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Hello Doctor

I understand that the “clogged pores due to dirt and buildup” is a hair loss myth. But what about open pores? Is it safe to use things like a spray leave in detangler, right after a warm head wash?

Pores are there to secrete oils to coat your skin and hair. Hair spray, lotions, and leave-in detanglers should be safe to use.

Do you have any knowledge or opinion about prosthetic follicles? I was imagining a tiny hypo- or non-allergenic device of plastic, silicone, etc that could even eject broken hairs and be reloaded. If they can replace heart valves and if they can make silicon wafers with microscopic transistors, artificial follicles hardly seems unfeasible. I googled my idea and actually found something:

A hair prosthesis consisting of allogeneic hair and polypropylene mimicking follicular units: long-term result and histocompatibility in rabbits

This sounds wonderful for balding or bald rabbits. There’s still a lot that needs to be done before it is shown to be safe for humans.

There is reasonable experience in artificial hairs and the history is not pretty, with infections that really mess up the scalp. I have personally seen the results of artificial hair over the years and have removed them in patients I’ve seen, but the problems never seem to clear. They look good when they are initially done, but hopefully people will live long enough to regret the decision to do this.

Hello Doctor

I know many people with hair loss that use ketoconazole 2% shampoo times a week, thinking it fights seb derm. Others use salycylic acid shampoos 4 - 5 times a week thinking it thickens the hair shaft

My question is: Could overusing active medicated shampoos for long periods, contrary to official recommendations lead to permanent hair loss?

Thank you

I don’t think shampoos will cause permanent hair loss per se, but you should not be using medications of any sort in ways they are not prescribed or recommended.

Ketoconazole shampoo (also known as Nizoral, among other names) does work in treating seborrhoeic dermatitis, but you should follow your doctor’s recommendation for dosing.

what is the best shampoo to use after H.T. my head is peeling its been about 2 weeks and when can i start using rogaine again. Thanks

After 2 weeks you head should not be peeling. You need to just use your regular shampoo and make sure you are washing your scalp properly. Follow up with your doctor and make sure you are washing your hair correctly.

Usually, I’d recommend waiting 7-10 days before using Rogaine after a hair transplant. Talk to your surgeon.

To what extent, if at all, would a topical such as minoxidil or Revivogen interfere with oral finasteride. I feel like trying to jam all of these things in you follicle together may cause them to interfere with one another. The last thing I want to do is reduce the effectiveness of the finasteride. But if they do not interfere with the finasteride, then adding one or both could be beneficial.

Thanks for the help. You have a great site.

I don’t think adding all the treatment options will diminish the effects of Propecia (finasteride 1mg), however, as enthusiastic and motivated as you are, you need to think in realistic terms.

Once you start three separate treatments how do you know which product is working and which is not? At what point are you going to say “Yes, this works” and continue the treatment, or “Nope, this one isn’t for me” so you can stop dumping money into it? Another way to put it — are you prepared to indefinitely invest in all three treatment plans? Remember, once you stop using a product that has shown to be effective, those benefits will disappear.

Hi
I am a 17 year old male and have just started to notice that my hairline has just started to recede (to about just before a norwood 2 I would say) and starting to thin a bit on top. I’m getting a bit worried as my dad is bald. I have been researching ways to stop my receding hairline going any further and came across this thing called scalp excercises. Apparently they allow more blood to flow to the scalp which stimulates the hair follicles and makes them stronger. Just wondering if u think that may work?

And also I found a drug called procerin it is a natural drug that has had lots of good feedback and it says it works best for people aged between 18 and 35. I would just like your opinion on if u think this may work for me. This problem has been haunting me for a while so any information u have for me would be greatly appreciated thank you.

Procerin is a boutique version of the herbal saw palmetto. Some people swear by it, others say it doesn’t work. There have been two studies that I’m aware of to determine the effectiveness of saw palmetto as a hair loss treatment, and they were inconclusive. What I know works for early hair loss is Propecia (finasteride). It’s a prescription medication and FDA approved to treat hair loss. Talk to your doctor.

Scalp exercises won’t stop your hairline from receding. You have a family history of hair loss, so while trying out things you read about on the internet might seem like a good idea, the genetic expression of your hair loss won’t be stopped by rubbing your head.

Snippet from the article:

A cream which slows the growth of hair by 70 per cent could result in men shaving just once every three weeks. It works on both men and women, meaning five o’clock shadows and girls spending hours in the bath shaving their legs could soon be a thing of the past.

Adonia hair serum uses organic plant oils to weaken hair formation and is being hailed as a healthy alternative to expensive hair removal treatments such as electrolysis.

More than 10,000 people have already put their names on a waiting list for the product. During trials in the U.S. the hair reducer showed an impressive 46 per cent reduction in hair growth after 21 days with a 70 per cent reduction after six weeks.

Read the full story — The gel that slows hair growth and lets men shave every THREE WEEKS

I can’t tell you how tired I am of shaving my facial hair, so if this is real, it would be very welcome. I can imagine women would love to give this a try, rather than shaving their legs.

The product, Adonia Hair Reducer, is for sale via a 3rd party seller on Amazon.com, but there are a few reviews that are highly suspect. Three of the four reviews were posted on the same day, and the reviewers have only written about products sold by that 3rd party seller. Glowing reviews, of course. I don’t know whether the cream actually does what it says, but the reviews I’ve found are more than likely phony, and I can’t find any other mentions of the product actually being used.

Hi just wanted to say thanks first off for all the information provided for us. I had a quick question my twin brother (fraternal) started balding about three years ago and now is pretty bad. He tried propecia and had pretty severe side effects (sexual in nature) and it appears that I too am now starting to bald.

I was reading about NuHair DHT Blocker and reviews on the major websites seem to be a mixed bag, some people swear by it others saw some results and others said it was garbage. I was wondering if you had any insight or opinion on it. Thanks for all your help and this great resource.

NuHair DHT Blocker is just a tablet containing saw palmetto and other herbs that likely won’t do much for your hair loss. I’ve written many, many times about saw palmetto. If you’d like to try it, go ahead… but keep in mind that as your hair loss is progressive, if it turns out that the pill does nothing for you, that’s going to be time wasted.

The only FDA approved medications for treating hair loss are finasteride (Propecia) and minoxidil, and those are the medications I recommend. If your brother experienced side effects while taking Propecia, I’m wondering how long he was on the medication and if his doctor lowered his dosage at any point. Perhaps you could try a lower dosage of Propecia. Talk to your doctor.

I have been using 5% minoxidil for about 4 months and have been happy with the results, I have brown hair but want to dye it black will this cause hair loss or cause the minoxidil to not work properly?

Thanks

Hair dye will not cause hair loss unless is it improperly used or perhaps you have a bad allergic reaction. I wouldn’t think hair dye and minoxidil have any deleterious effects on your hair loss issue. To be safe, you could wait 24 hours to apply minoxidil after you dye your hair.

I’m 31, and have been using Nioxin for about 6 years. My hair has always been thin and my hairline has been continuously receding since my early twenties. I do believe the Nioxin has helped slow my hair loss (I have a younger brother whose head is nearly bald!). But I still have major shedding every morning in the shower.

Now I see a new product called “HairSil” - which is “clinically proven with Bioactive Peptide TA-5.” What the heck is that stuff, and how would it benefit a balding head? I’m considering giving it a try but don’t want to throw away all those years I’ve invested in Nioxin already.

I read on a forum where someone said the product claims “100% of patients in the study saw increased hair growth” and “80% saw a reduction in hair loss by 8 weeks“, but I can’t find an official site for HairSil that says that. If indeed that’s what the makers of HairSil actually claim, the FDA should probably look into it.

On the surface, HairSil just sounds like it’s a shampoo like any other. It’s hard to find much information on it outside of what others have written on hair loss forums. It’s worth noting that they offer a 20% commission to affiliates that sell this shampoo, so it might be another in a long line of products that people are hyping up just to get your money.