Category: Hair Loss Causes

The following is taken from MSN Lifestyle:

1. HOW HAIR TURNS GREY

Hair grows in a follicle, a bulb-like tube on your scalp. The average head has 100,000 to 150,000 follicles, each operating independently from the others. Hair in its basic, unpigmented state is white. It gets its color from melanin, a pigment that also determines skin color. Two types of melanin, eumelanin (dark brown or black) and phaeo-melanin (reddish yellow), combine to make all the hair colors. One hypothesis for why hair goes grey is that aging slows or stops the hair from accessing the melanin, so it comes out grey, silver, or white instead.

3. GREYING IS CAUSED BY HEREDITY

When you’re born, your genes are already hardwired for when and how your hair will turn grey. This includes premature greying—people who grey before age 30 usually do so because it runs in the family. For most of us, greying starts in middle age. Dermatologists go by the 50/50/50 rule of thumb: by age 50, half the population will have at least 50 percent grey hair—although a worldwide survey showed that number was much lower, with only 6 to 23 percent of people half grey by age 50.

4. RACE IS ALSO A FACTOR

In a related matter, race also determines when you’re likely to grey. In general, Caucasians gray in their mid-30s, Asians in their late-30s, and African Americans in their 40s.

5. PLUCKING ONE GREY HAIR WILL NOT CAUSE THREE TO GROW IN ITS PLACE

This old wives’ tale is a myth. Each follicle can contain only one hair, and plucking it won’t make it able to produce multiple hairs. Furthermore, what you do to one follicle has no effect on the ones around it. That said, excessive plucking isn’t a good idea—it can damage the follicles and even stop hair production in that area altogether.

6. STRESS PROBABLY PLAYS A ROLE IN GREYING

When President Obama went grey his first term in office, was it stress, age, or a combination of both? Scientists aren’t sure. While some researchers say that your genes alone are responsible for grey hair, others say that there seems to be a connection between greying and stress, just no direct link to prove it. In 2011, a study by Nobel Prize winner Robert Lefkowitz discovered that long-term productions of the body’s fight or flight response—the instinctive ability to mobilize energy in response to a threatening situation—can damage your DNA and cause premature aging, including greying hair.

7. TRAUMA WON’T MAKE YOU GO GREY OVERNIGHT

Another myth is that a major shock will cause your hair to suddenly turn grey. This is sometimes called the Marie Antoinette Syndrome because the French queen’s hair supposedly turned white the night before she was beheaded. But hair, once grown, doesn’t change color, so waking up with a head of white hair isn’t going to happen. Although there is a very rare condition where all of the colored hairs can fall out, leaving only white hairs behind, the simpler answer is that Marie Antoinette probably just took off her wig.

8. SMOKING MAY CAUSE YOU TO PREMATURELY GREY

Multiple studies have linked smoking with premature aging, which includes early greying. In 2013, a study found that there is a significant relationship between smoking and grey hair in people under 30. In fact, “smokers were two and half times more prone to develop PHG” or premature hair greying.

9. BODY HAIR ALSO TURNS GREY

All your body hair—chest, nose, pubic, etc.—can turn grey. Body hair tends to grey at a different rate than the hair on your head, which is why some men can have grey beards and brown hair, or vice versa. By the way, dyeing grey pubic hair is a thing.

10. SOMEDAY, RESEARCH MAY LEAD TO A GREY HAIR CURE

Scientists in Europe discovered a breakthrough with vitiligo, a disease where skin loses pigment and develops white patches. Like hair, vitiligo is caused by “massive oxidative stress via accumulation of hydrogen peroxide,” causing the skin to bleach itself from the inside out. Researchers have successfully treated the discolored skin and eyelashes of vitiligo patients, which has led some to predict a potential cure for grey hair. But while the idea sounds promising, history is full of tonics and creams claiming to cure grey hair. As far as we know, none of them have worked yet.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2015/12/08/fda-clears-cold-cap-to-save-hair-during-breast-cancer-chemo.html

A number of times we wrote about the use of the Cold Cap for people who have cancer and did not want to lose their hair during chemotherapy. The stories I followed included a relative of mine who was able to hold on to 80% of her hair under chemotherapy for breast cancer. Another patient held on to his hair with chemotherapy for lung cancer. The value of this technology is absolutely clear and now the FDA has formally cleared the technology for clinical use. It was interesting to hear the stories from some of the patients I followed. Their doctors were somewhat resistant to this technology but because the patients insisted on it, they allow its use in their Chemotherapy Centers. Keeping ones hair during chemotherapy gives dignity to many such patients and helps reduce the stigma associated with these horrible diseases.

There seems to be an impact when obese men have children. The same may apply to women as well, but the study that is referenced here (December 3, 2015 The Scientist by Karen Zusi) states “Obese men have information that can be transferred to children that could potentially affect their eating behavior. And this information can be changed if obese men lose weight,” said Barrès. “Our study doesn’t show what is transmitted to children, but it is likely that something is transmitted and it will change brain development and behavior.”

The study is a “provocative start to asking some really interesting questions,” said Tracy Bale, a neuroscientist at the University of Pennsylvania who studies stress-related epigenetics in mice. “The big picture here is fascinating. It does support the very important potential role of the environment to influence epigenetic marks in dads’ germ cells.”

The concept of a nocebo (a psychogenic effect of a drug) has been discussed in the various studies which focus on the sexual side effects of the drug Propecia (finasteride). The significant ‘hype’ on the internet, has driven many people to the conclusions that if they take this drug, they will become impotent. As doctors, we must discuss potential and known side effects of any drug we prescribe, but what happens following the disclosures, the patients read the internet and find many, many panicky young men who report sexual impotence from taking the drug. Is it real? We don’t know but what we do know is that many studies from other countries have not shown the high sexual side effects reported in the United States. So is this a Nocebo effect resulting from panicky people who read bulletin boards and web sites which focus on this issue.

Dr. Robert Haber, a very respected hair transplant surgeon from Ohio, started to test the concept of a nocebo effect and the general side effects on sex drive and sexual performance using patients who came into his office. This is an early report of his initial findings.

Hi,
I am curious. I have been taking Finasteride (1mg) for about six months now. I am a female of 46 years old.
I see that most of the comments are from men and that is why I am wondering if women can experience similar symptoms. I have already suffered from anxiety and panic attacks in the distant past but since six months they have come back and are much worse than ever before. I feel anxious all the time, I am not sleeping and I have panic attacks daily. I am wondering if it is the meds doing that? Could another woman tell me if this could be a possible reason for my extreme symptoms please. It is the only thing I can think of at this time. I am very upset and feel just awful every day. Those attacks are limiting my life and making feel so depressed. I had them under control before but cannot control them today! I am almost hoping it could be the Finasteride I am taking because I have read all the comments on this forum and many people have experienced the same as me. I appreciate any guidance. Thank you.
Marianne

First and foremost you need to go back to your doctor and discuss these issues.

Finasteride is NOT to be taken by women.

Hi Doc, I read on a website that a doctor is offering FUE surgery at $0.50 that is 50 cents a graft in Pakistan. What do you think?

Your guess is as good as mine. I really can’t validate this claim.

There was a sarcastic remark made about the Taliban and how it may relate to prices. Apparently it offended a few readers. We apologize for the insensitivity to those who were sensitive to the comments.

Had, what I feel was very successful strip surgery graft to frontal area at beginning of year. Full natural hairline . In light of this, pursued transplant to crown at different center (for geographical/practical reasons) Was disappointed that rather than 1,500 or so grafts promised only 900 were done. Reason given was lack of scalp laxity. Multi unit hair grafts were used for a total of 4,500 hairs. Crown area is question was about 14 sq in (35 sq cm) My hair is somewhat coarse, not particularly fine. I’m not fair skinned. Was interested in your opinion as to what your best guess would be in terms of final density.

I am not here to “guess”. You have specific numbers and it is merely about doing the math.

It is worrisome how 900 grafts will total 4500 hairs. This equals 5 hairs per graft. This is highly suspicious since most people have an average of 2 hairs per graft.

Your 900 grafts in a 35 sq cm equals 26 grafts per sq cm. If you really have 4500 hairs in a 35 sq cm that would be 129 hairs per sq cm.

An average non balding scalp may have 100 grafts (200 hairs) per sq cm.

If you had a successful surgery with one doctor and had a disappointing experience with the second doctor, maybe you should follow up with the first doctor.