testosterone blood concentration DHT dihydro testosterone
What is the influence of Finasteride on testosterone rate in the blood?
On the contrary to what patients are afraid of, the testosterone rate increases slightly. On the other hand, the DHT rate (dihydrotestosterone) decreases by about 50%. Finasteride prevents the testosterone transformation into DHT. This explains both blood modifications observed.
finasteride proscar propecia muscle sportmen body builder
Some sportsmen (body builder) are afraid that Finasteride might prevent the normal muscular development, is this true?
Finasteride is a medicine which blocks the transformation of the testosterone in DHT where the enzyme 5 reductase Alpha exists. The DHT rate in the blood decreases by 70 % and the rate of testosterone increases slightly by 8 %. The experience does not show any change as far as the secondary sexual characters are concerned. There is no feminization and the muscular mass does not decrease. We can thus reassure those who are afraid of losing their muscular mass when they take Propecia.
woman Minoxidil Regaine 5
What is the risk for a woman applying Minoxidil (Regaine or Rogaine) 5 %?
The pharmaceutical companies which commercialize Regaine are too cautious regarding the potential side effects of the minoxidil in women. Indeed, a growth of hair on the lower part of the face has been noticed in women using the minoxidil 5 %, as well as a hypotensive tendency sometimes and a local irritation of the scalp. This growth of hair might be linked to the migration of the product, either via the blood circulation, or by the flow via the lymphatics through the face skin. Therefore we advise the user to check her face carefully. If hairs appear, it is recommended to stop the application of the lotion or to decrease the dose and the frequency.
Propecia Finasteride woman pregnant pregnancy no touch
Why is it forbidden to (potentially) pregnant women to use or even touch Propecia (Finasteride)?
During the first quarter of the pregnancy, the male fetus develops its genital organs. The DHT (a by-product of testosterone) interferes in this process. For that reason, it is not advised to pregnant women to manipulate and all the more to consume Finasteride. In fact, Finasteride causes abnormalities of the genitalia of the male fetus in animals.
Finasteride Propecia for how long delay
Do we have a sufficient experience concerning Finasteride (Propecia)?
In 1992, Finasteride (5 mg) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which Merck marketed under the brand name Proscar.
In 1997, Merck was successful in obtaining FDA approval for a second indication of Finasteride (1 mg) for treatment of male pattern baldness (MPB), which was marketed under the brand name Propecia.
The experience concerning side effects is thus around 20 years.
propecia finasteride proscar double blind study
Results of Propecia (Finasteride) analyzed by the double blind technique
The double blind test is the only reliable test to check the effects of Finasteride. It consists in giving to a large number of patients either Finasteride or a placebo. It is called double blind because neither the patient nor the doctor knows who takes the placebo and who takes the Finasteride.
After 12 months, 58 % of the placebo patients will have abnormally lost their hair; 72 % after 24 months, and 100% after 5 years. After 12 months, only 14 % of the Propecia patients will have abnormally lost their hair, 17 % after 24 months and 35 % after 5 years. We can thus conclude that Propecia is clearly more effective than the treatment based on placebo.
finasteride sport sportmen forbiden propecia proscar
Why is the Propecia (Finasteride) treatment forbidden to sportsmen?
Finasteride (Propecia) modifies the urinary dosage of certain forbidden steroids used in sports doping. It has no direct action on the muscular system. For more details, http://www.ishrs.org/articles/olympic-athletes.htm and http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10374487 It is recommended to every sportsman to ask its federation to have the list of the forbidden medications.
Minoxidil 2 vs 5 Regaine Rogaine
What rate of active principles must the by-products of Minoxidil (Regaine or Rogaine) have in order to be really efficient?
These last years, the rate has been increased from 2 % to 5 %. Effectiveness is manifestly better. It is also recommended to use it twice a day rather than one.
The details of the study are the following : http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12196747.
Here are the conclusions : In men with andro genetic alopecia, using Minoxidil 5% has been really more efficient than minoxidil 2% and than placebo, giving a better hair re-growth (45% additional re-growth with 5% after 48 weeks treatment). The results were also visible earlier. Unfortunately, the skin irritation was also pore frequent with Minoxidil 5%.
difference Minoxidil Regaine Rogaine 2 5
What is the difference between Minoxidil and Rogaine?
Minoxidil is the scientific, generic name. Regaine or Rogaine are the commercial names of the minoxidil. These products are of course more expensive than the generic form which can also be bought at the pharmacist’s. Regaine often crystallizes less frequently than the generic form. I recommend to always buy spare spray tips in order to be able to replace those who get blocked by the minoxidil precipitation.
difference between a definitive hair loss and a telogen effluvium
What is the difference between a definitive hair loss and a telogen effluvium?
An effluvium is a diffuse hair loss, usually linked to an attack or a deficiency. It stops the cycle but does not kill it permanently. Usually, before a definitive hair loss, the hair experiences a period of several years during which it grows slowly and ends up being miniaturized.
effluvium telogene hair loss definitive
How can people make the difference between a chronic effluvium and a permanent fall out?
On the one hand, the telogen effluvium concerns the whole scalp, which is not the case with the fall from androgenetic origin. On the other hand, the effluvium is often linked with a well known reason dating back two or three months earlier. Finally, if there is still any doubt, it is possible to make a test called trichogram. They tear off about fifty hair and they check their aspect, which allows to differentiate dead hair and living hair. It is also possible to make a photo-trichogram. It consists in cutting a small long-haired surface very short and observe its evolution within 2 days. The hair in anagen phase will be the only ones to have grown. In this way, it is possible to evaluate the proportion of dead hair in comparison with living ones.
Minoxidil Regaine Rogaine heart cardiac blood pressure
Is it recommended to use Minoxidil (Regaine or Rogaine) in persons having cardiac problems?
A priori there is not contraindication. Indeed, Minoxidil (Regaine or Rogaine) is a powerful hypotensor which acts by arteries vasodilatation when it is taken in tablet. When it is used in the case of hair loss, it is applied on the skin on a local level. At this moment, there is a small local reduction and in certain particularly sensitive patients, a slight low blood pressure might occur. In this case, it will be necessary to decrease the dose or, worse, to stop the use of minoxidil.
main reasons effluvium telogene
What are the main reasons of a telogen effluvium?
The telogen effluvium corresponds to the hair transition from its anagen phase (growth) to a telogen phase (death). It takes three months for the dead hair to come off. This is why the effluvium always occurs a certain time after an aggression.
The causes are stress in a wide sense : general anesthesia, childbirth, important fever episode, hormonal changes, or stopping taking birth-control pills, post partum, iron or zinc deficiency, or taking certain medications causing reactions (antidepressants, depressors, cholesterol lowering pills, anti-inflammatory, anti -ulcer, antihistaminics …)
Minoxidil Regaine Rogaine foamhair transplant replacement restoration
Do we know how Minoxidil acts?
Rather surprisingly, no one knows precisely how Minoxidil (Regaine or Rogaine) acts. When it is taken by the mouth (oral route), it has a hypotensive action by vasodilatation (dilatation of arteries). It is possible that it acts in the same way when it is used in its liquid form. It penetrates the skin and might act on the follicle vascularization on a local level. The fact remains that if no one knows exactly how it acts, we know very well the effects it produces on hair: it lengthens the term of the hair cycle, which means that it gives hair the possibility to live longer and therefore to grow. We have also noticed an increase of the diameter of miniaturized hair.
women and minoxidil
Why is Minoxidil (Regaine or Rogaine) 5% not recommended in women?
I think this is the consequence of the drift of our notion of caution regarding the use of medications. Indeed, after many complaints from consumers in recent years, pharmaceutical companies, covered with legal advice, make every effort to avoid trials and convictions. From the moment that hair appeared on the face of women using Minoxidil (Rogaine or Regaine) (evidence that it is active on the hair), and this mainly when the rate of 5 % was used (evidence that a higher rate is more effective), the company chose to disadvise its use in women. I think it is perfectly legitimate for a woman to use it. They should just pay close attention to the appearance of facial hair. If it occurs (the frequency of appearance is very weak), it is of course always time to decrease the dosage.
Minoxidil Regaine Rogaine pregnant pregnancy woman
Is Minoxidil (Regaine or Rogaine) recommended during a pregnancy / before / after?
We only have little proof of the Minoxidil (Regaine or Rogaine) toxicity in pregnant women. http: // thedrugsafety.com / minoxidil /. The four cases mentioned in literature show anomalies in the fetus development. In these four cases, women used the oral route minoxidil, and not the liquid form. As a result, the exposure was more important than when it is used in the liquid form at local level. However, we know that the minoxidil is fully or partly absorbed by the skin. So, it is disadvised to continue using the minoxidil during the pregnancy. However, the good news is that the pregnancy in itself protects the hair of the woman thanks to the increase of the estrogen rate. It will therefore be necessary to pay attention to resume taking minoxidil after delivery. The use of Minoxidil (Regaine or Rogaine) during feeding is moreover allowed.
Minoxidil spray bottle application
Which is the advice for the application of Minoxidil (Regaine or Rogaine) to avoid oily hair?
The users often complain about the tendency of the minoxidil to grease hair. It is due to the use of propylene glycol in the lotion composition. This product favors the solubilization of the minoxidil but is not volatile. When the lotion is applied on the hair, alcohol evaporates and only the minoxidil and the propylene glycol remain. There are therefore two good reasons to avoid applying the solution to hair itself. On the one hand, because the minoxidil which lands on the surface of the hair has no action on it and, on the other hand, because doing so hair will be “greasy”. It is therefore necessary to use small sprays with long beak such as those made for throat pains, and to pulverize in small touches in between the hair.
stopping treatment Minoxidil Regaine Rogaine
While the stop of the Minoxidil (Regaine or Rogaine) application is not recommended, why is it necessary to stop it for some days during a hair transplant? What are the possible consequences of this stop on the fall out of hair?
You must continue using Minoxidil (Regaine or Rogaine) until the day of the surgery. However it is imperative to stop it during about ten days after the surgery. We are just cautious about the possible effect that the alcohol in the solution might have on the grafts.
Minoxidil propecia delay time utilisation
At what moment does the treatment (minoxidil or propecia) become useless? When can you consider that the hair loss has stabilized?
The minoxidil as well as the finasteride are symptomatic treatments. It means that they treat the consequences and not the cause of the disease. This one is hereditary and up to now cannot be treated in a definitive way. Minoxidil (Regaine or Rogaine) and Finasteride only act on areas where hair remains. When the skin is absolutely beardless, it is useless to continue applying it. Unfortunately, it will not cause any re-growth at this level.
hair transplant old young age
I’m 22 years old, and I started losing my hair when I was 16. My skull is almost bald. Somebody told me that it is not recommended to have a hair transplant when you are too young. What is your opinion about it?
What matters the most is not the age but the stage of baldness reached. Obviously, it is important to be very careful and reserved when a young person, with a little baldness, wants a hair transplant. If you do not understand precisely the causes of the hair loss, it is better to wait and postpone the surgery. Moreover, some medical treatments like minoxidil and finasteride are often very efficient at that age but if the baldness reached an important stage, it is possible to make a hair transplant before the recommended age, which is 25 years old. It would be best to see a good doctor, who will analyse your case and recommend you a therapeutic solution.
incision density hair transplant replacement
I would like to know your opinion about the density of incisions. I have read that some doctors can reach 90 grafts per cm². Is it possible? Is it reasonable?
This is a very interesting question. There are two important limits for the density of the recepient sites. First, if you go over the number of 35 or 40 recepient sites per cm² there is a risk of bad regrow. There is also very often the risk that the grafts collapse because the density is not reasonnable. Second, the patients who asked for a high density forget that the number of grafts, even if it is an important number, must be spread on a surface big enough to make a satisfying result. If we increase too much the density, the surface to cover will decrease. It is better to think about it in this way. What is the best way to spread in density and on the surface the number of grafts reached? The key to obtain a good hair transplant is more the distribution’s strategy then the quest for maximal density.
trichophytic suture hair transplant replacement restoration
I would like to understand how the trichophytic suture works? I read that it is a new technique?
This is an old technique, which has been redescovered in 2005 by Dr Mario Marzola (Australie). In 1999, during the ISHRS Congress, Dr Simon Rosenbaum gave information about it; and this technique had its rebirth during the expansion of the FUE technique. In fact, most of the patients are worried about the scar left by the strip of the FUT technique. Many tests were done until the ISHRS congress in Las Vegas, in 2007, and only one technique of trichophytic suture has been chosen. A little strip of skin is taken, about 1 mm wide, from the inferior part of the skin which is going to be sutured in order to let the hair grow through the scar during the healing. Thanks to the trichophytic suture the scar is almost always unnoticeable, sometimes undetectable. Unfortunately, we do not have many indications yet that is why it must be used very carefully.
hair clinic grand roi
About your hair clinic. I have heard that some doctors use to work in clinics which are not in very good conditions for a hair transplant. Could you give me some information about your hair clinic?
In order to realise a good hair transplant you must have a good team, a good technique and also a good clinic. Both the consultations and the surgeries take place in this clinic: clinique capillaire Grand Roi in Brussels, Belgium. I welcome the patients for the consultations and I realise the surgeries in a operating room which respacts the European rules, iso 2000. The air is purified by a system of spray, oxygen is available, the sterilisation room is separated… It is very important to provide comfort to a patient during the whole surgery so the armchair can be adjusted to change the position very often. For the patients living in another country, we arrange the accommodation in a very comfortable hôtel only 10 min far from our clinic.
For more information, have a look on our web site.
hair transplant hurt
People often say that hair transplant is sometimes painful. I have read on your web site that it is almost painless. Can you tell me more about the pain, during and after the surgery?
Local anaesthesia is administered for the surgery, and when it is done properly the surgery is practically painless. Here is how it works: it is important to go on very progressively and to deliver stings only on already anaesthetised zones. So the placement of the grafts in that zones is totally painless. It is remarkable to notice how the donour area, which receives between 2000 and 3000 incisions, is completely painless on the day after the surgery. On the day after, only the donour area, where the strip was removed, could be a little bit painful.
transplanted hair permanent
Are the transplanted grafts permanents or will they be influenced by their environement? Do you think that baldness process will touch the grafts too?
All transplanted hair will keep their genetic characteristics. They are resistant to male hormones effects, in opposition to the original hair, and they will keep this peculiarity. That is why it is always recommended to make a quality hair transplant even if at the beginning the hair grafted are hidden by the hair existing. In fact, when those hair fall, only the transplanted hair will remain…
Surgeries against balding
My Doctor told me that other techniques could be used: the scalp reduction and the rags. I thought that these techniques were obsolete and disused.
Indeed, both techniques are less and less used. The scalp reduction consists of surgically removing the tonsure or the bald area. The scalp is then stretched to cover the bald spot. The surgery lasts about one hour and gives immediate results. It calls up hair from lateral areas. Moreover, it is quite painful and this surgery leaves a central scar which is visible and the scar can widen in the long term. The orientation of the displaced hair often looks artificial. For more details, you can have a look on this web page.
Rags. This is another obsolete technique. It consists of displacing large areas of the scalp. The orientation of the hair transplanted does not give a natural effect. This technique could be useful during reconstructive surgery, for example after an accident.
These technique cannot be qualified as surgeries against balding, even more when they are used to redefine the front line as the final result is not natural.
hair transplant replacement restoration incision size
I have read that the doctors use different kind of tools to make the recepient sites for the grafts. How does it work? How can it have an influence on the results of the hair transplant?
These tools can be classified in two categories: sharp medical instruments, or needles. As far as I am concerned, I decided to adopt Dr Hasson and Dr Wong”s system of little pieces of custom-made rasor blades cutted using a mini-shear. The advantage are that you can adjust them and they are very sharp. Moreover, they can be cutted on beveled edge and this helps to limit at lot the agression of the deep parts of the skin. I usually use three different sizes in order to make a very precise work throught the existant hair. I do not use needles because they cannot give me the opportunity to limit the depth of the recepient sites. Furthermore, they lacerate the skin tissues particularly when they are used to make hundreds of recepient sites (they can be used once). I believe that the quality of the tools can influence the result of the transplant: for the quality of the regrow and to make the surgery undetectable.
Minoxidil Regaine Rogaine pregnant pregnancy
I am on minoxidil 2% (regaine) for two years and I am two months pregnant. My gynaecologist asked me to stop minoxidil but I am afraid to lose my hair again…
There are no studies on women about the effect of minoxidil on the foetus during the pregnancy, on the animals there isn”t any teratogenic effect. Nevertheless, it is beacuse a little part of Minoxidil can go through the cutaneous barrier when it is used on the skin that we recommend to stop the treatment during the pregnancy. Finally, until the childbirth, hormonal changes will compensate the eventual hair loss due to minoxidil cease.
Minoxidil acceleration hair loss
I am quiet worried. For over two months, I am using Minoxidil twice a day as my Doctor recommended me to do. I have the clear impression that I am losing more hair than in the past. Is it normal?
Sometimes, and in a few cases only (around 5% of the patients using the treatment), a hair loss may occur in the part treated with Minoxidil. Usually, it is just a transitional loss which often starts between two weeks and two months after the beginning of the treatment. It may be due to the acceleration of the loss process of those hair which where going to fall soon. I advice you to wait for two more months and then the beneficial effects of the Minoxidil should be visible. If this does not happen, you will have to stop it and possibly start to use Propecia.
Shock loss second hair transplant
Doctor, in August, I have had an hair transplant (not with you but with another serious surgeon, who is registered at the National medical association too) on my back area and I think I am feeling the hair coming out of my head. I already had a hair transplant with this Doctor, about 3 years ago, and I was really happy about the final result. At the beginning of August I asked him to perfect the previous surgery because a little line was hairless…but what worries me is the fall of the grafts implanted three years ago. In fact, although grafts existed on the left side of my front area, now I have this hairless strip. A few days ago this Doctor told me, once more, that the older grafts are going to grow back. If I am still worried, and I needed to ask to another specialist his advice, it is because after 4 months those grafts did not grow back (they fall 2 weeks after the second surgery). That is why I would like to know if the grafts that I lost (because of the anaesthesia? of the shock due to the new grafts placed next to them? …) will grow back for sure, and never fall again like the former ones?
Considering this hair loss process, it seems that you had a shock loss. Even if usually the shock loss occurs on the third month. Shock loss concerns, very often, already existent hair especially if there is a high degree of miniaturisation and it is linked to the degree of aggressiveness of the procedure. Personally, I am always extremely careful when there is a risk of shock loss. I never use adrenaline, and I reduce the number of incisions. I always ask my patients to take propecia and to use minoxidil during the weeks preceding the surgery. A shock loss of former grafts is very rare, really unusual. In spite of the fact that when you lose hair because of a hair transplant it can be permanent, with former grafts it is very exceptional ifthey do not grow back. That is why I recommend you to wait a couple of months before to consider a correction..
