Archive for February 14th, 2010
Hair loss can be caused by different factors but heredity is the number one reason why men and women lose their mane. Hereditary hair loss in men and women has the same leading cause, which is dihydrotestosterone (DHT) attacking our hair follicles. DHT is a metabolite of the male hormone testosterone but it is also available in the female body. Men and women lose their hair not because of increased levels of DHT in their bodies but due to the susceptibility of their hair follicles to DHT attacks, although the exact mechanism and reasons why certain hairs, mostly those on the top of the head, are more vulnerable to such attacks are not yet know.
The main difference between the male and female form of hereditary hair loss is in its shape. The male form has a characteristic horseshoe pattern whereas the female form is typically a diffuse thinning across the entire scalp and is thus less easily-recognised. The female form of hereditary baldness is, in its form, practically indistinguishable from hair loss caused by various other factors. The second most common reason for a woman to lose her hair is hormonal imbalances during and after pregnancy or menopause. Such changes are typically of a temporary nature and so also is the hair loss, although post-menopausal hair loss is in most instances permanent.
When it comes to treating hair loss in women there are a number of specifics. First, most women do not make very good candidates for hair transplantation due to their diffuse thinning pattern, which makes it impossible to clearly identify the hair that will be resistant to future miniaturisation. Secondly, finasteride, which is one of the only two FDA-approved hair loss treatments available today, cannot be used in women and neither can dutasteride, which is its closest and assumedly yet more powerful relative. Rogaine (generic name minoxidil) is the second FDA-approved hair loss treatment and its approved concentration for women is only 2% versus 5% for men. However, many doctors around the world recommend their female patients use male formulations of minoxidil, with a concentration of 5%, such as Rogaine foam. Aminexil is a molecule similar to minoxidil and it is often recommended to women who are pregnant or breastfeeding as a safer option than minoxidil.
Although some antiandrogens such as finasteride (better known as Propecia) or dutasteride cannot be prescribed to women, there are other antiandrogen medications that can be effectively used to treat baldness in women. Spironolactone (trade name Aldactone) and cyproterone acetate (used in contraceptives such as Diane 35, Diane 50 and Ginette 35) are antiandrogens most commonly used to treat female pattern baldness.
Another treatment with satisfactory rates of success is topical estrogen solutions such as Crinohermal, which use a female hormone, estradiol, as their main active ingredient. Estradiol is capable of inhibiting the conversion of testosterone into follicle-harming DHT. Hormone replacement therapy is another hormonal treatment suitable for women at menopause, with estrogens and progesterone pills and creams being the most common forms of treatment. Estrogen levels in the body decline with time. As women enter the menopause, estrogen levels decline and thus more of the male hormone testosterone is then available to be converted into follicle-harming DHT.
The above list of treatments for female pattern hair loss is not exhaustive, though. A number of other remedies exist that are often claimed to help promote hair growth in women, such as ketoconazole, fluridil, flutamide, alfatradiol, as well as numerous substances of natural origin. Despite the fact that there are female patients who will swear by some of these treatments, none of them has ever been sufficiently clinically tested, let alone approved by any major national health supervisory authority as a treatment for female hair loss and the claims of their guaranteed effectiveness should be taken with a grain of salt.
When it comes to treating hair loss in women there are a number of specifics. First, most women do not make very good candidates for hair transplantation due to their diffuse thinning pattern. Secondly, finasteride, which is one of the only two FDA-approved hair loss treatments available today, cannot be used in women and neither can dutasteride, which is its closest and assumedly yet more powerful relative.
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There are already an increasing number of health conditions that pester the lives of many people and and one such condition is hair loss. You may think that this is not a serious problem but you’d better think twice. It may not be life threatening but it can cause a lot of embarrassment and some social awkwardness.
Hair loss is classified into different types. It is more commonly referred to as alopecia or baldness. You can’t possibly treat it if you don’t know the cause of the problem. This is the most common mistake many females commit when treating hair loss. They fail to identify the underlying causes of the problem.
Telogen effluvium is a common hair loss type which can occur in diffuse patterns. This condition exhibits hair shedding in the scalp and other parts of the body. Another type of hair loss has something to do with hormone production in the body and it is called androgenic alopecia. According to experts, this condition is largely brought about by the genetic predisposition of an individual. Androgenic alopecia is more noticeable in women when they reach their forties. 5 a-reductase and aromatase are the two enzymes that responsible for androgenic alopecia. In this condition, women experience hair thinning especially on the side and crown areas.
Alopecia areata affects about 2% of the United State’s population. It is considered as one of the immune diseases that often begin with small circular bald patches. If left untreated, the small patches will lead to extensive and chronic hair loss.
Some women feel that they lost their feminine side because of alopecia areata so you must act on it immediately. Don’t wait until it’s too late and the condition is already noticeable. The blood cells, particularly the white ones, attack your hair follicles which causes your hair to shed in large quantities.
Slight hair thinning can still be tolerated by women but total loss of hair is terribly heartbreaking. Since alopecia cannot be cured, a lot of women spend large amounts of money to consult hair specialists and use popular hair loss products sold in the market. They are unaware that without proper identification of the root cause of the problem, no amount of products can restore their lost hair.
Unhealthy care for your hair can lead to hair loss. Washing, brushing, and too much combing can break your hair strands. You must therefore have good caring habits for your hair. Make sure that you take vitamins to keep your existing hair healthy to prevent further shedding.
Other treatments may include therapies like anthralin or topical immunotherapy. Then there are surgical procedures like hair replacement, scalp reductions, and hair transplantations. Some of the popular products sold in the market are Rogaine or Minoxidil, Propecia, and Dutasteride. There are also natural treatments that you can turn to like herbal remedies and other natural hair loss products. You can also start keeping your body healthy by getting the proper amount of exercise and eating a balanced diet. A healthy body will also lead to healthy and beautiful hair.
The causes of hair loss in women are somewhat similar to men but there are also specific causes like pregnancy and menopause. If these two are the major causes, then you will not need any form of medication because as soon as the body functions return to normal, the hair cycle will also be restored. Your hair will start to grow normally again.
Some women feel that they lost their feminine side because of alopecia areata so you must act on it immediately. Don’t wait until it’s too late and the condition is already noticeable.
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Hair Loss Articles: http://www.article-buzz.com
By the time you finish reading this article, you should be armed with information that I hope will help you to make an informed decision about your receding hair line and what you can do to combat it. I want to talk to you today about natural hair loss products, and what natural ingredients like Saw Palmetto for hair loss can do for you.
Are you sick and tired of all the hype related to hair care products and all the various hair restoration systems out on the market today? If your reading this I assume, you like the estimated 20 million or so other Americans are suffering from thinning hair. What you need is good information, without the hype. That’s what I’m going to try to provide here for you today.
There are literally hundreds of products on the market today, and the truth of any of their claims is hard to verify without testing them for yourself, an expensive proposition to say the least. So what do you do? Well research like reading this article (by the way thank you) is a start, learn what type of hair loss you are experiencing from your doctor, not all types of receding hairlines can be effectively treated by herbal or natural products.
But if like 95% of all men and women experiencing a thinning of hair, your condition is male or female pattern baldness, then the good news is a cost effective and natural herbal hair product maybe able to help you stop your hair loss and re-grow some of the hair you have already lost.
So what to look for in a natural herbal hair product? Well you want to ensure you are using a product with a good combination of vitamin B6, Zinc, Biotin, and magnesium. In addition use a product with Saw Palmetto for hair loss treatments. Other natural ingredients shown to have benefited hair growth are Nettle Root, Muria Puama, and Pumpkin.
Most good natural herbal products will combine the above vitamins and herbs with an active medical ingredient for maximum effect.
Only one medical ingredient has been clinically tested and approved for use in re-growing receding hair for both men and women. The ingredient is Minoxidil, which is used to increase the blood supply to the areas that it is applied. This in turn increases the amounts of nutrients delivered to the hair follicles, preventing shrinkage and helps stimulate re-growth of hair in many cases.
I know your asking yourself how long before I see some results from a natural herbal hair loss product. Well the truth is, there is no standard answer results can vary from person to person. You should expect to be using the product for at least 4 months before you’ll notice results and perhaps as long as 6 months prior to being able to notice results. You will not re-grow your lost hair over night as if by magic. The good news is for users past 6 months some dramatic re-growth results have been reported.
These are the things I believe you MUST look for in a product if you want to see real hair growth from a natural herbal product on the market today. If you’d be interested in learning more about how natural herbal products can help you to re-grow your hair visit the link to my site below.
By the time you finish reading this article, you should be armed with information that I hope will help you to make an informed decision about your receding hair line and what you can do to combat it.
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Hair Loss Articles: http://www.article-buzz.com