Wednesday 31 December 2008

Reasons for Hair Loss


Photo by: freeparking

The most common reasons for losing hair are as under:

The physical reasons:

The physical reason for losing hair are linked to your hair style, for example hair pulled so tightly that it places tension on the scalp can result in a condition called traction alopecia. Traction alopecia can be permanent if the style is worn for a long enough time that it damages the hair follicles. . Having your hair chemically treated, such as getting your hair colored, bleached, straightened, or permed, can make the hair break off or fall out temporarily. Excessive use of hair dryers for styling or always sticking to the same hair style makes the hair to be pressed too much. Changing your hair style early is the best thing to do in this case.

Poor nutrition:

Eating disorders or poor eating can cause hair loss. This happens because your body does not get enough protein, vitamins, and minerals to sustain hair growth. Vegetarians might also lose their hair because they don't get enough protein from non-meat sources.

Skin & Scalp Diseases:

Hair loss can be related to some skin diseases & scalp diseases as well, such as in mycosis baldness would usually appear in the type of hairless inflammatory focus (es). The treatment in such cases means giving the patient oral and local antimycotic remedies.

Androgenetic alopecia:

Among adults, the most common cause of hair loss is androgenetic alopecia. This condition is caused by hormones called androgens and genetics. Sometimes, the hair loss can start as early as the mid-teen years. It also can occur in people who take steroids like testosterone to build their bodies.

Systemic illnesses:

Endocrine (hormonal) conditions, such as uncontrolled diabetes or thyroid disease, can interfere with hair production and cause hair loss. People with lupus can also lose hair. The hormone imbalance that occurs in polycystic ovary syndrome can cause hair loss in teen girls as well as adult women. The treatment of hair loss in such cases depends on the treatment of the basic illness that actually caused hair loss.

Baldness because of drugs:

Some medications can cause hair loss as a side effect. Diet pills that contain amphetamines also can cause hair loss. Chemotherapy drugs for cancer are the most well-known medications that can cause hair loss.

Hair Loss Facts & Fiction

Thursday 6 November 2008

We support "Do Follow" from now on

We are really happy to announce to our visitors that by now on, we will support "Do Follow". You are highly encouraged to post comments (related to the actual post) with links and we will follow your link. Please post more and more comments to make information on this blog more and more meaningful. We will stil moderate the comments and delete all the spam.

Thursday 23 October 2008

Hair Loss Treatments for Men

Hair loss is a very common problem and the number of proven treatments is limited. Propecia is one of those hair loss treatments that has gone through extensive clincial trials and shown some significant results.

Read more on the hair treatments for men on the Hair Treatment website.

Monday 6 October 2008

Hair Loss Tablets

There are many hair loss products & treatments that lay claim to grow your hair back or stop further hair loss, just search through google and you will come across hundreds. But there is only a few products that don't just claim but are actually proven to grow your hair back.

Propecia: The most common hair loss tablet on the market today, has been approved by the FDA and has also gone through clinic trials proving not only can it stop hair from falling out. It also can re-grow hair that has been lost.

Regaine(minoxidil): or Rogaine as its know in America, has also been approved by the FDA. This treatment does not need a prescription and can be bought from your local chemist to your supermarket. It is a topical lotion which has also been proven to stop hair loss in clinical trials.

These two products are the only to proven products which are sold worldwide today, Im sure more hair treatment tablets will come on the market soon.

Wednesday 24 September 2008

Androgenetic Alopecia - A comprehensive guide

Androgenetic alopecia is the most common cause of hair loss in men and women and starts affecting people right from their 20's sometimes. Read more about androgenetic alopecia in detail here.

read more | digg story

Tuesday 16 September 2008

Finasteride

Finasteride was approved initially in 1992 as Proscar, a treatment for prostate enlargement, but the sponsor had studied 1 mg of finasteride and demonstrated hair growth in male pattern hair loss. On December 22, 1997, the FDA approved finasteride to treat male pattern hair loss.

Therefore Finasteride (Propecia) was the first oral drug licensed for the treatment of Male Baldness.

Finasteride (propecia) drastically reduces the effect of the enzyme 5 alpha reductase (type II), and in doing so,reduces the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which it is responsible for in the hair cell. It is DHT that is one of the major culprits for hair loss in genetically determined hair cells.

Wednesday 10 September 2008

DNA test for hair loss

BACKGROUND: Most men resign themselves to the fact they might lose their hair, but how many women need to worry about losing their hair? hair treatment4u says hair loss affects 21 million women in the United States alone. Baldness occurs when hair falls out and new hair doesn't take its place. Normally, hair grows at an average rate of about half an inch per month for two to six years, then rests and then falls out. Soon after that, a new hair begins to grow in its place. At a given point in time, 85 percent of your hair is growing and 15 percent is resting, according to the National Institutes of Health. Unlike men, women with female pattern baldness can begin losing their hair at any age through 50 or later, may not be genetically predisposed to hair loss and may not fall prey to the recognizable thinning over the top of the scalp.

CAUSES: The cause of female baldness is not well understood, but is associated with genetics, aging and levels of endocrine hormones. In particular, androgens, or male sex hormones, are associated with hair loss. As in men, the most likely cause of hair loss is androgenetic alopecia, or an inherited sensitivity to the effects of androgens on hair follicles in the scalp. Other causes include trichotillomania, or compulsive hair pulling; alopecia areata, a disorder that causes patchy hair loss ranging from diffuse thinning to extensive balding with "islands" of retained hair; triangular alopecia, or loss of hair in the temporal areas that sometimes begins in childhood; scarring alopecia, or hair loss due to scarring of the scalp area typically involving the top of the head; and telogen effluvium, a common type of hair loss that takes place when a large portion of hair shifts into the "shedding" phase. Telogen effluvium can be hormonal, nutritional, drug associated or stress-associated. Menopause can be associated with both scarring alopecia and telogen effluvium.

TREATMENT: Female pattern hair loss can begin as early as the late teens to the early 20s in women who have experienced early puberty, says the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery. If left untreated, this type of hair loss can progress to a more advanced form. Treatment is also recommended for women whose self-esteem is damaged by hair loss. The only drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat female pattern baldness is minoxidil (Rogaine). For women, the FDA recommends the two percent concentration. Minoxidil may help hair grow in 20 to 25 percent of women, and in the majority may slow or stop the hair loss process. Another option for women suffering from baldness are hair transplants. Hair transplants involve removing tiny plugs of hair from healthily growing areas and placing the hair in balding areas. The procedure usually requires multiple sessions and can be expensive. In addition, it can cause minor scarring and carries a risk of skin infection; however, results are often pleasing and permanent.

DETECTION: In order to effectively treat baldness, experts recommend a physician's diagnosis. It is important to catch and treat baldness as early as possible to prevent further hair loss. A new genetic test may help women treat baldness before its effects even show. It's called HairDX and through it doctors can predict whether or not a woman will have significant hair loss. After swabbing the inside of your mouth, the doctor sends the sample off to the laboratory for testing. Three to four weeks later, the results are sent back. The test costs about $150.

Thursday 4 September 2008

Friday 29 August 2008

Regaine Commercial - Use it or lose it

Hair Restoration Treatments

Both men and women tend to lose hair thickness and amount as they age. Inherited or "pattern baldness" affects more men than women. Approximately 25 percent of men begin to bald by the time they are 30 years old, and about two-thirds are either bald or have a balding pattern by age 60. Women, on the other hand, generally have diffuse thinning that affects all parts of the scalp. In this situation, much of the hair remains, but the thickness of the hair shaft is smaller than normal.

There are a number of treatment options available designed to re-grow hair and to replace hair that's already been lost. Currently in the United States, there are more than 2,000 topical and oral products, about five surgical procedures and several hair restoration devices, but only a few that actually work. Out of all the topical and oral treatments available, only two are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They are Propecia and Rogaine.

Propecia is an oral medication; its chemical name is Finasteride. It was developed nearly 40 years ago as a treatment for prostate hypertrophy (extended prostate). However, users found that the hair in their crown and bridge areas of their scalps was getting thicker, and they weren't losing hair at the same rate they once were. Propecia is known as a DHT-inhibitor, actually slowing or halting the conversion of testosterone into di-hydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone that shrinks hair follicles as men age. Because DHT is known to be the primary cause of male-pattern baldness, stopping the conversion of DHT allows genetically susceptible hair follicles to remain intact, and in some cases increase in size. The side effects of Propecia are minimal and can include a reduced desire for sex (1% chance) and possible breast enlargement (less than .25% chance)...

Read complete article at HealthNews.COM

Can women use Propecia?


Propecia is an effective hair loss treatment for men and the manufacturer clearly indicates that it should only be used by the men. Normally Minoxidil is considered to be the most effective hair loss treatment for women. Many women are curious to know if they can also use Propecia to stop hair loss though they are always told that Propecia is not recommended for the women. Now it has been claimed on corssavoo.com that Propecia is also a female hair loss treatment if used with contraceptive medicine.


The website states:


"Finasteride (propecia) is a female hair loss remedy that has been approved for hair loss treatment in men. But it has recently been found to help improve hair loss problems in women when combined with oral contraceptives. Propecia has some side effects, albeit only 3%. Often, these side effects subside after constant use."


Latest medical research does not say anything about it as yet. Always check with your Doctor to see if a certain hair loss treatment is appropriate for you.

Tuesday 29 July 2008

Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) July 29, 2008 -- Hair Loss Confidential will catch people facing hair loss unaware - those who insist the comb-over is working for them, people who think the hairpiece they bought in 1985 still looks like their own hair and individuals who insist a baseball cap can be worn with a tux or ball gown. Additionally, Hair Loss Confidential is looking for men, women and children suffering from hair loss due to heredity, alopecia or chemotherapy where their hair loss crisis has affected their lifestyle and livelihood.
Hair Loss Confidential will show these folks that there's another way.
Hair restoration has truly moved into a new era, with more solutions than ever to correct hair loss. After walking into a room with cameras where they'll be confronted by family, friends, co-workers and the Hair Loss Confidential crew, the unsuspecting subject will be whisked away to a hair restoration facility in their town where they will undergo a miraculous transformation.......



Full Article:http://www.prweb.com/releases/hairloss/thinninghairproducts/prweb1146744.htm

Monday 28 July 2008

Man sentenced for dealing in fake medicines

A man caught dealing in counterfeit medicines worth at least 1.8 million pounds has received a 51 week suspended prison sentence, the country's drugs regulator said on Thursday.
Viraj Shah was found with a range of bogus prescription-only medicines -- AstraZeneca's Nexium, Novartis's Diovan, Merck & Co's Propecia, Procter & Gamble's Actonel, Pfizer's Lipitor, Merck and Schering-Plough's Ezetrol, Merck's Hyzaar and Abbott's Reductil.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said the case highlighted the risk to public health posed by counterfeit medicines.
European drugmakers say they are increasingly concerned about the threat posed by fake drugs. They called last month for a ban on the repackaging of medicines within the European Union in order to boost security.
Pharmaceutical manufacturers blame the legal practice of parallel trade -- in which drugs bought in low-priced markets are repackaged and resold in high-price countries -- for fuelling counterfeit traffic. Parallel traders deny the charge.
Counterfeit medicines, which may contain the wrong or even toxic ingredients, are on the rise worldwide. The World Health Organisation estimates they may make up 10 percent of the global pharmaceutical market.


Source: http://uk.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUKL0326503520080703

Thursday 24 July 2008

Dianette, equally good for contraception, acne and hirsutism

Dianette is best known for being 'The Pill' although it has also been used most effectively for other androgen-dependent diseases in women such as acne and hirsutism (excessive hair on body). According to modern research acne can be improved and suppressed within three to six months of dianette treatment while patients notice improvements in skin ...

read more | digg story

Dianette - Equally good for contraception, acne and hair loss

Dianette also know as Diane-35 is used for the treatment of androgen-dependent diseases in women, such as:

Acne
Androgenetic Alopecia
Mild forms of Hirsutism (excessive hair on face and body)
Dianette contains two active ingredients, cyproterone acetate and ethinylestradiol.


Cyproterone acetate is a type of medicine called an anti-androgenic progestogen. Androgens are male hormones, and are produced by women as well as men. They are responsible for stimulating the growth of the skin, including the sebaceous glands that produce oil (sebum), and the hair that grows from the skin.

Too much production of androgen in the body can cause excessive growth of hair, acne, inflammation and infection.

If your body produces too much androgen, or if your skin is particularly sensitive to the effects of androgens, the sebaceous glands may produce too much sebum. This can cause the sebaceous glands to become blocked, resulting in infection, inflammation and acne spots. The androgens may also cause excessive growth of the hair on the face and body - a condition known as hirsutism.

Read complete article: http://www.hairtreatment4u.co.uk/news%20and%20articles/dianette-uk.html

Wednesday 23 July 2008

Some Bald Facts: Hair Fall And Premature Balding

Throughout our lifespan our hair constantly keeps on dying, falling out and getting renewed. But with the passing of age, hormonal changes occur in our body. These changes restrict the natural process of hair reproduction, leading to baldness in males and females. The question is whether this problem can be cured?

Losing hair is a natural phenomenon and it is a part of the body’s ageing process. But over the course of time the hair follicle becomes fatigued and withers making it increasingly arduous to produce new hair. Almost 70% of the people suffer from premature hair loss. Men are most likely to get affected with premature balding.

The baldness which occurs in men is called ‘male pattern baldness’. It is characterized by loss of hair in the crown area. The hairline also decreases a lot in this case. Most men experience this after the age of 25.



The reason for male pattern baldness is an increased production of testosterone after puberty sets in. When testosterone comes into contact with the skin, it gets broken down into the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is responsible for decreasing the ability of the hair follicle to produce new hair in the crown region and upper forehead.

DHT is produced by stress, caffeine, hormonal imbalance and masturbation. In most cases, the production of DTH is linked with genesdefine of a person.

On the other hand, the baldness which occurs in women is called ‘female pattern baldness’. The symptoms include overall thinning of hair on the scalp combined with a little loss of hair on the crown or hairline. This condition can begin at puberty but usually occurs after menopause.

There are many reasons for premature balding and hair loss. Some of these can be:

1.Stress

2.Thyroid hormone imbalance

3.Excess of vitamin A ...

Complete article:

http://www.themedguru.com/articles/some_bald_facts_hair_fall_and_premature_balding-8615648.html

Monday 21 July 2008

Need to Know: Contraceptive Pill Information

Which Pills are best for clearing up skin / acne

There are a couple of Pills that are very effective, one is Dianette and another is Yasmin. Marvelon is also quite good. They tend to be anti-androgenic, reducing the progesterone side of the hormone balance.

Which are least likely to cause weight gain?

Actually the weight gain story is quite interesting, because it is one of the myths around the Pill. Research shows that the pill doesn’t actually cause people to put on weight – it may make you feel bloated because there is a tendency to retain fluids, and again switching to a different preparation can minimise that. I think the Pill often gets blamed when it’s just people getting older and maybe eating a bit more than they used to!


Can you be too young or too old to be on the Pill?

As you get older, some of the health risks with the Pill get relatively larger. For example when you’re very young the risk of getting breast cancer is very small – as you get older, that relative risk increases, so the potential dangers of taking the Pill increase with that. Most family planning practitioners and doctors would think carefully about putting a woman over 35 on the Pill, because the oestrogen does have side effects that increase risk, so they might think of either switching to a pill that doesn’t contain oestrogen or some other form of contraception. That’s particularly if they smoke as well or have put on a bit of weight, which are other risk factors for heart disease so that could be a problem.

Full article: http://www.keepthedoctoraway.co.uk/showArticle.aspx?loadid=001059

Some Bald Facts: Hair Fall And Premature Balding

Throughout our lifespan our hair constantly keeps on dying, falling out and getting renewed. But with the passing of age, hormonal changes occur in our body. These changes restrict the natural process of hair reproduction, leading to baldness in males and females. The question is whether this problem can be cured?

Losing hair is a natural phenomenon and it is a part of the body’s ageing process. But over the course of time the hair follicle becomes fatigued and withers making it increasingly arduous to produce new hair. Almost 70% of the people suffer from premature hair loss. Men are most likely to get affected with premature balding.

The baldness which occurs in men is called ‘male pattern baldness’. It is characterized by loss of hair in the crown area. The hairline also decreases a lot in this case. Most men experience this after the age of 25.

The reason for male pattern baldness is an increased production of testosterone after puberty sets in. When testosterone comes into contact with the skin, it gets broken down into the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is responsible for decreasing the ability of the hair follicle to produce new hair in the crown region and upper forehead.

DHT is produced by stress, caffeine, hormonal imbalance and masturbation. In most cases, the production of DTH is linked with genesdefine of a person.

On the other hand, the baldness which occurs in women is called ‘female pattern baldness’. The symptoms include overall thinning of hair on the scalp combined with a little loss of hair on the crown or hairline. This condition can begin at puberty but usually occurs after menopause.

There are many reasons for premature balding and hair loss. Some of these can be:

1.Stress

2.Thyroid hormone imbalance

3.Excess of vitamin A

4.A prolonged illness

5.Use of harsh chemicals or hot oil for treatment.

6.Too much of exposure to dust, sunlight, water and other pollutants.

7.Unhygienic way of living.

There is no universally accepted method of preventing baldness and hair fall. The remedies can prove to be very costly at times and not everyone can afford them. Also, these procedures carry no guarantee and can have side-effects.

Some of the popular methods used are hair transplant, grafting, usage of FDA certified drugs and use of hair pieces.

Hair Transplant: This is very expensive option which involves transplantation of hair from other parts of the body into the bald patches. Though the procedure is safe, it can cost you around US $20,000.

FDA certified drugs: Regaine and Propecia are the two drugs which can be used to enhance hair growth. Propecia is a DHT inhibitor while Regaine is a follicle stimulator. But these two can prove to be very costly.

Grafting: It involves grafting of small chunks of hair. It is thought that this can help grow a new head of hair.

Hair Pieces: This is an old fashioned method in which hair pieces are used to cover the bald spots. This method is also very expensive and unhealthy too. In fact it increases hair loss. Also, the bald patch soon outgrows the hair piece and a new one has to be stitched onto the scalp.

Although there are no sure shot ways of preventing hair loss, but some things can be taken care of in order to avoid it:

1.Don’t use strong chemicals on your hair.

2.Avoid tying hair too tightly for longer periods of time.

3.Don’t wear helmets, tight caps or turbans for long periods of time.

4.Eat a healthy and balanced diet.


Source: http://www.themedguru.com/articles/some_bald_facts_hair_fall_and_premature_balding-8615648.html

Man sentenced for dealing in fake medicines

LONDON (Reuters) - A man caught dealing in counterfeit medicines worth at least 1.8 million pounds has received a 51 week suspended prison sentence, the country's drugs regulator said on Thursday.

Viraj Shah was found with a range of bogus prescription-only medicines -- AstraZeneca's Nexium, Novartis's Diovan, Merck & Co's Propecia, Procter & Gamble's Actonel, Pfizer's Lipitor, Merck and Schering-Plough's Ezetrol, Merck's Hyzaar and Abbott's Reductil.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said the case highlighted the risk to public health posed by counterfeit medicines.

European drugmakers say they are increasingly concerned about the threat posed by fake drugs. They called last month for a ban on the repackaging of medicines within the European Union in order to boost security.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers blame the legal practice of parallel trade -- in which drugs bought in low-priced markets are repackaged and resold in high-price countries -- for fuelling counterfeit traffic. Parallel traders deny the charge.

Counterfeit medicines, which may contain the wrong or even toxic ingredients, are on the rise worldwide. The World Health Organisation estimates they may make up 10 percent of the global pharmaceutical market.

Source: http://uk.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUKL0326503520080703

Olympic hope fails drugs test

OLYMPICS Israel’s top medals hope may be unable to compete in Beijing in August after the sailor failed a drugs test.

Udi Gal, who hopes to compete alongside Gidon Kliger, had two random samples taken by Israel’s Olympic Committee in May which showed traces of the banned substance Finasteride. The 29-year-old claims that he took the medication Propecia, which he did not realise contains Finasteride, to combat hair-loss.

Kliger and Gal have won bronze medals in the past three World Championships in the 470 Class sailing competition and took bronze in the European Championships earlier this month. Judging by the statements of Yehuda Maayan, chairman of the Israel Yachting Association, which will give the Israeli sportsman a disciplinary hearing in the coming days, Gal can expect to get off with a reprimand.

“By not being careful, a sportsman can find himself banned from the

Olympics even though he did not knowingly take a substance,”

said Maayan.

However, any decision by the Israel Yachting Association can be overturned by the International Yachting Association, and consultations are taking place to gauge what their reaction is likely to be towards Gal’s offence.

Source http://www.thejc.com/home.aspx?ParentId=m16&SecId=16&AId=60884&ATypeId=1

Friday 27 June 2008

Women's World: Female hair loss is at a record high. But one Calderdale woman believes she has got to the root of the problem

ONE of the first things people notice about Gillian Laycock is her hair.

The 41-year-old mother-of-two has shiny, thick, dark locks that she is justifiably proud of.But it hasn't always been that way. Gillian, a former PA with Bradford Council, has had fine hair for as long as she can remember and as she got older more and more of it went down the plughole.She started to dread going out and being seen in public because, she claims, when she talked to people their eyes were drawn to her thinning hair, and on photographs the flash seemed to shine right through to her shiny scalp ...

Complete article:

http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/features/Womens-World-Female-hair-loss.4197630.jp


Health blogs

Friday 20 June 2008

Hair Loss - Top 5 reasons

Male pattern hair loss, receding hair lines, alopecia or hereditary hair loss seems to be every one's problem now a days. Most people think that because receding hairlines are a distinctive feature of their family thus hair loss runs in their families. Still so many people are trying to find hair loss solutions that really work to stop hair loss. When you see somebody after a while and they tell you that you have lost your graceful puff or your hair are thinning, you will not be happy to discover that you are losing hair. Like many other people, you must have asked to yourselves, "why on the earth I am losing my hair?" Nonetheless if we know the exact reasons of hair loss, we may be able to reach correct treatment.

Top five reasons for hair loss:

Stress.
Illness or surgery.
Hormonal problems...

Complete article at: http://ezinearticles.com/?id=1254597#

Monday 16 June 2008

Scientists discover why hair goes gray

Scientists have accidently known the causes of gray hair. Read complete story here:

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=75319-anti-aging-hair-gray

Will hair transplantation become a thing of the past?

Hair transplantation seems to be the natural choice or sometimes the last resort when it comes to the hair loss ... but this is going to be changed now. In the new research, scientists are carrying out tests based on cell therapy and cell cloning resulting in a totally unbelieveable solution to hair loss. You will get your lost hair back through...

read more | digg story