Hair grow

One of the primary cause of hair loss is a high amount of the male hormone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) within the hair follicle. DHT is produced from testosterone in the prostate, various adrenal glands, and the scalp. After a period of time, an over abundance of DHT causes the hair follicle to degrade and shortens the active phase of the hair.

Another factor that has been linked to hair loss is the amount of sebum in the scalp. Sebum contains a high amount of DHT, and clogs pores in the scalp, both of which cause the malnutrition of the hair root. The amount of sebum in balding hair is related to the amount of oil in the hair. Meanwhile most doctors agree that frequent shampooing is advised in hair loss cases with oily scalps.

General debility, caused by severe or long standing illnesses like typhoid, syphilis, chronic cold, influenza and anaemia, also gives rise to hair disorders. It makes the roots of the hair weak, resulting in falling of hair. An unclean condition of the scalp can also cause loss of hair. This weakens the hair roots by blocking the pores with the collected dirt. Heredity is another predisposing factor which may cause hair to fall.

Scalp reduction is performed on patients with well-defined bald spots in the crown area of the scalp. It is sometimes done in conjunction with hair transplantaion to reduce the size of the bald scalp, especially in patients who do not have enough donor hair to cover the bald areas.

Silicon bags are inserted beneath an area of hairy scalp and gradually inflated with saline water over a six-week period. This causes the hair-bearing skin to stretch, thus increasing the amount of hair-bearing scalp. After removing the bags, expanded hair bearing skin is lifted and moved to an adjacent bald area where a similar sized patch of scalp has been excised.

For women, hair loss is different. There is no set pattern for womens androgenic hair loss, which like MPB, occurs in the overwhelming majority of cases. Women can suffer from alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis just like men. Women can experience patch baldness for the same reasons as men (stress, poor nutrition, etc.), as well as due to hormonal changes from pregnancy and certain eating disorders. However, like men, the hair will generally grow back.

The chief difference in womens androgenic hair loss from mens (both are hormone related) is that women tend to experience thinning that occurs in no particular pattern or part of the scalp. Unlike men, the scalp may not actually be totally denuded of hair, just thin to the point where the scalp is visible. Like men, however, the resulting hair loss is generally irreversible.

The effectiveness of medications used to treat alopecia depends on the cause of hair loss, extent of the loss and individual response. Generally, treatment is less effective for more extensive cases of hair loss.

Finasteride (Propecia). This prescription medication to treat male-pattern baldness is taken daily in pill form. Many people taking finasteride experience a slowing of hair loss, and some may show some new hair growth. Positive results may take several months. Finasteride works by inhibiting the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone that shrinks hair follicles and is an important factor in male hair loss. Rare side effects of finasteride include diminished sex drive and sexual function. As with minoxidil, the benefits of finasteride stop if you stop using it.

Finasteride is not approved for use by women. In fact, it poses significant danger to women of childbearing age. If you're a pregnant woman, don't even handle crushed or broken finasteride tablets because absorption of the drug may cause serious birth defects in male fetuses.

Steps to healthier hair

Did you notice that when you shampoo your hair the amount of lather often varies? Usually, the more lather you have, the less buildup you have on your hair. It's also important to fully rinse out the shampoo to eliminate any residual detergents--they can damage the hair shaft and scalp.

Correct use of conditioners containing light proteins, such as hydrolyzed human hair keratin proteins, can help strengthen your hair. A good conditioner with these proteins can easily penetrate the hair shaft to replenish nutrients. These proteins can also repair split ends. Split ends develop after the protective cuticle has been stripped away from the end of hair fibers as a result of harsh chemicals or even vigorous brushing.

Excessive exposure to the sun can damage your hair by inducing oxidation of the sulfur molecules within the hair shaft, leaving the hair weak, brittle, dry and faded. People who bleach or lighten their natural hair color may also notice slight color changes in their hair when it is exposed to sun.

Nutritionists advise healthy hair seekers to eat well-balanced diets that incorporate healthy proteins along with foods high in vitamins B, C, E, A and K. Hair instantly responds to the addition of protein-rich foods such as meats, eggs, cheese, seeds and nuts. Fish packs a double punch of protein combined with health building essential fatty acids and natural oils. We recommend you discuss your diet with a medical professional.

Hair transplantation

Hair transplantation is a surgical modality used for the correction of androgenic alopecia, scarring alopecia, and other causes of permanent alopecia.

The removed hair follicles are then divided into individual grafts of varying sizes. The smallest grafts contain 1-2 hairs and are often referred to as "follicular units" or "micrografts". Larger minigrafts may contain up to 6 hairs and can provide more density per graft. Choice of number and type of graft is made taking into account the patient's hair type, quality, color and the area to be transplanted. Once prepared the grafts (hair and its roots) are then inserted into the thin area.

Most people require more than one session, each spaced at least six months apart each to complete the hair restoration in an area. The timing and number of transplants depends on the amount of hair you have when you start, how much is anticipated that you will continue to lose without transplanting and how much hair density you desire.

The site from where the hair is taken is usually a fine scar line which is hidden by the permanent hair in that area. After the procedure there are tiny marks where the grafts have been placed. Initially there is some crusting over these areas (5-14 days) but after this, these areas are usually not detectable.

In most cases, immediately after the hair transplant the hairs fall out of the grafts, and do not regrow for 1-3 months. After this they begin to grow as normal hair. With each session there is more hair, and the resulting appearance is thicker hair.

Hair transplantation is universally accepted as a treatment for hair loss. While it was developed and first offered as a hair-loss treatment for men, women have increasingly found hair transplantation a viable option to correct the cosmetic deficit of thinning hair. Advances in hair transplantation techniques and better understanding of the biology of female hair loss contributed to the evolution of hair transplantation got women.

Almost worse than hair loss in some cases is hair miniaturization-the fine-caliber, wispy hair that grows out a follicle when the follicle is no longer able to produce hair of normal size. Miniaturized hair is hard to style and difficult to conceal. It begins to appear in the course of female pattern hair loss, the female form of the most common type of hair loss in men.

Hair loss is not "an inevitable sign of getting older". It has been reported in studies that about 80% of women experience some degree of hair loss before menopause. Much of this hair loss has a hereditary basis-female pattern hair loss.

A woman who has a family history of hair loss in women may be especially aware of the possibility that she may also begin to lose hair as she matures. And, she would be correct; a family history of hair loss in women is an indication that a woman may be genetically predisposed to lose hair.

Terms explaining

Alopecia Areata

• Alopecia areata is a hair loss condition which usually affects the scalp. It can, however, sometimes affect other areas of the body.

Hair loss

• A progressive, diffuse loss of scalp hair in men that begins in the twenties or early thirties, depends on the presence of the androgenic hormone testosterone, and is caused by a combination of genetic and hormonal factors. Also called androgenetic alopecia.

Hair transplantation

• Hair transplantation is a surgical procedure used to treat baldness or hair loss (alopecia). Typically, tiny patches of scalp are removed from the back and sides of the head and implanted in the bald spots in the front and top of the head.

Protein

• Important building blocks of the body, composed of amino acids, involved in the formation of body structures and controlling the basic functions of the human body.


• Complex organic molecules made up of amino acids. Proteins are basic components of all living cells and are therefore among the principal substances that make up the body.

Ringworm

• The term "ringworm" refers to fungal infections that are on the surface of the skin. The early belief was that the infection was due to a worm, which it is not, although the name has stuck. Some of these fungi produce round spots, but many do not.

Thyroid

• A gland in the throat that produces hormones that regulate growth and metabolism.


• A large gland in the neck that functions in the endocrine system. The thyroid secretes hormones that regulate growth and metabolism.

Alopecia

• A hair loss, baldness, and epilation.


• Alopecia, also called hair loss, baldness, and epilation, is a common side effect of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Baldness

• A progressive, diffuse loss of scalp hair in men that begins in the twenties or early thirties, depends on the presence of the androgenic hormone testosterone, and is caused by a combination of genetic and hormonal factors. Also called androgenetic alopecia.

Biotin

• Also know as Vitamin H.

Follicles

• A follicle (from the Latin folliculus) is a term to describe a small spherical group of cells containing a cavity.

Grafts

• To transplant or implant surgically into a bodily part to replace a damaged part or compensate for a defect.

Hormone

• A substance, usually a peptide or steroid, produced by one tissue and conveyed by the bloodstream to another to effect physiological activity, such as growth or metabolism.

Scalp

• The skin covering the top of the human head with its attached hair.

Stress

• Importance, significance, or emphasis placed on something.


• The relative force with which a sound or syllable is spoken.


• Accent or a mark representing such emphasis or force.


• An applied force or system of forces that tends to strain or deform a body.


• A mentally or emotionally disruptive or upsetting condition occurring in response to adverse external influences and capable of affecting physical health, usually characterized by increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, muscular tension, irritability, and depression.


• A state of extreme difficulty, pressure, or strain.


• A physical and psychological response that results from being exposed to a demand or pressure.

Testosterone

• A white crystalline steroid hormone, C19H28O2, produced primarily in the testes and responsible for the development and maintenance of male secondary sex characteristics. It is also produced synthetically for use in medical treatment.

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