Medical Treatments for Hair L... Video Transcript

Webcast Transcript

LISA CLARK: Let's move on and ask about women who are having these treatments, whether they're the oral medications or the topical preparation. Do they need to be concerned about their general cosmetic interactions with, say, mousses or gels or anything? Do they have to be especially concerned about how they treat their hair when they're undergoing these treatments?

MICHAEL L. REED, MD: I tell them that they can do all their normal cosmetic activities. I tell them, which I would tell almost anybody treated for hair loss, not to do things to their hair that's going to pull on it. No corn-rowing or braiding, no tight rollers. Excessive brushing and pulling on the hair is to be avoided. But they can color their hair, they can perm their hair, they can wash their hair, they can blow-dry their hair. Just gentle hair care. Washing their hair on a daily basis may be beneficial to get rid of extra oil in the scalp that might have extra hormone in it. But I don't put any real restrictions on them.

MARTY SAWAYA, MD: Actually, when patients are using minoxidil, because it is an alcohol vehicle drying to the hair fiber, sometimes I will recommend if they are going to color their hair, to stop using minoxidil a day or so before and a day or so after, just because there has been, some patients who state a little bit of hair breakage. So because it is a bit drying on the hair fiber, we will recommend maybe stop using it for a day or so before and a day after.

MICHAEL L. REED, MD: One other thing that we didn't get to is that in higher strengths of minoxidil, women can get some fuzzy stuff on their forehead and temples that they really don't like.

LISA CLARK: Oh, really?

MICHAEL L. REED, MD: That's temporary; it goes away. They can remove it with depilatories or have it waxed, but it's something to be aware of, especially in the higher strengths, because nobody wants hair in the wrong places, just in the right places.

LISA CLARK: Final thoughts on the advances that have finally come for women with hair loss. It must be a good time to have a patient come in to you now, when you have these things that you can offer her.

MARTY SAWAYA, MD: That's true. It's better than it was 10 years ago. We have treatments at hand that we can start using today in women. I think from what studies have recently shown is, the earlier you start treatment, the better off you're going to be, versus if you wait around for a long, long time, you're never going to catch up to what you could have had if you started at an earlier stage. It's a very hopeful time period to recommend treatments and have women follow through, and have a very good, positive outcome.

LISA CLARK: Good to know. I'd like to thank both of you for being here to answer our questions again, Dr. Marty Sawaya and Dr. Michael Reed. Thank you very much.

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