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Hairloss FAQ - General Questions from the Regrowth Web Site By John Ertel |
What is the
best product, if any, for the front, or horseshoe effect of the head, if you have no
problem with the top of your head?
There is no product currently available which has been well tested on the frontal portion
of the head. Certainly any product that works elsewhere on your head should have at least
some effect on the front. There is a myth that Minoxidil does not work on the front of the
scalp. This is not entirely true. It does not work for some people in the front (probably
as many as it doesn't work for at all). However it does work on the front for some people.
Upjohn's tests were only on the vertex of the head and the FDA only approved claims that
it would work on the vertex. On Upjohn's own Rogaine site it says that they can not make
such claims since they have not performed appropriate testing for them according to FDA
rules. For some people, Minoxidil will work in front. I have personally experienced its
effects in front as have others. Another product that some say may help in the front is
Proscar. There have been no specific tests that I know of in frontal parts of the scalp,
but it is theorized that Proscar's inhibition of DHT should make it more effective in the
front. In combination with minoxidil in the front, this is probably the most effective
thing currently available. A treatment that may be available in a few years that has
promise for the front is RU58841. RU58841 is an androgen
blocker that is applied topically. Unlike Proscar and other antiandrogens, it is only
locally effective so it is safe for men to use without adverse sexual side effects. A
recent study on balding stumptail macqaques (the primary animal testing model for male
pattern baldness drugs) showed a very good response in the frontal area. One person who
has seen the photos from the article described them as very impressive. Unfortunately the
company that makes RU58841 is located in France so accurate information is hard to get on
the progress of approval. As far as I know, as of now it is still not in human trials. It
is best to do what you can to keep your follicles alive until treatments such as this are
available.
Is it better
to use Nioxin, or shampoo and conditioner containing Biotin, Niacin, Sage Extract, ...etc.
A 1985 study, "[Differential Diagnosis of Diffuse Hairloss]", showed
that preparations with ingredients such as Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5), Biotin, Zinc,
and Amino Acids improve the quality of hair and do increase the actual structural quality
of the existing hair, but do not prevent hairloss or cause hair to regrow. Some people
have reported some decrease in fallout with Nioxin and one person that I know of (out of
many I have heard from who had no effect) has had good effects with Nioxin. Another person
has said that Nioxin is a good shampoo even though he had no luck regrowing hair. He found
another shampoo better, which is also the one I have found the best for improving hair
thickness and quality: Nano shampoo from Dr. Proctor. After using it I can't say whether
it grew any hair for me. I have heard of a few people who have said Nano alone grew some
hair for them. However it is a very good shampoo for improving hair quality and making
your hair look thicker. Nano is a little on the pricey side. There is a good shampoo for
thickening hair that is pretty cheap called Thicker, Fuller Hair. It is available in many
grocery stores and thickens hair pretty well. It costs as much as a middle ranged normal
shampoo, about $3-4 for a large sized bottle.
Does the
dietary supplement DHEA contribute in any way to the promotion of hairloss?
Good question. Unfortunately it is one that a definitive answer is not known, so I can't
give you a simple yes or no. There are a few things you should consider when deciding
whether to take DHEA. First, almost everyone under the age of 30 produces all the DHEA
their body needs naturally. So if you take extra, it is more likely to be either wasted or
worse, converted to hormones your body doesn't need such as Testosterone and then DHT.
Some people have definitely promoted hairloss due to DHEA. DHEA can be converted to
Testosterone by your body and then to DHT which causes hairloss. Not everybody who takes
DHEA experiences this, but it is something to consider before taking DHEA. Also, DHEA is
one of the primary hormones in Female Pattern Loss in women, so women will definitely want
to be much more concerned with taking DHEA. I have not heard from anyone whether FPB in
men has anything to do with DHEA. Since balding is genetic there could be a link, but
nobody knows yet. Unfortunately, this is something that has not been studied by the
medical community so all the evidence is theoretical and anecdotal. It is a fact that DHEA
is often converted to Testosterone and then DHT, so there is a definite risk. Also, the
normal daily dose for DHEA supplementation is 5-25mg. I have heard of people taking 100mg
or more per day and wondering why they're experiencing hairloss. Increased DHEA will most
likely increase your risk of faster hairloss. If you take higher than normal dosage you
can definitely expect a higher risk of experiencing related hairloss. DHEA decreases with
age, so the older you are, the safer it probably is to take this supplement. A DHT
inhibitor such as Proscar may prevent possible accelerated hairloss in men when taking
DHEA, but this is not yet known for sure.
About 2 months
after I gave birth to my baby girl I started to find hair on my pillow and hair on my
comb, something that I didn't experience before. What can I do to stop it?
Hairloss during or after pregnancy is not an uncommon problem. The process of going
through pregnancy obviously causes many hormonal and bodily changes in a woman, some of
which can lead to hairloss. This hairloss may only be temporary. You should consult with
your doctor about whether he things the loss is temporary or not. If it is caused by
female pattern loss, many of the treatments discussed on Regrowth! can help regrow hair in
women. You can use this information in consultation with your doctor to decide what to do.
