Posts Tagged ‘Androgenetic Alopecia’
Androgen receptors are intracellular steroid receptors playing a key role in the hair growth process.
These receptors specifically bind the two types of androgens – testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It allows the androgens to stimulate and regulate the development and maintenance of masculine characteristics in vertebrates.
In some cell types testosterone interacts directly with androgen receptors. In others, testosterone is converted by 5-alpha-reductase to DHT. The latter is an even more potent agonist for androgen receptor activation.
Examples for the first case are derivatives of the Wolffian duct.
Derivatives of the urogenital sinus, the urogenital tubercle, and hair follicles exemplify the second case.
Cause of androgenetic alopecia – Androgen receptors are at the center of androgenetic functions. And androgenetic functions are the cause of androgenetic alopecia or male pattern baldness.
The role of anti androgens
Anti androgens (a.k.a. androgen antagonist) are known for the solid guard they offer against the effects of androgens. Thus they play a key role in the androgenetic alopecia cure.
But what are anti androgens, in the first place?
The term to any of a group of hormone receptor antagonist compounds able to prevent or hinder the biologic effects of androgens (male sex hormones) on Normally Responsive Body Tissues.
How do they work?
The typical working style of the anti androgens is blocking the appropriate androgen receptors. They compete with one another for binding sites on the cell’s surface. Ultimately they obstruct the androgen’s pathway.
Uses of anti androgens
Anti androgens have a number of curative uses. They are used in various ways for androgen alopecia treatment. Apart from that, they have other curative applications as well.
Some of the other curative uses of anti androgens are as follows –
a.) Curing certain male sexual disorders b.) Use as anti neoplastic agents (anti tumor drugs) c.) Use as a palliative and for adjuvant and neoadjuvant hormonal therapy in prostate cancer d.) Treating hirsutism e.) Treatment of acne vulgaris- an inflammatory disease of the skin.
Administration of anti androgens among males
Administration of anti androgens in males is likely to slow down or stop the development of male secondary sex characteristics. In fact, it can even reverse them. It can also decrease accessory male sex organs activity and function.
This explains why anti-adnrogens are usually used in men only as a last resort.
Anti Androgen Withdrawal Response (AAWR)
It stands for the medical course that is taken when cancer cells adapt to feed on the anti androgens rather than on the androgen. This situation warrants a break for the anti androgen for some time.
This will lead to the starving of the cells thriving on anti androgens. It is a common syndrome among prostate cancer patients undergoing anti androgen therapy.
Anti androgen drugs
Some of the anti androgen drugs available in the market include the following –
Spironolactone (examples include Aldactone, Spiritone) – The primary use of this corticosteroid (a class of steroid hormone) is to treat low-renin hypertension, hypokalemia and Conn’s syndrome.
Hypokalemia refers to the inability to retain potassium sufficient for health. Conn’s syndrome stands for a symptom resulting into nonessential hypertension.
Cyproterone acetate (examples include Androcur, Climen, Diane 35, Ginette 35) – This potent anti androgen is used in problems related to female menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and embryogenesis of humans and other species.
Flutamide (Eulexin), Nilutamide (Anandron, Nilandron) and Bicalutamide (Casodex) – These non-steroidal pure anti androgens have Flutamide as the oldest of the lot. On the other hand Biculatamide is the newest. While Flutamide has many unwanted side effects, Biculatamide has few.
Ketoconazole (Nizoral) – It is a relatively weak anti androgen. It works against a variety of fungal infections. Its oral use can have side effects like serious liver damage.
Finasteride (examples include Proscar, Propecia) and Dutasteride (Avodart) – They prevent Testosterone from converting into DHT.
Androgen receptors play a key role in androgenetic alopecia by specifically binding the two types of androgens – testosterone and DHT. Anti androgens offer a solid guard against the effects of androgens. There are various anti androgen drugs available in the market.
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Hair loss is far from being an unusual problem. Over two thirds of people experience it at some point in life, with a quarter of men starting to go bald before they reach their mid twenties. By sixty, two thirds of men are balding, the usual cause being poisoning of the hair follicles by dihydrotestosterone – androgenetic alopecia. The term “common baldness” usually means male-pattern baldness. Male-pattern baldness is the most common cause of hair loss in men. In male-pattern baldness, hair loss typically results in a receding hair line and baldness on the top of the head. The most effective way of treatment for Hair loss is Propecia (Finasteride). With proper treatment, many people with hair loss can be helped. It’s become a common problem for men in European countries as well as in UK also.
Reasons for Hair loss
There can be numerous reasons for hair loss. These include prolonged illness, genetic conditions, stressful life, and hormonal imbalances. Earlier hair loss was often associated with old age but nowadays lifestyle changes have resulted in people losing hair very early in life. It is possible that the hair is not getting enough nutrients and is hugely deficient in essential hair growth vitamins. Most of the problems stem from lack of nutrition. A diet rich in essential hair loss vitamins helps in healthy growth of hair.
Hair Growth Vitamins
Though often overlooked our daily diet has an effect on all our body parts, including hair. A diet rich in raw fruits and vegetables containing essential vitamins and minerals will impart a natural glow. Specifically Vitamin A, B complex, C, F, Iron, Zinc and Copper have been sited and recommended as elements to succor healthy hair. In addition, drinking sufficient amounts of water to achieve proper body hydration will reflect in absolutely stunning hair.
The 3 Main Types of Hair Loss
Most people don’t know this but there are different types of hair loss and different causes for each type.
1. Chronic Telogen Effluvium
You’ll see noticeable thinning and bald spots in patches with this type of hair loss.
2. Androgenic Hair Loss
Androgenic Hair Loss causes noticeable round bald patches in your hair starting in the front and extending across the top of your head
3. Hormone related hair loss
You don’t have to worry about this type of hair loss. Usually it’s a temporary form of hair loss that takes place after pregnancy.
Tips for Dealing with Hair Loss
Millions of people around the world experience unwanted hair loss. Hair loss as a predominantly male issue. The majority of men who experience hair loss have a condition called male pattern baldness. However, other factors such as certain diseases, medications, hormonal imbalances and stress can also be to blame. For men, there is a prescription medication called Propecia which is used to treat male pattern baldness.
Treatments for Hair Loss
Hair loss is a problem that affects men and women of all ages. The most common type of hair loss is pattern baldness which is most prevalent in men.
If you’re struggling with this problem, check out our site propeciafinasteride.co.uk for the top treatment options which can help you regrow hair and feel better about your appearance.
Propecia
Propecia Finasteride is an oral treatment for male pattern baldness. Propecia is a prescription medication for men only designed to fight male pattern baldness. Propecia is a researched prescription drug for reducing hair loss and controlling baldness in males. Propecia is FDA approved prescription medicine. It is a product of Merck.
Propecia belongs to the class of drugs known as alpha reductase inhibitors. It works by restricting the action of the enzyme type II 5 alpha reductase, which acts on the male hormone testosterone and converts it into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This DHT damages hair follicles and makes roots weaker, causing hair loss. Propecia restricts the action of DHT and hence reduces hair loss and controls baldness or alopecia in males.
Today Propecia finasteride is the most popular sought after medication to treat male pattern baldness. Trials have shown an 80% success rate in stopping the hair loss process and 64% have shown an actual reversal or mending of previous balding.
You can expect to see results in as little as three months with full results in twelve months. Propecia is available by prescription only, you will need to see your doctor.
Propecia finasteride works only in men with pattern baldness. Women are strongly advised to refrain from administering Propecia. Propecia is also not recommended for cancer patients.
More than half of men in the United Kingdom experience hair loss. About 30% of people have hair loss by age 30 years, and about 50% have hair loss by age 50 years. Hair loss is so common that most of the time it is considered a normal variation and not a disease. Hair loss treatments can help. Some men just want to make the best of more permanent solution. This feature examines the treatment options for hair loss and male pattern baldness.
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Hair Loss Articles: http://www.article-buzz.com
So what should you know prior to using a natural remedy for hair loss or herbal hair product to help you re-grow your hair? Well first off, as I am sure you already know there is a lot of snake oil for sale on the Internet these days.
Who do you trust, and what can you believe? I have spent a considerable amount of time in the research of herbal natural products to re-grow hair and here is what I have learned.
There are many reasons for the loss of ones hairs, I can’t claim and I wont promise any natural herbal product can re-grow your hair 100% of the time. Many factors determine the reasons behind a receding hairline, however the most common cause of a receding hairline in both men and women is a condition called androgenetic alopecia.
Androgenetic alopecia is an inherited condition, which is caused by sensitivity to the effects of androgens or male hormones. Normal hair growth cycles last between 2-6 years, the hormone combination called DHT or Dihyrdotestosterone speeds up the hair grow cycle and is also responsible for shrinking of the hair follicles; the hair follicle gets shorter and finer and ultimately falls out. Additionally DHT also produces a waxy substance that accumulates around the hair roots; it is this accumulation of waxy substance that gives rise to female and male pattern baldness or Androgenic alopecia. This is the cause of 95% of the thinning hair in both males and females today.
How do you know if you suffer from Androgenic alopecia? There are some common patterns to this type of loss. If your not sure about the type of hair loss you are experiencing, you should consult your doctor for further consultation, as in some cases thinning hair can be an early sign of illness.
Common Patterns of Baldness-
Doctors typically use a pattern scale when assessing your loss called the “Norwood classes” based upon a scale developed in 1975 by a dermatologist and transplant surgeon by the name of Dr. O’Tar Norwood. This classification scale is still in wide use today.
He divided the receding hair of men into two common patterns:
Regular Type: This is characterized by hair that begins in two different places on the
scalp and merge into one balding area.
Type A: This is less common, and is characterized by front-to-back progression.
For females some will also lose hair according to a pattern, but it is much more common for females to develop diffuse thinning all over starting at the crown of the head type of hair loss.
People who become extensively bald generally, but not always start to show significant loss starting in their early 20’s. A good predictor for the level of loss you might experience is the pattern of baldness you see in older members of your family from both your father and mothers sides, this is because heredity plays an important role in pattern baldness. A good natural remedy for receding hair can be your first action in the fight against male/female pattern baldness.
How can an Herbal Hair Loss Remedy Help-
Clinical trials have proven that certain oral and topical hair treatments can work in stopping and restoring the damage done in pattern baldness. Many of these treatments will work for over 60% of the population, but may not work for you. The first consideration you should make is return policy, make sure any product you decide to try has a solid return policy on their product, in addition you want to make sure you are dealing with a reputable company that has been on the block for awhile, no fly-by-night snake oil companies who will sell you a $20 hair in a drum product.
Next you should make sure the product your using contains the medical ingredient Minoxidil, this medical ingredient is the only one approved by the FDA for use on your hair that you can receive without a prescription. Many good herbal products also contain Saw Palmetto a proven DHT blocker, and an important step to re-growing your hair. Saw Palmetto is a natural deep red fruit that grows in warm climates such as those found in the Southern United States. The clinical studies have shown 54% to 60% of users experience moderate to dense re-growth from the combined use of this medical ingredient and herbal combination.
While you may already be looking into the mirror and watching the slow march of your receding hairline, it isn’t too late to take a positive step and take action to attack. Don’t believe all the corporate hype and television advertisements telling you expensive surgery is the only choice for hair restoration.
Visit my website today to learn what I personally use and get more useful information on natural remedies for receding hair, whether you’re a man or a woman.
So what should you know prior to using a natural remedy for hair loss or herbal hair product to help you re-grow your hair? Well first off, as I am sure you already know there is a lot of snake oil for sale on the Internet these days.
Information about the Author:
Hair Loss Articles: http://www.article-buzz.com
Hair loss affects up to 80% of men and 50% of women, and in most cases androgenetic alopecia is to blame. This article explains how Skull Expansion is the true cause of hair loss and why the conventional reasons given to explain it are wrong!
There’s no doubt that male sex hormones (androgens) somehow cause hair loss in those with the genetic predisposition towards it. Furthermore, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is the androgen directly linked to this process.
However, genetics and male sex hormones do not fully explain the exact mechanism that will cause hair loss to start. That’s because they can’t answer the following questions:
Q1. Why do some people lose hair from the front (receding temples), the back (a bald patch), or both these regions of the scalp?
Q2. Why is it that hair can fall faster in one region of the scalp than it does in the other, and start at different times in a person’s life? (E.g., about 20% of men start losing their hair at puberty but most don’t start until they’re much older).
Q3. How can DHT be linked to both hair loss and hair growth? (DHT will, during puberty, stimulate hair to grow in other parts of the body).
These are all very relevant questions about the hair loss process. So, it’s important that complete and accurate answers are given before any theory can be acknowledged as the true underlying cause of androgenetic alopecia.
It now seems more likely that the actual mechanism that causes this type of hair loss is Skull Expansion. Here’s a very brief explanation of how this process causes genetic hair loss:
When you’re growing up into an adult, your skeleton obviously gets bigger and bigger. This, of course, includes the skull, which not only grows in size but also changes shape.
Once you reach adulthood, this process (called bone remodelling and resorption) then continues throughout life. For some, this simply involves maintenance of the bones (i.e., keeping them strong and healthy). But, for those who suffer hair loss, this process will cause the frontal and parietal bones of the skull to grow.
This is Skull Expansion, and is the direct cause of hair loss within the male pattern baldness (MPB) region of the scalp.
The genetic link to male pattern baldness is due to the skull shape you inherit. Different skull shapes will have different growth potential (this simply means that the predisposition towards Skull Expansion will vary). The extent to which you lose hair is directly related to the extent to which your skull will expand. Obviously this means that greater Skull Expansion will cause more hair loss.
Only Skull Expansion can provide answers to all of those earlier questions:
A1. Hair loss at the front is caused by Skull Expansion of the frontal bone. A bald patch at the back is caused by Skull Expansion of the parietal bones. And hair loss at the front and back of the scalp simultaneously, is caused by Skull Expansion of both frontal and parietal bones.
A2. The different rates of hair loss between the front and back of the scalp depend upon the skull shape you inherit and its growth potential. That’s why your hair loss could start as early as puberty or much later on in life.
A3. DHT can stimulate hair growth, but it also encourages bone growth. Androgens like DHT are steroid hormones which have an anabolic effect on bone formation (i.e., they make it grow!) DHT causes Skull Expansion, which then causes hair loss to start.
So, now you know that the true cause of genetic hair loss is Skull Expansion. And, should you be in any doubt, why not simply contact a hair specialist, ask those questions, and see what answers you get!
For further illustrated details about the Skull Expansion process, visit www.top-hair-loss-remedy.com/hair-loss.html
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Hair loss affects up to 80% of men and 50% of women, and in most cases androgenetic alopecia is to blame. This article explains how Skull Expansion is the true cause of hair loss and why the conventional reasons given to explain it are wrong!
Information about the Author:
Hair Loss Articles: http://www.article-buzz.com