Category: Cosmetic Health

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 and the increase has resulted in an increase in effectiveness of the procedure and the natural results it yields.

Lack of Iodine and Silica Can Create Hair Loss

Iodine is vital to your hair growth. Sheep farmers long ago found that vegetation-lacking iodine due to iodine-depleted soil would adversely affect the growth of wool in their sheep. Likewise, to avoid hair loss, you need iodine. Iodine is synthetically added to table salt, however in this form it is not assimilated well into your body and can therefore cause iodine overload.

An excess of iodine in the body can adversely affect the thyroid. The lack of iodine can cause hypothyroidism. In hypothyroidism, your cell metabolism slows down and body cells and hair cells don’t receive the energy they need to function properly. When you lack iodine, you will lose more hair than normal and may even lose eyebrow hair.

You can check your thyroid with a basal thermometer, not a digital thermometer, by placing it in your underarm first thing when you wake up. Then, don’t move for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, look at the temperature. The normal body temperature for good thyroid function is 97.8 to 98.2 degrees C. Take this measurement for 5-10 day. If your temperature is below 97.6 and lower, for the 5-10 days, you will want to consult your doctor or for more direction and information. You definitely have low thyroid function.

Menstruating women should start this 5-10 day check on the 3rd day of their cycle.

It is best to use non-iodized salt and get your iodine from natural foods. These include seaweed, salmon, seafood, lima beans, molasses, eggs, potatoes with the skin on, watercress and garlic.

Silica

One of the most difficult nutrients vital to your hair growth to get in your diet is trace mineral silica. Silica is a form of silicon and is the second most abundant element in the earth’s crust, second only to oxygen. The Earth provides everything we need for health, and with silicon being so abundant, it would seem that there would never be a problem with silica deficiency.

Unfortunately, trace minerals are rare in our diets because our food is processed and our soil depleted by chemical treatments. Silica provides strength to your hair, and although it will not necessarily stop your hair from falling out from the follicle, it will stop hair breakage.

Silica works by stimulating your cell metabolism and formation, which slows the aging process. Foods that are rich in silica are rice, oats, lettuce, parsnips, asparagus, onion, strawberry, cabbage, cucumber, leek, sunflower seeds, celery, rhubarb, cauliflower, and swiss chard. Try to buy these vegetables from organic sources. Note that many of these foods, particularly rice, are a large part of Asian diets and Asians tend to have the strongest and healthiest hair.

For best results eat all your fruits and vegetables raw. For certain vegetables that need to be cooked, steam them for only a few minutes.

Be sure to test your thyroid even though doctor’s tests show you do not have a thyroid problem. The basal temperature test is sometimes more sensitive than blood tests taken by doctors. If you have hyperthyroidism, you will definitely have hair loss.

Information on Traction Alopecia

Traction alopecia is caused by chronic traction (pulling) on the hair follicle. Traction alopecia mostly occurs in African-American women and men who braid their hair too tightly. It is also common in other ethnic groups known for traditional hair styles that involve pulling the hair.

There is also seen a pronounced traction alopecia in the beard area of this Sikh man. The Sikh men do not cut scalp or beard hair. The beard hairs are pulled straight and then twisted and tightly knotted. Daily knotting often results in this form of traction alopecia.

Men who attach hairpieces to their existing hair also suffer from this type of hair loss. The traction alopecia in such cases can also lead to permanent hair loss if the hairpiece is attached in the same location over a long period of time.

If we put the examples from ethnic groups aside, traction alopecia occurs most often in pre-teenagers, teenagers, young adults then it does in older men and women.

It is a very unfortunate state that hair styles and fashions and hair styling methods are causing baldness and hair loss among today’s younger generations. The hair loss in all such cases is mostly due to Traction alopecia. The hair loss is caused by long term hair pulling and breakage due to very tight hair braiding, hair weaves and cornrows.

The over use of hair style aids such as sponge hair rollers or curling irons may also promote traction alopecia. Traction alopecia often shows as distinct patches of hair loss in those areas where the hair and hair follicles have been put under excessive strain. The hair loss may occur anywhere on the scalp depending on the nature of the hair style or process that is causing the traction alopecia. Prolonged traction alopecia can lead to cicatrization of the new hair follicle and permanent hair loss.

Traction alopecia is reversible if diagnosed in the early stages. Permanent hair loss can occur too slowly for immediate detection. Hair loss is often occurs in the front, and hair line but is also subject to the immediate adjacent area to where the hair is being pulled and damaged.

An effective treatment is to simply avoid hair styling that puts excessive strain on the hair. Even with removal of the cause of traction alopecia it may take up to three months for the hair to recover. Areas of scalp subjected to chronic traction alopecia may never fully recover.

Traction alopecia is generally a non-scarring, non-inflammatory form of hair loss although long term use of hair styles involving traction over 3 or more years may result in a mild immune cell infiltrate and irreversible scarring damage to some hair follicles. Any form of chronic traction alopecia will eventually lead to fibrosis around hair follicles and total destruction of some hair follicles. Once destroyed the hair follicles will not re-grow under any circumstances hence chronic traction alopecia can be described as a scarring cicatricial alopecia.

Permanent traction alopecia does not respond to medical treatment such as minoxidil or finasteride due to non-genetic nature of hair loss. The only way one can treat traction alopecia is with hair transplants. Follicular unit hair grafting has been identified as the only practical solution to treating traction alopecia. Number of patients with traction alopecia coming to hair transplant clinics is generally increasing and the treatment is providing them a good response.

Hair Replacement And Restoration Techniques

There has been a great deal of progress in the field of hair replacement and restoration in the past few years. Surgical techniques have improved greatly from the days when hair replacement first began. All hair replacement techniques involve the use of your own hair; therefore, hair replacement candidates must have some healthy hair, usually at the back and sides of the head.

The process is a relatively safe procedure when performed by a qualified surgeon, however as with any surgery there are risks. Candidates must be checked for uncontrolled high blood pressure, blood-clotting problems, or skin that scars excessively, as these conditions may make healing difficult. Small pieces of hair growing scalp grafts are removed from areas of the scalp with healthy hair and are placed where hair is thinning. There are three major types of grafts: punch grafts, mini-grafts, and micro-grafts.

Punch grafting takes about 10-15 hairs and places them in the scalp. This was the first type of technique to be developed, and when first developed caused a patchy look in many candidates. The technique has been improved since the first days of being developed, and the new mini-graft technique has also been added as an option. Mini-grafts contain only 2-4 hairs per graft, and therefore look much more natural. Micro-grafts are still smaller grafts that contain one to two hairs each.

To maintain healthy circulation of the scalp, grafts are placed 1/8th of an inch apart. Local anesthesia is usually sufficient for these procedures, and several procedures are usually required to achieve the desired result. Post-surgery, a period of approximately 10 days of no sexual or strenuous activity is recommended, as strenuous activity may cause bleeding from the graft areas.

Of course surgery is a serious option, and often an expensive one as well. For those not wishing to undergo surgery for either reason, the option of non-surgical hair additions is often explored. Many professionals have developed techniques to add hair to existing hair on your scalp that look very natural. Weaves, fusions, bonding, cabling and micro linking are some of the techniques used to bond hair to the existing hair or scalp non-surgically.

Many jokes were made in the past about wigs and toupees, and they have gained an unfavorable light amongst many people because they were so obvious on the wearer. Todays toupees and wigs are often made of real hair and are very well styled, causing them to look ore natural on the wearer. These hairpieces are held in place by affixing adhesive to the scalp and stay in place through vigorous exercise.

Structured hairpieces as they are called are a semi-surgical approach that permanently attaches hair to the scalp by stitching the hair to the bald scalp. This procedure is not recommended, as it is a process that involves introducing a foreign material to the scalp. Most ethical surgeons do not perform this procedure any longer as they are generally deemed to be ethically inappropriate. If this procedure is recommended to you, get a second opinion from a trusted physician.

A much safer procedure is hair weaving, yet this can only be used if hair is thinning and large balding areas are not present. The process is also called hair intensification or hair integration. Strands of synthetic or real hair are braided or weaved into your own existing hair giving an appearance of a full head of hair.

This method is usually expensive and can only be left in for a few weeks at a time it is usually impractical for the average person.