Medical Hair Restoration

Medical hair restoration in the literal sense includes the hair loss treatment which depends upon the use of medicines. Unusual hair loss both in men and women is caused by the alterations in the androgen metabolism. The metabolism of androgen involves an enzyme called 5 alpha reductase which combines with the hormone androgen (testosterone) to form the DHT (Dihydro-testosterone). DHT is a natural metabolite of our body which is the root cause of hair loss.

DHT gets into the hair follicles and roots (dermal papilla), it prevents necessary proteins, vitamins and minerals from providing nourishment for hair follicles. This shortens their growing stage (anagen phase) and lengthens their resting stage (telogen phase) of the follicle. DHT is responsible for 95% of hair loss.

Some individuals both men and women are genetically pre-disposed to produce more DHT than the normal individuals. DHT also creates a wax-like substance around the hair roots. DHT accumulation inside the hair follicles and roots is one of the primary causes of male and female pattern hair loss.

Blocking the synthesis of DHT at molecular level forms the basis for the treatment of MPHL (male pattern hair loss) and FPHL (female pattern hair loss). There are many natural DHT blockers and a number of drugs which are used for medical hair restoration. Let’s see.

Minoxidil
Minoxidil has the distinction of the first drug being used for promoting the hair restoration. Minoxidil was then approved as medical hair restoration treatment drug for men by the FDA, USA in 1988 as a 2% solution, followed by 5% solution in 1997. For women, the 2% solution was approved in 1991. Though 5% solution is not approved for women, it is used as a medical hair restoration treatment by many dermatologists worldwide.

Mechanism of action
Minoxidil is thought to have a direct mitogenic effect on epidermal cells. Calcium normally enhances epidermal growth factors to inhibit hair growth. Minoxidil by getting converted to minoxidil sulfate enhances potassium ion permeability to prevent calcium ions from entering into cells. It takes about few months time for the results to be evident since it is the time which is necessary for restoring the normal growth cycle of hair fibers.

Though minoxidil does not have any effect on blood pressure, it should be used with caution in patient with cardiovascular diseases. It is also contraindicated in pregnant and nursing mothers.

Finasteride
The drug finasteride was earlier used as treatment for prostate enlargement, under the medical name Proscar. But in 1998, it was approved by FDA for the Medical hair loss restoration in MPHL.

Mechanism of Action 
Medical hair restoration treatments with Finasteride depends upon its specific action as an inhibitor of type II 5α-reductase, the intracellular enzyme that converts male hormone androgen into DHT (Dihydro Testosterone). Its action results in significant decrease in serum and tissue DHT levels in even in concentration as low as 0.2mg. Finasteride stabilizes hair loss in 80% of patient with Vertex hair loss and in 70% of patients with frontal hair loss. The peculiar thing about Propecia is that its effect is more pronounced in crown area than in the front.

Many hair restoration surgeons find Propecia (finasteride) to act as an excellent adjunct to the surgical hair restoration.

Combination Therapy
There are reports which say that use of finasteride and topical minoxidil combination therapy as a Medical hair restoration treatment is of more advantage in cases of mild to moderate MPHL. Many hair restoration doctors have already started the use of combination therapy in order to obtain better hair growth.

Anti Androgen Therapy
For women with hyperandrogonism(with increased levels of androgen) who do not respond well to minoxidil, antiandrogen therapy is another option of medical hair restoration. In UK the most commonly used anti-androgen for women is CPA (cyproterone acetate), which is used in combination with ethinyl-estradiol.
In United States CPA is not available, the aldosterone antagonist spironolactone  is the alternative choice of hair restoration doctors.

Flutamide
Medical hair restoration with flutamide has shown improvement as hair loss restoration treatment in women with hirsutism. For hyperandrogenic premenopausal women, flutamide is a better medical hair restoration agent than both the CPA or finestride.
Hair loss restoration management is a structured process. For more details on the topic you can refer to section medical hair restoration or article on male pattern hair loss or female pattern hair loss at our site hairtransplantadvice.com.

Male Pattern Baldness - Causes, Symptoms Treatment

Androgenetic alopecia, better known as male pattern baldness, is a fact of life for millions of men.  The most common type of hair loss for men, it is best identified as a pattern of receding hairline and hair thinning on the crown. It is estimated to affect 90 percent of men by the age of 50 as a consequence of hormonal function and genetics.  Many different treatments exist to combat pattern baldness, including medicines such as finasteride (Propecia) and minoxidil (Rogaine) and procedures such as hair transplantation.  More than ever before, men with male pattern baldness are seeking out companies such as Bosley to perform hair transplant procedures for a permanent restoration of their natural hairlines. 

Causes 

Male pattern baldness is related to hormones called androgens, specifically an androgen called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It attaches to receptor cells on the scalp and hair follicles, interrupting and interacting with the normal mechanics involved with continual, healthy hair growth. Men whom display male pattern baldness typically have lower levels testosterone, but a proportionately higher level of DHT in their body.  Other factors such as lifestyle factors and terminal illness may cause hair loss as well.  

Symptoms

The most notable symptom of the onset of male pattern baldness is hair loss along the hairline that gradually recedes into an “M” shape.  The hair at the crown begins to thin, eventually meeting the receding hairline and creating a horseshoe pattern of hair around the sides of the head.  Male pattern baldness is typically diagnosed by the appearance of this pattern. Other diseases such as alopecia areata or folliculitis may cause dissimilar balding patterns and should not be diagnosed as male pattern baldness.  

Treatment

Medicinal treatments for male pattern baldness include Propecia and Rogaine.  Both are more successful at slowing hair loss than exhibiting new hair growth.  Needless to say, unlike hair transplantation as offered by companies like Bosley, no medicinal treatment is a permanent solution for male pattern baldness.  Of the two, Propecia is most successful with male pattern baldness as it inhibits the growth of DHT androgens.  Take a look at the Propecia and Rogaine sections on BattleAgainstBald.com to learn more about how the treatments work and their effectiveness. 

Hair transplantation is very effective at treating male pattern baldness.  Since hair follicles from the side and back of the head are resistant to the DHT androgens, hair simply must be transplanted from healthy parts of the scalp to the affected areas.  The surgery has become increasingly popular in the last few years. Since 2004, there has been a 34% increase in hair transplant procedures, according to a survey conducted by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS). The increase is a result of an increase in effectiveness of the procedure and the natural results it yields. In 2006, 87% of hair restoration surgeries were for patients with pattern baldness.   

Bosley Medical has performed nearly 200,000 of such procedures, making it one of the most reputable resources for victims of male pattern baldness to seek treatment.  More information about Bosley Medical or hair restoration procedures is available at BattleAgainstBald.com, a blog that is sponsored by Bosley and documents the progress of two Bosley hair transplant patients, Seth and Torrance.  It speaks to those who are struggling with any kind of hair loss and would like to learn more about hair restoration. 

Hair Loss Myths

Not surprisingly, hair loss myths are more well known than hair loss facts.  Since hair loss is such a common and unwelcome condition, the public has been flooded with hair loss myths to promote sales of hair loss prevention products.  Many companies have jumped on the hair loss bandwagon because of our own enormous desires to eliminate hair loss from our lives, not to mention the unlimited amount of money that we (the public) are willing to spend on this quest.  This makes the hair loss market ripe for perpetuating myths that will increase sales.  But, for the most part, they are just that, myths.

Some of the more common hair loss myths are as follows:  Male Pattern Baldness comes from the mother’s side of the family and skips a generation.  Not true.  There is no one single gene that causes baldness.  Most researches believe that MPB is a result of several different genes, inherited from both parents, interacting with each other to cause hair loss.

Hair loss myth #2:  Pattern baldness affects only men.  Just ask any women suffering from pattern baldness, it’s not true.  In fact, hair loss is just as common in women as it is in men, it just usually occurs in a less virulent form and is easier to hide.  Also, women’s hair tends to thin out over the entire scalp area, whereas men’s hair thins in patches and at the forehead.

Hair loss myth #3:  Poor blood flow to the scalp area causes hair loss.  This is a misconception that has been perpetuated by companies selling hair loss products for years.  Ask any dermatologist and they will tell you, bald scalps have just as much blood flow as scalps full of hair.  It is because of this blood flow to the bald scalp that hair transplants work so well.

Hair loss myth #4:  If you haven’t lost your hair by 40, you aren’t going to.  Again, not true.  Age has nothing to do with it.  If you are genetically predisposed to loose your hair, you are going to.  Just be grateful you made it to 40 with your hair still intact.

Hair loss myth #5:  Stress makes your hair fall out.  Okay, in some part, this is true, but it takes a very traumatic event to cause enough stress that your hair falls out.  The common stress we experience on a daily basis will not make our hair fall out.  In fact, some stress can actually increase the production of hair.

Okay, I could go on and on about hair loss myths and not run out of things to talk about.  My point is this.  Most of the facts we think we know about hair loss are actually hair loss myths.  If you are suffering from hair loss, consult your doctor.  Your physician will be able to give you a factual reason for your hair loss and advise you on what types of treatments would work in your specific case.

Hair Loss: The Causes and Misconception of Male Pattern Baldness

There are roughly 80 million men and women in the world suffering from hair loss. In humans, it is caused by a number of different factors. Male pattern baldness is the most common form of hair loss and is estimated to affect 90 percent of men by age 50. That said, pattern baldness (or natural hair loss) isn’t specific to men; women suffer from female pattern baldness as well.

WHY PEOPLE LOSE THEIR HAIR
Male pattern baldness (clinically known as androgenetic alopecia) is the most common reason for hair loss.  It’s related to Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a naturally occurring hormone present in all men. DHT has a detrimental affect on the hair follicles. It slows down hair production and causes new hairs to be shorter and weaker than usual. The hormone can even completely stop hair growth, gradually depleting your stock of hair. There are a number of other reasons why people go bald, including other forms of alopecia, the treatment of terminal illnesses and diet, just to name a few. Surgical hair loss treatments like Bosley are most commonly used to regrow hair loss caused by male pattern baldness.

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT HAIR LOSS
By default, men typically blame mom for hair loss, as it was widely understood that hair loss is simply inherited from their mother’s side.  This is just one of a number of common hair loss misconceptions:

  - Hair loss is inherited from your mother’s father — Not true. Baldness is inherited, but from both your mother's and father's genes.
  - Hair loss slows and eventually stops as you age — Not true. Hair loss is a progressive trait that doesn't stop; in fact, it gets worse with age.
  - Hats or helmets can cause hair loss — Not true. Wearing something on your head has no effect on hair loss. Although hairpieces and weaves that pull and strain your hair may cause traction alopecia.
  - Brushing or massaging the scalp reduces hair loss — There isn't sufficient evidence to conclude that brushing or massaging the scalp prevents or reduces hair loss.
  - Too much sun causes hair loss — Not true. Though excessive sun exposure is damaging to your hair, there isn’t evidence to conclude that it causes permanent hair loss.

HAIR LOSS TREATMENT
As previously stated, there are various hair loss treatments, which have been proven to stop hair loss, and in some cases even regrow lost hair. Of the non-surgical hair treatments, Propecia and Minoxidil seem to be effective with a significant number of people. New, alternative methods of laser treatments have also been developed.  First, there was the LaserComb, which employs low-level laser light technology to coerce hair follicles to regenerate.  The handheld device requires people to spend 20 minutes a day running the comb through their hair.  Recently, the technology has been further developed, evolving into a more effective, less intensive treatment.  In the new laser treatment, a laser light helmet is used to aim high concentrations of laser light at affected areas of the scalp.

If you, however, have already experienced significant male pattern baldness and are looking to naturally and permanently cover your bald spot, then hair restoration surgery might be your best bet.

HAIR RESTORATION
Over the past century, hair restoration has become one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries among men and women alike. There’s a plethora of hair restoration surgeons in the United States, many of which provide their patients with stellar results.

Hair restoration surgery involves transplanting hair follicles from the donor areas of the head—typically the back and sides—to the bald or thinning areas. These are called grafts.  Each graft can contain between 1 to 4 hairs.  Because the donor hairs are from areas of the head that are not prone to balding, they are considered permanent when transplanted to balding areas, such as the scalp.  The result is often a permanent, natural looking head of hair.

BattleAgainstBald.com follows real hair restoration patients as they restore their natural hairlines with Bosley procedures. Torrance and Seth are the Battle Against Bald’s Bosley patients and in addition to their weekly entries detailing the updates of their Bosley procedures, the blog provides a wealth of comprehensive information on hair loss, its causes and the methods used to combat it.

It has been nine months since Seth’s Bosley hair restoration and it’s official, he has more hair. Seth wanted to improve the appearance of his hair and restore a more youthful hairline, which he was able to achieve through just one Bosley procedure. Most hair restoration patients don’t start to see results until 3-5 months after the procedure. It has been four months since Torrance’s Bosley procedure and he’s beginning to see signs of hair after years of male pattern baldness.
Battle Against Bald is a blog that is sponsored by Bosley that speaks to those who are struggling with hair loss and are interested in hair restoration.

~Ben Anton, 2007