Surgical Hair Restoration: Regain that Youthful Look

Hair loss is usually caused by the combination of aging, hormonal changes and genetics. If your hair loss is caused by burns or trauma, hair replacement surgery is considered as a reconstructive treatment and may be covered by your health insurance. If you are considering hair replacement surgery, you should acquire basic understanding about the variety of procedures involved. There are hair restoration clinics that offer a free consultation which will help you choose the type of hair transplant surgery that is best for you.

Surgical hair replacement will enhance your appearance and your self-confidence. The best patients for hair replacement are those who are having healthy hair growth at the back and sides of the head to serve as donor areas. Donor areas are the places on the head from which grafts and flaps are taken. Before getting hair surgery, think carefully about your expectations and discuss them with your surgeon. A number of techniques are used in hair replacement surgery. Sometimes two or more techniques are combined to achieve the best results. One of the more prominent techniques is the use of pinpoint hair replacement which is micro-follicular hair transplantation and is the newest type of hair replacement technique.

By using pinpoint hair restoration, hair restoration experts or hair transplant surgeons achieve the most natural hair restoration results for all patients regardless of their age or degree of hair loss. Look for surgeons who have extensive training and experience in hair replacement techniques.

Hair replacement surgeons will explain the hair replacement procedure in detail before the treatment starts and will answer any of your questions. It is important to make an informed decision about the hair replacement. You can do your own research online or speak with person who have undergone such surgery and try to gain helpful tips from them.

Side Effects of Drugs for Male Hair Loss

Guys, would you rather lose your hair or lose your sexual prowess? Sounds like a pretty rotten deal, but a new study shows that men who take medication for hair loss risk losing something particularly valuable in return.

The research, which was published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine this month, says that 5 to 23 percent of men who took the prescription drug finasteride may suffer impotence, low libido, erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation and an inability to orgasm.

While side effects are common to many drugs, these symptoms may persist for months after stopping treatment. Dr. Michael S. Irwig of George Washington University’s medical school interviewed 76 men aged 21 to 46 to find that their symptoms lingered for at least three months after they stopped taking the medication. Some even felt the effects for up to 10 years.

A number of participants developed problems after taking the medication for just a few days. On average, the men had been taking the drug for 28 months and experienced problems afterward for a mean of 40 months. The persistence of their symptoms is especially troubling giving the irony: once you stop taking the drug, you’ll soon start losing your hair again, but your libido may not be so quick to return.

In the UK and Sweden, the drug comes with a warning label for potential sexual dysfunction, but this hasn’t been the case in the US. But before you exchange your drugs for a toupee, we should note that the subjects weren’t completely random. The researchers selected them from a website especially for problems with finasteride.

Take it from us, though. We’d rather see our men bald than suffering from a loss of libido, so grab that razor and embrace the super-sexy Bruce Willis look.

Minerals for Hair Care and Hair Growth

Your body needs minerals for a variety of reasons, including supporting your immune system, helping with cell development, building bones and maintaining healthy, strong hair. The average person loses about 50 to 100 hairs a day, but with a lack of minerals such as zinc and iron, you may end up losing a lot more than that.

Sulfur
Sulfur is an important mineral for human health. It may also help to regrow hair. You need sulfur for hair growth because your hair is naturally rich in this mineral. Often called the “beauty mineral,” sulfur can stimulate circulation and provide nutrients for not only your hair, but your nails and skin as well. According to HealWithFood.org, sulfur also works to help you metabolize B vitamins, including B-1, B-5 and B-7, all of which are important for healthy hair. Dry or weak hair or hair loss may be a result of a lack of sulfur. Be sure to eat foods such as nuts and vegetables, as well as meat and fish, to include sulfur in your diet.

Zinc
Getting just enough zinc is significant for healthy hair, as too little can result in hair loss and too much may prevent the absorption of other minerals. The 2009 US Food and Drug Administration’s DV, or daily value, is 15mg of zinc for a 2,000-calorie diet daily for children over the age of 4 and for adults. Zinc aids in hair growth by helping to secrete oil in the scalp, which in turn decreases dandruff or dry skin that could otherwise cause hair loss. Baldness-Cure.org explains that zinc is also needed for hair growth because it’s a crucial nutrient that allows signals to pass from one cell to another, including the signal that orders hair follicles to begin and to continue growing. Beans, beef and nuts like almonds and cashews contain zinc.

Iodine
Iodine is another crucial mineral for hair health. By supporting healthy thyroid glands, it supports healthy hair. One main job of your thyroid glands is to control the way your body’s cells metabolize nutrients. This ties in with your hair, because if you don’t get enough iodine, your thyroid glands will not properly operate. Then, metabolism in your cells will be hindered, which in turn slows down cell growth in tissues, including in your epithelial tissues, or hair follicles, which produce hair. The FDA’s recommendation for daily iodine is 150 µg or micrograms. You can find this mineral in foods such as seafood and eggs.

Iron
BBC Health lists iron deficiency anemia as one primary reason for baldness. KidsHealth.org explains that iron produces hemoglobin, a protein within red blood cells that carries and transports oxygen to cells around the body. A reduced amount of iron means a reduced amount of hemoglobin and red blood cells, which in turn decreases oxygen for the body and cells. This negatively affects proper functioning of tissues and cells, including your epithelial tissues. Meat and leafy greens such as spinach and kale contain iron. The FDA advises an intake of 18 mg daily.

Hair Loss: Sign of Increased Risk of Prostate Cancer

Men with prostate cancer may be twice more likely to have started showing signs of male pattern baldness at the age of 20 years than those without prostate cancer.

Until now there has been conflicting evidence about the link between balding and prostate cancer; this is the first study to suggest a link between going bald at the young age of 20 and the development of prostate cancer in later life.

Male pattern baldness (androgenic alopecia) is very common, affecting about half of all men at some point in their lives. Its onset has previously been linked to the conversion of testosterone to androgenic hormones, and androgens have also been previously implicated in the onset and growth of prostate cancer. The drug finasteride—used to treat baldness—blocks the conversion of testosterone to an androgen thought to cause hair loss, and the drug has also been demonstrated to lower the incidence of prostate cancer.

To explore the possible connection between balding patterns and prostate cancer, researchers spent more than two years analyzing disease progression and hair loss patterns in 388 men with prostate cancer in Paris. The men were diagnosed between the ages of 46 and 84 years.

Starting in 2004, the study participants answered a questionnaire about their personal history of prostate cancer (if any) and to indicate on four pictures any balding patterns that they had at ages 20, 30 and 40. The pictures showed four stages of hair loss: no balding (stage I), frontal hair loss (receding hairline around the temples), vertex hair loss (a round bald patch at the top of the head), or a combination of both types of hair loss (stage IV). The men’s doctors were also asked to provide a medical history of their patients, including any diagnosis of prostate cancer, age at diagnosis, stage of the disease and treatment. Another 281 healthy men were enlisted in the study for comparison. The study ran for 28 months.

It was found that 37 of the prostate cancer patients (and 14 of the healthy men) had experienced some form of hair loss at the age of 20 years, ranging from a receding hairline to a bald patch at the top of the head, or a combination of both. Any form of hair loss at age 20 years was linked to a doubling of prostate cancer risk, the study authors reported.

Men who start losing their hair in their 30s or 40s did not appear to face a similar boost in prostate cancer risk. And those whose hair loss started in their 20s did not face a higher risk of developing the cancer at an early age or of developing more aggressive tumors. The study found no association between early hair loss and an earlier diagnosis of prostate cancer, nor was there any link between the pattern of hair loss and the development of cancer. Whether or not men who experience youthful hair loss may benefit from prostate cancer screening is yet to be determined.

The researchers cautioned, however, that it is premature to conclude that baldness and prostate cancer are, in fact, linked. Noting that androgens associated with hair loss are also associated with prostate cancer, the researchers called for more studies to see whether interventions might be appropriate for men with very early balding. Physicians need to know who could be targeted for screening and also considered for chemo-prevention using anti-androgenic drugs.

Male Pattern Baldness: Categories and Modes of Control

Across the globe, receding hairline is to men what wrinkles are to women. Dr. George Jacobson, a cosmetologist, says, “If one loses scalp hair between the ages of 20 and 45, then the chances are it is 95% certain that one is experiencing male pattern baldness.” Dr. Jacobson adds, “Male hormones make men susceptible to hair loss.” Experts have classified male pattern baldness in three categories.

Frontal Balding

Dr. Sofia White of VLCC Healthcare says, “The hair starts thinning from the hairline, leading to frontal hair loss.”

How to fix it: Stop parting your hair, let it look natural.

Crown Balding
Dr. Jacobson says, “Some men start losing hair on the crown first.”

How to fix it: Crown hairpieces can be made by measuring the bald patch. A topical application of oil to check dry scalp helps.

Mixed Pattern Baldness
Men start losing hair both on the frontal as well as the crown region. Experts say this is the most common—albeit still alarming—pattern.

How to fix it: A wig may work but be careful about how natural it looks.

Crown Balding
Even male celebrities start facing crown balding and rumors are then in tow that they go for hair transplantation to obtain instant hair regrowth.

Hairy Tales
Hollywood actor Brendan Fraser got a hair weaving done to get rid of a receding hairline.


How to Control Male Pattern Baldness

Hydration Therapy

Dr. White says, “While it is not possible to stop hair loss totally, there are ways to control it. Dry scalp is one major reason so go for oil treatments but never rub the scalp vigorously as this irritates the hair roots. Just use topical application, preferably with the use of cotton.”

Parting Trick

If you experience a receding hairline, it is best to strop parting your hair for some time. Just let it loose and never use synthetic products, chemicals for the hair, and gels that are harsh on hair.

Product Wise

While it is women who constantly use hair care products, it is advisable for men to avail of such products too.

Dr. White says, “Conditioners and serums should not be restricted to a woman’s bathroom.” Hair expert Samantha Keller shares, “Castor oil is excellent for hair regrowth. If combined with iodine, it can produce the desired results.”

Wigs and Hairpieces

A specialist in wigmaking can make a hairpiece after taking measurements of your bald patch and customize wigs that are apt for your hair color, scalp shape and form, and durable for your lifestyle activities.