EXT: Extreme Hair Therapy & Hair Club

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

Please give me information about the Extreme Hair Therapy program Hair Club for Men tries to sell at exorbitantly high prices. Do you know of these products, i.e., shampoo, conditioner, vitamins, etc.?

I can not comment on the exact program offered by Hair Club for Men (and women), but I have previously commented on many of the alternatives available for treating hair loss, thinning, and the like.

Comprehensive programs generally offer hair thickening agents, which may make thin hair appear to be thicker as they swell and take on hydration. The agents that cause hair to grow back stronger or where there is balding present are limited to Minoxidil (for men and women) and Propecia (for men only). Anything else may be hype if there are no FDA clearance in the claims for hair growth and I do not believe that product claims which reflect new hair growth have much validity (other than minoxidil and Propecia) in the real world of clinical science. It is interesting to note that some products may use minoxidil as the active ingredient, so it is the burden of the buyer to find out if that is what he is paying for, and if it is, consider buying it at one of the discount drug stores if cost is a factor.

Non-Propecia Recommendations?

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

Dear Dr. Rassman,
I am a 17 year old and have been losing my hair for about a year and a half. I started losing it while I was taking Accutane, and it hasn’t stopped since. I went to a dermatologist and he said that it was MPB, and he recommended I take Propecia. Is there anything else I could take or use that you would recommend, such as Revivogen or the LaserComb instead, as I am frightened of the possible side effects, considering that my cousin took Propecia and had sexual side effects?

If you have MPB, then Propecia is the appropriate medication for you. Although the other things MAY have value (I am not saying they do), Propecia is in your best interest in that it WILL have value to you. Don’t gamble with your hair, for unlike a slot machine where you can always win more money, the hair gamble is irreversible; you can’t go out there and win more.

Hair is Very Dry After Washing

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

I’m 18 yars old and I noticed that my hair is thinning, turning dry, losing it’s silkiness and my hair density is a lot less than it was before. I don’t know how to say it, but my hair line is pushed back more than before. I also hair a couple of white hairs.

My hair used to be extremely healthy about 5 years ago, now after every time I use any shampoo or conditioner, my hair dries out and combing it is impossible.

My hair is just not the same as before and I would like to know what I can do to fix this problem. People have actually noticed me lossing hair!

You should be checked out for miniaturization to be sure that you are not developing male patterned balding (assuming you are a male). Sometimes, our hair does change in character as we move from being a teenager to an adult. The movement of your hairline upward is common in men between 18-29 and it may move about 2/3rd of an inch back for the normal childhood ‘boyish’ hairline to reflect the mature hairline in a Caucasian male. Most Caucasian males (95%) experience such upward movement of the hairline. Frequent shampooing may tend to dry your hair by washing out the protective elements of sebum which can cause the situation you are talking about. By all means, visit an expert doctor for a consultation to make sure that male patterned genetic balding is not occuring.

Using Tanning Products on Scalp

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

I would like to shave my head but my scalp looks pale (im 23-male-Indian)…Someone suggested using Tanning product on the scalp…
Will i lose or stop the growth of existing hair if i do this?
ps: i suffer from MPB – (diffused)
pps: I cant use propecia due to liver probs…so am considering hair transplant after some years…Thanks
ppps: Minoxydyl isnt helping much..

The hair on our head does not allow the pigment of the scalp to fully express itself without some sunlight. That is why the skin under the hair is lighter in color than face skin. This is present in everyone with hair, but clearly more visible when a dark skin person shaves the head than when a fair complection person with white skin shaves their head. You can tan your head or go to a tanning salon, or it will tan on its own once exposed to some reasonable amount of sun.

Most tanning products should not impact or accelerate hair loss. Propecia is the best medication for preventing hair loss in young men, far superior to anything out there. Your doctor will be your best advocate for you while considering this option, because caution should be used in the administration of Propecia in patients with liver function abnormalities, as finasteride is metabolized extensively in the liver. It is possible that it can be taken at smaller doses if your liver has some dysfunction, but if your liver is working normally, you should be able to take Propecia at the normal dose. Careful monitoring is important and you should be under the direction of a good, caring doctor in approaching this medication’s use.

Follow-Up From an NHI Patient, ProCede Question

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

Dr. Rassman,
I had undergone a surgery at NHI, San Jose in 2003. I must say the transplant has been one of the best decisions I’ve taken in life. Thank you and your awesome staff! I could see my photograph is now featured in the NHI website. Wow!

After the holiday season, I am going to seek an appointment to evaluate the present state of scalp. However, I just came across a “cosmetic” hair-product called Procede that claims to “increase diameter of hair shaft”. However, they also say it’s “not going to work for persons who already had undergone Hair Transplantation”. That, frankly, sounds a bit weird to me.

Do you have any idea what this is?

I am happy to hear about your nice results. Your photos are very impressive and the change must make you quite happy. It certainly made my day reading your email. For those interested, this patient’s photos can be seen on the NHI site as Patient NO.

I’ve written previously about Procede here. As to why they say the product is not suitable for people who have had hair transplantation, I can not imagine why it would be harmful. However, if that is their warning it suggests to me that there may be something toxic about the product. I have no inside knowledge about this product or its potential toxicity.

Hair Straightener

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

Hi
i am eighteen years of age and am loosing quite alot of hair. it has been a month since this has been happening to me. i dont really know if it is cos im using a hair strightener 2-3 times a week and m washin my hair at least twice in a week. i am loosing my hair particularly when i am in shower. i am really worried and m not using a hair straightner at all during this christmas hoildays. Do u think that i should use my hair straightener once a week and wash it once too? i will really appriciate it if you write back!
Thanks a million!

I am not 100% certain that a hair straightener can cause permanent hair loss, but if you are concerned, then you should stop its use and see if your problem goes away. That is the easiest and most logical thing to do. Sometime chemicals can cause your hair to become very brittle and break without actually destroying your root, therefore causing any hair loss to appear a lot worse than it actually is. It is normal to lose up to 100 hairs per day.

Itch and Dandruff from Propecia?

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

Hi Doc,
I recently came in for an open house at NHI and it was very helpful. Unfortunately, I forgot to ask one question. I’ve been on propecia for about a month, hoping that it reverses some of my miniaturization (you said about 50% in the crown and 40% in the mid scalp from what I remember). Almost immediately after starting propecia a month ago, my scalp started itching and I’ve noticed slight dandruff. I’ve seen other posts on propecia as a cause for this annoyance, but never any scientific evidence (I believe there is evidence that Rogaine causes thes same effects).

I’m not sure if this is expected or can cause further loss due to irritation of the scalp; any inputs? I’ve starting using Novarel 1% dandruff shampoo to hopefully manage the itching/slight dandruff.
Thanks!

Treat your dandruff as you are doing, as there is no evidence that Propecia causes dandruff. Wait out the 8 months. Hopefully with good dandruff treatment and shampoos, the problem will abate. Glad to hear that you came to an NHI Open House and I hope that others reading this blog will do the same. Our next open house is on Thursday, January 12, from 4-7pm.

Post-Transplant Shampoo Recommendation?

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

I had my HT one month ago and have been searching for a good shampoo and conditioner. On the blog I’vee seen entries talking about Regenix and Nioxin, which you seem to think have had anecdotal evidence of working. Would you recommend one over the other, or do you think its a waste of money. I just feel like I spent a lot of money and want to protect my investment as well as possible.
Thanks.

Use whatever shampoo you like, as none will be better than the rest in getting you to where you finally want to be after a hair transplant. What is most important is to get the ‘scabs’ off with good washing and then keep clean. Do not scratch your recipient area.

Alopecia and Pregnancy

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

Hello,
I got alopecia and I am 4 months pregnant. I have started using fluort lotion as it helped me 5 years back, but I worry if it will have side effects because I am pregnant now. Will it effect my baby’s growth? I am very worried. Please help me out.

I would be hesitent to use things that can be absorbed into your body (transepidermal absorption) as they may harm your baby. Hair loss in pregnancy is not uncommon, most of the time it will reverse after the baby is born (give it up to a year post partum). On occasion, pregnancy may precipitate the onset of female genetic balding, but until a year has passed after the baby is born, do not focus too much on that possibility. Good nutrition is critical both to the baby’s welfare and health, as well as your hair health.

Overdying Hair

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

Can overdying my hair make it fall out?

You can damage the hair itself, making it more fragile and getting it to break off easily with simple brushing. It is possible that damage to the hair below the skin may occur if continued abuse occurs over time.

White or Gray Hair at 23

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

I have male pattern baldness and choose not to take medicines for it because im comfortable with my balding. But, my beard hair and some hair on my head is turning white /gray. i’m 23. what to do?

Dye your hair, as that is the only possible solution to color change and it is an art that has been around for years. Get a hand on how to do it for yourself, once you get it done by a professional if you are cost conscious. I have seen young men with black hair and white beards, so they keep their beards closely shaven, successfully hiding it from everyone.

Treatment Options for Thinning Crown

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

hello–
i’m a 22 year old male–been thinning on the crown/upper back of the head for about 3 years now. i’ve tried everything…used propecia in conjunction with minox 5 % 2x a day for about 18 months with no noticable results. my front hairline is very thick–as is the hair on the sides and lower back of my head. my most recent regimen (for the past 9 months) has been 0.5 mg of Avodart and miniox 5% + tretinoin 2x a day–including nizoral shampoo every 3 days with a arbonne shampoo and conditioner daily. also i’ve been using arbonne’s thermal fusion scalp therapy in the shower every day religiously. still no results–no thicker on the top. do you have any suggestions for what to do? should i continue this regimen and add something else in order to avoid a shed? i’m lost and could use some detailed advice from someone who knows what they’re talking about. you certainly seem to be the right guy. thanks for your help.

Sounds like you have tried it all. Considering that you have tried both Propecia and Avodart, it seems, if you have male pattern balding, the pattern will take over and the balding will not be controlled by the various medications. Not everyone’s hair loss is controlled by these medications. Have you already had your scalp mapped out for miniaturization? If you have, then the measurements would point to the value of the medications you have taken. I always get a mapped out baseline before I start treatment, because I would want to tell you the value of these medications on the course of your hair loss. The mapping process will let you know what progression you are having so that you and your doctor can better plan for your future hair loss.

Good Scalp Shampoo?

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

hey doctor, what would you suggest as a good shampoo to use with thinning hair, i am currently using rogaine and have been using the loreal hair thickiner shampoo with it, is there something better out there for the scalp, thanks

I do not recommend one shampoo over another. I generally experiment with many before I find something that feels right for me. As I do not believe that shampoos can bring back the hair, the value is in the styling and looks that the shampoo gives you.

Hair Problems from Bleaching

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

I am a male and I did a bad job of bleaching my hair and it burned my scalp. When I used the bleach I used it only on the top of my head. The hair on the top of my head seems to be growing slower than the back and sides where I applied the bleach. I am only 18 so can the hair loss be due to the bleach?

It would be unusual for any long term damage from a single bleaching episode on your hair. Assuming that you wait a year or so, everything should resolve. Make sure that you do not have male genetic hair loss, by getting your head mapped out for minaturization. If you do have genetic hair loss, thinning could have been precipitated by the bleaching and proper medications may be in order (like Propecia). Get a good doctor to evaluate you.

Kevis, Avacore, Regenix

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

Dr. Rassman,

I am 25-years-old and for a year or two my hair has been thinning along the hairline (just above the forehead). I can see that it is not nearly as thick as it used to be, but it is not yet noticeable to others. About ten months ago I started taking Propecia and using Nizoral Shampoo, but I am not satisfied with the results as I have only seen a moderate slowing in the rate of hair loss and no detectable re-growth.

I want to take further action and would like to know what options I should consider. I am currently looking into Avacore, Kevis, Avodart/Dutasteride, a laser brush, and Regenix. Are any of these products worthwhile? Are there others I should know about? I feel like I need to do something fast before it looks like I am losing my hair. What should I do?

I look forward to hearing form you. Thank you for your help and for the website. Best regards.

I have a somewhat standard answer to your question. First get yourself analyzed for miniaturization with your scalp mapped out so that under a good doctor, you can have your hair progress or lack of progress measured over time as you move between different treatment modalities. With this mapping, you will (at the least) know if anything is really working and put numbers to it.

Of the suggested treatments you intend to try, some have minoxidil as the active ingredient, but at a much higher price than you can purchase it a Walmart or other discount stores. If you like paying more then by all means go for it. Avodart (dutasteride) has been discussed on this site in great detail. The laser comb is not well documented for benefit, but there is clearly a lot of hype and only costs between $500-800, so again, if you feel that spending money might help, by all means try it. I have had good reports about Regenix, but no objective measurements for hair regrowth.

If you are in the Southern California area, I would be happy to see you if you’d like to setup a consultation for your problem. The alternative is going bald, unless you can gain better control of what is happening to you.