Hair Loss Problem and Solutions

Celebrities should lose their hair with dignity

2009-11-20T06:27:00.000-08:00

There's one undeniable fact about the human head — it sticks out of the top of your body and represents the first thing other people see when you come into view. In some cultures, it's acceptable for the head to be completely covered. So, if you go to a strict moslem country, women will only appear in public wearing a hijab (a headscarf) or a burqa which covers the head and upper body. In other cultures, men must cover their heads, e.g. in Sikhism, men are required to wear a turban to cover their uncut hair. Such religious observances and cultural practices are useful if people's hair begins to thin or fall out. The loss remains hidden. In Western cultures, the majority of people are not obliged to cover their heads. Hence, the decision to do so is often taken as a sign they are beginning to lose their hair and want to hide the fact.

There's been considered coverage in the press recently about Andre Agassi. He was one of the best tennis players of his generation and remains a celebrity of sufficient star power that he's publishing a tell-all autobiography. As part of the prepublication marketing campaign, he's been making one or two startling admissions. No doubt this will do wonders for the book sales figures. The most exciting is the story of his drug abuse. What? Andre Agassi a drug cheat? Well, the story goes that, as his hair started to drop out, Andre got depressed. Just think. Here's this cool, long-haired athlete with women throwing themselves at his feet and then all his hair starts to drop out. At a stroke, his sex appeal is gone. So he did a little crystal meth, as you do when you get depressed, and then lied about it when the tennis authorities started talking about banning him. Then he cleaned up his act, shaved his head and wore his baldness with pride, marrying one of the sexiest women tennis players on the planet to prove his full recovery.

So what were his choices way back in time. There's no way he could have worn a wig. Just imagine he's serving for the title in a Grand Slam Tournament and his hair unexpectedly drops off. People are also going to notice if he starts having transplants. So he did the only thing possible to maintain his charisma. He shaved his head. Today, there's a new option. Taken early enough in the hair loss cycle, propecia stops hair loss, may prompt some regrowth and maintains a "head of hair" for as long as you keep taking the drug. The World Anti-Doping Agency has not placed propecia on the list of banned substances so modern athletes can preserve their spectacular plumage with chemical support. This just leaves one question. Is Agassi now going to be prosecuted as a result of baring his soul. The answer is a little complicated. The statute of limitations has expired on the drug use so he's safe there. But there could be possible consequences for lying to the tennis authorities. No doubt he had good legal advice before admitting this and so can laugh all the way to the bank as people buy his autobiography.

About the author:
Sites like http://www.helpyourhair.net/losing-hair-with-dignity.html let John Scott help people around the world in understanding and learning more about the subject. See what John Scott has written for the site here.

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What is Dandruff?

2009-11-19T05:51:00.000-08:00

Dandruff is a very common sclap problem. A morbid condition of the sclap is the emergene of dandruf which is caused by the excessive secretion of the sebaceous glands. Dandruf is infectious and personal articles like comb, towel, etc. of the patient should not be used by others.

Causes of Dandruff

Impairment of general health.
Development of a toxic condition mainly due to taking of wrong foods.
Constipation.
A low vitality due to infectious diseases.

Symptoms of Dandruff

Following are the dandruff symptoms:

1. Falling of scales from the scalp
2. Itching
3. Red scalp due to infection

Treatment of Dandruf-

The aim of treatment is to reduce the level of the yeast pityrosporum ovale on the scalp. Dandruff responds well to the use of medicated, anti-fungal shampoos, especially those containing, in order of effectiveness:

* Selenium sulphide
* Zinc pyrithione
* Coal tar
* Ketoconazole

The shampoo should be massaged into the scalp and left on for 3-5 minutes before being thoroughly rinsed. The hair and scalp should be shampooed with this type of shampoo 1-2 times a week.

Dandruff should improve within 1-2 weeks of starting treatment, but will commonly recur if treatment is stopped.

Home Remedies for Dandruff

The use of a teaspoon of fresh lime juice for the last rinse, while washing the hair, is another useful remedy. This not only leaves the hair glowing but also removes stickiness and prevents dandruff.
Apply a paste of two egg whites mixed with fresh juice of one lime and leave for half an hour. Then wash the hair with neem soap. It control dandruff and give relief to itchy scalp.
Soak fenugreek (methi) seeds in yogurt overnight and apply the curd on your scalp for half an hour before washing in the morning.
The juice of snake gourd has been found beneficial in the prevention and treatment of dandruff. The juice should be rubbed over the scalp for this purpose.
Mix a spoonful of lemon juice with two spoonfuls of vinegar and massage on the scalp. Wash your hair with an egg shampoo after this.
Prepare a paste of fresh neem leaves (Azadirachta indica) and apply it to the scalp. It is very effective and proven natural remedy for dandruff.
Apply coconut oil on scalp. It is very common treatment for dandruff.

Natural Anti-Dandruff Massage:

* Massage your scalp with warm coconut or castor oil twice a week.
* Massage with the tips of your fingers in a circular movement for at least half an hour.
* Leave it on overnight and shampoo the following morning.
* This prevents the hair from becoming dry and moreover prevents dandruff and falling hair by improving the circulation and strengthening the hair roots.

About the author:
Author writes for herbal medicines, hgh and Colon Cleansers.

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Female Hair Loss: Finding A Salon And Treating

2009-10-28T05:08:00.000-07:00

Hair loss is not an exclusive club for men. Many women experience thinning hair beginning in their mid-twenties. Daily activities such as brushing hair and showering may become unwelcome reminders of hair loss. To combat the process, find a hair salon that can diagnose and treat this problem. If you live in the San Diego area, you're in luck. There are many California hair salons specializing in the treatment of women's hair loss.

You can start by finding out if a local San Diego hair salon offers non surgical hair replacement. This is an non evasive procedure that uses real hair. Custom designed hair pieces are attached and placed to blend seamlessly into existing hair. After the hair piece has been attached, your San Diego hair stylist can cut and style hair to the desired look. This soft new addition will not hinder any normal daily activities.

Every few months, when returning to your San Diego hair salon, a stylist will inspect the hair piece and reattach to conform with naturally growing hair. These visits will be no more frequent than your regular hair cut appointments. Hair replacement at a San Diego hair salon could be your solution to women's hair loss.

About the author:
Women Hair Loss Treatment - Advanced Hair Concepts offers a comprehensive range of surgical and non surgical treatments for hair loss ranging from hair transplant to hair restoration, regrowth, replacement, extensions and many more.

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Hair Pieces are the Latest Trend in Fashion

2009-10-06T06:54:00.000-07:00

Hairpieces have been in existence from a very long time but they have never been as stylish as they have become in the recent times. The variety available in the market is huge, but one needs to get the exact hair extensions that suits one's over all personality. Although there are many portals accessible in the market which provide a wide range of such products and services, one needs to go for the best and ultimate ones among the entire lot. Fashion is ever changing and so does the associated accessories such as these wigs.
They are available in the market and even online in different shades, colours and sizes as per your preferences; so one can always choose the best and ultimate ones from the entire lot. There are few things that need to be considered before opting for any such products and related services in the relevant field:1 Quality and standard are both critical factors to look upon; one can definitely not compromise on this at any cost. They determine the durability factor of such products, and so a quality check is a must.2 Price is another factor to look at- though price cannot be compensated at the cost of quality, still one can always ask for various options available so as to get a value oriented service from the product for sure. Being a consumer, one would certainly prefer to buy hair accessories which are economically priced.3 Wigs and related products and services are used by many people either to hide their hair loss problems or to give a different styling to their hair as such. They always make a great hair statement and define a particular look. For instance, one always goes for such products and hair styling services whenever looking to get that hair bun or French pleat. Through these pointers, one can certainly find the best hair accessory service in the field and can make the most of it. There are huge varieties of hairpieces available online as per the concerned client's requirements. So, go and grab the best suited ones as per your needs and overall dressing requirement. One can always refer the net and even any expert for that matter to know the various tips or info which can further enhance your overall hair style or look. Everybody among us, especially women, want to look fashionable and gorgeous. So we need to keep ourselves updated with the latest trends in the fashion industry and get for ourselves a perfect look to flaunt, and also create style statement.
About the author:For more insights and further information about ladies wig visit our site http://www.wigs4u.co.uk/

About Nutritious Hair Foods to Prevent hair Loss

2009-09-30T06:52:00.000-07:00

Hair loss can severely cause lack of confidence and self-esteem, and even depression in some cases. With every lost strand, a person looses a bit of confidence. However, now there are many cosmetic surgeries like hair transplants and graphics and cosmetic treatments like flashpoints extensions and keratins, etc. But still natural and herbal treatments rule the chart.

Natural and herbal treatments are soon gaining preference amongst people trying to curb, reduce or prevent loss of hair. These treatments are easily available, can be done by you at home, are inexpensive and have no side effects. Natural treatments like daily scalp massages, with various hair nutritious oils and other hair foods, followed by a steam treatment can work wonders for one's hair.

Nutritious Hair Foods:

A proper and daily scalp and hair massage improves the quality and health of your hair, strengthens the hair roots and conditions the scalp. It increases the blood circulation to the hair follicles, thus, improving the supply of nutrients to the hair that can make your hair look healthy and become strong.

Scalp Massages need to be done with hair nutritious oil or other hair foods like Goose berry, Henna, etc., that along with the gentle movements of massages can provide the required nutrients needed by hair to prevent or reduce hair loss. Massages alone are not sufficient to provide the necessary amount of nutrients needed, however, along with these nutritional supplements they become sufficient to prevent or reduce further loss of hair and damage.

Following is the list containing some special and effective nutritious hair foods that can be used for scalp massages:

· Oils: Ayurveda mentions three oils that are highly beneficial for thinning hair problems. These three oils are:

1. Almond oil: almond oil is a rich source of Vitamin E. that promotes skin and hair health. Massage with almond oil is not only good for hair, but it is also good for our brain. It is known in India for improving memory, skin and skin's complexion and texture. Massage with this oil once or twice a week followed by steam after one hour.

2. Coconut Oil: this oil helps in revitalising the hair by providing necessary nutrients and makes them shiny and healthy. It not only prevents hair fall, but it also treats dandruff, another cause of hair loss, and also prevents greying of hair. Massage twice in a week with coconut oil followed by steam immediately.

3. Sesame Oil: This oil is known for nourishing and strengthening the hair roots, which not only promotes hair growth but also makes hair silky and black. Massage once in a week with this oil, followed by steam after an hour.

· Aloe Vera Gel: Aloe Vera is a plant that has a special place in all Ayurvedic and medical books. It is not only useful in preventing baldness, but is also effective in treating diabetes, hyper tension, skin diseases and infections, etc. Massage with Aloe Vera gel stimulates the hair follicles to promote new or re-growth of hair. Massage twice or thrice in a week.

About the author:
For more insights and further information about thinning hair visit our site http://www.advancedhairstudio.com

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How To Promote Natural Hair Growth

2009-09-27T07:49:00.000-07:00

Long lustrous hair has been considered a sign of femininity and sexual attractiveness for hundreds of years. Shorter hairstyles may go in and out of fashion but at some stage most women feel like growing their hair long, at least for a while. If you want longer locks then perhaps you are looking for ways to encourage natural hair growth . There are definitely things you can do to encourage hair growth but first it is necessary to understand how the process occurs.

The Three Phases

On average hair grows at a rate of about half an inch per month and about six inches per year. The rate of hair growth begins to slow down as a person gets older. There are about one hundred thousand hairs on a healthy scalp. We lose an average of about one hundred hairs per day. In most cases these lost hairs are replaced by new ones. Hair growth and loss is cyclical and there are three separate phases.

During the initial anagen stage hair growth begins in the follicle and the hair gradually becomes longer as new cells grow. This pushes older cells forward so that the newest hair is always near the base of the scalp. The anagen hair growth phase ends when the new cells cease to develop.

The catagen phase is when the cells of a hair stop dividing to form new ones. That means that the hair stops growing all together and it is only a matter of time before it drops out to make way for a new one. When a new hair begins to grow in the papilla and the old one finally drops out is described as the telegen phase.

Eat Right For Longer Hair

It stands to reason that the healthier you are then the faster your hair will grow and go through the three natural phases. That means that hair growth requires a healthy diet which has sufficient vitamins and essential nutrients.

Hair growth entails the use of protein that comes from foods such as soy, nuts, beans, meat, fish and dairy products to make new cells. Hair growth also requires vitamins such as E and C. If you want your hair to grow quickly you will need to make sure you get the right amount of niacin, inositol, and B complex vitamins. You can get these vitamins from fruits, green leafy vegetables and whole grains.

The hair growth process is slower than it should be for many Americans because we make poor diet choices and do not consume enough of the aforementioned whole foods in order to get the proteins and vitamins we need. If you are concerned your diet is not encouraging hair growth you can either make healthier diet choices or begin a regimen of taking a daily complete multivitamin. Alternatively you could consider having hair extensions. However, extensions can damage the quality of the natural hair.

About the author:
Original article : Natural Hair Growth

For more information about Propecia from Brian Welsch check www.propeciahome.com
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Herbal Propecia: Hair Re-Growth with the Touch of Nature

2009-09-25T01:00:00.000-07:00

According to eastern medical theories it is believed that your hair's situation is a suggestion of your internal body system, and frailty in a person's body tends to reflect into symptoms such as premature gray hair and hair loss and premature gray hair. With the craze of herbal products catching up with everyone, nature based hair loss treatment are on the look out too.

Did you ever imagine about having a herbal alternative for Propecia? Thanks to the research undertaken in the field of hair care, you can now have access to herbal Propecia.

Natural of herbal Propecia include:

• Saw palmetto from nectar of the berry
• Grape seed extract
• Green tea
• Fo ti Root or Ho shu wu

Saw palmetto from the nectar of the berry is known for its benefit of enhancing prostate function in men and stabilized androgen function women.

Grape Seed Extract (Procyanidin oligomers) is naturally derived ingredients from grape seeds that have been revealed to motivate hair growth. Grape seed extracts possess growth stimulus action toward hair cells.

Catechins are the active components in green tea leaves which have been revealed to have anti-androgen assets.

Fo ti Root or Ho shu wu is a Chinese herb consequent of the dried roots of a Japanese evergreen referred to as Polygonum multiflorum. Even though the definite biochemical procedure of this root has yet to be identified, but it has proven that the root may include complex which reduce levels of cholesterol, enhance immune function, augment formation of red blood cell, lessen hardening of the arteries, and control antibacterial action.

This herbal hair loss treatment works by interrupting DHT (Dihydrotestosterone), which hinders the normal act of the hair follicles in the scalp. This action DHT results varies from the partial damage to absolute damage of hair follicles.

Decline in the production of DHT consistently allows for prevention of further hair loss and promotes re-growth in thinning and bald areas. It is noteworthy that the drug Propecia also works by blocking 5-alpha reductase and reducing DHT levels.

Herbal Propecia is meant for usage not only for men but also for women. Accessibility of herbal Propecia is made easy with the emergence of online pharmacies.

About the author:
Alan Anderson writes on health, beauty and hairstyles. He has been working in the same field and writes informative articles for Hair Care subject. To learn more about Herbal hair care products, herbal Propecia, Hair follicles, Procerin, Hair loss, Hair care tips, Rogaine, hair loss treatment, Hair loss products visit http://www.haircaretips.net

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How to Solve Hair Loss

2009-09-19T20:34:00.000-07:00

Many times the first question on the minds of people who have hair loss is the subject of treating their own hair through 'treatment or operation'. Though the majority have decided to pursue an operation, many do this because of a lack of belief in the possibility of natural remedies or lifestyle changes affecting their personal hair loss, trapped in the belief that natural remedies only include rubbing mint in your hair while holding crystals. This misconception has led to many people paying incredible amounts of money for massive operations that do not always have a permanent effect.

The widely known cause of male pattern baldness is an increased level of DHT (or dihydrotestosterone) in the scalp. This hormone attaches itself to the hairs follicles, essentially strangling them by blocking the follicles access to its needed nutrients in the blood-stream. This causes follicle shrinkage that causes hair to be thinner and eventually not grow at all, though this is fortunately a changeable condition.

DHT levels may rise due to many factors, most of them health-related and have to do with not eating the right foods (particularly processed foods and those with excessive salt and fat level), exercise (critical for maintaining the bodies health) and not drinking alcohol to excess. Simple things like this aid the body and maximise its ability to absorb and efficiently use important nutrients and vitamins and maintain healthy organs, notably the liver (which alcohol damages), preventing it from properly managing hormone levels in the bodies metabolism.

Though a healthy lifestyle may help, most hair loss sufferers have a genetic pre-disposition for this DHT shift and must accept their bodies change.

Fortunately, there are now supplements that can be taken which prevent DHT formation on the follicles of hair, by restricting and lowering the DHT hormonal levels while simultaneously delivering your body the complete range of vitamins, minerals and herbs (such as vitamin b6, biotin, magnesium, zinc, saw palmetto, and nettle among others) that it would need in order to maintain optimum hair growth and follicle function.

One of the most respected companies that research and produce these supplements is Natural Health Springs (a member of the Natural Products Association), who's research-and-development of the Provillus product range has yielded a breakthrough high quality product that delivers ingredients which are scientifically-proven to decrease the level of DHT in the blood stream, as well restoring follicle health and function to ensure a full head of hair is never beyond reach.

Click the link below for more information on how you can achieve hair growth through the Provillus product range.

Did you find this article helpful? If you did, then you can take a look at our Provillus hair loss product range: http://NaturalHealthSprings.com

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Find Out How To Deal With Hair Loss Problem!

2009-09-19T08:13:00.000-07:00

Hair is known to be an integral part of human body. It defines the way you look and changes the appearance of a person. It is no wonder that there is splurge in number of hair stylists all around. They help in styling that gives a new look to a person. It is a big business indeed. Styling hair gives a complete new look to a person. The number of people styling their hair is constantly on the rise. This results out of the need to look good.

The upcoming hair saloon in and around the city are evident of the fact how big the business is. It is one of the elements in transforming the look of a person besides make up and clothing. Hence, often a lot of emotional attachment is involved when it comes to the length of the hair or volume. Losing hair serves as a blow to many people.

The very thought of going bald can seem scary to many people. Those, who have been facing the problem from quite some time and are on the verge of losing hair completely, can consult hair specialists. They can study the health of a person and suggest the remedy for the problem.

This problem is also known as “alopecia”. The problem may arise out of many reasons. Frequent illness, improper diet, lack of exercise can lead to this kind of problem. When faced with such kind of a problem, it is advisable to approach a dietician. This person can restructure the kind of food you consume and the additional vitamins and minerals that can help counter attack the problem. They can suggest a change in diet that can help tackle the problem.

Sometimes, you may also be required to consume medicine. In extreme cases, you may be required to undergo a surgery or hair transplant. It is also believed that this may result in adverse effect on the health of a person. Before undergoing this kind of treatment, you may be required to undergo complete medical examination. The treatment by and large also depends on the gender too.

Both men and women are known to experience the problem differently. There are various causes for hair loss for both of them. Besides, this it also depends on the body type of the person. Sometimes, the problem may also result due to allergic reactions and medication interactions. Hence, it is very important to examine all the causes to prevent further hair loss. This can help tackle the problem effectively. Hair restoration surgery can help in effectively dealing with the problem.

About the author:
Sadhana D, Expert Author, Platinum status. Find out more information on: Hair Restoration Surgery

Get information on hair loss treatment: Hair Restoration for Men

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Hair Replacement Surgery and Correcting a Bad Hair Transplant

2009-09-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hair replacement surgery has come a very long way. No one wants an unnatural hairline or obvious plugs of hair that only make matters worse. Thankfully, the advances in hair replacement surgery have made a lot of these worries a thing of the past. Hair replacement surgery today is a relatively painless, minor surgery performed under a local anesthetic and only takes a few hours. The results are far superior to what they were just a few years ago.

If you are considering hair replacement surgery, there are a few things you should know when selecting a doctor. First, make sure that you see plenty of before and after pictures. Ask how many procedures each result took. You want to select a surgeon that is honest, has a lot of experience and can give you realistic expectations about your results.

Keep in mind that hair replacement surgeons may have different opinions about what will look best on you. There is a lot of room for interpretation when it comes to desired results. The surgeon that you use should be a creative, artistic type of person. You can usually get an idea of the surgeons ability by the before and after pictures that you see. Ask yourself how natural the hairlines look. Do the hairlines match the faces of the people that you see? Do some look too dense or have an odd color and texture?

Hair should look like it belongs on the head that it is on. If you visit some doctors, you might notice that they seem to put the same shape and density of hair on every person. This is not a good sign. Just because it looks natural on one person, does not mean that it will look good on another. Look for variations in results. When you have a consultation, the doctor should tell you why they are making certain decisions. For instance, your facial features, face shape and other characteristics should be taken into consideration before any decisions are made.

Many men and women have received hair transplants where the doctor used plugs or punch biopsies to fill in blank spaces on the scalp. These plugs make a very noticeable, unnatural hairline that many people are now looking to correct. The procedure itself was not all wrong, but the grafting was not as fine tuned as it is today. You can get your old hair transplant plugs subtly blended to look a lot more natural. This usually only takes one small surgical session and can make your hairline look real again.

Whether you are looking to have hair transplant surgery or you are looking to correct it, selecting your doctor is the first step. Selecting an experienced surgeon that is diligent, patient, creative and artistic can mean the difference in a natural look or an unnatural appearance.

About the author:
Dr. Brett Bolton is a Miami hair transplant Specialist specifically trained for hair transplant surgery. Dr. Bolton has provided unparalleled Miami hair replacement techniques since 1997. For more information, visit: www.greathairtransplants.com.

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Tackle Hair Loss Problem Effectively!

2009-09-12T21:54:00.000-07:00

Most of the people suffer from hair loss problem. Men, women and children are all equally affected by this problem. Stress and an unhealthy lifestyle have aggravated the situation. Hair loss is not an uncommon problem. The situation can be overcome with medication and a healthy lifestyle.

Know more about male-pattern baldness:

Male-pattern baldness is quite common with most of the men. Though, it is not a life-threatening condition, it is known to affect the morale of the men adversely. It is not even a symptom of a more debilitating condition. Most of the people suffer from low self esteem.

Many men lose their hair and, apart from worrying about how they look occasionally, they do not really think much more about it. It must be understood that male pattern baldness, is a common problem that affects a sizeable number of people. Around two thirds of all men are affected by male-pattern baldness during their lives.

The situation can be overcome with appropriate treatment. Hence, there is no need to worry about it. It isn’t as though your baldness is really going to make you stand out from the crowd. However, it serves a severe blow to the confidence of a person causing much worry and anxiety. There are many products available that can effectively tackle the situation. Hair transplant is an effective way of dealing with the problem. There are many medical treatments available that can help you tackle the problem.

Male-pattern baldness can affect some men in the late teens or early twenties. Hence, the sense of anxiety can be greatly heightened in these sorts of cases.
Similarly, the anxiety and loss of self-esteem that can sometimes occur with male-pattern baldness can develop into something more serious. For instance, men suffer with extreme anxiety about their condition and can develop agoraphobia. It can affect both their personal and professional lives, making it difficult to form relationships.

Physical appearance indeed matters and when a problem like hair loss surfaces, it becomes increasingly difficult to deal with the situation. The loss of hair is sometimes only the visible aspect of the anxiety and psychological issues that lie beneath it. However, the by-product of this is that a fast-growing industry has developed around male-pattern baldness that can sometimes take the place of good quality medical advice. A condition such as male-pattern baldness can be difficult to talk about, especially if you are suffering from low self-esteem. A hair specialist can certainly help you out.

About the author:
Sadhana D, Expert Author, Platinum status. Find out where to get Hair Restoration: Hair Restoration Treatments

Causes of Hair Loss online: Causes of Female Hair Loss

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Treatment Available for Hair Loss Problem!

2009-09-07T06:35:00.000-07:00

Have you been experiencing hair loss problem of late? If yes, then there are many remedies available that can treat the problem. The problem has been affecting people of all age groups. Men, women and children are all equally affected by the problem. However, you must be aware that there are remedies available for this.

Irrespective of the fact whether you are a woman or man, you can effectively tackle the problem. This is known to affect people of both the sexes. Generally, men experience this problem more than women. Men, usually go bald over the head. However, some medications may increase the severity of hair loss problem. It may be advisable to consult a physician or a hair specialist.

Some kind of skin condition can also lead to the problem. Psoriasis is a condition wherein the skin cells build up abnormally. This can block hair follicles and create a condition for baldness. The hair specialist can evaluate the condition and guide you. Other conditions that might be contributing to your problem you may also want your doctor to evaluate your scalp.

You can even opt for hair transplant surgery that can help tackle the problem. This kind of surgery has helped many people. Before going in for this kind of surgery, it is advisable you get a detailed check up done. The physician will take into consideration your general well being and suggest whether you are fit enough to undergo the surgery. This kind of procedure is known to be expensive. You must opt for it if you can afford it. There are very less side effects of the surgery. You need not suffer due to hair loss problem.

Some of the facts about hair are:

Hair grows an average of an inch every two months
The average head can shed up to 100 of its 100,000 hairs every day

Sudden loss of hair or loss in clumps generally indicates a different kind of problem. This type of symptom can be caused by a number of factors, that includes hormonal changes, medications, thyroid problems, among others.

Usually, male pattern baldness starts with a receding hairline and in the centre of the forehead. This is usually followed by the formation of bald spot on the top of the head, towards the back and centre. Gradually, most of the hair on the head falls of. When a person reaches this stage, medication proves quite ineffective and it is difficult to deal with the problem. This situation can be overcome by a hair transplant. This is an expensive procedure, however effective.

About the author:
Sadhana D, Expert Author, Platinum status. Find out information on hair loss: Medications for Hair Loss

Know more about male hair loss: Male Hair Loss Treatment

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Hair Loss? Massage Your Scalp Thirty Seconds Daily for a Fix

2009-09-05T01:32:00.000-07:00

As the years roll on the skin accross your scalp can become quite tight – in fact this can be a major factor contributing to baldness in men even when young – so it requires constant massage to keep it relaxed, elastic and supple. When taking your shower, with the water running through your hair, take your fingernails and run them quite sharply along your scalp front to back several times covering your whole scalp. You will feel your blood stimulate immediately in the skin and give your head a quite pleasant sensation.

Whilst that continues place all of the fingers of both hands against the sides of your head just above your ears where it begins to curve over the top of your scalp. Press firmly and push the skin vigorously upward and over the dome, inward and outward back down again. You may find the skin tight at the beginning, so persevere and continue thirty seconds everyday and after a week or two you will find that your skin loosens up considerably and becomes much more flexible. Once you have achieved this it is then easy to keep it supple with twenty to thirty seconds of massage every time you shower, or even by washing in the basin when not. You can even do it anytime in the dry.

This massaging will stimulate the blood flow streaming through that part of your scalp and feed all of your hair roots, which in turn will assist keeping the hair firmly rooted in its follicle instead of being strangled, dying and falling out.

Once this becomes a habit, you will automatically perform it first up in the shower or hand basin – thirty seconds combined daily of these two techniques will be enough to keep your scalp elastic, relaxed and happy. Also, you will notice that your hair begins to take on a sheen that wasn’t there before, has more bounce and if you have been losing hair that this massaging technique will reduce it considerably if not halt it altogether.

Now, here’s a radical idea you can try. Take all your shampoos and conditioners and throw them out! Can you do it? Add up how much you spend every year on these preparations and you can see how you can save quite an amount of money. Your hair doesn’t need shampoo as is illustrated by the fact that after you have washed it with shampoo(dries it out), you then have to apply conditioner – rather a pointless exercise don’t you think?

How to achieve this? Quite simply. As the water is running through your hair whilst you carry out your thirty second massage treatment it will get its wash at the same time, so you combine both treatments into one – easy huh? Once you step out of the shower, dry your hair in the normal way fluffing it up so that it looks nice and natural. You will be rather pleased with the effect.

Depending on how oily your hair is will determine how long it takes to revert to its natural and lustrous state. This varies from person to person and it could be just a few days for folks with less oily hair to a couple of weeks for more oily hair. But, once you have arrived at this point, your hair will feel and look just great and you will never spend money on all those hair care products again.

About the author:
Vincent Bossley is a publisher and sailor living on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia. Visit him on his website at http://www.sailboat2adventure.com
dedicated to all sailors, planning sailors , armchair sailors, virtual sailors and indeed anyone who has ever dreamt about sailing off into the oceans of this beautiful planet of ours. He offers an extremely useful package of '101 Dollar Saving Tips' which may save you many hundreds or even thousands of dollars during your voyage. Includes absolutely FREE his 135 page illustrated download ebook of his four year sailing adventure - He is passionate about getting you started on yours. Click here now http://www.sailboat2adventure.com

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Remedy for Your Hair Loss

2009-09-04T07:44:00.000-07:00

Products for people with hair loss and how well they work can be different according to each person. Males as well as females have unique reasons for losing their hair, and it works out better if they used products that are precisely created for their gender. Because people have various reasons for losing their hair as well as their physical chemistry is unique, some people have a different reactions to specific remedies. The best method to assist you in making a decision about a remedy is to discuss this with your doctor. Your doctor might be able to identify the real reason for your hair loss, and can help you come to a conclusion about the right method to treat your hair loss. Your doctor might suggest changing the way you eat or alter your lifestyle to delay your hair loss. This might be a cheaper way for you, and surely it is not as risky as using a new medication or getting an operation. Some people might have allergies or problems with medications that result in immediate or uneven pieces of hair loss. Being aware of the possible reasons, certainly after you lose your hair suddenly or don't have any explanation why you lost your hair, can assist you in finding a solution before you lose anymore hair.

When you are choosing a remedy for your hair loss, you should know about the possible side effects and the problems connected to using this product. Attempting to obtain the best hair loss remedy created for your precise requirements can be very hard, since their are many products available with various potent substances, promises and prices. An operation should never be the first choice because of the risks that are connected to this and since it is costly it should only be considered when the other less invasive remedies don't work. Even though discovering the best remedy for hair loss might appear to be an overwhelming assignment, investigating by looking at articles, speaking with other people who have used products, and becoming knowledgeable is important. Many choices for remedies consist of three major categories: medicine, operations, and supplements/hair cleansing products.

Since you have decided to do something about your hair loss, take as much time as it requires to find out about the various remedies that are available for sale currently. Deciding to fix your hair loss is a vital one. The purpose is to use good sense as you take your time and be careful with your money so you can find the best hair loss remedy for you that is created according to your personal requirements. Using a basic method first (like taking supplements or washing your hair with a special formula) before you attempt more invasive ways (like an operation) will help you avoid taking unneeded risks and spending too much money in your struggle against hair loss.

For more information about male hair loss treatment visit Procerin.com

About the author:
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Learn more about hair loss products and hair loss treatment at Procerin.com

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Sudhani specializes in promoting websites for highly competetive terms like procerin and you can reach him at www.aniseo.com.
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Medical Hair Restoration for Men!

2009-08-30T07:23:00.000-07:00

Hair loss problem is not uncommon. Most of the men and women are known to suffer from the problem. Earlier, the problem was relatively lees. However, in the recent past, it has been known to affect both men and women. Over and above, an increasing number of youngsters are also known to be affected by the problem. The reasons for the problem are immense.

An unhealthy lifestyle and improper exercise regime is known to affect the health of a person. This can create serious health problem. Excessive stress is known to lead to the problem of hair loss. However, there are various remedial measures available that can help tackle the problem successfully. Hair transplant methods can help improve the receding hairline. Apart from this, taking some medicines that can help improve the hairline can also promote hair growth.

Some problems of hair loss are temporary, while some are permanent. For every problem, there is a cure. Consulting a hair specialist will help resolve the problem. They will study the problem of the patient in depth and suggest a suitable solution. Each patient being unique has different physique and health related issues. It is only after careful consultation that a physician can suggest the course of action to be taken. There are numerous causes for hair loss.

Heredity factors — One of the common cause of hair loss is heredity. This happens when families usually pass down the problem throughout the generations. It is typically more prevalent among men. It also occurs with women.

Improper diet — Improper diet and not getting enough nutrients in your body, can cause hair loss. Not consuming sufficient amount of water can also lead to the problem.

Stress — Stress is known to be the biggest factor of hair loss. Stress leads to adverse affect on the health of a person. Hair loss problem is the most common problem of stress.

Medications — People who are on medication for a long time may also suffer hair loss problem. There are certain medications that cause an adverse effect on the health of a person. It can even lead to hair loss. Medications such as high blood pressure pills, birth control pills, and chemotherapy generally cause hair loss.

Illnesses — Besides all these factors, illness over a period of time can also lead to loss of hair. Certain health issues such as high fever or thyroid disorders, and scalp conditions, such as psoriasis, cause hair loss problem.

Medical hair restoration for men can help restore hair growth. Seeking help from best medical specialist will help address the problem. Following certain precautionary measures as part of treatment will also help get over the problem of hair loss. As soon as you notice the problem, you can approach a hair specialist.

About the author:
Sadhana D, Expert Author, Platinum status. Find out where to get Medical hair restoration for Men: Medical hair restoration for Men

Medications for hair loss Directory online: Medications for hair loss

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Beyonce: Plastic Surgery Performed and Information on Plastic Surgery

2009-08-29T01:54:00.000-07:00

Beyonce became famous with the group Destiny’s Child. She is a popular rhythm and blues singer. She also is a singer-songwriter and record producer. Beyonce later tried her hand at acting. The movie that got her noticed is Austin Powers in Goldmember in the year 2002.

At the same time, Beyonce’s song “Work it Out” was released as the Austin Powers movie she took part in. With two hits this brought her stardom to great heights.

Beyonce is thought to have had certain plastic surgeries performed. First and foremost, she is thought to have had rhinoplasty or a nose job. The look is stunning on her face as it is not too over done like other movie stars and singers have done. Her new nose looks attractively thinner and beautifully fits her face.

Beyonce is also thought to have had lip reduction. This may have been done to make her face seem more proportioned with her rhinoplasty. Whether Beyonce had plastic surgery performed or not, she looks gorgeous.

When comparing photos of Beyonce, it is also suspected that she has had breast implant surgery. Older photos show smaller breasts in revealing tops compared to newer photos in revealing tops. Beyonce looks stunning with her new figure.

If you are considering getting plastic surgery please make sure you choose a high quality physician. Get references and do your homework to make sure you are getting the best possible doctor for yourself.

If you are looking to have a nose job or rhinoplasty, consult with your plastic surgeon doctor. Most doctors will show you before and after pictures of your current nose and the results after surgery. You will get a straight on view of your face and a profile view. Some people want to change the complete look of their nose while others want a smaller version. Make sure you and your doctor are expecting the same surgical results.

If you want your lips reduced you must speak to your doctor, too. In the current day fuller lips are preferred so make sure you really want this type of surgery done.

Breast augmentation is a popular surgical procedure. Your doctor can give you a consultation to make sure you are a good candidate for breast augmentation. You have a choice between silicone breast implants and saline breast implants. Saline is thought to be a safer choice. If saline breast implants accidentally leak, the salt water inside of the implant will not harm the body. Silicone breast implants are not that friendly to one’s body if they accidentally leak.

Beyonce’s alleged plastic surgery has enhanced her looks for the better. You may choose to enhance your beauty as well.

About the author:
Visit a Los Angeles breast augmentation, New York breast augmentation, or Chicago breast augmentation surgeon.

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Experience the Ultimate Hair Shine with Alfaparf

2009-08-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

Like it or hate it but we are judged and judge others by appearances. Don’t we all feel that we still get attracted and fascinated by looks that are pretty and attractive? Western cultures have taught us that the word beautiful has to be devoted to slim, young and fit. I wonder at the things that we don’t like spots, scars and others skin disorders, we can’t withstand people with bad breath, or sweat……… don’t you think its a big No. Dandruff and greasy hair is something we tend to avoid at the maximum. But to all these problems which are a big No, we have some of the beauty products that have been designed specially to make us feel, look, and smell good.

As a result, shop for yourself all these products that make you look good, attractive and they also help you to revive your confidence. We all are aware that women are never satisfied with their hair, women blessed with thick and straight hair desire to have curls and those that have natural curls get fascinated with straight and thick hair. Bottom line is that you will not find a single woman who completely admits that she is whole heartedly satisfied with her hair.

So it is important to learn how to choose the right kind of hair products for your hair. Selecting the right kind of product is not an easy task; you need to spend enough time to know your requirements. In this article, I am going to target on providing the products that are offered by Alfaparf. Alfaparf is one of the finest brands that offer you with a complete range of products that are designed for natural and color treated hair, you can experience the visible shine in your hair within minutes of usage of these products right from shampoo to styling.

The shampoo, conditioner, serums and treatment products have been designed with effective customized formulas that work deep down to restore the shine for your dull hair. The products are made out of linseed extracts, Vitamin E, Omega-3 and Omega – 6 that specialize in repairing the hair cuticles, eye knocking shine and softness. Further, the microcrystalline formula used in hair products create and define virtually any type of hair texture.

The shampoos offered by Alfaparf are gentle and they have been uniquely formulated to cleanse hair and add shine. They have also been equipped and enhanced with wheat germ and linseed extracts, this shampoo provides with the amazing outcome of reinforcing the hair cuticles and also making it supple, glossy and I can assure that the comb will just slide through your hair.

The Alfaparf hydrate conditioner has been designed for regular use on dry and damaged hair. The linen flower extracts along with sunflower extracts and extract of violet are known to provide protection as well as super hydration and nourishment.

The Alfaparf Gold serum is known to wrap your hair in an invisible mini shield of extreme softness and it also known for the repairing effect of split ends along with the smoothening effect on the rough cuticle.

So if you have been lasting for the ultimate smoothening effect, then this is the brand that you have been looking for. In the forthcoming articles you will experience the bets brands for skin care, nail care and makeup.

About the author:
Jishnu Raj is a Copywriter of Moroccan oil, yonka. He has written many articles on various topics like T3 hair dryer, strivectin, Dermalogica, revitalash, frederic fekkai, rene furterer, dr grandel, Murad, yonka.

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Facial Hair Removal-What is Best for You

2009-08-26T07:11:00.000-07:00

In the circus, the bearded lady is an attraction that every person wants to see. However, this is not the case in everyday life; it is a very secure woman that feels comfortable with noticeable facial hair. Therefore, for most women it is important to have an effective means of facial hair removal.

Sugaring is becoming a popular alternative to waxing, which can cause redness and bumps on the skin. This method involves placing a syrup ball, made of sugar, water and lemon juice, onto the skin and then quickly striping it back off. The striping motion removes the hair by the root. Sugaring is also a good alternative for anyone who has had burned skin due to wax that was applied while it was too hot.

Shaving is never recommended for facial hair removal in women. Shaving needs to be done on a daily basis and causes the hair to grow back darker and more course than before. While all of the other methods listed are equally acceptable for both men and women, shaving should only be attempted by a man.

Another temporary, but rather affective form of facial hair removal is waxing. Waxing consists of applying hot wax to the area where hair is to be removed. The wax is then pulled in the opposite direction of hair growth, taking the hair with it. This method of hair removal is expected to last four to six weeks for most people. One point of interest, when hair is removed via waxing, it tends to grow back lighter and finer than before. Be very careful when waxing as the wax can be hot enough to scald the skin.

There are several ways to remove facial hair in women including waxing, using a depilatory cream or bleaching. The easiest, least painful and most cost effective is to use a depilatory cream. This solution works by changing the chemical makeup of the hair at the skin line, making it easy to wipe away. While this is effective, it is not long lasting, usually needing to be repeated every three to five days. Be sure, when choosing this option to only use a cream that is formulated for the face, creams that are to be used on other parts of the body may cause irritation to the face.

About the author:
John Mancini has been writing about Laser Hair Removal online and offline for a long time. Visit http://ez-laser-hair-removal.info or http://hair-removal-central.info to read more about matters like laser hair removal and hair removal for man.

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Tips For Hygienic Recovery After hair Restoration Surgery

2009-08-26T07:09:00.000-07:00

The period after surgery is very crucial for the success of hair transplantation. You need to be careful and cautious during these days. At the time of surgery, blood and crusts were cleaned up properly. But, there is a chance of their reappearance. You should clean them properly and in a hygienic condition. This enables the healing mechanism of your body to secure the grafts firmly. To minimize crusting, doctors recommend daily shampooing beginning 24 hours after the procedure. The flow of the shower needs to be mild and should not create any pressure on the scalp.

Though hair restoration surgery (and the after) is less painful compared to the other surgeries, you can minimize the pain level with the help of medicines. The medicine may include mild sleeping pills and pain killers. If you take these medicines, avoid long driving and taking alcohol.

Swelling of the forehead for a few days after the medical hair restoration surgery is not as common in recent years thanks to new techniques. On rare occasions there might be bleeding in the grafted area. In such situation, you are advised to put firm and continuous pressure on that area to stop it. After the bleeding stops, clean the area with a towel or a hygienic napkin. If you can not check bleeding, contact immediately to the concerned doctor.

Itching starts when the transplanted area starts healing. Hence, you should not be worried as itching is the sign of recovery. In the initial days after the surgery, avoid any sort of exercise that includes neck flexing, putting pressure on neck or back. Be in regular touch with the physician to make the early days of recovery hygienic and safe.

About the author:
Myself webmaster of http://www.truedorin.com - get hair transplant information and treatment from Hair transplant doctors in New Jersey and for Hair transplant New York.

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Hair Loss and Surgical Hair Restoration

2009-08-22T18:16:00.000-07:00

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 hairs. 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.

About the author:
Myself webmaster of http://www.truedorin.com - a website for Hair transplant surgery, get hair restoration surgery, Surgical hair restoration done from hair restoration surgeon in New Jersey.

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Hair Loss or Alopecia

2009-08-19T07:27:00.000-07:00

Hair loss or Alopecia is a growing concern for both men and women today. With changes in lifestyles and environments, the causes for hair loss seem only to have multiplied. Factors like stress, genetics, pollution and hygiene are most obvious to the same.

Once you have realized the fact that hair loss is a cause for low self esteem, necessary steps can be taken to tackle it.

Since every person has varied body chemistry and factors for hair loss appropriate hair care products will differ. Consult your physician first on your condition. He will enquire first to your food habits, environment, family, menstrual cycles, recent illnesses, allergies and so on. Knowing potential culprits, particularly after the onset of a sudden or unexplained hair loss can help you solve the problem before your hair loss progresses any further.

When you start treatment for hair loss, please remember the fact that all medicines and products available will cause a mild side effect to most people. This is not a very well known fact despite the market containing numerous medicines of varying origin and treatment procedures which keep making the best claims and promises.

Surgical procedures should never be a first option, the associated risks and costs should only be assumed when no less invasive treatment has proven effective. Before you take any serious step to fight this disease, studies show that reading articles, talking to people with similar problems and general awareness helps in deciding with the better option.

It's important to spend a little time thinking about potential causes, talking to a doctor, researching treatment methods and their validity before going in for invasive surgery. The goal is to use your investment of time and money wisely in finding the best hair loss treatment available for you and targeted to your specific needs.

For more information about male hair loss treatment visit Procerin.com

About the author:
Learn More:

Learn more about hair loss products and hair loss treatment at Procerin.com

About Author:

Sudhani specializes in promoting websites for highly competetive terms like procerin and you can reach him at www.aniseo.com.

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Hair loss shampoos - Factors contributing to hair loss

2009-08-15T06:45:00.000-07:00

As we all know that most companies advertise their products on the basis of a laboratory test in which they demonstrate that their concerned product is effective for hair loss treatment. They also display that their shampoo is approved or recommended by a group or association of dermatologists. But do you think such an advertising campaign is sufficient to satisfy the needs of a customer? The product is valuable only if it can solve your problem, or else it is worthless. You cannot trust and provide hair loss reviews until and unless you have used the specific brand of shampoo your self and have experienced satisfying results.

There are a large number of brands currently available in market that claim that their hair loss shampoo not only prevents hair loss but also supports hair growth. It contains ingredients that are capable of blocking DHT production. It is a kind of hormone produced by the body to cease the growth of new hair. Other types of hair loss shampoos have entered into the market as well that will guarantee that your hair will grow back by 45% to 50%. Strange! Isn't it? They will have supportive facts for their words. The hair loss shampoo offered is highly rich in amino acids, which are a must for a healthy and lively scalp. An additional feature is that this shampoo is applicable for all types of hair, whether it is perfectly healthy or thin!

Before going for unbiased hair loss reviews and using various hair loss shampoos and anti hair loss pills it is important to remember one thing. There is not much difference in between taking care of health and that of hair. When there is a problem related with hair loss then the importance of hair loss shampoos and pills cannot be contradicted. But first of all it is imperative to understand the reasons for hair loss. Each and every person does not have the same reason for hair loss. Use of excessive amount of chemicals on hair can also lead to hair loss; for e.g. in case of hair dye.

In some cases, the use of hair drier can also cause hair fall, as all types of hair are not suitable for it. Improper food habits and lack of proper sleep can also contribute to it significantly. Having nutritious food with proper amount of sleep can help to combat hair loss problems to a great extent. If a person is under severe stress from a prolonged period of time then also he or she can encounter ominous signs of hair loss. Certainly, hair loss shampoos are not successful for all kinds of hair loss problems. It is better to make an assessment of all factors contributing to hair loss and opt for hair loss treatments accordingly.

About the author:
For more information on hair loss shampoos and Hair Loss Reviews of Hair Loss Cures, Hair Loss Treatments, and Pills, please do visit our site or write to us - http://www.healthwatch.info/

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Treatment Available for Hair Loss Problem!

2009-08-08T18:53:00.000-07:00

Removing black hair dye

2009-08-07T18:48:00.000-07:00

Hair dye’s are used by people every where to give their hair a 3D’cle look making them look good, but when it comes to removing hair dye especially “Black” hair dye it’s a whole new aspect as it needs more attention and more precautions to attend to the health of the hair after the process. Removing black hair dye is a special case; continue reading and we tell you various methods of removing it from our hair and other undesirable places.

Removing black hair dye is a tricky process, and if it’s permanent the process gets trickier. The best way or method is to let nature of our body do it’s work, what do you mean you say, let your natural black hair outgrow the black dyed hair. If you in a hurry or your annual dinner is just round the corner and your need a quick hair do, bleaching with chemicals is the only way to go. Bleaching is a straining process, not for you of course with you sitting on the salon reading magazines with air conditioning; but to your hair.

Bleaching makes your hair stretchy and thin, as bleaching bleaches away the black dye and the outer layer of your hair making it fragile. If it’s done in a non-professional matter your hair may come loose on your comb, don’t get frighten like you got cancer. The main caution when removing black hair dye is that so it is to be removed evenly. After the bleaching process a toner is recommended to be used as this would reduce the orangey tone of the hair. It also acts as a conditioner for the hair preventing further damage.

Other options are also available to be used for removing black hair dye, which is to use other colored dyes to remove it after some mild bleaching and shampooing. A mixture of powder bleach and shampoo/conditioner is used, whilst preparing the mixture with equal parts of water. A creamy consistency or mixture is to be obtained after a mild mixing of the ingredients is done.

The mixture after been applied evenly and quickly slows down the bleaching process that actually strains the hair. This process is to be done at salons with people who are professionals in such fields, but for people that are equip with enough knowledge and practice it can be done at home. The time frame which the mixture is left on the hair is also a vital factor, if a short duration is at hand it would make the process easier but the whole process would take a much longer period of time as several trips are needed to complete the whole circle of process.

Black hair dye has to be dealt with respect, as it is difficult to be removed from any surface including skin and fabric. Applying Vaseline along the hairline is a good idea for prevention. Several other ways of removing black hair dye like rubbing cigarette ash, dipping milk in cotton balls, using WD-40, nail polish and hair spray over the stained area can also be applied.

About the author:
Deepak Bansal is an internet marketing consultant having experience of 4.5 years in search engine optimization industry. We are specialist in search engine optimization, link building, internet marketing, copyrighting and content development. This article is written by content writing team of http://www.deepakbansal.com - Link Popularity

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Hair Loss or Alopecia

2009-08-05T07:41:00.000-07:00

Types of Hair Loss Products

2009-08-04T09:01:00.000-07:00

People today are very concerned about their appearance and to this end they spend large amounts of money to maintain their looks. One problem often faced by people and which is very annoying is hair loss, which is many times premature. Markets are teeming with different types of hair loss products, but a single product cannot prove to be effective for all. A particular brand may give great results to one person, but it may not suit that much to another. Similarly, there is an exclusive range of male and female hair care products. When a person suffers from alopecia, it is best to consult a hair expert or your doctor. Very often, you might be trying to treat your hair loss problem with external remedies, but the real culprit may be something different. It is important to get to the root cause of the problem and your doctor can help you and guide you well to this end. Sometimes health problems may cause severe hair loss, so instead of just relying on do it yourselves remedies, it would be advisable to consult your physician. Your doctor might give suggestions regarding your diet, lifestyle etc which can help to combat your problem. At times relocating to new place can also cause severe hair loss if the water or the area does not suit a person. So it is essential to know the exact cause of unexplained hair loss.

Before opting for a hair loss treatment option, it is important to gather relevant information about that option. You should check what kinds of ingredients are used in a particular product. Usually herbal products are considered safe and they do not have side effects. At times home remedies or using ingredients available in your kitchen can also help you solve this problem, if it is a minor problem. You can easily get relevant information about various hair loss treatment methods by checking with your friends, relatives or colleagues who have faced a similar problem and check about the effectiveness about various hair loss treatment options. It is pretty easy to get any kind of information by making an online search, and you should check out various hair care treatment methods and their success rates. You can get a rough idea about various products by visiting company websites or reading customer reviews. Spend time to check about side effects of different methods, because this might be extremely important for you in the long run.

Before finalizing a hair loss treatment method, do extensive research and find useful information and facts about each method. Satisfy yourself that the method which you are opting for is best for your case. The results of various hair loss treatment methods vary on a case to case basis, so find how effective your selected method will be in your case. It would be wise to start with an easy method like hair care products/ shampoos or supplements which help boost hair growth and stop excessive hair loss rather than heading straight for invasive methods like hair grafting. Surgical methods are often expensive and might be risky and costly, so start with easier methods and check their effectiveness, before opting for the extreme cures.

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Learn more about hair loss products to stop thinning hair at Procerin.com

Hair Loss is a Problem for Both Men and Women

2009-07-28T07:21:00.000-07:00

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.

About the author:
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Learn more about hair loss products and hair loss treatment at Procerin.com

About Author

Sudhani specializes in promoting websites for highly competetive terms like procerin and you can reach him at www.aniseo.com.

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Problem of Hair Loss

2009-07-27T07:22:00.000-07:00

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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Sudhani specializes in promoting websites for highly competetive terms like procerin and you can reach him at www.aniseo.com.

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Hair Loss and Surgical Hair Restoration

2009-07-26T00:21:00.000-07:00

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.

About the author:
Myself webmaster of http://www.truedorin.com - a website for Hair transplant surgery, get hair restoration surgery, Surgical hair restoration done from hair restoration surgeon in New Jersey.
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Who is a Good Candidate for Hair Transplant Surgery?

2009-07-25T01:25:00.000-07:00

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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Find a San Diego hair restoration, Denver hair restoration, or Los Angeles hair restoration professional.

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Hair Loss Treatment for Women!

2009-07-24T18:16:00.000-07:00

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.

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

Hair loss treatment for women directory online: Hair Loss Treatment for Women

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Hair Transplantation for Men

2009-07-15T05:45:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-14T06:45:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-13T08:29:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-12T02:15:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-11T00:31:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-10T05:24:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-09T05:54:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-08T06:28:00.000-07:00

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

Hair Regrowth Treatment

2009-06-30T05:40:00.000-07:00

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

Hair loss Problem?

2009-06-30T05:31:00.000-07:00

Propecia for Treatment of Baldness or Hair loss Problem

What is Baldness?

The problem of baldness is so serious that many people fall deep into depression due to hair problems. They develop a kind of inferiority complex. Let us read about normal cycle of hair growth so that we can understand the need for treatment in a better way.
One hair generally lasts for two to six years. In one month, each hair records a growth of approximately one centimeter. During the hair cycle, some are in the process of growing while as some are in the resting phase. After few months, new hair growth starts in place of old hair that falls out. Even if you lose some hair everyday, it should be considered as a part of normal hair cycle process. However, if you experience excessive hair loss, then you should look out for remedial measures.

Causes of Baldness

There are many causes, which result in excessive hair loss in most people. If you remain ill for a long period, it can also become one of the causes of hair loss. Excessive stress levels can also result in hair loss. Women also experience hair loss or signs of baldness during pregnancy or after giving birth to a baby. This is mainly due to changes in hormone levels. Genetic factors are also responsible for baldness and many people inherit this problem from their ancestors.
Hair loss is usually called male pattern baldness. If you fall in the category of men suffering from male pattern baldness then you should search for some effective prescription drugs for its treatment. One of the effective drugs in the market that treats male pattern baldness is Propecia.

What is Propecia?

It is an oral medicine that is available only on prescription from a registered medical doctor. It comes in tablet form and is exclusively for men if they suffer from male pattern baldness. Women should take Propecia under no circumstances. The results become visible after regularly taking this drug for prescribed duration.

Ingredients of Propecia

The main ingredient in Propecia is finasteride that works by blocking an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase, type 2. This enzyme intervenes in the regulation of hair follicle. If you are allergic to the ingredients of Propecia, then you should consult a doctor before taking Propecia. You should also brief your doctor about your current and past medical conditions.

Benefits of Propecia

If you take regular doses of Propecia as recommended by your doctor, then you can expect increase in quality and quantity of hair after few months. It also improves overall scalp coverage.

Availability of Propecia

You can buy Propecia online or from a local pharmacy after obtaining medical prescription from a doctor. This process of buying online is not time consuming and gives you lot of time to find information about baldness and Propecia on the internet.
There are many websites on the internet from where you can buy Propecia online. However, you should search for genuine websites only that sell genuine Propecia pills. Due to the boom in pharmaceutical sector and flooding of drugs in the market, there are more chances of getting a generic drug. Therefore, you need to take extra caution.
You can also collect testimonials of health experts about Propecia. This equips you with necessary information whenever you order or buy Propecia.
This can help you in selecting genuine Propecia drugs and help you to counter side effects of Propecia.

The process to buy Propecia online is quite simple. It requires you to fill in a prescription form that is available on the website from where you prefer to buy Propecia online. You have to provide all the details about your past and current medical conditions. After evaluating your details, it becomes doctor’s prerogative to approve Propecia in your favor.
Some reputed online pharmacies even provide free home delivery. Therefore, you can get Propecia drug while sitting in your homes without even
spending one cent.

About the Author
Webmaster associated with online pharmacy "AtlanticDrug.com" this site provides various information on Propecia and helps people in curing
Baldness, resources are available on site AtlanticDrugs.com.
Source: http://www.zogol.com

Your Hair Loss Problem

2009-06-30T05:26:00.000-07:00

Your Hair Loss Problem Does Not Have to Make You Suffer

You may be like me - many people are: you wake up one morning and discover that you're beginning to lose your hair. I was 35 years old when it first hit me. My four year old son was the first to notice the balding spot on the top of my head, and the ensuing year was a nightmare of confusion, anger and anxiety. I felt helpless to stop it! I was certain that it was something that I was going to have to learn to live with for the rest of my life.Well, nothing could be further from the truth. You see, after the initial shock wore off I began to do a little research. There are so many articles, ads,testimonials and suggestions surrounding hair loss as a problem that the first thing I came to realize was that this is an old problem - ancient! Second thing was that people have been trying to solve hair loss basically since recorded time began - with varying levels of success.My job, then, became one of sifting through all of the information that I could find,researching different products, separating the good ideas and products from the bogus ones and putting together a plan to attack my own hair loss. One thing became clear very quickly: a healthy lifestyle is a critical component to treating hair loss. A gorgeous head of hair will not grow on a polluted body! I had to clean up my act. Here are a few of the more important decisions that helped me completely rid myself of hair loss as a problem in my life:* Did you know that prior to WWII Japanese men very rarely experienced hair loss, but since that time hair loss has been on the constant rise in that population? Most knowledgeable resources attribute this to changes in diet - the "westernization" of the Japanese diet by adding lots of fatty animal-based proteins.

* Indications are clear in almost every body of work done in this area that stress and insufficient rest lead to physiological and psychological stress,and these will lead to hair loss. The solution? Get plenty of rest and exercise. Exercise is known to reduce stress, and it raises your metabolism and increases circulation, which is good for healthy hair growth. Good quality rest is essential for overall good health, and sleep is rest at its best. Find a form of exercise that keeps makes you happy - for me it is jogging - and gets you tired so sleep comes naturally.

* Taking better care of your hair is simple - you just need to learn to be kind an gentle. Don't pull or bite at your own hair! Don't use blow driers. Find
a shampoo that is very gentle and developed to maximize hair retention. Shampoos contain surfactants - the lathering ingredients - that can be very
harsh. A gentle shampoo will not irritate scalp and hair follicles and often this alone can lead to a healthier head of hair.

* Lastly, the leading cause of hair loss in both men and women by far is a change in hormones and specifically an increase in the level of Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the blood stream. DHT thickens scalp skin cells and causes hair follicles to atrophy. It's found in both men and women.
The production of DHT can be inhibited by using minoxidil, which is approved by the FDA for just that purpose. It's available in several over-the-counter hair care products, and it really works.

Changing your lifestyle to promote better hair growth can be difficult; choosing a hair loss treatment product that works for you doesn't have to be. Try them all until you find one that works for you, and then use it religiously. For me, that product is and Provillus. Provillus is an over-the-counter hair loss treatment that contains minoxidil along with a cocktail of other active ingredients known to attack hair loss from many directions. I tried a lot of different products until I found Provillus. I've been using it for over two years, my hair loss has stopped, and my bald spot is gone!
Do yourself a favor - if your hair is starting to thin, then get started as quick as you can and make it stop! It will change your life and how you feel every single day. It takes some work, but it's certainly been worth the effort for me.
About the Author
Researching and purchasing hair loss products can be confusing. For more information on products for hair loss and to purchase Provillus, the
number one hair loss treatment, visit one of the links above.
Source: http://www.marketingpixels.com

Best Hair Loss Treatment

2009-06-30T05:23:00.000-07:00

Best Hair Loss Treatment

Finding the best hair loss treatment is sometimes easier than it sounds. There are a lot of resources available on this topic, and it is just a matter of
finding which treatment option fits your situation the best. You can search online, visit your physician or dermatologist and talk with friends or co-workers that have the same thing in common.One of the rising trends in hair loss treatment is hair transplantation surgery. This surgery consists of your doctor moving small grafts of healthy hair,
and transplanting them to areas of the scalp that are bald or beginning to thin. The grafts may be as small as one single hair, or as many as 30 hair transplanted at one time. This has become the most popular trend in hair loss treatment. Many doctors are offering free consultations so that the patient can weigh the advantages and disadvantages without having to commit too much time and money. The advances in hair transplantation have
really come a long ways over the last several years and you can now take advantage of all that science has to offer you.Another hair loss treatment that has been popular for many years is the use of a wig or a hair piece. This practice has been taking place for many
years, and is an easy-to-use solution to your hair loss problem. Hair pieces have evolved greatly over the years, and look more natural than ever.

Nowadays, hair pieces are made from 100% authentic human hair, or from synthetic hair that has a very natural look and feel. My own mother uses a
wig and it looks so natural that I did not even realize that her hair was thinning! It was only because I arrived early one day to find her without her wig and then I knew her secret.There are also hair loss treatment centers all over the country that specialize in providing the best solution for each situation. You may want to try this option out because these doctors have seen almost every situation imaginable from a receding hair line to full blown baldness. These centers will work with you to put together a plan that will suit both your lifestyle and your budget.
Hair loss treatment can be taken care of in many different ways. Visiting a hair loss treatment center may be the first step you need in order to regain a full head of healthy hair.

Source: http://www.articlecircle.com
About the Author
Keith Londrie II is a well known author. For more information on Hair Loss, please visit http://www.about-hair-loss-information.info/ for a wealth of
information. You may also want to visit keith's own web site at http://keithlondrie.com/

The answer to chronic telogen effluvium

2009-06-27T01:42:00.000-07:00

Hair loss caused by a nutritional shortfall of iron can take years to develop and so cannot be
corrected overnight. In fact without a supplement it may be many years after the menopause
before a woman's iron stores return to the level of a man of the same age.
From starting a supplement regimen, the minimum time before a reduction in hair shedding is
noticed is about 16 weeks. It may take considerably longer to see the benefit in terms of hair
volume because of the time the hair takes to grow long enough to contribute to the overall
hair volume. If you see no benefit in hair volume after 6-9 months then you should seek
professional help as there are probably other reasons for your hair loss.
Eating a large portion of red meat every day would certainly raise iron levels but is not an
option for most people. An iron supplement will achieve the same results but research has
shown that to increase ferritin levels quickly, you will need a high strength iron supplement
supplying 72mg of elemental iron a day, for up to 6 months. Thereafter at least 24mg of iron a
day will be needed (or double this if you have heavy menstrual bleeding). For a significant
number of women this level of iron intake will not have the desired effect unless they also take
L-lysine plus vitamin C and vitamin B12 to aid the absorption of the iron. A supplement which
has been developed to provide those nutrients at the specific levels is Florisene ®

Product information
Presentation
Florisene® is a red/brown tablet providing the following nutrients:
Each tablet provides:
Vitamin C 24mg
Vitamin B12 3μg
Iron (as ferrous glycine sulphate) 24mg
L-Lysine 500mg
Florisene® is suitable for vegetarians.
Uses
Florisene® has been formulated to provide certain essential nutrients to help maximise hair
growth in women.
Research has shown that a section of the female population; particularly between the ages of
18-50 have increased hair shedding (chronic telogen effluvium) and that there is a strong
correlation between this hair loss and low iron stores (measured as serum ferritin).
Florisene® is especially recommended for women who have reduced hair volume (compared
with several years ago) or who have recently noticed hair shedding as seen by more hairs in
the brush, comb or when shampooing.
When Florisene® is taken at the recommended daily intake it can take up to 26 weeks, before
the hair shedding is reduced. From that point, hair volume will start to increase but it will take
several further months for the hair to grow to a length that contributes to hair volume.
Recommended intake
Initial intake. Take one tablet three times a day for up to six months or until excessive
shedding stops. If after six months no reduction has occurred seek professional advice.
Maintenance intake. For maintenance purposes take one tablet daily but if you have heavy
periods or eat little or no red meat, then your maintenance dose may need to be 2 tablets daily.
Florisene® should be taken with water half to one hour before food or on an empty stomach.
Try to avoid drinks containing milk or tea and coffee within an hour of taking Florisene® as
these drinks affect the absorption of the nutrients.
Take only as directed.
Contra-indications, warnings, etc.
Do not take any other iron containing supplements whilst taking Florisene®.
If you are breast-feeding or pregnant consult your doctor before taking Florisene®.
Do not take Florisene® if you are taking oral antibiotics. Florisene® should not be taken within
2 hours of taking any medication, including indigestion remedies.

What causes low iron stores?

2009-06-27T01:41:00.000-07:00

What causes low iron stores?

Low serum ferritin levels usually result from the loss of blood during menstruation, which is
just enough to cause a gradual depletion of iron stores in the body. Additionally eating a diet
containing little or no red meat is likely to give rise to a lower amount of available iron.
CTE linked to low body iron stores

Research has shown that if the iron deficiency is corrected and the serum ferritin level is
raised to a certain 'trigger point' then hair growth will resume. In fact, what actually happens is
that the growing stage of the hair follicles is lengthened so, at any one time there are more
hairs in the growing stage.

This means that hair volume will start to increase and any excessive shedding will reduce.
However, this takes several months because ferritin levels can only be raised slowly. Also
once the 'trigger point' is reached and hair growth starts, it takes 2 - 3 months for the
shedding to reduce and another 3 - 6 months for the new hair to reach a length that
contributes outwardly to fuller hair.

Whilst iron is usually the key factor, other nutrients also play an essential role. This was
highlighted by research which showed that a significant proportion of women who were given
an iron supplement failed to respond, even when given a high dose with additional vitamin C
(which is known to help iron absorption).

This problem was overcome when it was realised that intake of the amino acid L-lysine was
very low in many people's diets, particularly those who eat little or no meat.
When L-lysine was added to the other nutrients being given, most women went on to reach
the target ferritin level, and their hair volume subsequently increased. When they stopped the
hair shedding resumed several months later.

Chronic telogen effluvium

2009-06-27T01:36:00.000-07:00

CTE is hair loss which is evenly distributed (diffuse) across the scalp, as opposed to hair loss
just at the top of the head. Often it is only the sufferer who notices that their hair is shedding
more than it used to. Women affected by this type of hair loss are usually between the ages of
18 - 50, and they generally show one of the following signs:
An increase in the number of hair lost when shampooing, brushing or combing.
Less hair to clip or tie back than before.

Tests often show that women with CTE suffer from low iron stores in the body (8) . The
amount of iron stored by the body can be simply measured by your doctor. He/she will take a
small blood sample from you and then have it analysed for its serum ferritin level.
However the more common measurement to be taken from a blood test is the haemoglobin
level but this simply helps your doctor see if you are anaemic. Research has not established a
link between haemoglobin levels and hair loss as it has with hair loss and serum ferritin
values (8, 9).
In fact it is not unusual to find you have a normal haemoglobin level with lowered storage iron
(serum ferritin).
Low dietary iron intakes has been known for some time to be a potential problem for millions
of women, but it is only now that it is becoming recognised as an important factor that can
contribute to increased hair shedding, and that this condition is really quite common (10 - 12).

Other medical conditions

2009-06-27T01:35:00.000-07:00

Other medical conditions

There are a number of other medical conditions and diseases causing hair loss. These all
require medical attention. Perhaps the most common is the loss of hair in patches, called
alopecia areata (AA). Although the frequency of AA is relatively small (about 0.1% of the
population) it attracts a great deal of media attention. In its most severe form total loss of
scalp and sometimes body hair, can occur. Most sufferers however only develope a few
isolated patches, which correct themselves without any treatment. Since the cause of AA
remains unknown there is no specific treatment as yet. Current research is focusing upon the
immune system which looks like leading to a better understanding and hopefully an effective
treatment.

Thyroid, Pregnancy,Illness

2009-06-27T01:32:00.000-07:00

Thyroid

Thyroid imbalances can produce significant changes in hair growth and hair quality (15). In
the UK approximately 2% of women and 0.1% of men are affected. Only a blood test can
diagnose this condition. The frequency of hypothyroidism (under active thyroid) increases
significantly after the menopause, when up to 10% of women may be affected.
Pregnancy
It is well established that following childbirth 50% of women experience post-natal hair loss
and this usually regrows without intervention. In those few women where it does not other
reasons can normally be found. The precise cause of post-natal hair loss is unknown
although some hormonal and nutritional factors have been identified. If you suffered in one
pregnancy you may not after a second or subsequent pregnancy and vice versa (16) .
Illness
General health disturbances can cause increased hair shedding 10 to 12 weeks after the start
of the problem. The hair loss usually continues for a week or longer than the time of the
illness. No treatment is required unless other complications develop. Sometimes additional
shedding ensues due to the medication(s) given, or if prolonged fever is associated with the
illness.

Post-Menopausal

2009-06-27T01:31:00.000-07:00

Post-Menopausal

While early adolescence and the mid to late 20's are potential problem times for women
susceptible to genetic hair loss, the menopause is an equally critical time. This is because
there is a natural reduction in the level of oestrogen (female hormone), resulting in a change
of the balance between the oestrogen and androgen (male hormone). Consequently further
hair loss is experienced or those previously unaffected by genetic hair loss during the
menstrual years become affected. Anecdotal data suggests that some current types of HRT
induce hair changes similar to those seen in genetic hair loss, although some women notice
improvements as a result of oestrogen levels being restored.
"Hair loss can happen at any time of life, for a number of reasons"

Genetic Hair Loss

2009-06-27T01:30:00.000-07:00

Genetic Hair Loss

The most common hormonal hair loss problem affecting men and women is primarily genetic
in origin (androgen-dependent alopecia or male pattern baldness). In this situation, the
inherited tendency towards hair loss is activated by a change in the hormonal balance within
the scalp and hair follicle (the precise mechanism is as yet unknown).
Whilst, CTE results in diffuse hair loss across the whole scalp, genetic hair loss extends from
just behind the front hairline back across the top of the head to the crown area. This hair loss
makes the scalp more visible and, if you have a parting, this will often look wider. A further
difference is that unlike CTE, which is generally not apparent to other people, to others.
The onset of genetic hair loss is usually during the mid to late 20's. Effective medical
treatment is available and usually involves oral anti-androgen and oestrogen therapy. Women
requiring such treatment do require a referral to a medical specialist. Under such
medicalsupervision, they can often re-grow up to 40% more hair (13, 14).

What type of hair loss do I have?

2009-06-27T01:29:00.000-07:00

What type of hair loss do I have?

If you think you have increased hair shedding, then you should use the link above "Will
Florisene® help? to help you determine what the cause might be. Since there are effectively
only two main types of hair loss, CTE and Genetic Hair Loss, it is likely that your hair loss
problem is due to one of these complaints.
The two conditions have similar symptoms but can be distinguished from each other by
identifying which area of the scalp is affected.
If after using the chart "Will Florisene® help?" you think you may have CTE go to the link
"How can I be sure that I have CTE?". If on the other hand, you feel your hair problem is the
genetic type of hair loss, you should read on.
Other types of hair loss
As 95% of hair loss complaints seen in women are caused by one of two problems. Chronic
Teleogen Effluvium (CTE) and Genetic Hair Loss. This next section deals mainly with Genetic
Hair Loss and the remaining 5% of causes are also summarised.

Causes of hair loss

2009-06-27T01:28:00.000-07:00

Causes of hair loss

A recent survey of over 1000 women found that a staggering 33% (or 1 in 3) reported hair
loss. This was observed as an increase in the amount of hair shed or a reduction in the length
grown, both of which contribute to a reduction in hair volume if the problem persists for any
length of time.
Hair volume varies between individuals with some people having finer (or thinner) hairs than
others. As we grow older, there is a tendency for our hair fibres to become finer and shorter
over successive hair cycles, but years may elapse before any obvious difference is seen.
Hair volume is determined by three factors (5, 6) :
the number of hairs present per square centimetre.
the proportion of hair follicles in the growing phase.
hair fibre thickness.
Almost all hair problems show up as a change in one or any combination of these three
factors (7) . Understanding what has changed is the key to identifying the underlying cause.
It is important to understand that 95% of hair loss complaints seen in women are caused by
just two conditions. These are:
Chronic telogen effluvium (CTE).
Genetic hair loss (androgen-dependent alopecia).
Both of these are covered in detail on this site and the causes of the remaining 5% of cases
are also summarised below.

HAIR LOSS PROBLEM

2009-06-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

HAIR LOSS PROBLEM

Hair loss and balding seems to be a common problem today and it seems to affect both women and men! Hair loss usually begins in the front temporal
areas, progressing to the crown. The rate of loss varies between people, and the process can take from 5 to 25 years.
The first stage in understanding hair loss and fine hair problems is to understand how hair grows. Hair thickness is a combination of hair diameter and
hair density, you can have fine hair but lots of it or thick coarse hair which is relatively sparce. Most of us are somewhere between the two. Hair is
made up of three layers, the cuticle, cortex and medulla. The cuticle is made up of overlaid scales of keratin and the smoother the scales the more it
shines. The cortex is the body and strength of the hair shaft, its interlocking fibres lay under the cuticle and are were perms and permanent colours do
their work. The innermost layer (medulla) is not present in the finest of hair, for example Scandinavian blonde hair.
Hair loss is primarily caused by a combination of aging, a change in hormones, and a family history of baldness. As a rule, the earlier hair loss begins,
the more severe the baldness will become. Hair loss can also be caused by burns or trauma, in which case hair replacement surgery is considered a
reconstructive treatment, and may be covered by health insurance.
There are a number of reasons for hair loss in both men and women. Diet, environment, stress, past surgeries, past experiences etc. are some of the
few factors which cause hair loss. Though genetics plays a major role for hair loss (male pattern baldness), there are a number of hair loss conditions
for which a number of hair loss restorations treatments are available both for men and women. Though the underlying causes for male and female
pattern hair loss are same, there is some basic difference with regards to the physiology and genetics of the condition.
Baldness is often blamed on poor circulation to the scalp, vitamin deficiencies, dandruff, and even excessive hat-wearing. All of these theories have
been disproved. It's also untrue that hair loss can be determined by looking at your maternal grandfather, or that 40-year-old men who haven't lost
their hair will never lose it.
If there's a reversible cause, it's normally possible to stop hair loss. For instance, if it's caused by anaemia you can stop hair loss by replenishing the
body's iron stores. A huge number of treatments have been tried to slow down and even reverse the process of male pattern hair loss - some are
successful, others aren't. But many men find their hair loss slows down or stops for no apparent reason at a certain age anyway.
If your hair loss is mild to moderate, the most important thing to do is weigh the immediate stressors in your life against how much support you're
giving your body. Start with an honest inventory of your healthy and not-so-healthy habits. Then take some steps toward shifting the balance to the
support side.
It is essential to have a healthy scalp to avoid hair loss and aiding new hair growth.
Complaints of the hair and scalp are very common and I would always recommend that you treat any problem as soon as it appears as a minor
problem can develop into a more serious condition if left untreated. Early diagnosis will give us the best possible opportunity to help you by providing
you with the most effective and up-to-date trichological medication.
About the Author
Miranda Grey, independent researcher for hair loss problems.
Source: http://www.tntarticles.com

Top Causes of Hair Loss In Women

2009-06-23T07:19:00.000-07:00

Top Causes of Hair Loss In Women

Many people still believe that hair loss is predominantly a complaint that men suffer from. But this is just not the case, as today you will find that 1 in 4
women also suffer from some form of hair loss, this can occur at any stage of their lives as well. In this article, we take a look at what the main causes
of hair loss in women are today.
1. Female Pattern Baldness - This is the most common of all the kinds of hair loss that women are going to suffer from and is the exact same type that
men suffer from as well. The main reason why a woman will suffer from this kind of hair loss, known as Androgenetic Alopecia, is that their body is
reacting adversely to male hormones.
Just like men, women have the male hormone testosterone, although at much smaller levels. However sometimes without warning, this hormone
begins to convert to DHT, which is bad for their bodies and specifically bad when it comes to hair regrowth. But unlike in men, female pattern
baldness is not as extreme and will only occur much later on in a woman's life.
2. Telogen Effluvium - This is the second most common type of hair loss problem for women today. But it is different from the above mentioned as
rather than hair being lost completely from the scalp; this will cause hair thinning.
In most cases, women who have been diagnosed with this particular kind of hair loss problem have suffered a traumatic event in their lives. This event
places stress on their bodies, which prevents it from functioning correctly and so will causes hair growth to slow down. Often if a woman has gone
through a traumatic pregnancy and birth, they may find themselves suffering from this particular hair loss problem.
3. Alopecia Areata - This is now the third most common kind of hair loss problem women can suffer from. You will find that where the above two kinds
will be localized to a particular area of a woman's scalp; this type will cause hair loss to various different parts of the scalp. So hair loss is often
somewhat patchy and can look very unsightly.
This particular type of hair loss in women is thought to be caused because a woman's immune system is not functioning correctly. In many cases, the
hair will regrow after the immune system has had time to replenish itself, but for some women the problem can be a lot more severe and be with them
for a long time to come.
It is important that women understand fully what causes hair loss in women in order that they can treat it effectively should it happen to them. If you at
any stage feel, you may be suffering from a hair loss problem you should start looking for ways to stop your hair loss and to re grow your hair.
About the Author
You should do some research into hair loss in women to find out the reason for your hair loss. This site, alopecia androgenetic is an excellent hair loss
resource.
Source: http://www.cothivalebooks.com

Does race affect hair loss?

2009-06-23T07:16:00.000-07:00

Does race affect hair loss?

As well as the strong influence of sex on hair loss, a relationship has been observed between hair loss and race, which shows that Caucasians have a higher incidence of hair loss compared to people of other races (Asian, African, Native American).
We can state that there is a close relationship between hair loss and the different races.
Not all races follow the same age patterns in terms of hair loss. One example is the fact that in the United States, androgenetic alopecia affects 50% of Caucasian men and women over the age of 40.
As mentioned above, Caucasians show the highest propensity for hair loss - considerably higher than other races. This is especially true in men.
• Caucasian men are 4 times more likely to suffer from alopecia at an earlier age than men of African extraction.
• The Japanese develop androgenetic alopecia approximately a decade later than Caucasians and its prevalence is 1.4 times lower in each 10-year age bracket.
• The prevalence of androgenetic alopecia in Korean men is lower than among Caucasians. Furthermore, female-pattern alopecia, which occurs very rarely in men, is more frequent among Koreans.
• Asian, Native-American and African-American men have a greater chance of keeping the front part of their hair and, when they do suffer from hair loss, baldness has been shown to be less extensive.

Will I go bald too?

2009-06-23T07:14:00.000-07:00

“Will I go bald too?”

Obviously, you inherit a whole set of genes from your parents, including those linked to the hair growth cycle. So when men ask themselves this question, they look at their fathers and grandfathers. If the father and grandfather are bald, the son will have a much greater chance of going bald.
Androgenetic alopecia is directly related to the action of dihydrotestosterone (a male hormone present in both sexes) on the hair follicle, which shortens the hair growth cycle and produces increasingly fine, weak hair that eventually falls out.
In men, this type of alopecia tends to follow the male pattern, which is defined by initial hair loss occurring at the front hairline. The process subsequently affects the crown and then extends to the rest of the head (leaving the occipital area unaffected).
The age at which this process appears in men is before the age of 30 in the first peak and after the age of 40 in the second peak.
Men who start to lose their hair between the ages of 20 and 30 have a greater chance of losing more hair than those who experience hair loss at a later stage.

Do you know some of the causes?

2009-06-23T07:12:00.000-07:00

Women and hair loss:
Do you know some of the causes?

There are common factors that cause hair loss in both sexes, such as hormonal changes, age and heredity, which cause androgenetic alopecia.
The causes or factors that may influence hair loss in women are even more complex than in men. There are many factors that can affect not only hair loss, but also the density and strength of the hair. These include nutrition, lifestyle, stress, etc.
Androgenetic alopecia in both men and women produces a change in the scalp hair. It becomes miniaturized, the hair bulb and shaft become smaller, and the follicle produces fine, small-diameter hair (vellus hair).
In women, this type of alopecia tends to follow the female pattern, which manifests as diffuse hair loss but with the frontal part of the hair remaining intact.
There are usually 2 main peaks that mark the beginning of this type of hair loss.
• One when the woman is in her twenties.
• One at around the age of 40 (beginning of hormonal changes) until the onset of the menopause.
Androgenetic alopecia is not the only cause of hair loss in women. There are other transitory factors that affect hair loss. These include anxiety, depression, taking oral contraceptives, emotional trauma, iron-deficiency anaemia, post-partum stress and the menopause.
In the period prior to the menopause, women’s hormones are in real turmoil (13% of pre-menopausal women suffer from frontal and parietal hair loss, compared to 37% of post-menopausal women).

The fine line between hair and hair loss

2009-06-23T07:07:00.000-07:00

The fine line between hair and hair loss

Our hair - that ally that gives us security, image and style and is a true reflection of how we are and how we feel - can turn against us at any time.
When hair loss is greater than normal, we talk about alopecia. There are different types of alopecia, according to the factors that trigger it. The general public is poorly informed about this condition.
Alopecia can appear at any stage of life, even at a very early age. Its onset can lead to different degrees of psychological impact, which can be exacerbated by confusion and by not knowing what to do.
Today, we have many ways of alleviating this problem by preventing and treating hair loss in both men and women.
Remember that in many types of alopecia (nonscarring alopecia), the hair follicles are not destroyed. In these types, the follicle remains alive and it is sometimes possible for the hair to recover. Androgenetic alopecia, alopecia areata, different types of effluvium and temporary hair loss belong in this category of alopecia.
The belief still persists, particularly among men, that baldness is a natural state and therefore has no remedy.
This is incorrect because there are now alternatives for slowing down the process of hair loss. For this reason, prevention, is very important, especially in people who suffer from hair loss at an early age.

Male Pattern Hair Loss (7)

2009-06-21T06:13:00.000-07:00

Male Pattern Hair Loss (7)

Is there a link between male pattern hair loss and prostate cancer?
Because testosterone through the action of DHT is involved in the growth of the
prostate and hair growth, some preliminary studies have been done to see if men
who are balding are at an increased risk of prostate cancer. An Australian study
found a link between men with vertex hair loss (hair loss from the crown only)
and prostate cancer3. There were no associations found between prostate
cancer and men with frontal hair loss,or frontal hair loss together with vertex
hair loss. The reason for this link between vertex hair loss and prostate cancer is not clear and further studies are needed.What are the myths about male pattern hair loss? Standing on your head lessens hair loss The ‘blood-flow’ theory, which led men
to stand on their heads in the 1980s, can be found in the advertising for many of
the ineffective hair loss treatments on the market, but again is an unfounded
myth in the treatment of male pattern hair loss. While minoxidil is suspected
for working, in part, by increasing blood flow to hair follicles, there is no evidence that standing on one’s head can stop hair loss or cause hair to re-grow.Hair loss comes from your mother’s side of the family There is a myth that hair loss is a genetic trait passed down from the mother’s side but a number of
genes are responsible, and genes are most likely contributed by both parents. The
condition does run in families, so if there is a close relative with male pattern hair loss, then there is a higher risk another relative will develop the condition.
Hair loss happens in men with high testosterone levels
Some men think they are losing their hair because they have higher levels
of the male sex hormone testosterone. High levels of testosterone are not linked
with hair loss. However, some studies have shown that men with high levels of
‘free’ testosterone (only 2 per cent of the total amount of testosterone produced
by the body) are more likely to have vertex hair loss (from the crown only).

Male Pattern Hair Loss (6)

2009-06-21T06:10:00.000-07:00

Male Pattern Hair Loss (6)

Surgery
Hair transplantation involves removing tiny plugs of hair from areas where it continues to grow and inserting them in bald areas.This can cause minor scarring and carries some risk of skin infection. Multiple transplantation sessions are usually needed and can be expensive. Results, however,are often excellent and permanent.
Choosing a surgeon with experience in this operation is recommended.
to treat male pattern hair loss that tend to have results in stopping or slowing hair
loss, with new hair growth happening in some men. The two main medications used to treat male pattern hair loss are:Finasteride - also known as Propecia®
is an oral medication that works by blocking the conversion of testosterone
to DHT. The hair follicles are then not affected by DHT and can enlarge back to
normal. About two in three men who take finasteride every day experience some
hair re-growth. About one in three men experience no hair re-growth, but most
don’t experience any further hair loss.Finasteride has no effect in about one in
100 men. The chances are therefore quite high that finasteride will help hair re-grow
or at least stop more hair from falling out.Most men do not notice any effects from
taking finasteride for up to four months.It can take up to one to two years for
full hair re-growth to happen. Any improvement in hair growth is usually
greatest over the crown than over the frontal areas of the scalp. If treatment is
stopped, the balding process will begin again, meaning if successful, treatment
needs to be ongoing to continue hair re-growth. Side-effects are uncommon, but
about two in 100 men taking finasteride experience a loss of sex drive (libido).
Finasteride taken at a higher dose(marketed as Proscar®) is also commonly
taken by men to treat benign prostate enlargement, and has been found to reduce
the risk of developing prostate cancer.However, research has found that men who
do develop prostate cancer whilst taking the drug have an increased risk of the
cancer being more aggressive1. However,whether this arises because finasteride
induces more aggressive disease, or simply because finasteride makes it easier to
detect more aggressive disease earlier is not certain2. Nevertheless, men taking
finasteride for hair loss should not be worried as the dose of finasteride given for
hair loss is much lower than what is used to treat prostate enlargement but should
speak to their doctor if they have any concerns. The low dose used for treating
hair loss does not seem to have an effect on the development of prostate cancer.
Minoxidil – also known as Rogaine®, Hair a-gain®, Hair Retreva® – is a lotion
that is rubbed onto the head. There is debate as to how well it works, but it
is believed about half of the men who use minoxidil experience a delay in
further balding. About 15 in 100 men have good hair re-growth, while hair loss
continues in about one in three users.Minoxidil needs to be rubbed onto the
scalp every day, and taken continually for four months before results are
noticeable. As with finasteride, treatment needs to be ongoing for hair growth
to continue. Any new hair that does re-grow tends to fall out two months
after treatment is stopped. Side-effects are uncommon, but minoxidil can cause
skin irritation or a rash in some men.

Male Pattern Hair Loss (5)

2009-06-21T06:07:00.000-07:00

Male Pattern Hair Loss (5)

Should I be concerned about hair loss?
Many men accept male pattern hair loss
as a normal part of ageing. For some
men, for a variety of reasons, their
concern for their hair loss prompts them
to seek treatment for cosmetic reasons
to try and stop or slow further hair loss.
If you start to lose your hair suddenly,
if your hair loss happens in clumps or
is significant enough that you notice
large amounts falling out, it is not male
pattern hair loss. It is recommended
that you discuss these types of hair loss
with your GP. Further investigation may
be needed to determine the cause.

What is the emotional impact on men
experiencing hair loss?
While hair loss is a normal part of the
ageing process for most men, it can
be distressing for some, particularly if
it is excessive or happens at an early
age. Men experiencing hair loss can
feel less confident, less attractive and
may think it makes them look older.
While many men accept that they are
losing their hair, a small number may
suffer from depression as a result. It
is recommended that men speak to a
counsellor if they are feeling upset or
they are obsessing about their hair loss.
How is hair loss treated?
There are a number of treatments
available for hair loss, and treatments
often work well in most cases. Men
usually seek treatment for cosmetic
rather than medical reasons.
Wigs and hairpieces
Hair weaving, hairpieces or a change of
hairstyle may disguise hair loss and is
generally the least expensive and safest
treatment for male pattern hair loss.

Male Pattern Hair Loss (4)

2009-06-21T06:04:00.000-07:00

Male Pattern Hair Loss (4)

How common is male pattern hair loss?
The majority of Australian men will
experience some form of hair loss in their
lifetime. For men between the ages of
20 and 45 who start to lose scalp hair,
there is a 95 per cent chance they are
experiencing male pattern hair loss. Male
pattern hair loss varies from population to
population due to genetic background.

Is thinning hair and hair loss reversible?
Thinning hair or loss of hair is not reversible,
but there are medications to treat male
pattern hair loss that can stop or slow hair
loss. Some men may even experience
new hair growth with treatments.

Male Pattern Hair Loss (3)

2009-06-21T06:03:00.000-07:00

Male Pattern Hair Loss (3)

What causes male patternhair loss?

While it is not completely understood
why the hair follicles on men’s heads
stop producing new hairs, the male
hormone DHT (dihydrotestosterone)
is thought to play a part.
Testosterone, the most important male sex
hormone (androgen) in men, is responsible
for the growth of bone and muscles,
sexual function and for producing physical
characteristics in men including facial and
body hair. In the body, testosterone is
converted to DHT by an enzyme (5-alpha
reductase). DHT acts on different organs
in the body including the hair follicles
and cells in the prostate. For reasons we
don’t understand, hair follicles sometimes
become more sensitive to DHT, slowing
down hair production and producing
weaker, shorter hair. Sometimes hair
growth stops completely. It is not clear
why different hair follicles are affected at
different times, making the balding process
gradual or why only scalp hairs are affected.

Male Pattern Hair Loss (2)

2009-06-21T06:01:00.000-07:00

Male Pattern Hair Loss (2)

What causes hair loss?
There are many different causes of hair
loss including certain illnesses (including
disorders of the immune system), stress as
a result of major surgery, chemotherapy,
radiotherapy, hormonal problems, fungal
infections, and as a side-effect of some
medications. Scarring from burns can
also cause permanent hair loss.
Hair loss in patches, sudden hair
loss, breaking of hair shafts or hair
loss associated with redness, scaling
or pain are likely to be caused by
specific health conditions.

Male Pattern Hair Loss (1)

2009-06-21T05:57:00.000-07:00

Male Pattern Hair Loss

What is baldness or hair loss?
Hair loss can happen on any part of the
body for a variety of reasons, and can
range from being mild to severe. Male
(and female) pattern hair loss is hair
loss specifically from the head. Extreme
forms of hair loss happen when there is
hair loss all over the head and body.

What is male pattern hair loss?

Male pattern hair loss (also known as
androgenetic alopecia) is a progressive
hair thinning condition and is the most
common type of hair loss in men.
Male pattern hair loss typically begins at
the forehead, with the hairline gradually
receding along the sides to form an ‘M’
shape. The remaining hair may become
finer and shorter, with hair at the crown
(back) of the head also beginning to thin.
The amount of hair loss can vary amongst
men and is usually influenced by an
individual’s genetic make-up. In severe
cases, the receding forehead hairline
may eventually extend to the thinned
crown, leaving a horseshoe pattern of
hair around the sides of the head.
There are slight variations in how
male pattern hair loss can happen.
Frontal hair loss – hair loss happens
from the hairline at the forehead
but not at the crown.
Vertex hair loss – hair loss happens at the
crown but not the hairline at the forehead.
Usually, most men will have a combination
of both types of hair loss patterns.

Changes in hair growth (8)

2009-06-17T06:03:00.000-07:00

Changes in hair growth (8)

SUMMARY
The effect on hair growth of wounding the lower region of whisker follicles, and in particular
the dermal papilla, with sharply pointed tungsten needles was studied in adult hooded rats.
Following injury hair growth ceased, but was subsequently resumed. While it might have been
anticipated that follicle wounding would have a negative effect on whisker length, regular postoperative
length measurements revealed that in follicles where cellular material was not
displaced from the follicle by the original manipulation, 50 % of the subsequent hairs produced
were longer than their counterparts on the opposite side of the face, with 25 % shorter and 25 %
with their length unchanged. In every case increased hair length was achieved by a prolongation
of the growing period of the hair. Growth rate, when altered, was reduced. These results suggest
that the factors which control the duration of the hair cycle and fibre growth rate are independent
in vibrissa follicles. Since removal of most of the epidermal component by plucking of the hair
just prior to injury produced equivalent hair length increases, this implicated the proximal
dermal components as being mainly responsible for the observed changes.

Changes in hair growth (7)

2009-06-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Changes in hair growth (7)

Method III

Both club and growing hairs were plucked just prior to wounding in 12 follicles
in four rats. Two subsequently failed to produce emergent vibrissae. As shown
in Table 3, of the remaining follicles, five produced longer hairs; three had fibres
of equivalent length to their controls; and two manufactured shorter fibres.
Therefore, in close agreement with method II, half of the damaged follicles had
formed longer hairs in Gl. Moreover, the mean length increase of 14-8 % was
also near to that attained by Gl follicles in the previous method.

Effect of plucking alone
Following plucking, hair production was terminated in all twenty follicles.
Sixteen new whiskers were seen between 7 and 17 days, and four between 27 and
55 days, but none of the plucked follicles produced Gl vibrissae longer than their
controls.

Method IV
In three rats where 19 follicles were damaged above the bulb region, 3
follicles failed to produce emergent whiskers. The Gl fibre lengths for the
remaining 16 follicles revealed no hairs of longer than control length. Four
whiskers were shorter than their controls, while the remaining twelve were
equivalent in length.

Normal whisker length
Vibrissa length measurements agreed with all previous investigations in that
a distinct anteroposterior gradient of increasing fibre size was observed. Apart
from the top horizontal row, the lengths could all be divided into discrete nonoverlapping
groups representing vertical rows. The range of length displayed
within these groups was similar to that found on male Wistar rats by Ibrahim & Wright (1975).
Paired length measurements carried out to determine normal differences in
club length between whiskers in identical positions on either side of the face
revealed a margin rarely exceeding 2 mm, or about 4 % for the hairs of length
normally used experimentally. Ibrahim & Wright (1975) also found that vibrissae
grew synchronously within the same margin. These authors showed that for the
first three postnatal cycles, whiskers underwent a stepwise increase in length
before levelling off. Age-related length differences were confirmed in the current
work, and it was for this reason that 6-month-old rats, whose whisker lengths had
stabilized, were used for all experimental procedures.

Follicle wounding
As four operational procedures were performed, the reasoning behind the use
of these different techniques will be briefly considered.
Using the method I procedure it was apparent that apart from inflicting injury
in situ, cellular material was being lost from the bulb region of many follicles. To
overcome any influence this loss of bulbar material might have on subsequent
hair growth, method II was employed. As damage with these two methods was
inflicted on both the epidermal matrix and the dermal papilla, method III was
devised. It has already been shown that plucking of growing vibrissae removes
a high proportion of epidermal matrix with no stimulatory effect on whisker
length (Oliver, 1965; Ibrahim & Wright, 1978), and plucking procedures in this
study confirmed these findings. Thus in method III, which acted as a quasi
control, the removal of club and growing hairs prior to wounding meant that
damage was essentially restricted to the dermal papilla alone (Jahoda & Oliver,
1984). The method IV control procedure was designed to show the effects on
whisker growth of damage above the bulb region.
The present experiments confirmed the recuperative powers of vibrissa
follicles following injury, with over 90 % of them manufacturing external fibres
after being wounded. However, the most striking result was the confirmation of
consistent increases in hair length (Oliver & Jahoda, 1981). This effect was
manifested by some 10 % of follicles after method I operations, where a complex
response included production of over 33 % short hairs. However, following
methods II and III, in which no loss of cellular material from the capsule
occurred, some 50 % of postoperative vibrissae were longer than expected. This
Hair growth changes following vibrissa wounding 91
effect persisted into the second postoperative generation. In contrast, none of
the follicles wounded distal to the bulb region produced longer than expected
hairs. Recently, Ibrahim & Wright (1982) observed the formation of a single long
vibrissa fibre following lower follicle regeneration. They have also shown whisker
length increases of the same degree as in the present experiments following
exposure of adult mice to high levels of testosterone (Ibrahim & Wright, 1983).
What is intriguing about the present results is that they specifically implicate the
dermal papilla in the production of longer hairs.
Hair length, which was employed as the primary measure of follicle activity,
is the product of the rate of fibre growth, and the duration of fibre production.
Where changes in these two parameters occurred they were consistent for all
wounding methods. Growth rate when affected was reduced. Therefore longer
whisker production was exclusively due to increases in the duration of growth.
This effect was especially demonstrated in the results from methods II and III
where more longer hairs were produced despite the increased number of follicles
showing reduced growth rates. Interestingly, where experimental follicles
produced hairs of normal length, this could either reflect the absence of wounding
effects, or (as in ten method I follicles) be the result of increases in duration
of growth and reductions in growth rate anulling each other.
Increased duration of hair growth has only rarely been demonstrated experimentally.
Therefore it is noteworthy that when Hale & Ebling (1975) elicited this
phenomenon through the action of propylthiouracil on rat pelage hairs, it was
associated with a reduction in growth rate. At the same time treatment with
thyroxine caused hairs to grow faster, while reducing the length of the growing
period. Likewise in the present study a balance between the two altered
parameters could negate any effect on fibre length. Indeed a major point to
emerge from these findings is that factors which control growth rate appear to be
independent of those which determine the duration of growth. Interestingly
vibrissa length increases produced through the influence of testosterone involved
longer growth periods, but unaffected growth rates (Ibrahim & Wright, 1983).
The hair growth cycle can be divided into three basic stages; anagen, the
growing phase; catagen, the period of follicle regression; and telogen, when
epidermal proliferation and hair growth is arrested. The mechanisms which
control the repeated initiation and termination of the adult hair cycle represent
the principal enigmas of hair growth. The timing of this cycle is astonishingly
consistent for individual vibrissa follicles, and Oliver (1965) has noted the
relationship between the order of hair replacement in adult follicles, and the
sequence of vibrissa follicle development in embryos. The same author (Oliver,
1980) has proposed a control system based on an active mesenchymal element
which would both initiate growth, and maintain it through a growing period. It
was suggested that follicle behaviour might be governed by stimuli from the
papilla, therefore reflecting some 'intrapapillary cycle of events'. This infers that
the dermal papilla of each follicle starts off with an internal mechanism regulating
the timing of the cycle, perhaps derived from embryonic regulatory mechanisms.
While the current results were in accordance with the above ideas to the extent
that stimulation of the dermal papilla by wounding appeared to be primarily
responsible for the production of longer fibres, the question as to why papilla
injury should affect the duration of the growing period remains unresolved.
Nevertheless, a histological study offers a reasonable explanation for some
aspects of follicle behaviour after injury (Jahoda & Oliver, 1984).
We would like to thank Mr Bruce Pert and Mademoiselle Yolande Bouvat for their expert
technical assistance. This work was supported by a Medical Research Council studentship.

Changes in hair growth (6)

2009-06-17T05:49:00.000-07:00

Changes in hair growth (6)

Wounding experiments

Method I
During this procedure it was observed that cellular material was being lost
from the follicle capsule (Jahoda & Oliver, 1984). Omitted data represented
occasions where information was inadequate to satisfy the criteria necessary to
make growth rate estimates.
Following injury, all but one follicle terminated fibre production and lost their
growing hairs. Subsequently, two of the experimental follicles failed to produce
emergent whiskers. Six follicles produced new hairs less than 10 days after being
damaged. Thirty-three vibrissae were visible between 10 and 20 days postoperatively
and a further four new hairs were first seen at 24, 28, 43 and 49 days
after wounding.
Length (Table 1)
Differences of 4 mm and greater between experimental and control vibrissae
were regarded as significant. This value represented a margin of 2 mm above the
differences in terminal length found in over 95 % of the previously described
measurements of undamaged whisker pairs, and lmm above the maximum
difference.
In the first generation following injury (Gl) the majority of follicles produced
whiskers within 4 mm of their controls. However, over 40 % of the postoperative

A margin of 0-1 mm/day was chosen to distinguish differences in follicle
behaviour between the experimental and control sides. While essentially an
arbitrary figure, this represents a club length difference of 5 mm over a 50-day
period of growth, and provides a convenient indication of variation in growth
rate following injury.
In Gl just over half of the wounded follicles produced vibrissae at a growth
rate below that of their controls. The percentage of slower growing hairs was
raised slightly in G2, but fell to below 50 % in G3. Each of the latter two generations
revealed a single faster growing hair.
It is of great interest that the distribution of reduced growth rate was almost
uniform among experimental follicles producing whiskers of equivalent, longer
or shorter length to their controls in Gl. Thus it is clear that the five follicles
which had manufactured longer hairs (at equivalent or reduced rate), had
produced them over a prolonged growing period. Similarly, ten vibrissae which
had not altered in length, had grown at a reduced rate and had been produced
over a longer period of time.
In every case control follicles showed remarkable consistency in both length
and growth rate over successive generations.
In addition to these quantitative observations, method I follicles displayed
a number of abnormal phenomena including the production of multiple fibres;
the abrupt cessation of growth and premature fibre loss; and an increase in the
length of time between termination of hair growth and the emergence of a new whisker.

Method II

Wounding operations were successfully performed on 18 follicles in 10 male
rats. In contrast to method I, there was no loss of follicular material from the

Hair growth changes following vibrissa wounding
capsule. Wounded follicles and their controls were kept under observation for
up to 170 days, by which time the majority of experimental follicles had produced
two complete generations of whiskers.

Following injury all follicles ceased hair production and lost their growing
fibres. Subsequently, two failed to display emergent vibrissae. Of the remaining
sixteen follicles, fourteen produced hairs between 9 and 20 days post-operatively
and two whiskers were first seen at 27 and 44 days respectively.
Terminal length measurements (Table 3) revealed that half of the follicles
which produced vibrissae in Gl had hairs at least 4 mm longer than their controls.
The longest of these (Figs 2, 3) measured 15 mm more, and was therefore 29 %
longer, than its right side counterpart. A further four whiskers were of equivalent
length to their controls, and four were shorter, though one of this latter group was a broken fibre.
More detailed information about the eleven follicles which produced at least
one long hair postoperatively is displayed in Table 4. Five of these manufactured
significantly longer hairs in both Gl and G2. Therefore, although three
follicles switched to producing longer hairs in G2, three others went in the
reverse direction. None of the latter group attained full terminal length, as
one was broken, and the other two biopsied prematurely. Nevertheless, the
mean percentage increase in length for Gl whiskers of 15-6% fell by over 5 % in G2.
There was no increase in rates of growth; over 75 % of the follicles produced
hairs at a reduced rate in both Gl and G2. Increases in whisker length were
therefore associated with extended growing periods.

Changes in hair growth (5)

2009-06-17T05:47:00.000-07:00

Changes in hair growth (5)

RESULTS
Maximum vibrissa length

With all follicles there was close agreement between left and right side club
lengths as described by Ibrahim & Wright (1975). With the six month and older
group of rats, of the 109 paired observations, 104 were within a 2 mm margin (i.e.
4% of a hair measuring 50 mm). Of the remaining 5 pairs none displayed a
difference of more than 3 mm. Similar results were obtained with the 3-monthold
animals, in which the average club lengths were up to 4 mm shorter than
vibrissae from the same positions on older rats.
Excluding the top horizontal row (which was not used experimentally), for the
older rats the range of measurements within vertical rows of follicles fell within
discrete non-overlapping groups; i.e. passing from the most posterior row 'a'
anteriorly 'a': 49-5-59mm; 'b': 42-47-5 mm; 'c': 31-38mm; 'd': 19-25-5 mm;
'e': 10-16-5 mm.

Changes in hair growth (4)

2009-06-17T05:45:00.000-07:00

Changes in hair growth (4)
Compilation of experimental data

Length measurements

Following operational procedures experimental follicle positions were
examined at regular intervals, normally not exceeding 7 days. Both growing and
club hairs were measured as previously described and parallel observations were
made on control follicles. Examination commenced 1 to 2 weeks after the initial
intervention, was continued throughout the growing phase of the hair cycle, and
frequently extended to a second or third postoperative whisker. The first hair
produced was termed the first generation or Gl hair, and the second G2 and so
on. Results were tabulated and displayed graphically as a basis for further
analysis. The absence of vibrissae from follicular positions was always noted, as
were irregularities such as multiple hairs, or abnormalities in fibre thickness or shape.

Growth rates
Growth rate estimates (mm/day) were obtained by dividing the increase in
length (mm) between two points on the length measurement graphs, by the
period of time in days between the two measurements. In general the first
observation after fibre emergence was taken as the lower point, and high-point
measurements were obtained from positions as similar as possible on the respective
growth curves. Growth rates were only calculated where over half the total
club length was available.

Changes in hair growth (3)

2009-06-17T05:36:00.000-07:00

Changes in hair growth (3)

Wounding experiments
30 male rats of six months of age were utilized for all experiments. Anaesthesia
was induced by intraperitoneal injection of Sagatal, 0-055 ml/100 g body weight.
The method employed to expose follicles for operation was the same as that
used by Cohen (1961) and Oliver (1966a). After being cleaned of surrounding

Hair growth changes following vibrissa wounding

Diagram of the four different methods used to injure the whisker follicles.

connective tissue, the positional identity of prospective experimental follicles
was confirmed and recorded. For convenience, operations were performed on
the left-hand side of the face. Damage was inflicted on follicles which were
growing hairs (in anagen) using finely pointed tungsten needles mounted on glass
rods. A diagrammatic representation of the four operational techniques is shown
in Figure Method I (la): A needle was inserted horizontally into the bulb region of a
follicle, and then rotated to disrupt the dermal papilla. 52 follicles operated on
in this manner were kept under long term observation.
Method II (lb): With this procedure, the follicle capsule was initially
penetrated distal to the bulb region, about one third of the way up the follicle.
The needle was then carefully pushed into the middle of the papilla, and rotated
as before. 18 follicles were kept under regular scrutiny.

Method III (lc): Follicles were damaged as for method II. However, in these
specimens injury to the dermal papilla was preceded by plucking of the club and
growing fibres prior to the introduction of the needle. 12 follicles damaged in this
manner were used for extended observations. In addition vibrissae were plucked
from 20 follicles in four animals to examine the effects of a single epilation on
whisker length. 10 of these had emergent fibres extracted after removal of the
club hair, while with the remaining 10 follicles only the growing hairs were plucked.
Method IV (Id): As a control, a further 19 follicles underwent penetration of
the capsule and follicle wall at a level above the bulb and thus without subsequent
injury to the proximal region or dermal papilla.

Changes in hair growth (2)

2009-06-17T05:35:00.000-07:00

Changes in hair growth (2)

MATERIALS AND METHODS
All work was performed on animals from an inbred strain of hooded rat
(colony Dundee University). Only the major vibrissa follicles of the mystacial
region were used, and identification of individual follicle position and
subsequent recording of information were carried out according to the annotation
of Oliver (1966a). Observations of whiskers were performed under a dissecting
microscope (magnification x20). Fine-pointed watchmakers' forceps were
used to locate and separate emergent growing hairs from the thicker, and generally
larger, non-growing club vibrissae. Lengths were measured using transparent
flexible polythene tubes of internal diameter 0-8 mm, graduated at intervals
of 1 mm, and estimates were to the nearest 0-5 mm.
As a preliminary investigation the club whiskers of 17 male rats, 12 aged six
months or more and 5 aged three months, were measured in order to obtain the
characteristics of maximum fibre length for each follicle position, and length
differences for paired positions on opposite sides of the face.

Changes in hair growth (1)

2009-06-17T05:32:00.000-07:00

Changes in hair growth (1)

INTRODUCTION

Much of the experimental work on hair growth has involved direct or indirect
interference with normal follicle activity. Where severe destructive agents have
been employed on adult follicles (e.g. carcinogenic hydrocarbons, Wolbach,
1951; X-irradiation, Geary, 1952), recovery of fibre production appears to have
depended on the degree of damage to the dermal papilla, and more recently it
has been shown that the papilla can prove resistant to high doses of X-irradiation
(Ibrahim & Wright, 1977).
Direct evidence of the necessity for a dermal papilla for growth and maintenance
of adult follicles was first demonstrated in a series of experiments by
Lillie & Wang (1941,1944) and Wang (1943). They discovered that removal of
the dermal papilla from feather follicles resulted in the permanent termination
of feather production. However, reimplantation of a new papilla resulted in
restoration of feather growth. Following the excision of rat pelage hair follicle
bulbs, Butcher (1965) reported subsequent growth of fragile hairs in the absence
of a dermal papilla. This conflicted with the findings of Oliver (1966a,b) who,
using operational procedures pioneered by Cohen (1961), established that fibre
production in the vibrissa follicle was terminated by removal of the dermal
papilla, and was only restored after papilla regeneration from surrounding lower
follicular mesenchymal cells which are continuous with the base of the papilla.
Furthermore, it was discovered that a papilla could be reformed after removal
of short lengths of follicle root, a finding confirmed by Ibrahim & Wright (1982).
Similarly, the regrowth of human axillary hair following the removal of the bulb
and follicle up to the level of the sebaceous gland has also been described (Inaba,
Anthony & McKinstry, 1979).
One of the advantages of using vibrissa follicles, particularly for quantitative
studies, is the ease with which individual fibres can be measured. Normal growth
characteristics of vibrissae on the upper lip of the rat are therefore well documented
(Oliver, 1965; Ibrahim & Wright, 1975; Young, 1977). In addition, each
follicle has an exact counterpart on the opposite side which produces a fibre of
similar length. This inbuilt 'control' system was exploited by Oliver (1966a, 1967)
who looked at alterations in whisker length brought about by various microsurgical
manipulations.

In the present study a comprehensive examination of the effects of wounding
the lower region of vibrissa follicles with a tungsten needle was undertaken.

Hair Loss (Alopecia)

2009-06-17T05:24:00.000-07:00

Hair Loss

Hair loss is a common occurance even for healthy
people. In fact, the average person will lose
between 50 and 150 hairs every day. A person who
has a healthy head of hair has over 100,000 hair
follicles, so losing 50-150 hairs a day is generally
not a problem. However, when people start to lose
more hair than the body can grow then it can be a problem.
Hair loss can be caused by many different factors
including heredity, medical conditions and harsh
hair treatments. Interferon treatment can cause
hair loss (alopecia) and changes in hair texture that
can occur all over the body – not just on the head.
It is, however, rare for someone on HCV therapy to
lose all of their body hair or to go bald. Generally,
people will start to notice that their hair is thinning,
becoming brittle and easily breaking off. Hair color
may become dull and the texture of hair may also
change during therapy – curly hair may become
straight, and vice-versa.
Alan Franciscus, Editor-in-Chief
HCSP • VERSION 2.1 • December 2008
Hair Loss (Alopecia)
Treatment-related hair loss and changes in texture
can greatly affect body image; and a person’s
appearance directly affects the way they feel about
themselves and how they interact with other people.
If someone is having hair loss while on treatment
and it is affecting them psychologically it is highly
recommended that he or she seek out professional
psychological support or help from a peer led supportgroup.

The good news is that hair loss or change in hair
texture is only temporary and the hair lost and
damaged during treatment will usually grow back
after treatment. Some people even report that
their hair grows back fuller and thicker than beforetreatment.
It is important to know that minoxidil (Rograine) will
not work to repair the damage of interferon induced
hair loss. In fact, minoxidil should be avoided
because it can irritate and dry out the scalp.
There are many steps that people can take to
help reduce the chance of hair loss and other hair problems:
Do not wash hair too frequently
Every once in a while skip the shampoo and just
use water – this will help to retain some of the
natural oil in your hair Apply hair conditioner often
Try gently massaging your scalp (use vegetable oil) in a circular motion. Better yet, have a
friend or loved one massage your head, neck and shoulders
Avoid us ing chemi cal s found in dyes and
permanent s – use natural produc t s when possible
A short layered haircut will make hair look thicker and fuller
Use a Nioxin shampoo to help dry and damaged hair

Try to avoid using a hair dryer, rollers and curling
irons. If a hair dryer is needed, use the lowest
setting possible. If using a towel to dry hair, do not rub too hard
Style hair only when it is dry or damp
Use a soft bristle brush or a wide tooth comb
avoid frequent brushing or combing
Use a sunscreen, hat, or scarf to protect the scalp
and hair from sun damage.Do not tease hair
Avoid hair styles that could strain hair, such as hair weaves or braiding
Use a satin pillow to sleep on Remember that the change in texture and loss of
hair from HCV treatment is temporary and that it
will resolve after stopping treatment.
Be Sure to Check Out the Other Factsheets
in This Series: “HCV Treatment – Side Effect Management”
A Guide to Hepatitis C: Treatment Side Effect Management
Managing Side Effects of HCV Treatment
Side Effect Management: Anxiety, Mania, and Depression
Side Effect Management: Dental Hygiene
Side Effect Management: Depression
Side Effect Management: Depression – For Family and Friends
Side Effect Management: Diarrhea
Side Effect Management: Hair Loss
Side Effect Management: Headaches
Side Effect Management: Hemolytic Anemia
Side Effect Management: Injection Site Reactions
Side Effect Management: Maintaining a Positive Attitude
Side Effect Management: Mouth Sores
Side Effect Management: Nausea
Side Effect Management: Neutropenia
Side Effect Management: Rashes
Side Effect Management: Taste Changes
Side Effect Management: Water
Side Effect Management: Weight Loss

For more information about hepatitis C, hepatitis B and
HCV coinfections, please visit www.hcvadvocate.org.

HAIR LOSS PREVENTION (12)

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HAIR LOSS PREVENTION (12)

Summary

Hair is a living protein, and as with any living part
of our bodies we must be sure to maintain proper health to
optimize our chances of maintaining a healthy head of hair.
Proper nutrition is vital to maintaining healthy hair, since
the hair is a living and growing part of the body’s system.
Viewing it in this manner can help us to treat our bodies
different and raise expectations through proper care. A
healthy balanced diet, occasionally with the help of vitamin
and mineral supplements and exercise are all key
components to a healthy regimen of maintaining healthy hair.
Male Pattern Baldness (MPB) or androgenetic
alopecia is the condition that over 95% of persons that
suffer hair loss have, and it is caused by a rise in DHT, a
direct component of testosterone. The scientific
developments of the past two decades have brought hope
and promise to many who suffer with this type of hair loss.
Treatments like Rogaine®, Rogaine® for Women, Propecia,
and improved surgical treatments have brought relief to
many who would have previously had to settle for gradual
hair loss, wigs, or hairpieces. The discovery of the role of
DHT in preventing hair loss has even opened the doors to
possible herbal solutions to hair loss prevention, such as
saw palmetto, nettles, rosemary and horsetail. Even more
promising is the fact that the hair loss commonly known as
androgenetic alopecia is found to occur mainly in Western
civilization or those who have adopted the ways of Western
civilization, meaning that there may be dietary practices
that contribute to hair loss and therefore giving hope to the
possibility that diet could control not only temporary hair
loss, but androgenetic alopecia as well.
Doctors and scientists are studying DHT production
in the body to understand it more thoroughly. There is an
obvious link to hair loss and prostatic health and this only
increases the pace of hair loss discoveries. Most treatments
for prostatic diseases such as benign prostatic hyperplasia
(BPH) also have the pleasant side affect of growing hair on
the heads of those taking it. With the pace of research and
discoveries today, there is a great deal of optimism in the
field of hair loss prevention. Hair is an important part of
our dress and appearance, therefore a large part of our selfesteem.
It is likely that there are answers for your situation
presently or coming in the near future.
Remember, the restoration of hair growth is not an
overnight process. The process takes time regardless of the
method chosen. Be patient and follow as much of the
advice given by professionals as possible. Keep in mind
that the body is a system, and it is the abuse of this system
by food intake and environmental causes that lead to most
common hair loss. Through returning the body back to its
natural state, hair growth can be restored. Good health to you!
Resources for Hair Care and Hair Loss Prevention
These books, websites, and reports may prove
helpful to you if you wish to read further about MPB or
androgenetic alopecia and its prevention.
Alopecia Areata: Understanding and Coping with Hair
Loss by Wendy Thompson, M.A. and Jerry Shapiro, M.D.
John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 1996.
Hair Loss Prevention Through Natural Remedies: A
Prescription for Healthier Hair by Ken Peters, David
Stuss, and Nick Waddell. Apple Publishing Company, Ltd.,
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 1994.
The Hair Replacement Revolution: A Consumer’s Guide to
Effective Hair Replacement Techniques by James Harris
and Emanuel Marritt. Square One Publishers.
Bald No More by Morton Walker. Kensington Publishing Corporation.
Your Hair: Helping to Keep It: Treatment and Prevention
by Neil Sadick and Donald Charles Richardson. St. Martin’s Press.
The Bald Truth by Spencer David Kobren, Diane B.
Eisman, and Eugene H. Eisman. Pocket Books.
Healing Psoriasis: The Natural Alternative by Dr. John
O.A. Pagano. The Pagano Organization, Englewood Cliffs,
NJ, 2nd Printing, 1995.
Propecia: The Hair-Growth Breakthrough by Othneil J.
Seiden, M.D. Prima Health Publishers, Rocklin, CA, 1998.
The National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF), P.O.
Box 150760, San Rafael, CA 94915-0760, (415) 472-3780
The National Psoriasis Foundation at 6600 SW 92nd Ave.,
Suite 300, Portland, OR 97223-7195, (503) 244-7404

HAIR LOSS PREVENTION (11)

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HAIR LOSS PREVENTION (11)

Prescription Drug Treatments

While topical solutions such as Rogaine® brand
monoxidil have been used to treat hair loss, Propecia®
brand Finasteride by Merck & Company, Inc. is the only
FDA approved pill approved for the prevention of hair loss
and possible hair re-growth. Like Rogaine®, Propecia® was
discovered when its generic equivalent being used for
another purpose was found to have beneficial side effects.
Finasteride is the generic name for the drug, which was
already in existence for quite some time and had been
produced under the name Proscar® by Merck & Company
and used for treatment of enlarged prostates, a syndrome
medically called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). BPH
is caused by an overproduction of DHT, which causes the
prostate to grow. Many BHP patients were also suffering
with MPB, and when patients began taking Proscar®, they
noticed the re-growth of hair also. This sparked new testing
and the birth of Propecia® as a hair restoration drug. The
approval of Propecia® by the FDA was easy to achieve,
since it was merely marketing already approved Finasteride
as a hair restoration drug, with a much smaller dosage than that required for BPH.
Propecia® is being prescribed by doctors to some
patients as an oral treatment to internally block the
production of DHT. Propecia is an androgen hormone
inhibitor only approved for men, and has been clinically
proven to grow hair on a significant percentage of men who
suffer with Male Pattern Baldness (MPB) or more properly
androgenetic alopecia. Unfortunately, the drug has not been
approved for use by women at this time. This is especially
true for women who are pregnant or can become pregnant,
because the process of inhibiting testosterone from being
converted to DHT can affect secondary sex characteristics of unborn fetuses.
Propecia® works by reversing the shrinkage of hair
follicles that are in the telogen phase, or last phase of the
normal hair cycle. Propecia® works best in combination
with topical treatments of Monoxidil such as Rogaine®.
Participants in studies have seen hair grow in as little as six
months, whereas those who have seen no results in a year’s
time are reported not likely to see any results from the drug.
One round of testing of over 2,000 men with androgenetic
alopecia over a four-year period showed half with reported new hair growth.
Side effects of Propecia® in a few persons studied
include diminished sex drive, difficulty in achieving an
erection, and a decreased sperm production. Side effects
were found in less than three percent of participants in
clinical studies. Fortunately when the drug’s use was
discontinued, the side effects went away and normal
functions resumed. Of course there are some who say that
the growth of new hair is worth the cost of a drop in libido.
Only you can decide whether this side effect is worth the
personal cost to you. Finasteride is metabolized primarily
by the liver, and therefore anyone suffering with liver
disease may not be able to take the drug, and should consult
a physician. Additionally, as with Monoxidil, it can mask
PSA levels, thus caution should be used if used by patients
with elevated PSA levels, as it may be difficult to read
levels properly when diagnosing potential prostate cancer.
Of course proper consultation with your physician will help
determine if taking Finasteride treatments such as Propecia® is right for you.
An interesting phenomena concerning Propecia® is
the dramatic rise in price it caused for Finasteride when it
entered the market as a hair restoration drug. Propecia® is
simply a 1mg version of Finasteride, a drug that was
already being marketed as Proscar® for BPH by the same
company that markets Propecia®, Merck & Company, Inc.
Therefore there should not be an increase of any kind in the
cost of production of Finasteride, since it was simply being
marketed under a new name at a much smaller dosage.
Merck & Company therefore was prepared to introduce
Propecia at the price of $1.25 per pill or $37.50 for a 30-
day supply in 1998. However, after reconsiderations it was
decided that Propecia would be introduced at $50 for a onemonth
supply. This is compared to a 30-day supply of
Proscar® which is 5mg Finasteride being marketed at $55-
60.00 for a 30-day supply. The price was adjusted to be in
the range of Rogaine® Extra Strength. The price of
Propecia® today in 2004 is in the range of $130 for a 30-
day supply, while Proscar® prices have risen at a much
slower pace, and is now less expensive than the same
Finasteride drug that is 1/5th the dosage. Doctors of course
are discouraged by pharmaceutical companies to prescribe
Proscar for cosmetic treatment of androgenetic alopecia. Of
course there are always going to be those who find ways to
circumvent this. Therefore, many have been driven to find
ways to purchase Proscar® and divide the pill into fourths
or fifths instead of paying the exorbitant prices for the very same Finasteride.

HAIR LOSS PREVENTION (10)

2009-06-14T04:47:00.000-07:00

HAIR LOSS PREVENTION (10)

Over The Counter Treatments

The most popular over-the-counter hair restoration
drug today is Rogaine®, a brand of topical monoxidil
solution by Pfizer Corporation, approved for over the
counter sale in 1997 by the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA). Monoxidil was originally used as a blood pressure
medication, and then doctors found that it produced the side
effect of increased scalp hair growth. Today monoxidil
remains the only FDA approved pharmaceutical topical
solution proven to grow hair. In the preliminary studies
held in 1985, 55% of men tested were able to re-grow hair
with extra strength Rogaine® (5% topical monoxidil
treatment), although the best results came from those who
had been balding for less than 10 years and were bald in a
section of four inches across or less. Another test study
compared the results of regular strength Rogaine® (2%
topical monoxidil solution) with the extra strength version,
and found that subjects grew 45% more hair with the extra
strength Rogaine® than with the regular strength Rogaine®,
and users of both solutions outgrew the users of the
placebo. Only 6% of those tested experienced any type of
irritation. Rogaine® works by blocking the production of
DHT. Of course there are generic brands of topical
monoxidil solution also on the market. Rogaine® was
originally made only for men’s use, and then a women’s
version of the drug was produced. Similar results were
achieved with the women’s version. As with both men’s
and women’s versions, users must take note that continuous
use of the drug is necessary to maintain the newly grown
hair, as it is a usual reaction for newly growing hair to stop
growing and fall out when one ceases to use the drug. As
with any drug, follow all directions and cease to use if
irritation or discomfort persists.
Of course many people choose not to use drugs to
treat conditions, because they want to avoid the use of
chemicals and their possible side effects. In this case, there
are several treatments in existence that have been found to
block the production of DHT and thus work similarly to
topical monoxidil products. As mentioned earlier, Saw
Palmetto has been used effectively to block DHT in the
treatment of prostatic disease, and is now being explored
for its effectiveness in stimulating hair growth.
Traditionally it has been used by herbalists to stimulate hair
growth effectively. Nettles, usually taken in the form of
Nettle Root Extract has shown itself to be effective in
preventing hair loss as well. More information on these was
covered in the section called Natural Hair Remedies.

HAIR LOSS PREVENTION (9)

2009-06-14T04:45:00.000-07:00

HAIR LOSS PREVENTION (9)

Hair Replacement and Restoration Techniques

There has been a great deal of progress in the field
of hair replacement and restoration in the past few years.
Surgical techniques have improved greatly from the days
when hair replacement first began. All hair replacement
techniques involve the use of your own hair; therefore, hair
replacement candidates must have some healthy hair,
usually at the back and sides of the head. The process is a
relatively safe procedure when performed by a qualified
surgeon, however as with any surgery there are risks.
Candidates must be checked for uncontrolled high blood
pressure, blood-clotting problems, or skin that scars
excessively, as these conditions may make healing difficult.
Small pieces of hair growing scalp grafts are removed from
areas of the scalp with healthy hair and are placed where
hair is thinning. There are three major types of grafts:
punch grafts, mini-grafts, and micro-grafts. Punch grafting
takes about 10-15 hairs and places them in the scalp. This
was the first type of technique to be developed, and when
first developed caused a patchy look in many candidates.
The technique has been improved since the first days of
being developed, and the new mini-graft technique has also
been added as an option. Mini-grafts contain only 2-4 hairs
per graft, and therefore look much more natural. Micrografts
are still smaller grafts that contain one to two hairs
each. To maintain healthy circulation of the scalp, grafts
are placed 1/8th of an inch apart. Local anesthesia is usually
sufficient for these procedures, and several procedures are
usually required to achieve the desired result. Post-surgery,
a period of approximately 10 days of no sexual or strenuous
activity is recommended, as strenuous activity may cause
bleeding from the graft areas.
Of course surgery is a serious option, and often an
expensive one as well. For those not wishing to undergo
surgery for either reason, the option of non-surgical hair
additions is often explored. Many professionals have
developed techniques to add hair to existing hair on your
scalp that look very natural. Weaves, fusions, bonding,
cabling and micro linking are some of the techniques used
to bond hair to the existing hair or scalp non-surgically.
Many jokes were made in the past about wigs and
toupees, and they have gained an unfavorable light amongst
many people because they were so obvious on the wearer.
Today’s toupees and wigs are often made of real hair and
are very well styled, causing them to look more natural on
the wearer. These hairpieces are held in place by affixing
adhesive to the scalp and stay in place through vigorous
exercise. Of course you will need to seek a professionally
made toupee in order to make it worth your while, and you
should purchase at least two so that you can maintain them
properly, servicing one while wearing the other. A
professionally styled and fitted toupee is expected to cost
upward of $600 to $1000 in today’s market. Of course no
one wants to go through the embarrassment of wearing the
obvious “rug” on top of your head, so if you are not willing
to spend the money it takes to purchase a professional
toupee then it is probably best to not wear any hairpiece at all.
Structured hairpieces as they are called are a semisurgical
approach that permanently attaches hair to the
scalp by stitching the hair to the bald scalp. This procedure
is not recommended, as it is a process that involves
introducing a foreign material to the scalp. Most ethical
surgeons do not perform this procedure any longer as they
are generally deemed to be ethically inappropriate. If this
procedure is recommended to you, get a second opinion
from a trusted physician.
A much safer procedure is hair weaving, yet this
can only be used if hair is thinning and large balding areas
are not present. The process is also called hair
intensification or hair integration. Strands of synthetic or
real hair are braided or weaved into your own existing hair
giving an appearance of a full head of hair. This procedure
does have its drawbacks, because it can make the scalp
difficult to access, interfering with proper hair and scalp
maintenance necessary for the health of your remaining
natural hair, and this method can also stress existing hair
since the artificial hair introduced through weaving is
attached to it. This method is usually expensive, costing
several thousand dollars per application, and being that
because of the aforementioned drawbacks it can only be
left in for a few weeks at a time it is usually impractical for
the average person.
It is highly recommended that one seek professional
assistance with these procedures from licensed beauticians
or barbers, and have a patch test done to the skin if using
adhesives to test for skin sensitivities. Extra care must be
taken to maintain cleanliness of the hair and scalp when
wearing added hair in order to maintain the health of
existing hair and the scalp in general. Of course, if you are
undergoing chemotherapy or are in the early stages of
diagnosed alopecia areata then these procedures should be
avoided as the hair they are connected to is likely to fall out
as well. Either waiting for a period of time or obtaining a
full prosthesis is recommended in these cases.
Yet still there is another type of treatment which is a
spray of micro fibers made up of the same substance that
hair is made of: keratin. If your hair is simply thinning,
while you are investigating a more permanent solution to
your hair loss problems or in the process of employing a
particular process that takes some time, you can use these
substances to cosmetically produce the appearance of
thicker and fuller hair. The substance is marketed under
several different names, one such being Topik®. Being a
temporary solution it is relatively inexpensive, and can
provide some immediate aesthetic results to bolster
confidence and optimism as you work on more permanent
solutions.

HAIR LOSS PREVENTION (8)

2009-06-14T04:43:00.000-07:00

HAIR LOSS PREVENTION (8)

Women’s Issues

The term Male Pattern Baldness (MPB) tends to lay
credence to the thought that hair loss is primarily a male
problem. While males do lose hair more readily and tend to
lose hair in sections, women suffer baldness and hair
thinning also, except the thinning is more uniform
throughout the head. With this is mind, women are better
candidates for surgical hair replacement and weaving
treatments, because large portions of the scalp are highly
unlikely to be bald on a woman suffering with androgenetic alopecia.
Because a great deal more emphasis is put on the
beauty of a woman’s hair, this is becoming a great concern
for today’s woman. While the general information covered
thus far is good for all persons in general, there are a few
things specific to women concerning hair loss.
Many women suffer hair loss and an increase of
facial hair after the onset of menopause. This is because of
the drop in estrogen production, changing the ratio of
estrogen to testosterone in a woman’s body. Prior to
menopause, a woman’s body is constantly producing
estrogen, which binds excess testosterone to proteins called
globulins. Therefore, there is little excess testosterone in a
woman’s body. After the onset of menopause this estrogen
is no longer present, thereby exposing it to a similar
although milder type of syndrome that males go through
concerning the overproduction of DHT. An interesting note
is that once again, the syndrome of menopause and its
unique effects are not as common in the Eastern world, but
are specific to Western civilization. The key differences are
the consumption of less red meat and fatty foods in Eastern
lands than in the West and less daily stressors in most
Eastern lands as compared to Western civilization.
Anorexia is an eating disorder that is becoming
more prevalent among women in the past few decades and
is psychologically driven in Western society due to the
emphasis put on slender women being the ideal in Western
civilization. Needless to say, if you or a loved one is
suffering with this disorder, a qualified physician should
treat any cases of anorexia. However, some of the side
effects of anorexia can be hair loss due to the malnutrition
the syndrome caused. In this case, it is vital to carefully
follow the advice given in the sections Nutrition, Diet, and
Hair Loss, and Natural Hair Remedies.
It is of course recommended in all cases that you
reduce your intake of red meats, fatty foods, and reduce
stress, however due to your profession and engrained habits
there may be a limit to how much you can change this part
of your lifestyle. There is another factor in Eastern
civilizations that may cause a stark difference in their
women not suffering through typical menopausal
symptoms here in the West. The consumption of soybeans
and soybean products is much higher in the East. This is
significant because soy contains estrogen-like substances
and work in the body similarly to estrogen. Therefore there
is not an extreme drop in estrogen levels in women who
consume soybean products, thus reducing the symptoms of
menopause typically suffered in the West.
Some women who suffer hair loss tend to have
gastrointestinal problems that do not allow them to absorb
proteins and zinc that are necessary to maintain a healthy
head of hair. If you think that you have problems with your
gastrointestinal system and are experiencing unusual hair
loss, of course see your doctor. You may be able to take
some natural non-dairy acidophilus after meals for a couple
of months in order to increase your digestion of these nutrients.
There are a number of myths associated with hair
loss in women particularly. Many were told that brushing
the hair 100 strokes each night will promote healthy hair
growth. As mentioned earlier, extreme brushing of the hair
can cause stress on the hair which can cause breakage and
hair loss. Also, just as hats have been rumored to cause hair
loss, wearing wigs has also been rumored to cause hair loss.
This is very untrue, especially if the scalp is given
sufficient time to breathe at night and hair is washed
regularly to avoid buildup. Although stress can cause
temporary hair loss, permanent hair loss is usually
unconnected to stress. Last but not least, the belief that
there are cosmetic products that are out on the market that
grow hair is simply unfounded. There is only one product
on the market that has been proven to grow hair on women
safely, and that is women’s Rogaine® discussed later in the
section Over The Counter Treatments.
During pregnancy hair growth increases
dramatically in most women. This increases the usual
percentage of hair normally growing on the head.
Therefore, after childbirth there may be an increase in hair
loss due to more hair follicles than usual entering the rest
phase. The temporary excessive loss of hair usually occurs
between one and three months after childbirth and is quite
normal; it should balance out a few months after childbirth
at most. Similar syndromes occur after ceasing birth control
pills or switching types of birth control pills.

HAIR LOSS PREVENTION (7)

2009-06-14T04:40:00.000-07:00

HAIR LOSS PREVENTION (7)

Hair and Scalp Diseases

There are a variety of hair and scalp diseases; some
are very common, while other more severe hair and scalp
diseases are fortunately rare. Alopecia Areata is an
autoimmune skin disease that causes the body’s immune
system to attack the hair follicles, causing baldness in
patches. It affects 1.7 percent of the population, including
4.7 million people in the United States. In cases where the
disease progresses to the point where all scalp hair is lost, it
is called Alopecia Totalis, and where hair loss advances to
the entire body it is called Alopecia Universialis. There is
no known cause for alopecia areata and therefore no known
cure. The disease usually hits before age 20, and does not
seem to favor one particular gender or culture. Hair loss
with alopecia areata comes in stages, with hair returning
and falling out in phases. For information on this disease,
contact the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF)
at PO Box 150760, San Rafael, CA 94915-0760, (415) 472- 3780.
Seborrheic Dermatitis, an advanced form of
seborrhea, is a non-contagious skin disease that causes
excessive oiliness of the skin, most commonly in the scalp,
caused by overproduction of sebum, the substance
produced by the body to lubricate the skin where hair
follicles are present. Seborrhea is the form of the disease
where oiliness only occurs without redness and scaling.
The disease commonly occurs in infants, middle-aged
people, and the elderly, and is commonly known in infants
as cradle cap. The disease has no cure, yet in infants it
usually disappears in time. With adults the condition may
persist with varying degrees of severity. Flaking, scaling
and redness often are symptoms of this disease. It is easily
treated with topical solutions found in creams containing
corticosteroids and shampoos containing pine tar, selenium
sulfide or salicylic acid. Seborrhea and seborrheic
dermatitis are both easily treated and controlled, and should
be because left untreated they can contribute to hair loss. In
fact, a group of Japanese scientists have linked the
overproduction of sebum to hair loss. This is because the
sebaceous glands in areas of the scalp where hair is
thinning or bald are enlarged, and are thought to cause the
clogging of pores and several other problems that promote hair loss.
Psoriasis is termed an immune-mediated disorder
that affects different areas and functions of the body. It is
non-contagious, and one of the areas of the body it can
affect is the scalp. It usually appears as patches of raised
red skin accompanied by burning and itching. Several
contributing factors are thought to contribute to the
outbreak of psoriasis, including emotional stress, certain
infections, toxemia, the thinning of the intestinal walls and
adverse reactions to certain drugs. At least half of people
who have psoriasis have scalp psoriasis. Like seborrhea,
scalp psoriasis left untreated can cause hair loss.
Fortunately, it can also be treated with a variety of topical
creams and shampoos containing tar and salicylic acid. For
more information on psoriasis, contact the National
Psoriasis Foundation at 6600 SW 92nd Ave., Suite 300,
Portland, OR 97223-7195, (503) 244-7404 or (800) 723- 9166.
It is vital not to scratch the scalp and pick at the
scabs that psoriasis causes, as this could damage the hair
follicles in the dermis and cause permanent hair loss. As
long as the follicles are not damaged, hair loss caused by
this malady is usually temporary and hair will grow back
once the condition clears. Some of the best ways to stop the
itching are using very common household substances such
as mouthwashes like Lavoris® and Listerine®. Carbolated
Vaseline® works well along the hairline to relieve
symptoms. Hair dyes of all kinds and chemical treatments
such as permanents and relaxers should be avoided at all
costs with psoriasis. These chemicals are extremely
harmful in general, but with psoriasis can lead to
irreversible damage to the hair follicle over a relatively
short period of time.
Like any of these other maladies, one must keep in
mind that psoriasis cannot be cured through drugs, and if
any cure exists it is in the form of the body healing itself by
the correction of malfunctions in the body. One condition
present with everyone suffering with psoriasis is toxemia.
When the body becomes toxic, various genetic dispositions
mature and psoriasis is but one illness that arises due to
toxemia. Toxemia is caused by poor circulation and the
thinning of the intestinal walls. The patient’s blood
becomes acidic, and thus this acidity comes through the
largest organ in the body: the skin. Several cases of
psoriasis have been healed through natural processes such
as internal cleansing, giving up alcohol, increasing the
intake of water-especially distilled water, an increase in
exposure to the sun in certain cases, an active reduction in
stress by removing stressful conditions and practicing
meditation, and the elimination of nightshades such as
tomatoes, tobacco, eggplant, white potatoes, peppers (not
black pepper) and paprika. One food that is a common
plague to those suffering with psoriasis is pizza. Obviously
containing tomatoes, pizza also contains every ingredient a
psoriasis sufferer should avoid, such as white flour, peppers
and hot spices. Additionally, pizza is highly acidic and
should be avoided by all means.
In addition to the dietary suggestions given earlier,
it is suggested that those suffering with psoriasis should eat
fish, poultry and lamb regularly, maintain a high alkaline
diet and consume low fat milk or buttermilk. Fish,
especially fresh or canned salmon, sardines and solid white
albacore tuna contains Omega-3 fatty acids that are vital for
skin and scalp health. Although most fish are
recommended, avoid dark-fleshed fishes such as mackerel
or bluefish, sushi or shellfish. Poultry such as chicken,
turkey, Cornish Hens and other non-fatty fowl are excellent
foods for those with psoriasis when not fried. To avoid
excess fat, remove the skin before eating and avoid fowl
that has high fat content like goose and duck. Lamb is the
only recommended red meat for those suffering with
psoriasis, being that it is easy to digest and still a great
source of protein. Of course it should be prepared any way
except by frying. Dairy products should be consumed
sparingly, and only low-fat or non-fat dairy products Those
suffering with psoriasis can obtain their calcium from
sources mentioned earlier in the section on Diet, Nutrition
and Hair Loss, such as soybean products, celery, lettuce
and greens. White bread should be avoided. And a limited
amount of whole grain bread and whole grain products can
be substituted, but should be consumed with caution
because all grains except millet are acid forming.
Additionally, one should eliminate alcohol consumption
entirely, except for perhaps a small glass of red wine with
dinner to promote rich blood and digestion. For cleansing
suggestions, see the earlier section on Natural Hair Loss Remedies.
Lecithin is beneficial for psoriasis, and can be taken
in its granular form in the dosage of one tablespoon three
times a day, five days a week, either plain or added to
water, juice, sprinkled on salad or cereal. After the
condition clears, reduce the dosage to one tablespoon taken
once per day, five days a week. Lecithin can be obtained at
any health food store, and although it can be obtained in
liquid or tablet form in addition to granular form, it is best
used in granular form due to the high phosphatide content
when consumed as such. These doses should not be
exceeded, as the over consumption of lecithin can cause a
blockage in the absorption of calcium
Eczema is another non-contagious skin disease that
mimics psoriasis very closely. Eczema produces scales,
reddened inflamed skin that periodically ooze, and the
familiar itch that is of supreme annoyance to those that
suffer with it. These are however two different diseases that
usually require different treatments. However, there are
certain treatments that work for psoriasis that work for
eczema also. Eczema causes extreme buildup and sores on
the scalp, and can cause severe scarring. The buildup
caused by eczema can cause temporary hair loss, however
the scarring that can occur especially if one scratches the
painfully itchy lesions can cause permanent damage to the hair follicles.
Eczema is an illness caused by toxemia as well.
And although one can use the various medicated shampoos
and creams on the market to control its symptoms,
permanent relief is only going to come from removing the
cause of the toxemia. Therefore once again cleansing and
drinking plenty of purified water are keys to fighting eczema.
Many of the dietary recommendations are the
same for one who suffers from eczema, except there is
usually an increased sensitivity to fish-therefore it should
be eaten in a limited amount. Also, there is usually a high
intolerance of cow’s milk, since eczema is highly
associated with allergies. Therefore, one should use
soymilk or goat’s milk instead.
Hair loss due to chemotherapy treatments is a
common side effect of the treatment. Chemotherapy kills
rapidly reproducing cancer cells, however the side effect of
this treatment is that chemotherapy also destroys the
rapidly reproducing cells that promote the growth of hair
and nails. Hair is lost rapidly and in large quantities in most
instances. During this process, no prescription, herbal or
over the counter treatments of any kind have been found to
assist in maintaining the hair. Fortunately, hair normally
returns within six months to a year after treatments cease.

Patients have found that hair re-grown after chemotherapy
is finer in texture and lighter in color at first. These are
usually temporary conditions that improve with time. Those
recovering from chemotherapy should avoid chemical
processes such as perms, relaxers, bleaching and coloring
in the hair until it grows at least three inches and not until
at least one year after the last treatment. Chemotherapy can
cause skin sensitivity and these chemicals can be extremely
irritating to the scalp.

HAIR LOSS PREVENTION (6)

2009-06-14T04:35:00.000-07:00

HAIR LOSS PREVENTION (6)

Black Hair Basics

The typical hair and hair follicles of those of
African descent are tightly curled, thus producing hair that
spirals. Black hair also typically has a larger diameter than
Caucasian hair and retains less water, thus its relative
“kinkiness.” The many styling methods utilized on Black
hair cause concern with hair loss. Black hair is very strong,
fortunately so because Black hair styles cause a great deal
of stress on the hair and scalp.
For example, using a hair pick to pick the hair up to
a bushy style is a very damaging process due to the
constant pulling causing stress on the hair shaft as well as
the follicle. In fact, combing Black hair in general can
create high stress on Black hair and cause breakage, which
perpetuates dryness. Conrowing and braiding are methods
of hairstyling that pull the hair tight, and this can cause a
great deal of stress on the hair and scalp resulting in hair
loss. Braiding that results in the hair being pulled very tight
can cause traumatic alopecia, a hair loss that is caused by
trauma to the hair and scalp. Traumatic alopecia is usually
reversible with proper hair care.
Hot combs and relaxers used to straighten hair can
cause a great deal of heat and chemical damage to hair and
scalp, which can also cause traumatic alopecia, and over
time can cause permanent hair loss. This becomes
especially true when the heat or chemically processed hair
is pulled tight by rollers or a hot curling iron.
Hot oil conditioners are excellent for Black hair, as
hot oil treatments contain proteins and polymers vital to
repairing the hair cuticles. Hot oil treatments involve
heating the oil and putting it into the hair and scalp, then
covering the hair with a plastic cap to allow the oil to soak
in. Follow the recommendations on the treatment you are
using for the amount of time you should leave the treatment
on the hair. This process can heal breakages and shinier
stronger hair will be the result.
Consider that hair relaxers commonly used on
Black hair contain lye or similar chemicals that break down
the hair shaft. Left on beyond the recommended time, these
chemicals would eat right through the hair and cause it to
fall out in clumps. This is why these same products are
used in products like Drano® to clean clogged drains which
often are clogged by hair. No-lye relaxers are very popular
today, mainly because it leads people to believe that the
product is not caustic. This is far from the truth. The
combination of calcium hydroxide and guanidine carbonate
are combined to form guanidine hydroxide, which could
just as easily clean a sink. Repeated use of such products
can cause some degree of hair loss, and if scarring occurs
while using these chemicals, the hair loss can be permanent
in that area of the scalp. One must ask themselves is it wise
to place such caustic chemicals in the hair on a regular
basis for the sake of desired appearance? The question must
be answered by each individual, however the facts should
be known.
There is little that can be done to alleviate this
syndrome without changing the typical hairstyles of
African Americans. There is a catch-22 concerning
relaxing Black hair, since combing natural Black hair
causes so much stress and breakage of hair, while
chemicals cause so much harm to the hair and scalp as well.
There are a few hair-relaxing products on the market that
use chemicals and are somewhat less harsh than sodium
hydroxide (lye) or its popular equivalent in “no-lye”
relaxers: calcium hydroxide (quicklime) mixed with
guanidine carbonate. One such product is called Natural-
Laxer® and Sahara Clay® by Baka ProductsTM that has been
on the market since 1990. This product is all natural and
because it does not contain many of the harsh chemicals of
commercial relaxers and actually contains only a finely
ground plant called Daphne Gnidium and clay from Africa
it is figured to be relatively safe. Of course this product
does not straighten hair in most instances the same way as
commercial relaxers, however it does tend to make Black
hair more manageable. There is yet another product on the
market that is reported to be 92-96% natural which is called
Naturalaxer Kit In A Jar™ that does not require the
applicant to comb through the hair during the application,
which results in a lot less damage.
Of course the bottom line is once again, if you can
leave your hair in its natural state then you will experience
less stress and damage to the hair and thus prevent at least
one cause of hair loss. There is a growing segment of the
Black population that is becoming comfortable with
wearing their hair in natural styles. One such style is
dreadlocks. There are many rumors and myths concerning
dreadlocks, as there is little proper information available
concerning this style, and as with anything that is
misunderstood many myths arise around it. Dreadlocks can
and must be washed; otherwise they will smell badly like
any other dirty hair. The best process to use to wash
dreadlocks is to use a residue-free shampoo. Most
commercially made shampoos leave residue and can cause
hair not to lock, lending fuel to the rumor that hair had to
be dirty to form dreadlocks. Clean hair actually locks much
better than dirty hair, as dirt is a residue in itself that will
inhibit hair from locking. For best results one should use a
fragrance free, conditioner free shampoo. Dreadlocks do
not react well to oily and greasy substances, yet there are
many good substances that are on the market today that will
assist you in forming dreadlocks.
Dreadlocks are formed through a process, not
simply by not combing or brushing the hair. Generally, one
should start with hair about two inches in length, and the
hair should be separated into even squares of hair and
twisted gently together using a bonding or gel substance.
Many use natural beeswax containing no petroleum, while
others use loc and twist gels specifically formulated for
locks. Once the hair is separated and twisted into small
locks, it is important that they are left alone and allowed to
bond naturally. The length of time it will take to lock will
depend on the coarseness of your hair, but one can
normally expect to wait several months before locks begin
to form. While the hair is locking, it will need to be
washed. Here is where washing should be extended for a
while if possible, so that the hair can be allowed to lock for
two weeks to about a month without manipulation. When
you do wash your hair, use a stocking cap or “do-rag”, and
low-pressure water to make sure that the newly forming
locks do not come loose. It will be necessary to rinse for a
much longer time than you normally do, because of the
lower pressure of the water and the lack of direct
manipulation of your hair with your hands. The water is
good for your hair and locking process, so this is not a
problem. It is also imperative as indicated before that you
use a shampoo that does not contain a conditioner and
leaves as little residue as possible. A little research on your
part will be necessary here; your health food store should
contain a variety of natural shampoos. Have a skilled
professional or a friend re-twist the hair gently, reapplying
the twist gel or beeswax that you used previously. Repeat
this process every two weeks to a month, the longer you are
able to wait the better, and within a few months your hair
will begin to lock. Again, if you have a fine grade of hair
rather than a kinky grade of hair, a beautician skilled at
forming locks (“locktitian”) or a friend who is very familiar
with the hairstyle should be consulted. Even though
dreadlocks are mainly a hairstyle for Blacks, there are other
races that have people that enjoy the hairstyle. In general, it
tends to be a style of hair that in the long run will give the
hair and scalp needed rest from the rigors of chemical and
heat treatments and rigorous combing and brushing, and
therefore can contribute to longer life for your hair.

HAIR LOSS PREVENTION (5)

2009-06-14T04:33:00.000-07:00

HAIR LOSS PREVENTION (5)

Good Grooming and Care

Hair is fairly strong and can generally withstand
normal grooming techniques. However, there can be
thinning or breakage of hair due to poor grooming habits,
and following several tips can prevent these bouts of
thinning and breakage. Avoid combing hair with finetoothed
combs when wet, as this is a common cause of
breakage. Although this is a tempting practice because hair
straightens and detangles much better if combed when wet,
the stress on the hair shaft is immense when the hair is wet
because it is weakened.
This goes for brushing the hair when wet also.
Brushing the hair in general can be stimulating to the scalp,
encouraging blood flow to the hair follicles and
maintaining their health. Brushing the hair before washing
it can loosen up flakes of sebum and dead skin buildup and
make it easier to thoroughly clean the scalp during
shampooing. Remember, over combing or over brushing
generally will cause damage to the hair, which is quite
contrary to the old 100-stroke brushing rule.
Although clean hair is desirable and even necessary
for the maintenance of healthy hair, excessive shampooing
can strip vital minerals like calcium, phosphorus, nitrogen
and iron from the hair. This is particularly true when using
commercial shampoos. Most commercial shampoos contain
formaldehyde as a preservative. To disguise the presence of
formaldehyde it is listed in the ingredients as Quanternium-
15. This substance can be carcinogenic (cancer-causing)
and poisonous to the entire system.
Unfortunately for those who suffer with dandruff,
anti-dandruff shampoos are some of the most dangerous
shampoos on the market. Selenium sulfide is the main
ingredient in most dandruff shampoos, a substance that has
shown to cause degeneration of the liver. Other toxic
chemicals such as polyvinyl pyrrlidone plastic (PVP),
which is a proven carcinogenic, and creosol which has been
proven to be highly toxic are commonly found in dandruff
shampoos. This is why it is very important to correct this
condition as quickly as possible through natural means.
Natural shampoos normally found in health food
stores are a much better choice. Even with natural
shampoos, be careful of the ingredient Sodium Lauryl
Sulfate can strip away too much oil from the hair, causing
shampoo residue to be left behind. Ingredients that have
proven useful in shampoos are cocamides, Panthenol Pro-
B, of course the previously discussed vitamins, aloe vera,
sage, nettle, burdock, chamomile, chaparral, horsetail and
rosemary. Also look for shampoos that contain keratin, the
protein substance that hair is made of, or amino acids. This
will help seal breakages in the cuticle.
Choose a shampoo with a proper pH balance; a
level of 5.5 is ideal. The pH scale runs from 0 to 6.9 for
acids and 7.1 to 14 for alkaline, with 7 being neutral.
Although generally conditioners are good for hair provided
that they do not contain the previously mentioned harmful
chemicals, shampoos with conditioners included should be
avoided. Shampooing and conditioning serve two different
functions and the effectiveness of both are diminished by
combining the process.
When shampooing, pour the shampoo into the
hands and rub the shampoo in with your hands rather than
pouring it on your head. By pouring shampoo directly into
the hair you may promote buildup in one particular spot.
Massage gently with your fingertips to loosen flakes and
buildup and to stimulate circulation, but avoid using the
fingernails as this may scratch the scalp and cause scarring
over time. Shampoo with warm water to open the pores and
rinse with cool water to promote shrinking the pores back
to their normal size. After washing hair, dry it by blotting
the hair with a towel. Avoid rubbing, especially with
terrycloth towels, as this will pull hair when it is in a
weakened state due to the wetness.
Be sure to follow directions on all perms and
relaxers, as misuse can cause serious damage to the hair
shaft. Excessive coloring, styling or heat treatments, and
chemical treatments can damage hair and cause breakage
even when directions are followed. Always keep in mind
that these perms and relaxers have harsh chemicals in them
that chemically alter hair, and long-term use of these
chemicals can cause harm to hair shafts and follicles
causing some hair loss. If you can avoid the use of these
chemicals, by all means do. The result could be the
increased life of your hair.
If you decide to use perms or relaxers to process
hair, be sure to use semi-permanent hair color or henna.
This will avoid harsh reactions between the relaxer or perm
and the ammonia and peroxide amounts in permanent dyes.
It is always best to allow the hair to rest untreated as much
as possible, and avoid mixing chemical processes.
Another styling caution is against the overuse of
hairstyles that pull the hair too tight, such as ponytails and
braids, which will cause hair loss especially along the sides
of the scalp. This syndrome is called traction alopecia.
Keep in mind when styling hair that hair is living and
growing, and is susceptible to the stress of constant pulling
continuous abuse causes scarring, which will lead to
permanent hair loss in the areas affected. Along with
leaving the hair chemically untreated for a time, leaving it
in a loose style without over-manipulation for as long as
possible will ensure optimum results.

HAIR LOSS PREVENTION (4)

2009-06-14T04:30:00.000-07:00

HAIR LOSS PREVENTION (4)

Natural Hair Loss Remedies

There is again no sure-fire way to prevent all hair loss; however, there are some methods that have been used that work on some people. In addition to the dietary improvements and suggestions already offered, there are some naturopathic remedy suggestions. Massage and
aromatherapy have been used with some success. In minor cases of temporary hair loss, hair growth can be stimulated by massage, since blood and oxygen flow to the scalp must be healthy in order for hair to grow. A blend of six drops each of lavender and bay essential oils in a base of four ounces of either almond, soybean or sesame oil massaged into the scalp and allowed to sit for 20 minutes has been used by aroma therapists to stimulate the scalp. Once the mixture is in the scalp for 20 minutes, wash your hair and scalp with your normal shampoo mixed with three drops of bay essential oil. Massaging the scalp in general for a couple of minutes a day can stimulate blood flow to the hair follicles and in mild cases stimulate some hair growth.
Of course, one must be careful to be gentle when massaging and not tug at the hair or use the fingernails when massaging the scalp. If one is concerned about fingernails getting in the way due to extra long fingernails there are several options. One is a flat-handed massage which while not as effective as the finger massage can provide some circulatory benefits and results. There are
several electric massagers on the market that have an attachment for scalp massaging as well. An oriental method called Qi Gong (pronounced Chi Kung) has been used to increase circulation to the scalp and face also. The fingers should be placed at the center of the skull base and then
begin to tap approximately 30 times. Work your way outward toward the ears continuing to tap gently. After reaching the ears go back to the center of the skull a little higher up and work your way around to the ear region. Keep going up about eight levels, each time repeating the process.
As mentioned earlier, there is a definite connection between the prostate and hair loss for men, and therefore a connection between breakthroughs in BPH treatments developed and their effectiveness in restoring hair growth.
There have been some herbalists that have experimented with the herb Saw Palmetto in order to block the production of DHT in treating BPH. Although most studies of Saw Palmetto have been for the treatment of prostatic disease more recent studies have been conducted on its effectiveness in treating loss. The herb has been found to work in fighting benign prostatic disease by lowering levels of DHT, which is a known cause of androgenetic alopecia.

Studies have shown Saw Palmetto extract is an effective anti-androgen and therefore there is promise for its effectiveness as an effective treatment for hair loss prevention. Women who take Saw Palmetto should cease doing so when taking oral contraceptives or hormone
therapy. Nettles are rich in vitamins A and C, several key minerals and lipids that can be beneficial to the hair. Nettle Root Extract has been used successfully in Europe as an inhibitor of 5-alpha reductase in treating BPH. As mentioned earlier, 5-alpha reductase is a key component in turning testosterone into DHT, the substance that causes the atrophy of hair follicles. Therefore there is great promise in its use as a component in natural hair loss treatments.

Nettle Root Extract is available at health food stores over the counter, and has few side effects.
Rosemary and sage are two herbs that have shown benefit traditionally when used externally.
It is suggested that to promote a clean scalp, stimulation of the hair root and thickening hair one should boil together in water rosemary, sage, peach leaf, nettle and burdock. Then strain
the loose herbs from the liquid and use the liquid to wash the hair daily. Also recommended is steeping one ounce of ground rosemary, two ounces of ground sage, and a half ounce of ground nettles in one pint of ethyl alcohol for a week straining the solution and adding one ounce of castor oil and one ounce of water to the liquid. This is said to make a great hair lotion to apply at night before bed or just before shampooing. If one is predisposed to seborrhea, eczema psoriasis, or dandruff, one might consider the use of jojoba (pronounced ho-ho-ba) oil. Mexicans and southwestern Native American nations have used jojoba oil traditionally for centuries to promote hair growth and the control of dandruff. Jojoba oil is great for hypoallergenic skin by being a great moisturizer and mimicking the scalp’s own sebum. It absorbs readily into the scalp and helps remove deposits of sebum from the hair follicles, neutralizes acidity and nourishes the scalp with all the B vitamins vitamin E, silicon, copper, zinc, chromium, and iodine. Aloe Vera has been used by Native Americans Indians and many in the Caribbean to promote healthy hair
and prevent hair loss. Aloe’s positive effects on the skin are well known, and likewise it can help the scalp by healing it and balancing the pH level of the scalp while cleansing the pores.
A common preparation of Aloe Vera gel with a small amount of wheat germ oil and coconut milk is used as a shampoo and has traditionally shown great benefit. Of course, if you do not want to go through the trouble of concocting your own formulas, similar products or products containing these ingredients may be found in the health food store if one does some searching.

While Henna will not promote hair growth, henna is excellent for the maintenance of healthy hair. Henna is a natural clay conditioner that can help heal the hair shaft by repairing and sealing the cuticle, protecting hair against breakage and loss of shine. Henna comes in a variety of colors to safely color or highlight the hair temporarily, or one can obtain neutral henna if one does not desire color changes to the hair.

Cleansing should be a major part of your regimen to maintain and grow hair. Many scalp related diseases are directly the result of toxemia, while toxins in the body adversely affecting the body’s systems indirectly affect other conditions. Cleansing should be performed through oral means regularly and occasionally by enema or colonic irrigation; and the colon is the key to health and the root of nearly all of the body’s illnesses. A clogged colon blocks the ability of the body to absorb nutrients from foods you consume, therefore causing possible malnutrition of the
hair. When the colon is clogged, toxins are harbored that harm the body. Excess toxins send the body into a panic and overwork other organs of the body when the colon cannot eliminate them.

Commonly overworked organs are the liver and the kidneys, however the trickle-down effect
actually causes the adrenal glands to overproduce testosterone, leading to increased levels of DHT. Polysorbate-80 is an FDA approved surfactant that is also approved as a food additive.
It causes water and oils or fats to mix, and according to research, is of very little toxicity. Although it is not proven, Polysorbate-80 is said to remove deposits of DHT and cholesterol from the scalp.

Polysorbate-80 is a common additive in shampoo and is also available in its stand-alone form inn health food stores. It is being recommended by some naturopathic practitioners as an application for the scalp approximately 15 minutes prior to shampooing. Fiber is vital to cleansing, and most North American diets are deficient in natural fiber. Psyllium husk is a bulking laxative agent that can be used to safely move waste through the colon. Psyllium is a very good substance as it gently scrubs the walls of the colon to remove waste that is stuck to the walls. Activating agents such as the herbs cascara sagrada, senna and cayenne help activate the peristaltic waves of the intestines to push clogged waste through the colon and out. It would be best to consult an herbalist, naturopath or purchase a prepared herbal tea containing the aforementioned herbs. However, the psyllium can be obtained from any health food store and mixed with water. Be sure to drink the psyllium as soon as you mix it as it will begin to turn into a gel-like substance
that will be harder to swallow. Psyllium has no taste, and although many do not like its gritty feeling, the benefits far outweigh the unpleasantness.

Occasionally, a full colonic irrigation should be sought from a licensed professional. Colonic irrigations clean the colon through the gentle application of water into the colon by a colonic irrigation machine. Licensed practitioners who perform this function are available in most states and the benefits are unequalled. Commonly called a colonic for short, this process can remove far more waste than cleansing by taking herbs orally. With a proper diet, one should only need to have a colonic seasonally or even as little as bi-annually, for those who are maintaining a high-fiber diet. For the first treatment however, one should go through a series of colonic irrigation cleansings since waste is impacted in the colon and must be gradually loosened.

Once one has cleansed internally, cleanliness must be maintained to avoid the buildup of toxins reoccurring. Detoxifying herbal teas such as saffron are gentle and can be drunk to remove toxins from the body. Saffron has the effect of carrying toxins from inside the body out through
the pores of the skin. Chamomile, mullein or watermelon seed tea can be substituted for saffron tea for this purpose. This process is assisted by utilizing a steam bath to open the pores to allow toxins to come out easier. Be sure to consume plenty of fluids such as water and sports drinks
that contain salts your body may lose before entering a steam bath. Steam baths are extremely beneficial, yet your body will lose a large amount of water and salt, so you want to be sure to consume extra amounts of water and salt before going into the steam bath, and keep some sports drinks on hand in case you feel depleted. Of course if you have any medical conditions that affect your stamina, endurance, blood pressure, or breathing, consult your physician before engaging in steam baths. Finally, although exercise does absolutely nothing directly to grow hair, most holistic practitioners when questioned about hair loss recommend it. The reason was stated earlier, that being the fact that the body is a complete system, and neglect of the system can cause chain reactions of which one result may be hair loss. Take some time to exercise daily if only for a few minutes. This will improve blood flow, the delivery of oxygen to the cells of the body, and help the digestion of foods, all things that aid the health of hair follicles. If you have access to seawater, swimming is one of the most complete exercises available. It exercises
the entire body with little stress on the joints, and the seawater helps wash away toxins. However, beware of swimming in chlorinated water such as found in most pools, as chlorine can have negative effects on the hair. Bicycling is also another low-impact beneficial exercise
that can be done in one’s neighborhood or on a stationary bicycle, as is walking. Whatever method of exercising you choose, simply exercise to improve overall health. In combination with the other methods presented here exercise will only help your condition.

HAIR LOSS PREVENTION (3)

2009-06-14T03:55:00.000-07:00

HAIR LOSS PREVENTION (3)

Diet, Nutrition and Hair Loss

One key factor in maintaining a growing protein on a part of one’s biological body is obvious: one must maintain a healthy diet. Although certain factors have been definitely identified as contributors to hair loss, we must keep in mind that hair is part of the complete biological
system of the human body. Being a system, dysfunctions in one part of the system can contribute to dysfunctions in other parts; chain reactions occur when one part of the body
malfunctions, causing other parts within the system to falter. To maintain optimum health, it is best to maintain a healthy diet and regular exercise regimen.Defining exactly what a healthy diet is when it comes to preventing hair loss can be a little more complex.Principally, the main vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that one must ingest in some form to maintain healthy hair are vitamin A, all B vitamins-particularly vitamins B-6 and B-12, folic acid, biotin, vitamin C, vitamin E, copper, iron,zinc, iodine, protein of course, silica, essential fatty acids(EFA’s, formerly known as vitamin F) and last but not least one must consume water. There are also certain foods that
may cause dysfunctions that will contribute to hair loss. The best way to maintain a healthy vitamin andmineral intake is a good diet. It is not necessary or advisable to go out and buy a bunch of over-the-counter vitamin supplements in order to achieve your suggested nutritional levels. Many over-the-counter vitamins are chemically processed and are not completely absorbed into the system. It is also easy to overdose oneself with over the counter vitamins particularly when taking supplements of fat-soluble vitamins and minerals, causing toxicity and
adverse reactions. The likelihood of doing this is far less with food; therefore it is always best to obtain the bulk of your vitamin and mineral requirements from whole foods.
Vitamin A is a key component to developing healthy cells and tissues in the body, including hair.
Additionally it works with silica and zinc to prevent drying and clogging of the sebaceous glands, the glands vital to producing sebum, which is an important lubricant for the hair follicle. Vitamin A deficiencies commonly cause thickening of the scalp, dry hair, and dandruff. Air
pollution, smoking, extremely bright light, certain cholesterol-lowering drugs, laxatives, and aspirin are some known vitamin A inhibitors. Liver, fish oil, eggs, fortified milk, and red, yellow, and orange vegetables are good sources for vitamin A, as are some dark green leafy
vegetables like spinach. Be particularly careful if you take vitamin A supplements, as vitamin A is fat-soluble, allowing the body to store it and making it easy for the body to overdose on vitamin A. Vitamin A overdoses can cause excessively dry skin and inflamed hair follicles, and
in some cases ironically can cause hair loss. If you choose to take supplements of this vitamin, consult with a specialist first. As mentioned above, the likelihood of overdosing by achieving your vitamin A intake by food sources is almost nil, so it is best to attempt to achieve this at all costs.B-vitamins work interdependently and therefore all levels of B vitamins need to be sufficient in order to maintain proper health. Vitamins B-6, folic acid, biotin, and vitamin B-12 are all key components in maintaining healthy hemoglobin levels in the blood, which is the ironcontaining portion of red-blood cells. Hemoglobin’s primary function is to carry oxygen from the lungs to the tissues of the body, so if these vitamins were deficient in one’s body, then hair and skin would indeed suffer. Fortunately some of the tastiest foods contain these vitamins. Vitamin B-6 is found in protein rich foods, which is excellent because the body needs a sufficient amount of protein to maintain hair growth as well. Liver, chicken, fish, pork, kidney, and soybeans are good sources of B-6 and are relatively low in fat when they are not fried. Folic
acid is found in whole grains, cereals, nuts, green leafy vegetables, orange juice, brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, and liver again. Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and other dairy products meanwhile provide healthy amounts of B-12. Biotin deficiencies are rare unless there is a severe case of
malnutrition or a serious intestinal disorder, since a healthy gut produces biotin through good bacteria found there. Note: if you have a known intestinal disorder and are plagued by hair loss, ask your doctor about biotin deficiencies and possible solutions.

Vitamin C is responsible for the development of healthy collagen, which is necessary to hold body tissues together. A vitamin C deficiency can cause split ends and hair breakage, yet this is easily reversible with an increase to normal vitamin C levels. Vitamin C can be found in foods such as fresh peppers, citrus fruits, melons berries, potatoes, tomatoes, and dark green leafy vegetables. Vitamin E is necessary to provide good blood circulation to the scalp by increasing the uptake of oxygen. Vitamin E is derived from foods such as green leafy vegetables, nuts, grains, vegetable oils, and most ready-to-eat cereals, which are fortified with vitamin E. Vitamin E deficiencies are rare in people in North America and Europe. In the rare cases of vitamin E deficiency, usually caused by the inability to absorb oils and fats, dietary supplements are available. Copper is a trace mineral that is also necessary in the production of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin as mentioned
earlier is vital to the process of carrying oxygen to tissues such as the hair, and obviously hair is alive cannot grow without proper oxygen, yet it does not breathe as other components of our body do, because the oxygen must get to the shaft of the hair. Good sources of copper are liver
again, seafood, nuts, and seeds. Another key mineral vital in the production of hemoglobin is iron. Iron is found in two forms, heme and non-heme; heme iron is much easier to absorb into the system. This is where the problem lies. Of course most people know that red meat is a good source of iron, however red meat is non-heme iron and is difficult for the body to absorb, as are many iron supplements. Good heme iron sources are green leafy vegetables, kidney beans, and
bran. Additionally, one can increase the absorption of nonheme iron into the body by consuming non-heme food sources and vitamin C sources in the same meal. Zinc is another vital component to healthy hair, being that it is responsible for cell production, tissue growth and repair, and the maintenance of the oil-secreting glands of the scalp. It also plays a large role in protein synthesis and collagen formation. For this reason, zinc is important for both hair maintenance and dandruff prevention. Most Americans are deficient in zinc. Most foods of animal origin, particularly seafood, contain good amounts of zinc; oysters are particularly rich in zinc. Zinc is also found in eggs and milk, although in much smaller amounts. Zinc from sources such as nuts, legumes, and
natural grains is of a different type than those found in animal sources and is not easily used by the body, although oats are a good source of zinc that is readily used by the body.

Protein is found in most of the aforementioned animal source foods, particularly meats, fish, milk, cheese, eggs and yogurt. There is no need for a person eating the average Western diet to eat additional protein. Too much protein, even though hair is made of protein, will not improve hair growth and may cause other health problems. A challenge for vegans is to maintain healthy levels of protein, being that complete proteins containing all nine essential amino acids necessary are found mostly in animal sources. Legumes, seeds, nuts, grains and vegetables do not contain the same form of protein necessary for a healthy body. There is only one common non-meat source for complete protein, and that is the soybean. Fortunately, soybeans have been made into tofu and texturized vegetable protein (TVP) so that they can be made into various dishes. Additionally, one may eat from a wide variety of vegetable sources in order to obtain all the
essential amino acids. Iodine is vital to the growth of hair. Sheep farmers long ago discovered that vegetation void of iodine due to iodine-depleted soil will adversely affect the growth of
wool in sheep. Likewise, our hair needs iodine to grow.Iodine is synthetically added to table salt, however in this form it is not assimilated well into the body and can therefore cause iodine overload. An excess of iodine in the body can adversely affect the thyroid. It is best to use noniodized salt and retrieve your iodine from natural food sources. These include seaweed, salmon, seafood, lima beans, molasses, eggs, potatoes with the skin on, watercress
and garlic. One of the most difficult nutrients vital to hair growth to get in one’s diet is the trace mineral silica.

Silicon is a form of silicon and is the second most abundant element in the earth’s crust, second only to oxygen. The Earth provides everything we need for health, and with silicon being so abundant, it would seem that there would never be a problem with silica deficiency. Unfortunately, trace minerals are rare in Western diets because our food is processed and our soil depleted by chemical treatments so often that trace minerals are lost. Silica is vital to the
strength of hair, and although it will not necessarily stop hair from falling out from the follicle, it will stop hair breakage. It works by stimulating the cell metabolism and formation, which slows the aging process. Foods that are rich in silica are rice, oats, lettuce, parsnips, asparagus, onion, strawberry, cabbage, cucumber, leek, sunflower seeds, celery, rhubarb, cauliflower, and swiss chard. Note that many of these foods, particularly rice, are a large part of Asian diets and Asians tend to have the strongest and healthiest hair. Be sure to seek out all the above foods from sources that grow food organically, as this is vital to obtaining the trace minerals that are usually not present in North American soil and therefore not in American foods. Additionally these foods should be eaten uncooked, or in the case of rice-unwashed, as trace minerals are easily
cooked and washed away. Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) are fatty acids that are needed by the body yet not produced by the body.EFA’s are a key component to healthy skin, hair and nails.
Common skin diseases, such as those discussed later in this book like eczema and seborrhea, are in part caused by deficiencies in EFA’s. Including deep-water fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, trout, or herring approximately three times a week will provide sufficient amounts of
EFA’s. However, if for some reason you cannot eat deep water fish or have an extreme dislike for it, it may be necessary to take a supplement to obtain the required amount of EFA’s.
Last but not least, make sure to include the proper amount of water in your diet. Water is vital to proper hydration, which is necessary in order for all nutrients to be utilized properly by the body, not to mention the proper function of every cell in the body including hair follicles.
The suggested amount of water intake daily is eight 8- ounce glasses of water a day, or 64 ounces a day.

The effects of high-fat diets and the increase of DHT (Dihydrotestosterone), a chemical produced by the body found to cause hair loss, is not conclusive at this time. However, there does seem to be a connection; as societies that consumed relatively low-fat diets such as pre-World War II Japan experienced almost no pattern baldness, whereas in post-World War II Japan there is an increase in pattern baldness as their society consumes a higher fat diet. In fact, Asian and African men in their native countries traditionally suffer very little Male Pattern Baldness
(MPB). Although when the same peoples come to North America, they begin to develop MPB. Because people of all races and ethnicities tend to develop MPB or androgenetic alopecia, yet do not exhibit these tendencies before moving to America, changes in diet may be a leading contributing factor. Diets high in fat do increase testosterone, which is the main component in DHT. More research needs to be done on this topic to reach conclusive evidence, although it certainly could not hurt to lower one’s fat intake.

Fiber is vital to making sure undigested food moves through the body and to the bowels properly. Failure of foods to move through the bowels in a reasonable amount of time can cause fermentation of undigested food in the bowels and blocking of nutrients being absorbed through
the body. Beyond causing degrees of malnutrition, this can also cause a level of toxicity that will overwork systems in the body such as the adrenal glands and contribute to hair
loss. Healthy amounts of fresh vegetables, fruits and legumes consumed daily will ensure a proper amount of dietary fiber. Although nutritional remedies were those that were discussed here, supplements can be used if one feels they are simply unable to eat properly due to work schedule or dislike of certain foods. Nutritional supplements containing these same vitamins and minerals can be taken, with the exception of water of course. Be sure to always take supplements that are naturally chelated, meaning that the supplements were developed in a natural base. This will ensure that the supplements you consume will be more readily absorbed in the body. There are some cautions to taking supplements of certain vitamins and minerals,
particularly those that are fat-soluble because the body stores them. Vitamin A can be highly toxic and supplements of vitamin A should be avoided unless recommended by a doctor. It is best to achieve one’s vitamin A requirements either by food or through a naturally chelated multivitamin. Also remember that smoking and second hand smoke can cause blocking of vitamin A assimilation, so it is best to avoid smoking and remove one’s self from areas and
situations where second hand smoke is present if at all possible.

Vitamin E supplements should always be taken at 400 i.u. per day to start and work your way up to 800 i.u. Always take vitamin E in its natural form, which is d’alpha tocopherol. Avoid taking vitamin E supplements in the synthetic form dl’alpha tocopherol, which is derived from
petroleum and is less available for assimilation into the body. If you have high blood pressure or other serious illnesses, consult a physician before taking vitamin E supplements. Zinc is one fat-soluble mineral that can cause harm if an overdose is taken. Zinc can rob the body of copper,
mentioned above as a key nutrient in hair growth and health, not to mention in other functions of the body. Zinc supplements should be taken in low doses, such as 5mg at a time. These can commonly be found in the form of zinc lozenges designed for sore throats. There is a “trick” to tell if you are taking too much zinc. When the zinc levels in the body have surpassed the level that they can be used, a metallic taste begins to form. If you pay attention to the metallic taste, you will know when enough zinc has been consumed, and you can then stop consuming zinc
immediately.

Iron supplements are not recommended unless a doctor has diagnosed you with a severe iron deficiency. If you do take an iron supplement, avoid ferrous sulfate, which you will find as the most common over-the-counter iron supplement in drug stores. Ferrous sulfate is hard for
the body to assimilate, and because iron is not watersoluble it will sit in the body and can cause severe liver problems over time. Further, ferrous sulfate causes constipation, which can trigger a great deal more problems besides being extremely unpleasant. One iron supplement that does not contain ferrous sulfate is called Floradix and is available in both liquid and pill form.
Since there are so few foods to mention that are grown in North America and contain a good amount of silica, supplements may truly be needed. Horsetail is an herb that is a rich source of silica. It is highly important to never take horsetail directly however, or take a supplement made from unprocessed horsetail, as this herb can be toxic when ingested whole, ground, in tablets or capsules. Horsetail must be taken in an aqueous extract of the herb only. Ask someone at your health food store or someone knowledgeable about herbs to help you find this form. Silica gel is suspended in water, although it is not an aqueous solution and should be avoided. Nettle is also a
good source of silica and Nettle Root Extract is readily available at health food stores. Supplements of Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) are easily found in most health food stores and even many supermarkets and pharmacies. These include Evening Primrose Oil, Wheat Germ Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Cod Liver Oil, and other oils from deep-water fish. It is not recommended to rely on Cod Liver Oil as a source for EFA’s because it contains high levels of vitamins A and D,
and the amount of Cod Liver Oil necessary to achieve proper amounts of EFA’s would cause overdosing on these vitamins. The recommended supplements are Evening Primrose Oil and Flaxseed Oil. Both these oils are available in oil form or in capsules. Keep in mind that high amounts of saturated fat blocks the effectiveness of EFA’s, counteracting their effectiveness, so there needs to be adjustments to your diet if there is a high amount of
saturated fat in it. Juicing is a natural way to obtain many of the vitamins, minerals, and trace minerals mentioned above. When using organic fruits and vegetables, juicing can provide quite a boost to the system and encourage the health of hair. Juices are very readily assimilable by the
body and provide the same content as the whole food. Fresh juices have a high enzyme content, which is beneficial because these enzymes are stored by the body and can be used by the body when cooked foods that have been robbed of enzymes are consumed. Storing the juice or
purchasing pasteurized juices from the store diminishes this benefit, although the benefits of the minerals and vitamins are usually still available. All the above-mentioned fruits and vegetables can be juiced to obtain the maximum benefit from them. A great deal of silica, sulfur, iron, and
potassium for example is extracted from organic carrot juice. In fact, carrots being roots contain most trace minerals the body needs. The effects of carrot juice are enhanced when adding cucumber juice to it, because of its high silica and sulfur content. Organic spinach juice is
highly recommended, as it is high in iron, vitamin A, and other vital vitamins and minerals; it is often combined with lettuce and carrot juice, two very good sources of silica and vitamin A. Non-organic spinach juice can be extremely high in pesticides and should therefore be avoided. Spinach juice should also be avoided if one suffers from kidney stones, as it contains a large amount of oxalic acid, which exacerbates kidney stone growth.

There are a number of foods and substances to avoid and limit the intake of. Substances such as alcohol, caffeine, sugar and nicotine can deplete the body of nutrients and raise adrenal levels, which will cause a chain reaction of producing more androgen and causing hair loss. High levels of saturated fat and cholesterol rich foods are also linked to increased DHT levels and their consumption should be limited. Additionally, common table salt has been linked to hair loss. And the average diet provides the recommended amount of sodium intake; therefore, salt
should never be added to food. However, when using salt for seasoning during cooking, be sure to use salt with Iodine being that it is a nutrient that is vital to hair growth as well, unless you are a regular consumer of seafood, which contains high levels of Iodine.

Toxemia can cause a great deal of dysfunction in the body’s systems, including hair-loss related illnesses such as eczema, psoriasis, seborrhea and possibly several others. It is vital for one to cleanse the body of impurities in order to maintain a healthy system and avoid such illnesses,
as there are no cure for these illnesses beyond cleansing and the maintenance of a healthy diet to allow the body to heal itself. Regular cleansing should include a diet rich in fiber as mentioned earlier, and the use of added fiber such as provided by consuming psyllium husk as a bulking agent along with laxative agents. More is discussed under the section Natural Hair Loss Remedies.

Although hair loss can be caused by many other variables, lack of proper nutrition will assuredly cause hair loss in many people. Fortunately, adopting a proper diet that includes the above nutrients can reverse hair loss caused by malnutrition. One thing for certain, regardless of whether your hair loss was caused by malnutrition or not adopting a healthier diet will help the function of other areas of the body.

HAIR LOSS PREVENTION (2)

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HAIR LOSS PREVENTION (2)

More Hair Facts and Hair Loss Basics

Although both men and women can suffer significant hair loss, over 50% of men will suffer with Male Pattern Baldness (MPB), also known as androgenetic alopecia, at some point in their lives. The reason behind hair loss is a genetically inherited sensitivity to Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and 5-alpha-reductase. The enzyme 5-alpha-reductase converts testosterone, a male
hormone, to DHT, the substance identified as the end-cause for hair loss.

Most hair loss follows a pattern that has been codified in a table called the Norwood Scale (see figure 1).There are seven patterns of hair identified in the Norwood Scale, Norwood I being a normal head of hair with no visible hair loss, Norwood II showing the hair receding in a
wedge-shaped pattern. Norwood III shows the same receding pattern as Norwood II, except the hairline has receded deeper into the frontal area and the temporal area.Type IV on the Norwood Scale indicates a hairline that has receded more dramatically in the frontal region and temporal area. Additionally there is a balding area at the very top center of the head, but there is a bridge of hair remaining between that region and the front. Type V on the Norwood Scale shows that very same bridge between the frontal region and the top center, also called the vertex beginning to thin. Type VI on the Norwood Scale indicates that the bridge between the frontal region and the vertex has disappeared. Finally, Type VII on the Norwood Scale shows hair receding all the way back to the base of the head and the sides just above the ears. Norwood patterns are
determined genetically.

Figure 1. Norwood Scale

Hair loss has been noticed and studied throughout the ages, and some interesting discoveries were made in ancient times. For one it was noticed that eunuchs: those males without genitals-never went bald. Men who were castrated as a result of accidents in battle also never went bald. This was the first indication that testosterone had something to do with hair loss. It has also been found that the more recessive the hair gene, the more propensity toward baldness one has. Blond-haired persons have a greater propensity toward hair loss than darker-haired people, and therefore Caucasian persons have a greater propensity toward hair loss than non-Caucasian people.Beyond the genetic propensity of certain people toward hair loss, there seems to be various dietary triggers that activate the process, a notion that is promising since this can be controlled.

What exactly are androgens? Androgens are sex hormones mainly produced by males, the main one of which is testosterone. Androgens are produced by the adrenal glands, which protect the body in stressful situations by also producing adrenaline so that the body may respond to situations it deems to be threatening. The stress of daily life in Western civilization has caused a state of alarm in people that has made the body unable to distinguish between everyday stressors and threatening situations. Therefore the adrenal glands in most people in
Western civilizations are overactive, constantly producing adrenaline and naturally producing testosterone along with it. Additionally, the over-consumption of red meat and high
fat foods in Western society cause an overactive adrenal gland, perpetuating this situation.

There is a definite connection between the syndrome of Male Pattern Baldness (MPB) and the prostate gland. The prostate gland is actually a cluster of small glands in males surrounding the urethra, located just below the bladder. There is not a lot known about all the functions
of the prostate, except that it serves to squeeze seminal fluid into and through the urethra during ejaculation.

Prostate problems can cause serious problems with urination it becomes enlarged, and sometimes the prostate becomes cancerous. The syndrome of non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). DHT is responsible for the division of
cells in the prostate, and is normally expelled by the prostate. However, when the prostate fails to expel the DHT, it builds up and causes enlargement. It has been confirmed that typical North American and northern European diets lend to the perpetuation of BPH and prostate cancer, whereas these are uncommon phenomena in other lands and was even uncommon here in the past. This is significant because the overproduction of DHT is responsible for BPH and prostate cancer, and is also responsible for MPB or androgenetic alopecia. The findings in research for BPH cures have usually simultaneously produced benefits in hair growth. We shall cover some of

these discoveries in various sections of this book. Additionally, changes in diet are necessary to avoid all of these conditions and improve overall health. Some common myths have arisen concerning hair loss. Because of medical advancements many of these myths are being addressed and corrected. For starters, although androgenetic alopecia or pattern baldness is
genetic and therefore can be hereditary, it is not passed down through only your mother’s side of the family. Either side of the family can pass down the genetic disposition
toward baldness. Also, contrary to old family tales, wearing hats does not cause baldness either.
Most common hair loss comes under what has been commonly known as Male Pattern Baldness (MPB). Although referred to as MPB, females suffer a similar syndrome, so it is more properly called androgenetic alopecia. Although hair loss is not life or health threatening, it can cause serious problems with a person’s psyche and self-confidence. There has been no absolute
cure found for hair loss, and many factors of hair loss are hereditary, however there are several preventative measures one can take to maintain healthy hair and scalp.