Month: September 2013

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Hair Loss InformationNot Hair Loss News – Lifestyle Changes Could Slow Cell Aging! – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

It’s no secret that paying attention to diet, exercise, stress levels and getting social support may extend your life. But a new study shows healthy living may even reverse aging deep in our cells.

A small study shows that positive lifestyle changes lead to longer telomeres, which are protective caps at the end of chromosomes that help protect a cell from aging.

Telomeres are made of DNA and protein, and they work as a shield for chromosomes and help keep them stable. Over time they become shorter and weaker, leading the cells to age quicker and eventually die. Scientists have compared telomeres on chromosomes to protective plastic caps at the end of shoelaces. Telomere length has been linked to risk for diseases including some cancers, stroke, vascular dementia, cardiovascular disease, obesity, osteoporosis, diabetes and even the common cold.

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Read the rest — Healthy lifestyle may slow aging in our cells

The study was very small, tracking 35 men with “localized, early-stage prostate cancer for five years”. If the findings can be validated in a large-scale study, it could reduce the risk of a wide variety of diseases.

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Hair Loss InformationIs Follica the Breakthrough? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Doctor,
I came across this article regarding Follica – Hairloss Cure: Could Follica Be A New Breakthrough In Baldness Prevention Products?

What are your thoughts about this? Is it something you are looking forward to?

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Would you peel your scalp skin back? As the article states: …“sounds mildly terrifying: they start with a process called ‘skin-peturbation’ where the top layers of the scalp are peeled back.”

There’s a long way to go before Follica would be able to be taken to market, so I’m not going to get excited about it yet. I’ve seen a lot of promising “cures” go nowhere over the years. We shall see.

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I’m Not Sure If I Have Hair Loss or It is Just Looking Thinner When My Hair is Damp (with Photos) – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hey Doc,

I’m a little confused, and concerned about my hair. I went to a dermatologist last year as my scalp is inflamed and scabby, and was prescribed Ketopine shampoo. I also asked about my hair as I had been concerned about it, and was told I was not suffering from hair loss. However, I’ve recently had a hair cut, and it’s shorter than normal, and decided I’d take some pics, just to see what it was like. I’m a little uncomfortable by what I’ve seen, and I’m now I’m really quite worried as to whether I am suffering from hair loss, or whether the fact my hair was damp at the time of taking the (worse) pictures have contributed to my hair looking the way it does.

These pics were right after my hair cut, with damp hair. Different pics with flash, and others without: Photo. These are from before my hair cut, using the webcam on my computer to take the pics: Photo.

Finally, these two pics are from today, whilst my hair is dry. I have product in – I tend to always wear product to control my hair. This is just after getting up this morning, so I’ve not wash my hair or anything. Photo 1, Photo 2

As you can see, I’m a little confused as to whether it’s an illusion that my hair appears to be thinner, or if there genuinely is something going on. And I’m more confused by my dermatologist saying it was ‘fine’.

I appreciate that this is long and that there are many pics, but I don’t mind if you post anything. I’d just like to know if I’m worrying about nothing, or have a genuine reason to be concerned.

Thanks.

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I’ve only posted a couple of the photos here, though I kept all the links to additional pictures in your above letter for those that are curious.

 

I don’t know that you have anything to be worried about, nor do I know anything about your hair loss history (or even your age)… but if you were confused by what your dermatologist told you, you probably should’ve asked him/her for clarification.

Wet hair and harsh lighting could make your hair appear thinner, but by what I can see in the photos you sent, I am not seeing any loss even with the lighting and damp hair. That said, I have written about the hair bulk analysis we provide by using an instrument called HairCheck. When tested with this instrument, your donor area is compared to other parts of your scalp so that you will know with reasonable certainty if you are suffering from the balding process, even before you can see it.

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Hair Loss InformationI Take Finasteride Daily, Dutasteride Weekly, and Use Ketoconazole Shampoo – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello,

I am 29 years old and since 21 I’ve been on finasteride 1mg every single day. I started going bald at 14-15 years old with progressive receding of the corners. At 18, 19 years I was clearly a norwood 3. At 20 I noticed that my hair in general and mainly the frontal line was becoming more and more thinner, so at 21 I started my treatment with finasteride. I have to say that the results were better than I expected.

After 2 years I noticed my hair has become stronger and its quality improved significantly. The results were kept for more than 3 years. After that, I noticed a considerable reduction of the general volume of my hair that I could see (over strong light). I think today I am still a Norwood 3 and for people in general my balding can be hidden well, but the fact is that the genetic process is still running.

At the moment I am on finasteride every day, dutasteride once a week and ketoconazole shampoo twice a week. I would like an opinion about my situation. What more can I do to keep my hair and what is your prediction for a case like mine based on your experience over all these years? My father is bald and his process started very early too. Otherwise, my grandfather (mother’s side) has a head full of hair even in his 87 years.

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You are fighting your genetics… and your genetics will eventually prevail. Sorry to tell you the bad news.

I hope you are under the care of a doctor, because dutasteride and ketoconazole do not add much benefit in hair loss treatment. You are likely doing enough by taking finasteride daily. I don’t know how I can form an opinion about your situation without seeing you, though.

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Press Release – Histogen Receives Patent for Hair Growth Composition – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the press release:

Histogen, Inc., a regenerative medicine company developing innovative therapies based on the products of cells grown under simulated embryonic conditions, today announced that the United States Patent & Trademark Office has issued patent 8,535,913, entitled “Soluble Composition for Promoting Hair Growth Produced by Hypoxic Culture of Fibroblast Cells”.

The patent, which is the fourth US patent issued to the Company, covers the liquid composition of proteins and cofactors that is secreted by multipotent stem cells through Histogen’s technology process, and the method of administering that composition to stimulate hair growth. Histogen’s Hair Stimulating Complex (HSC), covered by this new patent, is in clinical development as an injectable treatment for male pattern and female diffuse hair loss.

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Read the rest — Histogen’s Composition for Hair Growth Receives US Patent

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Hair Loss InformationIn the News – Breakthrough in Producing Pluripotent Stem Cells – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

In 2007, Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka reprogrammed adult skin cells into a stem-like state using a quartet of genes. These induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) earned Yamanaka a Nobel Prize in 2012, kicked off a flood of research, and promised a way of growing bespoke tissues.

But reprogramming techniques are still notoriously inefficient. At best, they can convert around 10 percent of adult cells into iPSCs; often, they only manage around 0.1 percent. Worse still, the process seemed random, and it was impossible to predict which cells would be successfully reprogrammed.

This roadblock may be a thing of the past. Jacob Hanna at Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science has found a straightforward way of producing iPSCs with almost 100 percent efficiency. Hanna’s team simply disabled a single gene, Mbd3, which seems to repress pluripotency.

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Read the rest — Inducing Pluripotency Every Time

The techniques that have been known since Yamanaka’s research in 2007 were not efficient; however, doctors from all over the world are trying to do the same thing with more efficiency. These cells, if they can be produced, holds the secrets to regrowing or repairing organs, the dream of scientists world wide.

It seems to be a major breakthrough, and although much more research will be done, for those of you who keep writing to me to ask when we will see hair regeneration, perhaps the answer will come from this research.

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Hair Loss InformationDHT Peak Time? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear BaldingBlog,
I am wondering what time of the day DHT peaks? Surely if finasteride is consumed just before DHT levels peak, surely the efficacy of the drug must demonstrate higher efficacy – due to the short half-life of finasteride.
Thanks.

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Finasteride works at the follicle level and reflects the fixation of the drug to the receptors. This is not blood level responsive, so time of day really does not matter. DHT is made from testosterone which peaks in young men between 8-12 noon. In older men, the testosterone levels are more stable with only a modest decrease in the evening. I believe DHT and testosterone will follow each other, as DHT is a metabolite of testosterone.

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Hair Loss InformationI Switched From Minoxidil 5% to 2% Because of Shedding – And It Worked for 15 Months – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Doc.. you asked me to follow up on a previous post about a year ago to let you know my results. So I am now. I was on 5% non PG Dr. Lees formula for a some years. After the FDA closed him and others down I switched to Rogaine foam and had a terrible shed. I had a good hairline that was thinned considerably within 10 days. I called the company and they told me to stop use. I was extremely concerned what to do next.

I knew I’d have another terrible shed if I quit minoxidil completely so I went to 2% which had less pg. I was already on propecia. The results were what appeared to be stabilization with some slow loss. though about 15 months later i’ve noticed quite a shed. My guess that going from 5 to 2% had a negative effect but not as immediate as going from 5 to 0 would have been. That it took 15 months instead of the usual 4 to notice a big change.

I wish I started Propecia first and not minoxidil. I would rather have my hair dependent on Propecia than minoxidil..

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Thanks for the update. Best of luck with your continued hair loss battle.

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Raised Scars from Hair Plugs – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I was wondering if there is anything that can be done with raised scars on the top of the scalp from hair transplant plugs? I read there is a possibility of cortisone injections? What about just making the top of the head more dense with SMP?

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Everyone is different, so there’s no exact solution I can provide without seeing you and getting a better understanding of your individual case. Special cortisone injections may help, but that depends upon what we are treating. If the elevations are due to the mass displacement of the old plugs in atrophic skin, then the cortisone shots might not help.

Hair transplants around the plugs (especially in the frontal hairline) does wonders for camouflaging them, correcting the abnormal hairline — and then even Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP), when properly used in the right places, might help further.

I would have to see you to determine what can be done appropriately. Out of curiosity, how long ago was your hair transplant that you got the old plugs done?

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Since Starting Minoxidil, My Hairline Has Eroded Quickly – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Doctor, My question is that i have been using minoxidil liquid for the past 2 month and it has really damaged my hairline. Is there is chance that the lost hair will grow back. My hairline was receding before i started minoxidil liquid but i was losing hair very slowly. Also should i continue using minoxidil if i don’t see any results in 6 months time.

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Some patients have occasionally mentioned that they’ve seen shedding from the use of minoxidil and if it does, it usually stops 2-3 months later. The choice to continue with it is your choice to make and of course, you must consider the risk of the problem getting worse.

Minoxidil works best in the crown/top of the head, and I wouldn’t expect too much regrowth at the hairline from that medication.