Tag Archives: baldness
Alopecia
A particular hairloss condition which usually results in total hairloss
Botox tests for alopecia go ahead
New York: Scientists are investigating whether Botox, the brand name for botulinum toxin, can be used to treat the common cause of hair loss – alopecia areata.
The disease which can affect the scalp and parts of the body, affects adults and children and is the cause of sudden hair loss.
Patients suffering from the disease are to be given Botox injections in the scalp in a six-month trial at British Columbia University.
It is thought that Botox will work by blocking the action of neurotransmitters which will block the chemical reaction that attacks the hair follicles.
Follicles grown in new baldness cure
London: A new treatment for baldness, in which a patient’s own hair follicles are cultured in a laboratory and reinjected into the scalp, is being tested on UK patients.
The treatment is being developed by Manchester-based Intercytex, with the help of £1.9m cash from the British government.
The procedure works by collecting the stronger hair follicles at the back of the head and reproducing them. After eight weeks there should be millions of cells but because several injections would be required it is thought that the procedure will not necessarily be viable in restoring whole heads of hair.
As well as lotions, creams and pills there are advanced surgical procedures such as follicular unit transplant, in which healthy hair follicles are grated from the side of the head to bald areas. But this is very expensive, requires several operations and takes many hours to carry out.
The potential market for a baldness cure is huge – 40% of men aged over 50 are afected.
The most daunting part of the procedure is that a typical bare pate would need about 1,000 injections to establish enough new hair follicles. Each injection would penetrate just 3mm into the skin and would be done under local anaesthetic.
The procedure has been tested on seven volunteers at the Farjo Medical Centre, a commercial hair restoration clinic. The first volunteers received injections of hair follicle cells into small patches on their scalps. The number of hairs in the treated area increased from 250 before the treatment to 316 after.
Dr Bessam Farjo said the trials at this clinic indicated that the new procedure would be faster and cheaper than current surgical methods.
Transplant pioneer launches new hair loss site
New York: Robert M. Bernstein M.D., F.A.A.D., Associate Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Columbia University in New York, announces the launch of BernsteinMedical.Com providing comprehensive answers to the most frequently asked questions of alopecia sufferers.
Using photos, diagrams, helpful links, video and animation, Dr. Bernstein has presented a virtual multi-media encyclopedia for hair loss and baldness related issues.
Though hair loss affects approximately 35 million men and 21 million women in the United States alone, few understand exactly how or why they are losing their hair. Most know that there are treatments for hair loss, but many have no real understanding of how these treatments actually work or when they are appropriate. There is now a reliable source for untangling fact from fiction regarding hair loss treatments. BernsteinMedical.com demystifies the complex field of surgical hair restoration and explains, in an easy to understand way, the newest hair transplant techniques.
Dr. Bernstein is recognized worldwide for his pioneering work in hair transplant surgery. His landmark publications on Follicular Unit Hair Transplants, which give results that mimic nature, and Follicular Unit Extraction, a new non-invasive hair replacement technique, have earned him international recognition and make him arguably the foremost authority on hair restoration and hair transplantation in the world. Known to Television audiences from his appearances on NBC’s Today Show with Matt Lauer, CBS’s The Early Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, The Discovery Channel and other nationally syndicated programs, Dr. Bernstein has been providing answers and solutions for hair loss from his Manhattan facility for over 20 years.
BernsteinMedical.com answers questions on hair loss treatments ranging from the simple “Will wearing a baseball cap make my hair fall out?” or “Is true that hair loss comes from the mother’s side of the family” to the more complex “What causes hair loss in women?” or “When will cloning be available to help with baldness?”
With over 500 patient photos, videos of Dr. Bernstein’s television appearances, graphs and illustrations, BernsteinMedical.com clears up the confusion regarding baldness with expert information from the leading authority on the subject.
Dr. Bernstein’s contributions to the field of hair transplantation and devotion to patient care have earned him the honor of “Surgeon of the Month” in Hair Transplant Forum International, Connolly Guide’s “ America’s Top Doctors,” and New York Magazine’s “The Best Doctors in New York” from 2000 through 2005. Dr. Bernstein has also been selected for New York Magazine’s special issue “Best Beauty Docs in New York” for his pioneering work in Follicular Unit Transplantation and Follicular Unit Extraction.
Natural Remedies
Recent clinical trials proved the effectiveness of a non-drug, DHT-inhibiting treatment for androgenic baldness (hereditary male pattern baldness). The formula contained saw palmetto berry, plant sterols and other botanicals and was shown to be a viable natural alternative to prescription hair-loss drugs in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the April 2002 issue of The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Palmetto is used in some of the remedies outlined below.
The following are some examples of natural remedies: Ultra Hair (Nature’s Plus), for example, contains organic sulphur to promote healthy hair, while Thin-to-Thick (Jason Natural Cosmetics) features biotin for gentle cleansing. Viviscal www.viviscalhair.com, contains a concentrated marine protein that showed effectiveness against alopecia areata and androgenic hair loss in studies, including one published in The Journal of International Medical Research in August 1992. Shen Min, derived from the eastern wild rose, contains substances that inhibit DHT and 5-alpha reductase–the enzyme that causes DHT formation.
Revivogen revivogen.com is another natural product that contains promising DHT-inhibiting substances such as zinc and azelaic acid, while Shen Min contains the very popular Chinese anti-aging tonic herb, “fo ti”, also known as “he shou wu”, which is prescribed widely in traditional Chinese medicine to combat pre-mature aging and greying hair. Published research on “he shou wu” is limited, however, other than confirmed cholesterol-lowering effects and test-tube studies that suggest immune-protective activity.
There are also a number of follicle formulas which assist follicle health by acting as a relaxant. Formulas based on a “nitro” compound called NANO (3-carboxylic acid pyridine-N-oxide) known as the “natural” minoxidil. The active ingredient in the synthetic, over-the-counter product Rogaine.
Some products also include L-arginine as a hair-growth-promoting substance. L-arginine has several characteristics that may benefit hair follicles. It boosts nitric oxide levels, promotes circulation and aids in the release of human growth hormone. These products, like all herbal remedies, typically take several months to slow or stop hair loss, and several months more to show regrowth. If a follicle has died, it cannot be revived. But resting or sluggish follicles that produce increasingly thin or short-lived hairs can often be stimulated or saved from further damage if the cause is properly identified.
Saw palmetto
Saw palmetto, is a prostate-protecting herb that prevents the conversion of testosterone into one of the androgens that causes hair loss. A product containing this herb, FolliGro, from Denmark, has been trialled with 65% of participants reporting moderate improvement in hair regrowth, and 18% a clear improvement. The treatment is a two-pronged approach: a spray containing saw palmetto and capsules made of fenugreek, which promotes better circulation to the scalp along with B vitamins to “feed” the hair follicles.
FolliGro available through Victoria Health (0800 413596). Alsowww.folligro.com
Alopesan 400 by Vitamust works by stimulating growth, nourishes follicles and roots and maintains suppleness of the scalp. Maxilene works by boosting micro-circulation. See www.hairloss-hair-loss.com
Other natural solutions:
Nature’s Best Maxihair which contains iron, lysine, vitamin c, B12, brewers yeast tablets. the average time before noting a reduction in shedding is 16 weeks.
Urticalcin homeopathic calcium by Bioforce.
Phytologie’s Phytocyane with Phytologie dietary supplement Phytophanere
Chinese herbal medicine and Ayurvedic head massage.
Aloe vera cream and yiang yiang essential oil which can be massaged into the scalp.