What would you recommend for hair loss? I am a 27 year old male.

The majority of products that are recommended for reversing hair loss border mainly on quackery and junk science. Today, we have nothing that can bring back hair, there are no drugs, potions, lotions, spices – even praying fails to help. The best remedy for hair loss is hair transplantation. While not the first treatment of choice, it today remains the only choice.

Hair transplantation essentially involves transferring (transplanting) hair follicles from the back of the head or behind the ears to the front thinning area.  These newly transplanted hair follicles will grow hair for a lifetime because they are genetically resistant to going bald. In the past 2 decades, hair transplantation has become a technically well refined art. The transplantation of mini grafts has proven to be aesthetically better and longer lasting.


The modern hair transplantation can achieve an aesthetic appearance by mimicking natural hair. Given the improved results and durability of hair transplantation surgery, males with baldness are increasingly seeking this method of treatment as the choice.

Why does one lose hair?

Hair loss has been associated with numerous myths and folklore tales, all which are based on superstition and ignorance. 


Everything under the sun has been blamed for hair loss including excess shampooing, daily washing, type of shampoo, use of hair dryer, type of soap, use of towel, the hardness or softness of  water, the geographical area where one lives, ethnicity, eating too few herbs, pooping once a week, eating too much meat, ogling excessively at the opposite sex, dandruff, your hormones, her hormones, sex hormones, not cleaning the backside after pooping and even excessive masturbation. 


In the majority of cases, the cause of hair loss is not known and is mainly due to bad genes and a lot of bad luck.

Is there anything in the future that may help one grow hair?

For the completely bald scalp there is no chance of getting a hair transplant and thus, the future is bleak. But cloning, gene therapy, stem cell transplants have all been touted as a possible cure for hair loss. All these are illusive cures with a lot of bravado from scientists who also lack hair.

For the bald men of today, newer hair therapies are still light years away and the cost would be prohibitive for most, except for the rich.

Some researchers’ claim that perhaps hair can be transplanted from one individual to another. If there are no live donors, use dead donors. Why waste all the dead people and their scalp- use them to transplant the hair- we use their kidneys, heart and lungs and so why not hair- Yep why not? 

For those who cannot bear to be bald, the cheapest and best alternative are wigs and hairpieces .These wigs are available all over the place and can cover the baldness. Naturally looking hairpieces are available and can be quite costly. One then leads a hidden closet life and becomes an indoor introvert.


These real-life like hair pieces are now available for $500-$1,000 and have to be replaced every 3-6 months. One cannot do all those fun things like exercise or swim with them- instead most of the wig wearers turn to the internet still surfing for a cure for baldness-the agony never ends.

Are there any alternatives to hair transplant?

There are a variety of alternatives to hair transplants, including scalp reduction surgery, flap surgery, hairpieces and drug treatments.  All these are essentially useless, painful and exorbitantly expensive treatments.

Pills to grow hair have been around for decades. Each year, numerous medications, herbs, spices and nutritional supplement are being cited as the panacea for hair loss. Annually, North American men spend more than 2-4 billion dollars in the quest for the magic drug to look younger, sexier and hairy.

Unfortunately there is nothing on the horizon for more hair.

Two FDA approved medications for hair growth are available. Minoxidil, which is sold over the counter as Rogaine, for both men and women, and Finasteride, a prescription pill, sold as Propecia, for men only- both these suck and are a total waste of money. You will be lucky if you even grow one strand of hair on your backside after 10 years (personal experience). 


Two other drugs have been recently approved for hair growth and include a high-estrogen oral contraceptive which is for women only and Aldactone (spironolactone) which can be used by either gender. These two pills are generally safe but as far as their hair growth abilities are concerned- “shit” would be the best answer. 

How much does a hair transplant cost?

First the facts. Hair transplant is not a cheap undertaking. It is a booming industry and yet the prices are steep-it costs as much to have hair transplant as it does to have a nice 4-door sedan. You may have hair but you will be walking or taking a bus for a very long while.

The procedure is generally done by plastic surgeons but today cosmetic surgeons, dermatologists, head and neck surgeons and even some general surgeons are into it. Everyone is into hair transplant not because they are interested in making you more handsome but because there is money to be made. And only in a few cases are the results good. So talk to people who have had the procedure and do not rush into the surgery. If in doubt, seek a second opinion

On average, hair transplants can cost anywhere from $5-$25,000 for the entire procedure. The entire process may require several visits to the surgeon and can take up to a year for a complete hair transplant.


The end result- mediocre at best and not worth it

Can one grow new eyelashes?

 Sure, you can. 


There is a new product out on the market called bimatoprost and sold under the brand name latisse. Latisse has been approved by the FDA as a treatment for thinning or inadequate eyelashes. Bimatoprost is actually a drug used to treat glaucoma. 


During the initial clinical trials, it was observed that people who used bimatoprost started to develop thickened eyelashes- so now this side effect has been turned into a business venture and sold as latisse.


Latisse is supposed to be applied along the lash line of the upper eyelid. It is not for use on the lower eyelid. Over time, latisse gradually causes thickening and darkening of the eyelashes. The product must be used daily for at least 2 -3 months before you see any results. The eyelashes remain nice and thick as long as you keep on applying the latisse. The moment you stop using latisse, your eyelashes will return to their original appearance.


So does latisse work?


Once upon a time, there was a drug for blood pressure called minoxidil and when people used this product they started to grow hair on the head. The drug was then marketed as propecia and millions of balding men (including me) bought the product. Well after 20 years, i have only grown three hairs (not even on the scalp but on my back) and the rest of the men have none.


Of course, latisse does not work.  


This is just a gimmick. No double blind study ever been done to document the findings observed early on. Drug companies have a habit of making preposterous claims. In any case,  millions of women have already used latisse. Anecdotal reports indicate that less than 2-3 percent has seen any benefit at all. Even after application of latisse for more than 3 months, most women claim that the color of their eyelashes remains the same. In addition, latisse does not come cheap. It can cost anywhere from $70-$100 a vial which lasts 3-4 weeks.


For most women, the only thing latisse will bring is disappointment. The best way to darken your eyelashes is either wear fake eyelashes or use a black marking pen.

My doctor says I need hair analysis to determine my nutritional status?

Your doctor is a moron. 

Hair analysis is not used to make determination of any illness in modern day medicine. Hair analysis is sometimes used to assess for drugs and heavy metal poisoning. There is no correlation between mineral content in hair to that found in blood. 

In simple, hair analysis is a crappy method for assessing nutrition. Hair analysis is an irreproducible science based on quack medicine. All you need is a change of your health care provider. 

If you do not have any sensible doctors in your neighborhood, then eat right, exercise regularly and do not smoke. Save your hard earned money for something more important like food and rent.

Will radiation therapy affect my hair?

The honest answer is YES.

Radiation therapy does cause hair loss but the hair loss only occurs on the side that is radiated. Rest assured, you will lose all hair on the side which is radiated. Once the radiation treatments are over, your hair will start to grow back. However, the rate and amount of growth is very variable. 

Most people will get their hair back, but the hair growth will never be 100 % of what it was prior to the radiation. The hair will also vary in texture and fullness. The reason for this is that different individuals receive different amounts of radiation and thus growth rate of hair is also affected. In at least 10-30 percent of people, the hair loss is permanent.

Besides your hair on the scalp, the radiation will also affect adjacent skin. The treated area will initially appear red and look like a sunburn. Moreover, the skin will also feel leathery and dry. So make sure you use adequate moisturizer on your scalp. The skin will also become extra sensitive to both the heat and cold; so make sure your head is adequately protected when you venture outside. If the skin does become irritated and itchy, you can apply a topical steroidal cream. 

Most people wear a wig or a hair piece until the hair loss has recovered- which can take anywhere from 3-9 months after the radiation treatments have stopped.

I’m having a lot of dandruff. I’m using Head and Shoulders, and it’s only getting worse. What’s wrong with me? Can you tell me how to get rid of it? It’s really embarrassing. (Male, 50)

Dandruff can be a very discomforting skin disorder that affects people of all ages. Having dandruff can cause a loss of self-esteem and lead to lack of confidence. Often individuals with dandruff will not wear dark garments because they worry that others may detect the flakes of dandruff. Dandruff in essence is a problem of dry scalp. Today, there are treatments that can help control the dandruff problem. However, not all individuals respond to the same treatment. It is important not to get disheartened if one shampoo does not work. It is necessary to give sufficient time to the shampoo before trying another product. 

For excessive dandruff, it is important to shampoo at least 2-3 times a week. This involves meticulously massaging the scalp so that all dead skin cells are removed. Since most dandruff shampoos are very harsh it is essential to follow directions. However, in some cases regular shampooing may not prevent irritation or itching of the scalp. Since many dandruff shampoos further dry the scalp it is important to use a conditioner after rinsing the dandruff shampoo. 

If head & shoulders has not worked, one may want to try a shampoo that contains selenium sulfide, such as Selsun Blue or Exsel. If this still does not reduce the dandruff in 3-4 weeks, then one may try shampoos containing salicylic acid (e.g. Sebex). If this fails, the next step is to use Nizoral AD, which is an anti fungal shampoo available over the counter. Some experts do recommend coal tar dandruff shampoos but these products often stain the linen, discolor hair and have a bad odor.

It is also important to alternate the shampoos since they lose efficiency over time. If shampooing does not help your dandruff, it is important see a doctor to make sure that you do not have a skin disorder like seborrhea dermatitis or psoriasis.

Whatever method of shampooing you select, it is important to be persistent. All dandruff treatments take time. Remember, what may work for one individual, may not work for you.

null

Do lasers work for unwanted hair growth? Part 3

What does this mean for the consumer?

Removing unwanted hair is a challenge and there is no ideal treatment. There are many types of laser and intense pulse light treatments which are hyped up to removed hair. The reality is that most do not work or only work for 6 months. Moreover, you will also feel a lot of pain during the procedure. And finally the treatments are expensive.

In the end, it all boils down to personal choices. The first thing all consumers should understand is that cosmesis is big business. So never believe anything a cosmetician, physician or nurse that tells you like lasers permanently removes hair- they all tend to lie a wee bit.

If you are seeking treatment for unwanted hair, the choices are either hair free for 6 months and out of a lot of money or you can opt for something a lot cheaper like a razor or waxing and need to repeat the treatments every few weeks.

Do lasers work for unwanted hair growth? Part 2

No randomized study has ever shown that lasers permanently block hair growth.

Moreover, the investigators found that there was little or no evidence that intense pulsed light, neodymium: YAG or ruby lasers did much for hair removal. With these lasers the effects were mild and the hair free period was less than 3 months. Long-term hair removal was not documented with any treatment.

The consumer should also know that lasers do have side effects and in every study examined there were a few individuals who had pain, skin redness, swelling, burned hairs and skin pigmentary changes.

Do lasers work for unwanted hair growth? Part 1

Unwanted hair is simply not nice, especially for a female. Like acne, there are hundreds of products out on the market to get rid of unwanted hair. While some work, there is no permanent treatment - hair usually grows back.

Today, the majority of spas and clinics offer laser devices like alexandrite, diode, neodymium: YAG, and ruby lasers and intense pulsed light. There are thousands of ads hyping the benefits of lasers and their effectiveness. The facts are that these devices are expensive, have side effects, cause a lot of pain and to make matters worse- no one really knows if they remove hair permanently. For all those who have never been zapped by a laser, it is not a great experience.

In the present study, researchers reviewed randomized studies to determine if lasers really worked and how long the “hair free” period lasted.

It was discovered that the majority of published data on hair removal with lasers were only for 6 months. There was evidence that a short-term effect of roughly 50% hair reduction with alexandrite and diode lasers up to six months after treatment.