Category: Hair Diseases

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In the News – Alopecia Areata Genes Discovered – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

Researchers have implicated eight genes in the development of alopecia areata, a disorder that causes hair to thin and fall out.

The genes are already associated with other autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes, meaning that drugs may already be in the pipeline that could benefit people with hair loss, the researchers said.

“This greatly accelerated our ability to think about new drugs for patients with alopecia areata because so much work has already been done in these other diseases,” said senior study author Angela Christiano, professor of dermatology and genetics & development at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. “It is a huge advantage.”

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Read the full story — Genes Tied to Hair Loss Disorder

This is a fantastic breakthrough and will hopefully lead to treatments for this disease. For more about alopecia areata, see the National Alopecia Areata Foundation.

More info about this new discovery might be in the articles at LA Times and CNN.

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Hair Loss InformationIn the News – Miss Delaware 2010 is Bald – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

Kayla MartellLike many beauty queens, Kayla Martell is beautiful, blue-eyed and out to support a good cause.

Martell, the newly crowned Miss Delaware 2010, also is completely bald. The 21-year-old pageant winner suffers from alopecia areata, a condition that causes hair loss and afflicts 4.7 million Americans, according to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation.

Sporting a blond wig, Martell beat out 15 other women — all with full heads of hair — to take home the Miss Delaware crown this month.

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Read the full story at AOL News — New Miss Delaware Says Bald Is Beautiful

This is quite the inspirational story and should help bring awareness to alopecia areata patients. She competed four previous times in the pageant before taking home the crown on June 12. Congratulations to Ms. Martell!

There’s also a video available within the article from the CBS Early Show that is worth a view, and you can learn more about the new Miss Delaware at her blog.

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Hair Loss InformationI Had Trichotillomania as a Teen, Now My Hair Is Thinning More – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Doc,

I am 24 years old and rapidly thinning out. I noticed this a little over two years ago as I was graduating college and it really hit me hard. I have had a tough time accepting it and it has crippled my confidence and social life.

In addition I had a severe case of Trichotillomania when I was in my teens years (13-15 or so). I would repeatedly rip my hair out with a brush in front of my bathroom mirror. I outgrew my bad habit eventually, but there is no doubt that this disease is the main reason for my permanent hair loss.

Is someone with my case treatable? And what steps should I take to start. I sincerely appreciate any feedback or comments.

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Wow, this is a difficult if not impossible request without a good examination of your hair and scalp. Many people with trichotillomania just continue the pulling and compounding the problem, so you need to be completely sure you’re not still doing this (perhaps without realizing it). With an examination, I’d be able to tell if you stopped pulling out your hair, a critical first step to solving your problem.

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Hair Loss InformationFinasteride Prevents a Quarter of Prostate Cancers from Developing? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Greetings Dr. Rassman,

I am a very happy patient of yours. (Background: I’ve had two procedures and am taking Propecia.)

I wanted to pass along the information below. Perhaps it would be useful for your blog. I was flying the other day, and in the airline magazine, there was an article on preventing cancer that mentioned finasteride: “Dr. Peter Greenwald, director of the Division of Cancer Prevention at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., notes that the drug finasteride could prevent about a quarter of prostate cancers from ever developing.”

Full Article: Pursuing Prevention

Best regards

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Thanks for sending this. The information about finasteride reducing the incidence of certain prostate cancers is correct, but that study is based on taking 5mg of finasteride daily (Proscar, a prostate treatment). I’ve actually been writing about this for years. Propecia is 1mg finasteride and you cannot establish an exact parallel, but the inference is there.

Many experts, however, feel that the 1mg dose may have the same impact as the 5mg dose, but without proof, one can not state this as a fact. The reference to Dr. Peter Greenwald is correctly stated, but the dose was not in the quote offered.

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Hypohidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have a condition called Hypohidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia and it affects the hair. I was wondering if you know anything about this condition? the hair loss is affecting my confidence. I am 21 and I live in Australia. I have asked the ozed support group and NFED and they weren’t much help. So can you please email me back and if you need any more info just ask.

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I know of the condition, but there’s not much that can be done to treat the thin hair associated with it. People with hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia often have a low number of hairs on the head and this produces a see-through appearance. This thin look can be helped with the use of concealers like Toppik or DermMatch, as this is a good, inexpensive way to produce the cover you need.

I’ve written more about these camouflaging agents in my book, Hair Loss and Replacement for Dummies (see chapter 8), and there might be more assistance you can find at the Ectodermal Dysplasia Society.

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Is the FDA Not Investigating Male Breast Cancer and Finasteride Links? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Drs,

What’s the incidence been of people using finasrteride to treat hair loss getting male breast cancer? I heard it’s high and that the FDA is not investigating it.

For people not wanting to take oral medication for hair loss, is there any other “gold standard” approach? Like minoxidil with alzeic acid or the like…

Finally, what’s your take on caffeine and soy protein (said to create a substance that stops DHT from being made).

Instead of focusing on lowering DHT levels, hasn’t there been research into stopping the hair follicle from reacting to DHT? I’m assuming the DHT was always there and then the hair follicle got programmed to be ruined by it, or does the DHT increase as a sign of aging.

Many thanks

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Huh? I don’t know where you heard the incidence of breast cancer from finasteride is high, but I’ll assume it’s F.U.D. as I’ve never seen any published medical studies showing that. I am not aware of any existing studies designed to connect breast cancer and finasteride. The FDA just announced they’re investigating finasteride and dutasteride (5-alpha reductase medications) in relation to breast cancer risks, but the probe just began .

Unfortunately, there is no “gold standard” medication for treating hair loss other than DHT blocking with finasteride. Minoxidil works, but the results are mixed.

There is no scientific proof of a connection between caffeine and soy protein and hair loss.

Finasteride is a competitive inhibitor for 5-alpha reductase and as such will compete with DHT at the hair follicle level.

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Using a Hair Relaxer While Alopecia Areata is in Remission – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Since last year I have been experiencing hair loss. I am a 49 year old african american female who in December 2009 had a noticeable bald spot that began appearing at the left side of my crown. From December until January 2010 the spot began to move from one side to another and then became quite bad. I finally went to see a physician who diagnosed me with autoimmune disease and alopecia. He prescribe a topical steroid (betamethasone dipropiontate lotion) and encouraged to take biotin. The back of the hair has grown back and now between a nickle and a quarter spot still remains at the crown. I am experiencing hair growth and to the roots it is quite coarse.

Would you recommend that I put a kiddie relaxer in it to get some of the thickness straighten out?

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Kiddie relaxerIf you are asking whether a hair relaxer will help or make your condition worse, I would guess “no” to both. If you are asking if a hair relaxer will help with your look, that’s a styling question and I would rather leave that up to you.

As far as I know, hair relaxer for kids contains the same chemicals as hair relaxer for adults, but it is just marketed differently. In other words, you still run the risk of causing chemical damage.

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Diabetes and Diffuse Thinning? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

hey doc,

just wondering, does diabetes have a role in hairloss? the worst person in my family was my grandfather who was a norwood 3 in his mid thirties and then lost it all. interestingly he had diabetes, and i noticed from pictures of him that he had diffuse thinning everywhere. when i looked it up on the internet it seems than diabetes causes diffuse thinning, is this true?
thanks

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Diabetes is a disease that affects multiple organ system. While not common, it can cause diffuse hair loss, particularly if it is not well controlled.

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Alopecia Barbae – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Doc,

Great Forum..Is alopecia barbae reversible? I came across a number of forums that mentioned that the use of cortisone shots in the affected region to be an effective treatment regimen for such syndromes…Do you concur with this?

Thanks

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Alopecia barbae is a variant of alopecia areata, but where alopecia areata refers to spots on the scalp, alopecia barbae would be similar spots in facial hair. This disease has its course, at times may spontaneously reverse, and sometimes can be modified through various treatments (including variations of cortisone placed into the impacted areas).

See the National Alopecia Areata Foundation for more about research and treatment options.

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Taking Trinovin with Finasteride? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello Doctor, I am 46, I’ve been on Proscar (cut in quarters, every second day) for 3 yrs now with good results in halting further loss & slight only thickening in the crown. The usual side effects I experience such as no morning erections anymore & only occasional unpredictable ED.I also use generic 5% Minoxidil every night. In Sept 08 I had 3,476 grafts which have grown pretty good with decent coverage as I have only very fine hair. Because of my fine hair I still use Couvre & Toppik with excellent results.

My question is prior to taking Finasteride I took a herbal over the counter tablet called Trinovin (containing Isoflavines) with good results for my since age 35 ish weak urine flow & in later yrs symptoms of BPH. I stopped Trinovin when I started Proscar as I wasn’t sure of the combo use but would like to try it again for the previous stronger results it gave me for urine flow. Will the Trinovin work in sync with the Finasteride or work against it causing bad results all around? Trinovin’s has a comprehensive website & it’s info seems to give the same sort of explanations in it’s workings as Finasteride, but I wanted to ask your opinion first before I try it as a combo. Thanks.

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TrinovinI hadn’t heard of Trinovin before (it’s made and promoted primarily in Australia), but upon looking at the product’s website it almost looks like it could be a medication in the way that it is marketed. As you point out, it’s actually an herbal product (red clover) that is said to treat prostate issues. Regular readers of this site know how I feel about most herbal treatments, and while in general there is nothing wrong with herbals, my motto has always been “buyer beware”. If it works for you, that’s great. I am not here to promote or discredit anything.

The US FDA lists red clover as “generally recognized as safe” but with that being said, I also cannot give you medical advice. I don’t think it would be an issue to take Trinovin with finasteride, but again, I’m really not familiar with this herb and I don’t want to guide you in the wrong direction. If you’re taking prescription finasteride and have had a history of prostate issues, you should be under the care of a doctor already. You need to tell your physician about your desire to get back on the Trinovin and see what he/she says. As an aside, I am a bit worried that you have been having these prostate problems since 35 years old, and even now you are still too young to be having these types of issues.