My Left Temple Thinned and Now I Have Scars After Using Head & Shoulders

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

Im 20 yrs old guy and 2 weeks ago I saw the hair in my left temple looked fine. It’s thinning out really fast and I dont know what’s wrong. My hair in the left temple is thinning fast.I noticed this after getting head and shoulders. I used a comb to scrub my head with H&S (I tried to clean something out of my head) Could this be the cause? My temple thinned in a 2 week span. Also I notice I have about 2 scars in my left temple now.

Shampoo isn’t going to cause scars on your head. It’s possible that you had the scars, but they were covered by surrounding hairs and not noticeable.

If by “temples” you mean the corners of the hairline, the loss you’re describing sounds like a maturing hairline (particularly at 20 years old). Many people call the hairline corners the “temples”, even though the temple peaks are actually the points between your hairline and your ears.

Tags: temples, shampoo, hairloss, hair loss

Lycopene and Treating Hair Loss?

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

I’ve read online that Lycopene is A 5 Alpha Reductase Inhibitor. Can it be used to halt hair loss or even help. If so could it interfere with finasteride and would it cause an initial shed?

I have little doubt that there are many 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors in the various foods we eat, or in herbs and plants (examples here). The issues that I believe should be the focus is the effectiveness of these substances and their side effects. With Propecia, the drug has been extensively studied for these two issues and the recommended dose is the most effective with the least side effects of anything that I know of. As shown in the paper referenced below, the inability to scientifically document the effective dose is critical.

Do you want to take lycopene? If so what does does it require? Will it really work as well as Propecia? Are you willing to put your hair loss at risk to gamble on the dose or in experimenting on yourself? If hair loss is what you’re wanting to treat, then stick to what we know works.

See: Serum lycopene concentration and prostate cancer risk: results from the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial

Tags: lycopene, hairloss, hair loss

I Had a Chemical Burn at the Hairline 5 Years Ago — What Can I Do?

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

Hi, Im a 20 year old black male and my problem is when I was younger around 15 yrs old or so I used to have braids and I would relax my hair every so often. I got a chemical burn one time right on the front of my hairline in the middle and a little on the side. It scabbed up and I scratch the scabs off and the hair never really grew back so it makes my hairline look like its receding. I have long hair now and I was just wondering is there ANYTHING I can use or do to grow or fill in these spots so I can get my confidence back!?

If there was trauma to the hair follicles and it has not grown back in 5 years I highly doubt you can do anything to have it regrow on the area with any medication alone. Hair transplant surgery may be an option, but you would need to consult with a doctor if you would be a candidate.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, chemical burn, hair transplant

Ovation Cell Therapy Caused Damage to My Transplants

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

Hi,
I am a 55 year old female that had hair grafts and was not informed not to use hair conditioner.

Can you tell me if I used Ovation Cell Therapy a month after my hair grafts if this would have caused any damage to my hair from prior grafts? I started losing a lot of my hair in my temple area from previous hair grafts. I have had four (4) hair restoration surgery’s over a period of 7 years and started losing hair after using Ovation Cell Therapy. I really only want to know for my own peace of mind.

Thanks in advance for you help and please advise

I am unfamiliar with the side effects of Ovation Cell Therapy. It looks like it’s a shampoo/moisturizer treatment, and I wouldn’t expect it to cause damage to transplanted hair. Have you talked to your surgeon? Do you have a possible allergy to any of the ingredients?

Tags: ovation, hair transplant, hairloss, hair loss

I Use 3 Hair Growth Treatments and They’re Working — How Often Should I Wash My Hair?

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

Hi, I have a family history of androgenetic alopecia; both of my grandfathers experienced severe baldness early in life and my brother has lost nearly all his hair. Until a year ago, I had a receding hairline and suffered moderately severe vertex baldness. Propecia/minoxidil/nizoral (2%) have significantly and remarkably filled in all balding areas! Many people have commented that I now have thicker hair than when I was a teenager.

My question is how often I should wash my hair for optimum hair growth/restoration? Using minoxidil 2-3 times daily does make my scalp oily, but this does not concern me as I often wear a cap. So much contradictory evidence makes this topic confusing. Your help would be much appreciated.

It’s reasonable to wash your hair once a day. Washing your hair isn’t going to cause more to regrow, but as long as your treatments are working, you should keep up what you’re doing.

Tags: hair washing, shampoo, hairloss, hair loss

How Many Times Per Week Should I Wash My Hair?

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

Dear Balding Blog,
With so much conflicting evidence, how many times do you recommend washing your hair per week for optimum hair regrowth/restoration? The reason I ask is because I ride a motorcycle and my scalp gets quite oily, particularly during summer.

Thank you.

If your hair gets oily, then wash as often as you like to keep it feeling good and clean. Once or twice a day (when you ride your motorcycle) should meet your needs. It will not cause hair loss, nor will shampooing your hair cause it to regrow.

Tags: oily hair, shampoo, hair wash

Would 0.25mg Finasteride Be More Effective than Saw Palmetto?

/by William Rassman, M.D./5 /,

Hi Doc,

I’m a 26 year old male with a fairly aggresive NW4 developing, and need to do something to stabilize this before going for a HT next year.

I’ve grown pretty scared of finasteride side effects through the experience of a good friend who unfortunately suffered some of the psychological sides we’ve all been reading about online.

Question is, would a 1/4 dose (0.25mg) finasteride still be more effective for someone in my position than the full (320mg) recommended dose of saw palmetto? I’ve tried the latter before with no side effects, but didn’t stay on it long enough to evaluate the results.

Thanks doc and keep up the excellent work!

Propecia is finasteride in 1mg strength that you take daily for genetic male pattern (androgenic) hair loss. It’s been indicated that 0.5 mg finasteride daily is about 70 to 80% as effective as the full 1mg dose. I suppose you can infer how a 0.25mg dose may help. But in general if you are going to take a drug, you should take it as directed and speak with your doctor about all these issues. With saw palmetto, you really do not know the dose of the effective ingredients as they vary per manufacturer. Add to that the knowledge that saw palmetto has never been proven to work on hair reliably with a good scientific study.

My final point is that if you are going to read the issues of Propecia on the Internet and scare yourself with unsubstantiated reports without even seeing a doctor, the chances are you will likely have a side effect from the sheer psychological impact.

Tags: saw palmetto, finasteride, propecia, hairloss, hair loss

Best Topical Cover for Female Hair Loss?

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

I am 30 yr old female and have been experiencing frontal hair loss. What is the best way to hide the scalp? – toppik, easibang, anything else? Does toppik have any side effects or does it damage hair/scalp?

Many people use Toppik, as it has no side effects. There are a variety of topical camouflaging agents that work well, but some people will try out a few and stick with their personal preference.

You should get a diagnosis and be examined by a competent doctor who does this type of work. You may be a good candidate for a hair transplant if the hair loss is only frontal. Women are usually not the best hair transplant candidates, but seeing a good hair transplant surgeon for a consultation would be the best way to figure it out.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, female hair loss, toppik

Best Topical Concealer?

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

I have general thinning in the crown area in an otherwise mostly full head of hair. I find that what works best for me is one of those masking agents that you spray on to color your scalp to match your hair color. In fact, it works so well that one of my friends examined my scalp closely and still couldn’t figure out why my hair seemed thicker. The problem is that this stuff rubs off too easily. You have to be extremely careful to not let your head touch anybody’s pillows or furniture for fear of leaving a large brown (or black) spot.

Is there a product out there that stains the scalp so that it will not wash or rub off and remain on the scalp until it wears off?

DermMatch will not rub off. Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP) will not rub off either…. but it is permanent. DermMatch is cheaper and will wash off.

Tags: dermmatch, smp, concealer, camouflaging agent

Do I Need to Wash Off Concealers?

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

Hello Doctor

Is it necessary to wash off concealers ( such as dermatch or toppik ) daily or is it safe to use them daily but keep a 2 – 3 washes per week schedule

Thank you

You don’t need to wash off these camouflaging agents every day. I’ve seen patients who keep these concealers on for 2 to 3 days (since they wash their hair that often), but it’s up to you. Concealers will not damage your hair or cause hair loss, even if you keep them on for a few days.

Tags: toppik, dermmatch, shampoo, washing, hairloss, hair loss

I Want to Use Cream to Remove My Scalp Hair, But Not Permanently

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

Hello Dr. Rassman,

I’m a young man experiencing MPB, and I’ve decided I want to embrace it. I’d rather not shave my head since I find razors irritate my skin. My question is this: Do you know of any hair removal creams that are safe for use on the scalp? I’ve read varying reports that indicate Nair can damage the scalp. Furthermore, if I later choose to have a transplant or other hair restoration procedure done, would the earlier use of hair removal cream alter my hair’s regrowth in any way once I cease using the product?

Thanks for your informative site and the time you devote to answering all our questions!

There seems to be many warnings on using depilatories such as Nair. The warnings suggest chemical burns and damage may result from their use on the scalp. It appears that your options are limited to shaving. Try different razors or shaving creams to see if that helps reduce irritation.

Tags: hair removal, scalp hair, nair

Would Shampooing Daily Cause Hair Loss?

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

Good morning Doctor Rassman,

I would like to know if washing my hair every day with a gentle shampoo could cause a hair loss ?

Many thanks for your great blog.

If you are gentle when massaging the scalp in the shampooing process, especially if your hair is miniaturized and in the balding process, I would doubt that shampooing would cause hair loss.

Tags: shampoo, hairloss, hair loss, massage

In the News – Using Mayonnaise for Treating Dry Hair?

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

Snippet from the article:

Yes, this is gross, but before you knock it take a minute and think about what comprises mayonnaise. It’s primarily made of eggs, oil, and water (plus a little lemon). Oil is commonly known to be good for dry anything. Eggs are also used to treat dry skin and dry hair. The water doesn’t matter much one way or the other and lemon juice can add shine to your hair. If you think about the benefits mayonnaise provides, you’re probably better off putting it on your head and body than actually eating it. (It is pretty fatty after all.)

Read the rest — Soften Up Your Dry Hair and Skin with Mayonnaise

For those who want a natural solution to dry hair, this may work. I can’t speak from personal experience, though. And when you’re done, you can break out the deli meats and a couple of bread slices for a delicious lunch.

Tags: mayonnaise, mayo, hair

In the News – Anti-Gray Hair Pill by 2015?

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

Snippet from the article:


For some, gray hair is a signal of distinction. But for many, it’s something to get covered up. Using dyes is an old practice, but now cosmetic company L’Oreal is working on an internal method to keep the silver at bay.

The company hopes to have a pill on the market by 2015 that will prevent oxidation stress, the process that causes hair to fade from jet black or deep red to silver or gray. The pill uses a fruit extract that does something similar to the body’s own enzymes that control hair pigmentation.

Read the rest — Cosmetic Company L’Oreal Developing Pill to Prevent Gray Hair

I personally like the gray change in my appearance. In my opinion, men who gray just look more distinguished. But for those that dye their hair, a pill may be more to your liking if all goes well with testing and it comes to market.

Tags: loreal, gray hair, grey hair

Temporary SMP?

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

Hello, I read your blog everyday and wanted to thank you for the information you provide. I am a 40 year old male and been on propecia and minoxidil for over 15 years with pretty good results. I find now my crown is getting pretty thin and wondering if SMP would be an option for covering up the crown for my hair which is a light brown/sandy blond .Is there such a thing as temporary SMP that might only last a few years?

Thanks

Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP) should be considered permanent. If you want a temporary solution, I would suggest you research topical camouflage products such as DermMatch or Toppik.

Tags: smp, pigment, toppik, dermmatch