Male Hair Loss Treatments UK: The Truth about MPB and Your Treatment Options

May 17th, 2012 Betty Sanchez
hair loss treatment UK

In the United Kingdom, male pattern baldness affects 65.5 million men.

Male pattern baldness begins with an apparent recession of the hairline followed by total baldness in the crown and vertex in a way it finally forms a U-shaped pattern. For many men, it can begin as early as the age of 20.

Although other people are resolved to embrace their baldness, other men fall prey to the ego-threatening effects of baldness. Many balding men experience great emotional and psychological distress from the lack of self-confidence caused by the lack of hair.

The Cause of MPB

The cause of MPB (male pattern baldness) has always been believed to be genetic and androgenic. A genetic trait causes certain hair follicles in the male scalp to be sensitive to DHT or dihydrotestosterone, which alters hair protein synthesis.

Consequently, the hair growth cycle reverses its normal course as the hair follicles reduce in size. In effect, the hair including the bulb falls out while the follicles eventually stop producing new hair. MPB is permanent, incurable but treatable through a variety of methods.

Hair Loss Treatments UK

  1. Hair replacement systems, both nonsurgical and surgical (hair transplants, wigs, toupees, weaves), are instant solutions to baldness. Non-surgical hair replacement can be tailored according to your style preferences. Surgical hair replacement, on the other hand, are more secure, intact, and can provide a more natural-looking result although it also depends on your financial potential.
  2. Saw palmetto herbal extracts is one of the foremost hair loss treatments UK males resort to. It is a proven treatment for male pattern hair loss. It contains liposterol and beta-sitosterol that can inhibit the production of 5-alpha reductase, the enzyme responsible for the conversion of testosterone into DHT.
  3. Low-level laser therapy is a light source treatment that generates a coherent therapeutic light. This light can stimulate hair growth through photobiostimulation (increasing cell’s available energy) and vasodilation (expanding small blood vessels to improve blood flow).
  4. Minoxidil is a topical solution that acts as a hair growth stimulant as well since it is a vasodilator. This solution is available for men in 5% concentration without prescription.
  5. Finasteride is the counterpart of saw palmetto. It comes in tablet form and only available through prescription.

The aforementioned are the topmost hair loss treatments UK men choose from. Depending on their type of alopecia and the advice of a doctor, they usually refer to these choices.

Natural Hair Loss Treatment: A Prickly Fruit That Aids Hair Loss

May 10th, 2012 Betty Sanchez
cactus pear

Almost everyone fears hair loss. Even those who do not seem to find hair important will shake at the sight of a thinning hair or a receding hairline.

Hair loss can be a crushing blow to one’s self-confidence. It comes along with it a certain stigma as evident in all sorts of hair loss treatments that exist nowadays.

There are different causes of hair loss including hormonal imbalance, stress, heredity, poor nutrition, and illnesses. Aside from the conventional forms of treatment, there are alternative remedies, which could just be as effective. Adding to the long list of natural hair loss treatment involving herbs is the prickly pear cactus or simply cactus pear.

The Prickly Pear Cactus and Hair Loss

Resembling the shape of eggs, the prickly cactus pears belong to the numerous cacti of the genus Opuntia. They are native to semiarid parts of the United States, Mexico, and Central and South America.

The prickly pear cactus is a very versatile plant. The pads, fruit, and seeds are a great source of food and water. Its sap is comparable to that of the aloe vera in a way it can also soothe burns and cuts.

The pads and the ripe fruit pulp contain water, amino acids, iron, protein, carbohydrates, and vitamin C. All these nutrients are known to be very beneficial for the hair.

Protein is particularly vital for the shape and health of the hair. An adequate amount of iron ensures a proper blood flow to the hair follicles, the tube-like cavity that produces hair. Vitamin C and amino acids are all essential in the production of protein. Water keeps the hair hydrated and moisturized since hair itself is made up of one-fourth water.

Although the pear cactus is not really known to slow down hair loss immediately, its composition suggests that may be helpful in hair growth stimulation or useful as an alternative hair loss treatment.

Aside from that, it is believed to be able to promote overall health of the scalp and hair, leaving the hair looking lustrous and soft.

Future Hair Loss Treatment: Where Is the Cure?

May 3rd, 2012 Betty Sanchez
future hair loss treatment

Hair restoration is a multi-billion-dollar industry, so much so that attempts of developing a cure for baldness should be no news.

Science and technology is on an unfaltering pursuit of producing a miracle treatment, not only to restore hair but also to boost millions of scathed egos.

However, while none of these developments is commercially feasible for the time being, these purported future hair loss treatment methodologies shoot up the hopes of millions of hair loss sufferers around the world.

Below are some of the most promising future hair loss treatment techniques:

  • Bioengineered Hair Follicle Tissue

A group of Japanese researchers led by Takashi Tsuji successfully used bioengineered hair follicle tissues derived from adult stem cells in treating naturally bald mice.

When transplanted into the bald mice, the bioengineered hair follicles underwent the same process of hair growth and cycling. Scientists expressed that this technique will be the ultimate hope for people with alopecia.

In the next three years, the group will begin clinical trials on humans. Researchers add that this treatment may already be available in the next ten years.

  • Hair Clones

In this technique, hair follicles are re-created or cloned to act like donor hairs in a traditional hair transplantation procedure. As a matter of fact, this is an evolutionary concept of the traditional hair transplantation procedure.

With hair cloning, donor hair cells, which are taken from the existing hair follicles, are grown in vitro (outside the body). Once the hair cells multiply, they are injected back into the scalp in the hope to regrow hair.

On the downside, scientists will have to conduct larger clinical trials to understand the potential and limitations of hair cloning completely.

  • Protein Blockers

Recently, a group of researchers discovered a “new” major cause of hair loss in many men: prostaglandin D2 (PGD2).

PGD2 is a kind of protein that inhibits hair growth. This protein has been found in excess levels in men with severe androgenetic alopecia or pattern baldness.

In mice models, PGD2 levels rose just before the onset of the catagen phase. These findings suggest that protein blockers may come in handy to stop hair loss miraculously and restore hair.

  • Genetic Testing

While the aforementioned techniques are corrective, genetic testing is all-preventive. In other words, this measure could prevent hair loss before it could even occur.

The biopharmaceutical company, deCODE genetics Inc., in Iceland renders a personal genotyping service, predicting whether a person will lose his or her hair in the future.

If a person is tested positive, then she or he can begin using conventional treatments such as low-level laser therapy, topical minoxidil, or saw palmetto extracts.

Hopefully, with further studies and clinical trials, these professed future hair loss treatment techniques can become the ultimate cure for baldness.

Stop Hair Loss: Keep Your Hormones In Check

April 26th, 2012 Betty Sanchez
stop hair loss

Every day we lose an average of 50 to 100 hair shafts as part of the normal hair growth cycle. For the most part, the hormones play a great role in hair growth and hair loss.

The condition called pattern baldness in men is a result of the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). In women, postpartum hair loss, that is, excessive hair fall after childbirth, is not uncommon since pregnancy alters the hormonal activity in the system.

Other hormone-changing factors include stress, hypothyroidism, hormone therapies, and poor diet. All of these factors alter the hormone balance and activity significantly, and sometimes, it produces an epiphenomenon: hair loss.

Although there are no unarguable or conclusive causal links between hair loss and hormone activity in most cases, the influence of hormone activity on hair growth, as is observed in those cases, cannot be denied.

Correcting the hormone balance is not easy to achieve without the help of a physician since he or she knows best how to keep the balance. However, it can be done through natural means.

Making dietary changes is probably the best measure to achieve it. Include nutrient-dense super foods that are packed with antioxidants, trace minerals, essential fatty acids, and proteins.

Zinc

Besides assisting in the absorption of certain vitamins, zinc is an essential trace mineral that helps produce some important hormones and enzymes.

Zinc deficiency is more common than we know. Zinc deficiency is linked to hair loss because it allows the immune system to attack certain tissues such as hair.

To stop hair loss, include zinc-rich foods such as oysters, wheat germ, sesame oil, and veal liver in your diet.

Biotin

Also known as vitamin H or B7, biotin plays a critical role in hair production. While rare, biotin deficiency can occur as a result of heavy intake of alcohol, processed foods, egg whites, and even a long-term consumption of antibiotics.

Foods that are rich in biotin are cow’s or goat’s milk, eggs, carrots, walnuts, and almonds.

Iodine

Iodine prevents hypothyroidism, which is known to be one of the causes of hair loss. Low iodine consumption decreases the production of the thyroxin and triiodothyronine, both thyroid hormones.

Rich sources of iodine are seafood and iodized salts.

Additional Tips

Keeping your hormones in balance is not enough to stop hair loss. So as not to set off the effects of these minerals, you should also have a list of to-do’s and not-to-do’s.

Trim down your sugar and alcohol intake. Also, avoid refined foods, pasteurized dairy products, and especially junk foods.

Do regular exercises to enhance your overall blood circulation and thus, health. Lastly, try to stop hair loss by keeping your stress levels low.

Stop Hair Loss with Saw Palmetto

April 20th, 2012 Betty Sanchez
stop hair loss

Among the many problems of being the “testosteronic” sex is the susceptibility to baldness.

Yes, many women do not know it but the sight of a receding hairline does not flatter men’s egos. There are countable causes of hair loss. In most cases, male baldness is often the result of bad genes and androgenic activity.

Prescription and over-the-counter drugs such as finasteride and minoxidil would easily wind up in many men’s medicine cabinets. But while they do stop hair loss to some extent, the very reason many users would ditch them in the end are their side effects.

There is a natural method for our follicularly-challenged lads though and that is saw palmetto, the herb that could end up as a balding man’s best friend.

Saw Palmetto, the Men’s Herb

Saw palmetto, otherwise known as Serenoa repens, is a dwarf palm tree that bears dark red berries. It is native to the southeastern coasts of the United States. In the ancient times, the herb has been used as an expectorant and antiseptic. Today, it is considered as one of the potent herbs used to stop hair loss due to DHT in men.

How Saw Palmetto Works in Reversing Baldness

Saw palmetto contains liposterolic extracts that block DHT formation in the hair follicles in the scalp. DHT or dihydrotestosterone is the reason male pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia) occurs. More exactly, it inhibits the enzyme 5-alpha reductase from catalyzing testosterone into DHT.

According to a clinical study, saw palmetto reduces 5-alpha reductase levels by 32% without affecting testosterone levels at all. Because saw palmetto does not stunt testosterone production, it does not produce the side effects known of finasteride and other 5-alpha reductase.

Aside from that, its extracts were also able to suppress testosterone receptors. These findings led to the introduction of saw palmetto as a potent herb to stop hair loss as well. When it comes to non-sexually related side effects, saw palmetto rarely produces any. The worst case reported was gastrointestinal distress.

Tips on Taking Saw Palmetto

Saw palmetto extracts are available as powders, tablets, capsules, and liquid extracts such as concentrates, standardized extracts, and tinctures. According to the Nutritional Health Supplements Guide, it is safe to take 200 mg of saw palmetto, two times a day, every day. Seek medical advice if you want to increase this dose.

Dietary Prescriptions that Work Regardless of the Hair Loss Causes

April 13th, 2012 Betty Sanchez
hair loss causes

Hair loss can occur in different forms depending on the underlying cause. It can either be an abnormal or normal case of the gradual loss of hair.

As it is, there are different hair loss causes in men, women, and children. When hair loss is diffuse (in women) or marked by recession of the hairline (in men), androgenetic alopecia (AGA) can be the culprit. Alopecia characterized by round and smooth patches is alopecia areata (AA). Telogen effluvium (TE) is usually characterized by the widening of the central parting in addition to diffuse hair loss.

All these three hair loss conditions are the most common affecting people of all ages. Despite the absence of a cure, the power of human intelligence, science, and nature spawned the many possible ways to manage hair loss. But there is an essential method that hair loss sufferers should also pay heed to be able to completely recover from hair loss: a good diet.

General Dietary Recommendations

Usually, a poor diet results in several bodily changes that are rarely tolerable. Besides making hair dry, brittle, and thin, it is one of the common hair loss causes. Reversing diet-induced hair loss by correcting the nutritional balance is imperative. However, it is not only helpful in that manner. Nutritional balance forms part of a holistic hair loss regimen.

Sulfur is an important mineral to render a normal hair growth process. In fact, the lack of sulfur can trigger hair loss. Include sulfur-containing amino acids which are found in lean meat, fish, legumes, cabbages, and eggs but which should be consumed in moderation.

Cut down your intake of sugar-rich foods. A number of studies, especially in the practice of Eastern medicine, suggested a positive link between sugar levels and hair loss. There is also evidence to suggest that removing sugar from a diet stops the hair loss process.

Be sure to include zinc and copper into your diet as well. Lack of zinc is one of the hair loss causes. Zinc assists in the absorption of other essential elements. Because zinc supplementation can deplete the supply of copper, which is similarly necessary for the hair, copper must also be consumed.

Excellent dietary sources of zinc and copper include oysters, dark green leafy vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.

Finally, make certain that you take in an ample dose of other essential amino acids. Hair is basically protein, and amino acids are essential in protein production. Flaxseed oil or primrose oil and fish are very good sources of essential amino acids.

Hair Loss Remedy: Bring Back the Years Robbed by Baldness

April 11th, 2012 Betty Sanchez
hair loss remedy

Baldness adds years to the actual age. It is probably the main reason people with hair loss go to lengths to reverse the process. But who says that what can bring back the robbed years has to be the most popular store-bought topical hair loss product or a $48,000 hair transplantation?

You should know that you don’t have to fall into foxy, bordering on deceptive, marketing tactics to turn back the clock. A good hairstylist may just be the angel you have been missing out because the good news is there are certain hairstyles that can strip away the years brought about by baldness.

Looking at people parading their flair in the red carpet or catwalks, you may find yourself envious over their gorgeous mane. But because you are deficient of locks, it wouldn’t be easy for you to copy the exact hairstyle you covet.

Hair loss makes your hair thinner, weaker, dry, and brittle—or in a word, lifeless. But the creative skill of a professional hairdresser may be able to breathe life back to your mane. The right hairstyle can be a good hair loss remedy and may definitely make up for the stolen years if you are open about your goal with your hairstylist.

It will also temporarily help you get on with hair loss when your treatment is taking time to kick in. More importantly, the right hairstyle means the one that does not lose its shape when you leave the salon and thus should require only a little upkeep.

The basic concept of the right haircut to eliminate the decades is to create the illusion of a thicker, fuller mane. A wavy or shorter hair should do the trick. Trimming off some lengths would also trim off the weight that has been pulling down your hair or contributing to your hair loss.

For both men and women, a mussed up and tousled short hair is a classic concealer. It is far different from a comb-over. While it may require 10 minutes or so of your morning mirror time, it will not only conceal what’s missing on your top but will also add points to your sex appeal.

For men, a completely shaven head or a crew cut could also do wonders. In fact, a lot of women will find these styles sexy and clean. For women, a short wavy bob is an excellent hair loss remedy. You will see that with every inch of hair you cut off, you will find the robbed years returned to you.

Knowing the Cause, the First Crucial Step to Stop Hair Loss

March 31st, 2012 Betty Sanchez
stop hair loss

People are becoming increasingly conscious about how they look. With a society run by the media, it is hard to escape the social mold and the importance it stresses on beauty.

People are social animals and goods looks are oftentimes the key to unlocking most forms of social relationships. However, despite all the efforts we make to maintain a good appearance, there are factors that can still ruin a person’s looks and consequently, his or her guts. Hair loss is one of them.

In most cases, hair loss is only a normal part of life. But like aging, many women and men fear its occurrence. This is why they would go to lengths to stop hair loss.

Knowing the real cause is important in the treatment of hair loss. Before you diagnose yourself with hair loss and self-medicate, it is important to understand that there is a fine line between hair fall and hair loss.

Every day, we can lose 50–100 hair shafts through combing, brushing, washing, or exposure to the wind. Depending on a person’s age, lifestyle, or health, hair fall count may vary. Hair fall could be just a part of the hair renewal process.

However, when hair fall becomes excessive, you can suspect hair loss. Hair loss is a serious non-fatal, albeit ego-threatening condition caused by quite a variety of reasons including the following:

  • Hereditary factors
  • Poor diet
  • Traumatic stress
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome
  • Pregnancy and child delivery
  • Aging
  • Health conditions and/or infections (e.g., hypothyroidism, diabetes, iron-deficiency anemia, tinea capitis)

To stop hair loss can be tricky. You have to find the right balance of treatments that form part of your entire regimen.

Hair loss can be permanent, temporary, or chronic. Men are susceptible to genetic hair loss which is characterized by a receding hairline and bald patches on the crown.

Women are prone to age-related hair thinning, but younger women are prone to hair loss due to a poor diet. Men’s hair loss is mostly permanent while in women, temporary.

If hair loss is suspected, you should consult a general practitioner to rule out internal imbalances and serious health conditions most importantly. Medications, laser therapy, and topical solutions may be able to stop hair loss.

Traction Alopecia: Causative Factors and Hair Loss Remedies

March 22nd, 2012 Betty Sanchez
traction alopecia and hair loss treatment

Hair is important for women in general. For African-American women though, it is instrumental to carrying out their signature style.

Black women are very stylish with their hair that they tend to become abusive. They become neglectful of the fact that hair loss is a major consequence of always wearing the perfect hairstyle.

Generally, women are prone to other hair loss conditions such as telogen effluvium and female pattern hair thinning. African-American women, on the other hand, are prone to hair loss due to mechanical factors; this type of hair loss is called traction alopecia.

As a matter of fact, the prevalence of traction alopecia in African-American women is a tad higher than in the female population of other races. Fortunately, traction alopecia is manageable with a little help of certain hair loss remedies.

Why It Occurs

Traction alopecia is hair loss due to excessive and harsh grooming procedures. Persistent use of chemical hair straighteners and styling tools such as curling/straightening irons and blow dryers, wearing tight hairstyles (be it a braid or a simple ponytail), dreadlocks, or cornrows can cause structural damage to the hair shafts.

These practices leave too much stress on the hair follicles, resulting in folliculitis, the inflammation of the hair follicles, which in turn triggers hair fall, breakage, and hair loss.

Clinical Features

Traction alopecia is characterized by the small patches of hair loss with broken and damaged hair shafts in areas that experienced pressure.

Diagnosis

Doctors would begin to trace any history of the persistent use of high-tension hairstyles. A hair-pull test is conducted. In some cases, a skin biopsy is also performed.

Coping Mechanisms: Hair Loss Remedies for Traction Alopecia

Traction alopecia is reversible. In the early stages, traction alopecia should clear up when high-tension hairstyles are avoided alongside with proper and gentle hair care.

Aromatherapy may also prove useful. Heat-styling tools should also be used less frequently. Topical minoxidil 2%, topical steroids may be helpful in moderate cases.

In severe cases, however, only surgical procedures can treat it.

Related Blogs

    Hair Loss in Men: The Role of Sebum

    March 8th, 2012 hannahm
    male pattern baldness

    Hair loss affects two out of five men in their mid-20s. This number doubles with increasing age bracket. In the vast majority of cases, men developed a condition called androgenetic alopecia or pattern baldness. While it is not a life-threatening condition, it definitely is ego-threatening even for men.

    Besides the aggressive hormone metabolite called dihydrotestosterone (DHT), androgenetic alopecia can be caused or worsened by other factors, particularly sebum.

    What Is Sebum?

    Sebum is the oily secretion produced by the sebaceous glands which are usually connected to the hair follicles. The scalp preserves the health of the hair in a way it provides an abundant and fixed supply of sebum. Sebum seeps through the pores in the skin, working its way up to coat the cuticle of the hair. The amount of sebum produced is usually just enough to cover the entire hair. It is spread throughout the hair upon brushing or touching it.

    Does Sebum Accelerate Hair Loss?

    A greasy hair indicates that the sebaceous glands have produced an excessive amount of sebum. High production of sebum is often attributed to the enlargement of the sebaceous glands. Too much animal fat in a diet can also increase sebum production while Eastern medicine believes it is the insufficient blood supply to the scalp that leads to hair loss.

    Historically, experts did not generally concede excessive sebum causes hair loss. Today, researchers provided evidences to suggest that excessive sebum increases the production of 5-alpha reductase and can clog pores. Both of these events lead to the malnutrition of the hair follicles.

    How to Get Rid of Excess Sebum?

    There is not much you can do with a greasy head of hair. Experts would only suggest that you wash your hair often when necessary. You can also try out a specialized shampoo designed for oily hair and scalp.

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