A four-year-old cancer sufferer has penned a letter to Father Christmas, which features a heart-wrenching request for curly hair. 

Zac Oliver

Zac is your typical four-year-old boy, he enjoys all the things any four-year-old boy enjoys. When he sat down to write his letter to Father Christmas he marked himself out as different, and Zac is different. He suffers from a rare form of cancer, called near-haploid strain of lymphoblastic leukaemia. Fortunately, since his diagnosis in May, following a fund-raising effort led by UK newspaper the Daily Mail, which included a single anonymous donation of £100,000, the £500K needed to fund his treatment was raised. In fact, the total raised to date stands at over £600K with any surplus, once Zac’s own needs are met, being used to fund research into childhood cancer. 

The huge costs involved are due to Zac having to travel to Philadelphia in the USA to receive a course of revolutionary immunotherapy, a new way of treating cancer that is highly efficacious for some types of the disease. The chronology of Zac’s treatment has been, since his diagnosis back in May, one of a particularly harsh form of chemotherapy. In November he made his first visit to Philadelphia where some of his T Cells were harvested. They are currently being “modified” in the lab and will, in about 5 weeks time, be reinfused back into his system.

Christmas Appeal

Around the time the family put up their Christmas tree this year, Zac’s hair began to fall out faster than it had been, a process which started back in June with the chemo. 

When it came to dictating his letter to Father Christmas he opened by asking after Santa’s health. He then reassured Santa that his mum had said he should be on the good list before setting out his requests for presents. The first two, predictably, were dinosaurs and an age-appropriate game called PAW Patrol. Then there was the third and last request, for hair. which he added he would like to be curly. 

HIS Hair Clinic

It is impossible not to feel for this lion-hearted boy, who has never uttered a word of complaint since the day of his diagnosis, and his poor mum and step-dad. Through it all, and even at the tender age of 4, it is losing his hair that prompted the single complaint. Even then Zac did not really complain, just made an honest request of someone who, for all he knows, might actually be able to deliver him from hair loss. 

I’m sure our readers will join us in wishing Zac and his family a wonderful Christmas,  and many more. Good luck through your journey.

If you would like to discuss your hair loss situation with one of our team of friendly experts, simply complete our contact form on this page or click here to find your nearest clinic.

If you find yourself or any other person scratching their head a lot, be alert as it can be a sign of a lice infestation. Lice are minuscule, blood-sucking insects without wings that attach themselves to human hair and feed like parasites on human blood. There are 3 varieties of lice depending upon the part […]

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With some oncologists suggesting that immunotherapy is, for some patients, the most effective cancer cure available, we ask the question can it cause hair loss?

Immunotherapy

The range of treatments that fall under the umbrella of immunotherapy all have something in common. They are an attempt to replace previous methods of treating cancer, where the use of harsh chemicals and radiation make the experience, already emotional and challenging, deeply unpleasant. One aspect in particular, the hair loss associated with these treatments, is especially unwelcome…with a small but shocking proportion of women even declining treatment on that basis alone. 

Immunotherapy, rather than directly attacking the cancer, is a biological solution that works in one of two ways. Either by boosting the immune system – with the aim of assisting the body in forming its own successful defense against the disease. Or by marking the cancer cells, which are notoriously good at hiding from the body’s defenses, in such a way that they are then attacked by the immune system.

Although not as widely implemented as a treatment as surgery, chemotherapy or radiation, immunotherapy is now available for several types of cancer. 

Does It Cause Hair Loss? 

It seems a very reasonable question, given that a faulty, and over-aggressive, immune system is held to blame for many types of hair loss, from alopecia areata all the way up to the most common form, androgenetic alopecia… the genetically inherited form of hair loss that the majority of us will experience, sooner or later as dictated by those genes. 

Well, to start with it seems unlikely that the type of immunotherapy which simply marks cancerous cells for attack by the immune system are likely to have any effect… depending on how they target those cancerous cells in the first place. Chemotherapy drugs, for example, are deliberately designed to target fast-growing cells, a category which hair unfortunately falls into, and why it is so regularly a casualty. But the type which boosts the immune system might well give cause for concern. In fact, we are delighted to report that no study has hair loss featured as a reported issue. This has been backed up with a complete lack of anecdotal evidence from patients, of whom there are now many thousands, none of whom have posted or complained of the problem.

HIS Hair Clinic 

It must be an enormous comfort to so many cancer sufferers to learn that their treatment need not involve any of the three “traditional” methods, nobody wants surgery and both chemotherapy and radiation are horrendous for all involved. As previously mentioned,  there are several types of immunotherapy. Some are delivered intravenously, some come in pills, one is a cream and another is intravesical… meaning it is put directly into the bladder. All are outpatient appointments. The worst of those strikes us as better than the best of the other choices… and with no risk to hair. 

If you would like to discuss your hair loss situation with one of our team of friendly experts, simply complete our contact form on this page or click here to find your nearest clinic.

In an unusual move, at least to us and the hair loss industry, a large number of hair transplant surgeons have combined to fund some research aimed at delivering a brand new hair loss treatment. We just had to look closer. 

HairClone

Under the name HairClone, a large number of hair transplant surgeons have collaborated to underwrite research into an original technique aimed at improving the lot of the average hair transplant patient, by raising the bar on the amount of bald scalp they can take on almost regardless of the quantity and quality of the donor area.

It’s a novel course of action, akin to the tail wagging the dog… but we applaud the clarity of purpose and their inclination not to wait for some science lab to come up with something on their behalf. 

In their cross-hairs is addressing the most common form of hair loss, androgenetic alopecia. Better known as male (or female) pattern hair loss it is the type that comes, inevitably, with age at the precise moment our genetics dictate… while there are some medications that can, for some, stave off the advance there remains no meaningful cure. 

Methodology

The intention is to perfect the techniques required to be able to take a few cells, from an area on the scalp not affected by the hair loss, from the patient, in a simple and swift outpatient procedure. These cells then have the potent cells isolated and these, in turn, are multiplied in the laboratory before being re-injected back into the patient’s scalp. Where it is hoped they will settle and become healthy growing hairs. 

There are also plans to develop a bio-bank in early 2019, where patients will be invited to store a small number of hair follicles for some future use… a bit like freezing eggs with the same idea. 

HIS Hair Clinic

We realize the project is designed to end up providing these surgeons with additional income from being able to exclusively deliver the new treatment, indeed that this is the principal objective. Nevertheless, is successful they will bring into reach a whole rank of potential clients that are currently beyond their help. So, while not a cure for hair loss it is possibly an important addition to the choices available in the near future. 

If you would like to discuss your hair loss situation with one of our team of friendly experts, simply complete our contact form on this page or click here to find your nearest clinic.

Bronchitis is an infection or inflammation of the lining of a child’s bronchial tubes. These tubes are the air passageways that connect the trachea, or windpipe, to the lungs. The lining of the bronchial tubes is extremely fragile and secretes pathogen-fighting mucus, which helps safeguard your child’s respiratory system by warding off the threat of […]

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Remembering Sydney the Superhero

Sydney was just 5 years old when she was diagnosed with Wilms’ tumor – a type of cancer that starts in the kidneys. Sydney immediately started on a grueling treatment process that would span over multiple years. However, she did not let it take away from her happy and positive spirit that touched everyone around her.

Sydney’s first round of chemo was proving to get rid of the cancer, but after her 12th cycle of chemo, the doctors ran a scan and found out she had relapsed the first time. The doctors started a new form of chemo treatment and prepared Sydney for a stem cell transplant. The stem cell transplant was initially successful, but after just one year, she relapsed again. They did another round of chemo treatments and for four months she was cancer free before the cancer returned and doctors told her family that she was out of options.

Sadly, Sydney passed away in February of 2018. Sydney’s mom remembers her as an extremely loving child. She loved music and arts and crafts and when she was told that she only had months to live, she made a bucket list. The number one thing on that list was to collect 1,000 toys for kids in area hospitals. She would go on to collect more than 4,600 toys!

“Childhood cancer isn’t like adult cancers. Without organizations like CureSearch, who actually fund children’s cancer research, there will never be better treatment options or a cure,” said Dana, Sydney’s mom.

Help us give hope to families like Sydney’s – the hope that better treatments and cures are possible for our smallest cancer-fighting superheroes. Donate and help fund critical childhood cancer research today.

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The skin is the largest organ of the body, and it gets exposed to a wide range of environmental factors and irritants every day. Sometimes the skin reacts to these irritants and this result in a rash. A rash is defined as a noticeable change in the texture or color of your skin. Rashes can […]

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Having a dog as a pet is an amazing experience, but dealing with a dog suffering from diarrhea is definitely not. A dog with soft stool is one of the most common reasons behind veterinary visits. This common but troublesome problem can be quite distressing and potentially dangerous for your furry friend. Causes There can […]

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