Question: Does wearing a baseball cap or motor bike crash helmet every day increase a man’s chances of going bald?
Answer: No, balding comes from within the scalp, from the genes that initiate each hair to grow. Even wearing a baseball cap or motor bike crash helmet for years and never taking it off and all you will have is a scaling, dirty full head of hair if your genetics are not ‘hereditary’.
Wednesday 18 July 2007
I Am A Black Women With Thinning Hair. Can You Help Me?
Question: I am an black woman, aged 42, with female pattern baldness around my front hairline. I would like to know if my new regrowth will grow and how will any chemicals, straightners, dyes, etc. might affect the regrown hair. I would also like to know where and how I can schedule an appointment for consultation ASAP. I have been using Regaine but I am still compelled to wear wigs to look my best, can you please help me? I am very interested in getting to see one of your specialists in black hair.
Answer: We have a black hair specialist. As you may know, frontal balding is common amongst black women largely because of the combined effect of pigtails that were used for styling in their youth as well as the abuses with chemicals, straightners and dyes. First, a good examination needs to be done to separate the effects of chemicals and pigtail styling to the female genetic hair loss. Then, a complete examination needs to be done to make sure that other medical conditions are not the cause of the hair loss such as thyroid disease, hormone imbalances, anemia, and so on. There are a series of blood tests that can rule this out.
My recommendation is to make an appointment first. The consultation is free.
Answer: We have a black hair specialist. As you may know, frontal balding is common amongst black women largely because of the combined effect of pigtails that were used for styling in their youth as well as the abuses with chemicals, straightners and dyes. First, a good examination needs to be done to separate the effects of chemicals and pigtail styling to the female genetic hair loss. Then, a complete examination needs to be done to make sure that other medical conditions are not the cause of the hair loss such as thyroid disease, hormone imbalances, anemia, and so on. There are a series of blood tests that can rule this out.
My recommendation is to make an appointment first. The consultation is free.
Procerin - Does It Work?
Question: I have seen on a website that a product called procerin has a higher rating higher than propecia. Procerin’s website, elaborates on their product. I was about to order some procerin, when my girlfriend heard your advert on the radio and I checked out your website, and read about Dutasteride. Are you familiar with Procerin ? Also could a trichologist prescribe Dutasteride to patients before it has FDA approval ?
Answer: The product you described, like many other similar products, adhere to a very loose standard for the health food additives which are naturally found in the environment. There are many natural herbs that are poisonous as well. There is no requirement for any of these products to prove effectiveness or safety, unlike those that go through the rigorous FDA process. This is the reason that I maintain what I believe is a healthy scepticism for these products. The same is true for my attitude for prescribing Dutasteride for hair loss, which has not been shown to be both safe and effective for hair loss. I am familiar with hearsay reports that the libido impact is greater for dutasteride than with Propecia and the drug has a very long half life, which means that it takes months to get out of your system. If you should take Dutasteride and develop a libido problem (for example), it may take 6-12 months for it to rectify, while with Propecia is would disappear in weeks. I personally would not be against prescribing Dutasteride, but I have not done so yet. My motto, like any good trichologists philosophy must be “Above all, do no harm and safety first”.
It should be noted that the link on that consumer-review.net site you mentioned is an affiliate link to the Procerin site, meaning that Procerin pays that site if people use their link to buy the product. In that regard, it would seem that it’s in that site’s best interest to highly recommend Procerin.
Answer: The product you described, like many other similar products, adhere to a very loose standard for the health food additives which are naturally found in the environment. There are many natural herbs that are poisonous as well. There is no requirement for any of these products to prove effectiveness or safety, unlike those that go through the rigorous FDA process. This is the reason that I maintain what I believe is a healthy scepticism for these products. The same is true for my attitude for prescribing Dutasteride for hair loss, which has not been shown to be both safe and effective for hair loss. I am familiar with hearsay reports that the libido impact is greater for dutasteride than with Propecia and the drug has a very long half life, which means that it takes months to get out of your system. If you should take Dutasteride and develop a libido problem (for example), it may take 6-12 months for it to rectify, while with Propecia is would disappear in weeks. I personally would not be against prescribing Dutasteride, but I have not done so yet. My motto, like any good trichologists philosophy must be “Above all, do no harm and safety first”.
It should be noted that the link on that consumer-review.net site you mentioned is an affiliate link to the Procerin site, meaning that Procerin pays that site if people use their link to buy the product. In that regard, it would seem that it’s in that site’s best interest to highly recommend Procerin.
Scalp Surgery On Scar Tissue.
Question: I have an unsightly scar on the side of my head approximately 6 inches long and 1/4 inch wide. Is there anyway of repairing this area with hair? I tend to wear my hair short and I am very conscious about it.
Answer: Scalp scarring can be very difficult to deal with. I assume that the scar you are talking about is not related to hair surgery. The management of scars is not well understood by many doctors because they generally do not look at the hair solutions that are, at times, critical in the final repair of the scars. Neurosurgery scars, accident scars, burn scars and the like require specialized knowledge of the scalp’s ability to heal in the area treated and the direction and location of the scar determine much of the outcome. Many scalp scars may have come with good medical care, so one has to think differently about scalp scars: what will make the next treatment better than the last one?
Email me a photo and be sure that the scar location is clearly shown. Your confidentiality will be assured. My email address is gary@thewestminsterpractice.com.
Answer: Scalp scarring can be very difficult to deal with. I assume that the scar you are talking about is not related to hair surgery. The management of scars is not well understood by many doctors because they generally do not look at the hair solutions that are, at times, critical in the final repair of the scars. Neurosurgery scars, accident scars, burn scars and the like require specialized knowledge of the scalp’s ability to heal in the area treated and the direction and location of the scar determine much of the outcome. Many scalp scars may have come with good medical care, so one has to think differently about scalp scars: what will make the next treatment better than the last one?
Email me a photo and be sure that the scar location is clearly shown. Your confidentiality will be assured. My email address is gary@thewestminsterpractice.com.
Chemical Burns Caused By Hair Relaxers.
Question: I used a relaxer about 2 months ago on my hair and it caused my hair to snap and break and I got a bald spot on my scalp and I can not see any hair. It has begun to hurt a little bit since last week. Is it a chemical burn? How could something like this happen? How can I treat this problem? I am very worried,that the hair won’t grow there anymore and that I will have permanent damage, is this possible? Could you please advise me about how best to treat this so that it will be healed up soon and recover? This is very worring. What’s best to do?
Answer: Chemical burns from relaxers are a very common complaint. If the burn went down to the hair root level, it may not return and the damage may be permanent and lead to scar tissue damage. You must wait this out for about 6 or 7 months and then and only then you will know. If you are still worried, as you sound, then why not book an appointment and see one of our trichologists that specialise in black hair complaints, disorders and damage.
Answer: Chemical burns from relaxers are a very common complaint. If the burn went down to the hair root level, it may not return and the damage may be permanent and lead to scar tissue damage. You must wait this out for about 6 or 7 months and then and only then you will know. If you are still worried, as you sound, then why not book an appointment and see one of our trichologists that specialise in black hair complaints, disorders and damage.
Female Hair Loss and Beta Blockers.
Question: I am a 41 year old woman currently on metoprolol 25 mg twice a day for high blood pressure and rapid heart beat and it is causing me to have severe hair loss. My doctor’s advice was to try to stop taking the metoprolol, which I was only able to do for a short period of time, until the rapid heart rate returned. Are there any beta-blockers that don’t cause hair loss, or a lesser degree of hair loss?
Answer: Hair loss is a rare side effect of these drugs. You need to check with your doctor for alternatives and see if substitutes have less of an impact on your hair. If you wish to monitor the hair loss and change between an alternative treatment theraphy then contact the Hair Centre for more advice.
Answer: Hair loss is a rare side effect of these drugs. You need to check with your doctor for alternatives and see if substitutes have less of an impact on your hair. If you wish to monitor the hair loss and change between an alternative treatment theraphy then contact the Hair Centre for more advice.
Female Alopecia Areata.
Question: I have Hashimoto’s Syndrome and diagnosed alopecia areata. The hair on the crown of my head is not diminishing as fast as that around the face and all around the back of my head. What options do I have? I feel I will shortly have to wear a wig permanently. Is there anything that can be done?
Answer: Hashimoto’s Syndrome and diagnosed alopecia areata are autoimmune diseases which are attacking the hair follicles in your situation. If the disease can not be controlled, then the hair will continue to fall out. Sometimes, these diseases are self limiting, but your doctor will be in a better position to judge this for you. But it is worth seeing one of our trichologists as the alopecia areata may still be treatable.
Answer: Hashimoto’s Syndrome and diagnosed alopecia areata are autoimmune diseases which are attacking the hair follicles in your situation. If the disease can not be controlled, then the hair will continue to fall out. Sometimes, these diseases are self limiting, but your doctor will be in a better position to judge this for you. But it is worth seeing one of our trichologists as the alopecia areata may still be treatable.
I Have Hair Loss. What Can I do?
Question: I have a receding hairline. Now, I am getting a bald spot on the top of my head. What should be my first course of action to save my hair?
Answer: The first course of action should be to see one of our trichologists who understands the male pattern balding (MPB) process. He will examine the hair on different parts of your scalp and look for the amount of miniaturization that you are showing in various locations. The things he will identify will not be the level that you can see with the naked eye as balding occurs slowly and insidiously and can not be picked up without high powered examination of the hair. Based upon a proper examination, he should develop a master plan for you that will cover your worst case scenario and probably include the use of medications for MPB if that is your diagnosis.
Answer: The first course of action should be to see one of our trichologists who understands the male pattern balding (MPB) process. He will examine the hair on different parts of your scalp and look for the amount of miniaturization that you are showing in various locations. The things he will identify will not be the level that you can see with the naked eye as balding occurs slowly and insidiously and can not be picked up without high powered examination of the hair. Based upon a proper examination, he should develop a master plan for you that will cover your worst case scenario and probably include the use of medications for MPB if that is your diagnosis.
Cloning Hair Can It Be Done?
Question: Can doctors clone donor hairs so that the amount of available donor hairs is no longer an issue with transplant surgery?
Answer: Hair cloning as an issue keeps coming up because it seems to be promoted by some unscrupulous people who use the cloning ‘card’ as a way to elevate their own position of authority in this business. There is no cloning on the short-term horizon for hair, despite claims to the contrary. If and when the cloning problem for hair is solved from a research perspective that can be replicated ,it will take legislation to make that reality into a clinical tool. Hair was first cloned by Jahoda in Scotland in the late1980s. Since then, there is been a relatively long silence in the industry on repeating his work. His report stands alone as a successful cloning experiment. Attempts to do this in mice and other animals have produced many dead animals in at least one study I have been told about. Attempts to do this in humans have met with failure after failure. Fortunately, no deaths have occurred. I would urge anyone who sees this promoted as a reality to ignore these claims or check with the centre for any updates on hair cloning.
Answer: Hair cloning as an issue keeps coming up because it seems to be promoted by some unscrupulous people who use the cloning ‘card’ as a way to elevate their own position of authority in this business. There is no cloning on the short-term horizon for hair, despite claims to the contrary. If and when the cloning problem for hair is solved from a research perspective that can be replicated ,it will take legislation to make that reality into a clinical tool. Hair was first cloned by Jahoda in Scotland in the late1980s. Since then, there is been a relatively long silence in the industry on repeating his work. His report stands alone as a successful cloning experiment. Attempts to do this in mice and other animals have produced many dead animals in at least one study I have been told about. Attempts to do this in humans have met with failure after failure. Fortunately, no deaths have occurred. I would urge anyone who sees this promoted as a reality to ignore these claims or check with the centre for any updates on hair cloning.
Tuesday 10 July 2007
Hair Loss: What Really Works?
There are many pharmaceutical prescription drugs available to treat all kinds of ailments and that includes hair loss. However, some people who experience hair loss and scalp disorders don’t want to take drugs for their problems. They just don’t want to risk side effects; it’s simply not worth it. They don’t trust the ingredients the drugs are comprised of and they would rather stick to other treatments that don’t involve the use of drugs. These drug free hair loss treatments include everything from laser treatments that stimulate hair follicles to grow to specialty topical plant based treatments that use special ingredients to stimulate hair follicles. These drug free hair loss treatments (plant based treatments which are tried and clinically tested) work when correctly prescribed for many people so give them a try to cure your hair loss. Before starting any treatments make sure that you see one of our trichologists for a correct diagnosis. Our assessment is free and it will save you wasting time and money on an irrelevant internet purchase that sounds authentic but will do nothing to solve your hair loss or thinning problem.
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