American Hair Loss Association | Hair Transplant & Hair Loss Blog

Archive for April, 2008

On April 23, 2008, HairDX, LLC issued a press release announcing the launch of commercial testing for female hair loss. Their breakthrough test uses genetic markers associated with Female Androgenetic Alopecia (AGA) to determine the chances of whether a woman is likely to suffer with future hair loss.

According to HairDX, AGA (female baldness) “has been difficult to diagnose because women don’t develop a pattern like men do, they tend to thin diffusely, and there are many causes for thinning.”

By age 50, approximately 50% of women will experience thinning that can lead to hair loss and baldness. JAAPA, a peer-reviewed clinical journal for the American Academy of Physician Assistants states that this estimate is conservative at best. According to The American Hair Loss Association, Androgenetic Alopecia in women is a neglected epidemic that is nearly as common as male pattern hair loss.

The HairDX test is simple and painless. It involves swabbing the inside of the mouth, then sending the swab to the HairDX lab. Results are confidential, anonymous, and sent via a secure web site.

Each woman who participates in testing will be provided with results in the form of a score. Higher scores indicate a lower chance for succumbing to significant hair loss due to heredity. A lower score indicates greater likelihood for future hair loss.

According to Spencer Kobren, Founder of The American Hair Loss Association,
early diagnosis is one of the most critical factors in preventing further hair loss, which is why this test is revolutionary. Preventing hair loss is far more attainable than reversing its effects. While effective treatments to combat female pattern hair loss are available, early intervention is critical successful treatment.

Dr. Sharon Keene, who is the Chief Medical Officer for HairDX says, “Helping women assess their risk for Female Hair Loss early in the course of their hair loss enables them to learn about potential treatment options and how they may prevent further hair loss.”

Visit the HairDX website at www.hairdx.com to learn more about the test and to order a swab kit. The test costs $149.

Surgical hair restoration is a serious matter. If you’re considering surgery as an option to treat your hair loss, first get up to speed on the many different types of  procedures being promoted as legitimate options. The hair loss industry can be difficult to navigate. Most products are little more than snake oils and many advertised procedures lead to increased problems rather than true solutions.

Linear or Line Grafts

Linear or line grafts should be avoided. If a doctor recommends the use of these type of grafts, you would be well advised to seek another professional immediately.

The process of creating a linear or line graft starts with the hair transplant surgeon removing a strip of hair from the side or back of your head. Ideally, the strip would then be divided into follicular unit grafts, but in cases  where the hair transplant surgeon utilizes  linear or line grafts, larger portions of  the  strip are used. In order to use these “cut to size” grafts , the hair transplant surgeon must surgically create large trench-like recipient sites in the balding areas where hair  and tissue is to be replaced.

This almost always  results in an unnatural and manufactured appearance. Cosmetically, the final outcome can look unacceptably fake.

Round or Square Grafts

Originally, round or square grafts were the  standard in hair transplantation . Now with the advent of much more refined techniques, these large cut to size hair grafts are considered obsolete and will always result in the dreaded “dolls head” appearance that screams hair transplant.

The procedure involves the use of a hole-punch device, which is used to remove 3-5 mm areas (about the size of a pencil eraser) of hair bearing  scalp and to create the recipient sites in the balding areas of the head . The shape of the grafts may be either round or square. Either way, they are far too large and do not resemble natural hair growth at all once they are moved  and transplanted to the balding area. In addition, these grafts can impede  blood supply. This often results in further hair loss in the middle area of each graft.

Many of today’s lazier or less than ethical hair transplant surgeons are doing a slightly refined but still unacceptable procedure utilizing cut to size mini grafts which still give the appearance of a man made and unnatural hairline.

Avoid any hair transplant surgeon or large chain clinic that does not employ the use of microscopes to dissect donor tissue into naturally occurring follicular units.
To learn more about state of the art hair transplantation check out the surgical hair restoration section of The American Hair Loss Association site.

To find qualified hair transplant surgeons  in your area contact The International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons.

In a recent article, the Kalamazoo Gazette reported the story of Sheree Kleinhuizen, who was experiencing significant hair loss and growing concerned over the amount of hair that she was losing on a daily basis.

Sheree collected the hair in plastic baggies and brought them to her doctor, but she was told that her hair loss was caused by stress and would cease in a few months’ time. When her hair loss did not abate, Sheree went to see a hair care professional, who sold her a “medicated” hair loss product called Therapro.

Although the lost hair did not grow back, Sheree did stop experiencing any further hair loss. However, it is unclear whether her use of Therapro truly affected Sheree’s hair loss in any way.

Spencer Kobren, founder of the American Hair Loss Association, doubts that Therapro is a valid treatment:

“There is nothing in those products that can stop hair loss or will regrow hair,” said Kobren, whose own hair-loss concerns led him to start the organization. “There is definitely a placebo effect, and it can be coincidental.”

Jennifer Williford, who works as a physician’s assistant at Southwest Michigan Dermatology, supports the notion that Therapro may have had a placebo effect for Sheree. Although Williford wasn’t familiar with Therapro, she explained that patients often mention products that supposedly stop or reverse hair loss. Many such products are based on herbal remedies.
There is a good chance that Sheree Kleinhuizen’s hair loss ceased due to a placebo effect of the product she was sold. It’s also possible that her hair loss was truly stress related and when her stress eased, so did her hair loss.
The only FDA-approved hair loss products for treating hereditary hair loss are Rogaine and Propecia. Rogaine is an external treatment used by both men and women. Propecia, which is a pill, is only approved for use by men.

Spencer Kobren also noted that hair loss is a $3.5 billion industry and that “Ninety-nine percent of products and services that claim to help with hair loss (or) prevention are bogus, questionable at best.”
Read the full article

What is Alopecia?

Alopecia simply means “hair loss.” It is the medical term for hair loss and there are numerous forms of alopecia. Today, we’ll look at three different terms that include the word alopecia:

• Alopecia Totalis
• Alopecia Universalis
• Androgenetic Alopecia

Alopecia Totalis

Alopecia Totalis is thought to be an autoimmune disorder that causes loss of all head hair. Unlike androgenetic alopecia (male or female pattern baldness), there are no remaining patches or areas with hair on the scalp once alopecia totalis has run its course. It is still questonbly believed that stress is a major contributing factor in causing alopecia totalis, despite the fact that many people who suffer from it report low stress levels.

Alopecia Universalis

Also sometimes called alopecia areata universalis, alopecia universalis is the term used to describe rapid loss of hair all over the body. It includes head hair, eyebrows, and even eyelashes. It is the most severe form of hair loss and is believed to be an autoimmune disorder. While many treatments have been explored, no standard treatments exist for this condition.

Androgenetic Alopecia

Androgenetic alopecia is the most common type of hair loss. It is also referred to as male or female pattern hair loss and is abbreviated as AGA. Heredity and hormones are the two major factors that can cause this type of hair loss. Androgenetic alopecia causes more than 95% of hair loss in men. Women are greatly affected by it as well, in part due to the same gentetic factors found in me as well as other contributing facters like ovarian cysts, high androgen index birth control pills, pregnancy, and menopause.

To learn more about alopecia, please visit the home page for The American Hair Loss Association. You can learn about additional types of alopecia, including alopecia areata and scarring alopecia, and find out more about causes, diagnoses, and treatments for hair loss.

We’ve all heard horror stories about bad hairpieces and worse toupees. In comedy, these have been the butt of many jokes, but hair loss sufferers are not laughing. Non-surgical hair replacement is a serious matter, especially for people who are considering it. People who are dealing with alopecia must be careful because the hair loss industry is fraught with cheap gimmicky products as well as companies and so-called professionals who are more than happy to take advantage of vulnerable hair loss sufferers. Whenever you are looking at a solution for hair loss, you must move forward with care and caution. Non-surgical hair replacement, such as hairpieces, are no exception.

Non-surgical hair replacement can be a wonderful alternative for people who want to have a fuller head of hair without surgery. However, most consumers don’t know what to look for or what to watch out for when shopping for a hairpiece. The vast majority of consumers who purchase non-surgical hair replacement are unhappy with the products they’re stuck with. Plus, there’s a lot that the hair clubs won’t tell you.

Tips

•    Try the mom and pop salons. They have compassion for their customers and great customer service.
•    Be prepared to buy two units so that you can wear one while the other is being maintained.
•    Do not let a hair replacement company keep your second hairpiece. It’s yours, you get to take it home.
•    Avoid anyone who tries to sell you a maintenance contract. You should be able to take your hairpiece anywhere you want for maintenance.

Facts

•    The stylist will probably shave off a good portion of your hair in order to affix the hairpiece.
•    Bonded systems will not stay firmly attached for 4-6 weeks.
•    These systems need constant maintenance and you will have to learn to do some of the maintenance yourself.
•    Cost of maintenance ranges from $60 to $300 per month.

Get more tips, facts, and information about non-surgical hair replacement systems by visiting the following link:
http://www.americanhairloss.org/hair_replacement/introduction.asp

Is it possible that there is a direct link between hair loss and heart disease? Could one of these diseases be causing the other or is there one source causing both?

These and other questions have been brought to light in several recent studies.

At the University of Tucson, little difference was found in heart attack risk for men who were balding and men who were not. It has, however, been suggested that hair loss is related to an increase in androgens. These hormones may also affect the development of coronary atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

Another, previous study, did find that vertex baldness (hair loss at the crown) was indeed strongly linked to the risk for heart attack. That study found that greater hair loss directly correlated with a greater risk for heart attack.

Researchers at Tucson decided to look further into the matter. They looked at 5056 men between the ages of 52 and 75 years old. Of those men, 767 had already suffered a heart attack.

The results:

• One third of the men had little or no hair loss.
• Thirteen percent had frontal baldness.
• Fifty-four percent had vertex baldness

The study showed that men who were experiencing hair loss at the front of their heads were 28% more likely to have had a heart attack. Mild vertex baldness only indicated a 2% greater risk. According to a Reuters Health article at Yahoo News, “men with moderate vertex baldness were 40 percent more likely to have had a heart attack, while risk was increased by 18 percent for men with severe vertex baldness.”

The study conducted by the University of Tucson concluded that male pattern baldness does not provide a means to determine risk of heart attacks.

In the end, many questions are still unanswered. While there does appear to be some link between hair loss and heart disease, that link remains unclear. The Tucson researchers noted that “If the types of baldness seen in the current study are indeed due to high androgen levels, it’s likely that the hormone does not increase heart attack or atherosclerosis risk.”

You can read the full Reuters Health article on Yahoo News at the following link:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080409/hl_nm/heart_attack_baldness_dc_1

You can find detailed information about the hormonal causes of hair loss and related conditons at the American Hair Loss Association.

The Women’s Hair Loss Project, is conducting the first ever live chat for female hair loss sufferers on the worldwide web tonight, Thursday April 10th at 6:30-7:30pm PST.

Emerging as the first social networking site specifically for women suffering with hair loss, womenshairlossproject.com set new ground when they launched their site in August 2007. Now with scheduled live chats, women have a safe place to congregate each week to discuss their issues, and to share their knowledge, hope and strength with others from around the world.

The Women’s Hair Loss Project remains the only non-commercial site of its kind, and is at the forefront of the field, providing women in need with an inspirational, uplifting environment to learn about their conditions and to meet others who understand.

Learn how to participate here: http://www.womenshairlossproject.com/hair-loss/womens-hair-loss-support-chat/

It is well known that nutrition has a profound impact on health. What we eat can cause us to gain or lose weight, have allergic reactions, or even experience exhaustion or high levels of energy. It stands to reason that nutrition would also impact hair growth and hair loss. There may not be a magical fruit you can eat that will arrest hair loss or trigger growth, but there are some important facts about nutrition and hair loss that might affect your dietary decisions.

Stress

Stress affects every aspect of your well being. When you are under stress, you are likely to lose or gain weight, experience physical ailments like headaches, and are more susceptible to illnesses. Stress also affects your ability to focus, think clearly, and deal with problems, including hair loss. Since a poor diet interferes with your ability to deal with stress, it also affects how you deal with hair loss. When are eating a nutritionally balanced diet, you’ll be better equipped to cope with the emotional effects of hair loss.

Eating Disorders and Malnutrition

Eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia nervosa lead to malnutrition and this is may instigate hair loss. When a body has deficiencies in energy, protein, and micronutrients, such as vitamin A, iodine, and iron, it reacts by presenting physical symptoms. These include dry skin, brittle nails, and hair loss. This is one type of hair loss that has a great likelihood for reversal. When a malnourished person re-establishes a healthy and nutritious diet, hair growth will often resume normally. However, long term eating disorders may cause permanent hair loss.

Sugar, Insulin, and Testosterone

Sugar itself does not have a direct effect on hair loss. However, since sugar does affect the balance of hormones in the human body, it does have significant considerations for hair loss sufferers. The balance of hormones is one of the greatest factors that cause or prevent hair loss. Specifically, dihydrotestosterone, a breakdown or by-product of testosterone, is one of the primary contributors to hair loss.

Because there is a direct link between levels of insulin and testosterone, when you control your insulin, you will affect testosterone levels as well. Insulin levels are directly related to your sugar intake. So, by controlling the amount of sugar you consume, you affect your insulin and therefore control testosterone levels. These, in turn, affect levels of dihydrotestosterone and therefore impact hair loss.

There are many reasons to make sure you are eating a well balanced diet. Minimizing hair loss is just one of them. You can learn more about how nutrition affects hair loss at the following link:
http://www.womenshairlossproject.com/hair-loss/nutrition-hair-loss-hormones/

Did you know that many prescription drugs can contribute to hair loss? Some medications will even trigger early male and female pattern baldness. While this is well-known side effect of cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation, it’s not commonly understood that there are many other prescription drugs that will induce hair loss.

When your doctor prescribes any type of new medication, you should always check with the pharmacist and read all of the information on the label and in the packaging to find out what potential side effects the drug has. If you believe you are a contender for hair loss, you’ll want to specifically check for hair loss, alopecia, or male or female pattern baldness.

If a drug you’ve been prescribed does include hair loss as a possibility, you might want to ask the doctor or the pharmacist if there is an alternative medication that you can use. Sometimes this won’t be an option, so ask about undergoing treatment for hair loss simultaneously, keeping in mind that hair loss treatments have the most successful results when started as early as possible. Preventing hair loss is much easier than reversing it.

You will want to check with all doctors and specialists who you are seeing if you feel that undergoing hair loss treatment is the right option for you. Make sure the doctor who is prescribing medications and other treatments knows about all the drugs you are taking, including any for hair loss. You can read about clinically proven treatments for hair loss on The American Hair Loss Association blog.

The American Hair Loss Association also features a list of prescription drugs that are known to cause hair loss. This is a comprehensive and accessible resource. The medications are grouped together by conditions and for many brand medications, the generic names are included as well. Keep in mind this is not an exhaustive list. You should still check your labels and talk with your pharmacist about side effects of any medications that are prescribed to you.

You’ve heard the old adage that beauty comes from within. With all the images being thrown at us by the media, and the many products on the market designed to make us look and feel more beautiful than ever, there is a growing and constant pressure to look great all the time. However, it’s almost impossible for regular people to live up to the images that are constantly being thrown out to the public as the standard for looking good. Coping with hair loss only adds to the stress because it’s just one more thing to worry about. So, how true is that old adage about beauty starting on the inside?

Have you ever observed an attractive celebrity but then wondered, where’s the attraction? That celeb isn’t especially good looking – on the outside. Sure, a lot of stars are boaster outer beauty, but there are many that upon scrutiny don’t quite hold up to the supermodel images we see on billboards and in magazine ads. Conversely, you may have noticed that some very pretty faces come with a negative vibe. Good looks can’t cover up a mean spirit, a bad attitude, or absence of self-confidence.

With all the pressures that society lays on us to look beautiful, hair loss sufferers often find that those pressures take on a whole new meaning. There are extra difficulties because hair loss is rarely discussed in the media whereas other issues such as weight are talked about with great frequency. This means that individuals who are dealing with hair loss must work a little harder to maintain self-confidence, which is the great secret to feeling and looking fabulous.

Whether you wear a hairpiece, a wig, or have gone through hair transplant surgery, or even if you choose to go about bald, bold, and beautiful, your true beauty is not going to come from your face or how much hair you have on your head. It’s going to come from your heart, your inner glow. So spend as much time knowing yourself inside as you do scrutinizing the way you look on the outside, because looking great starts with feeling good.