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COMBAT HAIR LOSS: How To Grow Your Hair Back (Part 4)

COMMON BALDNESS

It is the hormones of course that trigger Androgenic Alopecia at the onset of puberty, resulting in hair loss and patterning in 90% of men and approximately 50% of women.  This is a major degenerative shift in the hair growth pattern universally referred to as Common Baldness or Male Pattern Alopecia and Female Pattern Alopecia.  Given that this change is genetically pre-determined, it is therefore extremely difficult to slow or reverse this very gradual but definite deterioration in these pre-determined areas of the scalp.  Androgenic Alopecia is triggered, as its name suggests, by the androgens (masculinising hormones present of course in both sexes).

At puberty the male sex hormone, testosterone, appears in both sexes and is partially converted by the enzyme 5-? reductase into the much more active form di-hydroxytestosterone (DHT).  It is this more active form DHT that causes miniaturisation and eventual loss of the hair follicle in pre-determined areas of the scalp in cases of Androgenic Alopecia.

The new hair that is produced by the dermal papilla has a slightly shorter growing (anagen) cycle and is smaller in both length and in its diameter.  The cycle is repeated, with each successive hair getting smaller and smaller, reverting eventually to the very fine baby (vellus) hair.  Eventually the dermal papilla ceases to function, hair growth production stops and the hair follicle finally atrophies and is lost.  These dormant dermal papillae can be reactivated by suitable chemical stimuli for up to about five years after hair production ceases before they are permanently lost.

The scalp shows the characteristic bi-temporal recession and movement of the front hair line in men with thinning of the frontal and crown areas, proceeding in the pre-determined stages, leading ultimately to complete baldness in some cases.

Women usually have a different pattern of hair loss.  The hairline is retained and thinning occurs behind the hairline on the frontal and crown areas and often the areas above both ears are affected.  Complete baldness in women is not normal, although it is possible for some women to experience hair loss in the male pattern.

There are a large number of treatments available for use for MPA and FPA and many clinically proven agents that will promote hair growth in cases of Androgenic Alopecia (and many more that will promote the growth of hair in unacceptable areas) and these treatments will certainly assist in stabilising the position and promoting modest re-growth but any changes are not dramatic, they are marginal at best and should be seen as “buying time”, delaying the onset of hair loss.  Probably the most effective treatments will buy you five years, possibly a little more, before you are back in the same position.  This result can certainly be worth achieving but you can liken it to trying to run back up the genetic down escalator.  The condition will revert eventually to its genetically pre-determined position.

Now the hormones may be masters of the biological universe but they are by no means the only agents or conditions that can affect hair growth and many of these can have a substantial, sometimes devastating effect.  We need to consider conditions that have both a negative effect, i.e. they must be present and correct to achieve normal hair growth and without them hair growth will be adversely affected. In the second group, the agents or situations that can positively affect hair growth, they can increase the growth response above what would normally be expected.  This is the second group, the “positive effect” group.

We will consider the first group, the “qualifying” group; they are necessary, but only to return to the genetic “norm”, but it is vital that they are in place and we will, of course, look then at the second group, the genetic “boosters”, the fireworks, the ones that can lift you, within reason, above the genetic norm.  It is important to understand their significance and the way in which they fit into the overall pattern of hair growth.

Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help

COMBAT HAIR LOSS: How To Grow Your Hair Back (Part 3)

GENETICS AND HORMONES

We are born with a pre-determined genetic blueprint; we arrive at birth pre-coded with our own personal barcode taken from the gene pool supplied by our individual ancestors.  This dip into the gene pool will provide the gene coding which will determine virtually everything for each individual from the colour of our eyes and our height, to our temperament, our mathematical ability and the eventual appearance of grey hair in later life.  This set of instructions is initiated and controlled by the hormones, a group of complex chemical compounds, released by the various glands in the body in minute quantities, acting as chemical messengers, the veritable “conductors of the orchestra”.

Any change or interference to this hormone messenger network or to the hormone receptors in the body will have dramatic consequences for our physiological make up and possibly our overall well being.  Disturbance or non-functioning of the hormone system should be referred to an endocrinologist, a hormone specialist.  Distortion of the hormone levels may result in hair loss, or increased hair growth, or hair growth in the wrong places.

The hormone system may be disturbed by a number of factors, possibly hormone anomalies present at birth, and also any subsequent systemic illness or condition will potentially alter the hormone levels.  To obtain optimum hair growth and condition you must be quite simply “fit and well”.

Stress is heavily contra-indicated, or not advised and high stress levels must be managed or controlled.  Stress raises the hormone levels, especially Adrenalin.  The body’s defence mechanism is triggered and non-essential body activities are shut down, this unfortunately includes hair and skin growth which, as far as the body is concerned, are non-essential, secondary activities, as indeed they are compared with the primary organ activity of the heart, brain, lungs, kidneys, etc.  It is, of course, possible to have quite major hormone changes, which are naturally occurring, puberty for both men and women and childbirth and the menopause for women.  The sex hormones are released at puberty, oestrogen levels increase dramatically during pregnancy, (oestrogen can increase two hundred fold in pregnancy and the consequent drop in levels after birth can lead directly to postnatal depression), and oestrogen production ceases almost completely when the ovaries are no longer functioning after the menopause and it will be no surprise that each of these naturally occurring major hormone shifts have an immediate effect on hair growth and hair condition.  The stage is thus set and we will all follow, barring major events, the pre-arranged genetic pathway and no other factors or influences come close in comparison in their effect and complete control over our hair growth.  The miniature vellus hairs on the babies, the appearance of pubic hair at adolescence, the sudden growth of hair from the ears in men after the age of 50, they are all controlled by the hormones.  They are truly the chemical wizards; they have magical powers and control.

Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help

COMBAT HAIR LOSS: How To Grow Your Hair Back (Part 2)

HAIR GROWTH – THE MECHANISM

Hair consists of long “keratin” fibres, twisted in a rope-like structure with an outer protective cuticle or coating of hardened, keratinised cells giving a structure of considerable tensile strength.  The hair is produced by the dermal papilla, a cluster or peg of highly active cells just below the surface of the skin, fed by the blood micro capillaries in the dermis, and from which the hair fibre grows in its hair follicle or shaft.  The growing fibre structure becomes keratinised or hardened to form the final hair structure, which extrudes from the skin or the scalp.  The hair fibre at this point is dead and it is only the growing or germinating root tip of the hair where the living, soft hair cells are to be found.  These highly active dermal papillae cover the whole of the body, except for the palms of our hands, soles of our feet, and the mucous areas, and the number of dermal papillae remains the same as we have at birth.  The body cannot grow or produce any more dermal papillae.

The hair continues to grow from the dermal papilla for a fixed period of time; the growing (anagen) phase lasts usually two to seven years, depending on one’s age, health and genetic make-up.  This is followed by a short period of change, (catagen), lasting seven-fourteen days, during which the activity of the matrix stops, the hair shaft becomes detached from the dermal papilla and moves upward somewhat in the hair follicle, which itself contracts and moves upwards. 

Finally, the resting (telogen) phase, lasting usually two to three months, allows the non-growing hair to detach itself from the hair follicle and to be shed from the body, the new growing hair having already started to form at the dermal papilla in the base of the hair follicle.  The cycle then repeats itself, in a non-synchronised pattern, over the 100,000 or so dermal papillae on the human scalp.

The shedding of the dead hair is a completely natural process and, as it is non-synchronised across the scalp, it is perfectly normal to lose hairs each day.  A healthy scalp has 100,000 to 120,000 hair follicles and dermal papillae and a hair fall of 100 to 300 hairs per day is normal.  Except in cases of heavy excess hair fall (telogen effluvium), it is a mistake to be worried about hair fall, after all the new hair is already growing in the hair follicle alongside the previous dead hair which it helps to push out.  It is not usually a good idea to collect or count the hairs that have been shed as it leads only to further hair fall with the increased stress.

Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help

COMBAT HAIR LOSS: How To Grow Your Hair Back

Over the next few days we will be releasing direct self help information on how to “Combat Hair Loss” exclusively researched and validated by our own board of trichologists, pharmacists and chemists.

HOW TO GROW YOUR HAIR                             

(A Do-It-Yourself Guide)

Introduction 

Hair Growth – The Mechanism 

Genetics and Hormones 

Common Baldness 

Hair Growth – The Negative Factors 

The External Factors 

Hair Growth – The Positive Factors 

Conclusion 

The Check List 

References and Further Reading  

HOW TO GROW YOUR HAIR

INTRODUCTION

This book is intended for all of those people who would like to improve their hair growth and hair condition and for anyone who is interested in understanding the factors underlying the growth of body and scalp hair.  It is based on first hand observation of many thousands of clinical hair disorder cases and on personal academic research in the field of hair growth and bio-medical science.

It is certainly possible within one’s own genetic blueprint to improve your hair growth and condition, by understanding the factors that are involved, eliminating or reducing the factors that have an adverse effect, and by pursuing vigorously the known plus factors. 

Although it is true to say that a good deal of the precise mechanism for hair loss is still not fully understood, certainly for women, a very considerable amount of information is available and this book attempts to set out the fundamental factors involved in achieving healthy hair growth. 

If you know how your hair grows and you study the factors that affect hair growth and follow the advice presented here, you will obtain the very best possible hair growth and condition.

Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help

Causes of Hair Loss: Vitamin and Mineral deficiency

Vitamin and Mineral deficiency

Whether it’s because of a crash diet, general malnutrition or some genetic or biological defect, deficiencies in certain nutrients can cause hair loss. Probably the most common deficiency thought to contribute to hair loss is iron. Being severely low in iron can lead to iron-deficiency anemia, a condition that causes the body not to have enough red blood cells.

Red blood cells are important because they carry oxygen to nearly every cell in the body, helping those cells maintain normal function. Deficiencies in other nutrients — such as vitamin B (specifically B12) and protein  — are thought to contribute to hair loss as well.

Or follow Trichologist Gary Heron advice:

For treatments that work without any side effect read:

• Vitastim Hair Stimulant
• Biostim Hair Stimulant
• Follicle Builder II

Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help