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    Reader is Not Convinced That Bulk Analysis is Worthwhile

    Apr 23, 2014/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Other

    I’ve seen you mention many times that bulk analysis is a good way to determine if someone is balding and that density should be the same everywhere for a non balding patient.

    But I’m not convinced by this – I recently saw a well known hair transplant surgeon and he said that people typically have less density around the crown and temple areas anyway. He didn’t believe in bulk analysis for analysing hair loss.

    Today I saw a male child who must have been around 8 years old. His hair was shaved short and sure enough, his temple/corner areas were noticeably less dense than the rest of his hair and this went quite a way back (I suppose to the point where someone might have suggested he was between a NW2 and NW3 on a balding scale if he was an adult).

    HaircheckYou may not be convinced of the value in measuring hair bulk, but I am not going to try to convince you.

    In a non-balding man, the bulk analysis shows that the hair in the 4 areas we measure (down the midline: front, top, crown and donor area) are all within 10% of the measurement of each other. I do not measure the hair at the sides of the head, because that is not where the balding will be. I would therefore possibly agree with you that the side densities are not as high as the midline densities.

    Out of curiosity, I will measure a non-balding man’s sides and see if we are both correct.

    Tags: hairloss, hair loss, hair bulk, analysis

    Not Hair Loss News – Men with Blood Type O Have a Low Chance of Prostate Cancer Recurring

    Apr 22, 2014/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Other

    Snippet from the article:

    Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, and in 2010, it was responsible for over 28,000 deaths in the US. Now, a new study presented at the European Association of Urology congress in Sweden suggests men with blood type O have a significantly lower chance of the cancer recurring.

    According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), prostate cancer is the second most common cause of death from cancer among white, African American, American Indian/Alaska Native and Hispanic men.

    Read the rest — Men with blood type O have lower recurrence of prostate cancer

    Tokyo Medical University’s Dr. Yoshio Ohno and his colleagues studied 555 prostate cancer patients that had a radical prostatectomy.

    The article goes on to say, “After following the patients for an average of 52 months, Dr. Ohno and his team found that patients with blood group O were 35% less likely to have prostate cancer recurrence, compared with patients with blood group A.”

    This is a good pick-up. Most of us know our blood type, so this might be some good reassurance for those with type O blood.

    Tags: blood type, type o, prostate cancer, cancer, health, male health

    In the News – Stem Cells Created from Adults

    Apr 18, 2014/by William Rassman, M.D./1 /Other

    Snippet from the article:

    Scientists have moved a step closer to the goal of creating stem cells perfectly matched to a patient’s DNA in order to treat diseases, they announced on Thursday, creating patient-specific cell lines out of the skin cells of two adult men.

    The advance, described online in the journal Cell Stem Cell, is the first time researchers have achieved “therapeutic cloning” of adults. Technically called somatic-cell nuclear transfer, therapeutic cloning means producing embryonic cells genetically identical to a donor, usually for the purpose of using those cells to treat disease.

    But nuclear transfer is also the first step in reproductive cloning, or producing a genetic duplicate of someone – a technique that has sparked controversy since the 1997 announcement that it was used to create Dolly, the clone of a ewe. In 2005, the United Nations called on countries to ban it, and the United States prohibits the use of federal funds for either reproductive or therapeutic cloning.

    Read the rest — In a cloning first, scientists create stem cells from adults

    Tags: stem cells, dna, science

    In the News – Survey Finds Baldness and Man-Boobs Are Men’s Biggest Concerns

    Apr 15, 2014/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Other

    Snippet from the article:

    Men are fast catching up women when it comes to worrying about their appearance, according to new research.

    A detailed look into the body confidence of 2,000 men and women documented a dramatic rise in appearance-related anxiety for both sexes. Results showed two-thirds of women feel under too much pressure to look good, claiming a rise in ‘perfect-looking’ women in the media has set unrealistic standards.

    Men now spend over three hours a week on average stressing over their image and feel the level of expectation placed upon them is rising. In fact, results also showed a rise in men dressing for their body shape, discussing their image with partners. One in eight men is even dieting in secret. Baldness and ‘moobs’ emerged as men’s biggest concerns.

    Read the rest — Men stressed about beer bellies, baldness and moobs

    The survey revealed that men had the most anxiety about being overweight, followed by yellow teeth, going bald, and growing breasts.

    Tags: hairloss, hair loss, survey

    Stem Cell Breakthrough? Don’t Believe Everything You Read!

    Apr 8, 2014/by William Rassman, M.D./1 /Other

    Snippet from the article:

    Scientists have found a surprisingly simple way to turn mature cells back into a primitive state. Simply giving mouse blood cells an acid bath is enough to produce so-called pluripotent cells that can develop into any cell type in the body, they report in two new papers this week. The remarkable transformation contradicts many assumptions about cell biology and may ultimately lead to new ways to treat disease and injuries.

    Scientists not involved in the work say the technique could be a game-changer if it pans out. “If this new approach is applicable to human cells, it would have great implications for regenerative medicine,” says Hongkui Deng, a stem cell researcher at Peking University in Beijing. “It’s quite surprising” that the technique “doesn’t involve any genetic manipulation,” says Rudolf Jaenisch, a developmental biologist at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

    Read the rest — Acid Treatment Could Provide Breakthrough Stem Cell Technique

    But wait…. the above snippet is from an article that was published and appeared in many publications, but then the scientific community tried to replicate the study. Now there are many other publications that show how the attempts to replicate these results were unsuccessful. Read more about the investigation here.

    For those interested in hair breakthroughs, this report could have been significant and prompted considerable excitement for creating stem cells that could be turned into hair cells, but without direct support by the greater scientific community, this was probably another blind end for stem cell development.

    Tags: stem cells, breakthrough, investigation, acid treatment

    How Would You Inform People About New Hair Loss Treatments?

    Mar 12, 2014/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Other

    Dear Dr.,

    If a new product came to market that was substantially better/more effective than propecia and rogaine for treating hair loss, how would you go about informing people of it through your blog and practice?

    I’d just simply tell them and post on the blog. I don’t hide new treatments that are proven safe and effective, but I am not going to promote the iffy ones that make unproven claims. We write about pretty much everything on here.

    Tags: hair loss, hairloss, hair loss treatment

    Actor Michael Keaton’s Hair Loss

    Mar 11, 2014/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Other

    Doc,

    You’ve been a kind internet friend. I’ve sent questions and thoughts, and you have posted them.

    Question: Remember Michael Keaton? Love this guy. Huge in the 1980’s….but clearly balding (Mr. Mom, Gung Ho, Clean and Sober, Beetlejuice). When he was cast as Batman (1989) he clearly had some work done. Cosmetic. Surgery. Blah Blah. Blah.

    Now in 2014, promoting Robocop (the reboot) he tells tales of the bat suit and has CLEARLY had work done in. Check the video out (here).

    Your thoughts? It looks painful……..(the redness above the occipital bone). Come on. He’s rich. WTF hasn’t he had that cleaned up?
    Michael Keaton

    I am not sure that I see what you are talking about…

    Michael Keaton has very visible male pattern baldness from what I can see in the video you sent. I’ve attached a photo from 2013 on the right that shows he’s losing his hair. I don’t clearly see any work done here.

    It is entirely possible that Hollywood movie magic (hairpieces or styling tricks) were used in many of his past film roles.

    Tags: michael keaton, actor, hollywood, celebrity, hairloss, hair loss

    Why Are Vellus Hairs Normal?

    Mar 10, 2014/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Other

    Why do people without balding also have miniaturized hair or vellus hairs in their scalp? You say that 10 percent of miniaturization is normal, whats going on with this?

    Vellus hairs are part of the normal follicular unit. They usually grow very short and are finer. They also do not have a sebaceous gland associated with it supplying sebum to the skin.

    I can not answer your why question, as this is just what we have observed and reflects our observational science.

    Tags: vellus hair, follicle, follicular unit

    Not Hair Loss News – More Than 120 Papers Published in Scientific Journals Were Gibberish

    Mar 3, 2014/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Other

    Snippet from the article:

    The publishers Springer and IEEE are removing more than 120 papers from their subscription services after a French researcher discovered that the works were computer-generated nonsense.

    Over the past two years, computer scientist Cyril Labbé of Joseph Fourier University in Grenoble, France, has catalogued computer-generated papers that made it into more than 30 published conference proceedings between 2008 and 2013. Sixteen appeared in publications by Springer, which is headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany, and more than 100 were published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), based in New York. Both publishers, which were privately informed by Labbé, say that they are now removing the papers.

    Read the rest — Publishers withdraw more than 120 gibberish papers

    Great, now spam has infiltrated the science journals.

    Tags: science, scientific journal

    In the News – Free Hair Transplants for Oscar Nominees

    Feb 28, 2014/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Other

    Snippet from the article:

    OscarsNone of this year’s major Oscar nominees are from Chicago, but some of the losers may be making the trip here post-awards show. No, not to film a new movie, but rather to get hair transplants.

    This year, the notoriously extravagant gift bags for Oscars losers include a voucher for Chicago surgeon Dr. William Yates’ hair restoration procedure. Dr. Yates says he is one of the few surgeons in the United States who performs the procedure using the new-age equipment known as ARTAS, and he wants to share the love.

    Read the rest — Oscar Nominees’ Gift Bags Include Free Hair Transplants In Chicago

    It’s award season, so companies are giving away everything from organic pet shampoo and hair transplant surgery to Las Vegas and Japan travel vacations. For those curious, the full list of free stuff is here.

    Tags: academy awards, oscars, oscar, hair transplant, gift bag

    Not Hair Loss News – A Soda a Day Increases Cardiovascular Disease Risk by 30%

    Feb 25, 2014/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Other

    Snippet from the article:

    American adults consume on average about 15% of their calories from sugars added to foods during processing, with a whopping 37% of the added sugar consumed in sugar-sweetened beverages, suggests an analysis of data extending back about 25 years. Moreover, the study projects that regularly drinking as little as one 12-ounce sugary soda a day may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease by about 30%—independent of total calories, obesity, or other risk factors.

    “Our findings indicate that most US adults consume more added sugar than is recommended for a healthy diet,” write Dr Quanhe Yang (Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA) and colleagues in their report published online February 3, 2014 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

    Read the rest — A Soda a Day Ups CVD Risk by 30%: NHANES Study

    We have to think twice when we drink soda, as it seems that nothing is really safe. Maybe we should starve?

    Tags: soda, cardiovascular disease, cvd, health, sugar

    Not Hair Loss News – Aspirin Lowers Cancer Risk?

    Feb 24, 2014/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Other

    Snippet from the article:

    It’s being touted as the latest anticancer wonder drug, it costs just pennies a pill and is probably in your medicine cabinet right now.

    A growing body of research is showing that people who take a daily dose of aspirin may be lowering their risk of a variety of seemingly unrelated cancers, including colon, breast, esophagus and skin cancer.

    Now a study published this month in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that women who took a daily dose of aspirin cut their risk of ovarian cancer by as much as 20 percent.

    That study, combined with earlier research, is prompting patients and doctors to wonder if more people would benefit from taking a low dose of aspirin and possibly other nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs.

    Read the rest — Aspirin shows promise in lowering cancer risk

    Tags: aspirin, cancer, research

    Not Hair Loss News – Antioxidants Accelerate Lung Cancer in Mice

    Feb 19, 2014/by William Rassman, M.D./1 /Other

    Snippet from the article:

    Although some people spend countless dollars on antioxidant supplements to improve their health, many studies have found that these would-be panaceas could actually exacerbate the diseases they claim to prevent.

    Now, a team of Swedish scientists has shown that two antioxidants—vitamin E and N-acetylcysteine (NAC)—can fuel the growth of lung cancers in mice. The team also worked out why.

    Antioxidants protect cells from chemically unstable molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can easily react with DNA and cause damage that leads to cancer. But Martin Bergo’s team at the University of Gothenburg showed that antioxidants neutralize ROS in tumors as well as healthy cells. “If we give extra antioxidants in the diet, we’re helping the tumor to reduce radicals that would otherwise block its growth,” Bergo said. “Then it can speed up all it wants.”

    Read the rest — Antioxidants Speed Up Lung Cancer

    This may bust the modern thought that antioxidants are good for everyone. Although this was discovered in mice, we need to pay attention to such publications.

    Tags: lung cancer, mice, rodnt, antioxidant, cancer

    Checking DHT Levels?

    Feb 18, 2014/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /Other

    How does one go about getting their DHT levels checked? Do you require a requisition from a doctor etc?

    Thanks

    I would imaging that any good clinical laboratory would offer this test… but in my 23 years doing hair work, I have never ran a test for DHT.

    Tags: dht, dihydrotestosterone

    Do You Examine for Hair Loss When the Hair is Wet or Dry?

    Feb 12, 2014/by William Rassman, M.D./1 /Other

    When judging a persons hair loss, do you look at the hair when it is wet or dry or both? I find my hair looks thinner when it is wet or gel has been applied. When it is dry it looks thicker, that is why I like to you use hair spray because it makes my hair thicker. And yes, i am thinning in the front of my scalp

    Well, if your hair is wet, it is pretty obvious that your hair will look thinner. Same goes for if your hair is cut short or under harsh lighting.

    We check for miniaturization of the hair. It is ideal to have your hair dry without any styling product on it. We also examine the pattern of hair loss (for MPB). Wet or dry you will see a pattern. I suppose you can see the pattern more if the hair is wet and short.

    Develop a Master Plan with your doctor, laying out what will happen to you over time (best and worst case scenarios). There are many options, so why not lay them all out in front of you?

    Tags: hairloss, hair loss, dry hair, wet hair
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