Starting tomorrow (Jan 28, 2008) you will be able to purchase medicinal marijuana through a vending machine (in the Los Angeles area). Well, you can purchase it, only if you have a prescription from your doctor, and then go through the process of getting finger printed, and getting a prepaid credit card- that holds all of your pertinent information (including how much, and the certain strain you require). You will be able to buy up to 1 oz per week!
OK I know this sounds cutting edge and impressive, but what else is in the works are vending machines …read more

Is Rogaine or Propecia not doing what you expect it to? What about hair plugs – are they looking a little unnatural? You may want to consider an actual scalp transplant. That’s right, you read that correctly. I said scalp transplant.
Thanks to successful surgeries such as a face transplant, and immunosuppressant drugs – a scalp transplant may be available in the not too distant future. I believe its being developed for burn victims and similar injuries, however anything can be yours, if enough money is involved.
The Business Shrink raises a really interesting question to …read more

This week I’ve assembled a hodge podge, a mish mash if you will of sundry questions and answers. If there is a unifying theme, a highly suspect assertion, then that theme would be have to be “Odd.”
Without further ado…
How long do I have to be off Propecia before I get the spring back in my step… if you know what I mean?
Can Tattoos Cause Hair Loss?
Can weed cause baldness?
Do you have any data on the shedding rate of facial hair?
photo

Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital are reporting the results of a study conducted over the last year. Turns out Propecia artificially lowers PSA (prostate specific antigen) levels by 50%. Artificially lower PSA levels might result in later detection of prostate cancer.
Something to keep in mind when you have that prostate exam… or decide whether or not to take Propecia.
(source – various, but I read it here.)

Time for a brief health care alert. Apparently there is a loophole in UK law that allows doctors to “consult” with patients online and even issue a prescription. As you might expect, there’s some suspicion about the practice. Bald men aren’t alone. The obese and impotent are also being targeted. Makes sense that “Lifestyle” drugs would be a popular choice. It’s so easy to play on fear and insecurity. “No need to talk with a doctor about your embarrassing bald spot. Receive a free e-check-up.” It sounds like many of the “consultations” consist of a checklist… and the mandatory waiver …read more

I’m sure a number of you caught the Zach Lund story back during the winter Olympics. He’s the US skeleton racer who was banned for having used finasteride (aka Propecia), which not only helps regrow hair but also masks a few performance enhancing drugs. Zach says he was using it to grow hair, and there’s no reason to doubt him. But my question is: Why was he taking it to regrow hair? And the follow-up: Once he found out finasteride was a banned substance, what motivated him to put his hair above his career? If any segment of the population …read more

Now we’re talking! From Metronews comes a piece advocating an embrace of baldness:
Zach Lund, the skeleton slider who was barred from the Olympic games because of his use of anti-balding medicine Propecia, said he took it to feel the best “vocationally, socially and sexually.” But is a man’s fear of a little hair loss worth giving up his spot to compete in the Olympics?
Considering that more than one million men have used Propecia since its launch in 1998, it seems like a lot of men are insecure about going bald. But does it really matter? Most people interviewed said it’s …read more