Hair Loss Toronto

In Step 1 we established that the major cause of Male Pattern Baldness is directly related to hormonal issues. Specifically, the interaction of the hormone DHT, and Androgens. We have also established that a bad scalp environment (inflammation, itching, and flaking) is another major byproduct of DHT and Androgen activities, and can be incredibly detrimental to the success of any hair loss treatment regimen if not brought under control. In Step 2 we did a quick evaluation of the various types of hair loss typically found in men. Now we’re going to discuss the 5 major types of hair loss treatments, and how each controls or reverses hair loss in its own unique way. A good understanding of Step 1 is imperative for truly understanding this information.

The Five Major Types of Hair Loss treatments

1. DHT Inhibitors - Work to inhibit the binding of Testosterone and 5-Alpha Reductase, which in turn keeps DHT levels close to normal, which in turn helps keep hair growth and loss regulation at its normal healthy state. These treatments truly deal with hair loss at the “root” of the problem.

2. Growth Stimulator’s - Work on a symptomatic level to artificially stimulate growth, without actually dealing with hair loss at the cause of the problem. While this may sound like an ineffective method, growth stimulator’s are actually a very successful way to at least cosmetically reverse the balding process.

3. SOD’s - Also known as Super Oxide Dismutase, these hair loss treatments work by handling the immune response which occurs as a result of excessive DHT in the follicle. When cells sense a foreign body, they release Super Oxide, which typically help defend the body against invading viruses, cells, and foreign tissues. SOD’s reduce the presence of this Super Oxide, thus reducing the body’s desire to reject the follicle. It’s yet another “angle” proven to work in fighting hair loss. SOD’s are kind of a hybrid treatment because they also have growth stimulation properties, as well as anti-inflammatory properties.

4. Anti-Inflammatory’s - These treatments work to reduce inflammation, itching, redness, and flaking which is caused as a result of the immune response, and which can make hair loss even worse if not controlled.

5. Antiandrogens - The goal of Antiandrogen treatments is to stop DHT from binding to the Androgen receptor. As we discussed in Step 1, this is one of the steps in the chain of chemical reactions which ultimately leads to hair loss. Whereas DHT Inhibitors go to the first chemical interaction and stop it from occurring, Antiandrogens come in about 3/4 of the way down the process, and inhibit one of the last interactions before damage to the follicle occurs. Both types of treatments work in different parts of the process to stop the process from completing.

Putting a Face to the Name

Which treatment falls into which category? The table below outlines the only clinically proven treatments on the market today for men and women, and where each fits in. As you can see, many of them fit more than one type of category. Propecia and some custom formulations of Minoxidil such as Xandrox, as well as Proxiphen, are all available by prescription only. Dutasteride is currently available in the form of Avodart, but it is only approved for the treatment of Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (just like Propecia when it first came out as the same type of drug in the form of Proscar). The majority of the rest of these products are considered over the counter. It helps to categorize them by what they do best, and what they’re intended for. The table below should help you do just that:

DHT Inhibitors » Propecia » Revivogen » Crinagen » Dutasteride » Progesterone Creams » Xandrox	Growth Stimulants » Rogaine » Tricomin » Folligen » Proxiphen » Prox-N » Nano Shampoo » Retin-A
SOD’s » Tricomin » Folligen » Proxiphen » Proxiphen-N	Anti-Inflammatory’s » Tricomin » Nizoral » T-Gel » Betadine » Folligen » Proxiphen » Proxiphen-N
Antiandrogens » Revivogen » Crinagen » Spironolactone » Nizoral 1% and 2% (Ketoconazole) » Proxiphen

Now it’s time to decide which of these treatments are best for you.

Three major factors are going to affect your success on any hair loss treatment.

Type of Hair Loss

Men begin to lose hair in several different ways. The most common of which involve receding at the temples, centralized loss on the top back of the head (vertex), and something known as diffuse thinning, where hair over larger areas begins to thin without any specific change in the shape of the hair line. Naturally, combinations of these types of thinning is also very common.

You may wish to familiarize yourself with the “Norwood Scale”. It is one of the most commonly used methods of identifying exactly which class of hair loss you fit in, and to what extent your loss has progressed. It is also a good way to see how things may continue if your situation is left untreated.

The Norwood Scale Different treatments tend to have slightly better results in different areas of the scalp and for different types of hair loss. In Step 3 - Evaluating the Available Treatments, we will begin to delve into this issue.

Response Time

Hair loss treatments today are most successfully used by those who haven’t waited too long to do something about their situation. The process of balding takes years to occur, and it’s true that the longer you wait to stop it, the harder it can be to do. Fighting hair loss is as much an act of prevention as it is an act of reversal. Younger men who are experiencing their first signs of thinning have the greatest potential to wake up at age 50 with a full head of hair, simply because the destructive process has not progressed very far yet. Still, there is hope for men who have been losing hair for between 5 and 15 years. Many men, including Jon Ross are over 30 and have successfully reversed their balding with combination treatments aimed at a multifaceted approach.

Vertex Loss		Frontal/Temple Loss

“Fighting hair loss is as much an act of prevention as it is an act of reversal.”

Extent of Loss

Closely tied to the length of time you’ve been losing your hair, is the extent of hair already lost. This factor is probably the most significant factor in determining how well you will respond to treatment. It is generally accepted that existing hair which has begun to succumb to MPB has a better chance of “reviving” than a slick, bald scalp with only microscopic follicles remaining. This is not to imply that it’s not worth giving it a try, but cosmetically acceptable results are rarely seen on completely bald skin that has been that way for several years.

Now let’s take a look at the available treatment options out there, in step 3.

It is still not fully understood what causes hair loss, however in the past few years we’ve made incredible strides in identifying the major factors. Let’s first focus on dispelling some of those rumors you know are floating around in your head right now…

Old Wives Tales

The following old wives tales are very commonly believed, but are at times very illogical and almost always wrong. A good rule of thumb - if it didn’t make you bald when you were 15, it’s probably not making you bald now.

Stress? Probably not, unless you’ve undergone extreme physical or mental torture for months.

Bad Circulation? No. Male pattern baldness is not caused by a lack of circulation or nutrients to the follicle, whether it be by hats, ponytails, or anything else. There are conditions where trauma to the scalp has caused damage, but it wouldn’t happen without you knowing it.

Sweat & Dirt? No. Beware of any treatment that claims it is “cleaning” the follicles of excess sebum, dirt, or sweat. Anyone who has ever had an ingrown hair can vouch for the fact that it takes a heck of a lot more than oil to stop a hair from growing through something. You sweat in high school, and you never lost a hair from it.

Hats? No. The high school baseball team was never known to be the baldest team in school. Hat’s do not cause hair loss.

The Real Causes of Hair Loss

DHT & Androgens: DHT is a naturally occurring hormone, which assists with sexual development during your fetal days, and during puberty. DHT actually existed in the body even while we had full heads of hair. The problem arises when genetic switches cause changes in the follicles and men’s overall biology.

In follicles, there exists DHT and structures called “Androgen Receptors”. In healthy hair follicles, these two substances combine to carry out normal processes and regulate normal hair growth. DHT is created as a result of another combination of Testosterone and something called 5-alpha-reductase. In summary, we have two combinations going on in the normal, non-balding man:

• Testosterone and 5-alpha-reductase Enzyme combine to form DHT
• DHT and Androgen Receptors combine to carry out the creation of normal proteins in follicles, which regulate the health, growth, and resting cycles of a follicle.

As men start to age, these two processes change. After puberty, Testosterone typically increases in the overall blood supply of most males. Consequently, the binding of Testosterone and 5-Alpha increases, causing more DHT to be produced (1). This of course results in an increase in binding between DHT and the Androgen Receptors (2). The increased binding then causes an imbalance in the biology and processes of the follicle. Overabundance of this activity directly affects the growth regulating that goes on in the follicle, which results in slower and less healthy growth each time the hair grows, rests, and regrows again. When DHT and the Androgen receptors were in normal abundance, binding at normal rates, hair growth regulation was also normal. Hair grew and fell as it should have. The overabundance however, throws the whole process off kilter.

The degradation process of the follicle is typically very slow, and takes many years, but the result is very apparent on the scalp to the hair loss sufferer. As hair continues through its growth and resting phases, each time a new hair grows from a DHT swamped follicle, it comes back thinner and shorter than it did the last time. Over several years, its growth degrades so much that it can no longer be seen. Thus is Androgenetic Alopecia - aka Male Pattern Baldness.

In order to stop hair loss in any way, you must be able to in some fashion alter the processes identified above, or usurp them by stimulating growth *despite* the effects of DHT. Treatments claiming to “wash” dirt out, increase circulation, or reduce sebum are quite simply, hogwash.

Treatments that counter DHT / Androgen Receptor activity: DHT Inhibitors, SOD’s, Growth Stimulants Antiandrogens. We give examples of each of these in the next few steps.

Inflammation: The process described above initiates what is called an autoimmune response. To put it in layman’s terms, follicles experiencing the above process are suddenly considered foreign objects in the body, and the degradation is a direct result of the body rejecting them from the system. This is really what Male Pattern Baldness is all about.

One of the biggest telltale signs of the autoimmune response is tingling, itching, redness, and inflammation of the scalp. Not all men losing hair experience this, but a vast majority do. Inflammation is considered one of the other major factors which exacerbate the hair loss process. This is why in addition to DHT inhibitors, SOD’s, and Growth Stimulants, it is imperative that you include an approved scalp conditioner which actively eliminates the itching, inflammation, and flaking. The absolute best product for this on the market today is Nizoral shampoo. It should be included in ANY hair loss treatment regimen, and as a shampoo, it is easy to use.

Treatments that counter Inflammation: Antifungal Shampoo’s containing Ketokonazole, such as Nizoral.

In Conclusion

You now know the causes of hair loss in Androgenetic Alopecia (MPB). You may also have noticed mention of treatments. Your next step is to evaluate the type of hair loss you have, and then the appropriate treatment for it. As you see above, there are only 5 types of treatments which truly work: DHT Inhibitors, Growth Stimulants, SOD’s, Anti-inflammatory’s, and Antiandrogens.

Click step 2 below to begin evaluating your personal situation.

 

Typical hair loss is a sign you are lacking vitamins in your diet, but has nothing to do with meal schedules. It’s a 100 strands per day and wearing your hair really tight pulls on the hair and it breaks off and ends on the floor.

Each individual hair survives for an average of 4-1/2 years, during which time it grows about half an inch a month. Usually in its 5th year, the hair falls out and is replaced within 6 months by a new one. Genetic baldness is caused by the body’s failure to produce new hairs and not by excessive hair loss

Poor diet will affect your hair as well as stress such as tight pony tails and braids. Well weight loss and anxiety can cause hair loss, but a few strands isn’t really much to worry about. If you are concerned, though, you can part your hair and see if the gap is wider than is used to be.

When you get into your 20’s you will have some hormonal changes too… so that could cuase some hair loss. If you are really anxious about this, go to your doctor to discuss this issue

Early hair loss is a sign of poor nutrition. As hair is comprised largely of keratin protein, then ample protein levels must be guaranteed. This can be obtained by eating beans, seeds, grains, tofu, sprouts, and fish. Minerals are also required for hair maintenance.

The best sources of minerals in the plant kingdom are found in sea vegtables: for example nori, hijiki, arame and wakem for their calcium, and dulse for its iron content. Add themin small amounts (1/4-1/2 oz dry weight) to soups, salads and casseroles 3-4x a wk. Silica, shich forms part of the starches that make up hair, is found in common vegetables such as onions, garlic, green leafy vegetables, carrots, cucumbers, and bell peppers and most sprouted seeds.

Hair falls due to genetic reasons, stress, pollution, thyroid imbalance, chemicals in hair styling products and lack of proper nutrition.

Home remedies are cheap , natural and without any side effects. Some of the home remedies for treating hair fall are:

1. The juice of fresh coriander can be massaged onto the scalp will reduce hair loss.

2. Massage the head with oil for 15-20 minutes and then rinse with a shampoo. A hot oil massage with olive oil will also help.

3.Apply the white of a raw egg on the hair for 30 minutes, and then wash it off with a shampoo. A mixture of lemon juice and egg white could also be used to strengthen the roots of hair.

4. Boil neem leaves in water for an hour and let it cool. Wash the hair with this water. Alternately neem oil can be mixed with coconut oil and massaged where there is hair fall

5. Apply a mixture of lemon juice and juice of amla to the scalp. This also helps control dandruff in the hair

6. Ensure that you eat nutritious food, with plenty of leafy vegetables. Have a soya milk drink and multivitamin tablets if you do not have time to have a healthy breakfast