Archive for March 3rd, 2010
About Propecia
Propecia is used for the treatment of male pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) in men with established efficacy in ages between 18 to 41 years. But, hair re-growth is possible only in men with mild to moderate hair loss of the vertex and anterior mid-scalp area. However, the efficacy of Propecia has not been established in men with bitemporal recession.
Finasteride, the main ingredient in Propecia, blocks the conversion of testosterone into DHT, thereby stopping hair loss and aiding in hair re-growth. Finasteride comes in tablet form and is available in strength of 1mg only for hair loss treatment. In addition, numerous side effects have been reported with this drug, including impotence, decreased libido, and breast enlargement.
Brand-name finasteride (Proscar or Propecia) is manufactured by Merck and Co., Inc.
About Male Pattern Baldness
Male pattern baldness is a universal condition found in men who experience thinning of the hair on the scalp which starts with a gradual decline in men in their 20s. Oftentimes, this thinning of hair results in a receding hairline and/or balding on the top of the head.
It is generally believed by the doctors that male pattern baldness is by and large due to heredity and in addition, depends on hormonal effects also. This type of hair loss is generally referred to as androgenetic alopecia.
Hair is made up of hair follicles which are tiny pouch like bags found just under the surface of the skin. A single hair will stay in the follicle for about 3 years which is then shed and a new hair grows from the same follicle. This cycle of growth, shedding and new growth goes on throughout one’s life. The following pattern thought to occur in men as they gradually become bald which includes:
• Affected hair follicles on the scalp gradually become smaller than normal
• As the follicle shrinks, each new hair is thinner than the previous one
• Before falling out, each new hair grows for much less time than the normal 3 years or so
• Eventually, all that remains is a much smaller hair follicle and a thin stump of hair that does not grow out to the skin surface
Male hormones are responsible for these changes. Hair follicles convert testosterone, the male hormone, into another hormone called dihydrotestosterone. For reasons not yet unveiled, affected hair follicles become more sensitive to dihydrotestosterone, which causes the hair follicles to shrink. However, it is known that different hair follicles are affected at different times which make the balding process gradual.
Moreover, it is also not clear why only scalp hair is affected, and not the hair in the other areas like the beard or the armpits in men. But, male pattern baldness occurs gradually over time. Similarly, Propecia also has a gradual effect on hair re-growth.
Propecia for Men Hair Loss treatment
For most men, Propecia aids in increasing the number of scalp hair in the first year of treatment itself. Propecia helps to fill in the thin or balding areas of the scalp. In addition, hair loss slows down. Although, the results may vary, generally it is not possible to re-grow all of the lost hair. However, there is no proof as to Propecia working in the treatment of receding hairline in the temporal area on both sides of the head.
Propecia must be taken daily for three months or more before any benefit can be seen. Known to work over the long term, Propecia is an ongoing treatment for hair re-growth. However, if Propecia has not worked for you in twelve months, further treatment is not likely to bring any benefit. In addition, if Propecia intake is stopped, there will be a likely loss in the hair that was gained within 12 months of stopping treatment.
How does Propecia work?
Finasteride, the main ingredient in Propecia, is a competitive and specific inhibitor of Type II 5a-reductase, an intracellular enzyme that converts the androgen testosterone into DHT. Two distinct isozymes found in humans, Type I and II, are differentially expressed in tissues at different developmental stages. In humans, Type I 5a-reductase is predominant in the sebaceous glands including the scalp and liver and is responsible for approximately one-third of circulating DHT. Meanwhile, Type II 5a-reductase isozyme is primarily found in the prostate, seminal vesicles, epididymides, hair follicles and the liver and is responsible for two-thirds of the circulating DHT.
In humans, finateride’s mechanism of action is primarily based on its preferential inhibition of the Type II isozyme. For both isozymes, finasteride inhibits and reduces the inhibitor to dihydrofinasteride. The turnover for the enzyme complex is slow and therefore the hair re-growth is slow.
Finasteride has no similarity with the androgen receptor and has no androgenic, antiandrogenic, estrogenic, antiestrogenic, or progestational effects. Propecia produces a rapid reduction in serum DHT concentration and has the ability to reach about 65% suppression within 24 hours of taking the 1mg oral dose.
In men with androgenetic alopecia, the balding scalp contains miniaturized hair follicles and increased amounts of DHT as compared to a hairy scalp. Use of Propecia successfully reduces scalp and serum DHT concentrations in these men. By this mechanism, finasteride interrupts a key factor in the progress of androgenetic alopecia in those patients who are genetically predisposed.
Who should buy Propecia?
Propecia has been introduced for the treatment of male pattern hair loss in men and should not be taken by women or children. Propecia can be taken by:
• Men only above the age of 18 years
• Anyone who is not allergic to any of the ingredients of Propecia
Women who are or may potentially be pregnant should not use Propecia or handle crushed or broken Propecia tablets. Because, if a pregnant woman with a male baby absorbs the active ingredient in Propecia, either by swallowing or through the skin, it may cause abnormalities to foetus’ genital organs.
Propecia dosages
Propecia 1mg tablet is meant for oral administration and is the recommended daily dosage. These tablets are film-coated and contain 1mg of finasteride. it may be administered with or without meals.
In general, three months of regular use of Propecia is required before any benefit can be observed. Continuous use is recommended to sustain gained benefits. Withdrawal of treatment will lead to reversal of effect within 12 months.
Coated Propecia tablets help prevent contact with the active ingredient finasteride during normal handling, provided that the tablets are not broken or crushed.
Propecia (finasteride) is a synthetic 4-azasteroid compound and a specific inhibitor of steroid Type II 5a-reductase which is an intracellular enzyme that converts androgen testosterone into 5a-dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
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It is not for nothing that hair has often been called a woman’s ‘crowning glory’. A vital physical attribute, hair is such an asset that it can make a plain woman look stunningly attractive. No wonder than that most women are highly alarmed at the mere thought of them being suffering hair loss.
The most common reason for hair loss in women is ‘androgenetic alopecia’. It leads to immediately noticeable thinning of hair, especially at the top and side areas of the scalp. Female alopecia or female-patterned baldness is a condition that makes an estimated one-third of women vulnerable to hair loss. Though some alarmingly unfortunate instances have been noted to take place at puberty stage, this type of hair loss usually occurs when women are in their postmenopausal stages.
Another hair loss condition in females is – ‘anagen effluvium’, wherein hair strands may not have yet reached the final stage of their life cycle. However, with the use of certain agents, like medications that are administered internally, still-growing hair follicles can be poisoned and eventually finished.
Conversely, ‘telogen effluvium’is a condition of female hair loss wherein there are more hair strands reaching the telogen stage than what their number should usually be.
A number of factors may be held responsible for ‘telogen effluvium’, namely:
Stress
Though stress is considered to be a psychological factor, it can often be caused by an unnatural physical condition like having just undergone surgery and experiencing the changes it created on your body. Crash dieting, anemia, and various kinds of illnesses can also result in undue stress.
Excessive loss of hair could well be a result of emotional and psychological factors inducing stress. The problem can be aggravated at the time of grief over the death of a loved one or a mental illness.
Medications
A person can temporarily suffer hair loss as a result of a number of medications and treatments. People on medications in the case of high blood pressure, or gout can certainly show symptoms of hair loss. Extra care should also be taken with medications containing great quantities of Vitamin A, as these can also induce hair loss.
Hormones
During the course of menopause, or while experiencing pre-menopausal or postmenopausal symptoms, women become exposed to the condition of hair loss, as are women who are using birth control pills or are pregnant. This is primarily due to the hormonal changes or abnormalities their bodies are being subjected to.
Once the underlying cause of ‘telogen effluvium’ is found out and effectively treated, the hair will gradually begin to return to its normal condition.
It is not correct to assume that frequency of shampooing hair can cause hair loss, even though harsh or strong chemicals in shampoo products are sometimes blamed for hair loss. At times, some of your hair strands may come to be loosened up with shampoos and cause you to shed more than usual, but affected hair strands may be those already in the ‘telogen’ stage and would have fallen out in any case. However alarming this temporary condition may be, your body mechanism will automatically replace the lost hair!
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Hair loss is a natural phenomenon that is prevalent globally, irrespective of gender, race or culture. There are various hair loss treatments available in the market. It can be treated using chemical based medications or using hair transplantation mechanism. However, the later one is not accepted by every one due to its radical character.
Some people do not prefer to adopt chemical based medicine due to its inevitable side effects. However, a majority of individuals actually depend on natural hair loss remedy. This remedy is not limited to any particular herbs or nature derived vitamins, but the area is truly vast and is found to be effective in most of the cases without any apparent side effects associated with it. This article focuses on some of the useful common herbs and their role as natural hair loss remedy.
Green Apples
A natural polyphenol compound derived from green apple is found to be effective in promoting the growth of the hair. This is especially beneficial for men in their male pattern baldness. Research has shown that the appropriate and continual usages of this naturally derived polyphenol for a minimum period of 6 months can effectively prop up both vellus and terminal hair growth in a significant fashion. Vellus hair refers to the short hair which never grows longer with time.
On the other hand, terminal hair refers long hair that keeps increasing. A various number of studies have reported that it is beneficial for majority number of individuals. These studies also confirmed that after using this natural hair loss remedy, the quality of hair also improves quite significantly. Studies also showed that only apple extract can work well for new hair growth, it also nourishes hair naturally.
Omega 3 and Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Omega 3 and Omega 3 fatty acids are rich with anti-inflammatory property. These are useful for treating hair problems as well as for maintaining healthy hair. Research has shown that if you increase the quantity of omega 3 fatty acid to a substantial amount, it can actually help in hair loss. You may have it from soybean oil and canola oil, which you directly apply on your scalp by mixing it with coconut oil. Also you may have salmon, mackerel, sardines, lake trout and albacore tuna in your diet to fulfill the demand for omega 3. This wonderful natural hair loss remedy not only help having you a real healthy silky hair, but also help you to stay tuned from inside.
Ginger
This natural hair loss remedy is well-respected in herbal study since ages because of its ability to stimulate the hair follicles, hence to promote hair growth. It is also useful for preventing hair to become thinner. It is rich with fatty acid, so it also helps preventing premature hair loss and premature baldness.
Capsicum
It has the ability to increase the growth of the hair up to 50%. It also enhances blood circulation on the scalp. It releases histamine that effectively stimulates cell division. Hence, it also augments hair follicles as well as it promotes new growth of hair.
Rosemary
We all know that dandruff is of the major causes for hair fall. Rosemary, the valuable natural hair loss remedy, helps fighting against dandruffs. If used regularly on the scalp, it lowers the possibility of having dandruff by 80%. The circulatory movement of rosemary also removes sebum accumulation on the scalp. Rosemary is thus really effective care for fighting against your hair loss.
There are not sufficient scientific studies conducted in the support of the actual usefulness of these herbs on hair. However, it is seen that these herbs can be used for maintaining the quality of the hair and from preventing hair loss by slowing it down than before. If you like to use these herbs for enhancing your hair growth, you may consult with your doctor for their best usages. But this is always advisable that you should not exceed recommended dosage as prescribed by the health practitioner.
Hair loss is a natural phenomenon that is prevalent globally, irrespective of gender, race or culture. There are various hair loss treatments available in the market. It can be treated using chemical based medications or using hair transplantation mechanism. However, the later one is not accepted by every one due to its radical character.
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