Tennis star Serena Williams spotted with bald patch on dinner date

The tennis ace is widely known for her extravagant fashion preferences, famously donning a black lycra cat suit during the 2002 US Open, and often alters her hair through the use of hair extensions. Unfortunately for Serena, it appears this regular use of extensions has damaged her natural hair and it seems she may be suffering from “traction alopecia”. This type of hair loss is caused primarily by force being applied to the hair, either through hair extensions, braiding, weaving, or even as the result of frequently having your hair in ponytails or pigtails. If caught and treated early, this type of hair loss is reversible. Other celebrities who are rumoured to have suffered hair loss as a result of hair extensions include Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, and Naomi Campbell.

The former world number 1 women’s tennis star Serena Williams has sparked speculation that she may be going bald. The 30 year old and current world number 14, was on a late night dinner date in Hollywood with her socialite friend Brittny Gastineau.  She was making her way to her car when she went to move her curly locks away from her face, however in doing so exposed a large bald patch.
When asked, leading Trichologist (hair specialist) David Bailey said, “The hair loss seen on Serena Williams appears to the fronto-vertex region and is indicative of damage caused by traction from hair extensions. It may be that she is also or either suffering from Female Pattern Alopecia, which is due to a hormone imbalance. She should also get her Serum Ferritin levels checked also, as low levels of this can also cause hair loss in women.
For women who are experiencing problems with hair loss, at Medical Specialists we can help you. We offer a numerous array of options best suited to your needs.  Available without a prescription, from our Chemist Shop, you can now purchase Regaine for Women. This is specially formulated containing a 20mg/ml of the active ingredient Minoxidil – a clinically proven treatment and is applied direct to the scalp to treat women’s thinning hair.
In addition, with a prescription or via a consultation with one of our Doctors, you can buy Dianette now at even lower prices. Studies have shown that Dianette used for 6-9 months clearly decreases hair loss and hair thinning. Dianette has an ability to block androgen activity at the pilosebaceous unit. Because of this ability, Dianette can successfully be used to treat Androgenetic Alopecia or scalp hair loss in women caused by androgen activity. Dianette has been shown to stop further female pattern hair loss and increase hair thickness within about a year of regular use.

Actor Simon Pegg shows off thicker barnet and thinner face

The British actor Simon Pegg has made appearances at several premieres this week, promoting the fourth installment in the Mission Impossible films. The star who has appeared in many notable films such as Run, Fat Boy, Run, and Hot Fuzz, is clearly now a major player in Hollywood, starring alongside Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.

However, it seems the “Hollywood effect” has taken over the highly popular Brit as he is now much slimmer in the face and his once receding and thinning hair appears to have been replaced by a much more fuller head of hair. This follows the comedian Ricky Gervais, who famously posed in a tiny pair of gold shorts prior to him hosting the Golden Globes back in January, showing off the incredible 22lbs he had lost during 2010 from his previous portly frame. Gervais too seemed to shrink simultaneously to his career taking off across the Atlantic.

Pegg’s hair transplant follows X-Factor judge Louis Walsh recently admitting in an interview that he had undergone a similar procedure which set him back roughly £30,000 after jibes from boss Simon Cowell, ‘He came up to me and said: “You know, you’re starting to lose your hair. I said, “I am not! And anyway, you’re going grey!”

‘I could have just left it and got on with things, but with TV today, everything is in high definition, and people notice every little thing’. Even Manchester United striker and footballing superstar Wayne Rooney earlier this year announced the news of his hair transplant after an expensive trip to a Harley Street clinic, tweeting his followers on social networking site Twitter – ‘I was going bald at 25, why not? I’m delighted with the result’.

However if you are you are not feeling flush enough to warrant paying 30k for a hair transplant you could try Propecia instead.

Bald you could try these to reverse hair loss

Everyone wants a full head of healthy hair. But, some people start losing their hair at a very young age.

Baldness is a condition in which a person experiences excessive hair loss from scalp. People may suffer from partial hair loss or full hair loss.  

Here are some Indian ayurvedic techniques that may help millions of people suffering from this problem:

1. Take two cups of water and add two spoon trifala powder to it. Boil it. Filter it and let the solution cool. Apply this water over your scalp and keep it for 5 minutes. Wash your hair with shampoo. If you are suffering from dandruff then use neem leaves powder instead of trifala. 

2. Apply amla paste on your scalp and wash off after 20 minutes. Your hair will get stronger. Apply oil before going to sleep. Tie a towel dipped in hot water (squeeze the water) around your head in the morning. Wash off after 5 minutes. 

3. Take half a bowl of heena and add warm milk and ayurvedic oil to it. Mix it well. Cool this paste and apply it on the scalp. Leave it for 20 minutes and wash with ayurvedic shampoo.

However for a more medical approach you could buy propecia online and combine it with regaine foam as they have both been proven to reverse the balding process.

Diet influences female hair loss

"Cuckoo” crash and yo-yo diets are to blame for female hair loss, according to Institute of Trichologists.

The Institute of Trichologists has said that diet can play a large big role in female hair loss.

Chairman Marilyn Sherlock said that women most commonly experienced hair loss when they have an iron deficiency or are dieting.

"By dieting, I don't mean dieting sensibly, I mean crash dieting. And because of the hair growth cycle - if hair is suddenly damaged by lack of proper nutrients, it's three months before it falls out," he explained.

The expert promoted balanced diets, saying that good hair growth requires not only protein and iron but a variety of other nutrients.

Mr Sherlock said: "So, if you eat lots of meat, for example, you've got protein and iron in one package, so you would expect it to be good for hair growth. But, unless you eat carbohydrates, it'll go straight through you because you can't absorb it."

The chairman blamed the growing popularity of "cuckoo diets" that were nutritionally unsound for causing unexpected hair loss.

For further information on Female hair loss please click the highlighted link at the top of the page.

Food For Healthier Hair & hair Loss

If your receding hairline and bald spot are giving you nightmares, here are a few foods that can help keep your hair in good condition. Men are as touchy about hair loss as women and it’s a sensitive subject, one that raises many concerns and results in paranoid treatments and extreme measures. Before you start losing sleep over hair loss and book appointments with Trichologists or buy Propecia, take a closer look at what you're eating. 

Carrots

It's not just the eyes; Vitamin A-rich carrots provide excellent nourishment for the scalp. A healthy scalp ensures shiny, well-conditioned hair that is strengthened and moisturized. An overall balanced diet of lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fatty fish like the Indian salmon and low-fat dairy are great boosters for healthy hair.
  

 Prunes

If your hair suffers from dryness, thinning, stiffness, discoloration or hair fall, depleting reserves of iron might be the culprit. Prunes are known to be great sources of iron and greatly help improve the quality of hair. Also ensure you get plenty of green vegetables and beetroots in your diet in addition to prunes.







Green peas

Although green peas are not rich in antioxidants or any specific vitamin or mineral, they contain a well-balanced amount of vitamins and minerals such as iron, zinc and B group vitamins. These are essential for maintaining healthy hair.



Oats

Not only are oats loaded with fibre that helps maintain a healthy heart and bowels, they also contain a high concentration of other essential nutrients such as zinc, iron and omega-6 fatty acids. Together, these are also knows as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Omega-6 fatty acids in particular are essential to maintain normal skin, hair growth and development. Since this essential ingredient is only obtained through the diet, make sure your breakfast includes a bowl of oatmeal every few days in the week.

Shrimp

While red meats are best avoided in excess, finding an appropriate substitute for proteins might be a little difficult for those looking to build muscle etc. Alternatively, of the wide variety of sea food available, shrimps are a great substitute. They not only go excellently well in a number of curries and pastas, their potent concentration of Vitamin B12, iron, zinc contain all the necessary nourishment to prevent hair loss.

Walnuts

Not to be outdone by the oats, walnuts are one of the most hair friendly nuts in the category. Not only do walnuts have more omega-6 fatty acids than any other food, but they're also full of zinc, iron, B vitamins (B1, B6 and B9), and plenty of protein. However, a word of caution, walnuts also contain a small trace of selenium, a mineral known to cause hair loss in people who are selenium-deficient or have way too much in their system. So a handful of nuts over the week should tide you over without much trouble.

Eggs

For a head full of healthy hair, the egg is probably one of your best friends. It's loaded with essential nutrients such as proteins, Vitamin B12, iron, zinc and Omega 6 fatty acids in large amounts. Being deficient in any of these vitamins and minerals is known to result in poor quality of hair. In addition it's also a good source for biotin (Vitamin B7) which is a great aid to fight hair loss.

Low fat dairy products

Low-fat dairy products like skimmed milk and yogurt are great sources of calcium, an important mineral for hair growth. They also contain whey and casein, two high-quality protein sources. Add a cup of yogurt or cottage cheese to your snack list and to help prevent hair loss, stir in a few tablespoons of flaxseed or walnuts for your required dose of omega 3 fatty acids and zinc.






Hairy mistakes
Here are a few common mistakes that severely damage hair
- Excessive stress and some medication are conclusively known to reduce hair growth and promote hair loss.
- Cut down on the use of hair spray, hair gels, and styling creams that contain harsh chemical ingredients, which can dry out the scalp and cause the formation of flakes. Also harsh treatments such as perms, colours, relaxers etc take a toll on the health of your hair.
- Avoid changing your shampoo and conditioner constantly. Stick to one good mild cleansing shampoo for six months before changing.
- Excessive exposure to the sun, pollution, rain water and dust without proper protection makes the hair dry, brittle and limp. Use a live in conditioner during the rains to protect it from the humidity and wash and oil it regularly to maintain a healthy scalp.