Post Hair Loss Questions and Get Answers

Most men and women don’t start considering hair loss treatment options until they’ve already lost a great deal of hair. But what if you could catch it in its early stages, or even before balding starts?

Preventing the progression of baldness is far easier than trying to grow hair in completely bald areas. Below we’ve listed several tips that may just help you save the hair you have.

Regular Physician Checkups: A qualified hair restoration physician or dermatologist can analyze your scalp under magnification and look for signs of miniaturization and hair loss not yet visible to the naked eye. Regular checkups can help you plan for treatment if necessary before too much hair is lost.

Treating Your Hair Loss Early: If you find you are experiencing hair loss, starting medical treatment early may help you save your hair. Non-surgical hair loss treatments like Propecia (finasteride – men only) and Rogaine (minoxidil) can be very effective in stopping the progression of male pattern baldness.

Important Health and Hair Care Tips: Though genetic baldness occurs in men and women with even the healthiest lifestyle and hair, keeping your body and hair healthy can minimize the chance of non-genetic hair loss. Minimize junk food and pollution intake such as smoking and alcohol. Shampoo and condition your hair daily. Don’t color treat your hair or excessively pull or over-style it.

Technorati Tags: hair loss treatment, balding, baldness, bald, hair loss, hair loss treatments, finasteride, minoxidil, male pattern baldness, Hair Care

I have been experiencing dizziness after a month of using Rogaine (minoxidil) 5%.  I woke up a few times from it and felt my heartbeat racing for a few seconds. Anyone know about this type of side effect?  Should i discontinue use?

This hair loss question was answered on our hair restoration forum by Dr. Paul Shapiro of Bloomington, MN who is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.  His professional answer is below.

If you are having dizziness and heart palpitations on Rogaine, I would advise you to stop it right away.

Minoxidil is a vasodilator which means it relaxes the veins and arteries in the body. It was first used as an oral medication to lower blood pressure. The fact that minoxidil stimulates hair growth was an accidental finding. In fact, it is no longer used to lower blood pressure, partly due to this side effect.

When used topically (applied directly to the balding scalp) usually the amount absorbed into the blood stream is minimal. In most hair loss sufferers, it does not cause systemic (affecting the body ) side effects.

Dizzy spells and heart palpitations are known side affect of minoxidil and you may just be extra sensitive to the medication. But there also may be a medical reason why the minute amount of Rogaine absorbed into your blood system cased palpitations. I would see your primary care physician and/or a cardiologist to do some simple testing to evaluate your heart. Another possibility is that you have a skin condition on your scalp which allows more of the hair loss treatment to be absorbed into your body, (i.e. bad psoriasis) but I think you would know of such a condition.

Technorati Tags: Rogaine, minoxidil, hair loss, hair growth, balding, hair loss treatment

I am losing hair at a very fast rate and don’t know which hair loss treatment I should use to stop it.  Please advise.

There are a number of possible causes of hair loss, the most common of which is androgenic alopecia (female and male pattern baldness). 

The only two non-surgical treatments of any viable effect in my opinion, are Propecia and Rogaine, both FDA approved for the treatment of male pattern baldness. 

Propecia comes in a pill form and contains active ingredient finasteride.  Finasteride works to inhibit DHT, the hormone responsible for androgenic alopecia.

Rogaine is a topical solution containing active ingredient minoxidil.  Minoxidil is a vasodilator originally used orally to lower blood pressure by relaxing the veins and arteries in the body.  An accidental side effect of hair growth was found and then later tested topically and FDA approved to stop hair loss.

A number of other non-surgical hair loss solutions exist, but the proof of their efficacy are lacking.  Be sure to research all products you are considering and speak to your physician about Propecia (which requires a prescription).

Bill Seemiller - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center
View my Hair Loss Weblog

Technorati Tags: hair loss treatment, hair loss, androgenic alopecia, male pattern baldness, Propecia, Rogaine, finasteride, minoxidil, hair growth, stop hair loss, hair loss solutions

I’ve been on Rogaine since January of 2004.  Within 4 months the frontal pattern baldness stopped and I couldn’t see my scalp anymore.  But last summer I noticed scalp appearing on the temple regions so I went on Proscar in 2007.  I’m still using the Rogaine 5% but no hair is coming back.  Will a Proscar (or Propecia) and Rogaine combination help regrow hair in the temple region?

Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil) are FDA approved and proven for a balding crown but many hair loss sufferers also swear by their efficacy in the hairline and temple areas.  Everyone responds differently to these medications. Though they might restore a good amount of hair in some, others may experience lesser hair growth, or maybe none at all. Typically, these hair loss treatment solutions, especially when combined are pretty good at stopping the progression of male pattern baldness, but only a select few have significant hair regrowth.

The unknown factor here is - where would your hair loss be without them? Though Propecia and Rogaine may not be regrowing all your lost hair, your allopecia could be much worse without these medications. Of course, there is also a possibility that your hair would be in the same condition if you weren’t using them, hence, the unknown factor.

In my opinion, unless you are experiencing side effects, you may want to consider continued use as they will give you the best chance of preventing future balding.

Technorati Tags: baldness, Proscar, Rogaine 5%, Propecia, finasteride, Rogaine, minoxidil, balding, hair loss, hair growth, hair loss treatment, male pattern baldness, hair regrowth, allopecia

This question was posed by a female hair loss sufferer seeking hair loss help on our hair restoration forum and answered by Dr. Michael Beehner of Saratoga Springs, NY who is one of our recommended hair restoration physicians. His professional answer is below.

How does Rogaine (minoxidil) work?  I’ve heard it’s an anti-androgen, is this true?

I have been reading and going to meetings for years and have never heard Rogaine (minoxidil) described as an anti-androgen. I think you have mixed it up with Propecia (finasteride). We know that minoxidil is a vasodilator and may increase blood supply in the skin. In fact, some surgeons stop it a few days before hair transplant surgery to avoid excessive bleeding. I don’t, and have never seen bleeding increased with it being used right up to the time of hair restoration surgery. Also, we know minoxidil has an effect on potassium in the cells, but most of its action is relatively unknown, and some have simply described it as a “hair growth factor” for hair, although in reality it is much better at preventing hair loss than in actually growing hair. It probably works best in hair regrowth when used in conjunction with Propecia (finasteride), as it is synergistic with the other medication.

Mike Beehner, M.D.

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Bill - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center
View my Hair Loss Weblog

Technorati Tags: hair loss, hair loss help, Rogaine, minoxidil, anti-androgen, Propecia, finasteride, hair transplant, hair restoration, hair growth, growing hair, hair regrowth

Waiting for the new transplanted hair to grow is the hardest part of the hair transplant process.  Many patients will find themselves waiting for new signs of growth up to 5 and sometimes even 6 months.  But what if there was a way to jump start early hair growth?  Minoxidil (found in Rogaine), an FDA approved non-surgical hair regrowth solution has been conjectured to help accelerate transplanted hair growth.  But is there is any proof of this?  Why do some hair loss doctors believe this while others do not?  

View this hair loss forum thread to see what other patient members and physicians are saying about whether or not minoxidil can help jump start early growth.  You are encouraged to share your own experience or opinions on this topic.

Bill - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center
View my Hair Loss Weblog

Technorati Tags: transplanted hair, hair transplant, hair growth, Minoxidil, Rogaine, hair regrowth, hair loss

There is nothing like the promise of a hair loss cure that can tap into the emotional insecurities of balding men and women who would do pretty much anything to recover their long lustrous locks. Fancy marketing tactics found on television, the radio, and the internet loudly proclaim “guaranteed results or your money back”. No wonder hair loss sufferers are forking over their hard earned money to try the latest and greatest baldness cure wonder drug. These companies may make good on their promises at refunding your money if a product doesn’t work, but is it worth the price of nonrefundable hair?

Below we uncover the secrets of fancy marketing hype that will allow you to evaluate the validity behind many hair loss treatment solutions.

This Product is FDA Approved: Finasteride (found in Propecia and Proscar) and minoxidil (found in Rogaine) are the only 2 hair loss products that have been FDA “approved” to treat baldness. Any other hair loss treatment claiming FDA approval contains one of these two ingredients, most popular of which is minoxidil. In most cases, it is significantly less expensive and more effective to invest in the FDA approved ingredient than a product that includes it.

Money Back Guarantee: Most questionable treatments come with a money back guarantee. Though this might entice your wallet, using an ineffective product will cost your nonrefundable hair. Therefore, we encourage you to research all hair loss products you are considering.

Technorati Tags: hair loss cure, balding, hair loss, baldness cure, hair loss treatment, Finasteride, Proscar, minoxidil, hair loss products, treat baldness

This question was posed by a hair loss sufferer seeking hair loss help on our hair restoration forum and answered by Dr. Michael Beehner of Saratoga Springs, NY who is one of our recommended hair restoration physicians. His professional answer is below.

Can Rogaine (minoxidil) help jump start transplanted hair growth after hair restoration surgery?

One thing you have to keep in mind is that Rogaine (minoxidil) is probably the strongest blood pressure drug in the world. If put on too soon, while all these fresh open sites are present on the scalp from hair transplant surgery, the potential for the hair loss drug on the skin being absorbed into the system and dropping the blood pressure is a real risk. A person who is older or who has low blood pressure to start with would be at risk for fainting or passing out. For that reason, I wait till around the 4th day to restart it.

The other reason I wait those few days is that the physical act of applying the hair loss treatment might disrupt some of the grafts’ physical positioning in their sites.

We don’t fully understand all the ways minoxidil works to help hair growth (and prevent hair loss), but it is considered a “growth factor” for hair, and I do use it for 3-4 weeks before and after surgery in situations in which I am more concerned about the outcome of the surgery or worried about shock loss (such as in my female hair loss patients). If a person has had a lot of past scalp surgery - scalp reductions and multiple hair transplants - I will start if a month before surgery and then re-start it on the 4th post op day and have the patient take it another month. The evidence that this helps is so far anecdotal and not based on a good scientific study that I know of.

Technorati Tags: hair loss, hair loss help, Rogaine, minoxidil, transplanted hair, hair restoration, hair transplant, hair loss, hair loss treatment, hair growth, shock loss, female hair loss, hair transplants

Hair Loss in the peak of our social lives at young ages can be emotionally devastating.  But for those balding men and women who catch it early, nonsurgical hair loss treatment solutions may be worth considering.  But which one is the best?  Do late night infomercials that promise full hair restoration with miracle cure products truly deliver?  Which products really work to help treat baldness and stimulate hair regrowth?

This hair loss forum member is in a tricky situation and wants your input.  View this hair loss forum thread as forum members discuss treatments that have worked for them.

Bill - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center
View my Hair Loss Weblog

Technorati Tags: Hair Loss, balding, hair loss treatment, hair restoration, help treat baldness, hair regrowth

Would Provillus hair treatment really help in baldness type of hair loss?  I have had this since I was 13 years old and I am not 24 years old.  It has been on and off ever since.  At the moment, I’m using minoxidil 2%.

Though Provillus hair loss treatment comes in both a topical and oral solution, the only proven ingredient in this product is minoxidil which is in the topical formula.  Some anecdotal evidence exists that saw palmetto (an “active” ingredient in their oral solution) might help block DHT, the hormone responsible for male pattern baldness.

In my opinion, if your alopecia is genetic, I would stick with Rogaine (which contains minoxidil) and consider Propecia (finasteride) for men only, which are both FDA approved to treat baldness.  Be sure to consult with a physician and learn about the benefits, limitations, and potential side effects of these medications.

But based on your description above, of “on and off”, I’m wondering if you have alopecia areata, which is characterized by rapid hair loss in a targeted area leaving you with a bald patch in certain areas of the scalp or body.  In about 50% of all cases, those suffering from this condition experience hair regrowth without any treatment.  However, some treatments have been used including a combination of minoxidil, steroid injections, clobetasol or fluocinonide, creams, cyclosporine (a topical immunotherapy), and anthralin or topical coal tar.  Because Provillus topical treatment contains minoxidil, this could probably be used instead.  However, generic minoxidil is less expensive.

Technorati Tags: Provillus, hair treatment, baldness, hair loss, minoxidil, hair loss treatment, DHT, male pattern baldness, alopecia, Rogaine, Propecia, finasteride, treat baldness, alopecia areata, bald patch, hair regrowth