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I’m a 25 year old male and my frontal hairline began receding rapidly about 9 months ago. From reading your blog and my own observations I assumed it was male pattern baldness kicking in earlier than I would have liked.

I have now seen two doctors (One family doctor and one dermatologist) who have both told me that It would grow back by itself as they both said it was due to stress (About a year ago my dad passed away right after I moved to a new city and I had to start a new job the day after the service). The family doctor briefly looked over my hair and the dermatologist asked me my family history (No balding on my mom’s side, and my dad started balding in his early 40s) and did a pull test (No miniturization test)

The problem I’m having is that from reading your blog it seems like they’re both incorrect. There is obviously miniturization at my hairlines which to my understanding means there its is MPB which could have been triggered by the event.

Does my hair growing back by itself like they both said sound at all realistic? Should I try yet another doctor?

Thanks for your time.

I agree with you that a mapping of your scalp for miniaturization will make the diagnosis for you. The pull test that your dermatologist did will check out conditions like telogen effluvium (see article at eMedicine), which if positive might indicate that the process will reverse, but people with genetic hair loss will not have a positive hair pull test. See another doctor who can make the correct diagnosis for you.

I am a 24 year old male who has lost a lot of weight in the last 8 months. I feel like my hair is thinning but am not sure. I haven’t noticed any excessive shedding, my hairline is the same, but my hair does feel a little thinner. I’m not sure if it’s due to weight loss or the beginnings male pattern hair loss (my family does have a history of it).

My question is would it be bad to get on Propecia now even if I am unsure as to whether or not i have male pattern baldness? and if i’m not balding would it be bad to start taking propecia for preventative measures? i.e. If I start propecia can it jump start male pattern balding?

and do you know of any places in Sacramento that do the miniaturization test?

Weight loss produces dietary problems which can cause hair loss, particularly if you are genetically prone to it. Genetic male pattern baldness (MPB) is the most common cause of hair loss or hair thinning in men. It occurs special “patterns” — as the term implies. If you have MPB, any good dermatologist can diagnose this problem and prescribe you Propecia (finasteride 1mg) as an option. Only a doctor can prescribe you Propecia. Propecia does NOT jump start hair growth from male pattern baldness. It slows it down as a rule.

I have been diagnosed with miniaturization through-out the scalp.(30%) Was told it wasn’t dupa though. It is advised that those with this type of hair loss pattern keep their hair very short. Buzz cut! My hair looks horrible grown out but am afraid buzzing it every few weeks will speed up the loss. In a past question you mentioned friction on weak miniaturized hair can pull it out. What should I do?

Thanks

Buzzing hair that has miniaturization will not impact that hair unless it is poorly cut with non sharp instruments that pull. In other words, I do not believe that buzzing your hair will help it or hurt it. My advice is to style your hair any way you like it.

Hi Dr.Rassman,

Firstly i would like to thank you for the time and effort you take in providing this valuable blog - it is a great source of information! I am writing to you to ask about recent discussions on the web with respect to Acell and its (potential) ability to (completly) heal the donor scar. Have you had a chance to look at this ? What are your thoughts? If Acell can revise our donor scars it would be a great step for many of us who just want to buzz our heads!!

The technology sounds good, but I have no experience on how it would be used after a scar has formed. The question would be, “Would there be value for a person to include this therapy in the actual surgery?” Frankly, I do not know the answer to that question and can not render an opinion at this time.

Although they appear to have more invested in veterinary services at this point (there’s a lot more info on treating animals than on treating humans), you can check out the ACell site here.

Will low carb diets (or no carb diets for that matter) cause hairloss in males with MPB?

Unless you are not meeting your daily nutritional needs, a low carb diet will likely cause weight loss, not hair loss.

It occured about half a year ago almost un-self concious of the problem my left eyebrow started losing hair. As I thought it would just grow back, I ignored the problem but as now its still left unsolved. My left eyebrow has kept the same appearance over the months. The eyebrow isnt completely bald, rather a majority of it is composed of short one millimetre length hairs which doesnt seem to grow at all. There are two small areas of the eyebrow that are have still normal length hairs. My right eyebrow isnt as affected but the right end of the eyebrow does show signs of hair loss.

I am planning to see a dermatologist about this problem but the appointment date duration is almost a month of wait so if you can provide me any advice that would be great. Thank You.

It seems you are doing the right thing by seeing a dermatologist. I don’t know what I can offer you in the month you have to wait to see the dermatologist that will change your outlook or regrow your eyebrow. I don’t know why you lost only one side of your eyebrow. It sounds strange. There may be many reasons why you are experiencing such a problem, but I will only be guessing and my guesses may just give you more anxiety and undue worries without solving the real underlying issue. My best advice is to be patient and address these issues with your doctor. Good luck!

If DHT causes hair loss, how come women whose estrogen levels drop lose hair? Seems contradictory.

I am not an expert in hormones, but things in medicine are not so binary. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is the cause of hair loss in men (not women) who are genetically predisposed to hair loss. You can have a high level of DHT and still have a full head of hair. Women lose hair in a different way than men. There are many causes of hair loss in women. Estrogen levels may play an important part in supporting hair and preventing hair loss in women and when women reach menopause and their estrogen levels drop, they may become victims of their genetics. It doesn’t correlate with DHT in most women.

Snippet from the article:

Over the years, a Woodstock company’s fruit-flavored vitamin supplement gained a loyal following. Customers swore it made them healthier and their testimonials persuaded friends and family to take it, too.

They never imagined it would be the cause of bizarre and frightening symptoms that stumped their doctors.

At least 197 people in a dozen states — 53 of them in Georgia — were sickened earlier this year after taking the liquid supplement Total Body Formula. Their hair fell out in clumps, their fingernails fell off. They suffered nausea, vomiting and fatigue. Some had disabling joint pain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health officials.

Full article at Atlanta Journal-Constitution — Customers say company’s vitamins made them sick

Can you get fungus on your head from wearing a hat all the time for too long that results in your hair falling out?

A fungus spreads from person to person. A hat worn by a person with a fungus could transmit the fungus as the hat is shared with another. Fungal infections love warm, moist environments and if you sweat from the hat that is carrying a fungus, you may get it. Depending on the fungus, hair loss could result. These are all longshots, but they are possibilities.

1. I’ve read Accutane may cause or contribute to hair loss. I was prescribed Accutane a few months ago but I only took one pill before deciding not to take any drugs for my acne. Would that one pill make a difference?? I am worried I did something bad for my hair..
2. If body hair and facial hair aren’t related to hair loss on the head, how come kids before puberty do not have facial hair and do not have balding, and how come girls don’t have facial hair and have no balding??
3. I’ve read that the DHT blocked by Propecia is permanent. However, when people go off of Propecia, their hair usually sheds any hair that was grown. How are these reconciled?

1. One pill will not make a difference with respect to hair.
2. Body hair and genetic (androgenic) balding is related to hormones. It is what we call “secondary sex characteristics”. It occurs with changes in your hormones during puberty. So body hair and facial hair and male pattern baldness are all related to some degree, but the genes are expressed differently based upon the sex of the person.
3. The effects of Propecia (finasteride 1mg) are not permanent. Thus, if you stop taking Propecia, you will lose the hairs that grew from the effects of Propecia.