Hair Loss

Hair Loss Treatment at the Proctor Clinic

aags — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 17:00:16 +0000

Hair Loss treatment at the Proctor Clinic

Chemotherapy-induced hair loss

aags — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:26:35 +0000

Skin Therapy Lett. 2010 Jul-Aug;15(7):5-7.

Chemotherapy-induced hair loss.
Trüeb RM.

Center for Dermatology and Hair Diseases Wallisellen, Zurich, Switzerland.

Abstract
Chemotherapy-induced hair loss occurs with an estimated incidence of 65%. Forty-seven percent of female patients consider hair loss to be the most traumatic aspect of chemotherapy and 8% would decline chemotherapy due to fears of hair loss. At present, no approved pharmacologic intervention exists to circumvent this side-effect of anticancer treatment, though a number of agents have been investigated on the basis of the current understanding of the underlying pathobiology. Among the agents that have been evaluated, topical minoxidil was able to reduce the severity or shorten the duration, but it did not prevent hair loss. The major approach to minimize chemotherapy-induced hair loss is by scalp cooling, though most published data on this technique are of poor quality. Fortunately, the condition is usually reversible, and appropriate hair and scalp care along with temporarily wearing a wig may represent the most effective coping strategy. However, some patients may show changes in hair color and/or texture of regrown hair, and in limited cases the reduction in density may persist.

Hair loss and hair loss treatment hair regrowth

Frontal fibrosing hair loss: to treat or not to treat?

aags — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:56:53 +0000

J Cutan Med Surg. 2010 Jul-Aug;14(4):161-6.

Frontal fibrosing hair loss: to treat or not to treat?
Rallis E, Gregoriou S, Christofidou E, Rigopoulos D.

Abstract
BACKGROUND:Published studies have evaluated a variety of therapeutic agents in frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA); however, data on whether fibrosis is already established when the patients initially present are scarce.OBJECTIVE:To identify the prevalence of active disease in patients initially diagnosed with FFA and to evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic agents suggested in the medical literature.PATIENTS/METHODS:Eighteen postmenopausal women with FFA presented at the outpatient clinic of our hospital from June 2003 to August 2007. Five patients who also presented with androgenetic alopecia were treated with finasteride 2.5 mg/d plus minoxidil 5% for 12 months. One patient with a rapidly regressing disease received systemic corticosteroids. The remaining 12 patients were divided into two groups: 6 patients received topical clobetasol 0.05% solution once daily for 6 months and the rest received no treatment.RESULTS:Thirteen of 18 patients presented with stable disease. No significant improvement was observed in any of the patients.CONCLUSION:To date, there is no effective treatment proven with an appropriate level of evidence in the management of frontal fibrosing hair loss. Exclusion criteria in future clinical studies should take into account patients presenting with stable disease. What needs to be established is whether treatment can halt or slow the progression of active disease.

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aags — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:29:26 +0000

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Steroidogenic enzymes in skin and hair loss

aags — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:27:28 +0000

Steroidogenic enzymes in skin

European Journal of Dermatology. 11, Number 4, 293
S. Andersson,

The gonadal synthesis of testosterone from cholesterol involves four enzymes…. A significant part of the plasma-borne testosterone is converted in androgen target tissues, such as the skin, to the more potent androgen dihydrotestosterone by the steroid 5a-reductase type 1 and type 2 isoenzymes. Dihydrotestosterone, which binds to the nuclear androgen receptor with much greater affinity than testosterone, is the androgen responsible for a process leading to androgenetic alopecia. Consequently, the 5a-reductase inhibitor finasteride was developed and has proven efficacious in promoting hair regrowth. snip…. Aberrant expression of one or more of these enzymes, could conceivably result in increased scalp dihydrotestosterone levels, and possibly, acceleration of the balding process in genetically predisposed men and women.

Keywords : 17b-HSD, 3a-HSD, 3b-HSD, 5a-reductase, dihydrotestosterone, hair loss. hair regrowth

Hair loss Treatment at the Proctor clinic.

aags — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 20:18:52 +0000

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aags — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:37:50 +0000

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Minoxidil in alopecia areata

aags — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 10:10:36 +0000

Dermatologica. 1987;175 Suppl 2:36-41.

Topical minoxidil in extensive alopecia areata
Price VH.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of topical minoxidil is the fact that this drug can promote hair regrowth in two unrelated conditions: alopecia areata (AA) and androgenetic alopecia (male pattern hair loss). The two conditions have quite different underlying mechanisms. In AA, hair follicles respond to some signal or cell injury by entering a state of aborted cyclical activity; this state can reverse itself spontaneously, or it can be temporarily circumvented with nonspecific immunomodulating agents. In androgenetic alopecia, genetically marked hair follicles undergo progressive, androgen-mediated miniaturization; antiandrogens have been conventionally sought to intercept this process. It is not known how minoxidil promotes hair regrowth except that living follicles capable of stimulation and hypertrophy are required. It may be that minoxidil influences some fundamental signal to the follicular apparatus, irrespective of the pathophysiology involved. We have used topical minoxidil solution in 90 patients, aged 7-63 years, with extensive AA affecting 25-100% of the scalp. One study was double-blind, and placebo-controlled for an entire year. Minoxidil-treated patients responded better than placebo-treated patients. Both 3 and 5% topical minoxidil solutions have been used, and treatment with the 3% solution has continued for up to 3 years. snip..While topical minoxidil is not very effective for those with 100% scalp hair loss, it is an effective, easy and safe treatment for those with AA affecting 25-99% of the scalp.

Extensive alopecia areata treated with betamethasone…

aags — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:30:18 +0000

Khaitan BK, et al Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 2004;70:350

….Nine patients had alopecia universalis and one had alopecia totalis. The earliest regrowth of hair on the scalp was seen at 1 month. Cosmetically acceptable hair regrowth was seen at 2-8 months. This meant that the regrowth covered cosmetically important areas like scalp, eyebrows and in male patients, moustache and beard, showing terminal hair on >75% of the affected area. The dose of betamethasone was tapered step-wise by 1 mg per dose every month once cosmetically acceptable regrowth was achieved. The eyebrows and eyelashes began to respond in 1-4 months (mean 2 months). Hair growth over the extremities started in about 3-4 months.

At the end of 6 months, 7 patients (43.7%) showed an excellent response [Figure - 1], [Figure - 2] after which the dose of betamethasone was tapered step-wise and finally stopped. In the subsequent follow-up (5 to 8 months) there was a relapse in 1 patient after 2 months of stoppage of treatment and OMP had to be restarted. Another patient showed scanty re-growth of hair on the eyebrows. Five (31.2%) patients showed a good response after 6 months of therapy [Figure - 3], [Figure - 4]. Betamethasone was continued in these patients in the same doses (5 mg) for another 2 months and then gradually tapered and finally stopped. There has been no relapse in this group of patients. Two (12.5%) patients showed an unsatisfactory response at the end of 6 months. The dosage was tapered in next two months to 3 mg of betamethasone and was continued till one year and then tapered off in the next 3 months. Further improvement was not significant. The remaining two (12.5%) patients were non-responders and both had alopecia universalis. In one of them there was growth of a few vellus hair.

The best treatment response was seen on the scalp. The extremities and eyebrows still showed a few remaining areas of hair loss and required further topical treatment with corticosteroids with variable response. The side effects noted were cushingoid facies and weight gain in 2 patients and acneiform eruption in 2 patients. Three patients complained of mild gastric discomfort which responded to antacids and H2 blockers. At present there are 12 patients who are off treatment since 5 to 8 months and there has been no relapse.

Hair regrowth with minoxidil

aags — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:34:20 +0000

Dermatologica. 1987;175:19

Hair follicle biology and topical minoxidil: possible mechanisms of action.
Headington JT.

How minoxidil stimulates hair regrowth remains undetermined. ..snip…. Possible sites of direct drug action include either the dermal papilla of the follicle or hair matrix cells. Morphometric studies of control scalp biopsies taken from young male patients with androgenetic alopecia (male pattern hair loss) reveal that the primary morphologic event is miniaturization of terminal hair follicles…accompanied by shortening of the hair growth cycle ..snip…There has been no suggestion in any morphologic studies of minoxidil-treated patients for development of new follicles (f. Because dermal papilla of the hair follicle apparently controls both growth and differentiation of hair matrix cells ….snip…,

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