Male Pattern Hair Loss

New therapy could have hair-raising results

2007-07-03T05:27:00.000-07:00

The back flaps of men's magazines have been touting miracle hair loss "cures" for decades:
"End Baldness now!"

"Grow your hair ... fast!"

"Thinning hair? Try this!"

The newest antidote in the battle against baldness uses lasers - pulses of concentrated light - to regrow and thicken lost or thinning hair. But unlike the snake oils of years gone by, this treatment may actually work.

"Feel good about your hair again!" proclaims the Web site for the HairMax LaserComb, a relatively simple at-home device purported to stimulate hair growth.

"Thicker, fuller, healthier hair is possible."

It might be. In February, the Food and Drug Administration approved the LaserComb as an effective treatment for hair loss, making it the first nondrug hair loss treatment approved by the FDA. Until now, Propecia and Rogaine had been the only approved solutions.

The news comes as no surprise to hair loss clinics across the country, many of which have been using in-office laser therapy for years.

"The fact that the theory has received FDA approval ... that is the beginning of legitimacy in this industry," said Marilyn Wayne, owner of the Hair Solutions hair-loss clinic in Torrance, who said she has seen laser therapy give full heads of hair to men and women who had been previously thinning.
"Throughout history, there have been an awful lot of people who have touted everything from cow manure on the head to God knows what."

The evidence for the LaserComb is compelling. According to clinical trials, 93 percent of participants using the comb saw an increase in the number of thick hairs, and none reported any serious adverse reactions.

Even without FDA approval, hair restoration clinics have used laser machines for more than a decade. In-office treatments use laser "hoods" or "domes," under which patients sit for

30 minutes three times a week.

The in-office treatment costs about

$3,000 per year.

And even though the LaserComb, which costs $545, is the only FDA-approved device, the hoods used in physicians' offices use the same technology.

According to Randy Veliky, chief operating officer of HairMax, laser therapy works by stimulating the scalp, thereby increasing circulation to the hair follicles. It also triggers the hair follicles to produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the cells' primary source of energy.

"The laser energy is being converted into ATP just like a plant converts sunlight into energy," Veliky said.

The result, he said, is that weakened hair follicles start growing new hair, and existing hair gets thicker.

It's not exactly a miracle cure, he noted. Laser therapy won't grow a mop of hair on a completely bald head.

"If the scalp gets shiny because it's been dried up, constricted, shrunk, you've gone too far," he said. "If we can catch a hair follicle that has been dormant for a year or two, then we can save it."

But saving hair is a big commitment, and laser treatment - as is the case with Propecia and Rogaine - must be continued indefinitely.

"If you stop using it, your hair will return to the state that it was in before you started using it," Veliky said. "It's a commitment. ... like brushing your teeth."

To some people, especially women who have fewer options when it comes to hair loss therapies, keeping the hair on their head is worth the lifetime ritual of either once-a-week laser therapy (treatment is three times a week for the first year; once a week thereafter) or twice-daily Rogaine.

Propecia, generally considered the most effective treatment for men (besides transplants) is not approved for women; in addition, women aren't always good candidates for hair transplant surgery since their hair tends to thin all over the scalp, leaving no viable pieces to transplant.

"Women do not deal well with losing their hair," said Wayne, adding that about 60 percent of her clients are female. "It' a constant source of embarrassment."

According to the American Hair Loss Association, at least half of women in the United States will experience some form of hair loss by the time they are 50.

Many doctors, including Paul Straub of the Straub Medical Center Hair Restoration Clinic in Torrance, wanted FDA approval before incorporating the laser treatment into their programs.

"I've seen a vast number of lotions and potions and nonapproved things come and go," said Straub, who has been treating hair loss since 1972 using surgical procedures and drug therapies. "I personally did not trust without testing."

Straub said laser therapy isn't as effective as Propecia or hair transplant surgery - it's about as effective as Rogaine, he said, which studies show works well in about 20 percent to 40 percent of users. But now that it's approved, he plans on selling the LaserComb as a supplement to other treatments.

"We have to use every available thing we have to help grow the hair,"

Straub said. "It's not going to be one absolute magic formula."

Possible cures for hair loss

Minoxidil (Rogaine)

Availability: Nonprescription.
Application: Apply topically twice a day to area of scalp requiring treatment.
How it works: While doctors aren't exactly sure how it works, it is thought to increase circulation and thereby stimulate hair growth.
Works best on: Patients with newly thinning hair.
Results: Takes several months to stimulate hair growth, if at all.
Drawbacks: Application can be messy. Results last only as long as the product is used (hair will return to pretreatment condition if application is stopped).
Possible side-effects: Itching, redness and irritation.
Cost: About $300 a year.

Laser therapy (in-office or LaserComb)

Availability: Nonprescription.
Application: Use three times a week for first year; once a week thereafter.
(In-office "dome" treatment is 30 minutes; comb is 15-20 minutes.)
How it works: Laser stimulates scalp to promote hair growth.
Results: Takes up to six months to see results.
Drawbacks: Hair growth stops when treatment stops. Can be tedious.
Possible side-effects: No known side-effects.
Cost: LaserComb, $545; in-office treatment, about $3,000 a year.

Finasteride (Propecia)

Availability: Sold by prescription.
Application: Pill taken daily.
How it works: Blocks enzymes that inhibit the growth of hair follicles.
Results: Takes at least three months to see results.
Drawbacks: New hair will be lost within one year after medication is stopped. Not for use on women (may cause serious birth defects in male fetuses).
Possible side-effects: Decreased libido, decreased ejaculate, dizziness, diarrhea, abdominal pain and back pain.
Cost: $500-$1,000 a year.

Source: http://www.dailybulletin.com/entertainment/ci_6164302

Follica’s Hair-Raising Gamble

2007-06-01T09:09:00.000-07:00

Startup looks to develop new products to reverse baldness.

Those ridiculous comb-overs may be a thing of the past after a Nature report revealed Thursday that scientists have discovered they could use a common protein to generate new hair follicles.

The scientists behind the study have already launched a new startup, called Follica, which aims to commercialize the discovery with a new hair growth treatment.

But bald people shouldn’t toss out their toupees just yet. The protein has only been tested in mice and it could be years before it is approved for human use. “This research has far reaching scientific and clinical applications for many skin and hair disorders,” said Wendy Roberts, a dermatologist at Desert Dermatology Medical Associates in Rancho Mirage, California. “But they must [first] be replicated in the human model."

Follica, backed by Boston, Massachusetts-based PureTech Ventures, would join an already crowded hair-renewal market that includes products from two brand-name pharmaceutical companies, as well as generic propecia, non-approved treatments, and hair transplant companies.

The market is dominated by Merck’s Propecia and Johnson & Johnson’s Rogaine, the only two hair regeneration products that have received U.S. regulatory approval. Emeryville, California-based Neosil, which has received more than $32 million from MPM Capital, Burrill & Company, and Shalon Ventures, is working on a compound that stimulates hair growth, but development is in the early stages.

“These products are better at maintaining hair than re-growing follicles on a bald scalp,” said George Cotsarelis, a University of Pennsylvania dermatologist who co-founded Follica with Harvard Medical School professor Rox Anderson in 2005.

Pittsburg, Pennsylvania-based Follica claims its products would be different because they would be based on a protein called WNT that helps form new hair follicles in wounded skin. “The previous belief is that hair follicles develop only in the womb,” said Dr. Cotsarelis.

Armed with their scientific discovery, the Follica team hope to develop a process by which they can gently wound the skin of a bald patient and apply a topical cream containing WNT in order to stimulate the growth of new hair follicles. The scientists believe they can also block hair growth by applying a separate compound to the wounded skin.

Daphne Zohar, the founding partner at PureTech ventures, said Follica’s scientific basis gives it a leg up over existing products. “People haven’t focused on translating science into the aesthetic market,” said Ms. Zohar, “so you end up with late-night-infomercial products, and most don’t work very well.”

Analysts said the aesthetic nature of the technology may open up acquisition opportunities in both the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.

Getting big pharma’s attention, however, won’t be easy because Follica would have to compete with cardiovascular drugs, sleep aids and anti-infection agents that generate far greater revenue than products such as Propecia and Rogaine. “Aesthetic products aren’t viewed as big business by the pharmaceutical industry,” said Joe Tooley, a pharmaceutical analyst at AG Edwards and Sons.

Source: http://www.redherring.com/

Drugs To Fix Your Balding Heads

2007-04-12T09:23:00.000-07:00

The mirror revealed all Seth Garon needed to know about his future -- there would be no encore for the full head of hair he enjoyed as a guitarist in a rock band."In my late 20s, I started losing hair," Garon said. "I was looking in the mirror and saw my father looking back at me."

Garon is one of the estimated 35 million men in the United States affected by male pattern baldness, or androgenetic alopecia. By age 35, two-thirds of men in the United States will have some degree of appreciable hair loss, according to the American Hair Loss Association.

"It made me confront aging, and I was not happy with that prospect,” said Garon, who had quit music for a job at an advertising agency in Portland.

Garon's reaction to hair loss, which is usually caused by genetics, is common among young adults who are entering the workforce. Seventy-seven percent said they would be "somewhat concerned" if they were experiencing hair loss in their 20s and just starting their career, according to the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery.

Drugs To Fix Your Head

Garon tried Rogaine, a drug applied to the thinning area to revitalize hair follicles. Rogaine and Propecia, a medication taken orally, are the only non-surgical formulas for hair loss approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Propecia is available by prescription and was originally developed to treat enlarged prostates. It can reduce an enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, a chemical involved in the loss of hair.

It is important that treatments of either drug begin in the early stages of hair loss, according to the American Hair Loss Association.

Source: http://www.wmtw.com/health/11519699/detail.html

Losing your locks? These foods can help

2007-01-28T08:16:00.000-08:00

If you're tried every shampoo, conditioner and cream hoping for thick, shiny hair, you may be going at it all wrong. The truth is, eating the right foods will not only help you feel great but they'll give you luxurious locks as well. TODAY nutritionist Joy Bauer has some advice for getting "ahead" in the hair game.

Healthy hair depends on the body’s ability to construct a proper hair shaft, as well as the health of the skin and follicles. Therefore, good nutrition assures the best possible environment for building strong, lustrous hair.

However, changing your diet now will affect only new growth, not the part of the hair that is already visible. In fact, starting a hair-healthy diet today will mean a more gorgeous head of hair within six months to a year, depending on how fast your hair grows. Hair growth varies between ½ and 1 ½ inches per month (depending on personal differences). On average, a person can expect to have about 6 inches of new growth every year, so it will take about that long to notice the effects of your nutritional changes.

Before discussing how nutrition helps hair, it’s important to point out what nutrition cannot help:

Thinning hair due to male pattern baldness cannot be helped with nutrition. Your best bet is to catch it early and speak with you doctor about medication.
Thinning hair due to aging cannot be helped with nutrition. As we get older our hair spends more time in a resting phase -- versus a growing phase, which leads to thinner, slower growing hair.
Other conditions that negatively affect hair – but are all reversible, include:

Hormonal shifts – women tend to notice hair changes during pregnancy, postpartum, and nursing.
Stress is one of the most common causes of reversible hair loss.
Several medications can cause temporary hair loss. Thyroid conditions (hypo or hyper). Low ferritin level (low reserves of iron).
After ruling out medical and stress related conditions, here’s my recipe for a Healthy Hair Diet!

Iron-rich protein

Protein is necessary for all cell growth, including hair cells. Hair gets its structure from hardened proteins called keratin. Without enough protein for keratin, hair grows more slowly, and the individual strands that do grow will be weaker.

Furthermore, the iron found in animal protein (called “heme iron”) is most easily absorbed by the body (more so than the iron in plant foods (non-heme iron). Iron helps red blood cells carry oxygen to all cells in the body, including the hair follicles.

For most people, foods can provide all the iron necessary for good health and strong hair. However, before menopause, women may want to consider taking a standard multivitamin that contains the daily value for iron. Never take straight iron pills without a doctor’s supervision – taking excessive amounts when your body is not deficient can be detrimental to your health.

Good sources of iron-rich protein include clams, oysters, lean beef, turkey, duck, lamb, chicken, pork, shrimp, and eggs.

Good sources of vegetarian iron rich protein include tofu, soybeans, lentils, beans, and black-eyed peas

Vitamin C

Vitamin C improves the body’s ability to absorb non-heme iron (also known as vegetarian based iron), so vegetarians should eat iron-rich vegetables and foods rich in vitamin C at the same meal.

Vitamin C is also used to form collagen, a structural fiber necessary for the body to maintain integrity by holding it all together. Hair follicles, blood vessels, and skin all require collagen to stay healthy for optimal growth of beautiful hair. Good sources include guava, peppers, oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, pineapple, papayas, lemons, broccoli, kale, and Brussels sprouts.

B-vitamins—folate, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12
These vitamins are involved in the creation of red blood cells, which carry oxygen and nutrients to all body cells, including those of the scalp, follicles, and growing hair. Without enough B vitamins, the cells will not thrive, causing shedding, slow growth, or weak hair that is prone to breaking.

Good sources of vitamin B6 include fortified whole-grain breakfast cereals, garbanzo beans, wild salmon, lean beef, pork tenderloin, chicken breast, white potatoes (w/skin), bananas, and lentils.

Good sources of Vitamin B12 include shellfish (clams, oysters, crab), wild salmon, fortified whole-grain breakfast cereal, soy milk, trout, lean beef, and low-fat cottage cheese.

Good sources of folate include fortified whole-grain breakfast cereals, lentils, black-eyed peas, soybeans, oatmeal, turnip greens, spinach, green peas, artichokes, okra, beets, parsnips, and broccoli.

Zinc

The mineral zinc is involved in tissue growth and repair, including hair growth. It also helps keep the oil glands around the hair follicles working properly. Low levels of zinc can cause hair loss, slow growth, and dandruff. Good sources of zinc include oysters, lean beef, crab, ostrich, pork tenderloin, peanut butter, wheat germ, turkey, veal, pumpkin seeds, chicken, and chickpeas.

For more info on male pattern baldness and women pattern baldness visit: http://patternbaldness.blog.co.uk/

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

Look Good, Feel Good: Hair Loss and Treatments

2007-01-25T08:18:00.000-08:00

You’ve probably seen them: television spots that promise a thick head of hair to the follicle-challenged. But offers that seem too good to be true usually are.

Among men losing their hair, the most common affliction is a progressive thinning known as male pattern baldness. The more hair lost, the less successful treatment will be, so specialists recommend action at the first sign of trouble.

Losing as many as 100 hairs a day is normal, but more substantial shedding is a red flag, says Pirooz Sarshar, cofounder of the Grooming Lounge, a men’s style sanctuary in downtown DC and Tysons Corner. Hair follicles are “like a mattress,” he says. “Fresh, firm springs loosen up with age.”

We’ve combed area experts for their advice on keeping what you’ve got.

Medical Marvels?

Hormones are to blame for most age-related baldness so the best solutions try to counteract chemical changes, says Dr. Thomas Nigra, chairman of Washington Hospital Center’s dermatology department.

Minoxidil, an over-the-counter medication sold in the United States as Rogaine, has shown promise in stopping hair loss. Rogaine, a topical treatment, stimulates follicles, says Nigra, who helped develop the drug more than two decades ago.

A prescription pill called Propecia also works; it blocks DHT, a sex hormone that causes follicle shrinkage. It’s faster and easier to use than minoxidil, which takes several minutes a day to apply. But Propecia is ineffective for all women and for men over 60, he says.

Many so-called “miracle” products marketed on TV are doctored-up trisaccharides, or sugars, that coat hair and give the illusion of thickness, Nigra says.

Transplant Trend

Interest in hair-replacement surgery has increased in recent years, as procedures now offer more natural results than the “hair-plug era,” says Dr. Richard Giannotto, with the Hair Restoration Group of Northern Virginia.

Depending on the procedure, a client can spend as little as $2,500 or as much as $20,000. Giannotto also offers laser-light therapy, a lesser-known treatment in the United States that has been “a mainstay in Europe for years,” he says. Scientists have found that low-level light exposure can slow hair loss, he says. Other physicians say there’s no evidence it works.

Researchers in Great Britain plan to conduct the first clinical trials with hair cloning, Giannotto says, adding that the procedure could reach this country by 2010.

But even a top-notch transplant is “still only a disguise,” says Nigra, who contends “there’s no substitute for a healthy head of hair.” Rogaine, which runs about $60 for a several-month supply, and $1-a-day Propecia stimulate hair growth and prevent the progression of baldness, he says.

Hair Myths

Here are a few falsehoods and half-truths about hair loss:

• Baldness is predetermined by your mother’s genes. “I think it’s time to stop blaming your relatives,” Sarshar says. “Hair loss does have a genetic component, but no one is sure what it is.”

• Vitamin deficiency causes hair loss. This is partly true—vitamins B and E as well as magnesium, copper, and zinc nurture the scalp. But, says Giannotto, there’s no supplement that can regrow hair.

• Regularly wearing a hat leads to hair loss. “Only if you’re destined to lose that hair in first place,” Giannotto says. Stress can also lead to thinning, but the loss is reversible, he says, merely through a decrease in stress.

• Baldness is caused by hair mites. Hucksters use this tactic to “scare people and sell special shampoo,” Sarshar says.

Source: http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/health/

Nasty little mirror reveals dirty secret

2007-01-13T08:13:00.000-08:00

At my father's house in Collingwood, there is this nasty mirror on the wall. And while a mirror may have worked wonders for the Queen in the classic Snow White fairy tale, as she deceived herself daily about her beauty, it provides a different perspective on my fading youth.

This malicious mirror is placed in a strategic location, perched on an angle on the wall behind the toilet. What it reveals, as I stand to relieve myself, is an expanding bare patch on the top of my head.

As we all know, it's hard to see, without some great effort and ingenuity, what's going on up there.

As I prepare myself for each working day, carefully combing my hair in an effort to combat the receding front on my forehead, I am oblivious to what's going on up there on the crown. It's an area of the head that only a carefully place mirror can reveal.

While spending time at dad's over the holidays, I had the opportunity to be reminded once again that the flowing curly locks of my youth have left for greener pastures.

I guess I should feel fortunate my hair stuck around as long as it did.

As a teenager, I did some pretty strange things to my mane in an effort to look different from my peers.

For highlighting, I was known to use food colouring. To keep everything locked into place, I would use a concoction of sugar and water, and later, even shoe polish.

In university, I would straighten my curly hair with a flat iron, and then add gobs of gel and hair spray. What was amazing about the amount of product in my hair was that even after wearing a motorcycle helmet, it would pop back into position after I took it off.

The sugar and water was a reliable staple for styling as a teenager. The only problem was mowing the lawn on a hot summer day.

For months I couldn't figure out why flies and bees would swarm my head as I pushed the lawnmower around the yard at our family homestead. Finally I figured out why they were so attracted me.

I guess I should feel fortunate to have retained a solid mane to this point, considering the crap I put into my hair and the fact many men went bald in their 30s.

I've never been one to shave my head, as seems to be the popular style for so many men these days. My philosophy has always been that I'm keeping my locks attached to my head as long as I have them. There'll be lots of life to live when being bald is no longer a choice, but a reality.

Now that that little mirror in dad's washroom has revealed the tragic loss so nastily, I wanted to find out a little bit more about what I have to look forward to.

While some men never go bald, everyone's hair thins out over the years. Despite much research, there's little men can do to slow down or reverse hair loss or androgenetic alopecia.

I've always been told that you inherit the hair genes from your mother's relatives.

But apparently, that's a bit of a myth, as baldness can come from either side of the family, or both. Looking at your family can give you at best, an educated guess about how you'll turn out.

When I look at my father, he's already missing most of the hair on top of his head. Maybe he put that mirror there to see if anything grows back?

"I had nothing to do with it," he said when I asked him to explain. "There was nothing sinister about putting it there, but I'm not really sure why we did."

Sure dad.

Another myth of hair loss is that wearing a hat to often can cause it. This is completely false, thankfully, as I may have to resort to wearing a ball cap for the rest of my life.

Did you know you lose up to 100 hairs per day normally? These hairs have finished their three-year life span and are ready to be shed, then replaced, or... not.

Many conditioners, shampoos, vitamins, and other products claim to help hair grow in some unspecified way. These are harmless but useless. To slow down hair loss, there are two options:

Minoxidil (brand name: Rogaine): This topical application is over-the-counter, no prescription is required. It works best on the crown, less on the frontal region. Available as a 2% solution, Rogaine may grow a little hair, but is better at holding onto what's still there.

Finasteride (brand name: Propecia): This is a lower-dose version of a drug that shrinks prostates in middle-aged men. Propecia is by prescription and is taken once a day. Propecia seems to do a nice job of retaining hair, however, it may also grow or thicken hair a little.

Other options include hairpieces and weaving (never) or surgery.

For me, I'm prepared to live with what I've still got up there, and pray that it hangs on as long as possible. This loss is an inexorable fact of life, and I am prepared to deal with it mentally.

But I don't need a stupid mirror, mirror on the wall to throw reality in my face.

For herbal medication on hair loss visit: http://www.herbalmedicationsonline.com/provillus/

News Source: http://www.ancasternews.com/an/viewpoint/viewpoint_697977.html

Propecia and Prostate Cancer: Balancing Vanity With Health

2006-12-28T07:58:00.000-08:00

As you can see from the headshot of me that runs with my articles, I am one of the many men in America who wakes up every morning, looks in the mirror, and wonders what I could do to grow more hair.

So far, I have decided to embrace the changes that come with middle age, but many men who are experiencing hair loss do decide to try and "grow more hair." Treating male-pattern baldness, however, is not a risk-free endeavor. There is a range of anti-balding products on the market today. Treatments and strategies vary, and so do the all-important side-effects of these remedies.

I may one day choose to entertain my vanity myself. Should I do so, the first thing I need to be aware of are the potential health risks of the different baldness treatments available.

One of the more common approaches to reversing baldness on the market today is the popular and successful drug Propecia. All drugs and medications come with the risk of side effects, and in some cases, taking a medication for one thing can mask or hide other developing health problems. In the case of Propecia, recent research indicates that using the drug can alter the results of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test used to screen for prostate cancer in men.

A study from Anthony V. D'Amico, MD, PhD, of Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Claus G. Roehrborn, MD, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, found that men on Propecia may have dangerously high PSA levels even if their test indicates levels are in the normal range.

"The men who use Propecia are young men, in their 30s, 40s, and 50s," D'Amico said in an interview with the medical website Web MD. "This is important because these are the guys who, if they have prostate cancer, need to be diagnosed."

Merck, which makes Propecia and funded the research, said that information advising patients to inform their doctor if they are taking Propecia has been included in the drug packaging since the product was initially approved in 1997.

The study found that Propecia cuts PSA levels in half after one year of use. While there is no PSA threshold below which cancer risk is completely eliminated, or above which cancer is a certainty, the conventional normal range is between 0 and 4.0.

However, for men on Propecia, a PSA level of 2.0 could indicate prostate cancer risk.

"If you've been on Propecia for a year, you should double the PSA score," D'Amico said.

"If you are on Propecia for more than a year, don't multiply the score; look at the change in PSA over time. If it goes up by more than three-tenths of a point, consider a biopsy," he said.

The danger is that men may get Propecia from one doctor and PSA tests from another, says urologist Yair Lotan, MD, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

"So if your internist doesn't know you're being treated for male pattern baldness, and your PSA is 2.5, they may assume you are normal -- but you really need to double that [score] and see a urologist," Lotan told WebMD.

It's a difficult problem, said Wayne B. Harris, MD, assistant professor of hematology and oncology at Emory University and the Atlanta VA Medical Center.

A doctor may see a PSA result of three, and not be aware the patient is taking Propecia, and therefore actually has a PSA level equivalent to a six, Dr. Harris explained.

If you are using propecia, you must inform your doctor. Being thorough, and being aware that Propecia can mask PSA test results, will help you and your doctor determine your actual cancer risk. Legitimate, safe and test-proven drugs like Propecia don’t need to compromise your health.

Men and women today have many options for delaying and offsetting the affects of aging. The information to do so safely is out there for the taking-- and so are the marvels of medicine. If looking better means feeling better, then perhaps appealing to your vanity will not only eliminate your bald spot but may enhance your overall middle-age experience.

Get rid of hair loss with herbal medication for hair loss Provillus

News Source: http://www.foxnews.com/

Propecia – Avoid male pattern baldness

2006-12-14T07:53:00.000-08:00

Do you think that a bald looks beautiful? The answer should be no because nature has given hundred thousands to one hundred fifty thousands hair on the head of a normal human being. Now days, there is an increase in the number of people who complains that they face loss of hair due to different factors.

There are also different types of baldness and the related remedy differs in each case. Male pattern baldness is the most common amongst different types of baldness and is known as alopecia. The main characteristic of such type of baldness is that remaining hair on the head acquires shape of ‘M’ and they become very thin.

Propecia prescription hair loss medication is designed mainly for men who suffer from mild to moderate hair loss. The effects of hair loss and propecia were studied in several clinical trials, and propecia was found to be better than a placebo. However, studies have shown that this drug is ineffective amongst women and has associated dangers of abnormalities to the male fetus. This is the reason that propecia is not recommended for female pattern hair baldness.

How propecia works?
Propecia works whereby it interferes with the process of androgenetic hair loss which usually follows this process:
1. High levels of an enzyme known as 5-alpha-reeducates occur in cells of the hair follicle.
2. This enzyme converts testosterone into DHT.
3. DHT causes miniaturization of robust terminal hairs.
4. This results in fine, soft vellus hairs that provide limited scalp coverage.
5. The growth phase gradually shortens until these hairs are lost permanently.

Propecia inhibits the formation of DHT and over a period of several months reduces levels of DHT sufficiently to minimize its effects on the hair follicle.

If you are looking for herbal medication to stop hair loss visit: http://www.herbalmedicationsonline.com/provillus/

Source: http://www.content-articles.com/article.aspx?i=42082&t=Propecia-%E2%80%93-Avoid-male-pattern-baldness

Proper treatment helps stop further hair loss

2006-12-02T06:11:00.000-08:00

As the only dermatologist in the country with a subspecialty in hair and scalp, Dr. Rica Mallari is the foremost hair and scalp expert in the Philippines.

Trained in Australia, Dr. Mallari believes that the future of hair and scalp as a subspecialty is bright. "Seventy-five percent of my patients come to me for their hair loss problems. Many of them are young and concerned about going totally bald. Most of them complain about being teased. My younger patients are more receptive to treatment. Others are just unaware," she explained.

Male pattern hair loss (MPHL) is the most common form of hair loss among men. It accounts for approximately 95 percent of all cases of hair loss in men. "The youngest MPHL patient I have encountered is 13 years old during my fellowship training in Australia. In the Philippines, my youngest MPHL patient is about 15 years old," Dr. Mallari said. "However, I could not prescribe an MPHL medicine called finasteride until he reaches 18. Prescription of the drug requires that the patient be at least 18 years old," she explained.

Dr. Mallari is a fellow of the Philippine Dermatological Society (PDS) and is head of the Hair Unit of the Dermatology Center at St. Luke’s Medical Center. According to her, pattern baldness is also a problem among women, but in most cases, women experience hair loss due to iron deficiency (due to heavy menstrual periods), zinc deficiency (due to crash diets), endocrine or thyroid problems, or damage caused by chemical treatments. Some women have hair loss because of a more serious problem, such as lupus, which is usually accompanied by a fever. However, more men tend to have hair loss due to pattern baldness.

As soon as she sees MPHL in her male patients, Dr. Mallari immediately recommends that they take the oral pill finasteride to stop any more hair loss. Whether her patients would opt for surgical transplantation or not, they at least try to control the hair loss and help them keep the hair that they still have until they can decide — because it usually takes them a while to decide. "I give my patients all the options, and then let them choose. But by giving them the medication right away, no time is wasted. The hair loss is already being stopped in its tracks," she said.

Finasteride usually takes three to four months to show visible results. "But some of my patients want a ‘quick’ solution, so they opt for a surgical transplant. Nonetheless, it still takes about six months for the transplanted hair follicles to re-grow, and medication like finasteride is still recommended to help hair regrowth and stop further hair loss," she added.

Dr. Mallari noted that more men are becoming aware that MPHL is a medical problem and not merely a cosmetic one. She is also glad that a number of barbershops are now referring their customers to doctors, instead of simply selling them shampoos and other topical hair products. MPHL is treatable and further hair loss can be prevented if it is treated in the early stage. That is why she advises young men with MPHL to get treatment as early as possible, because it is a progressive condition. "Finasteride is 99 percent effective. However, it is unfortunate that many of my patients have spent huge amounts on clinics that offer ‘non-surgical’ transplant procedures, but end up with very disappointing results," she explained.

Finasteride is the only FDA-approved pill demonstrated to treat male pattern hair loss on the vertex (top of head) and anterior midscalp area (middle front of head), in men only. In a five-year reported controlled clinical study of men with certain types of MPHL, two out of three men on finasteride regrew hair, based on actual hair counts over time.

If you are looking for herbal medication for hair loss visit: http://www.herbalmedicationsonline.com/provillus/

News Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/HLTH2006120280974.html

Hair loss tied to genetic defect in study in Russia

2006-11-16T08:10:00.000-08:00

Scientists have identified a genetic defect in some people who have trouble growing hair, opening a new avenue for research on treatments for baldness, according to a study in tomorrow's edition of the journal Science.

An enzyme called lipase H may help hair grow and develop, researchers wrote. A specific gene, LIPH, which allows the body to produce the enzyme, is defective in some members of Russia's Chuvash and Mari populations, in which even young girls sometimes inherit a form of baldness, the scientists found. About one in four men begins to lose hair by age 30, and two in three will be bald or „have a balding pattern” by 60, according to the US National Institutes of Health. While drugs such as Pfizer Inc.'s Rogaine are sold to treat hair loss, the medicines don't work for everyone and the response to the products can't be predicted.

The new research „identifies a novel molecular pathway in regulation of hair growth,” said Evgeny Rogaev, the leader of the study and a geneticist at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, in a November 7 e-mail. „Experiments in animals will be required to prove these predictions.” The search for a cure for baldness began at least 3,000 years ago. Ancient Egyptians treated hair loss with fats from crocodiles and geese, according to the Food and Drug Administration's Web site.

Genes are hereditary units, consisting of DNA, that contain the instructions used by the body to make essential substances called proteins. The scientists speculated that mutation in the gene makes the enzyme ineffective, arresting hair growth. Rogaev said he worked with colleagues in Russia, who had noticed many people in the Volga-Ural region, where Europe and Asia meet, have little or no body hair. The scientists screened about 350,000 people among the Mari and the Chuvash.

The resulting data suggest that more than 98,000 people in those groups have one copy of a mutated gene affecting lipase H production, according to the study. About 1,500 people have two copies of the defective gene. „The identification of a genetic defect in LIPH suggests that this enzyme regulates hair growth and therefore may be a potential target for the development of a therapeutic agent for the control of hair loss or growth,” the scientists wrote.

Current treatments are no blockbusters, according to analysts. „The problem is that the drugs don't work that well,” said Mike Krensavage, an analyst with Raymond James in New York, in a telephone interview. „The market would be huge if something worked.” With €228.4 million ($291.9 million) in sales last year, the hair-loss medicine Propecia was the 11th-biggest product for Merck & Co. The Whitehouse Station, New Jersey-based company had four products, unrelated to baldness, with more than €1.5 billion ($2 billion) each in sales, including the cholesterol drug Zocor. (Bloomberg)

For more info on herbal medication for hair loss visit: http://patternbaldness.blog.co.uk/

News Source:http://www.bbj.hu/main/news_18912_hair+loss+tied+to+genetic+defect+in+study+in+russia.html

Hair Loss Treatment for Men and Women

2006-11-10T06:35:00.000-08:00

Provillus has been boon for many men and women who suffer from hair loss. Yes I said women too! The company has two products, one specifically designed for men and one product for women. Both products are geared to stop hair loss and also regrow hair back. Provillus works to give both men and women the nutritional needs we need for a healthy head of hair.

Female Pattern Baldness:

There is no set pattern for female hair loss. Some women don’t start to lose their hair until later on in life, others find their hair thinning while they are relatively young. There are many reasons for women to lose their hair but the most common is hereditary thinning or alopecia – it accounts for 95% of female hair loss.

Female Pattern Baldness (FPB) affects 1 out of every 4 women in the United States. Recent findings have found that the incidence of FPB has been reported to be as low as 8% and as high as 87%. And, it does appear to be as common for women as for men. Most often, menopause is the most frequent time for female hair loss to become apparent.

Provillus for Women aggressively seeds your scalp to create the optimum environment for new, healthy hairs. It supplies the proper nutrition to bring dead hair follicles back to life or prevent hair loss from occurring!

For women hair loss can be even more troubling than for men. Female hair loss is not generally accepted as part of the normal aging process. Society has come to expect a thick, luxurious head of hair as part of the attractiveness in women.

Male Pattern Baldness:

Hair loss and thinning hair have been sensitive issues for men throughout time. Recently, medical science has finally identified the main cause of hair loss. Now, it is a known medical fact that hair loss stems from both genetic and hormonal causes. Androgenetic Alopecia or "male pattern hair loss" is implicated in 95% of hair loss cases. The key is a hormonal byproduct called DHT (dihydrotestostrone). The more DHT that gets put into your body, the more your hair follicles become thinner and finer until the hair is permanently lost.

Provillus blocks DHT (dihydrotestostrone) from getting to your body, which is one of the major causes of hair loss. The Breakthrough formula of Provillus was designed to block DHT and supply the proper nutrients to your body specifically tailored to prevent hair loss and to help you regrow hair naturally. Strong, healthy hair begins with the proper nutritional building blocks. You don't have to wait until there's a problem to prevent it! Provillus supplements your body's natural supply of these nutrients and lets the tiny follicles beneath your scalp receive exactly what they need to create beautiful, full-bodied hair.

For more info on herbal medications for hair loss visit: http://patternbaldness.blog.co.uk/

Hair Loss Can Be Treated With Propecia

2006-11-09T07:21:00.000-08:00

Recent study data show that there are 277 hairs per 1-inch circle more on the heads of people taking Propecia as compared to those taking a placebo at the end of five years.

That is A LOT more hair, making this hair loss treatment very effective! If you're already losing your hair and that bugs you, the sooner you start treatment the better. "It's easier to stop losing hair, than to replace hair that's gone," says Dr. Richard Strick, a dermatologist and UCLA clinical professor of dermatology.

Before a hair follicle shuts down, it first gets smaller and produces finer hair. So when you first notice that the hair on the top of your head or at your temples is finer than the neighboring hair, see a doctor. "Once the follicle has shut down it's difficult, sometimes impossible, to re-stimulate," Strick says.

Propecia is a pill for men that prevents hair loss and improves existing hair. Both drugs have side effects and problems that should be discussed with your physician. Propecia was developed to treat baldness in the top back and mid-scalp. There is no current evidence that Propecia works on the hairline or recession in the temporal areas.

Propecia is available in 30,60 and 90 pill Packs and cost between $46.00 to $117.00 and must be taken daily for the rest of your life or until more effective methods become available. Now for the surgical treatments. Hair transplants are the standard of care when it comes to treating hair loss. The best technique is one in which a strip of hair is removed from the back of the patient's head, assuming you have some to remove. This strip is then meticulously separated into hair units.

Most of the physicians recommended on this site will prescribe Propecia to halt a patient s hair loss and then restore the hair already lost with hair transplant surgery. These treatments in combination can work synergistically. The drugs work to halt the hair loss, while hair restoration surgery restores what was lost. The effectiveness of PROPECIA was demonstrated in studies of men, aged 18 to 41, with mild to moderate hair loss at the top and middle front of the head. There is not sufficient evidence that PROPECIA works for receding hairlines at the temples.

For Herbal medications for hair loss visit: http://patternbaldness.blog.co.uk/

News Source: http://www.powerhomebiz.com/News/112006/hair-loss-propecia.htm

HAIR loss can be a sensitive issue for men.

2006-10-30T07:54:00.000-08:00

Seeing their hair grow thin and fall out, especially for young men, can lower their self-confidence, make them feel less confident and less attractive to the opposite sex.

But now bosses at High Street store Boots say they have the key to reversing the trend – and all men have to do is pop a pill.

In the Meadowhall branch of Boots, adviser Ganesh Paul says he can understand how men feel about losing their hair.

The instore pharmacist started losing his hair in his 20s.
He said: "I can empathise – I'm OK with my baldness and the people around me like it. I totally empathise with men who are coming into see me. I remember I was unhappy at 20 about losing it.

"I was really down. I shaved it off and everyone around me really likes it."
But he says if the treatment had been around when he started losing his hair he may well have used it.

He said: "When men come into the store they say they feel less attractive to the opposite sex, they feel teased by colleagues or their partner, and it does affect their self-confidence. They can also experience anxiety."

Before taking the medication, men have an assessment to see if they are suitable for the treatment, called Propecia.

The medication is for male pattern baldness – where hair starts to thin and is an inherited condition.

But the medication can help stem the loss as it works by inhibiting a hormone which leads to hair loss.

In some cases, says Ganesh, men have not just seen their hair loss slow, they have experienced some regrowth.

Digital pictures are taken before treatment starts of the man's head and are used to track the effectiveness of the medication.

Tablets cost £90 for a three-month supply and they have to be continued to maintain the hair.

As with all medication there can be side-effects which can loss of libido and erection, although the effects are said to be temporary.

Boots carried out a survey into the effects of hair loss and found it caused a lot of distress.

As many as 20 per cent of men believed that losing their hair would make them less attractive to women.

This was reflected in the results from men with little or no hair, with 17 per cent stating they feel much less attractive without hair than when they had a full head of hair.

Around a third of men had been teased as a result of their fleeing follicles and 14 per cent felt upset, angered and found that it greatly affected their self confidence.

Males aged from 25 to 34 were most affected by teasing as well as males who were divorced, separated or single.

But only a third of women believed that men losing their hair were less attractive.
Dr Martin Tovée, a psychologist from Newcastle University, said: "Hair loss can have a negative effect on men's self-confidence and their perception of their attractiveness to the opposite sex. Looking at treatment options is a good way to take an active and positive approach to the situation."

News Source: http://www.sheffieldtoday.net/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=58&ArticleID=1836636

Resources You Can Use

2006-10-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

Here is some of the resources You can use:

File Recovery
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Yellow Pages by List-Nation
ListNation Web Directory
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Shopping Directory
Buy a Car
Encyclopedia
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Zip Code Database
Celebrity Pictures
Data Recovery
Hotel Reviews
Mesothelioma

Take action before it's gone

2006-10-17T09:04:00.000-07:00

TRYING to prevent hair loss is not a new male obsession. For all we know, cavemen spent time staring into pools arranging their residual tresses into primitive comb-overs.

What is new, however, is that today's remedies actually work — at least to some extent.

If you're already losing your hair and that bugs you, the sooner you start treatment the better. "It's easier to stop losing hair, than to replace hair that's gone," says Dr. Richard Strick, a dermatologist and UCLA clinical professor of dermatology.

Before a hair follicle shuts down, it first gets smaller and produces finer hair. So when you first notice that the hair on the top of your head or at your temples is finer than the neighboring hair, see a doctor. "Once the follicle has shut down it's difficult, sometimes impossible, to re-stimulate," Strick says.

Male-pattern baldness is by far the most common cause of hair loss: By age 30, one-third of men will show some signs of this hereditary condition, which is caused by a shut-down of hair follicles in response to DHT, a byproduct of testosterone.

But there are other, treatable conditions. One is telogen effluvium, a condition in which a person starts losing hair two to four months after a trauma, such as a major operation, high fever or job loss. This condition will reverse, and hair regrow, on its own. Another is alopecia, an autoimmune disorder that triggers hair loss and affects 2% of the population at some point in life. It often responds to cortisone injections.

If your doctor determines your case is male-pattern baldness, there is, of course, the option of a transplant — and these days they offer men a very natural-looking alternative to baldness, says Dr. Craig Ziering, a Beverly Hills dermatologist who specializes in hair loss and restoration. For those who don't want to go the surgical route, two proven products — Rogaine (minoxidil) and Propecia (finasteride) — can stop or slow balding.

Rogaine, a well-studied topical solution available over the counter that is applied twice a day, is the most popular hair-loss treatment on the market. Research shows that 80% of patients who use it can expect to prevent further loss, and 80% can also expect bulked up hair, Strick says. It won't, however, restore what's gone, and results won't show up for several months.

Those sensitive to Rogaine in its traditional, solution form may find a newer product — Rogaine foam — more tolerable, says Dr. Claire Haycox, a dermatologist and associate professor of dermatology at the University of Washington in Seattle.

An increasingly popular treatment is Propecia, a pill available by prescription that can sometimes kick sleeping hair follicles back into production. It works by suppressing DHT. Studies show that 90% of men who take Propecia stop losing hair and grow more hair. Results usually show up in three to 12 months. Younger men do best: In a study of 253 18- to 41-year-olds, about half had significant restoration of hair follicles.

A rare but notable side effect: One in 200 men who use Propecia experiences a loss of sex drive that ranges from disinterest to impotence. Sex drive returns to normal when they stop the medication.

For both drugs, there's a caveat. Once you stop using them, you will lose all the hair you would have lost if you'd never used the product at all. "It's as if your body kept a clock and knew how much you were supposed to have lost by now," says Strick, who himself started using Rogaine when he was 46, then switched to Propecia when it became available.

As for other rays of hope, some are banking on laser devices — hand-held combs or brushes that emit low-level light. Makers of the combs claim the devices promote hair growth. Most dermatologists say this is nonsense, but Ziering thinks there may be something to it. He offers an eight-month laser treatment package in which patients sit under a hood, akin to a hairdryer, several times weekly and use a hand-held device at home in-between. "It seems to give the clinical appearance of more hair," Ziering says.

A few other over-the-counter products may help. Volumizing shampoos and conditioners can fluff up what's there. Shampoos containing zinc, such as Head & Shoulders, were found in one study to promote minimal hair growth, Haycox says. Then there's Toppik, a hair fattening product available online. Guys can spray this protein powder — which comes in eight different colors — on their hair to make it look fuller. Like mascara sticking to eyelashes, the powder binds to existing hair, holding fast until your next shampoo.

As for other so-called remedies — herbal concoctions, salves or special diets — avoid them. "Don't forgo two legitimate treatments to try something unproven, useless and possibly even damaging," Strick says. "You waste your money. But worse, you never regain the time, or the hair, you lost trying."

There's always another option: accepting your baldness. If you go that route, avoid long, compensatory ponytails or bushy beards. They don't make you look more virile. And don't drape long strands over your bald spot: There's no woman on Earth it will fool. "Be nice to us, have a good sense of humor, buy us a piece of jewelry now and then, and we'll embrace your baldness," says dermatologist Dr. Mary Lupo, medical director for the Lupo Center for Aesthetic & General Dermatology in New Orleans. "But whatever you do, don't comb over."

For herbal medication visit: http://patternbaldness.blog.co.uk/

For more info on other drugs visit: Rx Online Pharmacy

News Source: http://www.latimes.com/..

Causes and treatments for female hair loss

2006-10-07T08:39:00.000-07:00

Patterns of hair loss

One of the commonest forms of hair loss in women (and men) is a condition called telogen effluvium, in which there is a diffuse (or widely spread out) shedding of hairs around the scalp and elsewhere on the body. This is usually a reaction to intense stress on the body's physical or hormonal systems, or as a reaction to medication.

The condition, which can occur at any age, generally begins fairly suddenly and gets better on its own within about six months, although for a few people it can become a chronic problem. Because telogen effluvium develops a while after its trigger, and causes generalised thinning of hair density rather than a bald patch, women with the condition can easily be diagnosed as overanxious or neurotic.

Fortunately, it often gets better with time. Telogen effluvium is a phenomenon related to the growth cycles of hair. Hair growth cycles alternate between a growth phase (called anagen, it lasts about three years) and a resting phase (telogen, which lasts about three months). During telogen, the hair remains in the follicle until it is pushed out by the growth of a new hair in the anagen phase.

At any one time, up to about 15 per cent of hairs are in telogen. But a sudden stress on the body can trigger large numbers of hairs to enter the telogen phase at the same time. Then, about three months later, this large number of hairs will be shed. However, as the new hairs start to grow out, so the density of hair may thicken again. Many adults have had an episode of telogen effluvium at some point in their lives, reflecting episodes of illness or stress.

Another common type of hair loss in women is androgenetic alopecia, which is related to hormone levels in the body. There's a large genetic predisposition, which may be inherited from the father or mother. Androgenetic alopecia affects roughly 50 per cent of men (this is the main cause of the usual pattern of balding seen as men age) and perhaps as many women over the age of 40. Research shows that up to 13 per cent of women have some degree of this sort of hair loss before the menopause, and afterwards it becomes far more common - one piece of research suggests that over the age of 65 as many as 75 per cent of women are affected.

The cause of hair loss in this condition 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.

Beware miracle cures

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.

Medical treatments

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.

For more info on herbal treatment for hair loss visit: http://patternbaldness.blog.co.uk/

News Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/womens_health/body_hairloss.shtml

LATEST NEWS! Propecia May Help Women Too

2006-10-05T08:21:00.000-07:00

Finasteride -- known by its brand name Propecia -- a medication approved to treat hair loss in men, may also improve the condition in women when combined with oral contraceptives, according to an article in the March issue of Archives of Dermatology. Find out more about this breaking news now.
As many as half of all women experience female pattern hair loss during their lifetimes, according to background information in the article. Women who are affected often report feelings of embarrassment and social anxiety and the condition often worsens if left untreated. Current treatment generally involves minoxidil (Rogaine), a medication typically applied to the scalp to encourage hair regrowth, which is effective but not always well accepted by patients, the authors report.

Matilde Iorizzo, M.D., and colleagues at the University of Bologna, Italy, evaluated the effectiveness of 2.5 milligrams of finasteride taken by mouth daily and combined with an oral contraceptive in 37 women aged 19 to 50 years who consulted a physician about their hair loss. The contraceptive was necessary to prevent pregnancy in women in the study, because finasteride is known to cause birth defects. The researchers selected a type of contraceptive that reduces levels of male hormones, because that effect may also contribute to the treatment of hair loss. They took photographs of the patients' heads and assessed their hair density with a technique known as computerized light videodermoscopy at the beginning of the study and after they had taken the two medications for 12 months.

At the one-year mark, 23 (62 percent) patients were rated as improved using comparisons of the photographs. Thirteen patients did not improve, and one patient's condition worsened. Hair density scores increased in 12 patients. On a questionnaire, 29 patients reported that their condition improved after 12 months, eight said that it had stabilized and none reported that it had worsened. None of the participants had adverse reactions to the treatment.

"This treatment was well accepted by the patients, who judged the results to be even better than did the investigators," the authors write. "The clinical results using global photography, hair density scores and patient self-assessment provide a basis for future work. Further studies are needed to establish the optimal dosage and mode of administration of finasteride in premenopausal women and to definitively assess the efficacy of this drug compared with oral antiandrogens."

For info on herbal medication for male pattern hair loss visit: http://paternbaldness.blog.co.uk/

Source: Arch Dermatol. 2006; 142:298-302.

Women Hair Loss: Causes and Prevention

2006-10-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

No one dreams of getting bold. For women who are very vain, hair loss is one thing that will totally freak them out. Hair loss does not choose a specific gender or age. It may come during the early phase of one’s life or could also be a little later. But then hair loss on men is more common than it is with women. Only that women recognize hair loss at once because of their routinely regimens.

Women hair loss is a big problem. Generally, women treat their hair as their crowning glory. What will happen if they suffer from hair loss? The hair will obviously lose its radiance and striking effect. And this fact makes women terribly worried. Will it ever grow back? Will my hair be the same again? Is there a treatment for women hair loss? Now these are just among the millions of questions asked by women who go through the agony of hair loss.

Women hair loss particularly affects the psychological well-being of women. Reports prove how women moving around the corporate world have to quit their jobs because they discovered that they are getting bald for no apparent reason. The socialization process of women also gets affected. Women hair loss prompts them to withdraw from the usual activities which they typically take part in. In more ways than one, their interaction with other people gets limited.

The Main Causes of Hair Loss

Why does women hair loss come into the picture? What causes women hair loss? No matter what drives women hair loss to spread its lunacy, the matter is nonetheless a major concern to all. There are various factors that lead to hair loss but the thing that must be borne in mind is that there is always a solution to it if only the right medication will be applied.

The recorded factors that cause hair loss are skin disorders, recommended drugs and therapies, stress, pregnancy, chemotherapy, hereditary predisposition, bacterial infection, radiation, and extreme androgen production. In most cases, only one of these factors cause the hair loss but there is also the possibility that these factors are combined that hence bring about a greater effect of hair loss.

As in the case of women hair loss, specialists emphasize that menopause is also another factor to be looked into. It is in this phase that women experience a decrease in hormonal production so the body goes through a sudden change.

The Prevention of Women Hair Loss

Can women hair loss be prevented? Specialists have answers to this dilemma. Since the women are very much particular with how they look, they are expected to attend more to the prevention of women hair loss. Experts say that a healthy diet is likely to increase the possibility of preventing women hair loss especially by taking in foods filled with proteins. Do not use unnecessary drugs. Ensure proper hygiene. Do away with hormonal drug therapies. A good exercise will help eliminate too much stress too. Another effective medium is the use of natural therapy. It points to the use of the therapeutic herbs like the sage which is a good medication for feeble hair, the rosemary which can boost dark hair, the chamomile that is able to promote a healthy growth for the hair, and the burdock root which aids in stopping falling hair. An important advice though is to make use of the natural cure only as a supplement. The specialists’ prescribed medication is still the most effective.

For more info on herbal cure for pattern baldness visit: http://paternbaldness.blog.co.uk/

Source: http://www.ezinearticles.com/?Women-Hair-Loss:-Causes-and-Prevention&id=315603

The Only Real Proven Cure for Baldness Today

2006-10-02T08:52:00.000-07:00

There are many medications that can deal with male hair loss. The best known and proven medication is known as Propecia. This medication is designed to help men who are experiencing male pattern hair loss. In clinical studies, hair count increased during the first twelve months and maintained in those that took Propecia for 24 months.

Propecia, in generic terms is known as Finasteride. It is known to help men that are dealing with male pattern hair loss, also known as DHT. This particular pattern of baldness and hair loss is known to affect men because of genetics that are inherited from both their mother and fathers side of the family. Our genes cause the hormone DHT to react with the enzymes that are located in the scalp and hair region. When this happens, hair begins to thin and eventually causes for it to fall out completely.

Propocia is comes in liquid form and is applied to the thinning or balding areas of the scalp. It is recommended that the lotion be applied atleast twice a day, in my experience once after showering when the hair has been washed and dried and applied once again last thing at night. By applying Propecia at these times of the day will give the medication the bast chance to work its way into the affected scalp regions without being washed out.

Propecia is a prescription medication that has proven to be more effective in men than in women. Propecia will work with male pattern baldness by adding an androgen hormone.This will then balance out with the enzymes that are causing your hair loss. Women must not use Propecia when they are pregnant or hoping to get pregnant. Propecia can potentially cause abnormalities of the male baby's sex organs.

Propecia is FDA approved. Despite this, there are side effects to taking Propecia. Because of the added hormone, a small percentage of men have reported less desire for sex and difficulty in achieving an erection.

There may also be some allergic reactions that may occur during usage, which can be anything from rashes, itching that takes place. If you should suffer from any of these, it is recommended to stop taking the medication immediately and enquire with your GP before you continue with the prescription.

Propecia is one of several medications that are available for those dealing with male pattern hair loss. Speak to your GP to find out more about Propecia, If you are interested in using Propecia as a medication to help you in your treatment and cure of thinning hair.

Propecia can come in various different forms and brand names currently on the market and can come in different strengths,if you do not want to vist your GP about your baldness or falling hair,remember Propecia can be purchased on the internet through reputable hair loss companys.

Are you suffering from thinning hair or baldness, treat & cure baldness Alopecia today!

For info on herbal medication for male pattern hair loss visit: http://patternbaldness.blog.co.uk/

Source: http://www.ezinearticles.com/?The-Only-Real-Proven-Cure-for-Baldness-Today&id=292069

A Review of Hair Loss Products

2006-09-29T09:17:00.000-07:00

It is easier to prevent healthy hair falling out than to regrow hair in already-dormant hair follicles.

Home Remedies

There are all kinds of home remedies for hair loss. Many of them can be dismissed as old wives tales—but some of them possibly help some people. Here are a few of the more promising home remedies for hair loss:

- Rinse hair with a solution of sage tea and apple cider vinegar
- Almond oil, castor oil, olive oil, jojoba oil and amla oil may have benefits when warmed and

massaged into the scalp
- Coconut milk or aloe vera gel massaged into the scalp may have a similar effect
- A masque of honey and egg yolk can be applied to the hair and scalp.

With the exception of the sage tea and apple cide vinegar all other applications should be shampooed out of the hair after use.

Herbal Remedies

Several herbal remedies make the claim of restoring hair growth and a number of herbal lotions as well as several nutritional supplements claim to be specifically formulated to deal with hair loss. A person with a preference for alternative treatments rather than chemically based treatments may benefit from a visit to a herbalist to discuss herbal hair loss remedies.

It has been suggested that the following herbal remedies may be of assistance in hair loss:

- ginko biloba
- green tea
- polygonum multiflorum, a traditional Chinese herb
- pygeum
- aloe vera
- saw palmetto (serenoa repens)
- stinging nettle
- resveratrol, a natural antioxidant found in grape skins

Some of these are taken in tablet form and some are made into preparations that you massage into your scalp. Some, for example stinging nettle, can cause an allergic reaction, so all herbal preparations should be used with care.

It is claimed that saw palmetto - a herbal DHT inbibitor - has fewer side effects and is cheaper that finasteride (sold in the US as Propecia) and works in a similar manner

Minoxidil (Rogain®)

Many people have confidence in this product for restoring hair growth. It’s available at any pharmacy without a prescription and it appears to work for a lot of people. Minoxidil is useful for both men and women to assist in regrowing hair. Treatment needs to be continuous, however, because ceasing treatment with Minoxidil will cause the hair to again begin falling out.

Finasteride (Propecia®)

Finasteride in an antiandrogen 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, marketed under the names Propecia, Proscar, Finacar and others. It is a prescription medication and may be the best hair loss product for some people. A visit to a doctor is required to get a prescrption, but that in itself is not a bad thing because the doctor will check to see if there is some underlying cause for the hair loss that may require treatment. There are some known side effects with Finesteride, including erectile dysfuntion, that affect a small number of users of the preparation.

Ketoconazole

Ketoconazole is an anti-fungal and potent 5-alpha reductase inhibitor that is often used as a topically applied supplement to other hair loss treatments.

It is interesting to note that placebo treatments often have reasonable success rates (and similar side effects) in studies, although the success rate tends not to be as high as with the product being tested.

Concealing Baldness

There are times when the best hair loss product is a cover up of some kind. This is especially true when the hair loss is temporary, such as when hair falls out during chemotherapy. Several organizations produce hats or caps for cancer sufferers.

Other methods of hiding hair loss include the comb over which involves combing the remaining hair over the bald spot. This ceases to be effective as balness increases. A wig or a hairpiece is another option but in the end, embracing baldness - especially for men - can be the simplest, cheapest and often the best option.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?A-Review-of-Hair-Loss-Products&id=305176

Genes Play Role in Hair-Pulling Disorder

2006-09-28T09:27:00.000-07:00

Certain genes may raise the risk for a compulsive hair-pulling disorder known as trichotillomania, U.S. researchers report.

This impulse-control disorder affects 3 percent to 5 percent of the population. People with trichotillomania have noticeable hair loss or bald patches. The condition often accompanies other psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder or Tourette syndrome.

This study included 44 families with one or more members with trichotillomania. Researchers at Duke University Medical Center, in Durham, N.C., found that some people with trichotillomania had two mutations in the SLITRK1 gene. These mutations were not found in family members who did not have the disorder.

The SLITRK1 gene plays a role in the formation of connections among brain cells (neurons). Mutations in the gene may cause neurons to develop faulty connections that result in trichotillomania, the scientists said.

But they also stressed that SLITRK1 gene mutations probably account for only a small percentage of trichotillomania cases.

The findings were to be published in the October issue of Molecular Psychiatry.

Currently, there is no specific treatment for trichotillomania. It's sometimes successfully managed with drugs designed to treat anxiety disorders and depression.

News Source: http://www.forbes.com/

Stop Hair Loss and Regrow Hair!

2006-09-27T07:49:00.000-07:00

Hair loss in men

Hair loss and thinning hair have been sensitive issues for men throughout time. Recently, medical science has eventually identified the main cause of hair loss. At present, it's a known medical fact that hair loss stems from both genetic and hormonal causes. Androgenetic Alopecia or even "male pattern hair loss" is implicated in ninety five percent of hair loss cases. The key is a hormonal byproduct called DHT (dihydrotestostrone). The even more DHT that gets put into your body, the even more your hair follicles turn into thinner and finer until the hair is permanently wasted.

DHT and hair loss

DHT is 1 of many male hormones in the body. DHT is developmentally vital early in a man’s life; however, it appears to be a cause of hair loss as men get older. DHT shrinks the hair follicle until it no longer produces obvious hair.

Doctors believe that excess DHT is an apparent cause of hair loss The causes of hair loss aren't well defined; however, researchers have uncovered that men with male pattern hair loss have increased levels of DHT in the balding area of their scalps. Individual hair usually follows a cycle of expansion, falling out, and new expansion. However increased levels of DHT are believed to contribute to the shortening of the expansion phase and a shortening of the time it takes for the hair to fall out. This results in thinning of the hair on the scalp.

Provillus blocks DHT (dihydrotestostrone) from getting to your body, which is 1 of the major causes of hair loss. The Breakthrough formula of Provillus was designed to block DHT and supply the proper foods to your body specifically tailored to block hair loss and to help you regrow hair naturally. Strong, sound hair begins with the proper nutritional building blocks. You do not have to hold off until there's a problem to end it! Provillus supplements your body's natural supply of these vitamins and lets the tiny follicles below your scalp receive exactly what they want to manufacture beautiful, full-bodied hair.

Active Ingredients For Hair Loss And Regrow Hair!

Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin that survives in 3 major chemical forms: pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine. It performs a wide kind of functions for your body and is essential for your fantastic health and hair expansion. For instance, vitamin B6 is needed for even more than one hundred enzymes involved in protein metabolism. It's also essential for red blood cell metabolism. The nervous and resistant systems require vitamin B6 to function efficiently, and it's also needed for the conversion of tryptophan to niacin.

Biotin is section of the Vitamin B complex and is a vitamin supplement necessary for sound hair, scalp and nails. Biotin will help with the condition of the hair and the scalp as well. Just put...Biotin is Hair Food.

Magnesium is an essential mineral and plays an crucial role in energy metabolism, protein synthesis, neuromuscular transmission bone structure and hair expansion.

Zinc is necessary for a fit body, and is also of apply in fighting skin problems like acne, boils and sore throats. It's further needed for cell division, and is needed per tissue of the hair, nails and skin to be in top form. Zinc is further utilized in the expansion and maintenance of muscles.

Saw Palmetto acts by lowering DHT in the body and by blocking five alpha-reductase. Saw palmetto blocks the receptor sites on cell membranes that are expected for the absorption of DHT. Since Saw palmetto blocks the employ of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which is a similar causative factor in Androgenetic Alopecia, it's a powerful herb in this hair expansion formulation.

Nettle root blocks two enzymes, 5a-reductase, which makes the dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and aromatase enzyme, which makes estrogens. Studies showed that nettle root extract was efficient in inhibiting these two enzymes which was a leading cause of hair loss.

Gotu Kola is related to the and supports the integrity of hair expansion, collagen and skin. It can help heal minor wounds and skin irritations, help assure blood vessel integrity, and promote circulation throughout the body, including to the brain. A long-standing tonic rejuvenator, it's said to help concentration and memory.

Pumpkin (Cucurbita Maxima) The oil extract from pumpkin seeds is also a natural hair loss remedy that is believed to effect levels of testosterone in the body. The beneficial effects of pumpkin seed extract as a hair loss guide are however under investigation. It's believed that the extract infects the androgen levels of diseases and so might have an influence on the androgens that are responsible for hair loss.

Eleuthero Formerly Siberian Ginseng, (Glandular) is a member of the ginseng family, though it's of a different genus than more popular ginsengs like the Panax kind. Along with more ginsengs, it's an extended history of being utilized to help restore concentration, increase energy and promote fit hair and nail expansion.

Uva-Ursi soothes, strengthens, and tightens irritated & inflamed tissues. The herb neutralizes acidity in the urine, increasing urine flow, so reducing bloating & water retention, making it beneficial for hair expansion.

Muria Puama plays an significant role in energy metabolism, protein synthesis, neuromuscular transmission bone structure and hair expansion for both men and women. Also help with stress management, nervous system stimulation, virility, and overall health.

Source: http://www.ezinearticles.com/

Hair loss is genetic — but it can be treated

2006-09-25T08:04:00.000-07:00

Our genes do indeed determine how much hair we'll have and how long we'll keep it, says Dr. Denise Burke, a Medford dermatologist.

But just because your father was bald doesn't mean you'll inevitably be hairless, too. Burke says the hair gene has what physicians call "variable expression," which means hair loss may not occur in everybody who gets the gene.

The gene's erratic behavior also means that some people start losing their hair sooner than others. The amount of hair loss can vary, too, but some degree of hair loss is nearly universal among men. Burke says about 96 percent of all men will eventually experience at least some hair thinning in the temples even if they don't lose hair anywhere else.

Men who lose their hair are sensitive to a chemical called DHT, or dihydrotesterone, a by-product of testosterone. Prolonged exposure to DHT causes the hair follicles (the specialized cells that produce the hairs) start to shrink. The hair shafts gradually become thinner and thinner, until they disappear.

The most common form of hair loss, known as male pattern baldness (or "androgenetic alopecia") is extremely common and it affects more than half of all men. Hair gradually disappears from the top and sides of the head, but a fringe of varying density remains around the ears.

Burke says certain areas of the scalp are more susceptible to the "androgen effect" of DHT and other chemicals. The hair follicles on the back of the scalp and along the margins are not as affected by DHT and therefore not as likely to disappear.

Hair loss can't be prevented, but it can be treated with drugs. Burke says minoxidil (trademarked as Rogaine) stimulates hair growth in about 50 to 55 percent of people who use it. It's applied topically twice a day.

Minoxidil was developed as a medicine to treat high blood pressure. Its ability to promote hair growth was discovered as a side effect. It was originally a prescription medicine, but can now be purchased over the counter.

Another hair loss medicine, finasteride (trademarked as Propecia) is a pill that's taken once a day. Burke says about 48 percent of people who use it will see some regrowth.

Propecia, which is a prescription medicine, works by decreasing DHT, the chemical that causes the hair follicles to shrink. Nobody knows the mechanism that makes Rogaine work, Burke says.

How much hair the drugs produce varies tremendously. Some people grow no more than a thin crop of fine hair; for others, the new growth is thick and dense. Burke says the earlier such products are used, the more likely they are to promote hair growth.

There are surgical treatments for hair loss, too. Physicians can remove parts of the scalp that no longer grow hair and pull forward the areas of scalp that still grow hair.

"It's like a face lift," Burke said, "but it's a scalp lift."

Physicians can also transplant plugs of hair-growing scalp into areas that no longer grow hair.

Many kinds of hair loss are not hereditary.

"Telogen effluvium" is a condition that causes an abnormally large number of hair follicles to enter the resting phase that they normally pass through after a hair falls out in preparation for growing a new hair. The extra shedding usually occurs in connection with illness, thyroid abnormalities, major surgery, medications, or low iron levels.

"Alopecia areata" is a

disease that causes smooth, circular patches of hair loss, and in many patients its primary cause is not evident. Some conflicting studies show that alopecia areata occurred after severe emotional stress.

Alopecia areata also tends to run in families. Ten to 50 percent of cases occur in families with a history of this disease. This kind of hair loss has been seen in people with thyroid abnormalities, but it is not believed to be caused by thyroid abnormalities.

"Anagen effluvium" is hair loss in the growing stage. This is the hair loss that's associated with the radiation and chemotherapy treatments given to cancer patients.

With hair loss so common among men, it's tempting to think it must have some purpose, but Burke says no one has been able to find any evolutionary reason why men lose their hair.

News Source: http://www.mailtribune.com/

Procerin - Herbal and Natural Method to Cure Male Baldness

2006-09-17T09:17:00.000-07:00

Now a day male baldness is very common, remember this is not a natural process in fact it is a disease. Earlier this disease used to start at the age of 50 or above, now age of venerability to disease has been reduced to 30 years. Even a male in his teens can suffer from this disease. Males in older age generally do not pay heed to their external looks. But, baldness for a male in his youth is not less than falling of thunderbolt. It reduces the chances of intermixing with women because a bald man becomes an object to laugh at. There can be chances of quarrel because of baldness as tolerating embarrassing words is always not possible.

Male-baldness is known as androgenetic alopecia, this occurs because of malfunctioning of Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is responsible to develop a child into an adult male. This particular hormone is responsible for stimulating pubic hairs, beard, and moustaches to grow. On head DHT acts negatively there it deteriorates growth of hair by contracting hair follicles. Contracted follicles are fatal for hair, as hair completely depends on hair follicles for their existence. Reduced hair follicles make hair thin and venerable to fall easily.

Blocking action of DHT is the best way to stop hair from falling. Procerin does this work naturally. Procerin is made from natural herbs; it is the production of Speedwinds Nutrition Inc. The drug is a blend of herbs, vitamin and mineral. It is generally prepared from natural ingredients like Gotu Kola, Nettles, Pumpkin Seed, Siberian Gineseng, Muira Puma Root and Uwa Ursi. Because of regulation over Yohimbe in some countries, according to a report it has been eliminated from the drug. The herbal ingredients like Saw Palmetto, Gotu Kola and Nesstles blocks action of DHT. Vitamins and minerals are also present in the drug to stimulate the growth of hair.

The drug is completely natural and effective; it has no major side effect on the human body. It might give some stomach discomfort for few initial days; this will disappear soon after adjustment to the drug. Procerin in women does not produce any effect until and unless they are suffering form DHT related hair fall.

Procerin efficacy is high; its success rate is around 88%. Dosage of Procerin should be taken twice a day. One dose of Procerin should be taken in the morning other is in the night before going to bed. It gives better results in the people between the age group of 18 to 35 years. Procerin, Rogaine and Propecia work differently and act on different stage of DHT; therefore a combination of Procerin & Rogaine or Procerin & Propecia can be used simultaneously. The rate of growth of hair is slow so you cannot find any significant growth if you don’t use Procerin at least for a month.

News Source: http://www.bestsyndication.com/

Procerin - The 21st Century Hair Loss Cure For Men?

2006-09-13T08:09:00.000-07:00

A natural new hair loss remedy that works for 92% of men that suffer from androgenetic alopecia.

Procerin - a natural remedy for hair loss has been found effective in reversing hair loss in men caused by androgenetic alopecia, the most common cause of male hair loss, thinning hair and receding hairlines often reffered to as widows peak. Basiclly men suffering from androgenetic alopecia have extremely high levels of the chemical dihydrotestosterone, a by-product of the major male hormone testosterone, so when this hormone is converted into DHT the results are hair loss and this is where Procerin steps in and blocks the production of DHT and unlike other medications does not with react with testosterone.

Procerin has been scientifically designed to help men retain and regrow their hair. The 17 active ingredients are all-natural herbal, vitamin, and mineral DHT inhibitors and include, Saw Palmetto Berries, Gotu Kola, Nettles, Magnesium, Zinc Sulfate, Siberian Ginseng, Vitamin B-6, Pumpkin Seed Meal, CJ-11 Factor, CJ-9 Factor, and Mura Puma Root, becuase the product contains only natural ingredients the only known side effects are mild stomach discomfort for the first few days, if you are suffering an illness it is wise to consult your doctor before use especilly if you are currently taking a MAOI inhibitor.

Studys have shown that Procerin is more effective as a natural hair loss remedy in men aged between 18-35 and those whose hair is still in a growth phase. Men that still have growing hair experience an increase in hair count, and improvement in both hairline and thinning at the crown of their head, becuase hair grows at an extremely slow rate ( about 1" every two months) it best to take Procerin for at 1-2 months before results can be expected, but some users of Procerin have reported good results after only 2 weeks, most men take 1-3 months before before significant increases in hair count occur, not bad comparing to Propecia that can take upto 6 months for good hair growth results.

So does Procerin work? Procerin has had many good results with many success storys and the companys boasts that Procerin the natural hair loss remedy works with 92% of men who suffer androgenetic alopecia the most common cause of hair loss plus Procerin is a cost effective alternative to other hair loss products like Propecia & Rogaine and unlike prescription medication Procerin is backed by a 90-Day Unconditional, No questions asked Money Back Guarantee so you have nothing to lose except your hair of course.

So maybe Procerin is the natural hair loss cure of the 21st century only time will tell.

News Source: http://www.prweb.com/

A Look At The Most Effective Hair Loss Cures

2006-09-11T08:35:00.000-07:00

With hair loss becoming more and more of a problem for many men and even some women, it seems the number of hair loss cures on the market has never been greater than it is today. There are so many different purported cures for this common condition that it can be difficult to separate the ones that really work from the ones that do not.

One of the best ways to sort out the best hair loss cures is to keep on top of the latest research. Luckily the internet provides health care consumers with a wealth of information on all kinds of health conditions, including of course hair loss. Reading the latest research into the causes and cures of hair loss and male pattern baldness is one of the best ways to find the best and most effective cures for hair loss, thinning hair and baldness.

Many of us of course are looking for a permanent cure to baldness, and one such permanent cure can be a surgical hair transplant. Surgical hair transplantation involves the transplanting of hair, either from a part of the head that contains plenty of head, or even from a hair donor, and it can be very effective. However, hair transplant surgery can also have some serious side effects, including swelling and scabbing, and many men feel that the results can look somewhat artificial.

There are of course a number of non-surgical approaches to the problem of hair loss, including hair weaves. Weaving natural or artificial hair into existing hair can be a good way to provide a natural looking head of hair, but it does require some upkeep and frequent adjustments to keep your own hair and the hair weave looking natural.

Of course there are plenty of other hair loss cures on the market as well, including a number of excellent topical hair loss treatments and many over the counter and prescription oral medications. Some of the biggest and best known names in the hair loss treatment market include Propecia and Rogaine, and it is important to research these treatments to determine which ones work the best for you. As with any course of treatment, it is important to speak to your doctor to make sure the treatment is appropriate, and to keep your health care professional advised of all products you are taking to help your hair loss condition, including herbal remedies and over the counter medications as well as prescription hair loss remedies.

Dealing with hair loss is rarely an easy decision, but it is important to give it the care it deserves. Treating a hair loss problem at the first sign of trouble can greatly maximize your choices for a true cure, but waiting until the problem has progressed further may leave you with far fewer options to get rid of that hair loss problem.

Source: http://www.ezinearticles.com/

FDA: Counterfeit Drugs on Some Web Sites

2006-09-04T09:03:00.000-07:00

Testing revealed fake versions of Lipitor and other widely used prescription drugs ordered through Web sites linked to a Canadian pharmacy, the Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday.

Consumers who bought drugs through the 10 Web sites should not use the medications because they may not be safe, the FDA said. The sites include rxnorth.com, canadiandrugstore.com and rxbyfax.com.

Prescriptions ordered through the sites are filled by Mediplan Prescription Plus Pharmacy, also known as Mediplan Global Health, according to the FDA and information posted on the sites.

U.S. officials have intercepted and seized thousands of prescriptions filled by the pharmacy in recent months, said FDA Associate Commissioner Randall Lutter. Subsequent testing has revealed counterfeit versions of the cholesterol drugs Lipitor and Crestor, as well as the painkiller Celebrex, blood-pressure medication Diovan, baldness treatment Propecia and five other prescription drugs, the FDA said.

"U.S. drug companies, along with the FDA, are really starting to target companies like ours. These allegations are completely false," said Andrew Strempler, the president and chief executive of Mediplan Global Health. Strempler added that his company regularly tests the drugs it sells, and that they are safe and reliable.

The FDA said its own tests showed some of the drugs contained the active ingredients found in genuine versions, but at lower concentrations. That could put patients at risk, Lutter said. The FDA testing is ongoing.

"We are investigating, and if there are any safety concerns, we will be sure to alert the public," said Paul Duchesne, a spokesman for Canada's federal health department. Staff Sgt. Steve Saunders of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the national police service was aware of the FDA release but could not comment, citing privacy law and agency policy.

Consumers who ordered drugs through the Mediplan-linked Web sites should talk to their doctors and get their prescriptions refilled, Lutter said.

Canadian Internet pharmacies catering to American customers debuted roughly six years ago, after busloads of U.S. border-state seniors began venturing north in search of lower-priced prescription drugs.

Drugs ordered through the Mediplan-linked sites and intercepted by U.S. officials were not shipped from Canada, Lutter said.

Strempler said the drugs his company sells generally are produced for Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand. He declined to say from which countries the company ships.

"I hesitate to put that information out there because it's another way they target us," he said.

Importing drugs into the United States is illegal, though the FDA generally does not stop small shipments purchased for personal use. The FDA says it cannot guarantee the safety and efficacy of imported drugs.

News Source: http://www.wvva.com/

Could scientists finally be on to a cure for baldness?

2006-09-03T09:28:00.000-07:00

Research work carried out on mice at the University of Manchester has thrown up clues as to why some men go bald, something that could give both pharmacists and hair care manufacturers opportunities to break the male pattern baldness puzzle.

According to the university, headed up by Dr. Denis Headon, the research team has uncovered the molecular process that determines which embryonic skin cells form into hair follicles.

The researchers say that their findings are of primary interest for research into the disease ectodermal dysplasia – a condition where skin cells fail to develop into tissues that determine hair follicles.

But secondary to this path of research, the stud should also help to determine research into male-pattern baldness.

"The research - while not directly linked to male-pattern baldness - should be of interest to pharmaceutical companies working in this field as understanding the molecular processes at work during follicle development could provide clues as to why follicles shrink and hair growth diminishes in certain men as they get older," said Dr. Headon.

Headon's team has discovered that the ability of skin cells to turn into other types of cells that form hair is determined by three proteins that are produced by genes.

"Our research has identified how one of these proteins working outside of the cell interacts at a molecular level to determine an individual's hair pattern as the embryonic skin spatially organises itself," said Dr. Headon.

The team discovered that cells given the genetic command to become hair follicles send signals to other cells to prevent them from doing otherwise, producing specific hair-loss patterns.

Likewise, the research discovered that by hyperactivating the hair protein in mice, the resulting offspring led to mice pups with more hair.

Currently the market for hair loss treatments is estimated to be worth $1 billion dollar, and is one that involves most of the major hair care providers to various extents.

An estimated 40 per cent of men have noticeable hair loss by the time they reach 35, a figure that rises to 65 per cent by the age of 60.

Although a vast array of topical hair loss applications exist, the most effective treatments are considered to be pharmaceutical products such as Propecia and Rogaine.

News Source: http://www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/news/ng.asp?n=70243-baldness-hair-loss-treatment

Dis-tressed

2006-08-30T08:01:00.000-07:00

Thinning or patchy hair affects one woman in four, and is traumatic for many.

The adjective "bald" naturally seems to modify the noun "man." But it's not just men who suffer the distress of the disappearing tress.

About one in four women experiences thinning hair with age, a condition known as female-pattern balding and the most common culprit behind female hair loss. The hair loss, which is hereditary, may be barely detectable. Or it can send women wig-shopping or searching for other alternatives.

"We're all losing our hair, every man, every woman. That's just the way it is with hair," says Dr. C. William Hanke, a dermatologist in private practice in Carmel and president-elect of the American Academy of Dermatology. "But if you're a woman, you're expected to have hair, so when a woman starts to lose her hair, she's in seeing the doctor."

Hereditary hair loss occurs differently for women than for men. Men lose hair in the front and sometimes keep it on the back and side; women maintain frontal hair and experience thin or bald patches all over their head.

Nor is it just age that lies behind women's hair loss. A number of other conditions, from stress to nutritional deficits to pregnancy to thyroid disease can also lead women to -- if not go bald completely -- lose the head of hair they once had.

For most women, the first stop when they see hair thinning is likely to be the dermatologist's office for evaluation and, if possible, treatment.

"The important thing with treatment is to get it as early as you can," says Dr. Ryan Brashear, a dermatologist with Dermatology Incorporated in Downtown Indianapolis. "The more advanced the problem is, the longer it's been going on, the tougher it is to fix."

But the bad news for women is that the remedies for hair loss may be even less effective than they are for men. Rogaine, the signature anti-balding drug for men, tends not to work as well in women, doctors agree. In about one in 15 women, Rogaine can lead to hair growth on the cheeks.

The company that makes Propecia, another common drug for men, says it is not for use by women, although some doctors do prescribe it for those beyond child-bearing age.
"In women, I don't think we have a great understanding completely of what's going on chemically, and we certainly haven't found a medication like we have in men that they can take to reverse hair loss," says Dr. Mark Hamilton of Hamilton Facial Plastic Surgery on the Southside.

So, many women find themselves improvising to make their hair look fuller. Linda Young, of the Southside, noticed her hair thinning many years ago after a hysterectomy at age 30. For many years, Young added real-hair weaves to her honey-brown locks to hide the thinning.

About a year ago, she turned to Transitions of Indiana, which offers non-surgical hair restoration, for hair that she says looks so natural no one realizes it's not her own. Young says she understands why so many women are reluctant to try to improve their hair.

"The number one problem with most people that have a hair problem is getting over a fear of change," she says. "It's that fear that this won't look right; it will look phony."

Variety of problems

For many black women, the quest for perfect hair leads to permanent problems. Follicular degeneration syndrome, one of the causes of hair loss for black women, carries the nickname "hot comb" alopecia, referring to the styling instrument that may be responsible for it.

Other hair habits also can contribute to black women's thinning hair, says Barry Fletcher, author of "Why Are Black Women Losing Their Hair?" (Unity Publishing, $49) and a Maryland hair stylist with a line of hair-care products bearing his name. Many no-lye relaxer products, marketed as safer than the alternatives, are actually more toxic to hair, he says.

Hair additions may also inadvertently contribute, as the new hair may not be sufficiently sanitary, causing a scalp irritation. Even braids that have been plaited too tight or left in too long can lead to balding, Fletcher says.
"The whole concept of beauty culture should help the consumers keep the hair on their head for the rest of their life and keep their hair healthy, but because of our vanity . . . people are putting more pressure on their hair and asking a lot of their hair," Fletcher says

Face greater risks

"Black women have a lot more services rendered than white women, and therefore are subjected to more damage."

If all else fails, women with any type of hair may resort to hair transplants or nonsurgical treatments.

With hair transplants, however, women again are at a disadvantage, experts say. Unlike men, who lose their hair from the front, women can lose their hair from any spot of the head. So the hair transplant theory of moving hair from a lush area to a more arid one may not work.

"Women, they're losing hair all over, so we're playing a game of trying to take hair from areas where they may lose hair," Hamilton says. "Hair transplantation for women is not as ideal as it is for men."

Depending on what areas are affected and how much hair is involved, a hair transplant for a woman can wind up costing anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000, Hamilton adds.

Other available treatments include laser hair therapy, an FDA-approved process to increase blood flow to the scalp and stimulate hair growth.

Best if done early

These treatments can help slow down hair loss for women in the early stages of the process, says Loren Weeks, director of Transitions of Indiana, on the Northwestside, which offers the procedure.

Women with more extensive hair loss, however, may benefit from nonsurgical hair restoration techniques. Transitions' staff matches the woman's natural hair as closely as possible with other natural human hair. Then that new hair is bonded to the scalp, strand by strand.

"Basically, we're adding an extra layer of skin, which will hold hair that matches the woman's natural hair perfectly," says Weeks, adding that this procedure typically costs about $1,500 to $3,000. "Our key with the nonsurgical technique is using as much of a woman's existing hair as we can."

The painless technique worked wonders, says Young, who says she's able to do anything she wants -- swim, dive, boat, ride in a convertible with the top down -- with no ill effects to her lustrous head of hair. Best of all, no one (including herself) can tell that not all her hair is her own.

"It just mixes and blends in with your hair. . . . It's just so amazing. If you were to see me or know me, you would never know," she says.

Still, Weeks acknowledges, many women see few easy answers to balding:
"Hair loss is a very tough battle to fight."

News Source: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060829/LIVING01/608290309/1083