Category: Other

Snippet from the article (unrelated to hair loss):

In a dramatic breakthrough that could affect millions of lives, scientists have been able to show for the first time that the body’s immune defences can destroy the common cold virus after it has actually invaded the inner sanctum of a human cell, a feat that was believed until now to be impossible.

The discovery opens the door to the development of a new class of antiviral drugs that work by enhancing this natural virus-killing machinery of the cell. Scientists believe the first clinical trials of new drugs based on the findings could begin within two to five years.

Read the full story — A cure for the common cold may finally be achieved as a result of a remarkable discovery in a Cambridge laboratory

We’ve all gotten sick from time to time, but could the common cold be a thing of the past within the next decade? We’ll have to wait and see. Lots of speculation considering the clinical trials won’t start for years from now.

Snippet from the article:

According to Spanish researchers, screenings for urinary symptoms in men with androgenetic alopecia (AGA, more commonly known as male-pattern baldness) could help with earlier identification of those who could benefit from treatment to prevent benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Their rationale: Men with male-pattern baldness have higher than normal levels of 5-alpha-reductase, the chemical that converts the male hormone testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, the active form of male hormone within the prostate.

Male-pattern baldness, which accounts for almost all hair loss in men, results from a genetic malfunction that causes hair follicles to become more susceptible and shrink in the presence of dihydrotestosterone. Over time, the affected hair follicles stop producing hair. The chemical 5-alpha-reductase also plays a key role in the development of BPH. When testosterone is converted to the more potent dihydrotestosterone by 5-alpha-reductase, it can cause the prostate to enlarge, eventually leading to BPH and LUTS.

Read the full story — Male-Pattern Baldness and BPH: What’s the Connection?

In case you don’t want to read the whole thing, here’s a quick two sentence summary: If you’ve got genetic hair loss, you should get screened for prostate problems. The researchers found that in the 30 men they examined, all of them had larger prostates than the control group of men without hair loss.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

I am a healthy 21 year old female. When my hair falls out, each strand has a white coating *surrounding* the white bulb. This ‘coating’ is usually white, also (sometimes it’s off-yellow). It’s a hard substance. You can scrape it off, and then you’ll see the normal white bulb.

Please help! What is this and what can be done? I am afraid it is causing hairloss.

The white coating is likely sebum, and this is normal. It isn’t causing hair loss. It is a regular part of hair anatomy that acts as the body’s own conditioner, of sorts.

Dear Doctor Rassman,

In your juvenile hairline post I noticed something. In all pictures you used overhead harsh lighting. Therefore you see scalp in the juveile hairline of the woman and the man, and in the mature hairline of the handsome lad ;), with hair that is combed back.

Is it normal to be able to see some scalp at the juvenile frontal hairline under harsh lighting? Is this what we call a transition zone?

I must compliment you on the honest pictures used on your site and blog. Amazing results! Keep up the good work with your blog.

Yes, you are on target with your thinking. Everyone has a see-through transition zone… and under harsh lighting more scalp will be visible.

Snippet from the article:

Other males may worry that losing their hair will make them less appealing. But for Guru the chimpanzee, his baldness has turned him into a star attraction. The 20-year-old, who is suffering from alopecia, has lost the hair from all over his body.

But the mischievous chimp still brings hundreds of visitors flocking to Mysore Zoo in southern India – despite greeting them by throwing stones. Dr Suresh Kumar, a zoo vet, said: ‘Everybody wants to see his biceps and triceps.

Read the full story (with many more photos) at DailyMail UK – Guru the chimp suffering from alopecia looks human

This is the 2nd bald chimp in the news this month. You may recall we mentioned Jambo the chimpanzee from the UK with alopecia… and now here’s Guru from India!

The article points out that Guru still gets down to business by throwing his poo at visitors to the zoo, so at least his alopecia hasn’t left him feeling depressed.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of head massage with oil? Some people get a vigorous head massage using olive/coconut oil. Whats your opinion?

My opinion is that a head/scalp massage feels nice, and I quite enjoy the smell of coconut oil. Aside from relaxation and perhaps stress relief, massages with coconut or olive oil do not have any association with hair loss (if that is what you were asking). I’ve also read that the oils can help if you have a dry scalp, but I’ve never used them for that.

There are lots of claims about scalp massage being a way to treat hair loss due to helping with blood flow throughout the scalp, but blood flow issues aren’t usually the cause of hair loss. Genetics are the reason for the great majority of hair loss cases, not poor circulation.

Snippet from the article:

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association confirms that postmenopausal women who take combined hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are at an increased risk of dying from breast cancer.

“Women on combined hormone therapy with estrogen plus progestin were twice as likely to die from breast cancer compared to women receiving placebo,” says medical oncologist and study author Dr. Rowan Chlebowski.

The researchers looked at more than 16,000 postmenopausal women who were part of a large government study called the Women’s Health Initiative.

Read the full text at CNN – HRT increases breast cancer death risk, study confirms

This isn’t obviously about hair loss, but important information for the many women that read this site (or if your spouse, mother, sister, whomever is undergoing hormone replacement therapy).

Dr Rassman,

Hello and good day sir. I wanted to ask you a question but I first have to thank you for this wonderful resource you have provided here. My question is simple. This post is dated July 5th, 2007.

Have you finalized that baldness calculator yet? It sounds like an interesting tool and unless I missed an update in your archives (sorry if I did) I was hoping to see how that patent of yours is coming along. It would be nice to finally have a way to gauge how bald someone will become.

Your time is greatly appreciated. Thanks

The patent was filed but not ruled on by the patent office, which is now taking 3-5 years to process. We have held up doing more work on it until the US Patent office issues our patent, then we will have the economic advantage to produce it.

Here’s the patent application for those interested — Apparatus and Method for Mapping Hair Metric.