Half My Moustache Stopped Growing

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

One side of my mustache does not grow. I shave it everyday and still nothing. I was able to grow a mustache before, but all of a sudden my left side stopped growing. What can i do or use to make it grow back. Thanks.

It is very strange that only one side of your moustache grows. There is nothing that will make the other side grow. Please send me a picture (reference this blog post) and it will be kept confidential. If indeed one side of your moustache is not growing, hair transplantation may be an option. If your moustache hair is not of the same character as your head hair, then mixing head hair along with using the right side of your moustache (the side with the hair) as a donor, is a real option if transplants are done.

Tags: mustache, moustache, hairloss, hair loss

Pimple in Recipient Area After Hair Transplant

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

Hi Dr. Rassman:

I had a pimple in my recipient area (I am 5.5 weeks post op) that I accidentally popped while washing and it drew a little blood. Am I in danger at this stage of losing a graft and will this affect the growth in that area?

Thanks as always

Pimples (follicular cysts) do occur after a hair transplant. They most often reflect remnants of hair that is left behind at that site. The body tries to expel those remnants and these are what people call ‘pimples’. Warm soaks are generally the best treatment. Be careful that you do not have a ‘folliculitis’ (an infection of many hair follicles) that may require medical attention.

Tags: hairtransplant, hair transplant, cyst, folliculitis

Hair Loss from Testosterone Replacement Therapy?

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

Dear Dr. Rassman,

I have been under the care of an anti-aging doctor for two years. I have been taking testosterone (TRT). I have had hair transplants 10 years ago. I have been recently experiencing
more hair in my comb. Can Testosterone replacement cause transplanted hair to be lost?

Testosterone replacement may cause androgenic alopecia, but it should not cause hair loss in the permanent hair that was transplanted from the back and sides of your head (these hairs are not affected by DHT). You may be experiencing hair loss from your native non-transplanted hair.

Tags: testosterone replacement, trt, hairloss, hair loss, hair transplant, hairtransplant

I Want to Slow My Hair Loss Without Drugs

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

I am 18 year old male and im starting to notice my hair loss its not that bad but im afraid it might get worse.My dad is 50 and he’s completely bald but his dad is not as bald.Im not taking any drugs but im using this shampoo called Loreal paris thickining shampoo it helps a little. is there any thing i can do to prevent or slow down the process? whithout drugs like Propecia or Rogaine.

No.

Male pattern hair loss is genetic. It is due to a hormone called DHT (dihydrotestosterone). Despite media hype and mass marketing promoting “DHT blockers”, there is no cure for balding. Even drugs such as Propecia and Rogaine have limitations, yet they are the most effective and proven medical regimen for androgenic alopecia (AGA), also known as male pattern balding (MPB). Another option is hair transplantation.

If you lived near the ocean and your car was rusting, you could say that you don’t want to do anything, because you want to keep your car ‘natural’ and you can watch it rust away. Get the message?

Tags: hairtransplant, hair transplant, hairloss, hair loss, propecia, finasteride, rogaine, minoxidil

Ultra-Refined Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)?

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

Hi Doc,

What’s up with this new trendy “ultra refined” FUT? Accordingly to the clinics using this improvement of FUT, follicles are packed denser due to smaller incisions and transplants. Is this improvement really necessary and couldn’t it lead to a greater amount of lost transplants?

Horse and buggyI have been doing this for years, so it is not all that new anymore. Many, many other doctors are late catching on, but it works well. Perhaps that is why it is “new” to some physicians.

In this follicular unit transplantation (FUT) technique, the use of smaller needles and better prepared grafts allow the placement of grafts closer together. The density of the grafts do reflect more fullness in the final results. I didn’t coin (nor do I use) the term ‘ultra-refined‘, but it sounds like a good descriptive tag. Most of the patients on our website have had this technique done.

Trendy? I guess so. I suppose it can be compared to the old days when the automobile replaced the horse/buggy, which I would call trendy in the early days.

Tags: ultra refined fut, fut, follicular unit transplantation, hairtransplant, hair transplant, hairloss, hair loss

Chemical Burn from Antifreeze Caused Hair Loss

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

I have a patch baldness on the front left side (left side of hair line)on my head. I have gotten burned there a few years ago by antifreeze, fresh from the car radiator. The result was after a good half hour, the skin began to peel off at the spot the antifreeze touched. I was wondering, will my hair ever grow back again or do i have to take another route to solve this issue? I have another issue, I am losing hair on top of my head, I do not know why it is happening but I want to solve this issue too. It is said that it runs in the family. Do you have any suggestions in solving both problems? If so please inform me along with prices. Thank you.

It sounds like you have a couple of things going on. The chemical burn might be secondary to genetic male pattern baldness. To get the diagnosis of genetic balding, you should get your hair mapped out for miniaturization and consider taking Propecia (finasteride 1mg) if indicated by your doctor. I really can’t tell you if the hair will grow back after the chemical burn, as I haven’t seen the area you’re talking about. You may be a good candidate for hair transplantation, but again, there are some factors in play that I don’t have the answers to yet without knowing more about you.

If you are in California (or willing to travel), I have offices in Los Angeles and San Jose and can be reached at 800-NEW-HAIR if you’d like to setup a free consultation. If you are not in California, you can send me photographs here (please reference this post when sending).

Tags: antifreeze, hairloss, hair loss, chemical burn, burn, hairtransplant, hair transplant, propecia

Does Better Blood Flow on Side of the Scalp that I Sleep On Lead to Thicker Hair on that Side?

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

After 4700 FUs one side of head is clearly thicker then the other.

Hi Doctors,

I’m curious to see if you’ve heard of this before. I had two hair transplant sessions totalling 4700 FUs in the past 2 and 1/2 years. I’ve been noticing that the hair on the right side of my head are much thicker than the ones on my left. Someone said that it is because much more blood flows to my right side, since that’s the side I sleep on. I thought this was foolish, but I’ll try anything to get the left side as thick as the right. So I started to sleep on my left side and I’m hoping this will help. Do you think it is because more hairs ont the left side are going into the rest cycle? Any suggestions?

Thank you.

I do not believe that there is any difference with respect to sleeping on one side versus the other. What I do know is that in a hair transplant, the right side often grows more hair than the left. This is related to the teams of people placing the grafts — right handed people place more efficiently on the right side of the head and the left side is often a slower process. Most technicians are right handed and prefer to work on the right side. This is an important element in the quality control of the doctor’s team.

Tags: hairtransplant, hair transplant, blood flow, hairloss, hair loss, graft

If I Get a Hair Transplant, Will the Volume of My Long Hair Be Noticably Thinner?

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

I am a 42 y/o male,(Norwood 3)no “V” as of yet and I have long hair that reaches past the middle of my back. Should I ever require a transplant procedure will the volume of hair that flows down my back be noticibly reduced since follicles must be harvested from the back of the head? BTW, I have taken Avodart for 2 years with great success. I was getting a little thin in the crown area and now the crown has filled in very nicely, however, no such luck with the receding hairline.

Thanks

There should be a minimal reduction of hair volume from one hair transplant. I am curious to know why you are not taking Propecia (finasteride 1mg). Stronger medicine does not necessarily mean it works better. You may have had the same impact from Propecia alone.

Tags: propecia, avodart, hairloss, hair loss, hairtransplant, hair transplant, dutasteride, finasteride

Going Through Menopause and Losing Pubic Hair

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

I have been having thinning pubic hair for about a year, I am 59 and have gone through menopause, although I still have the hot flashes, just not as strong as they use to be. I take no horomones at all, I am just managing on my own. Could this problem be hormone related, or is alopecia as you sometime refer too? I have no other hair loss at all, I have always had very thick head hair and still do. What do you think? thank you

If the loss is just limited to your pubic area (or underarm area), then I would assume that it is hormone related. Many people feel fortunate to have thinning pubic hair in today’s culture. If it bothers you and you are healthy, hair transplants from the scalp to the pubic area is something that is available. We do a few of these each year.

Tags: pubic hair, underarm, hairloss, hair loss, hormone, menopause, female, women, woman

Male-to-Female Transsexuals and Hair Loss

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

I am very happy to have found your website which clearly has much to offer for people trying to tackle hair loss. I am writing to you because my question about male pattern baldness is rather specific and perhaps more unusual in your pile of e-mails. Also, I want to obtain further expert advice.

I am a 25-year-old transgender identified person. I noticed some signs of hair loss when I was seventeen, as such, I believe that I started to go bald earlier than many men. I have been on Propecia for nearly ten years now and I have been able to keep my hair, probably because of the drug. A dermatologist examined my scalp and confirmed that I am a male pattern baldness patient (receding hairline is the only presentation at this time). He suggested I continue to take finasteride to prevent further loss of hair.

I have been thinking about a hair transplant to fix my hairline. My hair loss is still not visible without close examination, so I think I will wait and see what the situation is like a couple of years from now.

Because of my transgender identification I am looking into the possibility of receiving hormone treatments (feminising hormones and anti-androgens) and perhaps sex reassignment surgery. Do you think this treatment will have an impact on scalp hair growth? I am told many male-to-female transitioners stop losing hair along with hormone reassignment therapy. Also, please comment on your experience with creating female hairlines.

I realise that you receive a lot of questions from people, and I believe your blog is a very helpful forum for discussing hair loss. I greatly admire you for all you do to help people combating hair loss. I never thought I would respect hair loss professionals as much as I do now.

TransgenderMale-to-female transsexuals who have hormone reassignment may slow down the hair loss. The chemical castration that is obtained with antiandrogens should augment your present Propecia (finasteride 1mg) intake and it may be effective enough to eventually stop Propecia altogether.

I have done hair transplants for many male-to-female transsexuals with good results and it is a reasonable solution to the receding male hairline. Creating a female hairline can be easily done with a good hair transplant when and if you find it appropriate and timely for your life’s agenda. The creation of a female hairline is common in my practice as I repair many plastic surgery disasters that have wiped out the hairlines in women (complications of traditional brow lifts).

Tags: lgbt, transgender, transsexual, hairloss, hair loss, hair transplant, hairtransplant

Born with a Cleft Palate — My Moustache Has a Gap

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

I was born with a bi-lateral cleft pallet and althought I am able to grow a decnt looking mustache and goatee, I am unable to grow hair on the area directly under my nose, which causes a gap and my mustache cannot connect straight across. My whole reason for growing out my facial hair is to hide my scar from the cleft pallet and also to hide the lack of “fullness,” of my upper lip when I am seen from a profile standpoint. Is there anything that I can do to facilitate the growth of the hair in that area so that my mustache will connect? If you have any suggestions and/or ideas as to how to correct this please let me know. Thanks

This is a great application for a hair transplant into the moustache scar. It may take two sessions to get the fullness you want. We have transplanted quite a few people born with a cleft lip and palate.

Tags: moustache, mustache, facial hair, cleft, lip, scar, palate, hairloss, hair loss

Resuming Rogaine After Hair Transplant

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

Dear Dr Rassman,

Thank you for a world class question forum for balding, it is certainly one of the benchmark site for balding issues!

My question is, after a hair transplant on the frontal area/temples only, can one resume Rogaine on the vertex immediately? Since it is applied locally at the vertex and should not affect the frontal area. Also, when is a good time to resume Rogaine on the temple/frontal area after transplant in that area?

Once again, a million thanks for your insight!

Yes, you can resume using Rogaine on the crown immediately. I generally ask my patients to hold off on putting it directly on the recipient area for 5-7 days, though.

Tags: hairtransplant, hair transplant, minoxidil, rogaine, hairloss, hair loss, crown

I Use a Lot of Toppik to Conceal My Hair Loss

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

Im 22 and do have severe hairloss that started when I was 17 and has progressed to the point that I barely ahve anything left. I have blonde hair in the begining when the thinning was happening I covered it perfectly with just a little black eyeshadow here and there…but now its to the point that I had to buy brown eyeshadow and just put it all over the top of my head. It looks ok because I use Topix with it. However…will this accelerate the loss? I use *ALOT*

Thanks Muchly

The use of topical products (such as Toppik) will not accelerate the hair loss. Hair transplantation may be a better answer to your problem if your qualify for such a procedure. It is unusual for me to recommend hair transplants on 22 year olds, so you should be evaluated by an honorable expert to develop a Master Plan for your hair loss and then, when and if appropriate, take it a step further (even to hair transplants if appropriate). Many men at your age do very well with medications (Propecia) to slow, stop, and reverse hair loss, but if your patterned hair loss is already locked in, then transplants could be a solution. Blondes do better than most people because of the low contrast between hair and skin color and many blonde men can get away with less grafts than a person with dark hair and light skin.

Tags: hair transplant, hairtransplant, toppik, hairloss, hair loss

Recommended Age for Hair Transplant

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

Hey Doc! I’m 22 With Norwood Class 3 (with some thinning in the crown) and I was wondering at what age do you recommend one does a transplant. I have noticed that most of the patient photos are from people older than 40. I really don’t want to wait that long. Do I have to? Thanks!!

I generally do not like to perform a hair transplant on someone whose pattern is not clearly evident based upon miniaturization studies when I map out the scalp and hair. Men under the age of 25 generally fall into that category, but clearly I have done hair transplants on men under 25 when there is frontal hairline loss or a clear pattern that has advanced such that the medications like Propecia and Rogaine will probably, in my opinion, not work. Everyone deserves a personal assessment. In other words, there’s no set age.

A good one-on-one examination and the building of a Master Plan with each patient is critical. It seems like you are too early for a hair transplant and should get good results in the crown with Propecia. Get your baseline mapped to you know where you are going and do it yearly.

Warning: It is quite unfortunate, but there are many unethical doctors who recommend hair transplants on young men who are easily swayed by the power of their MD and their fear of going bald. Although this is an important warning for men under 25, it also applies to all men considering hair transplantation. Be sure that the recommendations are in your best interests at all times, not in the interest of the doctor’s mortgage or fancy car payment.

Tags: hairtransplant, hair transplant, age, hairloss, hair loss

I Want a Hair Transplant, But I’m Prone to Forming Keloids

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

i’m an 19 year old girl suffering from androgenetic alopecia. i’ve been losing much hair and tried everything(rogain 2%, hormone therapy) but didn’t see any major results. i’m considering of having FUE on my frontal hairline, the problem is, my skin is prone to forming keloids. I know that keloid will probably form on the donor area but is there any possibility at all that keloids will grow on my hairline??

Yes, you are at risk of forming keloids on your recipient area (frontal hairline), but the risk is low. In all of my years, I have never seen a keloid in the recipient area. At a medical meeting some years ago, we polled the audience of about 300 hair transplant doctors to ask them to raise their hands and tell us if anyone ever saw a keloid in the recipient area. No one raised their hands.

You must also consider that androgenic alopecia in a 19 year old female is very rare and make sure that you have the correct diagnosis along with realistic expectation of what you are trying to accomplish and the fullness that you are going to have from a transplant. In other words, you must weigh the risks versus the benefits and you absolutely need a diagnosis by a competent doctor.

Tags: keloid, hair transplant, hairtransplant, hairloss, hair loss