Month: October 2011

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Hair Loss InformationFinasteride and Allopregnanolone – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Is it true that Finasteride in Humans would reduce important Neuroactive Steroids like for example allopregnanolone? I know there was already a post about this in the past but that was about rats. In rats, Finasteride blocks both type I and II 5α-reductase whereas in humans inhibits only type II which it seems is not present in the brain unlike type I. I would appreciate your opinion about the following two studies:

Link 1: Finasteride Treatment and Neuroactive Steroid Formation (PDF file)

Link 2: The influence of low dose finasteride, a type II 5α-reductase inhibitor, on circulating neuroactive steroids

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I do not think I can add much here, as I am not a biochemist. Mood changes have been associated with finasteride and depression has been reported, but I’m unclear on specifics beyond that.

The 1st link is a study of 20 men with an average age of 69.5 years that took 5mg finasteride. The 2nd link is a study of a dozen men that took the 1mg finasteride with no listed ages that I see. Both studies are small and offer nothing definitive, using words like “probably” and “might”.

This should go without saying, but finasteride is an elective medication with some rare side effect possibilities and is available by prescription only. Hundreds of other medications also come with side effect risks, and you must talk with your doctor about these risks and benefits so you can make an informed decision.

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Hair Loss InformationLaminin-511 Molecule? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Could you tell me more about Laminins-511 please and whether you think it is a promising ‘solution’ to hair loss? I had never heard of it before reading this article, but i’m now very intrigued.

Link: Mens Health

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I do not know much about laminin-511 besides this press release from 2008. These are studies performed on mice and the research is disseminated to the popular media, grabbing the interest of readers such as yourself. I don’t see a date on that article, but I’m guessing it was from back when the laminin-511 mouse findings were first announced. It says they’ll have trials in 2 years… so I’d assume there should be info already if it was successful, but I can’t find anything new.

These news stories create a definite interest, but the implications on hair loss treatment remains to be seen. We get these types of stories sent to us almost on a weekly basis.

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Hair Loss InformationDo I Need to Dye My Hair Forever if I Get SMP? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Here is a question on the Scalp micro Pigmentation. Once a patient decides to do a cosmetic pigmentation especially on certain parts of the scalp, but not the full scalp, how is he going to look when his real hair will become gray eventually? Do you use a permanent or a temporary pigment?

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I think we’ve answered this before, but in general, we do not perform SMP to certain parts of the scalp since as you point out, it would not blend in with the changing of hair color. For example, we sometimes leave the areas around the ears and neck.

Scalp Micropigmentation is permanent. If you want a temporary solution, I’d try Toppik or DermMatch.

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Hair Loss InformationAfter Taking Propecia Daily for Years After My Transplant, I Think I’m Losing Hair Again – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have had two procedures in the past at Dr. Rassman’s NHI facility. The first about 8 years ago, the second about 6 years ago. I have used Propecia, or Finasteride as a substitute, religiously since before the first procedure.

About a year ago I started to notice substantial thinning in the areas that had become filled in from the procedures. I have assumed this to be loss of original hair. Is it common for Propecia/Finasteride to stop working at some point? Does substituting Finasteride have a negative effect?

Last, I have read that Propecia (Finasteride) dosage can be reduced from 1 mg a day to .2 mg per day with no negative effect, and that it may be possible to take the med every other day. True?

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Hair transplants are permanent and lifelong, but those remaining hairs you had in the balding areas (not the transplanted grafts) will continue to fall out. When you have surgery, we transplant the hairs in between any existing hair to blend it in so that if the existing hairs fall out years down the line, you will still have the transplanted hairs to keep things looking natural without an abrupt demarcation.

Propecia is just a brand name for the finasteride (in 1mg dose). There should be no difference between generic and brand name other than possibly the strength in dose of the active ingredient. It’s possible that there are different fillers. Propecia/finasteride does help hold on to the existing thinning hair as long as possible, but eventually your genetic predisposition catches up with you. This does not mean it just stopped working, but rather, you are getting older and your predestined hair loss fate is winning the battle.

The medication is about 70 to 80 percent as effective at half the dose of the recommended 1mg daily, so you can theoretically cut the pill in half (0.5mg) and still see some benefits. There have been some patients who have seen side effects, and cutting the dose in half has allowed them to experience good results without the side effects.

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Hair Loss InformationIn the News – Men with High Testosterone Have Less Cardiovascular Disease Risk? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the non-hair-loss article:

A new Swedish study has shown that elderly men in the highest quartile of serum testosterone levels have around a 30% lower risk of cardiovascular events over five years compared with men in the lower three quartiles [1].

And the association remains even after adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk factors and excluding those with CVD at baseline, say Dr Claes Ohlsson (University of Gothenburg, Sweden) and colleagues in their paper in the October 11, 2011 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Senior author Dr Asa Tivesten (University of Gothenburg) told heartwire : “This paper is an important start, because previously data have been inconsistent about whether there is an association between serum testosterone and CVD events or not. We now know there is an association, but we don’t know what is causing it.”

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Read the rest at Heartwire — Study confirms high testosterone/lower CV event link in older men

It’s a bold statement to say higher testosterone levels equal lower risks for cardiovascular (CV) events. What we don’t know is if a man with low testosterone takes testosterone, will this reduce the risks of CV events?

Heart disease generally takes many, many years to develop, so this study implicates that the testosterone was always high, though the dates do not support it.

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Hair Loss InformationI Switched from 1/4 Proscar to Generic and My Hair Loss is Worse – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

First of all thank you for what you do with this site it is a tremendous resource. I am twenty and began to recede at the hairline about a year ago. I started taking one fourth of a proscar daily in April without a prescription and got a prescription for it in June after seeing a dermatologist. I have since been taking the generic version daily. The medication does not seem to be working as I have continued to lose much hair from my crown to the point where my scalp is visible in harsh lighting.

I have long hair but i have noticed in the last week that I am losing the very short (terminal?) hairs again after not noticing them for the past few months. Could this be due to the switch to the generic version? The proscar pills were individually sealed while the generic are together in a pill bottle could this air contact affect their potency? As it has been seven months and I have lost noticeably more hair should I discontinue the medication?

Thank you, my dermatologist is pretty clueless when it comes to hair loss, so I appreciate your knowledge.

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Generic finasteride 5mg is the same drug as Propecia, which is just finasteride in 1mg strength, so there should be no difference in efficacy. I don’t think bottle vs individually sealed has any bearing on the potency.

Finasteride does not work that well for frontal hairline, so what you may be experiencing is just your normal course of hair loss that the drug cannot address. Harsh lighting will make the hair appear thinner. Do you have comparison photos to look at from before you started? You’ll need to discuss changes to your medication with your prescribing doctor.

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Hair Loss InformationIn the News – Hair-Washing Robot – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

Hair washing robotIt may look like a glorified salon chair, but a new Japanese hair-washing robot replicates the dexterous touch of a human hand to care for the locks of the elderly and the infirm.

Its creators at electronics firm Panasonic say the machine features the latest robotic technology and could help replace human care-givers in this rapidly ageing nation without degrading the quality of the service.

“Using robotic hand technology and 24 robotic fingers, this robot can wash the hair or handicapped in the way human hands do in order to help them have better daily lives,” said developer Tohru Nakamura.

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Read the rest (and with a larger photo) — With 24 fingers, Japan robot washes hair

I dream of having my hair worked on all of the time, so I’d want one just to have a robot massage my scalp every day. Now, if it would scratch my back with some of those extra fingers… wow, a fantasy come true.

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Hair Loss InformationHair Transplant Results of Man with 2415 Grafts (with Photos) – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

This is a college professor who saw a new man in the mirror with this single hair transplant procedure of 2415 grafts. He has fine hair, which often takes more than one session for a completely full look. He told me that no one ever noticed the transition in his appearance, because the change was so slow.

Approximately 2/3rds of the transplants were placed in the first 6 inches of the hairline, which was moved forward, and some grafts were placed in the frontal part of the crown area.

Click photos to enlarge.

After (2415 grafts):

 

Before:

 

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Hair Loss InformationBlack Tea and DHT? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have read some studies online about black tea and dht.They seem to indicate that black tea reduces dht as much as propecia while actually increasing serum testosterone levels. Do you know anything about this

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Earl Grey is black tea, and it’s probably the most common tea in the UK… where hair loss is just as prominent as anywhere else in the world. Those who try to connect DHT with the current supplement/food source of the day can have a big market impact, so it doesn’t surprise me that the buzzwords get people excited.

As far as I recall, the study about black tea and DHT was in a couple dozen lab rats and it was published a few years ago. I don’t know anything further, but I suspect that if there was anything to it, more would’ve been announced since then. If someone has more info, please feel free to let me know.

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In the News – Using Mayonnaise for Treating Dry Hair? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

Yes, this is gross, but before you knock it take a minute and think about what comprises mayonnaise. It’s primarily made of eggs, oil, and water (plus a little lemon). Oil is commonly known to be good for dry anything. Eggs are also used to treat dry skin and dry hair. The water doesn’t matter much one way or the other and lemon juice can add shine to your hair. If you think about the benefits mayonnaise provides, you’re probably better off putting it on your head and body than actually eating it. (It is pretty fatty after all.)

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Read the rest — Soften Up Your Dry Hair and Skin with Mayonnaise

For those who want a natural solution to dry hair, this may work. I can’t speak from personal experience, though. And when you’re done, you can break out the deli meats and a couple of bread slices for a delicious lunch.