Posts Tagged: Thinning Hair

Which is More Effective Hair Loss Treatment: Minoxidil (Rogaine) or Finasteride (Propecia)?

January 25th, 2007

Q: Will Propecia and Minoxidil reverse some of the miniaturization going on with someone with thinning hair? If I do need a hair transplant will I have to stay on these medications?

A: Yes, both minoxidil (Rogaine) and finasteride (Propecia, Proscar) affect the miniaturization of the hair follicles and help restore the shrunken follicles to cosmetically viable hair.

Minoxidil works by directly simulating miniaturized follicles to grow, whereas finasteride blocks DHT, the hormone that causes hair to miniaturize and eventually fall out.

Finasteride is much more effective than minoxidil in preventing or reversing the miniaturization process and it is so much more convenient to use that we generally suggest finasteride after a hair restoration procedure, but rarely recommend minoxidil.

Topic: Drugs & Medications

Tags: / / / / / / / / / /

Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 4:26 am

What are Styling Tips for Thinning Hair?

November 20th, 2006

Q: I am a 45 year old women and I am beginning to thin on the top of my scalp. I don’t want to use medications and I don’t think that I am quite ready for surgery. Is there anything else I can do?

A: There are a number of things that you can do that can make you hair look more full and help disguise the thinning. Lightening ones hair will allow the hair to reflect more light and appear thicker. In lighter-skinned races it will have the additional advantage of decreasing the contrast between the hair and skin and thus the skin will essentially act as a filler between the strands of hair.

Streaking the hair is also helpful to make the hair look thicker. Waving or perming will help as well, as it will give the appearance of more volume. Normally, the hair tends to fall into a natural part where it is the thinnest. If you part your hair in the thickest area (usually the side opposite from where you are used to, or slightly lower on the same side) this will make the hair appear fuller and less see-through.

Finally, there are a number of cosmetic products that can make you look like you have more hair.

Visit the Cosmetics for Hair Loss page on the Bernstein Medical – Center for Hair Restoration website.

Topic: Hair Styling

Tags: / / / / / /

Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 8:31 am

Instead of Hair Transplant, Can You Treat Early Hair Loss with Once a Day Minoxidil?

November 3rd, 2006

Q: I have some early thinning in my crown and the doctor said I am too early for a hair transplant. I don’t want to take Propecia, but using Rogaine twice a day is a big nuisance. Can I use Rogaine once a day?

A: The tissue half-life of minoxidil is 22 hours.

This means that 22 hours after it is applied, about 1/2 of the compound is still bound to the skin and exerting some effect. Because of this, once a day dosing is probably OK.

Please note that this is hypothetical and that there have been no controlled studies to confirm this.

Topic: Drugs & Medications

Tags: / / / / /

Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 11:20 am

Can Hair Transplant Thicken Thinning Hair in Person with Early Hair Loss?

November 2nd, 2006

Q: I am 22 and losing my hair all across the top of my head. How can I thicken my hair to its level a few years previously?

A: If medication, such as finasteride, is successful it can thicken hair by increasing the diameter of the existing hair shafts. Although the cosmetic benefits can be dramatic in a person with significant hair loss, a hair transplant can not restore hair to its original density, since it only moves the existing hair around and does create new hair.

When hair cloning technology is available, this will change as a person’s donor supply will be increased.

Topic: Hair Loss

Tags: / / / / / / / /

Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 8:25 am

How Do You Treat Diffuse Hair Loss in Donor Area?

October 9th, 2006

Q: I underwent hair transplant surgery several years ago and was pleased with the results. However, over the last 2-3 years I’ve lost hair in the donor area with subsequent loss of hair in the transplanted area. Is this type of hair loss especially difficult to treat? What accounts for hair loss from the back of the head that is typically considered “permanent”?

A: Less than 5% of patients have unstable donor areas i.e. where the back and sides thin along with the front and top. We call this condition Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia or DUPA.

It is best to identify this condition before hair transplant surgery is contemplated as people with DUPA are not good candidates for hair transplantation.

The diagnosis is made using densitometry by noting high degrees of miniaturized hair in the donor area.

At this point, I would use medications such as finasteride.

I would not do further hair restoration surgery.

Topic: Hair Loss

Tags: / / / / / / /

Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 9:45 am



Pages: 1 2 3 Next»


© 2009 Bernstein Medical, P.C. All Rights Reserved.