Post Hair Loss Questions and Get Answers

This comment, from a member of our Hair Loss Social Community and Discussion Forums, was answered by Coalition hair transplant surgeon Dr. William Lindsey:

Before you start shouting Nizoral and Selsun Blue, hear me out. Since I started Propecia (finasteride), my scalp has been itchy. I soon went for the Zinc Pyrithione, Selenium Sulfide, etc., but that seemed to make things much itchier.  I then reverted to regular shampoo and things got a bit better.

My hairdresser mentioned that my scalp looked dry rather than it being dandruff.  I then started using hydrating conditioner which has helped a lot, but my scalp still itches intermittently. I’ve Googled for scalp moisturizer but haven’t found much. Do you guys have any suggestions?

I think a trial of Neutrogena T/Gel shampoo, available at most grocery stores in our area for about $9.00, is worthwhile. I find that it solves most dry problems. If it doesn’t help in a few weeks I’d see a dermatologist.

T/Gel shampoo has tar in it so it’s not the best smelling. Not a problem for old married guys but if you are single you may want to pick up a better smelling shampoo or conditioner to use after the T/Gel.

Dr. William Lindsey – McLean, VA

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David (TakingThePlunge)
Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog.
To share ideas with other hair loss sufferers visit the hair loss forum and social community

Hi, I’ve been using minoxidil for approximately two years and was quite happy with the results until I went two weeks without using it. After that I noticed a lot of hair loss! I’m still continuing to use it but now wondering if I’ve completely wasted my time and money for the past two years as I’ve heard you don’t regrow hair when you’ve had a break in the routine. Is that true?

I would not say that you’ve completely wasted your time. However, it is likely that some of the hair that shed will not regrow. Even so, I would venture to guess that restarting Rogaine (minoxidil) has continued to preserve hairs that would have been lost otherwise. It’s always the best option to continue use.

Unfortunately, there is really no way to know for sure. Only time will tell how much hair growth will return.

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David (TakingThePlunge)
Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog.
To share ideas with other hair loss sufferers visit the hair loss forum and social community

Get Proven Treatments at the Best Prices by visiting our new online hair loss treatment shop.

Technorati Tags: minoxidil, hair loss, regrow hair, Rogaine, hair growth

For many balding men and women, a trip to the hair salon is a negative experience. Often times, hair cutting and styling sessions reveal the true nature of one’s progressive hair loss, and this can leave individuals feeling anxious and concerned. When this occurs, patrons often ask hair stylists for advice regarding the types of preventive hair loss treatments to consider. Unfortunately, hair stylists often do not have familiar products in the salon to recommend to these concerned consumers. However, this is about to change because Revivogen recently announced that its line of hair loss shampoos, conditioners, and scalp therapy treatments are now available in hair salons.

Revivogen is also available at discounted prices via our hair loss product store.

Revivogen is a line of topical treatments designed to lower the levels of DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) – the hair loss causing hormone – in the scalp. Revivogen’s Scalp Treatment Therapy, Bio-Cleansing shampoo, and Thickening Conditioner contain several ingredients, including Saw Palmetto and GLA/ALA fatty acids, which block the production of DHT in the scalp. Much like finasteride (Propecia), the key ingredients in Revivogen products inhibit the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme responsible for converting testosterone to the hair follicle-damaging DHT. By lowering these levels, Revivogen may help halt progressive thinning and maintain current hair levels.

I’m a 31 year old man and have been experiencing frontal hair thinning for the past year or so.  My hair is continuing to thin and seems to be getting worse at a quicker rate. I have also recently been experiencing a dry scalp. I have not lost any hair in the back (vertex) area or on the top of my head.  It’s only limited to the front, like a receding hairline. I have been researching hair loss treatments and have read that some treatments, like Rogaine, are only for the vertex or top-back part of the head.  Is there a recommended product for the frontal part of the head?  Thanks for your help.

Unfortunately, there is no non-surgical hair loss treatment proven to regrow a receding hairline. The clinically proven and FDA approved hair loss drugs Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil) are very good at maintaining and sometimes regrowing hair in the crown but not particularly effective for frontal balding.

The best option to restore a receding hairline is hair transplant surgery. I highly recommend researching hair loss on our hair restoration forum where you can benefit from the combined knowledge of our patient members as well as many of the world’s leading hair restoration physicians.

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David (TakingThePlunge)
Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog.
To share ideas with other hair loss sufferers visit the hair loss forum and social community

I am a 23 year old female who has been suffering from chronic Telogen Effluvium for 18 months. I have had all blood and thyroid tests that all came back normal. I believe the initial trigger was weight loss and being underweight for a few months, but I have been in a healthy weight range for over 12 months now and the hair fall has not stopped. My dermatologist recommended I use Rogaine for several months; however I have read that in most cases after stopping Rogaine all the hair it helps grow will fall out again. I am afraid to start using it at all if it will only give me a temporary hair loss solution. Can you advise what I should do?

Unlike you, most men and women using Rogaine (minoxidil) to treat hair loss are suffering from androgenic alopecia (genetic balding). Because there is no hair loss cure, treatments like minoxidil must be used indefinitely in order to maintain hair growth. However, hair follicles in the zones of permanent growth at the rear and sides of the head will not become dependent on minoxidil. Thus, should these patients eventually discontinue the drug; they will not end up balder for having used it. Instead, their thinning hair will resume and will eventually take on the same pattern they would have had if they’d never used the drug at all.

This question, from a member of our hair loss social community and discussion forums, was answered by Coalition hair transplant surgeon Dr. James DeYarman:

Can topical Rogaine be absorbed into the body causing negative side effects?

Rogaine was created from a drug called Loniten. It was a high blood pressure medication and the side effect was people would start to grow body hair. The strength of the pill was 100 mg. and started out at one pill per day. The active ingredient in Loniten is minoxidil and that is what was put into solution to create the first minoxidil hair loss treatment.

The side effects from Rogaine can be skin rash, hair growth on the face and, in some cases, headache. Because of the amount being used it would be hard to get any lowering of the blood pressure using the medication topically. For minoxidil to be effective on the hair follicle it has to be massaged into the scalp and because of the small amount of minoxidil in Rogaine, it is unlikely to have any effect on blood pressure. I hope this answers your question.

Dr. James DeYarman
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David (TakingThePlunge)
Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog.
To share ideas with other hair loss sufferers visit the hair loss forum and social community

Get Proven Treatments at the Best Prices by visiting our new online hair loss treatment shop.

I am only 17 years old and I am losing 50 hairs a day since the age of 14 after I had typhoid. My father began to go bald at the age of 35. Now, for the past week I am massaging my hair daily with olive oil but there are no visible results! My hair is not thinning out but every time I brush my finger through them I find my hairs coming out with a white bud at their root. So what should I do now?

It is perfectly normal to lose up to 100 hairs per day. If you are not experiencing thinning hair then you may have nothing to worry about. However, it never hurts to consult with a dermatologist or experienced hair restoration physician for an evaluation.

Rubbing oils in your scalp will likely do nothing to combat genetic balding and regrow hair. At your age, you are too young for Propecia (finasteride) but you can use Rogaine (minoxidil) if your doctor thinks it’s necessary.  These are the only two hair loss drugs that are clinically proven and FDA approved for the treatment of male pattern baldness (androgenic alopecia).

David (TakingThePlunge)
Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog.
To share ideas with other hair loss sufferers visit the hair loss forum and social community

Get Proven Treatments at the Best Prices by visiting our new online hair loss treatment shop.

Are you aware of any minoxidil 10% and 12.5% + azelaic acid creams available? Do you know how successful the cream can be when compared with Rogaine 5% Liquid, Rogaine Foam and 2% Women’s Rogaine? And whether I am more likely to experience side effects using the cream? While I experienced a fast heart rate on the foam, this didn’t happen with the 5% lotion which may suggests that different forms of minoxidil despite the strengths can affect a person in regards to side effects in different ways?

In our society, the general perception is that more of a good thing is usually better. And though this line of thinking may be true for some things, I’m a bit reluctant to apply this logic to medication.

Medication usually undergoes clinical testing to determine optimal dosage for both safety and efficacy. Minoxidil 5% and 2% have been clinically tested and FDA approved for male and female hair loss.  And while one may conclude that higher concentrations of minoxidil are more effective, I have not seen any clinical proof of this.  Moreover, with higher dosages of medication comes the greater potential for side effects.

Azelaic Acid has the potential to inhibit 5-alpha-reductase enzyme production in the skin and thus, limit DHT production.  In theory, applying azelaic acid to the scalp may be effective in treating baldness.  However, to my knowledge, no such studies exist to prove this.  Similarly, optimal dosage is also conjecture.

I am a woman on Men’s Rogaine (5% minoxidil). I have been using it for one month and have noticed after two weeks the hair shedding was more than when I initially started and is still continuing. Can I lower the dose to the Women’s Rogaine (2% minoxidil) or will that affect the hair growth process?

It’s normal to see increased shedding shortly after starting Rogaine. The shedding should stop after about two months and you should see new hair growth at around 4 months. We recommend that hair loss sufferers continue to apply Rogaine as directed for between 6 and 12 months before assessing their results.

You can lower the dosage if you like but Men’s Rogaine is typically about twice as effective as the women’s formula.

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

Recently, we reported that French cosmetics giant L’Oreal planned the release of a new hair loss treatment called Neogenic. However, as the highly anticipated hair growth product began shipping this month, its debut may have been marred by an unrelated but potentially significant warning issued to Lancôme USA (a unit of L’Oreal) by the FDA regarding the manner in which it promotes cosmetics using language that makes them sound more like drugs.

While Neogenic was not referenced specifically in the FDA warning, anti-aging products, including pricey creams and lotions claiming to “boost the activity of genes” or “stimulate cell regeneration” to reduce signs of aging, were called into question. Per FDA guidelines, any product that is intended to affect the structure or function of the human body is classified as a drug and must therefore pass FDA screening and be proven effective.

Balding men and women should be aware that numerous products exist in the market making false claims to halt hair loss and regrow hair. Though it remains to be seen if Neogenic will deliver on its promises, concerns remain that false advertising claims related to L’Oreal’s anti-aging products could reflect unrealistic claims related to this new hair loss treatment.

Until new and more effective products are clinically proven effective, hair loss sufferers are advised to stick to proven drug treatments like Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil) in order to maintain and regrow their hair.

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