July 2013 – Page 6 – Balding Blog

July 9, 2013

Actors That Embrace Their Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Doctors….

Love your site…..have asked a couple of questions over the years, which you have graciously answered.

Not asking a question, per se, just your take on Terence Stamp. I just love the fact that he’s pushing 75 and he’s well embraced his hair (and lack thereof). The pic I attached was from the Limey (1999) and you can clearly see he is who he is.

Other actors that seem to embrace their look are Bruce Willis, John Malkovich (who grows his hair out on a whim) and Bill Murray (who has the forelock that will never die) to name but a few.

Personally, I’m 43, have been on Propecia and Rogaine for years and have been doing well with them……but nothing is permanent in this life…..and so, I look to others in the limelight for perhaps a bit of inspiration.

Thank you again for all the good work you do….

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Many actors who have hair loss become character actors, embracing their balding or bald look and incorporating it into their persona. Other actors that have embraced the look include Jason Statham, Ed Harris, Woody Harrelson, and Patrick Stewart.

Thanks for the comments!

July 8, 2013

Does Hair Dye Cause Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Doc,

Confused about hair dye contributing to hair loss. Most reliable sources on the internet say no. Though others say yes. I checked your archives but still not clear on the answer. Obviously an outright allergic reaction would be a concern. I’m just talking regular use with otc products. I assume some chemicals are going to be absorbed by the scalp. But I don’t if that’s true or if it is what that means. I know you have transplant clients who dye their hair.

Thanks..

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Short answer — no, hair dye does not cause hair loss when used properly.

If you use standard over-the-counter dyes, read the labels carefully. Most are generally safe and whatever risks there might be are listed in the insert packaging. Discounting that allergic reaction and chemical burn are possibilities, as long as the dye stays only on the hair and does not go into the root of the hair below the skin, the standard commercial dyes are considered safe and will not cause hair loss.

July 8, 2013

When Is a Good Time to Switch to Avodart? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Amazing website. I have been on finasteride for the past 12 yrs or so. It has held on to my hair quite well but I have noticed my temple areas and front part of my hairline thinning out recently. The crown is still slightly thick.

I want to know when is a good time to switch to avodart since I have noticed the front part of my scalp thinning out. Should I switch ASAP? I know its not approved for MPB and the risk could be slightly higher etc etc but I know a few of the people who comment on here have switched and are having excellent success even in the temple and hairline which is not very common.

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Avodart must be prescribed off label (unless you have prostate issues), so it’s up to your doctor if he is willing to prescribe it to you.

The decision to switch from finasteride to dutasteride (Avodart) is one that you must reach with your prescribing doctor. Some people report better response with Avodart, but you must realize that the risks may be greater for sexual side effects and the possibility of sterility. Unfortunately, the information on this is not clinically available in younger men for treating hair loss, so it is a gamble.

July 8, 2013

Press Release – Haptenex, a New Alopecia Areata Treatment? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the press announcement:

A66, Inc., a Delaware Corporation, has introduced a compound named Haptenex. This compound is expected to revolutionize treatment for Alopecia Areata. The complex array of patented dermatological and systemically reactant compounds have the ability to cause the skin and other cells to react and distract the problem immune responses from damaging vulnerable follicular and other cells afflicted by immune system diseases.

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Read the rest — A66, Inc. Introduces Alopecia Areata Immune Response Treatment

What I read in this news release does not impress me. The language is unclear and the press release doesn’t say anything in particular, so that is an alert for me. Be suspicious.

July 4, 2013

Happy Independence Day! – Balding Blog

Our office is closed today and tomorrow for a long weekend to celebrate Independence Day. We hope everyone has a happy and safe July 4th!

Happy birthday, USA! We’ll be back here on Monday.

Fireworks

July 3, 2013

Does Estrogen Protect Women from Developing Male Pattern Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Doctor, I was thinking of something today. Females lose hair genetically too like female pattern baldness, but how come its not as common like men to lose hair? I mean there are females with bald fathers, grandfathers, uncles and brothers, but they never lose hair genetically?

If a man has so many bald relatives, there is a strong chance he will lose hair too, but the women tend to still keep their hair when the men in their family are all bald. Is it the estrogen that protects the hair?

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There is no evidence that estrogen protects women from developing hair loss in the standard male patterns. The reason for female pattern baldness is not well understood.

Male pattern baldness is just what it says — it is a male problem and it occurs in patterns that can be visually seen, as graded on the Norwood scale. Women with genetic hair loss do not generally develop patterned balding, or if they do, the patterns do not usually follow the Norwood scale for men. Genetic hair loss in women, also called female androgenic alopecia, can at times be seen in a pattern that is graded on the Ludwig scale. Other times, the hair loss is diffuse.

Fortunately for men, finasteride is a good medication… but for women, the only decent medication is topical minoxidil.

July 3, 2013

14 Year Old Wonders Why His Hair is Falling Out – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’m a male. I just turned fourteen a week ago. I stay up late about to 4 in the morning and wake up at about 12 or 1 in the afternoon. I sometimes eat lunch, and eat dinner. Have a habit of eating things found in the kitchen at random times. I exercise about everyday for the past month (going outside and start punching the boxing bag for about an hour). I take long 1 hour showers in warm/hot water. I play with my hair for about 5 minutes and then stop for about 3 minutes and play with it again. I wash my hair on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.

I also have these kind of bumps on my head, I couldn’t see most of them, but the ones I did see were dark brown/black. So here is my question, why is my hair falling out and what do i need to do to make my hair stop falling out?

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Get a parent involved, see a good doctor for an examination and a hair bulk measurement, and then listen to what the doctor tells you. I have no way to know what your hair loss is (genetic? stress? allergy?) and so I can’t tell you what it would take to treat it.

Your trips to the kitchen and odd sleeping hours don’t sound too different from many teens. I would have your doctor look at those scalp bumps, though.

July 3, 2013

In the News – Chemotherapy Hair Loss Transformed Into Diamonds – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

People have been turning human and pet remains, including hair, into diamonds for 11 years now, but one new company aims to appeal to the living who have lost their hair in the fight against cancer.

The company is called SKY and LIVI, and allows women who’re undergoing radiation to turn their fallen hair into a lab-grown diamond, which is then set into a pendant necklace. Finished pieces, available in five different styles in 18k white and yellow gold (though custom designs are available), serve as “symbols of her endurance to beat this dreaded disease,” according to company founder and CEO—and industry veteran—Anjanette Sinesio.

Read the rest — Chemotherapy Hair Loss Transformed Into Diamonds

Never a day passes that I am not just a little bit more aware of the world around me.

July 2, 2013

Not Hair Loss News – Colon Cancer Screening Reduces Risk of Death – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

People who are diagnosed with colon cancer after routine colonoscopies tend to have better outcomes and less advanced cancers than people diagnosed based on symptoms, says a new study. Those who were diagnosed with colon cancer as a result of symptoms were three times more likely to die during the study than the patients diagnosed after colonoscopy screenings, researchers found.

“It’s in line with its current use. It shows that colonoscopy appears to be beneficial in reducing deaths in those diagnosed with colorectal cancer,” said Dr. Chyke Doubeni, who studies colonoscopy use but wasn’t involved in the new research.

Colon cancer is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., according to the government-backed U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), which recommends that people between ages 50 and 75 get screened by colonoscopy every ten years.

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Read the rest — Colon cancer screening tied to better outcomes

The good news is that colonoscopy screenings need to be only done every ten years, as these cancers grow very slowly. The bad news is that if the cancer has spread beyond the colon, it is potentially much more difficult to treat.

The study points out that in addition to being more likely to die, 75% of patients that were diagnosed based on symptoms had advanced disease, versus 38% of patients that were diagnosed after colonoscopies. The study’s limitations are also mentioned, in that the data came from a hospital that has more cases of severe colon cancer than other hospitals, which possibly exaggerated the differences found between the two groups.

July 2, 2013

Not Hair Loss News – Melanoma Tumors of the Skin Are More Lethal in Young Men Than Women – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

The rates of mortality from melanoma are higher in males in their teenage and young adult years than in females of similar ages, according to a study published online today in JAMA Dermatology.

This difference in mortality between the sexes could mean that there is a fundamental biologic difference in male and female melanoma, the authors of an accompanying editorial suggest.

In a population-based cohort study that analyzed data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) network of cancer registries for melanomas diagnosed from January 1, 1989 to December 31, 2009, researchers found that young men were 55% more likely to die of melanoma than age-matched women.

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Read the rest — Melanoma More Deadly in Young Males Than Females

Young men comprise only 40% of all melanoma cases, but more than 60% of all melanoma-related deaths. Awareness about melanoma and early diagnosis should be promoted in young men.

If you have dark or black moles on your body, particularly if they change in size, shape or color, you should see your doctor to be sure it is not one of the deadly tumors.