| Revision as of 04:35, 18 May 2005 edit68.3.144.236 (talk) →Baldness news← Previous edit |
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'''Baldness''' (formally ''alopecia'') is the state of lacking ] where it usually would grow, especially on the head. The most common form of baldness is a progressive hair-thinning condition that occurs in ] humans and many other ] species. ] factors such as a regular lack of sufficient ] may be able to accelerate the onset of hair loss in genetically prone individuals. |
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'''Male pattern baldness''' is thought to occur in varying forms in about 50% of adult males. It is characterized by hair receding from the ''lateral'' sides of the forehead, known as "receding hairline" or "receding brow." An additional bald patch may develop on top (''vertex''). The trigger for this type of baldness, which is also known as ''androgenic alopecia'', is currently believed to be ], an ] that converts the ] ] into ] (DHT), which inhibits hair growth. Onset of hair loss sometimes begins as early as end of ], and is mostly ] determined. Male pattern baldness is classified on the ] I-VIII. |
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'''Female pattern baldness''', in which the midline parting of the hair appears broadened, is less common. It is believed to result from a decrease in ], a hormone that normally counteracts the balding effect of testosterone, which normally occurs in women's blood. Female pattern baldness is being classified on the ] I-III. |
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There are several other kinds of baldness. ] is commonly found in women with ]s or ] that pull on their hair with excessive force. Traumas such as ], childbirth, major surgery, poisoning, and severe stress may cause a hair loss condition known as ]. Some ] infections can cause massive hair loss. ] is an ] also known as "spot baldness" that can result in hair loss ranging from just one location (''Alopecia areata monolocularis'') to every hair on the entire body (''Alopecia areata universalis''). |
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== Approaches to baldness == |
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=== Psychological implications === |
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The psychological implications for individuals experiencing hair loss vary widely. There can be a general societal anxiety surrounding the process of hair loss, but some individuals view it as nature taking its course. |
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Some balding men may feel proud of their baldness, feeling a kindred relationship with famous charismatic film ]s such as ], ] and ], who have been considered ] and handsome. |
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=== Preventing and reversing hair loss === |
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It is easier to prevent the aging and falling out of healthy hairs than to regrow hair in ] that are already dormant. However, there are products that have good success rates with maintenance and regrowth, including the FDA-approved ], ], and ]. Baldness may be cured through prospective treatments such as hair multiplication/hair cloning or gene therapy in the next five to ten years. |
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The following treatments are some of the most prominent. Generic brands, often with the same active ingredients, may be (but not necessarily) equally effective and are often cheaper. Articles on potential risks in some of these products can be found at . |
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Interestingly, ] treatments in studies often have high success rates, though not as high as proven products, and even similar side-effects (such as sexual dysfunction) as the FDA-approved products . Proponents of alternative and herbal medicines believe that the majority of cases of hair loss that progress despite treatments do so because the people believe no such cure can occur. In this view, this belief, which is prevailing in the modern civilised world and continuously reinforced by medical science, is the main obstacle for effectively finding and applying a cure. |
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==Treatment products== |
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===Finasteride=== |
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] is a "DHT inhibitor" pill that,in the brand name , is FDA approved to inhibit production of DHT through the entire body (called ''systemic''). Finasteride is taken orally and has a reported 29-68% success rate (''vs'' 17-45% in patients receiving a ]). Both are effective only for as long as they are taken; the benefit is lost within 6-12 months of ceasing therapy (Rossi, 2004). For more detail on possible long term effects of using systemic DHT inhibitors see . However, DHT inhibitors are widely prescribed by health professionals. |
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===Revivogen=== |
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is a non-FDA approved topical "DHT inhibitor" treatment applied to the scalp, claimed to inhibit DHT levels (only in the scalp). Revivogen is claimed to also function as an antiandrogen (see below). |
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===Antiandrogens=== |
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] bock DHT already in the blood stream from ''binding'' with hair follicles. |
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] and Neutrogena ] have antiandrogen properties |
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===Minoxidil=== |
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] is a "potassium channel opener" that, in the brand name , is FDA approved to stimulate regrowth and thicken hairs. Minoxidil is applied topically to the scalp. |
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===Copper peptides=== |
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Copper peptides are topical, and shorten the resting phase of hairs, resulting in more hair follices on the scalp being in the growing phase (as opposed to the resting or falling out phase) at one time) Brand name: . |
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===Others=== |
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* ] |
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* Retin-A (]; chemical peel stimulation of scalp) |
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==Non-pharmacological measures== |
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===Hair transplant=== |
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] is another method of reversing hair loss and baldness, although it may be considered an extreme measure. The surgical methods used include ]s, where patches of skin with hair are moved from one part of the head to another. Another method is ], where parts of the scalp are removed, the skin is stretched over the area that had been removed, and everything is stitched back together. |
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==Speculative treatments== |
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===Stem cells=== |
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] have been discovered in hair follicles and some researchers predict research on these follicle stem cells may lead to successes in treating baldness through '']'' within three or four years (as of November 2004). This treatment is expected to initially work through taking stem cells from existing follicles, multiplying them in cultures, and implanting the new follicles into the scalp. Later treatments may be able to simply signal follicle stem cells to transmit chemical signals to nearby follicle cells which have shrunk during the aging process, which respond to these signals by regenerating and once again making healthy hair. |
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==Concealing hair loss== |
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One method of hiding hair loss is the ''comb-over'', which involves restyling the remaining hair to cover the balding area. It is usually a temporary solution, useful only while the area of hair loss is small. As the hair loss increases, a comb-over becomes less effective. |
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Another method is to wear a hairpiece - a ] or ]. The wig is a layer of artificial or natural hair made to resemble a typical hair style. In most cases the hair is artificial. Wigs vary widely in quality and cost. The best wigs - those that look like real hair - cost up to tens of thousands of dollars. Organizations such as and collect individuals' donations of their own natural hair to be made into wigs for young ] patients who have lost their hair due to ] or other cancer treatment. |
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==Embracing baldness== |
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Of course, instead of concealing hair loss, one may embrace it. Many celebrities and athletes shave their heads. The spreads the message of baldness by shaving the heads of adults to raise money for curing childhood cancer, which often causes children to lose their hair. See ]. |
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==Common baldness myths== |
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There are many myths regarding the possible causes of baldness and its relationship with one's ], intelligence, ethnicity, job, ], wealth etc. Most of them can be dismissed by the existence of many counterexamples or by a lack of sufficient scientific research. |
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Some of these myths are: |
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* "Intellectual activity or psychological problems can cause baldness." |
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This myth probably was inspired by the fact that the human ] is located inside the skull, very close and just below where hair grows, and so it was thought that the use and abuse as well as ] could have negative effect on hair growth and number. |
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This is sometimes used as a ] in ], where the more intellectual or rather frustrated characters are most usually portrayed as bald and generally unattractive, as opposed to the main characters which are usually portrayed as attractive, fit, mentally stable and generally with no apparent hair problems. |
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This same myth normally extends to considering people having intellectual jobs more prone to baldness problems compared to manual laborers, sometimes further extending the myth to male ] or ] ] when compared to ] of the same age. The myth is suspect because counterexamples can be found in any case. |
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* "Baldness can be caused by emotional stress, sexual frustration etc." |
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While emotional ] can have a part in causing baldness, again it is easy to find counterexamples like non-frustrated and non-stressed people with hair loss problems as well as stressed and/or frustrated people with no hair loss problem at all. |
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This myth also suggests that a ] between hair loss and emotional stress/sexual frustration can take place, although only one part of it can be scientifically explained (hair loss causing low esteem and then frustration, but not vice versa). |
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* "Bald men are more "virile" or sexually active than others." |
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This myth probably stems from the fact that some forms of baldness in some predisposed individuals are caused by ], and removal of androgens (by ]) prevents baldness or stops it from progressing further. Yet counterexamples can be found, like men with perfect hairlines and similar levels of ] or men with sensitivity to androgens causing hair loss but which are not very sexually active. |
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* "Shaving hair makes it grow back stronger" |
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Proposed as a popular remedy against baldness, it's very probably just an illusion similar to the one perceived after ] one's beard or mustache. Shaving one's head doesn't increase the number of healthy hair present on the scalp, and, when the remaining hair has grown a few millimeters, no enhancement in thickness or overall quality can be observed. |
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* "Some human ] or ] groups are less prone to baldness problems then others." |
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It is true that by observing many pictures of men of European descent and then comparing them to pictures of men of ] or ] descent it is very likely that a random observer will deduce that baldness problems seem to be much more frequent among the "European" group than in the "Asian" one. |
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Similar observations can be done regarding the people living in most Western countries when compared to people living in "underdeveloped" or ] countries, but lacking any official ], ] and ] research to back them up, such observations degenerate into a racial/social ]. |
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A very similar ] exists even between the various European ethnic groups, when comparing people of ] descent with those of ], ] or ] origins, with the stereotype summarily describing the "Southern Europeans" as darker-skinned, with more body hair, with the women more prone to ] problems and the men more prone to baldness, a stereotype probably developed under times of ] or ] tensions between European countries. |
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== Trivia == |
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*] had an extreme case of alopecia that caused him to lose all of the hair on his face, including his eyebrows and eyelashes. Another famous person who suffers from similarly severe alopecia is Italian ] ]. |
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*]s do not go bald. |
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*Baldness is not only a human trait. Some other ], such as ]s, stump-tailed ]s, and ]n ] show progressive thinning of the hair on the scalp after adolescence. |
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== Reference == |
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* Rossi S (Ed.) (2004). ''] 2004''. Adelaide: Australian Medicines Handbook. ISBN 0-9578521-4-2 |
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== See also == |
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*] |
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=== External links === |
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* Frequently asked questions |
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====Consumer information pages==== |
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* |
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* |
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* |
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====Hair loss specialist directories==== |
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* from the American Hair Loss Council |
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** (U.S.) from hairlossdocshop.com |
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====Baldness news==== |
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* (Yahoo News, March 2005) Article summary: The product '],' which uses a combination of stable and non-irritating ] (]) and minoxidil, "is now backed by solid science to treat and reverse hair loss." The ingredients have been shown in two recent studies to activate stem cells in hair follicles. |
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*-U.C. Berkeley Wellness Letter March 2003 |
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