Hair Loss Treatment

Index
Treatment
Eating Well For Hair Health
Diet and Hair Loss
Hair Transplantation
Home Remedies
My Top 9 Tips For Good Hair Loss Prevention
The Future Of Hair Growth

Treatment
The healthy condition of the hair depends, to a very large extent, on the intake of sufficient amounts of essential nutrients in the daily diet. Hair is made of protein and adequate protein is necessary for luxuriant hair. Women require 60 grams, men 80 to 90, adolescent boys and girls 80 to 100 grams of protein. It is supplied by milk, buttermilk, yogurt, soybean, eggs, cheese, meat and fish. A lack of vitamin A may cause the hair to be course and ugly. A deficiency of some of the B vitamins, of iron, copper and iodine may cause hair disorders like falling of hair and premature graying. 

Lack of inositol causes loss of hair. Any person having trouble with his or her hair should eat foods rich in inositol such as yeast, liver and molasses. Research has shown that women have a low requirement of inositol. Although this vitamin may help to stimulate the growth of a woman’s hair, its lack is probably not a major cause of slow growth. Women are generally deficient in iodine and vitamin B1, either of which can slow down circulation to the scalp to such an extent that hair may fall out and new hair grow in very slowly. Women who keep their diets adequate in iodine, the B vitamins and iron have a better growth of hair. 

According to Adele Davis, a world famous nutritionist; "increasing the intake of protein, particularly of liver, wheat germ and yeast, and supplementing the diet with a teaspoon of inositol daily usually stops a man’s hair from falling. 

Persons with a tendency to lose hair should thus take a well balanced diet, made up of foods which in combination should supply al the essential nutrients. It has been found that a diet which contains liberal quantities of (i) seeds, nuts and grains, (i) vegetables and (i) fruits would provide adequate amounts of all the essential nutrients. Each food group should roughly form the bulk of one of the three principal meals. These foods should be supplemented with certain special foods such as milk, vegetable oils, honey, wheat germ, yeast and liver. 

Eating Well For Hair Health By: Christine Haran

If you need more reasons to consider eating a balanced diet, add good hair. Nutrition experts say that people with certain nutritional deficiencies tend to have dry, stringy and dull hair, and sometimes experience hair loss. Fortunately, nutrition-related hair loss can be restored once the deficiency is addressed. While male- and female-pattern baldness is considered a genetic trait, people experiencing any kind of hair loss should take the time to ensure they are getting good nutrition—for their hair health and general health.

 

"What you eat or do not eat can affect your hair and skin," says Doug Kalman, RD, a nutritionist with Miami Research Associates. This is important for dieters to keep in mind, Kalman says, particularly those who choose diets that severely restrict calories or eliminate groups of food.

 

At least one study has shown that people on crash diets experience temporary hair loss because such diets result in poor overall nutrition. Thus, people with eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are at risk of temporary hair loss, as well as many other medical conditions. According to Wahida Karmally, Dr PH, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, zinc deficiencies, which are associated with hair health, may be a problem among people on low-calorie diets, especially young women. Zinc is found in meat, eggs and seafood.

 

Kalman says that people on low-fat and non-fat diets are at risk for nutrition-related hair loss because hair needs essential fatty acids. "Essential fatty acid deficiency causes a drying-up of the scalp and skin," he says. "These are vital nutrients that support follicular health. When the follicle is not healthy, hair loss or thinning occurs."

 

Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fatty fish such as salmon and mackerel, and in flaxseed oil and macadamia nuts and walnuts. It's recommended that women, in particular, try to eat a food source of omega-3 fatty acids three times a week to maintain skin and hair health.

 

Biotin, part of the vitamin B complex, is another nutrient associated with hair loss. According to Kalman, people who are eating adequate amount of protein—which includes most Americans—should not have a problem with biotin deficiency, though vegans may be at risk. Good food sources of biotin are eggs, liver and soy.

 

Karmally says that it's not known if biotin supplements, which are marketed to help with male- and female-pattern baldness, can help with hair loss, and adds that she is unaware of any research indicating that the biotin in biotin hair products, such as shampoos, can be absorbed through the hair or scalp.

 

Karmally recommends that people experiencing hair loss see a physician, who can help determine the cause of their hair loss, and registered dietician, who can assess their diet and health status. "When you are looking for symptoms of nutrition deficiency in someone with skin and hair changes, it's difficult to pinpoint the cause," she says. "People should pay attention to all aspects of their diet for their total health, as well as their hair and skin."

 

Diet and Hair Loss

Vitamin A:  Adequate intake of vitamin A is vital in helping to promote the growth and health of cells and tissues throughout the body, including the hair and scalp. Prolonged vitamin A deficiency can lead to hair loss and dandruff caused by the buildup of cellular debris in the hair follicles. The daily intake of vitamin A for adults is 5,000 IU (international units). The body actually gets vitamin A in two ways: from plant sources in the form of carotenoids, such as beta carotene, that convert to vitamin A in the body. These sources include red, yellow, and orange fruits and vegetables as well as some dark green leafy vegetables. The body also gets vitamin A from animal sources in the form of retinol. Good animal sources include: Eggs, fish oil, liver, fortified milk, other foods fortified with vitamin A

 

Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12: All three of these B vitamins are essential to the normal formation of red blood cells or the hemoglobin (iron-containing) portion of red blood cells. The primary function of hemoglobin is to carry oxygen from the lungs to tissues in the body, including the hair. Healthy and strong hair is dependent on a constant supply of blood and oxygen. A deficiency of these B vitamins can cause reduced blood and oxygen supply to the hair, leading to increased hair shedding, damaged hair, and slow regrowth. The reference daily intake of vitamin B6 is 2.0 milligrams per day for the average adult. The best sources of vitamin B6 are protein-rich foods such as: Chicken, fish, kidney, pork, soybeans

Whole grains, cereals, nuts, and legumes also contain reasonable amounts.

 

The reference daily intake of folic acid is 400 micrograms for the average adult. Sources of folic acid include: avocado, beets, brewer’s yeast, broccoli, leafy vegetables, liver, orange juice, some fortified cereals, wheat germ, Most enriched grain products, such as bread, flour, rice, macaroni, and noodles, must be fortified with folic acid according to a new law.

 

The reference daily intake of vitamin Bl2 is 6.0 micrograms for the average adult. B12 is found mostly in animal foods such as: eggs, fish, meat, milk, other dairy foods, and poultry.

 

Biotin: For people who eat a healthy diet, biotin deficiency is rare. Besides getting biotin from select food sources, biotin is also manufactured in our intestines by gut bacteria. In rare instances though, biotin deficiency can cause hair loss. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition researched two adult patients receiving TPN (total parenteral nutrition, which is a form of nutrition used by the very ill who cannot use their gut for digestion and must have specialized nutrition through a large catheter inserted directly into the vein) on a long-term basis. Both patients had severe loss of hair. These patients, due to their medical condition, did not manufacture biotin in their gut and consumed no biotin orally or parenterally. Daily supplementation of biotin resulted in the gradual regrowth of healthy hair.

 

Seborrheic dermatitis is a common condition that results in excessive oiliness and dandruff on the scalp. This condition usually occurs in infants and the elderly. In infancy this condition is known as cradle cap. Several case studies have shown successful treatment of cradle cap when the mother is given biotin if breast-feeding or given directly to the infant if she is not. The beneficial effects of biotin on the health of hair possibly reflect ability for the vitamin to improve the metabolism of scalp oil. The reference daily intake for biotin is 300 micrograms for the average adult. Biotin is found in a wide variety of food. Some of the best sources include: cereals, eggs, liver, vitamin C, and yeast breads

 

A vitamin C deficiency can cause the hair to be susceptible to problematic splitting and breaking. This usually only occurs with severe deficiency and can be reversed when vitamin C intake is increased. Vitamin C is essential to producing collagen, a connective tissue that gives structure by holding tissues in the body together, such as the tissue in hair. The reference daily intake for vitamin C is 60 milligrams for the average adult. People who smoke need twice as much vitamin C as nonsmokers. Vitamin C is found in plant sources such as: berries, citrus fruits, dark green leafy vegetables, melons, peppers, potatoes, and tomatoes.

 

Copper: Copper is a trace mineral that is essential for the formation of hemoglobin and is needed to carry oxygen in red blood cells. Hemoglobin is necessary for the maintenance of an adequate supply of blood to the hair shaft. A deficiency of copper can weaken the hair shaft and cause increased hair shedding. A deficiency rarely comes from not getting enough copper in the diet; instead, it usually comes from genetic problems or from too much zinc in the diet. Excess zinc from dietary supplements can inhibit the absorption of copper in the body. The reference daily intake of copper is 2.0 milligrams for the average adult. The best sources of copper include: nuts, organ meats especially liver, seafood and seeds.

 

Iron: Iron’s main job is to carry oxygen in the hemoglobin of red blood cells. Iron deficiency can lead to a condition called anemia and can lead to possible hair loss or increased hair shedding. Anemia can be easily diagnosed with a blood test and is characterized by fatigue, weakness, and general poor health. Anemia can be caused by more than just iron deficiency. The reference daily intake for iron is 18 milligrams. The recommended daily allowance of iron increases during pregnancy and breast-feeding. It also increases for women who are pre-menopausal due to blood and iron losses from the menstrual flow. There are two types of iron sources: heme and non-heme iron. Heme iron is absorbed in the body more easily. Heme iron sources include animal products such as meat. Non-heme iron comes from mostly plant foods, such as spinach, red kidney beans, and bran. It is not absorbed as easily in the body as heme iron. You can enhance your body’s ability to absorb non-heme iron by consuming vitamin C sources and heme iron sources in the same meal.

 

Zinc: Dandruff and hair loss are both conditions associated with zinc deficiency. Zinc is a mineral that promotes cell reproduction and tissue growth and repair. Zinc also functions in the maintenance of the oil-secreting glands attached to hair follicles. The reference daily intake of zinc is 15 milligrams for the average adult. Good sources of zinc include foods of animal origin, including seafood. Eggs and milk also supply zinc in smaller amounts. Whole-grain products, nuts, seeds, and legumes contain zinc, but in a form that is less available to the body.

 

Protein: Protein is needed by every cell in the body, including the cells needed in normal hair growth. Without adequate protein intake, the body cannot efficiently make new hair to replace the hair that has shed. Protein comes from: cheese, eggs, fish, meat, milk, poultry, soy products, and yogurt.

 

All of these protein foods contain complete proteins or proteins that contain all nine essential amino acids (building blocks of proteins) necessary for optimal health. Plant foods such as dried beans, seeds, nuts, grain products, and many vegetables also contain protein, but not in the complete form. Eating a variety of plant foods helps to ensure you receive adequate amounts of amino acids.

  

Water: Water is one of the most important nutrients essential for life. Proper hydration is an important factor in healthy hair and in promoting good health. The recommended amount of water to drink each day is 64 ounces or eight 8-ounce glasses. Every cell and every system in the body uses water to function properly. Water is involved in the transport of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and many other nutrients.

 

Summary: Most cases of balding or permanent hair loss results from genetic disposition or heredity influences. Temporary hair loss or hair shedding can result from poor nutrition, among other conditions. Good nutrition can be potentially beneficial to the health of your hair and scalp. If you consume a healthy diet, nutrient deficiencies, as described above, should not be a problem. A healthy diet includes eating most of your calories from the following: fish, fruits, grain products, lean meat, legumes, poultry, reduced-fat dairy products, unsaturated fats, vegetables

 

Good nutrition also means eating fewer calories from saturated fats and sweets. Experts agree that following the Food Guide Pyramid, which is a general eating guide that includes all of the daily food groups, offers a reliable and easy-to-follow plan to guide you through developing a healthy diet. A healthy diet ensures the intake of essential vitamins and minerals that contribute to your health and a healthy head of hair. Regular exercise and stress management, limiting alcohol intake, and avoiding tobacco are also essential to good health and are important for the prevention and treatment of temporary hair loss.

Hair Transplantation: By Christine Haran

In the transplant procedure, hair is taken from a donor area, usually at the back or sides of the head, and moved to the area where there is hair loss. While donor hair used to be harvested and transplanted in large bunches of 10 to 20 hairs, surgeons now transplant tiny bundles of three or four hairs that grow together in what are called follicular units.

 

"Surgeons used to use instruments called punches, which looked like cookie cutters, to make circular incisions in the head, and it gave the appearance of a doll's head," says Dr. Ivan Cohen, an associated clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine and a hair transplant surgeon in private practice in Fairfield, Conn. "With new techniques, we take hair from the back of the head in tiny strips and then separate it into follicular unit. We then use tiny needles to plant the hairs back into the scalp."

 

This technique, known as follicular unit transplantation, is most widely used transplant approach. Some surgeons, however, use a technique called follicular unit extraction in which hair is removed and transplanted with a 1-mm punch that can grab the follicular unit. Follicular unit extraction is considered most appropriate for people with limited hair loss, athletes who need to resume activity right after surgery, and those whose scars widen over time.

 

With the new techniques, experts say most people with pattern baldness who have a sufficient amount of donor hair are good candidates for hair transplantation. This includes people with any kind of hair type, and women, who are having more and more transplants.

 

Surgeons note that a large part of their practices is devoted to corrective work, which usually involves repairing old transplants by dividing the transplanted hair into follicular units and re-transplanting it. 

 

Recovery

Hair transplantation is an outpatient surgery, which usually requires two or more sessions. With follicular unit transplantation, patients should expect a thin scar in the harvest area, but even three-quarters of an inch of hair should hide the scar. Potential side effects such as bleeding and infection are rare. Patients should abstain from strenuous activity for the first 48 hours, however, and avoid exposure to prolonged sunlight for the first month.

 

According to Dr. Nusbaum, patients initially develop scabbing over the transplanted area that can last for up to 14 days. Within four weeks, the transplanted hair, which has been shaven before harvesting, falls out, and new hair begins to grow within four months.

 

Choosing the Right Surgeon

Hair transplant surgeons come from a wide variety of medical backgrounds. While many are dermatologists, others are former family doctors, plastic surgeons or even urologists. Experts say the important thing is that hair transplant surgeons are open about their backgrounds.

 

To check the credentials of the surgeon they are considering, patients can look for membership in professional organizations such as the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, board certification in hair restoration surgery or another specialty, journal publications, and hospital and academic affiliations.

 

It's also suggested that patients view photos of other people whose hair the surgeon has transplanted, and possibly meet with other patients of that doctor. A good comfort level with the surgeon is also important.

Getting recommendations is also a good idea, though it might be hard to know who to ask. "People ask me why more people aren't having transplants," says Dr. Cohen. "But unless someone shares that information, you just don't know if they've had one."

Home Remedies
Vigorous rubbing of the scalp with fingers after washing the hair with cold water. The scalp should be rubbed vigorously until it starts to tingle with the heat. It will activate the sebaceous glands and energies the circulation of blood in the affected area, making the hair grows healthy. 

Daily consumption of a comprehensive multi-vitamin (Natrol, or TwinLab) with meals.

One 100mg. Vitamin B complex capsule or tablet daily, instead of just biotin because the B vitamins work in concert and you should not take just one B vitamin, but a balanced complex of all of these water soluble (never stored in the body) delicate vitamins.

Protein intake: Females 40-50 grams. Males 60-75 grams. (Excessive protein intake also causes hair loss.)

1-2 cups of green tea daily as a potent antioxidant.

Green vegetable/fruit drinks found in quart size in the fresh vegetable section of your grocer to detoxify your blood and oxygenate your tissues.

Alma oil, prepared by boiling dry pieces of Alma in coconut oil, is considered a valuable hair tonic for enriching hair growth. A mixture of equal quantity of fresh alma juice and lime juice used as a shampoo stimulates hair growth and prevents hair loss. 

Lettuce (salad-ka-pata) is useful in preventing hair loss through deficiencies. A mixture of lettuce and spinach juice is said to help the growth of hair if it is drunk to the extent of half a liter a day. The juice of alfalfa (lecerne) in combination with carrot and lettuce juice, taken daily also helps the growth of hair to a remarkable extent. The combination of these juices is rich in elements which are particularly useful for the growth of hair. While preparing alfalfa juice, the leaves of the plant only may be used when it can be obtained fresh. 

Daily application of refined coconut oil mixed with limewater and lime juice on the hair, prevents loss of hair and lengthens them. Application of the juice of green coriander leaves on the head is also considered beneficial. Amaranth, known as chaulai-ka-saag in the vernacular, is another valuable remedy. Application of its fresh leaf-juice helps the growth of the hair and keeps it soft. 

Mustard oil, boiled with henna leaves, is useful in healthy growth of hair. About 250 grams of mustard oil should be boiled in tinned basin. A little quantity of henna leaves should be gradually put in this oil until about 60 grams of these leaves are thus burnt in the oil. The oil should then be filtered through a cloth and stored well in a bottle. A regular massage of the head with this oil will produce abundant hair. 

Coconut milk all over the scalp and massaging it into the hair loss will nourish the hair and promote hair growth. The coconut milk is prepared by grinding the coconut shavings and squeezing it well 

Washing the hair with a paste of cooked black gram dal, (urad dal) and fenugreek (methi) lengthens the hair. A fine paste made from pigeon pea or red gram (arhar dal) can also be applied regularly with beneficial results on bald patches. 

Regular use of castor oil as hair oil helps the luxuriant growth of the hair. 
Certain home remedies have also been found useful in case of patchy loss of hair. The seeds of lime and black pepper ground to get a fine paste are one of the valuable remedies. This paste applied on the patches, has mildly irritant action. This increases blood circulation in the affected area and stimulates hair growth. The paste should be applied twice a day for a few weeks. 

Another useful remedy for patchy loss of hair is the paste of liquorices (mulethi) made by grinding the pieces in milk with a pinch of saffron. This paste should be applied over the bald patches in the night before going to bed.

Bear in mind that the hair loss you are experiencing today has occurred due to a stress you endured three months ago. It takes 90 days to turn hair loss around. If you don’t see significant improvement in the amount of hair in the drain in your shower, it’s time for some medical hormone tests, or gyn consultation. Not everybody has male pattern baldness.

My Top Nine Tips For Good Hair Loss Prevention

1. Always blow-dry your hair on low heat (or cool) setting to avoid making it brittle and weak. 
2. Always drive in traffic with the re-circulating button on in your car to block as much pollution as you can from entering the car. Heavy metals found in car exhaust and industrial pollution gobble up minerals and vitamins in the body, which are necessary for good health, not to mention valuable enzymes, which activate healthy cell division. Ever notice how much older and lack luster people look in big cities? 
3. Use a wide-tooth comb to detangle your hair in the shower before you rinse out the final hair conditioner from your hair. Take your time and do not jerk on any tangles. Wet hair is fragile but it is far easier to get the tangles out with the conditioner in, than later. This is especially true if you have fine hair. 
4. When re-touching the roots of your hair, take a small plastic bowl and a plastic spoon and divide half of the crème developer and half of the tint found in the box and mix together in the bowl. Treat only the roots where you see gray or faded color. Not only do you limit your exposure to this carcinogenic cocktail, but you will save your hair from being further dried out from the high alcohol found in the hair dye. Only put color on your whole head every third month. You will also cut your hair color bill in half. 
5. Avoid tight hair buns and narrow hair bands. Let your hair relax at night and use only wide hair bands to hold up your hair. Avoid tight hair clips too. 
6. Wear a hat outside year round to prevent the sun from frying your hair and wear a hat in the winter to prevent the high frigid winds from whipping your hair and dryer it out prematurely. 
7. In the wintertime, run a humidifier at night in your bedroom to moisturize your hair, skin and lungs. 
8. Choose hot curlers that employ salt and steam to “set” the curls instead of dry heat electric curlers. Not only will your set last longer, but your will find the curls silkier and smoother. 
9. Before finally going to sleep at night, brush your hair at least five times with a natural bristle brush to distribute natural oils to the ends of your hair. 

The Future Of Hair Growth

A company in Britain claims to have found the answer: hair cloning. With a procedure that reproduces new hair from the healthy follicles on your head, Interytex claims to have successfully implanted cloned hair cells into five of seven patients, giving these lucky guys a full head of hair. There are, as of yet, no published results, but the company says that it is now moving on to further trials on men with male pattern baldness and even hopes to try it on women facing bare scalps from alopecia.

 

While it may be years before this procedure is available to the public, hair cloning is raising hope for many men—and women—with ever-receding hairlines.

 

"[Hair cloning] could be used in any patient, but it'll be most used in someone who doesn't have enough of his or her own hair for transplantation," says Dr. Walter Unger, clinical professor of dermatology at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York.

 

The chance to fill an almost limitless amount of scalp is what makes hair cloning so promising.

 

To take advantage of the faithful follicles, a surgeon trained in hair cloning would remove a few hairs from the back of the head. But instead of inserting these hairs back into the top of the scalp, as in the case of transplantation, he would take them to a lab where the hairs can be broken down into individual cells and reproduced an almost infinite number of times. Those new hair cells can then be sent back to the doctor a few weeks later, where they are reinserted into the patient's scalp. In theory, the new follicles would begin to grow hair within three months.

 

Hair cloning would eliminate the cutting, suturing and scarring of a transplantation procedure, says Unger, and would allow for an almost limitless amount of scalp to be covered with hair.

 

But Unger abandoned his research on hair cloning after the results proved less-than-successful. He was only able to successfully transplant cloned follicles in four of 23 patients in two trials, and the hair only grew well in one patient.

 

"We can grow a millions of cells from one hair in a matter of weeks, says Unger.”We just haven't been able to get them to successfully grow in a human head."

 

Time will tell if experiments by Interytex prove successful, but Unger is confident that the science is there to make hair cloning a reality.

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