Battle Against Bald | A Battle Against Hair Loss Through Hair Restoration

Experimental headwear may make hair loss related to chemo a thing of the past

Shirley Billigmeier recently underwent her final round of chemotherapy, and she has a full head of hair, thanks to an experimental piece of medical equipment called a "cold cap."

Doctors fastened the cap on Mrs. Billigmeier's head for one full hour before each round of chemo that she received. After treatment, the cap – which is set to -22°F – is worn for an additional four hours. Those five chilly hours were well worth it, as the treatment seemed to have been a complete success.

Although it's still considered "experimental," cold cap treatment has been around for over a decade. A 1997 study published in teh European Journal of Cancer reports that 87% of patients who wore the cap retained their hair during and after chemotherapy treatment.

The treatment is available, but it's the accessibility that is the problem. The Rapunzel Project - a foundation setup by Mrs. Billigmeier while she was undergoing treatment - aims to give more people access to cold cap treatment. We wish her luck!

HairDX is already old news... make way for the ultimate at-home DNA test

A new service offered by company 23andMe offers at-home DNA tests that estimates the likelihood of your inheritance of over 90 traits. Yes, hair loss is one of them.

Just the other day we reported on the second generation of HairDX hair loss testing, but this is an entirely different animal. The 23andMe is the only accessible and affordable, complete DNA test available on the market. The test identifies and interprets 600,000 genetic markers to create a "digital manifestation of you."

So, for $399 you can find out what you're made of. Literally. Is it worth it?

Image compliments of ValleyWag.com

HairDX announces next generation of genetic hair loss testing

HairDX has already moved forward with a second iteration of their genetic hair loss test. The next generation test, which is available immediately from qualified physicians, will not only be able recognize the likeliness of losing hair, it will be able to identify those who would benefit from early treatment (with drugs like Propecia).

Image courtesy of GeorgeTiemann.com

Hair loss may come from dad's side of the family

For years, the understanding was that baldness was genetic and inherited from your mother's side of the family. Two studies that were recently featured in the journal Nature Genetics illustrate that a new gene variation has been discovered, and it shows a close association with hair loss and genes inherited from both sides of the family - both mom's AND dad's.

Read all about it at the News Tribune.

Soy may protect against prostate cancer, hair loss, among other things

Doctors believe that soy may provide protection against prostate cancer, heart disease, and hair loss, in men. There is a clear association between male pattern baldness and a high risk of prostate cancer, and researchers have found that there may be a similar way to avoid the two.

A study shows that there is a lower risk of prostate cancer in countries with a higher consumption of soy products. It wasn't noted whether or not there was a direct correlation of the rate of hair loss and the amount of soy consumed, but the close association of prostate cancer and hair loss leaves room for conjecture.

Two interesting hair loss treatments

During my morning meander through the web I found some stuff about two hair loss therapies that are thought to help slow or even stop hair loss. Here's a little description of each.

Scalp massage - A traditional hair loss treatment for man. Massaging the scalp stimulates hair follicles and unclogs blocked oil glands in the scalp. It also encourages growth of healthier hair and scalp.

Tissue Expansion - Another type of hair loss treatment for man. In this procedure, tiny balloons are placed under the scalp between those areas with thick hair. Over a number of months, these balloons are gradually inflated.

I searched images of tissue expansion on Google, and I had full intentions of sharing them with you, but I couldn't stomach them long enough to attach them to the post. Sorry.

Fantastic and hysterical hair loss solution

I love the Internet, I really do. It delivers to me every bit of information I want, and allows me to stumble upon every bit of information that I want but don't know I want until it grazes my inquisitive mind. Ok, I just confused myself. You know what else confuses me? How people think they can catch bears — and not only catch them, but ring them dry of their "grease" for the purpose of hair restoration. Here's a list of miracle cures that includes bear grease, among many other ridiculous remedies:

1. Bear grease. In the Old Testament, the second book of Kings, Chapter Two, the prophet Elisha tried to cure baldness by applying bear grease to his head.

2. Snake “soup.” A popular remedy prescribed by first-century physicians. “Boil snakes and rub the broth into bald areas.”

3. Estrogen. In the 1980s, doctors found that the female hormone estrogen rubbed on a man’s scalp could produce hair. Unfortunately, there were numerous female-type side effects, including the possibility of changing baritones into sopranos.

4. Hair In A Can. The brainchild of one Ron Popiel (remember him?), this was a can of spray dye that colored your scalp. It worked best on thinning hair, making it look like you had a full head of hair, but only from a distance.

5. ‘The Zoo’ approach. “Mix the fat of a lion, a hippopotamus, a crocodile, a cat and a serpent, and apply to the bald area”.

Image compliments of Smarter.com

Herbal treatments are not the answer of all answers

Came across an interesting article today. The author seems to believe that there's absolutely no reason people should spend money on hair care products and treatments that slow their hair loss or restore their hair altogether. In place of what, you ask? Vitamins and herbal solutions — namely saw palmetto. Not so fast.

First of all, many of the hair restoration products available have clinically proven results. Sure, they can be expensive, but it's not like buying saw palmetto in bulk is going to be cheap. We've all purchased vitamins before, and they can be spendy. Aside from price - since it pales in comparison to results and happiness - there's no guarantee that you're helping yourself with the herbal approach. Clinically proven methods don't work for everyone, but they HAVE worked for many. The point is, the PROVEN solutions are the safer bet.

Don't write off hair restoration or medical treatments for the natural approach. Sure, experimenting with herbal solutions is great, especially if they work out for you. But, like the Visa commercials tell us time and time again, there are some things in this world that are priceless, and happiness is one of them. If your hair loss is constantly at the top of your mind, take care of it at all costs.

10 Lifestyle Changes to keep your hair from falling out

There are some lifestyle changes that each of us can make that may help ward off early hair loss. Of course, if you're genetically wired to lose your hair at some point in time then there's no stopping it. For the rest of you, here are 10 suggestions from indya.com:

• Eat lots of paneer, spinach (palak), green veggies and milk.
• Regularly oil and shampoo your hair. That's a must at least three times a week, to nourish your scalp. Applied oil must be washed within 24 hours or else it could mix with dust and clog the pores.
• If you are allergic to oil then try to use medicated oil. Or else go in for a potion or hair tonic which has no component of oil. These too can nourish your scalp. They are also known as hair vitalisers.
• Henna is also a good scalp conditioner, but not a good hair conditioner as it tends to make the hair dry and brittle. Hence you must use oil after washing off the henna, before shampooing.
• Washing your hair after a session of rigorous exercise like gymming, jogging etc when the scalp tends to sweat a lot is a must.
• Once in a while chemical treatments like perming, chemical straightening etc are alright, but too much of it causes breakage of hair.
• Another reason for hair getting damaged is heat exposure to the hair and scalp, with a blow-dryer, hot oil or hot water and usings combs with sharp teeth.
• Never comb your hair when it is wet. Towel drying is the best way to dry your hair.

Stanford scientists discover hair growth molecule

A team of scientists at the Stanford School of Medicine discovered a molecule in mouse embryos that triggers hair growth. They noted the possibility that the molecule can be used to treat human hair loss as well.

The molecule, "laminin-511," sparks embryonic stem cells in the skin to begin growing hair. According

Scientists at the university's School of Medicine discovered the molecule "laminin-511," which signals embryonic stem cells in the skin to start growing hair. Researchers suggest that if the molecule can trigger hair loss after birth, it can be administred via injection to areas where people desire hair growth.

I guess we'll all just have to wait and see. It sure is reassuring to see so much research being done on hair loss and finding plausible, permanent solutions. With the way things are going, and end-all solution doesn't seem too far off.