Home / Posts tagged 'Hair Loss' (Page 73)

• Can Creatine, Protein, or Differin Cause Hair Loss?

  In Hair Loss, Hair Loss Treatments, Q & A / By Spencer Kobren / 20 August 2008

  I think what you’re doing is great Spencer!…Propecia stopped my hair loss at 20. I am 31 now, however, over the past 3 months I have lost about 30-40% of my density all over the top of my scalp, and the sides and back as well. I am still on Propecia and have scheduled a doctor appointment. I would like to list a few things that I started to do a few months ago that I think may have contributed to this:

  1. Differin cream (vitamin A derived)

  2. Working out with heavy weights along with taking creatine (No Xplode) and protein powder

  These two things are my main concern especially Differin. Also, I started using a self tanning lotion sunscreen (durascreen) since I work outside, and teeth whitening products all within the past few months. I know I sound paranoid, but I would like to know if you think any of this could contribute to my rapid hair loss. I’ve been a little stressed too, but no more than usual. However, I am really stressed now because of this. Oh yeah, I also tried adding Rogaine a few months ago, but stopped after 2 weeks…I am so depressed about this. I just found out about you and your show and I’ve listened the last few weeks. What a great thing you are doing, it is such an epidemic that totally destroys people. I could go on and on about how depressed and mortified I was when I started to lose my hair at 18. Thank You. – Mark
  – – – – –

  Dear Mark,

  Thanks for the support! I’m glad to hear that you’ve done so well with Propecia these past eleven
  years. I have to preface my comments by letting you know that I am not a physician, but from what you’ve explained, I think that the use of Creatine supplementation might be what is affecting your hair.

  I’ll probably get a lot of crap from the bodybuilding community, but the truth is each body reacts diffently to this type of supplementation, and I do believe that creatine can effect hair growth and cycling.

  Here are my thoughts on the matter: We know that exercise when done properly and accompanied by good sleeping habits and a high protein, well balanced diet stimulates the release of hormones that promote muscle growth. These are known as anabolic hormones, which include testosterone, insulin, and growth hormone. When training, stimulation of these muscle growing hormones is what most athletes strive for. Unfortunately for men who are predisposed to androgenic alopecia ( male pattern hair loss), raising levels of testosterone can increase DHT levels.

  With that said, in most cases, the use of Propecia should cancel out the effects of any naturally occurring increase in testosterone since Propecia blocks the enzyme that converts testosterone into the follicle killing DHT, reducing DHT levels by about 70% in most individual who use the drug.

  Since each individual reacts differently to medial treatment, any increase in testosterone and HGH that you might be experiencing from the use of creatine theoretically could have put you over the preverbal edge as far as the ability for Propecia to effectively protect you against higher DHT levels. The 70% block in DHT might have been all you needed to stave off your male pattern baldness, but by increasing your hormonal output the dam might have burst, so to speak.

  Since creatine is known to increase or ability to exercise more efficiently, and exercise increases hormone release, it is expected that creatine should also indirectly increase the amounts of anabolic hormones produced while exercising.

  There have also been studies that have demonstrated that growth hormone was actually released in non exercising subjects within a few hours after ingesting creatine.

  So, my advice would be to speak to you doctor about your creatine supplementation, and perhaps raising your dose of finsteride if he or she sees fit.

  I’d don’t think you have much to worry about when it comes to Differin and hair loss, and I certainly don’t think that whitening your teeth will effect your hair.

  Hope this helps. Keep listening and spread the word.

  Regards,
  Spencer Kobren
  Host of The Bald Truth Radio Show
  Founder, American Hair Loss Association
  Founder and Director of Consumer/Patient Affairs, International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons (IAHRS.ORG)

   

• Jude Law’s Hair Loss Inspires Shoddy Online Journalism

  In Articles, Celebrity / By The Bald Truth / 19 August 2008

  By now, we all know that gossip magazines and websites are more than happy to dish on the latest goings-on with all the stars and celebrities. Hopefully, readers are aware that a lot of what they print and publish is pure fiction. More importantly, readers should realize that sometimes these rags are too quick to publish their writers’ vicious opinions.

  Take dailygoss.com for example. In an article about Jude Law’s alleged hair loss treatment, titled “Jude Law Gets Help for His Hair Loss, Hurrah!” the site stated, “The actor’s looks have gone down the pan since he’s been sporting a seriously bad receding hairline.”

  Interestingly enough, whoever wrote the brazen comments about Jude’s hair is anonymous, since there is no byline and the site’s “About Us” page tells little about who’s running the show, although headquarters are stated as being in London.

  Even though dailygoss.com is clearly a gossip site, its ethics are questionable and its practices cruel, even by gossip standards. Why would a writer be relieved if Jude Law is seeking hair loss treatment? Instead of promoting positive body image or discussing the difficulties that hair loss presents in the lives of sufferers, they join the ranks of mean bullies who’d rather point and laugh than reach out a helping hand or actually publish content that raises awareness.

  There’s nothing inherently wrong with a little Hollywood gossip, but this is just plain bashing. Maybe dailygoss.com should change their name to dailybash.com.

  The site provides no credentials about its sources or medical knowledge, yet it encourages Jude Law’s reported use of Mesotherapy, an unproven treatment involving vitamins injected into the scalp as a means to provoke hair growth.

  Because Mesotherapy is not widely accepted and there are no conclusive studies that support or prove its effectiveness, only time will tell if the treatments help Jude Law, assuming he’s really receiving these treatments. Since the journalism in this case is clearly less than professional, the whole article may be one big ruse.

  In any case, Law might be better off going to his own doctor and getting a prescription for Propecia. Apparently the state of Jude Law’s scalp is on the tip of more than one tongue since another site, makemeheal.com, also published an article that discusses the actor’s scalp. Makemeheal.com publishes articles about “celebrity plastic surgery, news, gossip.”

  The piece, titled “Did Jude Law Get a Hair Transplant?” makes claims that Jude Law has undergone hair transplant surgery. Clearly, this is in direct conflict with the reporting over at dailygoss.com.

  There’s no way of knowing whether Jude Law is using Mesotherapy or has received a transplant unless he or his reps confirm or dispute the reports. In fact, it’s entirely possible that Law has grown his hair out a bit, colored and combed it forward. He could be using makeup or even a small frontal piece.

  The writing on these sites is poor, the claims are questionable, and the facts are somewhat twisted. And there’s no reason for anyone to be picking on Jude Law. He’s still a cool looking guy who looks great with or without his deep widow’s peak. After all, he’s one of us. And he wears it well!

   

• If Stress Leads to Hair Loss …

  In Articles, Hair Loss / By The Bald Truth / 15 August 2008

  Some cases of hair loss are attributed to external health factors, such as when hair loss occurs right after a traumatic experience. This type of hair loss indicates that stress may have a significant impact on how and when we lose our hair. Living a stress-free life is almost impossible. However, there are plenty of ways to better manage stress. By minimizing stress, we can also lower the possibility of acquiring illnesses or physical ailments that are stress-related, including illnesses that might exacerbate or hasten hair hair loss. Here are five tips for minimizing stress:
  

  Exercise

  Getting plenty of exercise not only keeps you in good physical health, it also keeps you both mentally and emotionally fit. Make sure to get a decent cardiovascular workout into your schedule several times a week!

  Eat a healthy diet

  Many people try to eat a balanced diet to stay trim, but eating right can also boost your immune system and help maintain strength, and these are crucial for coping with stress. Foods that are good for the brain, like tuna, blueberries, and green tea are especially beneficial for stress management. Read more ›