Hair Loss is a Problem for Both Men and Women

Hair loss is a problem for both men and women, and there are many ways to approach the issue. Men and women have varying problems so each gender should pursue solutions made specifically for their gender. Before you decide what to do, you should consult with a doctor and go over your options. The doctor may be able to identify what exactly is causing your hair loss and can give you simple advice to prevent hair loss. They may tell you what foods to avoid or some strategies to help you. Following these strategies is obviously the least costly way to prevent hair loss. Any other method could cause dangerous side effects, or even aggravate your hair loss. The doctor may also be able to diagnose that the cause of your hair loss isn't alopecia, but is in fact a different problem, possibly an effect of a new medicine or vitamin you started taking.

Before you decide which method to take, make sure you research the possible side effects and the typical results from each product. There are several products on the market advertising their amazing results, so remember to read and talk to your physician about what you want to do before you begin the regimen. The three ways to combat hair loss are either with medication, a surgical procedure, or supplements or special shampoos.

You shouldn't neglect the research needed to make a good decision about how to battle hair loss, because otherwise you make a dangerous decision. The best way to attack it is to first use a shampoo, because that's a non-invasive method and then if that fails try a surgical method to fight your hair loss.

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Problem of Hair Loss

Both men and women can face the problem of hair loss with varying causes. There are many gender specific hair loss products and their effectiveness can vary from person to person. The differences in each individual's body chemistry and cause for hair loss can make the response to certain treatments differ. Finding the reason for sudden or unexplained hair loss can help you solve the problem before the hair loss progresses. Therefore, consulting a physician regarding the best treatment for your hair loss is recommended. He/she might diagnose the cause of your alopecia and direct you in the best course of treatment for your specific type. Along with medications, your doctor may suggest dietary or lifestyle changes to slow the loss of hair. These lifestyle changes would be more cost effective and lessen the risks of new medications or surgical treatments. Allergic reactions or medication interactions can cause sudden or patchy hair loss in some people.

While making your hair loss treatment choice, be aware of potential side effects and risks. Finding the best course of treatment can be quite difficult due to the numerous products with differing active ingredients, claims and expense. Your first course of treatment should never be surgery due to the risks and costs. Researching the best treatment option for you by reading articles and talking to others who have tried different products is key. There are three main approaches of most treatment options: medication, surgical and supplements/shampoos.

Making the decision to treat your hair loss means spending as much time as you need to investigate the many available treatments. Finding the best available treatment for you that targets your specific needs will be your main objective so choosing a simple approach like supplements or shampoos over more invasive surgical treatments will help you avoid unnecessary risks and expense.

For more information about Best hair loss treatment and Best hair loss products visit Procerin.com

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Hair Loss and Surgical Hair Restoration

Today, the problem of hair loss has become a major concern not only among men but also with women. In some serious cases, the problem of hair loss can lead to baldness if not treated in time. With developments in the field of medical science and technology, effective hair restoration surgery is now readily available to treat the problem of both male and female balding.

The most effective forms of hair restoration surgery are follicular unit transplantation or FUT and the follicular unit extraction or FUE. In a follicular unit transplantation method, a specialist hair restoration surgeon removes a narrow portion of the scalp from the back of the head. This area is sutured and heals with no visible evidence. The strip is dissected in to tiny skin grafts containing only one hair follicle. Naturally the follicle may produce one to four hairs. In follicular extraction (FUE) the hair restoration surgeon uses a tiny punch to removed individual follicle grafts of one to four hair. In this method no sutures are required. It is the least invasive procedure. These treatment procedures are available for both male and female and many patients have been benefited through this surgery.

While going for hair restoration surgery, it is necessary to use the services of a highly experienced hair restoration surgeon who has in depth knowledge of various hair loss treatments. The experienced surgeon performs different hair transplant surgeries depending upon the hair problems of a particular patient. The professional hair restoration surgeon utilizes the most advanced techniques to restore the hair density, improve the naturalness and finally save the patients from permanent hair loss.

Hair plays a vital role in describing our personality however, due to some hair loss problems we may became bald which is quite irritating. Medical hair restoration treatment and surgeries are the ways through which we can prevent ourselves from becoming bald. Moreover, there are also many medical hair restoration treatments where only medicines are used to treat the hair loss problems. In such medical hair restoration programs, the hair specialist closely studies your hair problems and offers you effective medicines for your problems. Both in male and female, androgenetic alopecia is one of the main reasons for hair loss which can be treated successfully by consulting a hair specialist in time.

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Who is a Good Candidate for Hair Transplant Surgery?

No matter what the cause of hair loss or baldness, for many men and nearly all women it is something they want to find a solution for. Many people would do just about anything to make sure they have a healthy, attractive head of hair. Medications such as Rogaine or Propecia work for some people, but they require a long-term commitment and can be quite costly in the long run. For many people, surgery is the best option and for some it is the only option (at best the medications work for only about 10-48% of people).

There are several factors that will determine whether a person is a good candidate for hair transplant surgery including their age, health and hair growth patterns on their head. A person must be in good health to undergo any type of surgical procedure and there is always some risk involved in "going under". People with serious health conditions should not have surgery until their health problems are under control.

The issue of age comes into play because a younger person suffering from hair loss may not know how much hair they are going to lose. It would be a waste to transplant hair follicles that are later going to fall out anyway. Also, younger patients don't always have the financial capability to afford a surgery such as hair transplant.

A person's hair growth pattern is extremely important to determining whether they are a good candidate for hair transplant surgery. There must be an adequate supply of donor hair that can be taken while still achieving a natural distribution of hair all over the head. Once a person has determined that they have good health, are old enough and have a good growth pattern of hair on their heads, they may be a good candidate for hair transplant surgery.

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Hair Loss Treatment for Women!

Hair is a definitely the crowning glory for people as it gives a new look to a person. The length, thickness and styling not only create a new look but also enhance the personality of a person. No wonder, there are innumerable styling saloon that are working constantly to give a new look. When a person experiences hair loss, it can affect the confidence of a person.

Hair loss problem also causes psychological problems. When a person notices receding hair line, his or her confidence goes for a toss. It also affects their day to day life. The constant worry about their looks affects their life to a large extent. Hence, many people start looking for ways to tackle the problem. With medical hair restoration, one can easily get over the problem. There are innumerable ways to tackle hair loss problem.

Men and women suffer differently. Men usually experience baldness over the head. Women, on the other hand, experience a receding hair line. There are many ways to tackle the problem. Losing around 50–100 hairs is considered normal. This is not a major problem. Hair usually grows after a period of time. However, excessive hair loss creates major problem. There are many ways to tackle the problem. Hair restoration transplants are the most popular way of tackling hair loss problem.

The problem can be cured easily. There are various kinds of gels, pills, lotions, and shampoos that are available in the market. They have known to bring about a positive impact. Besides, there are plenty of hair loss reviews that can help tackle the hair loss problem. A person suffering from hair loss can do a comparative study and opt for the best treatment.

Female type of hair loss problem is generally around the entire head. Men tend to suffer with the problem over the crown and temple. Many women also have a genetic predisposition to hair loss. This is mainly due to the fact that a large amount of testosterone in their systems reacts with hair cell enzymes to produce thinning hair.

An appropriate hair loss problem will help in tackling the problem. Consulting a hair specialist will help identify the cause. Besides, this good nutritious due and regular exercise regime will also help resolve the problem. Many people are known to suffer from premature loss of hair due to genetic factors. Cases where hair loss is due to genetic factors, the chances of curing the problem are far less. However, the fact that a person who is bald will have children who wilt run bald prematurely bald a far less. With appropriate hair loss treatment for women, it is easy to get over the problem.

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Sadhana D, Expert Author, Platinum status. Find out where to get Medical Hair Restoration: Medical Hair Restoration

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Hair Transplantation for Men

Introduction

Hair frames our face. It is one of the few physical attributes that we can control. The length, color, and style of our hair together reflect our personality to the world. Equally or more importantly, our hair style is often a reflection of how we perceive ourselves. The gradual involuntary loss of hair over time restricts how we can style our hair. As the hairloss continues, the natural frame around our face disappears. This alters our appearance to the world. Along with wrinkles and blemishes, hair loss is a sign of aging in our society. The psychological impact on men varies from mild to traumatic.
Unfortunately many men and their treating physicians are unaware of the safe and effective medical and surgical options available. The legacy of the unnatural “pluggy” transplant remains. The onslaught of late night infomercials and internet sites promoting unproven therapies only creates more confusion and ultimately cynicism among our patients regarding any therapy for their hair loss. This paper is a review of current FDA approved medical therapy and state of the art hair transplantation. Between medical and surgical therapy, the vast majority of men with male pattern hairloss can maintain or recreate a natural frame of hair around their face.

Medical therapy
Minoxidil and finastride are the only two FDA-approved medications for male pattern hairloss.
The majority of patients who use minoxidil and/or finastride can slow, maintains, or regrowth hair.1-3 Both medications are more effective for patients with earlier stages of hairloss and are an excellent treatment hairloss option for patients hairloss, but who are not candidates for surgery. For patients that are surgical candidates, continuing medical treatment will often help increase the density of transplanted hairloss, slow down the rate of hairloss of existing hair, and increase the caliber of existing and transplanted hair. In addition these medications may help reduce a post-surgical telogen effluvium and maintain donor density.4
Compliance with the medications is the key to success. Since each medication affects the hair cycle, it can take 6-8 months for each one to begin to work.
(Table 1).
Dutasteride is a type I and type II 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor that has been FDA approved to treat benign prostatic hypertrophy. It is not approved to treat male pattern hairloss. It has been studied for male pattern hairloss and found to be effective. There is conflicting evidence about whether dutasteride may affect sperm counts or morphology.5,6 Any patient using this medication off-label should be aware of this potential side effect (Table 2).

Low level laser therapy for male pattern hairloss (LLLT)
In 2007, the FDA granted 510k approval to a LLLT device to treat male pattern hairloss. This approval was greeted with enormous media attention and excitement by patients and physicians. 510k FDA approval addresses the safety of a device rather than its effectiveness. LLLT has been used to treat a variety of medical conditions.7-9

Over the past few years it has been used to treat male pattern hairloss. The mechanism of action is unknown. There are few published studies,10 but experienced hairloss experts agree that LLLT may benefit some patients.11 Well-designed, reproducible studies are needed to determine what role LLLT should play in the treatment of male pattern hairloss. Currently it is a safe alternative for patients who cannot or do not want to use minoxidil or finasteride. When discussing LLLT with patients, the safety should be reviewed along with the paucity of data regarding its effectiveness.

Hair transplantation

Introduction
All patients undergoing a hair transplant should expect natural-appearing transplanted hair [Figure 1]. This is the cosmetic standard of the procedure. No patient should ever receive the unnatural “plugs” and cornrows of the past. A hair transplant is an outpatient procedure performed under local anesthesia. It is a procedure with a high physician and patient satisfaction.
The average procedure takes 3-4 hours. This time is used to create an average of 800 to 1,500 1-4 hair grafts, produce recipient sites, and place the grafts. Patients may resume normal activities immediately, but should restrict heavy exercise for 3-7 days after surgery. If there is pain after the procedure, it occurs during the day of the procedure and a mild pain medication is adequate for relief. The day after the procedure patients should feel no discomfort. Typically, the only physical evidence of the procedure is the perifollicular crusting that remains for 6-8 days. In some patients there is edema in the forehead for 2-3 days, which results from normal wound healing on the scalp. This can be minimized with a short course of steroids. Most patients return to work 2-3 days after the procedure without any negative cosmetic impact.
The consult
As with all procedures, appropriate candidate selection and expectations is the key to success. Each consult begins with the patient’s hairloss history, including any previous medical or surgical treatments. It is vital to examine the entire scalp to confirm the diagnosis of male pattern hairloss and examine the caliber and density of donor hairloss in the posterior scalp. The donor hairloss density and caliber of hairloss follicles will help determine the expected density from the procedure. Patients with below-average donor density and fine caliber hair will have natural but thin transplanted hair. Those with above-average density with wide caliber hairloss follicle can expect greater perceived density.
The extent and rate of hairloss varies from person to person. During the consult, the ongoing loss of existing pigmented terminal hair with or without surgery must be emphasized. The net density from a hair transplant is equal to how many follicles were transplanted minus the hairloss of existing hair. Minoxidil and/or finastride are highly effective to help maintain existing hair, thereby creating more perceived density from the procedure. Despite this, it is vital to plan a surgery for ongoing hairloss. A patient enthusiastic to take minoxidil and or finasteride with a hair transplant may decide in the future to discontinue the medication. Patients should be aware of how ongoing hairloss will impact the density from a transplant and its cosmetic appearance with and without medications.
Patients should realize that they will have a permanent scar in the donor region where is hair is harvested. For the majority of patients, the scar does not create any physical or cosmetic concern. Some patients who shave their hair or wear it closely cropped to the scalp should be aware the scar will be visible before the procedure is performed.
Explaining the ongoing loss of hair with or without transplantation, the role of medications, permanent donor scar, and how the perceived density from a hair transplant is based on how many hair follicles were transplanted, the caliber of hair and long-term hairloss will help create realistic expectations for patients. If a patient does not have reasonable expectations for what a transplant can and cannot achieve in the short and long-term, the surgery should not be performed.

Donor harvesting
The rate-limiting factor in hair transplantation is the amount of hair available in the donor scalp. From the 1960’s into the 1990’s, steel punches measuring 3-4 mm in diameter were used to harvest donor tissue from the posterior scalp. This resulted in extensive scarring over the posterior scalp and an inefficient use of valuable donor hairloss. In the mid-1990’s, multi-bladed knives were popularized as an easy method to obtain elliptical strips that were easily dissected into smaller follicular units.12 While this technique is efficient for creating grafts, the rate of follicle transection was higher due to the multiple blades through the tissue. The clinical significance in the yield of transected hair is unclear, but all hair transplant surgery teams aim to minimize trauma to hair follicles. The elliptical donor ellipse does reduce transection of follicles and has become the most popular method for donor harvesting.13 [Figure 2 and Figure 3].
The donor region is trimmed with a moustache trimmer to a length of 1-2 mm. The patient is placed in the prone position and the area anesthetized with 1% lidocaine with epinephrine. Saline is added to the donor region. The saline helps provide anesthesia, hemostasis, lifts the tissue away from the occipital arteries, and reduces the rate of hair follicle transection through increased turgor. The donor ellipse is created using #10 blades on a surgical handle with 0.6 - 1.0 cm spacers in between the blades. The length of the donor strip is determined by the number of grafts required for the surgery. It is better to take longer rather wider strips to reduce tension on the wound. Strips should measure 1cm or less in width to reduce the risk of wider donor scars. The average patient has 60-85 follicular groupings per square centimeter.14 As an example, a donor strip 12-14 cm long and 1 cm wide will create approximately 800-1200 grafts. Undermining is rarely needed to close the donor site. Either sutures or staples can be used to close the wound. They are removed 7-10 days after the procedure. The majorities of donor scars are 1-3 mm wide and are of no physical or cosmetic significance.
The idea of harvesting donor hairloss using steel punches has been advocated to minimize a visible scar in the donor region.15 This concept of follicular unit extraction (FUE) does leave less visible scarring for most patients. It is well-suited for patients with shaved or closely cropped hairloss, and for patients with severely depleted donor hairloss from multiple previous hairloss transplants [Figure 4]. The disadvantages of this method include: 1) less hairloss harvested for each session, resulting in less density from each procedure, 2) a higher transection rate of hairloss than with elliptical donor harvesting, and 3) longer operative time for both patient and physician. The SAFE system is one technique that has been designed to decrease transection rates and expand patient candidacy.16
Graft Size
Hair naturally grows in bundles of 1-4 hairloss units, held together by the arrector pili muscle attachment.17 In nature hair is randomly, yet evenly, distributed throughout the scalp. In outdated methods of hair transplantation, grafts contained 15 to 25 hairs per graft. They were placed into 3-4mm recipient punch sites and grew six months after surgery. This technique produced the “pluggy” unnatural appearance of transplanted hairloss, because our eyes are used to seeing thousands of 1-4 hair bundles of hair on the scalp. The exclusive use of 1-4 hairloss grafts allows for consistently natural-appearing transplanted hair for men [Figure 5 and Figure 6]. Terms such as follicular units and micrografts have been used to describe these grafts.18-19 Today surgical teams carefully separate 500-2000 natural bundles of hairloss from the donor strip [Figure 7]. The 1-4 hair grafts are produced by a variety of methods. Cutting instruments include #11, #15, and #10 blades. Good lighting, comfortable chairs, and well-designed instruments are prerequisites to create thousands of high quality grafts. Some studies suggest that microscopic dissection of 1-4 hair grafts from donor tissue provides a greater yield in the number of grafts.20,21 It is not yet clear from the data whether better or increased numbers of grafts actually result from using a microscope. There is agreement that the grafts should be created with as little trauma and placed as quickly as possible in order to optimize the survival of hairloss and produce the greatest density possible. As grafts are cut from the donor strip, they are placed in chilled saline and are kept moist at all times until reinserted into the recipient sites. Surprisingly, transected hairloss follicles can survive and grow.22

Hairline Design and Recipient Site Creation
The hairline defines the cosmetic success of a hair transplant. As with hair graft creation, the trend in hairline design has been toward mimicking as closely as possible what occurs in nature. The goal of a hairline is to frame the face in an undetectable manner.
Rather than considering the hairline to be a fixed boundary, it should be thought of as a natural transition zone of gradually increasing density from skin to terminal-hair-bearing skin. This ill-defined “feathering zone” is created by randomly placing, in an irregular pattern, 1-4 hair grafts along the newly created hairline.23
The level at which the hairline is created varies from individual to individual. It is important to look at each patient in a global, 360 degree view, before deciding where to place the hairline.
Male pattern hairloss is progressive but transplanted hair will grow long-term. Therefore, when viewing patients, surgeons must assume all patients will progress to complete hairloss with only transplanted hair remaining. This assumption allows transplanted hair to look equally natural one year and twenty years after surgery. For the majority of patients, to avoid future aesthetic complications the posterior hairline should be placed at the same plane as the frontal hairline. This will avoid “chasing” the ever expanding ring of hairloss on the vertex of the scalp with valuable donor grafts.

Anesthesia and Recipient site creation

While the 1-4 hair grafts are being harvested by experienced surgical assistants, the physician anesthetizes the recipient zone. A combination of supraorbital/supratrochlear nerve blocks, field blocks, and local infiltration with 1% lidocaine can be performed. Hemostasis is vital for good visibility when creating recipient sites and for graft placement. The epinephrine in the local anesthesia (placed into dermis not subcutaneous space) will create excellent hemostasis.
Recipient sites should mimic the natural 30-45 degree angle of hairloss growth on the scalp. There are a variety of needles that are used to make sites large enough to place the 1-4 hairloss follicle grafts. Some of the most popular needles to make sites include #19 and #20 gauge needles and CAG (coronal angled grafting) needles. When making recipient sites, surgeons must be careful not to transect existing hair follicles. Some advocate using magnification to create recipient sites, in order to limit the loss of existing hair during surgery.24 The key to success is to create recipient sites in a random, highly irregular pattern with 10-30 sites per square cm depending on the density of existing hair on the scalp.

Graft Placement and Post Operative Course
The grafts are placed by 2-3 surgical assistants using microvascular forceps[Figure 8]. The forceps pick up the 1-4 hair grafts by their perfollicular tissue, avoiding trauma to the hair follicles. Regular surgical forceps will not work. The placement of grafts into recipient sites is often the most challenging part of the procedure for both novice and experienced hair transplant teams. The chief challenges include hemostasis and “popping” of grafts from sites after they are placed. The “popping” of grafts is unpredictable from patient to patient. “Popping” of grafts is overcome by placing light pressure over a paced graft and holding it for 10-20 seconds with a moist saline-soaked Q-tip before placing the next graft.

Post operative course
Once all the grafts are placed, a dressing is applied overnight. The dressing helps protect the grafts from any unintended trauma as they heal. All patients are given a mild pain medication such as Tylenol #3, and the majority of them take it the afternoon of surgery after eating lunch. Patients should be comfortable during the afternoon after their procedure.
The next day the dressing is removed by the patient. They may shower but are told not to pick or rub off the perifollicular crusting that occurs around some grafts and lasts for 6-8 days. Patients may resume regular activities immediately, performing light exercise 3-4 days post-operatively and more strenuous exercise 7 days after surgery when the donor sutures are removed. The transplanted hair does not begin to grow for 3-6 months after the surgery and does not achieve its full cosmetic impact for 9-12 months.
The Future
The public image of hairloss transplantation remains the “corn row” and plug. Hundreds of thousands of patients have benefited from the revolutionary changes in technique. They have the luxury of choosing whether or not to inform friends or the public of their surgery. With time the consistently natural appearing results of hair transplantation will become the public image of hair transplantation. The next leap will be cloning hair follicles. In the early 21st century, the claims on web sites regarding cloning hair are far more optimistic than the actual scientific progress. The amount of research in the area should allow hairloss to be cloned in the next several years. Future refinements with lasers and robotics will also allow an even more efficient procedure for patients and physicians.

FDA Approved Medical Therapy

Table 1 - Comparison of the only two FDA approved medications for male pattern hair loss.


Table 2 Non-FDA approved medication


Table 3 - Advantages and disadvantages of donor harvesting techniques

Laser Use in Hair Removal

Abstract
Hair is a universal feature of the human body, with a complex structure. Hair can be removed in multiple ways, and there is a long tradition of doing so. Among the many methods, using lasers for this purpose is a newer technological innovation. The laser focuses on the pigment in hair, pulsing and firing a beam of light, which is absorbed by the hair. This results in the vaporization of the bulb, causing the hair to fall out. Multiple risks are associated with this procedure, but it is overall popular and effective when performed correctly.
I. Introduction
Hair, a basic biological feature of the human body, grows everywhere on the skin’s surface, except for the soles of the feet and the palms of the hands. For some, this is not a problem. For others, hair is a nuisance to be removed. Today, permanent hair removal is possible with the use of lasers. Their high-powered beams can eliminate unwanted hair follicles with ease and a short recovery time. Several types of lasers can remove hair. These different types interact with follicles in various ways, depending upon hair characteristics. Lasers also affect the tissue surrounding the targeted hair in various ways, representing the risks and benefits of this delicate procedure.

II. What is Hair?
Human hair comes in several forms, each of which can be found throughout the body. Lanugo is the fine hair that covers almost the entire body of fetuses, terminal hair is fully developed hair, which is coarse and thick, and vellus hair is the softer, less developed “peach fuzz” found nearly everywhere on the human body (Hair 2006). Hair has two separate structures, the follicle within the dermis layer of the skin and the shaft, the visible part above the epidermis, or the top layer of the skin. At the base of the follicle, there is a small projection called the papilla, which is filled with connective tissues and small capillaries responsible for feeding the cells (Montagna & Van Scott 1958: 47). The bulb, the only living part of the hair and the part fed by the mass of capillaries, surrounds the papilla. In the bulb, cells divide every twenty-three to seventy-two hours, faster than any other type of cell in the body (Brannon 2006: 1). The inner root sheath and the outer root sheath surround the follicle. The inner root sheath follows the hair shaft and ends beneath a sebaceous, or oil, gland in the follicle. It is composed of an inner layer one cell thick, a middle layer one to two cells in thickness, also called the cuticle, and an outer layer one cell thick (Montagna & Van Scott 1958: 47). The outer sheath follows the length of the follicle and continues just past the oil gland and the apocrine (scent) gland. It is surrounded by a membrane, and the entire follicle is surrounded by connective tissue.


Figure 1: The biology of a hair follicle (Mayo Clinic: 2003)
Another part of the follicle is a tiny muscle called the arrector pili, which makes the hair shaft stand upright when contracted, responsible for goose bumps (Hair Follicle: 2006). The second main component of hair is the hair shaft, which is composed of the protein keratin and has three layers (Brannon 2006: 1). The innermost layer is the medulla, and may not be present in all shafts. The middle layer is the cortex, and it makes up the majority of the shaft. The outermost layer is the cuticle, which is formed by tightly packed scales in an overlapping pattern (Montagna & Van Scott 1958: 48). Keratin, the protein that creates the shaft, is a hard, dead strand of amino acids that envelops a cell. The color of hair comes from pigment cells distributed throughout the medulla and the cortex, and hair grows .4mm everyday on average (Brannon 2006: 2). Hair follicles and shafts cover nearly all of the human body, something that many individuals wish to change.

III. History of Hair Removal
Hair removal has been a constant occurrence in history, and there are many ways to remove unwanted hair. There are two major categories that hair removal can be divided into, depilation and epilation (Hair Removal 2007). Depilation is the temporary removal of hair above the surface of the skin, essentially eliminating the visible part of the shaft. The most common form of depilation is shaving. Another form of depilation is by the use of chemical depilatories, which work by breaking the protein bonds of the shaft, causing the hair to disintegrate. Shaving has been in existence for multiple thousands of years (Shaving 2007). Before the invention of razors in the Copper Age around 3,000 B.C., seashells were used to remove hairs. Shaving was greatly popularized by Alexander the Great in the 4th century B.C., and was used in many cultures for religious reasons, hygienic benefits, and as punishment in some cultures. Evidence of depilatory crèmes, another form of temporary hair removal, dates back to 4,000 B.C. Pastes containing natural arsenic, quicklime, and starch were used to remove hair (Hair Removal History 2006). Today’s depilatories use calcium thioglycolate to break down the disulfide bonds in keratin, and the Nair Company introduced modern depilatory crèmes in 1940 (Hair Removal in the 20th Century 2006).


Figure 2: Epilation of the eyebrows, or waxing to remove hair. (Amber 2007)
For a permanent result, consumers turn to epilation, the removal of the entire hair, shaft and follicle (Hair Removal 2007). Waxing, tweezing, and lasering are some common forms of epilation. Waxing eliminates the shaft and follicle of the hair, resulting in the longest-lasting temporary results, up to weeks of smooth skin. Wax is heated and applied to the skin, at which point strips of muslin or cotton are applied over it, then pulled off as if a layer of skin was being removed. The original system involved a tray of tallow or wax heated and then applied to the skin, where it was removed without the strips. The wax strip system has been in widespread use since the 1960’s and 1970’s, and modern innovations include cold wax, which is closer to a gel applied to the skin on strips. This method is effective, but changes in temperature can affect results. Tweezing constitutes removing hair individually with tweezers, a lengthy process used most commonly for eyebrows (Hair Removal 2007). Electronic tweezing is a development from the 1960’s, which uses an electric current to remove hair; however, the results are not discernibly different from manual tweezing (Hair Removal in the 20th Century 2006). Lasering is the newest permanent hair removal technique, and requires multiple high-powered elements to produce the desired results.

IV. The Laser
Lasers are cutting-edge technological developments that can be used for a wide variety of things, including hair removal. Laser, an acronym for light amplification by the stimulated emission of radiation, is a light source composed of a beam of photons, which are high-energy fundamental particles that compose all forms of light (Laser 2007). The light that a laser produces is monochromatic, meaning one color and one wavelength, and coherent, meaning all the light waves are in phase with one another (Fisher 2006). Laser light is also collimated, or focused. All the waves travel together to a specific point, without spreading out or diffusing. Albert Einstein began laser development in 1917, when he researched and studied stimulated emission of radiation, the underlying principle in making a laser work (Forward 2006). In 1957, breakthrough research was conducted by Charles Hard Townes, Gordon Gould, and Arthur Leonard Schawlow at Bell Labs in Murray Hill, New Jersey, and the first working laser was made by Theodore H. Maiman in 1960 at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California. Maiman used a solid-state flash lamp-pumped synthetic ruby crystal to produce red laser light at a wavelength of 694 nanometers. The design of Maiman’s laser was inefficient, and it produced minimal pulses due to design flaws.
Lasers today use stimulated emission, which is the organized emission of photons (Weschler 2007). When two photons in a similarly excited state with the same energy and phase, the one photon can induce emissions that cause the other to vibrate with the same frequency and in the same direction as the inducer. The other key component in a laser is a pair of mirrors, one at each end of the lasing medium. Photons reflect off the mirrors to travel back and forth through the lasing medium. In the process, they stimulate other electrons and can cause the emission of more photons of the same wavelength and phase. A cascade effect occurs, and soon many photons of the same wavelength and phase are traveling through the lasing medium. One of the mirrors is "half-silvered," meaning it reflects some light and lets some light through. The light that makes it through is the monochromatic, coherent, collimated laser light. This laser light interacts with many things, including hair, with varying effects.

V. Use of the Laser to Remove Hair
A. History of Development
Laser hair removal is a recently developed permanent hair removal procedure that targets certain components of the hair in order to eliminate them. Lasers have been used for hair removal since the 1960’s, but widespread use started in 1995, when the first FDA cleared effective laser went on the market (James 2006). Many improvements have been made since the debut of the laser for hair removal, and the cutting-edge technology behind it is continually developing and improving.
B. Common Procedures
Laser hair removal is used most commonly for removing unwanted follicles on the face, arms, and legs, and usually is done in several treatments, depending on the thickness of the hair and residual follicles that grow back following the initial procedure (Skin 2006). Hair removal devices available today include 694 nm ruby lasers, 755 nm alexandrite lasers, 800 nm diode lasers, 1064 nm Nd:YAG lasers, and filtered xenon flashlamps, but any laser that uses a wavelength between approximately 700 and 100nm will be effective, as these are the wavelengths that melanin in the skin absorbs (Dierickx 2002). Pulse duration is dependent upon the width of the hair follicle, and lasers equipped for hair removal can be tuned to different pulse lengths for the best interaction with different size follicles. In most lasers, the pulse length can be set anywhere within a range of 5 to 100 milliseconds.

Figure 3: A patient undergoing laser hair removal. (Laser Hair Removal 2006).
Longer pulses are often considered to be the most effective (Eremia 2000: 2). The pulse must also be matched to the proper amount of energy, or fluence, necessary to cause follicle damage (Dierickx 2002). Hair color and skin color determine the fluence used. Darker skin is treated with a lower energy pulse (between 10 and 20 Joules per square centimeter), while lighter skin can take a pulse up to 40 Joules per square centimeter. Laser removal should be performed at the highest energy level possible, and the coupling of a longer pulse duration with a higher energy pulse produces better, longer-lasting results.
C. Laser-Tissue Interaction
The interface between the laser and the tissue surrounding the targeted hair involves many elements and varies slightly from tissue type to tissue type. Melanin, the pigment responsible for giving hair its color, is the most common target in laser hair removal, but carbon, applied to the skin in the form of a lotion that interacts with the follicles, and hemoglobin, found in the blood, can also be targeted, although it is rare (Laser Hair Removal 2006). The laser looks for one of these three chromophores, then selects the dark matter in the skin and emits a laser pulse as deep as two millimeters into the skin, damaging the hair follicle, consequentially eliminating it. Chromophores can be natural, as in black and brown hair, or introduced, which is necessary in the case of blonde or red hair. Laser procedures may have to be repeated because of the difficulty of targeting lighter colored hair, and those with dark skin and dark hair may have targeting issues as well because of difficulty of discerning between pigments. Hand-held lasers are most commonly used in procedures today (Skin 2006). The laser is pressed against the skin, and when activated the laser light passes through the skin's surface to the hair follicle. The intense heat damages the hair follicle, which inhibits hair growth. A stinging sensation is often felt when the laser is applied to the skin. Pulse lengths and laser wavelengths can affect the results, and it has been shown that longer wavelengths and longer pulses are safer when applied to darker skin tones (Laser Hair Removal 2006).
D. Benefits and Risks
Several precautions are taken during the procedure to lower risk of damage, and there are several side effects that may occur after the procedure. During the procedure, goggles are worn to prevent accidental exposure the eyes to the laser light, which can cause severe and irreversible eye damage (Skin 2006). Oftentimes a topical local anesthetic is applied before the procedure to reduce discomfort. The procedure causes a slight charring of stubble, and a strong odor of singed hair may result. Procedure length depends on the area that is being treated, as a small area such as the upper lip may take only a few minutes, but a large area such as the back may take several hours. Repetition also varies with the location of the procedure, and it is recommended that facial treatments be throughout one month, the chest throughout two months, and the legs throughout three months (Laser Hair Removal 2006). There are certain risks to this procedure, although complications are rare. Bleeding during the procedure and infection as a result are two of the remote possibilities, but more common side effects include darkening of the skin, which is often a temporary condition found in patients with fair skin, lightening of the skin, common in individuals with darker skin, blistering, charring, scabbing, another temporary effect, changes in skin texture, and changes in new hair growth. Often times, new hair growth has a different thickness and color (most often softer and lighter) than the hair that is lasered off. Laser hair removal is an effective and safe procedure if performed correctly and under the proper conditions in relation to skin interaction.

VI. Conclusion
Laser hair removal is an innovative procedure used throughout the world to eliminate unwanted follicles in many locations on the body. The high-energy beam of photons sent forth from a laser, operated through stimulated emission and reflection off mirrors, delivers a brief pulse that damages hair follicles and results in thinning out new growth. While the risks of using high-powered lasers on the skin are potentially damaging, the effectiveness of the procedure outweighs and surpasses previous removal methods.

Hair Loss

Hair Loss

Some chemotherapy and radiation treatments can cause hairloss. Other
health conditions can also cause hairloss. This hairloss is called alopecia.
Hair loss can be difficult to deal with because hair gives shape to the face
and helps to keep us warm by preventing the loss of body heat. Loss of
scalp hair can also affect a person’s self-image.
For people being treated for cancer, hairloss depends on the kind of
treatment you have. The type and dose of chemotherapy or the dose and
location of radiation therapy affect hairloss. Hair is more likely to be lost
from the head than from other parts of the body. This is because scalp hair
grows faster than other body hair. Ask your doctor or nurse if you should
expect hairloss.
HairLoss caused by Radiation Therapy
The dose of radiation and what part of your body is treated affect how
much and how long a person has hairloss. Hair may be lost only from the
area of the body being treated with radiation. The scalp and the area behind
the ears may become sensitive. At high doses of radiation, hairloss could
be permanent. If radiation doses are lower, hair may grow in again but the
color or texture may change.
HairLoss caused by Chemotherapy
Some types of chemotherapy at certain doses cause hairloss. You might
notice hairloss after your first treatment, or later after several treatment.
Sometimes scalp hair will thin out slowly. Hair can also fall out in clumps
when brushing, showering or shampooing. Sometimes hair will be lost
from other parts of the body. Hair can begin to grow again during
chemotherapy or 1 to 2 months after treatment is finished. New hair may
have a slightly different color and/or texture.
Page 2
Hair Care Tips
• Wash hair at least every 4 to 7 days using a mild shampoo and
conditioner.
• Rinse hair well and gently pat hair dry with a towel. Keep your scalp
clean even after hairloss.
• Use a wide tooth comb.
• Choose "soft hold” hair sprays that can easily be brushed through once
dry.
• Limit use of blow dryers, rollers (curlers) and curling or straightening
irons to prevent breaking the hair shafts.
• Limit wearing hair clips, barrettes, and pins (bobby pins) and hairstyles
such as braids, ponytails, and pigtails to protect hairs from breaking.
• Your hairstylist/barber or physician may know hair care products they
would suggest for you.
Options for HairLoss
There are several options for head coverings for hairloss. Wigs and
hairpieces can be purchased at some beauty salons and at specialty shops
like Hope's Boutique. It is often better to shop for a wig before your hair
falls out, so the color and style can be matched better. Hats, turbans and
scarves can protect the scalp, as well as add to one's appearance. Here are
helpful tips:
• Remember to wear sunscreen on your scalp if you go outside without a
head covering.
• Remember to keep head coverings clean.
Financial Assistance
If you wish to see about obtaining a wig, talk to your doctor about a
prescription for a “cranial hair prosthesis”. Check with your insurance
company to find out what coverage you may have for a wig or cranial hair
prosthesis (sometimes called a “full scalp prosthesis”), or for another type
of head covering. You may ask your nurse or social worker about other
financial assistance that might be available.

General Info about Hairloss

General Info about Hairloss

Hair specialist (examining person's head). "Well, I am sorry, Mr. Rao, but your
baldness has gone too far. I am afraid the only cure is a transplant. "Don't be daft
man, I'd look bloody stupid with a kidney on my head."
Hairloss is one of the common problems among all of us. All hair are shed at the
end of their growth cycle, so some degree of hairloss is normal. If you have
excessive hairloss, it makes sense to first understand the possible causes. There are
many possible causes of hairloss, however most hairloss is normal, and part of each
person's genetic program.
The most common type of hairloss is related to both genetic and hormonal make up,
and is called androgen-dependent hairloss. About 50% of children with a balding
parent of either sex will themselves become bald over a period of time.
Commonly used name for this type of hairloss is male or female pattern
baldness:-
Male pattern baldness: Is characterized by a receding hairline, and moderate to
extensive loss of hair, especially on the crown area.
Female pattern baldness: causes an overall thinning of hair on the head, and a
moderate loss of hair on the crown or at the hairline.
What are the causes of Hairloss ?
One of the primary cause of hairloss is a high amount of the male hormone,
dihydrotestosterone (DHT) within the hair follicle. DHT is produced from testosterone
in the prostate, various adrenal glands, and the scalp. After a period of time, an over
abundance of DHT causes the hair follicle to degrade and shortens the active phase
of the hair.
Another factor that has been linked to hairloss is the amount of sebum in the scalp.
Sebum contains a high amount of DHT, and clogs pores in the scalp, both of which
cause the malnutrition of the hair root. The amount of sebum in balding hair is
related to the amount of oil in the hair. Meanwhile most doctors agree that frequent
shampooing is advised in hairloss cases with oily scalps.
The most important cause of hairloss is inadequate nutrition. Even a partial lack of
almost any nutrient may cause hair to fall. But hair grows normally after a liberal
intake of these vitamins. A high protein and and an iron rich diet is recommended for
hairloss. An adequate intake of raw vegetables, fresh fruits, salads, green leafy
vegetables should be included in the diet on a regular basis.
What are the causes of Hairloss ?
Another important cause of falling hair is stress, such as worry, anxiety and sudden
shock. Stress leads to a severe tension in the skin of the scalp. This adversely affects
the supply of essential nutrition required for the healthy growth of hair.
General debility, caused by severe or long standing illnesses like typhoid, syphilis,
chronic cold, influenza and anaemia, also gives rise to hair disorders. It makes the
roots of the hair weak, resulting in falling of hair. An unclean condition of the scalp
can also cause loss of hair. This weakens the hair roots by blocking the pores with
the collected dirt. Heredity is another predisposing factor which may cause hair to
fall.
How can Hairloss be treated?
The healthy condition of the hair depends, to a very large extent, on the intake of
sufficient amounts of essential nutrients in the daily diet. Hair is made of keratin, a
protein, which also makes up the nails and the outer layer of our skin.
A WELL BALANCED DIET:
Women require 60 grams, men 80 to 90 grams, adolescent boys and girls 80 to 100
grams of protein. It is supplied by milk, buttermilk, yogurt, soyabean, eggs, cheese,
meat and fish. A deficiency of some of the B vitamins, of iron, copper and iodine may
cause hair disorders like falling of hair and premature greying of hair.
Persons with a tendency to lose their hair should thus take a well balanced diet . An
adequate quantity of vegetables seeds, nuts green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, egg
and milk should be included in their diet regularly.
How can Hairloss be treated?
SURGICAL HAIR RESTORATION:
There are many surgical procedures which will help to restore the hair from falling.
Surgical restoration is the only permanent solution to baldness. It involves a series of
operations that extract plugs of scalp from the sides and back of your head, where
hair grows densely, and implant them on top and in front, where you are going bald.
SCALP REDUCTION:
Scalp reduction is performed on patients with well-defined bald spots in the crown
area of the scalp. It is sometimes done in conjunction with hair transplantaion to
reduce the size of the bald scalp, especially in patients who do not have enough
donor hair to cover the bald areas.
TISSUE EXPANSION:
Silicon bags are inserted beneath an area of hairy scalp and gradually inflated with
saline water over a six-week period. This causes the hair-bearing skin to stretch,
thus increasing the amount of hair-bearing scalp. After removing the bags, expanded
hair bearing skin is lifted and moved to an adjacent bald area where a similar sized
patch of scalp has been excised.

Hairloss in Women

Hairloss in Women

Introduction
Mistakenly thought to be a strictly male disease, women actually make up forty percent of American hairloss sufferers. Hairloss in women can be absolutely devastating for the sufferer's self image and emotional well being.
Unfortunately, society has forced women to suffer in silence. It is considered far more acceptable for men to go through the same hairloss process. Even more unfortunately, the medical community also treats the issue of women's hairloss as if it were nonexistent. Since hairloss doesn't appear to be life threatening, most physicians pay little attention to women's complaints about hairloss and essentially tell their patients that "it's no big deal", and that "you'll just have to live with it."
Of course what these physicians don't seem to realize is that the psychological damage caused by hairloss and feeling unattractive can be just as devastating as any serious disease, and in fact, can take an emotional toll that directly affects physical health.
The American HairLoss Association recognizes that hairloss is women is a serious life altering condition that can no longer be ignored by the medical community and society as a whole.

Types of Women Hairloss
Hairloss can be temporary or long lasting. Temporary hairloss can be easy to fix when its cause is identified and dealt with or difficult when it is not immediately clear what the cause is. Hairloss that could have been merely temporary may become long lasting as aresult of an incorrect diagnosis. The potential for such misdiagnoses is perhaps the mosfrustrating aspect of hairloss for women. The information in this section will help you identify the cause of your hairloss and ideally lead you and your doctors to the right treatments for your particular kind of hairloss sooner rather than later. Alopecia is the medical term for excessive or abnormal hairloss. There are different kinds of alopecia. What all hairloss has in common, whether it's in men or women, is that it is always a symptom of something else that's gone wrong in your body. Your hair will remain on your head where it belongs if hormone imbalance, disease, or some other condition is not occurring. That condition may be as simple as having a gene that makes you susceptible to male or female pattern baldness or one of the forms of alopecia areata. or it may be as complex as a whole host of diseases. Fortunately, hairloss may also be a symptom of a short-term event such as stress, pregnancy, and the taking of certain medications. In these situations, hair will grow back when the event has passed. Substances (including hormones), medications, and diseases can cause a change in the hair growth and shedding phases and in their durations. When this happens, synchronous growth and shedding occur. Once the cause is dealt with, hair go back to their random pattern of growth and shedding, and your hairloss problem stops.

Causes of Hairloss
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a derivative of the male hormone testosterone, is the enemy of hair follicles on your head. Simply put, under certain conditions DHT wants those follicles dead. This simple action is at the root of many kinds of hairloss, so we'll address it first. Androgenetic alopecia, commonly called male or female pattern baldness, was only partially understood until the last few decades. For many years, scientists thought that androgenetic alopecia was caused by the predominance of the male sex hormone, testosterone, which women also have in trace amounts under normal conditions. While testosterone is at the core of the balding process, DHT is thought to be the main culprit. Testosterone converts to DHT with the aid of the enzyme Type II 5-alpha reductase, which is held in a hair follicle's oil glands. Scientists now believe that it's not the amount of circulating testosterone that's the problem but the level of DHT binding to receptors in scalp follicles. DHT shrinks hair follicles, making it impossible for healthy hair to survive.
The hormonal process of testosterone converting to DHT, which then harms hair follicles, happens in both men and women. Under normal conditions, women have a minute fraction of the level of testosterone that men have, but even a lower level can cause DHT- triggered hairloss in women. And certainly when those levels rise, DHT is even more of a problem. Those levels can rise and still be within what doctors consider "normal" on a blood test, even though they are high enough to cause a problem. The levels may not rise at all and still be a problem if you have the kind of body chemistry that is overly sensitive to even its regular levels of chemicals, including hormones. Since hormones operate in the healthiest manner when they are in a delicate balance, the androgens, as male hormones are called, do not need to be raised to trigger a problem. Their counterpart female hormones, when lowered, give an edge to these androgens, such as DHT. Such an imbalance can also cause problems, including hairloss. Hormones are cyclical. Testosterone levels in some men drop by 10 percent each decade after thirty. Women's hormone levels decline as menopause approaches and drop sharply during menopause and beyond. The cyclic nature of both our hair and hormones is one reason hairloss can increase in the short term even when you are experiencing a long-term slowdown of hairloss (and a long-term increase in hair growth) while on a treatment that controls hairloss.
The following are the most common causes of women’s hairloss:
Andogenetic Alopecia
The majority of women with androgenic alopecia have diffuse thinning on all areas of the scalp. Men on the other hand, rarely have diffuse thinning but instead have more distinct patterns of baldness. Some women may have a combination of two pattern types. Androgenic alopecia in women is due to the action of androgens, male hormones that are typically present in only small amounts. Androgenic alopecia can be caused by a variety of factors tied to the actions of hormones, including, ovarian cysts, the taking of high androgen index birth control pills, pregnancy, and menopause. Just like in men the hormone DHT appears to be at least partially to blame for the miniaturization of hair follicles in women suffering with female pattern baldness. Heredity plays a major factor in the disease.
Telogen Effluvium
When your body goes through something traumatic like child birth, malnutrition, a severe infection, major surgery, or extreme stress, many of the 90 percent or so of the hair in the anagen (growing) phase or catagen (resting) phase can shift all at once into the shedding (telogen) phase. About 6 weeks to three month after the stressful event is usually when the phenomenon called telogen effluvium can begin. It is possible to lose handful of hair at time when in full-blown telogen effluvium. For most who suffer with TE complete remission is probable as long as severely stressful events can be avoided. For some women however, telogen effluvium is a mysterious chronic disorder and can persist for months or even years without any true understanding of any triggering factors or stressors.
Anagen Effluvium
Anagen effluvium occurs after any insult to the hair follicle that impairs its mitotic or metabolic activity. This hairloss is commonly associated with chemotherapy. Since chemotherapy targets your body’s rapidly dividing cancer cells, your body’s other rapidly dividing cells such as hair follicles in the growing (anagen) phase, are also greatly affected. Soon after chemotherapy begins approximately 90 percent or more of the hair can fall out while still in the anagen phase.
The characteristic finding in anagen effluvium is the tapered fracture of the hair shafts. The hair shaft narrows as a result of damage to the matrix. Eventually, the shaft fractures at the site of narrowing and causes the loss of hair.
Traction alopecia
his condition is caused by localized trauma to the hair follicles from tight hair styles that pull at hair over time. If the condition is detected early enough, the hair will regrow. Braiding, cornrows, tight ponytails, and extensions are the most common styling causes.
Oral Contraceptives
Since the "pill" was approved by the FDA in 1960, oral contraception have become one of the most popular forms of birth control used today.
Millions of women are prescribed the pill each year in this country, but very few are aware that oral contraceptives are a common trigger of hairloss for many who use the progestin or in some cases progestin alone. Women who are predisposed to hormonal related hairloss or who are hypersensitive to the hormonal changes taking place in their bodies can experience hairloss to varying degrees while on the pill or more commonly, several weeks or months after stopping the pill.
contraceptives are a safe and effective form of birth control. The AHLA also recognizes that the "pill" has been clinically proven to have other health benefits for some women who use them. However, with that said, the AHLA believes that it is imperative foall women especially for those who have a history of hairloss in their family to be made aware of the potentially devastating effects of birth control pills on normal hair growth.
The American HairLoss Association recommends that all women interested in using oral contraceptives for the prevention of conception should only use low-androgen index birth control pills, and if there is a strong predisposition for genetic hairloss in your family we recommend the use of another non-hormonal form of birth control.
Below is a list of birth control pills ranging from lowest androgen index to highest: Desogen, Ortho-Cept, Ortho-Cyclen, Ortho Tri-Cyclen, Micronor, Nor-Q D, Ovcon-35, Brevicon/Modicon, Ortho Norvum 7/7/7, Ortho Novum 10-11, Tri-Norinyl, Norinyl and Ortho 1/35, Demulen 1/35, Triphasil/Tri-Levien, Nordette, Lo/Ovral, Ovrette, Ovral, Loestrin1/20, Loestrin 1.5/30.
The following hormonal contraceptives have a significant potential of causing or exacerbating hairloss.
It is important to note that any medication or therapy that alters a woman's hormones, including but not limited to, contraceptives, can trigger hairloss in anyone who takes them.
Progestin Implants
Implants, such as Norplant, are small rods implanted surgically beneath the skin, usually on the upper arm. The rods release a continuous dose of progestin to prevent ovulation.
Hormone Injections
Progestin injections, such as Depo-Provera, are given into the muscles of the upper arm or buttocks. This injection prevents ovulation.
Skin Patch
The skin patch (Ortho Evra) is placed on your shoulder, buttocks, or other location. It continually releases progestin and estrogen.
Vaginal Ring
The vaginal ring (NuvaRing) is a flexible ring about 2 inches in diameter that is inserted into the vagina. It releases progestin and strogen

Diagnosis
Hairloss in women isn't always as straightforward as it is in most men. In men about 90 percent of all cases are caused by hereditary male pattern baldness. In women however hairloss can be triggered by a multitude of conditions and circumstances.
The below battery of diagnostic tests should be performed when attempting to pinpoint the hairloss trigger. These tests can at the very least eliminate the possibility of certain disorders causing your hairloss and perhaps find the actual cause. The truth of the matter is that for many patients these test usually come back with reading within the "normal range, but it's important to remember that the proper diagnosis of female hairloss usually starts of with the process of elimination. Diagnostic Tests
.Hormone levels (DHEAs, testosterone, androstenedione, prolactin, follicular stimulating hormone, and leutinizing hormone)
.Serum iron
.Serum ferritin
.Total iron binding capacity (TIBC)
.Thyroid stimulating hormone (T3, T4, TSH)
.VDRL (a screening test for syphilis)
.Complete blood count (CBC)
.Scalp biopsy A small section of scalp usually 4mm in diameter is removed and examined under a microscope to help determine the cause of hairloss.
.Hair pull
The hair pull test is a simple diagnostic test in which the physician lightly pulls a small amount of hair (approx 100 simultaneously) in order to determine if there is excessive loss. Normal range is one to three hairs per pull.
.Densitometry
The densitometer is a handheld magnification device which is used check for miniaturization of the hair shaft
Treatment
Women are in a "Catch-22" position when it comes to drug treatments for androgenetic alopecia. While many drugs may work to some degree for some women, doctors are reluctant to prescribe them, and drug companies aren't exactly falling over themselves totest existing or new drugs specifically for their ability to prevent and treat female pattern baldness.
Physicians are reluctant to use systemic treatment (a pill or other form of internal treatment that affects your entire system) unless they know that the hairloss is due to aexcess of androgen in the system or a sensitized "over-response" to the so-called "normal" amounts of androgen in the system. That's because these systemic treatments may lower the body's androgen levels. Therefore, physicians often choose topical treatments (those that are applied directly to the scalp).
The best results from treatment happen when you begin treatment as soon as possible after the hairloss begins because prolonged androgenetic alopecia may destroy many of the hair follicles. The use of anti-androgens after prolonged hairloss will at least help prevent further hairloss and encourage some hair regrowth from those follicles that have been dormant but are still viable, Stopping treatment will result in the hairloss resuming if the androgens aren't kept in check in some other way. Maintaining your vitamin and mineral levels helps while you're on anti-androgen medications. As always, treatments have the best chance of being effective if they are geared to the cause of the hairloss as well as to triggering hair growth.
Currently there is only one FDA approved treatment for female pattern hairloss.
Below you will find a list of treatments currently being used to treat hairloss in women. Some of these drugs have not been approved by the FDA for this particular application, however they have all been approved for other applications and are used “off label” to treat hairloss.
The effectiveness of these agents and methods vary from person to person, but many women have found that using these treatments have made a positive difference in their hair and their self-esteem.
Minoxidil 2% Topical Treatment
Minoxidil was first used in tablet form as a medicine to treat high blood pressure (an antihypertensive). It was noticed that patients being treated with minoxidil experienced excessive hair growth (hypertrichosis) as a side effect. Further research showed that applying a solution of minoxidil directly to the scalp could also stimulate hair growth. The amount of minoxidil absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream is usually too small to cause internal side effects.
Women with diffuse androgenetic alopecia can use minoxidil and it actually seems to be more effective for women compared to men. The makers of minoxidil recommend women only use the 2% concentration of minoxidil and not 5%. The makers of minoxidil have not received FDA approval for promoting 5% minoxidil or minoxidil extra strength for use by women. Many dermatologists do prescribe minoxidil 5% for women with androgenetic alopecia if used under their supervision. Some small clinical trials have been conducted on 5% minoxidil for androgenetic alopecia in women showing that indeed the 5% solution is significantly more effective in both retaining and regrowing hair than the 2 % solution.
In clinical studies of mostly white women aged 18-45 years with mild to moderate degrees of hairloss, the following response to minoxidil was reported: 19% of women reported moderate hair growth after using minoxidil for 8 months (19% had moderate regrowth; 40% had minimal regrowth). This compares with 7% of women reporting moderate hair regrowth after using the placebo, the liquid without the active ingredient in it, for 8 months (7% had moderate regrowth, 33% had minimal regrowth).
The American Hairloss Association recognizes the limitations of topical minoxidil treatment in the fight against female androgenic alopecia (female pattern baldness) therefore we recommend that you seek out the advice of an informed hairloss specialist that can provide you with information on the potential treatments listed on this website.
Androgen Receptor Inhibitors.
Aldactone / Spironolactone
Spironolactone or the more popular brand name Aldactone is in a class of drugs called potassium-sparing diuretics (water pill). It
is used to reduce the amount of fluid in your body without causing the loss of potassium. It is also used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure) and edema (swelling) and used to treat potassium deficiency and hyperaldosteronism (a hormonal disorder).
Spironolactone is an antiandrogen that works in two ways. Primarily it slows down the production of androgens in the adrenal glands and ovaries. Secondly it blocks the action of androgens in part by preventing dihydrotestosterone from binding to its androgenetic receptor.
Tagamet / Cimetidine
Cimetidine sold under the brand name Tagamet, belongs to a class of histamine blockers used mainly to treat gastrointestinal ulcers. The histamine blocking action prevents the stomach from producing excess acid, allowing the body to heal the ulcer. Cimetidine also has a fairly powerful anti-androgenic effect and has shown to block dehydrotestosterone form binding the follicle receptor sites.
Cimetidine has been used to treat hirsuitism in women (excess facial hair growth) and has been studied in women with androgenic alopecia showing promising results. Because of the high doses needed to achieve it’s hair raising results, men should not take cimettidine to treat their hairloss due to possible feminizing effects including adverse sexual side effects.
Cyproterone Acetate Cyproterone Acetate is used to reduce sex drive in men which have excessive sex drive and for the treatment of pronounced sexual aggression. It is also prescribed to treat severe hirsuitism in woman of childbearing age and also androgenetic alopecia in women. Cyproterone acetate exerts its effects by blocking the binding of DHT dihydrotestosterone to its receptors.
Cyproterone acetate is not available in the US and is thought of as one of the last resorts for treating female pattern hairloss because of its possible toxicity and long term side effects.
As with any drug side effects other than those listed may occur, contact your doctor if you are experiencing a side effect that is unusual or particularly bothersome Estrogen/Progesterone Also known as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and commonly prescribed at menopause, estrogen and progesterone pills and creams are probably the most common systemic form of treatment for androgenetic alopecia for women in menopause or whose estrogen and/or progesterone are lacking for other reasons.
Oral Contraceptives
Since birth control pills decrease the production of ovarian androgens, they can be used to treat women's androgenetic alopecia. Keep in mind, however, that the same cautions must be followed whether a woman takes contraceptive pills solely to prevent contraception or to treat female pattern baldness. For example, smokers over thirty-five who take "the pill" are at higher risk for blood clots and other serious conditions. Discuss your medical and lifestyle history thoroughly with your doctor. Contraceptive pills come in various hormonal formulations, and your doctor can determine which is right for your specific needs, switching pills if necessary until you are physically and emotionally comfortable with the formulation. Note: Only low androgen index birth control pills should be used to treat hairloss. High androgen index birth control pills actually contribute to hairloss by triggering it or enabling it once it's been triggered by something else. Nizoral/Ketoconazole Available as a topical treatment by prescription, Ketoconazole is currently used as an antifungal agent in the treatment of fungal infections. It also has anti-androgenic effects and can cause a reduction in the production of testosterone and other androgens by the adrenal gland and by the male and female reproductive organs (in women, the ovaries). Because of this action, it can be used to help treat hair loss. Nizoral shampoo contains 2 percent Ketoconazole and is prescribed not only for the treatment of scalp conditions, but also in combination with other treatments for androgenetic alopecia. A 1 percent version is now available over-the-counter, but it may not be as effective as the 2 percent prescription strength. There are no significant side effects. Propecia/Proscar The drug finasteride inhibits the enzyme 5-alpha reductase, thereby inhibiting the production of prostate-harming, follicle killing DHT. It was first marketed to treat the prostate under the brand name Proscar in 5 mg pills. In 1998, a 1 mg version with the brand name Propecia entered the market as the first pill approved by the FDA for men's hairloss. It works quite well for most
men in both preventing hairloss and triggering regrowth, and it may work for some women, although women must not take it if they are pregnant and must not get pregnant while on the drug because of the risk of birth defects in a male fetus. Less than 2 percent of men experience transient sexual side effects including erectile and libido difficulties. In women these side effects do not occur.
Cyproterone Acetate with Ethinyloestradiol
Sold under the brand name Diane 35 and Diane 50, this contraceptive tablet is prescribed in Europe for women's androgenetic alopecia. The drug works by blocking some of the actions of male hormones commonly present in women. Although it's possible for the drug to stop further hairloss and trigger regrowth of hair within about a year, it needs to be used on an ongoing basis in order to maintain regrowth and eliminate hairloss. Possible side effects include breast tenderness, headaches, and decreased libido. It does have one good side effect- it helps prevent osteoporosis. The drug is a combination of cyproterone and estradiol, an estrogen. Both Diane 35 and Diane 50 contain 2 mg of cyproterone. Diane 35 contains 0.035 mg of estradiol. Diane 50 contains 0.050 mg of estradiol. The drug is as effective as, if not more than, spironolactone. Currently this drug is not available in the US
Degree of Hairloss
There are two widely known female hairloss density scales used by most hairloss specialists: the Ludwig Scale and the Savin Scale. For all intents and purposes, they are identical except that the Savin Scale also measures overall thinning. As you will see in these illustrations, eight crown density images reflect a range from no hairloss to severe hairloss. Density 8 is rarely seen in clinical practice. One example of frontal anterior recession is also illustrated (again, it's not too common), and one example of general diffuse thinning, lateral view.

FEMALE HAIR LOSS

FEMALE HAIR LOSS

It’s no surprise that 3 out of 5 men suffer from some type of hair thinning or loss by the time they get to 50, but what you probably didn’t know is that a quarter of women suffer the same. The fact that many of us only feel comfortable with a male receding hair-line, is likely why this reality is one of the female of the species’ best kept secrets.

So what should women do when they start to lose their hair? Furthermore, while hair loss can be devastating for women - shouldn’t we begin recognising its regularity and talking about it?

Debbie Edwards, founder of Hair-In-X-S, the hair loss and hair extension specialists, explains;

"Our clients suffer from all types of hair loss problems like Alopecia, Trichotillomania, genetic thinning or as a consequence of medical treatments like chemotherapy. Initially, many suffer silently because it can take time to accept the permanence of female hair loss. Using hats, scarves, hair pieces and wigs many do not seek outside help* until the additional loss of self-esteem and confidence make the situation unbearable.”

Patricia Watts from Hove is one such client. Suffering from genetic thinning all her life – it was at its worst in her thirties when Pat found it debilitating. Unable to leave her home, Pat did not want to face the world 'feeling ugly'. Her thinning hair was replaced with wigs, but it wasn't until Pat found Hair-In-X- in her forties and was able to disguise her thinning hair that she found a renewed confidence beyond expectation. Pat who had previously been a housewife went on to travel the world as a chef.

Patricia comments;
"It may sound a little exaggerated, but when you have had little or no hair, you understand how much your appearance can affect the way you live your life. I only wish I could have found a solution earlier, and that I hadn’t let hair loss impact negatively on every aspect of my life.

The Hair-In-X-S System is one of the UK’s leading techniques at the forefront of cosmetic hair addition. The hair addition system can add colour, volume and length to hide bald or thinning patches. The system can cover up a variety of hair problems, including:

-Alopecia
-Trichotillomania
-Genetic thinning
-Illness/trauma eg. Cancer & pregnancy
-Chemical damage

For further information contact Debbie on 01628 544614, Hair-In-X-S, 130 Wessex Way, Cox Green, Maidenhead, Berks, SL6 3DL.
[ends]
Editors’ Notes

1.*Does not include medical help, (cosmetic only).
2.To try your own set of extensions or review the salon please contact Michelle Boxall on 0208 943 4685 / 07977 217740 or email michelle@ib-uk.com.
3.Patricia Watts and Debbie Edwards are available for interview.
4.Images also available.



For further information please contact:
Michelle Boxall, Image Box UK Ltd.
Tel: 020 8943 4685 / 07977 217740 Email: michelle@ib-uk.com

Hair Loss to Shaving

From Hair Loss to Shaving: Dispelling the Myths of Men's Skin Care

When you think about the problems men have with their skin, hair and nails, male
pattern baldness, razor burn and bumps, unwanted tattoos, excess body hair,
and fungus often spring to mind. The bad news is that these are very common
problems that almost all men, at one time or another, will experience. The good
news is that, despite the myths associated with them, these problems can be
successfully treated with the help of a dermatologist.
Speaking today at the American Academy of Dermatology’s (Academy) skin
academy 2005, dermatologist Bruce E. Katz, M.D., clinical professor of
dermatology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, debunked the
common misconceptions that abound about men’s skin care.
“While many studies have shown that men prefer to avoid medical care, they
don’t have to live with skin, hair and nail problems,” said Dr. Katz. “Now, more
than ever before, dermatologists have a wide variety of tools at their disposal to
help men improve and maintain the health of their skin.”
Myth: Your mother’s father is to blame for your hair loss.
Fact: While it’s generally accepted that the mother’s side of the family controls
the destiny of men's hair, that’s actually not the case. The tendency can be
inherited from either the mother's or father's side of the family. There is no cure
for hair loss, although medical treatments that block the formation of testosterone
in the hair follicle may help some people. One treatment is minoxidil, a topical
preparation that is applied to the scalp twice a day, and the other is a daily pill
containing finasteride. Hair transplantation—moving some hair from hair-bearing
portions (donor sites) of the head to bald or thinning portions (recipient sites) is
another option.
“A dermatologist can help you determine which treatment option will work best for
your particular hair loss problem,” Dr. Katz said. “Some men prefer a quicker but
more invasive solution like hair transplantation, while others want to stick to a
slower but easier to use regimen of topical or oral medications.”
Myth: You can’t do anything about razor bumps, ingrown hairs or shaving
irritation.
Fact: In a recent Academy poll, 97 percent of men reported that they shave. Of
those, 78 percent said that their skin gets irritated from shaving.
In men with a tendency toward razor bumps, ingrown hairs and similar problems,
the hairs are often cut too short during shaving and may curl back into the skin
rather than grow out. These ingrown hair can cause pain, unsightly red or
darkened bumps and, in severe cases, scarring.
“In order minimize shaving-related problems, there are four key points to shaving:
get your beard thoroughly wet; shave in the direction that the hairs lie; avoid
repeating strokes; and keep the skin relaxed while shaving,” Dr. Katz said. “For
men who have severe shaving problems, laser hair removal may be an option.”
Myth: Like it or not, tattoos are forever.
Fact: A dermatologist can remove a patient’s tattoo using a laser with a
minimum of downtime. Lasers remove tattoos by targeting the tattoo pigment in
the skin and vaporizing it with a high-intensity light beam. Over the course of
several treatments, the tattoo will fade and eventually be removed without
scarring.
“While dark blue, red, some lighter blues and green ink respond well to laser
treatment, the best candidate for tattoo removal is someone with a fair
complexion and a black tattoo,” said Dr. Katz.
Myth: Excess body hair is really hard to remove.
Fact: While many men find that they start to grow excess body hair as they age,
there are more ways to deal with it than ever before. Temporary hair removal
techniques include tweezing, shaving, depilatories and waxing. For large areas,
particularly the back and shoulders, these techniques may be too laborious and
laser hair removal may be the best option.
Laser hair removal is becoming more popular with men who want permanent hair
removal. Lasers work by targeting the pigment in the hair follicle and injuring it
so that the hair falls out and cannot grow back. Depending on the size of the
area treated, laser treatments may last anywhere from a few minutes to a few
hours.
“People with light skin and dark hair are the ideal candidates for laser hair
removal,” Dr. Katz said. “But the use of new, longer wavelength lasers and skin
cooling devices have increased the safety of lasers for people with darker skin
types.”
Myth: There is no cure for fungus.
Fact: Most men experience jock itch, athlete’s foot or nail fungus at some point
in their lives. Jock itch and athlete’s foot are caused by tinea fungus, which
thrives in a warm, moist skin environment. Both conditions respond well to overthe-
counter and prescription medications but can recur.
“It’s important to treat both jock itch and athlete’s foot immediately and to be
careful about spreading the fungus from one area of the body to another by using
the same damp towel,” Dr. Katz said. “You can avoid tinea by keeping the areas
it targets dry and clean, wearing shower sandals in public bathing areas and
wearing loose fitting clothing.”
Tinea fungus also can affect the nails, causing the end of the nail to separate
from the nail bed, the skin on which the nail rests. Fungus also may build up
under the nail plate and discolor the nail bed. Toenails are more susceptible to
fungal infections because they are confined in a warm, moist, weight-bearing
environment.
“There are a variety of effective treatments for nail fungus and a dermatologist
can help you find the best one for you,” Dr. Katz said.
Myth: Real men don’t use sunscreen.
Fact: According to the findings of a recent Academy poll, 65 percent of the men
responded that they used sunscreen when outdoors, but only five percent used
sunscreen daily.
"While it’s great that most men know that it’s important to use sunscreen when
they are going to be outside, it would be even better if they used it daily,” Dr. Katz
said. “Not only does sunscreen protect against skin cancer, it’s the No. 1 thing
that men can do to prevent aging skin.”
The consumer poll on skin-related health behaviors and attitudes was a Webbased
poll fielded in September 2005 by the Segmentation Company, a Division
of Yankelovich, Inc., in collaboration with the Academy. A total of 1,112
respondents age 18 and over responded to the poll.
Headquartered in Schaumburg, Ill., the American Academy of Dermatology
(Academy), founded in 1938, is the largest, most influential, and most
representative of all dermatologic associations. With a membership of more than
14,000 physicians worldwide, the Academy is committed to: advancing the
diagnosis and medical, surgical and cosmetic treatment of the skin, hair and
nails; advocating high standards in clinical practice, education, and research in
dermatology; and supporting and enhancing patient care for a lifetime of healthier
skin, hair and nails. For more information, contact the Academy at 1-888-462-
DERM (3376) or
-from www.aad.org.

Hair Regrowth and Hair loss

Hair Regrowth Treatment: Effective Treatments Available to Solve Your Hair Loss Problem

First of all, it is important to remember that we all shed hair. Shedding hair is a normal process of the hair cycle. We shed hair, and there are new ones
that will replace the once that shed off by the body. However, there are some people who experiences excessive hair loss, which means that they
experience excessive shedding of hair. If you notice that your hair is thinning out and that your hairline is receding, it may be time for you to go through
one of the many hair regrowth treatments available today.
Regardless of age, sex, race, and wherever you live, hair loss can be experienced by everyone. Although hair loss is not like a life threatening
disease, you have to consider that many people would do almost anything in order to prevent it. With the numerous hair loss treatments available
today, you will see that hair loss is a problem that can be solved easily.
However, before you go through some of the treatments available, it is important that you should know what kind of hair loss treatment is best for you
in order for you to know what method will work.
There are now over-the-counter and prescription hair loss medication available today. Some claims to be herbal while there are also others that are
manufactured by large pharmaceutical companies with the latest ingredients and chemicals that have been discovered by medical professionals and
scientists to minimize the effects of hair loss.
Whatever medications you take, you will see that most hair loss medicines available today will act as an inhibitor for the DHT. The DHT is a hormone
that has been regarded to be responsible for most kinds of hair loss. However, you have to remember that the increase of DHT levels in the body isn't
the only reason why people experience hair loss. Other reasons would be stress, medications, and it can even be caused by certain diseases.
If stress is the cause of hair loss, then you will want to try relaxing and stimulate your hair follicles through aromatherapy. Most of the oils used in
aromatherapy have been found to stimulate the hair follicles and also improve the body's circulation in order to provide equal nourishment to various
parts of the body which includes the hair.
If the cause of hair loss is a specific disease, you may want to try and get the disease treated. After getting treated for the disease or after being cured
of the disease, you will see that your hair will grow back eventually.
However, if you want to go for a more conventional method to treat hair loss, one treatment that you can go through is hair transplant surgery. This is a
minor surgical operation where the surgeon will plant new hair in your scalp. After a few months, you will start to see that the newly planted hair in your
scalp will grow naturally just like your hair did before.
These are the available treatment for hair loss. If you are one of the millions of people who are suffering from hair loss, then you may want to try some
of the available hair regrowth treatment available today. You will see that not only that these treatments are effective, but it is also very safe.
About the Author
About the author: John Tulley manages the Provillus Alpha7: hair regrowth treatment web site. Our web site has more detailed information on an
effective herbal baldness treatment.
Source: http://www.articletrader.com