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Myths about female hair loss: Treatment and recovery

14.04.2010 in FEMALE HAIR LOSS

It means you’re not a proper women with two X chromosomes.
It’s caused by washing your hair too often.
It’s caused by too much brushing or combing.
Hair dyes and perms can cause permanent loss.
It may result from wearing hats and wigs.
Shaving your hair will make it regrow thicker.
Standing on your head will help it grow back.
It’s a sign of an overactive brain.
There’s a miracle cure out there waiting for you.

Scan the internet and you’ll see all sorts of miracle cures for baldness on offer, from strange herbal lotions to mechanical devices. Perhaps the most useful first step you can take is to avoid the myths.

After this there are several options. You can find some way to accept the change and live with it (let’s face it, this is a tall order – most men struggle to come to terms with their baldness and for them at least society equates it with maturity and power).

You can try cosmetic treatments such as wigs or hair thickeners, or you can try medical therapies. The last option is hair-replacement surgery.

The drug minoxidil was first developed for treating high blood pressure, which was found to have the side effect of thickening hair growth in some people. It’s now available as a lotion to apply directly to the scalp.

No one really knows how it works, however, and it’s not effective for everyone. Studies show that only about 20 per cent of women between 18 and 45 have moderate regrowth using the drug, while another 40 per cent experience minimal regrowth.

It works best on younger people with early hair loss. A big disadvantage is that you have to carry on using minoxidil indefinitely or the new hair will fall out.

Another drug, finasteride, which was developed for treating prostate cancer, has also been found to be effective but is only available for men.

Surgical techniques for restoring hair have improved greatly in the past couple of decades, but this is still an option that requires careful consideration.

Key points
Many causes of female hair loss are temporary – check your general health and be patient.
Take a look at your family for an idea of your risk of female pattern baldness.
Don’t be taken in by claims for wonder products for female pattern hair loss.
Many women cope well by using cosmetic products, hats and wigs, so persevere until you find your own style.

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Female Hair Loss: Causes and risk factors

12.04.2010 in FEMALE HAIR LOSS, HAIR LOSS [ PHOTOS ] TREATED

BEFOREAFTER

The cause of hair loss in androgentic alopecia is a chemical called dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, which is made from androgens (male hormones that all men and women produce) by the action of an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase.

People with a lot of this enzyme make more DHT, which in excess can cause the hair follicles to make thinner and thinner hair, until eventually they pack up completely.

Women’s pattern of hair loss is different to the typical receding hairline and crown loss in men. Instead, androgenetic alopecia causes a general thinning of women’s hair, with loss predominantly over the top and sides of the head.

Another important cause of hair loss in women is a condition called alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that affects more than two per cent of the population. In this, the hair follicles are attacked by white blood cells. The follicles then become very small and hair production slows down dramatically, so there may be no visible hair growth for months and years.

After some time, hair may regrow as before, come back in patchy areas, or not regrow at all. The good news is that in every case the hair follicles remain alive and can be switched on again; the bad news is that we don’t yet know how to do this.

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

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Do Anti-Aging Products Really Work?

07.04.2010 in HAIR LOSS PRODUCTS AND TREATMENTS

The Lowdown on Baldness and Wrinkle Remedies, From Consumer Reports Testing and Reader Surveys

(CBS) The age-old search for the Fountain of Youth often ends at your local pharmacy.

But do products that promise to turn back the clock really work?

Rogainepropecia

The May issue of Consumer Reports Health features a series of reports on the burgeoning market for products promising to turn back the clock on aging. It has the results of testing done by the magazine and of surveys of thousands of its readers about their experiences with remedies for balding and wrinkles.

And Consumer Reports Senior Projects Editor Tod Marks let “Early Show” viewers in on the results Tuesday:

TREATMENTS FOR BALDING

The bottom line here is that 53 percent of men and 40 percent of women believe the treatments were “overhyped.”

Consumer Reports National Research Center revealed that some remedies help more than others. We questioned 8,082 online subscribers (6,248 men and 1,834 women) who had lost hair. Most men and some women blamed genetic makeup or age; other women said their hair loss was due to a health condition (such as thyroid disease) or stress. We excluded respondents whose hair loss was related to chronic illness or chemotherapy. Respondents ranged in age from about 20 to 90-plus.

Finasteride (Propecia) (by prescription)

27 percent rated very effective
13 percent rated not effective

This pill, available as Propecia and in generic versions, was most successful with respondents. It’s prescribed for men only, because it can cause serious birth defects. Cost is $16 to $84 per month.

Pros: In clinical trials in which men with pattern baldness took 1 milligram per day for two years, new hair grew in 66 percent of patients. In 83 percent, hair loss was halted.

Cons: Side effects are infrequent, but might include impotence and depression, which should disappear if the medicine is stopped. Patients should commit to it for at least three months, and they eventually lose any gains when they stop taking it.

Minoxidil (Rogaine)

4 percent rate very effective
43 percent rate not effective

This topical product is sold in strengths of 2 percent (the only version approved for women) and 5 percent, which also comes as a foam. Sold under the brand name Rogaine or generically, versions go for as little as $10 per month. Minoxidil works best on patients whose hair loss is recent.

Pros: In a study cited in the journal ACP Medicine, even the 2 percent solution was shown to produce visible hair growth in about one-third of patients and fine hair growth in another third.

Cons: In the same study, Minoxidil was ineffective in one-third of patients. Our survey respondents reported that it was largely ineffective. Results might not be visible for four-to-12 months, and any benefits are lost when you stop applying the product. Side effects include dry, itchy, or irritated scalp and increased facial hair.

Surgery

Most people opt for a basic hair transplant, in which hair grafts are moved from the back of the head to the top or front. The average cost per graft is $5, and the average hair transplant can take 2,000 grafts. In many cases, the procedure must be repeated, doubling the price.

Pros: If you find a skilled surgeon and the transplants take, you can end up with a good head of hair. Contact the American Hair Loss Association or (www.americanhairloss.org) or International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons to find doctors who have undergone extensive training.

Cons: Not everyone is a successful candidate for surgery. There’s the possibility of infection, a long recovery period, scarring, or patchy hair growth.

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

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Consumer Reports Finds Many Hair Loss Treatments, Wrinkle Serums Ineffective by Grace Gold

06.04.2010 in HAIR LOSS PRODUCTS AND TREATMENTS

 

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If you want to put the brakes on aging, forget those fancy, high-priced potions.

That seems to be the lesson found in May’s issue of Consumer Reports, which highlights studies on products marketed to the aging baby boomer generation, including balding treatments, hair dye and anti-wrinkle serums.

In a study of 8,042 participants whose hair loss wasn’t related to chemotherapy or illness, the most effective treatment was the prescription pill Propecia – though just 27 percent of men deemed the drug very effective. Rogaine can be used by both sexes with the possible not-so-sexy side effect of facial hair growth for women, though the study showed it was mainly ineffective and better suited to people with very recent hair loss. Expensive hair transplant surgery which can cost upwards of a staggering $10,000 per job, yet often needs to be repeated and carries the risk of infection, a long recovery, scarring and patchy hair growth.

“The market for baldness remedies plays to a particularly vulnerable segment of society. It’s a deeply personal, devastating issue to many who desperately want to believe that there’s a panacea out there,” said Tod Marks, Senior Editor at Consumer Reports.

“At the end of the day, the best remedy may actually be acceptance. Those surveyed pointed out actual benefits of being bald: you won’t get hat head, you won’t waste time grooming your hair, and you’ll save lots of money on shampoo, conditioner, gels, mouse, hair dryers and other haircare products,” added Marks.

We’re not so sure folks will excitedly line up to get on that bandwagon, though.

Anti-wrinkle serums didn’t fare much better, with nine face serums put to the test by 79 female and male participants aged 40 to 65 who used the products on one side of their face for six weeks – and were then analyzed by panelists with high-resolution technology.

The success of the highest ranking products – DermaSilk 5 Minute Face Lift and Neutrogena Ageless Intensives Deep Wrinkle – was still limited and fell short of the advertising claims illustrated on their boxes. Prescription retinoids, which are an aggressive form of Vitamin A, continue to excel as the only creams scientifically proven to reverse the loss of collagen that causes wrinkles.

“Consumers should focus on getting back to the basics like moisturizing and shielding skin from the sun. Beyond that, if you want to try an over-the-counter anti-wrinkle product, realize that the results may be minimal if any,” said Jamie Hirsh, Associate Editor at Consumer Reports Health.

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Clairol Textures & Tones was rated one of the most effective gray hair concealers. Photo: Clairol.com

“For more dramatic improvements, talk to a dermatologist about using a prescription retinoid like Renova, Retin-A or their equivalent generics,” advised Hirsh.

But don’t toss your hope for budget solutions into the bucket just yet; there’s great news for gray roots.

In a test of 13 at-home hair dyes meant to color gray hair brown, the results showed that for less than $13 bucks, consumers can easily and effectively cover their own grays without a visit to the salon that could easily cost ten times or more to achieve the same look.

The high hair color achievers? Clairol Texture and Tones, L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference, Clairol Natural Instincts and Clairol Natural Instincts For Men all concealed grays the best.

For best color results, ignore the photo of the model on the front of the box and instead pay careful attention to the color charts on the back or sides to determine how a shade will work for you. Some formulations aren’t made for hair that is more than 50% gray, so read labels before opening up your wallet if your coloring needs are greater.

And if all else fails, it may be helpful to heed some sage advice from writer Mark Twain:

“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”

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Baldness 'could be good for your health' say scientists

16.03.2010 in HAIR LOSS HEALTH NEWS

Bald Man

Baldness is a result of high levels of the male hormone testosterone

A receding hairline can be a good thing, according to US scientists, who say men who go bald by 30 appear to be less likely to develop prostate cancer.

Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine studied 2,000 men aged between 40 and 47.

They were able to link high levels of the male hormone testosterone in those who lose their hair earlier with a lower risk of tumours.

The findings are published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology.

Half of the men in this study had suffered prostate cancer.

Researchers compared the rate of tumours in those who said their hair had thinned by the age of 30 with those who did not suffer hair loss.

Men who had started to develop bald spots on the top of their heads as well as receding hairlines had a 29% to 45% reduction in the risk of prostate cancer.

Roots of baldness

By age 30, approximately 25-30% of men will have some baldness, researchers believe. Half of all men suffer significant hair loss by the age of 50.
Baldness is caused when hair follicles become exposed to too much dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This is a chemical produced by the male hormone testosterone.

Experts believe that men with high levels of testosterone are more likely to lose their hair, especially if baldness runs in the family.

Prostate cancer sufferers are often given drugs to reduce testosterone levels because they can accelerate the growth of some tumours once they develop.

But this study suggests that high levels of testosterone from a young age might protect against the disease.

Dr Helen Rippon, head of research management at The Prostate Cancer Charity, says: “Clearly, the age at which a man begins to lose his hair is unfortunately not a risk factor for prostate cancer over which he has any control.

“However, if these results are correct, they could be useful in providing us with a greater understanding of how testosterone behaves in the body and how it can affect different tissues.”

Dr Alison Ross of Cancer Research UK said the link between baldness and prostate cancer is still unknown because previous studies have found the opposite to this one.

“The results hinge on asking men between ages 40 and 70 to remember whether their hair was thinning when they were 30, which does not provide a very reliable measurement,” she added.

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