Month: January 2023

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Kimchi may help grow hair, according to the paper below

Do Kimchi and Cheonggukjang Probiotics as a Functional Food Improve Androgenetic Alopecia? A Clinical Pilot Study.

Treatment

PURPOSE: Probiotic supplementation demonstrates beneficial effects on serum lipid profiles. We hypothesized that probiotics could benefit patients presenting with alopecia, secondary to improved blood flow to the scalp.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our study included men with stage II to V patterns of hair loss based on the Hamilton-Norwood classification and women with stage I to III patterns of hair loss based on the Ludwig classification. All patients were administered 80 mL of Mogut® (a kimchi and cheonggukjang probiotic product) twice a day. Hair growth and numbers were measured using the Triple Scope System® (KC Technology, Korea) at baseline and after 1 and 4 months of administration of a kimchi and cheonggukjang probiotic product.

RESULTS: At baseline, the mean hair count was 85.98±20.54 hairs/cm² and the mean thickness was 0.062±0.011 mm in all patients (n=46). Hair count and thickness had significantly increased at 1 month (90.28±16.13 hairs/cm² and 0.068±0.008 mm, respectively) and at 4 months (91.54±16.29 hairs/cm² and 0.066±0.009 mm, respectively). In this study, we found that a kimchi and cheonggukjang probiotic product could promote hair growth and reverse hair loss without associated adverse effects such as diarrhea.

CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that the observed improvements in hair count and thickness resulted from initiation of the anagen phase in hair follicles in response to probiotics.


2021-01-04 14:46:41Kimchi may help grow hair, according to the paper below

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Kidney Stones and Hair Loss

hello doctor,
i’m a 27 yrs old Sri Lankan woman and have always had thin, fine and flyaway hair (no bald spots). In 2005, I went to Canada for a project and stayed there for a year. During this time, my hair fall was alarming. I came back to my home country in early 2006 and eventually learned that I had kidney stones, which could have been the reason for my hair loss. But that was a year back, and in the past 6 months I have become bald near the crown. I have been to so many dermatologist, but none are able to pinpoint a definite cause for my problem. One says it is telogen effluem, another says it’s just chronic dandruff, and an ayurvedic practitioner told me that it could be bcos of aggravated sinusitis. I am simply lost. Everyday I lost about 100 hairs. Please help… what should I do now?

You need to be examined by an expert. I would doubt dandruff, kidney stones, or sinusitis as a cause. Sounds like you have a problem that under good medical care, a diagnosis can be understood.


2007-03-15 14:18:32Kidney Stones and Hair Loss

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Kidney Disorder, Propecia and Rogaine?

Hi Doc
Can a person with Kidney disorder take Propecia or can he apply Rogaine.

Thanks

Finasteride (Propecia) is metabolized in the liver so the presence of kidney disease is usually not a problem for taking this medication. For liver disease, finasteride could be a problem and you must check that out with your doctor.

In the case of minoxidil, the presence of kidney disease will cause more retention of the drug in your body, so there could be a greater impact if you take regular doses of minoxidil as the blood levels may rise.


2010-04-20 12:17:33Kidney Disorder, Propecia and Rogaine?

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Kevis Reps Told Me There was a 90%+ Success Rate, But I’m Still Losing Hair!

Hi Doc!

I have been losing my hair for about 4 years now. I have used a number of products already including Avacore, Rogaine and most recently Kevis. I have been using Kevis now for about 6 months with no results. I have been losing more hair then I have ever lost on the other products though the people at Kevis had told me that I would not lose any hair and that the success rate is over 90%. They also said that I will see results within 2-3 months and when I told them that I dont see anything they said that I will have to wait 6-9 months before seeing any results and that I will have to double the dose. I am now completely bald at the sides- in the front and the middle is thinning terribly. I really want to stop using Kevis but I’d like to know if there is anything you recommend doing as an alternative hair loss program.

Thank you so much for your help.

What you are telling me is that you believed what you were told by salesmen who profited by giving you advice. Bad advice that ended up putting more money in their pockets. That is a shame. The ingredient in Kevis that the company promotes as HUCP is hyaluronan (hyaluronic acid), which is a supplement commonly used to treat joint pain — not hair loss. That is just one of a handful of ingredients listed, including water, alcohol, sorbic acid (a food preservative), and biotin (which is also known as vitamin B7). Although the product packaging and website certainly look slick, there is no science here. I can’t even find any before / after photos on their website, which should tell you something about the product right off the bat. All I see there are stock photos of happy people with full heads of hair.

Although I don’t know your age, I’m going to assume you are in your early to mid 20s. You should have seen a doctor and instead of wasting your money and the precious hair that you may have lost forever because of the delays, you should have been put on Propecia (finasteride 1mg). Propecia is the only oral FDA approved treatment for hair loss and it would’ve almost certainly halted the loss a 20 year old (again, just guessing on your age). It’s still not too late to do it right, so see a good doctor (dermatologist or hair transplant surgeon who is ethical) and get on the track to the correct treatment. The other treatments you mentioned (Avacor and Rogaine) are minoxidil, which apparently does not work on you.


2008-07-21 10:15:55Kevis Reps Told Me There was a 90%+ Success Rate, But I’m Still Losing Hair!

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I have been diagnoses with Keratosis pilaris, can I still have a hair transplant?

Yes, Keratosis Pilaris is a benign condition and it is harmless. Some people describe these bumps as ‘goosebumps’. If it produces itchiness and dryness it can be treated with lotions and lanolin. If the appearance of these bumps bothers you, soften your skin with lotions. Treatment can ease the symptoms and help you see clearer skin and have less itch. This is not a contraindication for hair transplants

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Kelly Osbourne Going Bald?

Kelly Osbourne

What do you think about the news that rocker Ozzy Osbourne’s pop-singer daughter Kelly has revealed she is going bald? The article is here: InsideOnline.com

The article shows what can happen when hair is abused. If the abuse stops and she is losing her hair secondary to the abuse, then it MAY return. If she continues abusing it (which is what the article implies), it may become a permanent type of negative balding, just the opposite of what she is trying to achieve.


2006-02-22 10:26:59Kelly Osbourne Going Bald?

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Keeping Up with Hair Transplants Once Finasteride Loses Effectiveness

Doc,

It appears that most of the hair transplant examples I’ve seen have tended to be transplants around the hairline (and hair combed back in most cases too) versus crown transplants. If one suffering from MPB were to undergo a hairline transplant and be on Propecia (for the crown) indefinitely, there will inevitably come a time (5+ years) when even the finasteride will wear out in terms of its effectiveness in keeping the crown hair. Does that mean that a series of hair transplants are required to “keep up” with the rate of hair loss overtime?

To give this question the respect it deserves, one needs to understand the natural progression of genetic male patterned balding. This is a progressive process that will eventually lead to a final pattern consistent with your genetically predetermined pattern. Look at the Norwood classification chart for hair loss and you will see a series of patterns. These can be the ‘end stage’ of the hair loss or they may be intermediate stages leading to a more advanced stage along the progression indicated in the Norwood scale. The problem is that you really do not know (for sure) where you will end up, but there are many ways to estimate where you might be by looking at:

  1. Your miniaturization map of your scalp. The final pattern may very well show some degree of miniaturization, even if you are not frankly balding yet.
  2. Your family pattern and see if you can identify (a) the worst case in the family or (b) the person whose pattern you believe you are following. Then you might be able to ascertain your final pattern (an educated guess).

If your final pattern is not the more advanced patterns (demand for hair) and if your hair density is adequate (supply), then you might be able to keep up with the progression of your balding as it is happening. If, however, the final pattern will be a Class 5, 6 or 7 pattern, you might not be able to keep up with the balding process with additional transplants because you may run out of donor hair (supply). The one clear point I wish to make is that you need to have a Master Plan to take in your worst case scenario and you must have a doctor who you can trust to work with you on that plan. The Master Plan has one objective and that is that no matter what happens, your hair restoration surgeries should always leave you with a natural appearance. Too many patients and doctors think in the short term, and think that the hair transplant will solve the problems of balding. That may not be realistic, so the relationship between the patient and the doctor is all important.

If you are having your first surgery when you are 24 years old and you are supposed to become a class 6 or 7 in the future, even though you are only a class 3 now, it is likely to assume that you need more than one surgery. On the other hand, if you are 35 and have almost reached the end of your hair loss process, you may be done with just one procedure and may never need another surgery. You have to understand that Propecia is not a permanent solution, but it does slow down the loss process in most men. Sooner or later, your hair loss will catch up until that final hair loss pattern is reached. Taking Propecia (Finasteride) may prolong the outcome, but the final pattern is probably inevitable.

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Keeping the dying hair growing

Hello Doc, I’m 26 and taking minoxidil twice a day, finasteride, and doing microneedling twice a day. I take other medications as well. I will not quit medication because of the hair loss that I could get. Could you kindly tell from your point of view. What could be the reason of such an extremely fast diffuse thinning. I have developed a great deal of reversal from my Norwood Class 6 pattern of extreme thinning. Many of the hairs got thicker and new hairs grew out. Could the new regrowth cause the hair to thicken in next cycle? I know that is 6 months progress but maybe your experience give me more hope 🙂 Number of new hairs is quite big but they do not cover scalp completely. Is the diameter of each hair a key to success ? What can i expect ? Should I change finasteride to dutasteride or fin will be sufficient?

I saw your photos on a previous post on reddit and you indeed did partly reverse extensive thinning of the Norwood Class 6 pattern of balding showing before you started treating it. You asked a complex question. Hair growth (Anagen) seems to be induced by wound healing (microneedling) in early balding or thinning but without constant stimulus, I believe that these hairs are eventually doomed. I believe that ingrained in each hair is a biologic clock that dictates the number of hair cycles a hair has when exposed to DHT. This can be altered with drugs and certainly its environment (hormones). Estrogens, for example, when present in significant concentrations without large amounts of testosterone (most females), seem to dictate a different number of hair cycles (women don’t develop Male Patterned Balding). This is just one example. As many of the readers know, I am working with a major university on a solution that might maintain anagen (hair growth) keeping it in its normal cycle, and possibly re-induce the anagen cycle again to the same hair when it goes through telogen. In a male, a normal hair cycle might be 2 – 3 years, so it will take time for us to know. Until we try it in humans, I can’t comment further. We intend to use this discovery in a clinical trial sometime this year and from it, a new treatment for hair loss may arise.