Tag Archives: DHT

Shedding Hair After a Hair Transplant

As you’ve probably learned by now, the newly implanted grafts a hair transplant patient receives will typically shed between two weeks and two months after the procedure. The follicles on the scalp will be in what is called a ‘resting phase’, appearing dormant and minuscule, so patience is required. Aesthetic splendor is only a few months ahead. Also known as “shock loss”, it is perfectly normal to shed your transplanted hair following an FUE hair transplant. New hairs will quickly grow in their place over the coming months. Why does hair shed after surgery? Hairs have a growth cycle, split into 3 stages – growth, transition and resting phases. The resting phase is the time when the roots shed their hairs. Hairs can move into the resting phase following the trauma of surgery. The main traumatic events the hairs goes through during the course of hair transplant surgery are: the hair follicle being cut away and disconnected from blood supply, the hair follicle being re-implanted back into the scalp, and lastly, the surrounding hairs being affected by incisions and anesthetic.

After a hair transplant, the implanted follicles and the attached hairs will stay in their new place for 1- 2 weeks. The follicles in this period will start to switch into a resting phase and will then begin to shed their hair. This shock loss can start as early as 10 days following transplantation. It can last up to 12 weeks. This process of hair shedding is expected and does not represent the scalp “rejecting” the implanted hairs.

Some patients may notice that hairs that haven’t been transplanted can shed after a hair transplant. The risk of shedding non-transplanted hairs is increased if someone has a large number of thin or miniaturized hairs that sit in-between newly implanted hairs. Like transplanted hairs, these native non-transplanted hairs shed because their follicles also move into a resting phase following the trauma of surgery. Shock loss of non-transplanted hair can occur from 2 weeks following surgery but can also occur months later. This process, although rare, self-resolves. And all hair that has shed should regrow.

Unfortunately, there is no proven way to reduce the risk of shock loss following surgery. However, patients can safeguard against future loss via topical or medical management. The two most popular and proven non-surgical hair restoration modalities are Propecia (Finasteride) and Minoxidil. Propecia significantly reduces DHT, a key cause of hair loss, by inhibiting the formation of DHT in your scalp. This prevents hair loss and thickens hair in many men. Minoxidil is a solution or a foam you can apply to thicken areas of thin hair. It also helps to prevent hair loss and can be used to help quicken the growth of hairs that have shed during shock loss. You can read more about these two modalities in our medical hair loss treatments section.

Dr. Amir Yazdan, MD, is an internationally renowned hair transplant surgeon, expert guest on Dr. Phil and The Doctors, creator of the GroMD hair restoration product line, ISHRS member, accredited member of the IAHRS and a visceral advocate for patient care. Learn more about Dr. Yazdan or read rave reviews from his patients.

How to remove sebum build-up containing DHT from the scalp

If you’ve ever seen a bald person, or are bald yourself, you may have noticed a shiny, oily appearance to their or your scalp. This is caused by the build-up of sebum (natural oils secreted from your scalp). This sebum not only blocks pores, inhibiting hair follicles from growing hair, it also causes hair loss at the root, thanks to the DHT in it.
If you’re unfamiliar with DHT, DHT is testosterone that’d been converted to another form. Once testosterone is converted to DHT, the DHT gets to work signaling hair follicles to stop producing hair on our scalp.
DHT resides in our blood and reaches hair follicles internally, at the cellular level. But it’s also present exteriorly, on the surface of our scalp. It gets on the surface through excretion, via sweat and sebum. DHT does just as much damage to our hair follicles internally as it does externally.
Overtime, the sebum on our scalp builds upon itself, layer after layer, creating a type of plaque. This plaque is what causes the shininess on the scalp.
Once sebum has become plaque, it’s not as easy to remove and treat. While there are medications that can reduce DHT internally, there isn’t a medication for removing DHT externally. Thankfully, we’ve compiled a few helpful tips for you on how to reduce and remove this DHT-containing plaque taking up space on your scalp.

  • Clean the scalp with salicylic acid – the salicylic acid deeply cleans the scalp, acting as a peel. You should not leave the acid on the scalp for more than 5-10 minutes. Rinse and clean thoroughly to remove all acid, dead skin cells, and oil residue. Peels can be done safely and effectively on the scalp once a month.
  • Purchase a clarifying shampoo – clarifying shampoos are stronger than normal shampoos. They should be used about once a month in order to keep sebum build-up under control.
  • Reduce use of conditioner – if conditioner tends to make your hair oily, only use it once or twice a week as needed. Additionally, only apply it to the middle and ends of your hair.
  • Brush your hair daily – brushing or combing the hair from root to end helps evenly distribute your hair’s natural oils. This will prevent build-up at the root.
  • Use baby powder or dry shampoo to eliminate oil at the roots – in between washes, apply a power based dry shampoo to absorb some of the oil.

If you think you may have hair loss caused by DHT, give us a call for a medical management consultation today.

DHT – Is it causing your hair loss?

The majority of hair loss is caused by androgenic alopecia or male/female pattern baldness. To understand and treat this condition, we must first understand how it works.
Testosterone is converted into dihydrotestosterone or DHT by an enzyme known as 5-alpha reductase that resides in our cells. DHT has many jobs but one of which is to control hair growth. It does this by binding to receptors on hair follicles.
We find that individuals with androgenic alopecia often have DHT bound to their scalp’s hair follicles. This binding actually causes hair loss by shrinking the follicles and suffocating the healthy hair so it is no longer able to survive. Eventually, it will shorten the hair growth cycle and prevent new hair from growing at all.
While the majority of DHT is found in our blood, it can also be found in sweat and sebum. This is one of the reasons why it’s so important to wash your hair regularly, especially after sweating. This prevents the amount and length of time DHT sits on your scalp. DHT on the scalp clogs your pores and wreaks similar havoc on your hair follicles as it does when it is in your blood and binds to the receptors via cell transportation.
There are a few targeted treatments for hair loss caused by DHT; Nizoral shampoo, minoxidil (or Rogaine), and finasteride (or Propecia). These treatments have been shown to be effective in the majority of individuals who have DHT-caused hair loss and who use them properly and regularly.
Think you may have hair loss caused by DHT? If so, you’ll want to get started with medical management as soon as possible. Dr. Yazdan specializes in the medial management of hair loss and believes the best way to fight hair loss is to take an aggressive and consistent course of action. Give us a call for a medical management consultation today.

Finasteride (Propecia) for hair loss – what is it and who can use it?

Finasteride (or Propecia) is most commonly used to treat urinary problems that are the result of an enlarged prostate gland. Finasteride is considered a steroid reductase inhibitor and works by reducing the amount of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the body. Less DHT means a smaller prostate gland, which in turn resolves the urinary problems.
For individuals that have hair loss caused by an excess of DHT in the body, finasteride can prove useful. In these cases, the reduced DHT allows hair growth to increase and hair loss to slow.
Finasteride should be used by adult men only. While the drug hasn’t shown that it causes harm to women, it also hasn’t shown enough evidence that it helps them either. The most recent research still deems the efficacy of Finasteride in female pattern baldness controversial.
As with any medication, there are some important side effects that should be noted. The most prominent is a decreased sexual drive. Additionally, the drug may also affect fertility.
When deciding whether to start a medication, one should always weigh the pros and cons with an experienced and certified doctor. Together, you can come to a conclusion as to whether the benefit is greater than the risk of side effects.
Here at Modena, we specialize in the medical management of hair loss. Upon evaluation of your scalp and hair loss history by Dr. Yazdan, a determination can be made as to if you would be a good candidate for finasteride treatment.
If you’re experiencing hair loss and would like to explore your options, give us a call for a medical management consultation today.