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Update on Hair Loss Treatment for Men

02.02.2011 in MALE HAIR LOSS

Hair loss affects two-thirds of all men, and for many it starts by age 30. Medical advances have made a variety of hair loss treatments available to stop balding or replace lost hair.

By Dennis Thompson Jr.
Medically reviewed by Niya Jones, MD, MPH Print

If you’re experiencing hair loss, you’re not alone. About a quarter of all men begin to go bald by the time they’re 30, and about two-thirds are either bald or have thinning hair by age 60.

While in years past, men were forced to cover bald spots with toupees or comb-overs, medical science now serves up a number of options that can reverse or counter hair loss. There are drugs that promote hair growth and transplant technologies that enable doctors to recreate a full head of hair.

Hair Loss Treatment: Medications

There currently are two drugs on the market that have been approved to treat hair loss in men. The drugs are Rogaine (minoxidil) and Propecia (finasteride).

Rogaine has been available since 1988 for the treatment of hair loss and is available over the counter. It’s a liquid solution that is applied directly to the balding areas of the scalp twice daily. Rogaine slows hair loss for many men, and prompts new hair growth in some. Exceeding the recommended dosage doesn’t produce faster hair growth and can cause side effects. On the flip side, hair loss will recur at its earlier pace if you decrease the dosage or halt application altogether. You have to use Rogaine for 4 to 12 months before you’ll see any effect.
Rogaine may cause scalp itching, dryness, scaling, flaking, irritation, or burning. If those symptoms are severe or don’t go away over time, call your doctor. Also contact your doctor if you experience weight gain, swelling, difficulty breathing, rapid heart beat, chest pain, or lightheadedness.

Propecia has been available since 1997 for treating male pattern baldness, and is the first drug available in pill form. It has proven to be much more effective than Rogaine. Propecia works by blocking an enzyme responsible for the formation of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in men. DHT, a byproduct of the male hormone testosterone, is believed to cause hair follicles to shrink and ultimately cease growing. Like Rogaine, Propecia controls hair loss, but does not cure it. It can take up to three months before you see any benefit, and if you stop taking the drug you will likely lose the hair you’ve regrown.
There are some potentially serious side effects, however. Propecia can cause impotence, decreased sexual desire, and pain in the testicles. Contact your doctor if these side effects don’t go away, or if you develop a rash, itching, hives, or swelling in your lips or face.

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

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Was it really worth it, Gordon? Ramsay shows off his hair transplant for the first time… but does he look any different?

01.02.2011 in Uncategorized

He might have had a hair transplant in an attempt to make himself look and feel younger.

But after spending tens of thousands of pounds on surgery to boost his follicles, Gordon Ramsay’s hair doesn’t appear to look any different than before.

The celebrity chef showed off his surgically enhanced locks for the first time yesterday as he arrived on set of his TV show in Los Angeles.


Backcombed: Gordon Ramsay’s unveils his bouffant hair transplant for the first time

Just before the New Year, the 44-year-old spent 12 hours at a clinic in the city having follicles removed from lush patches of his scalp before they were reinserted where his hairline is thinning.

Gordon debuted his new hair as he arrived for a day’s filming of his US-based show Kitchen Nightmares.

Vanity: Gordon’s £30,000 hair op doesn’t appear to have made any big difference

And while it looked slightly more bouffant than before, it really didn’t look that much different to his previous hairstyle.

Last week he was snapped leaving the Alvi Armani centre in Beverly Hills wearing a black surgical-style cap on his swathed head.

A source said: ‘While his hair may not have been obviously receding, it had become an issue for him.

Spot the difference? Apart from it being a more natural looking blonde, Ramsay’s hair doesn’t look much different to how it did a year ago (R)

‘Some will call it vanity – but to TV producers and Gordon it’s a pre-emptive action to stop him suddenly going on TV with obvious thinning.

‘It’s better to act now than have countless pictures and comment scrutinising his hairline in years to come.’

Hair transplant guru Dr Antonio Armani – the clinic’s founder – is believed to have performed a radical new treatment on Ramsay called ‘follicular unit extraction’.

Puffy-faced: Ramsay’s swollen eyes and cheeks were very prominent as he, his family and the Beckhams went to a safari park

Swollen: Ramsay looks like he’s struggling to see out of his eyes as he and David Beckham make a coffee run

Performed under local anaesthetic, it requires no stitches – and leaves no scars.

But it may have contributed to Ramsay’s rather puffy face which he sported on a day out to a safari park in North Carolina with the Beckhams.

Ramsay’s eyes were almost hidden under the swelling of his face as he, wife Tana and their four children, Victoria and David Beckham and their three sons walked and rode round the park looking at the animals, and even had a close encounter with a giraffe.

Fun day out: Ramsay walks ahead as wife Tana and their children and Victoria and David Beckham stroll along behind

Hello there: A giraffe comes to greet the famous group as they take a ride round the animal park

And one medical expert said his transplant procedure probably left him with the swollen after-effect.

Speaking to the Sun, Dr Mabroor Bhatti, of Transform cosmetic surgery, said: “It would appear he has had a reaction from his heavy hair transplant.

“Patients can experience swelling which can work itself from the head to the bottom of the face. Gordon seems to have suffered more than usual.”

It was just another in a line of procedures the fiery and foul-mouthed chef has had done in the past year.

Under wraps: Ramsay is snapped leaving an LA clinic after his hair transplant last week

Last summer, he unveiled a gleaming white strip of perfect teeth, prompting whispers that he may have treated himself to dental veneers.

The procedure, which costs between £7,000 and £10,000, involves a thin layer of porcelain being placed over the existing teeth, making them whiter and more even.

Snd in 2009, on the advice of X Factor boss Simon Cowell, Ramsay had Botox injections in his face that filled in the deep crevices in his chin and lines on his forehead.

Smooth: Ramsay showed off his Botoxed face and a mouth of gleaming white veneers on TV in August last year.

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

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What to do about hair loss

31.01.2011 in HAIR LOSS HEALTH NEWS

Our experts answer your questions . This week: how to prevent hair loss

Q My son, who is 32, has hair loss at the temples and now loss on his crown. He is self-conscious about this and I wonder if there is anything he could do to help prevent further loss. Jane Butler, email

DR DAN RUTHERFORD WRITES:

A Loss of hair on the crown and at the front hairline is the typical pattern of male hair loss, but a lot can be done about it now.

The hair-growing follicles in these scalp areas are particularly sensitive to testosterone, which slowly reduces their hair-producing activity until they finally switch off at some point in most men. This sensitivity is programmed into the follicle rather than the scalp area, which is why moving follicles from the sides and back of the scalp, which do not have this sensitivity, can be an effective long-term solution.

There are, however, many options other than transplantation. Finasteride is an anti-testosterone drug used mainly to reduce the size of enlarged prostate glands in older men, but at a lower dose (Propecia) it is licensed to slow the rate of hair loss in males. It has a good rate of effectiveness and causes few side-effects, even when used over several years. It comes in tablet form, but is not available via the NHS, so needs to be obtained by private prescription (which can be written by an NHS GP, if he or she is willing).

Minoxidil is a drug originally discovered in the search for high-blood-pressure treatments but found to have a side effect of stimulating hair growth. It comes in a solution (Regaine) and is also non-prescribable on the NHS, but can be bought without prescription from a pharmacy (the five per cent strength is more effective than the two per cent, which is being phased out).

Both Propecia and Regaine can be combined if desired, although there is little formal research on the extra benefit achievable. Both need to be continued long-term as they work only as long as they are used.

Other treatments that use hair-weaving or other cosmetic techniques are now highly developed and can also give excellent results. See Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help

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How to Make Your Hair Grow Faster

28.01.2011 in TRICHOLOGIST

There’s no scientifically proven way to make your hair grow faster. But, there is a lot of research on what causes hair loss. And the less hair you lose, the more hair you have growing to your length of choice, right? While some of the causes of hair loss can’t be helped, there are several things you can do to encourage your hair grow to its full potential.

Steps
Keep your hair in excellent condition. Seeing a hairdresser regularly to have your hair cut and styled will keep it in top condition. Hair in good condition gives the impression it’s longer even if it’s not because it looks good and has no split ends, etc.

Use a quality brush to keep your hair brushed, such as a boar brush. Tilt your head forward and brush with your head upside down to bring the oils to the ends of your hair and stimulate the scalp.

Keep your hair well moisturized. You don’t need to use commercial product but you do need to know what can condition your hair properly if you resort to natural items.

Don’t wash your hair every day; allow the hair oils to condition your hair rather than constantly washing the oils out.

Massage your hair while washing it.

Be kind to your hair. Your hair falls out of its own accord (approximately 70 to 150 hairs daily), but you may be pulling it out faster as a result of the things you do to it. The gentler you are with your hair, the less chances it has to fall out excessively. Some things to keep in mind include:

Don’t put your hair into tight ponytails or cornrows. Use butterfly clips and loose braids instead.

Brush your hair carefully. If you have wavy or curly hair, there are probably times when you encounter resistance as you’re brushing. Right before brushing, use your fingers to gently comb through your hair. And when you brush, start at the ends, and hold the strand you’re brushing with your other hand so that if you pull on the hair with a brush, you’re not pulling on the root (pull from the grip of your hand instead).

Brush your hair before you shower in the morning. Throughout the night your hair can knot up a lot. Brushing your hair before you shower reduces tangling when washing it in the shower. When using conditioner, try sifting your fingers through your hair. This reduces extensive combing after your shower and helps to distribute the conditioner evenly.

Minimize tangles in other situations, such as on windy days, by containing your hair with buns, braids, hats, etc.

Minimize how much you style your hair. Any kind of styling that involves pulling your hair at the root (blow drying straight, straight iron, curling iron, rollers) will contribute to hair lo Heat styling also can encourage hair to break. If you really need to dry your hair fast, use a blow dryer for 5 minutes only.

Avoid or minimize harsh treatments like dyes, tints, bleaches, straighteners, and permanent waves. These weaken your hair and increase the likelihood of breakage and loss.

Minimize or stop using heating items on your hair.
Maintain good food nutrition or boost it by taking a daily multivitamin. Your body needs several building blocks in order to produce a healthy head of hair, and you can easily meet your body’s requirement by eating a balanced, nutritious diet, of by taking a multivitamin consistently if you are not eating well due to illness, etc. Keep in mind, however, that it can take several months to notice the results, so don’t get discouraged.

Research suggests that iron deficiency makes hair loss worse. Women with heavy periods are at a higher risk of iron deficiency. However, unless you have an iron deficiency diagnosed by a doctor, you shouldn’t take iron supplements. They can upset your stomach and cause severe constipation, and iron overload can be dangerous. Taking a multivitamin and eating iron-rich foods (tofu, lentils, beans, oysters, spinach, prunes, raisins, lean beef) is more than enough. 

If you’re a vegetarian, eat foods rich in Vitamin C whenever you eat iron-rich veggies. Vitamin C will help your body absorb the kind of iron that is found in vegetables.

Avoid purchasing unnecessary supplements such as biotin. Despite the many claims that biotin promotes hair growth, no studies have shown this to be the case. However, hair loss is a sign of severe biotin deficiency; in these cases, the hair loss will be accompanied by a scaly rash around the nose, mouth and genitals. Few people suffer this condition.

Avoid dramatic weight loss. As you shed pounds, you also shed hair. The dramatic changes that your body undergoes when it loses weight quickly (the change in nutrients, the stress involved) can cause your hair to thin. Diets low in protein and iron (for example, very low-fat diets) and also those high in protein but low in fruits and vegetables (for example, Atkins) that result in dramatic weight loss can also trigger significant hair loss. Instead, keep a balanced diet, and focus on gradual calorie reduction (one or two pounds a week).

Each hair on your head grows for 2-5 years, slows down for about six weeks, and rests for 3-5 months before falling out so a new hair can grow in its place. Normally, 15 percent of your hair is at the resting phase, but a sudden change in nutrition can cause some hair follicles in the growing phase to switch into the resting phase prematurely, possibly raising the percentage to more than 30 percent.

Relax. Stress is a common cause of reversible hair loss. When you experience physical or emotional turmoil, it can take anywhere from three weeks to four months for the results to show up in your hair. It is important to relieve your stress.

Address any pressing health issues. Hair is a strong indicator of overall health. Many nutritional deficiencies can cause hair growth to slow, and can cause hair to thin. Hormonal problems such as hypothyroidism and PCOS can also cause thinning. If your hair has gotten seriously thinner, or stops growing for more than a few months, discuss it with your doctor as soon as possible.

Tips
Your hair growth tends to increase during the warmer months.
Some medications might affect hair growth. Check with your doctor.
Note that changes in hair growth caused by hormonal shifts (pregnancy, postpartum, nursing) can’t be helped.

If you’re a swimmer, consider wearing a swimming cap to protect your hair from chlorine damage.

Those with curly or frizzy hair will have to be patient. The texture of your hair means that length will take a while to show, but it doesn’t mean that your hair grows slower.

Still not fast enough for you? Consider hair extensions, but exercise caution. There are many drawbacks to the use of hair extensions. Make sure that whoever is applying your extensions is a professional. If applied poorly, your extensions will both look fake and their weight can severely damage your hair. Take your time selecting your extensions as well. There are a variety of materials and extensions available on the market, many of which can and will look horribly fake. The other drawback is that extensions must be periodically replaced every six to eight weeks. If you’re willing to invest the time and money, then they may be the right choice for you.

Things You’ll Need
Quality conditioning items
Boar bristle brush

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Pharmacists 'not confident' on hair loss, Regaine survey shows

28.01.2011 in TRICHOLOGIST

Almost half (43 per cent) of pharmacists believe they should take a more active role in providing advice and recommending treatments to hair loss sufferers, according to a survey for McNeil’s Regaine.

The hair regrowth brand surveyed 50 pharmacists about their views on how they could help patients suffering hair loss.

One fifth admitted they were not confident answering questions on hair loss, with over a quarter saying they were less confident dealing with the topic than with questions on other men’s health conditions.

The results showed 49 per cent of pharmacists are asked for advice on hair loss at least once a month.

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