Post Hair Loss Questions and Get Answers

This hair loss question was answered by Dr. Robert True of New York, NY who is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.  His professional answer is below.

I just had surgical hair restoration and my hair is starting to fall out.  Is this normal?

For almost all hair transplant patients, the transplanted hair falls out gradually from two to four weeks following transplantation.

During this short period of time, some of the hairs actually grow before falling out. Sometimes the hairs come out when the crusts/scabs fall off the skin (attached to the crust) or they may remain to fall out later. Rarely, some of the hairs may not fall out and will continue to grow without interruption. (This is not a problem – you can cut the hairs if you want)

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Bill - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: hair restoration, hair transplant, transplanted hair

Non-surgical hair loss treatments like Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil)  are typically pretty good at helping men slow down, stop, or even reverse hair loss. However, in order to receive optimal benefits, proper application is important.

For men and women using Rogaine twice daily as recommended, knowing when to apply it can be difficult between showering and applying hair styling products. To learn how other members apply minoxidil, what’s optimal for maximum benefit, and to join in the discussion, view this hair loss forum thread.

Bill Seemiller - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: hair loss treatments, Propecia, finasteride, Rogaine, minoxidil, hair loss, hair styling

Coalition member Dr. Alan Feller recently released a new and revolutionary surgical tool designed to make the follicular unit extraction (FUE) procedure easier and more effective. Since FUE places forces on the hair follicles during extraction that could potentially damage the grafts, the development of this tool was designed to reduce these forces and create more viable and better quality grafts during hair transplant surgery.

Though state of the art tools can assist in making the hair restoration procedure safer and more effective, ultimately, nothing replaces the experience and skill of a dedicated hair restoration physician who can adapt as needed based on patient characteristics and circumstances.

To learn more about and discuss this revolutionary tool for follicular unit extraction, visit this hair loss discussion thread. You are encouraged to offer your experience and input on this important topic. You can also view a video demonstration of how this FUE tool is used to effectively reduce the risks of follicle transection.

Bill - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: FUE, hair transplant, hair restoration, hair restoration physician, follicular unit extraction

Yes, while we breathe, it seems the FDA is up to dirty business. People say America is the land of the free, I think not. Companies, Wall street, etc. run America today.  They have much power and the pharmaceutical companies control the FDA.  It is not independent like it once was.  They do not have not your interests at heart, but profit is king, nothing else matters to these Godless peoples.  See below example of FDA protecting their profits

“Recently, the FDA sent out a wave of intimidating warning letters to nutritional supplement companies, threatening them with seizure of their products and criminal prosecutions if they dare mention H1N1 Influenza (Swine Flu) in conjunction with their anti-viral products. This censorship campaign is clearly an effort to wipe clean common knowledge about medicinal herbs from the minds of the People, forcing them to be dependent on vaccines, pharmaceuticals and conventional health “authorities” who already admit their vaccines won’t work for future mutations of influenza.”

This fascist-like corporate state is America today, but is out of sight of most.  I work with natural medcine and I feel this and pray to God that darkness does not win.

Though I need more information to draw any kind of real conclusion, I’m not actually not so sure I agree and I’ll tell you why.

Nutritional supplement companies are notorious for marketing their products as “all natural” alternatives to proven medications however, in many cases (such as in treating hair loss), there’s no proof of efficacy.  They are also not regulated like the FDA.

Before recommending a treatment, balding men and women must discover what’s causing their hair loss. In most cases, hair loss is due to genetics, causing hair to be vulnerable to the male hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Though DHT is more prominent in men, it’s also found in women and still the number 1 cause of baldness in the world. However, other conditions can contribute to or even cause non-genetic hair loss.

Due to promotional propaganda and misinformation spread through the internet, differentiating fact from fiction can be difficult. Below, we expose the legends and distinguish what can and cannot contribute to or cause thinning hair.

Stress Causes Hair Loss: If you ask just about everyone, most would tell you that stress can cause you to go bald. Read this article to learn whether or not there is any truth to this highly popular belief.

Daily Hair Washing and Hair Loss: Due to the amount of hair men and women find in the shower, some have conjectured that daily washing can cause your hair to thin. Learn if there is any truth to this concern.

Accutane Acne Treatment and Baldness: Learn why Accutane treatment for acne might be detrimental to your hair.

Hair Pulling, Styling, and Hair Loss: Not everyone pulls their own hair out. However, excessive hair pulling or styling can be the cause of isolated balding. Learn why and whether or not this is temporary or permanent.

Thanks to surgical hair restoration, hundreds of men and women have successfully restored their hair, even those with extensive levels of baldness. However, even after physical hair regrowth, many men and women still struggle with the emotional and psychological impact hair loss has had on them. How long does it take to stop feeling like you’re bald? How has hair restoration improved your life?

Read other and share your own experiences with hair loss, how it’s impacted you and the physical and emotional impact hair restoration had on you.

Bill - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: hair restoration, baldness, hair regrowth, hair loss, bald

This insightful hair loss article was written by Dr. James Vogel of Baltimore, MD who is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.  His professional answer is below.

As with any surgical specialty, complications in hair restoration surgery occur as an unfortunate consequence of performing the operation. Fortunately, hair transplant surgery has the lowest complication rate of all cosmetic surgical procedures performed in the author’s cosmetic surgical practice over the past 18 years. The scope of this article limits the detailed description and full analysis of all possible complications in this field. Problems such as infection, bleeding, poor hair growth, and cysts occur to varying degrees, and these untoward events and others have been listed and discussed in numerous reports and book chapters.1,2 The focus of this article is to provide a useful review of the most common problems in hair restoration surgery that the practitioner is likely to see in practice and outline a practical approach to managing these unfortunate cosmetic deformities. Other reports have outlined options for management of the unnatural-appearing hair transplant, and the current article represents the author’s refinement of earlier published articles on the same topic.

The single most frequent problem seen in hair replacement surgery today remains the unsightly appearance of hair plugs or clumped grafts that appear very unnatural. Wide scars in the donor area, a poorly designed hairline, and a surgical plan that has failed to consider the progressive nature of hair loss in a young patient comprise the other most frequently seen problems in hair restoration surgery today.

Even before the contradictory information found on the internet, old wives’ tales made it difficult to determine fact from fiction. Below you will find several statements about hair loss and hair transplant surgery. Can you determine which ones are true and which ones are false? Help us expose the false statements by becoming a hair loss myth buster.

Wearing a Hat Causes Hair Loss! This is an old wives’ tale originating from the false belief that wearing a hat will prevent your hair follicles from “breathing” and thus cause you to go bald. So wear a hat as much as you’d like free from fear that your precious follicles will be suffocated.

MSN Promotes Early Transplanted Hair Growth! Nobody likes to wait for their newly transplanted hair to grow in. But unfortunately, though MSM (Methyl Sulfonyl Methane) may help your natural hair grow faster, it won’t speed up the couple month resting period transplanted hair goes through before it starts to grow.

Masturbation Causes you to go Bald! This lie is often presented to young teenage men in an attempt to keep their hormones under control. But there is no scientific evidence to suggest that a sexual release or any brief increase in testosterone that this may cause can contribute to hair loss in any way.

Let’s face it. Hair loss can be devastating to all men, let alone younger ones still out on the prowl experiencing girls and life for the first time. Though at first, it’s easy to deny the first signs of thinning hair and balding, sooner or later, you’ll have to deal with the reality that you are going bald.

A young man suffering from male pattern baldness has recently posted a very popular topic on our hair loss forum called “For All The Young Lads aging 20-25”. This was created for young men to share their experiences in coping with and treating their hair loss. Read what others have to say and contribute your own experience by joining in the discussion.

Bill - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: Hair loss, thinning hair, balding, bald, male pattern baldness

I’m suffering from female hair loss and need some advice.  I’m getting very thin on top and dont’ know what to do.  I’ve had blood work done and I have a slightly underactive thyroid and am on Synthroid for it.  But thinning hair runs in my family and I’m concerned about it.  What treatments should I use?

There can be many non-genetic contributors to hair loss, especially in females.  An overactive or underactive thyroid can be one of them.  If your thinning hair is due to an underactive thyroid, the treatment prescribed by your physician should help assuming it helps get your thyroid back under control.   However, thinning on the top of your head may also be an indication of genetic female pattern baldness.

You may consider using topical Rogaine (minoxidil) to help stimulate hair regrowth.  In many cases, Rogaine has been used for genetic and non-genetic related hair loss. 

Be sure to have your scalp examined and have other medical tests performed by a dermatologist who may be able to find or rule out other contributing factors to your hair loss.   Many non-genetic causes can be treated and possibly restore your hair with medical intervention for balding. 

Bill - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: female hair loss, Synthroid, thinning hair, treatments, hair loss, thyroid, Rogaine, minoxidil, hair regrowth, balding