that I can look OK. The piece and the other systems are close to 4,000 bucks. I wasn’t a candidate for a transplant these last months since I had burning from that procede. I think a hair system is OK but needs a daily washing…I have no odor. I miss my hair and am thinking about a transplant in the future. Also my hair is growing strange..more like spikes. I wish that Procede was off the market but it still exists. This ordeal was such a bad experience that I dream of it. Hoping to also use my body hair.

Sorry if this is a look message. But this experience I wanted to share with others .

It sounds like you had some allergic reaction to something in ProCede. I am certain that this type of reaction can occur with any topical therapy. The more ‘stuff’ that is in the formulation, the higher the likelihood that this diagnosis may be correct. It doesn’t sound like you’re eager to use it again, but my best advice would be to stay away from this treatment, for the next reaction may be worse.

Hair systems (the nice term for a wig) will run a risk of further damage to your hair. I would strongly recommend that you get a good examination by a competent doctor to establish a baseline as to where you are now (with respect to miniaturization) and over time repeat the examination. You need a working relationship with a competent doctor.

Covering Up a Bad Haircut?

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

I cut my bangs too short in the front and now I have a bald spot. what do I do to cover it up besides a hat? HELP

The good news is your hair will grow back, the bad news is that it will take time. Other than a hat, I often suggest color-matched Toppik to help cover areas with hair loss where the scalp shows. Honestly, though, if you have a good sense of humor, that is the best way to cope. You might also try a professional hair stylist to avoid the problem in the future.

Hair is Thin After Highlighting

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

I am a 47 year old woman who had slight graying hair. My hairdresser talked me into highlighting my hair. She used a volume 20 bleach and a toner. 24 hours later I had itching, burning and swelling and saw my allergist. He put me on prednisone for a week and cortisone lotions. A month later my hair feels like cotton as the strands of hair are thinner, breaking off at the crown and generally coming out at the root after washing/combing.

What if anything can I now do? Obviously, I will never again use chemicals on my hair.

You have likely had a chemical Alopecia (hair loss) with a skin reaction. I know exactly what you are going through (having had a spiral perm in the eighties with the same thing happen) and although it is likely all your hair will grow back just as it was, it will take time, especially if you wear your hair long. Avoiding harsh shampoos and conditioning your hair regularly may help the hair that is there, but little will help it grow faster which is what really needs to happen. Concealing options like hats, scarves, and Toppik are all options as well. If this condition persists past 6 months, I would recommend a follow-up visit to your doctor to determine if anything else is going on.

Hair Regrowth After Waxing Scalp

/by William Rassman, M.D./3 /,

I recently had a minor accident with hair removal wax. Well to make a long story short, it ended up in my hair on my scalp. It has been five weeks and the regrowth has been pretty sparse and not at all in some areas. I was wondering what the chances are that it will still grow back, and if not what I can do about it. thanks

Wax only removes the hair shaft, not the entire root. Thus, your hair should grow back. It may take up to a few months for hair regrowth unless there is more to the story which I am not understanding.

Ervamatin

/by William Rassman, M.D./127 /,

I’ve been seeing lots of ads of Ervamatin. As a person who is not allowed to use finasteride due to liver problems, is it safe to use Ervamatin? It’s made by Amazon Health Care.

I have done some extensive research on this herbal medication. I am not convinced about this drug until I see more concrete medical data. Finasteride was first discovered in South America in a plant extract by a group of primatives who normally ate large amounts of it in their diet. They had children that were hermaphrodites, as the pregnant mothers ate the extract in their daily diets at very high concentrations. I must warn you about herbal medications, because some of them can be toxic to your liver as well.

Aminexil, Propecia and Erectile Dysfunction (ED)

/by William Rassman, M.D./4 /,

Hi doctor, A doctor in france suggested to me to use Aminexil SP94(by Kerastase) capsules (commercial name:”Vichy Dercos”) applied on the crown area and the shaded are of the head directly. I noticed from many people’s feedback in France that dermatologists there recommands to apply Aminexil as a safe alternative to propercia since it doesnot have any sexual side effects,and that Aminexil actually stops the thining of the hair caused by dihydrotestesterone ( it does not stops DHT like propecia), rather it thickens the hair follicle which becomes resistive to DHT. What do you recommand doctor i need please your advice please(ie: I used propecia from several weeks and i have serious sexual problems). Thanks A lot

I looked up Aminexil and found that it is basically a minoxidil compound with the type of results that minoxidil gives. The question of course becomes, “Is it better than minoxidil by itself?” I would think that no one really knows the answer to that question, because they may not want to know. The general thought about minoxidil is that it may impact the length of the hair cycle by increasing it, amongst other benefits. That would add more hair, as less hair would be in the catogen phase and more hair in the anogen phase at any one time.

With regard to sexual side effects from Propecia, they are very rare (less than 1%) and much of it may be the power of suggestion as we men are very sensitive to anything that MAY impact the performance of our penis. It is great to blame Propecia for erectile dysfunction (ED), when in actuality it may not be the Propecia, but rather psychological or relationship issues associated with social issues that occur. That is clearly not always the case, but I suspect that it is mostly what is being reported on the sexual erectile dysfunction (ED) issue.

Higher Strength Minoxidil?

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

Dr. Rassman,

My hairline continues to retreat. I have been using Propecia and Minoxidil 5% for more than 6 years with some success. What do think about using additional topicals such as Spironolactone 5% and higher strength Minoxidil? Have these topicals proven to be worthwhile? Should I just accept the continued loss of my hairline?

Thanks

There are mixed feelings about higher doses of minoxidil, mostly positive providing that the skin irritation and other side effects do not increase significantly. As you may know, minoxidil can drop your blood pressure and make you light headed and it is a skin irritant. Be sure that the side effects do not become a problem.

With regard to Spironolactones, see my previous blog answers here: Spironolactones

Shampoos Aren’t Working for My Hair Loss

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

Dear sir,
First of all i like to thank you you for helping the poor people who are feeling very sad over their hair loss. I am having continuous hair loss for the past 2 years. All of my hairs are becoming thinner and thinner day by day. i used all kinds of shampoo which don’t give me good results. i also have a dandruff problem. if i use oil it goes away, but comes back quickly after 2 or 3 days. please tell me what can i do for preventing more hair loss? please tell me not only which medication to use, but also tell me any useful shampoo which can give more help with medication. thank you.

It is not good medical practice to diagnose and make treatment recommendations without the ability to see and evaluate your problem. Your symptoms are very general, like asking an auto mechanic: “What is wrong with my car? It does not sound right!” A good mechanic likes to see what the problems are, and to be able to evaluate everything about your car.

For me, I need to examine your scalp, looking for genetic balding and other diseases like psoriasis (which sometimes looks like plain dandruff). Make an appointment with a good doctor and do not treat yourself, for your problem may be more difficult than you think.