Hair Loss Basics

By far the most common type of baldness (alopecia) in males is called male-pattern baldness or androgenic (androgenetic) alopecia. When this condition develops, the hair is lost in a well-defined “M” pattern (hence the name.) Women also suffer from androgenic alopecia; in females this condition is known as female-pattern baldness.Hair loss develops when the level of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the scalp is too high. Dihydrotestosterone binds itself to the hair follicles, decreasing the amount of nutrients they can extract from blood. The follicles gradually shrink and the hair growing from them becomes thinner. If nothing is done to treat this condition, the hair disappears completely.

To prevent and treat hair loss, the level of DHT in the body must be decreased. This can be accomplished in different ways. There are prescription drugs designed to inhibit DHT (such as finasteride also known as Propecia.), which block conversion of free testosterone into dihydrotestosterone. Being synthetic substances, prescription drugs for treating hair loss often have serious side effects, such as gynecomastia and even erectile dysfunction.

Saw Palmetto (a palm plant native to North America), on the other hand is a herbal DHT inhibitor. It has similar mechanism of action to finasteride, but it doesn’t affect the rest of the organism and thus have no side effects associated with finasteride and other prescription drugs.

Since ancient times, Saw Palmetto has been used by Native Americans to treat urinary disorders in men. It is considered an effective alternative treatment to benign prostate gland enlargement. Only recently it was found out that Saw Palmetto can also treat hair loss! It turned out that it blocks the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme, which is responsible for converting testosterone into DHT, thus preventing and reversing hair loss.

Saw Palmetto is a natural ingredient, which reduces the level of DHT, thus stopping and reversing hair loss. Click here for the natural hair loss treatment containing Saw Palmetto as well as nutrients to promote fast hair regrowth.

Peter Davidoff is an expert in natural hair loss treatments.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Davidoff

Tips for choosing a hair transplant surgeon - sponsored by:

• Does the physician take a holistic approach to hair restoration? Your physician should help you evaluate all your options, surgical and non surgical.
• Has the clinic made the investment in time and resources to do large sessions of micro follicular unit hair transplantation? Doing outstanding work requires a staff dedicated and trained to use high-powered magnification with the capability of producing at least 2,000 carefully trimmed grafts per surgical session.
• Choose a hair restoration clinic that is patient focused rather than commercially focused. Some clinics emphasize revenue, speed and volume rather than dedicating the time and individual care needed to produce optimal results.
• Is hair restoration the primary focus of their practice? Outstanding results require a physician and a full staff who perform hair restoration surgery on a regular basis. Doing hair restoration as a sideline, along with other cosmetic procedures, may hinder their ability to do large sessions of highly refined follicular unit transplantation.
• How many patients has this physician produced excellent results for? Like any skill, experience over time is critical to acquiring the skill and judgment required to produce excellent results.
• Can the physician provide at least a dozen sets of detailed patient before and after photographs? Do they also have patients who are willing to speak with you and meet with you in person?
• What is the physician’s reputation on hair loss related discussion forums? To learn what patients are saying about hair transplant physicians and hair loss treatments visit the Hair Restoration Forum.

How to achieve natural hair transplant results

Today, when done right, hair transplant surgery can produce results that are so natural that even hair stylists cannot detect them. But the key is finding the right hair restoration physician.

It’s tough deciding who to choose. They all claim to provide natural and safe results. But in reality their skill, experience and talent vary widely, as do the end results.

Where to find and learn about outstanding hair restoration surgeons

It’s easy to find physicians offering hair transplants in any phone book or online directory. But to find the minority who provide truly natural and outstanding hair transplant results we recommend the following online resources:

• Hair Loss Learning Center – This multimedia site provides extensive and in-depth information about hair loss causes and cures. It is sponsored by the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians. This elite group of surgeons is committed to excellent patient education and results.
• Hair Transplant Network – This long time community provides recommendations for over 50 of the world’s leading hair transplant surgeons. This site also hosts the world’s largest gallery of patient before and after photos.

Rogaine Seeks Place in the Morning Routine

SINCE its introduction in 1988, Rogaine has always been a bit of a punch line, not only for what it does (help grow hair) but also for its sales results, which never quite (insert bad hair-growth pun here).

But 2007 was a breakout year for Rogaine. A mousse-like version was introduced in 2006 and proved far more popular than the traditional liquid formulation, which comes in a bottle with an eyedropper. The foam version is dispensed by pressing a nozzle, a convenient feature for a product meant to be used twice a day.

Now comes a new marketing campaign for Rogaine that tries to reposition it as an everyday bathroom essential - like deodorant or toothpaste - rather than a medication. “Your daily grooming routine probably already includes brushing, shaving, maybe more,” reads a promotion on the Rogaine Web site. “Take a look at what adding just a few minutes more with Men’s Rogaine Foam can do.”

The campaign tries to encourage younger men to start using Rogaine before hair loss is evident, since the product is most effective when used on thinning patches rather than outright bald ones. And for the first time Rogaine is directly catering to gay men by purchasing spots on Logo, the gay-themed channel owned by Viacom.

Unlike many ads for hair growth or replacement products, the Rogaine spots do not show “before” and “after” images. Rather, the themes are convenience and efficacy: with assiduous use, the message goes, Rogaine can not only regrow hair but keep remaining hair out of the shower drain. (The slogan: “Use it or lose it.”)

“In the morning it’s all about get in, get out,” begins a commercial by BBDO in New York that began appearing recently. It shows a young man getting ready for work by shaving, showering, brushing his teeth and, yes, rubbing a dollop of foam into the crown of his head.

Rogaine was developed by Upjohn, now a division of Pfizer, but was bought in 2006 by Johnson & Johnson, which created the product’s new identity around the foam version.

“The key here is compliance, and the foam experience is much more something that’s going to fit into lifestyles,” said Meghan Marschall, a Johnson & Johnson spokeswoman. By talking to men as young as their early 20s, “we’ve expanded our target audience by a roughly a decade,” she said.

The television spots, introduced Dec. 31, are running on ESPN (television and radio) and traditional prime-time series like “CSI” and “Law and Order,” as well as on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.” Johnson & Johnson would not say how much it was spending on the campaign.

The company is also putting ads on dry-cleaner hangers, hoping to remind men of Rogaine while they are getting dressed. The idea is to reach them “during their morning routine, when they’re the most image-conscious,” Ms. Marschall said.

In 1968, Upjohn first tested minoxidil, the generic name for Rogaine, to treat high blood pressure, but began hearing reports of an odd side effect: Patients taking the drug reported that hair was sprouting on their backs, cheeks and heads. Some researchers saw a silver lining and began developing a topical form of minoxidil for the scalp.

Rogaine was introduced in 1988 as the first drug approved for baldness by the Food and Drug Administration. Financial analysts went wild for it, predicting $500 million in annual sales.

But the public was less enthusiastic. Rogaine has been available over the counter since 1998, but annual revenue, which was $47 million in 2002, declined to $31 million in 2006, the year Pfizer sold the product, according to the market research firm Information Resources (which excludes sales at Wal-Mart.)

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/24/business/media/24adco.html?_r=1&oref=slogin