Home / Posts tagged 'Hair Loss' (Page 75)

• Hair Loss and Culture – Debunking the Stereotypes

  In Articles / By The Bald Truth / 10 August 2008

  The geek with the receding hairline. The greasy, balding business man. The egomaniac with a combover. The hot stud with the smooth head.

  These are all stereotypes that our culture associates with the bald and balding. Doesn’t the description, “short, fat, and bald” render a concrete image in your mind? What about “bald and sexy?” Did you visualize Vin Diesel?

  The first fallacy with bald stereotypes is that they almost always relate specifically to men despite the fact that 40% of hair loss sufferers are women. With statistics like that, you’d expect a portion of the stereotypes associated with hair loss to represent females, but they don’t.

  The next fallacy has to do with polarity. In one extreme, we have the bald loser. He’s the guy who can’t get a date, lives alone, and annoys even his own friends. Think George Costanza of Seinfeld fame and you’ll get the picture. At the other extreme, we have sexy daredevils who are confident and alluring, and are often heroes. Bruce Willis epitomizes this image, even though for a good portion of his career he was wearing hair pieces. But even after he went for the full shave, women still considered him hot. Read more ›

   

• Propecia Vs. Avodart – What Is The Best Oral Treatment For Male Pattern Hair Loss?

  In Hair Loss Treatments, Q & A / By Spencer Kobren / 9 August 2008

  I have a question regarding the medications Propecia, Avodart, and natural supplement remedies for the treatment of male pattern baldness.

  I have early signs of hair loss where I noticed it within the past month. I am just losing a little in the frontal areas where the temple is. I am also 25 years old.

  My question is which is better for hair loss between, Propecia, Avodart (dutasteride), and or natural supplements such as (saw palmetto, nettle root, pygeum, pumkin seeds, beta sitosterol, lysine, green tea extract, grape seed extract)? I was even considering the natural prostate formula from the company of Life Extension with the majority of the above named supplements.

  I hear that Avodart suppresses both types of enzymes that convert to DHT, and I also hear that Propecia blocks just one enzyme that converts to DHT, and that all you need to block is that one particular enzyme.

  Avodart may sound better because insurance would pay for that. My insurance does not pay for Propecia because its considered cosmetic. I also know that those particular natural supplements that I mentioned block DHT, but I am unsure how good they are compared to Propecia and Avodart.

  Can you please tell me what I should use for the best possible oral treatment for male pattern hair loss? I want the best treatment possible because losing my hair is very upsetting to me.

  Thank You,
  Eric

  This is a great question. I’m glad to see that you understand the importance of early intervention when it comes to successfully treating your hair loss, and it’s apparent that you’ve done a significant amount of research on the subject.

  First things first, lets rule out the BS. There are no natural supplements including, saw palmetto, stinging nettle, or pygeum africanium that have been clinically proven to be effective for the prevention and treatment of hair loss. NONE!

  The truth is, I wrote the first published chapter on the subject, The Power of Herbal Treatments in my first book The Bald Truth. Based on a couple of early scientific peer reviewed articles and discussions with well known members of the scientific community, I concluded the use of these natural supplements in conjunction with FDA approved medication, could in fact increase the likelihood of success in the treatment and prevention of hair loss. Much of these findings were based on the fact that these supplements do lower DHT in most individuals.

  After eleven years in the field, I can say with complete certainty that those early scientific hypotheses and my personal conclusions were wrong! Countless snake oil products were developed based on these early scientific findings published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of The American Medical Association. Unfortunately, none of these products have proven to be beneficial in the treatment of hair loss. In fact most “natural” products being marketed today are usually coupled with a topical formulation that includes the FDA approved drug minoxidil.

  It is my advise not to waist your time or your money on any product that is not clinically proven to treat hair loss or that is not FDA approved and recommended by The American Hair Loss Association.

  Now lets get to Dutasteride. Dutasteride is an FDA approved drug developed by GlaxoSmithKline and marketed under the brand name Avodart. Dutasteride is a dual 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor that is indicated for the treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) also known as an enlarged prostate. Dual means that the drug inhibits both Type1 and Type 2 5-alpha-reductase which is the enzyme associated with the conversation of testosterone into DHT (dihydrotestosterone). DHT is the main culprit in both the enlargement of the prostate and in the miniaturization of the hair follicle associated with male pattern hair loss. Avodart (Dutasteride) does work well for hair loss according to physicians and to those who use it, however, it is my opinion that this drug should not be your first line of attack. Not every hair loss sufferer will need to bring out the “big guns” to effectively treat their hair loss. Remember the more DHT that is suppressed the greater the possibility of adverse side effects. I advise all of my listeners to first speak with their doctors about starting treatment with Propecia.

  Propecia should always be your first line of attack. According to clinical trials you have almost a 90% chance of stopping the progression of your hair loss and a significant chance of regrowing hair that’s been lost within the past 5 years or so. If you fall within the small percentage of men who do not see benefits from Propecia you can always talk to your doctor about the possibility of using Dutasteride.

  Hope this helps,
  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)

   

• Emotional Self Defense – How Hair Loss Sufferers Can Ward Off Verbal Attacks

  In Articles, Hair Loss / By The Bald Truth / 8 August 2008

  In recent decades, a movement of political correctness has shifted our collective cultural attitude. From racial slurs to sexist overtures, our society has become increasingly aware of how our comments and our actions affect the emotional well-being of others. As a result, the public chooses it’s words more carefully in a show of consideration for other people.

  But hair loss sufferers haven’t come under the protection that politically correct pundits offer. Bald jokes are rampant and nobody’s calling out the jokesters, especially not in public forums. That means hair loss sufferers have to fend for themselves. But how? Read more ›