Following the recent birth of her baby, the Duchess of Sussex has had the national press asking a question, is Meghan suffering from postpartum hair loss? We look closer. 

Postpartum Hair Loss

This very common form of hair loss, almost invariably temporary, affects pretty much all women in the months after childbirth. During pregnancy, elevated levels of oestrogen prevent the hair follicles from entering their normal rest phase after a long period of growth. This involves the old hair falling out, after two to seven years of active service, before being replaced hopefully, by a fresh new one. It is one of the reasons mums-to-be can look so radiant, with their crowning glory in its best-ever condition.

 There is a flip-side to this period of extended growth and thickness. In the months after the baby is born the hormone levels will return to normal. This will see the hair to catch up on several months of zero rest and lead to a period of what presents as hair loss. Each new mum will have their own experience with varying degrees of severity and duration. 

Meghan’s Hair

Meghan has, we are assured by people who know about these things, been associated with a messy bun as her preferred hairstyle. Done properly this is an easy style to throw your hair into, it also has the virtue of protecting most of the hair from pollution and smells. Since the birth of her son, Archie, she has been reported as wearing her hair in a much tighter, sleeker, bun. This has led to speculation in more than one tabloid newspaper that it is due to hair loss. A couple of well-known hairdressers were wheeled out to support the theory but as yet it remains unconfirmed. 

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One of the celebrity hairdressers did point out that there are other reasons why a young mum might choose the style. The messy version requires significantly more management over the course of a day for instance. It is also a great choice in hot weather. 

Whatever the motivation, it is great to see hair loss discussed in the mainstream media, particularly a version that affects so many women.

If you want to see more of Meghan’s hair, we recommend you to this study of her styles over the years we found on the Allure site. 

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.

As we age there a range of changes we might experience with our hair, but there are a few aspects which apply to pretty much everyone as we enter each new decade. We look closer at what to expect from hair as we age. 

Everyone Has Their Own Hair Journey 

While we are going to take a closer look at some shared features, the fact is that everyone has their own unique hair journey.  Even a pair of identical twins will take different paths. While much of what governs our hair is genetic, there are lifestyle choices around diet and exercise that will make differences from an early age. Then, on life’s journey, there will be other choices around employment and leisure activities that will also influence the condition of our hair. Levels of stress, alcohol or drug use, styling and hair product choices. Exposure to sunlight. We could go on, but you get the picture. 

What we are concentrating on here are a few simple truths, rules that apply to everybody. Understanding them can help us make better choices for the benefit of our hair, giving it the best chance of staying in great condition, and on your head, for as long as possible. 

The Roaring Twenties

As we enter our third decade, in our twenties, most of use will enjoy healthy growth. The scalp and hair will tend towards being oily, which is simply a legacy of our teen years. So it is probably the decade during which you will get through the most anti-dandruff shampoo. It is also the decade when are most likely to experiment with our look and in particular our hair. Avant-garde styles, especially any where the hair is pulled, and bold use of colour, frequent blow-drys and the applications of chemicals all feature.

The generally good levels of health at this age usually mean the hair can withstand all but the most vigorous of assaults without too much trouble. 

Thrilling Thirties 

As attitudes have changed during the last few decades, going out and enjoying yourself is no longer the domain of what used to be called “the young”. In those more conventional times, married couples would settle down and look to build a home and family. Today, we are unwilling to trade our single lifestyle for the life our parents or grandparents chose. This process has extended the period of our lives during which we might aggressively style and treat our hair. 

By the time we reach out thirties, we will start to see the appearance of grey hairs and a thinning of each strand. This contributes, even for those who keep a full head of hair, to a general lowering in the overall quality of the hair. For women, many of whom will have experienced childbirth, the resulting hormonal changes will have an effect, mostly temporary. 

The Forties 

This is the standout decade for hair loss. The one where, if it hasn’t already, it is statistically very likely it will now. For women, it is when the general hair thinning can become quite pronounced, enabling the scalp to be seen on the top of the head. It is also the decade a significant minority of women can become perimenopausal, where the lowered hormone levels will reduce hair quality still further. 

For men, the process of thinning strands will also continue. It concentrates in particular areas like the temples and tip of the crown, from where it can accelerate at a pace of its own liking, to possibly reduce the whole head of hair to a small strip of linking the ears behind the head. 

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There are outliers at both ends of this journey. The unfortunate who start their hair loss journey before they get out of school, and for them there has never been more help available. Others who live to a ripe age and exit with a full head of unruly hair. 

The rest of us will lie somewhere on the huge curve in between. But there are generalities that apply to all, knowing what to expect from our hair as we age will help us make better decisions. For example, if you are in your forties you probably need to be making more careful choices about the colour you are using… hiding grey hair is not the same as prepping for a big night out in your twenties. For more information on how our hair ages, please click here to visit the excellent Medline website and their famous medical encyclopedia. 

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.

The endocrine system, the series of hormone-producing glands in our bodies, govern so much about us, including hair loss. We ask, just how do hormones affect hair? 

Hormones

Hormones are chemical substances, produced by the body to manage so much of what makes us, us. The endocrine system is made up of a series of glands; Pituitary; thyroid; parathyroid; adrenal; pancreas; plus ovaries (in women) and testicles (in men). These glands, along with a few others, all take materials from the blood, then process them to become new chemicals to be used somewhere in the body. Through this process, the endocrine system affects nearly everything about the body. Think of just about any process in the body and it will be controlled by hormones, from brain and heart function to sleep and mood. If a gland is producing too much, or too little, of any given hormone there will be a physical symptom, often an unwelcome one. 

Probably the most common, certainly the most high profile, among these imbalances would be diabetes. Any disorder of the endocrine system needs to be treated on a case by case basis. The manipulation of any hormone level can impact on another, creating a new, sometimes more complex, problem. In among this incredibly sophisticated matrix of biological engineering, there are five hormones that can provoke hair loss. We take a closer look at each. 

Androgens

Testosterone is the best known of this type of hormone. Predominantly male they are present in women though in much smaller quantities. The most common type of balding, pattern balding, is known to doctors as androgenetic alopecia. This is because a product of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), is believed to be the main actor in male and female pattern hair loss. Work on achieving a better understanding of this process, and how we might adjust it, is at the heart of hair loss research.

Oestrogen and Progesterone

Abundant in women, not so much in men, these hormones help with hair growth. During pregnancy, heightened levels and a reduction of DHT see women grow thick, full hair. Post-pregnancy the dip in levels lead to the condition we call postpartum hair loss, a temporary state while the body returns to a non-pregnant condition. As women reach menopausal age, a point where the levels naturally dip, they can begin to experience hair thinning. 

Insulin and IGF-1

A resistance to insulin, of the sort that can lead to diabetes, can also affect the quality of the hair. A fact that will be recognised by sufferers of PCOD, for whom insulin resistance is a feature. 

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The endocrine system was discovered in the first years of the twentieth century. Since then it has gone on to radically alter our appreciation of how our body manages itself. We still have some way to go, more recently it was discovered that organs like the kidneys and guts are also part of that endocrine system. So the question of how do hormones affect our hair looks set to challenge us for a while yet. If you want to learn more about the endocrine system click here for an excellent overview provided by British charity Thyroid UK. 

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.

Sunburn tattoos are, incredibly, popping up on the web and gaining admirers. The dangers of this are particularly stark for hair loss sufferers, so we take a closer look. 

Sunburn Tattoos

Sunburn tattoos are created by layering a stencil featuring the desired design on the skin. Once thus prepared, they expose that skin to the hugely damaging ultraviolet rays of the summer sun. The stencil can be made of anything from paper, cut with scissors to create defined images, to the less accurate representations created by daubing factor 50 wherever they do not want the art. An image created in its negative form you might say. Instagram accounts are appearing with delighted posters showing off their sunburn tattoos, featuring everything from batman crests on the chest to more traditional tattoo designs.  

However you describe it, the practice is crazy and enough to move any self-respecting dermatologist to tears. For good reason. The UVB rays will inflame the skin and kill off the top layer of cells. Meanwhile, the UVA rays, which penetrate more deeply, actually damage the DNA at the same time stimulating the skin to produce more protective melanin. So, whether you end up with a tan or a burn, you are definitely causing damage to your skin. Damage that is directly associated with the development of a range of cancers, up to and including melanoma. 

Warning To Hair Loss Sufferers

If you have ever spent a summer in a hot climate you may have a better idea of just how damaging the suns’ rays can be. The fabric on a typical deckchair will last one season, by the end of which its colours will have been bleached and whatever material had been used to stitch it together would have withered. Those rays are incredibly powerful and do their work incrementally and in silence. 

When it comes to the skin on our scalp we are looking at the most vulnerable skin on our body. Unlike deckchair material, skin is capable of replacing itself. Something it does continuously throughout your life. Scalp skin, compared to elsewhere on the body, is thin, fragile even. The risks associated with sunburn are amplified because of that and because, at the end of the day, it is the scalp that is constantly and directly exposed. Hair, if you have it, can offer some security, but not as much as you’d think. But if you are losing your hair, then without the safety of a hat or a high factor screen, your scalp is extremely likely to burn in sunny conditions, it should be your primary concern when it comes to protection. It should never be considered as a location for a stencil and a deliberate sunburn tattoo. 

All of the above applies to HIS clients, of course, and their Scalp Micropigmentation treatment needs to be protected from those same rays. The UVA rays that can penetrate and damage DNA are more than capable of breaking down the simple molecules that the pigments are made from. 

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Dealing with a sunburnt scalp is straightforward enough, you can only treat the symptoms. Apply aloe vera directly to soothe and provide some relief. Ibuprofen is great at helping with pain and will also help with the inflammation. Keep hydrated!

Best is not to get burnt in the first place. This summer, make a conscious decision about how you will manage exposure, set up some simple rules for yourself. Then stick to them. 

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.

For decades, hair transplantation has been limited by the number of grafts available for any patient. Scientists in the USA are working on a technique that promises to make that a thing of the past. 

Hair Transplantation

This has become the treatment of choice for tens of thousands of men, and increasing numbers of women. Faced with a choice, as they see it, between a hair system and surgery many opt for transplantation. But the treatment has limits. Each patient will be advised by their surgeon on the maximum number of grafts available, based on the volume in the donor site and the area to be covered. New techniques and equipment have seen improvements to the scar left at the donor site. At the same time, the success rate for the relocated hairs has also improved. 

One transplant advisor, effectively framing the problem, said: “I’ve lost track of the number of patients who wish they’d paid double for half the result.” He is referring to the gap between expectation and result that many experience. Then there is the unspoken issue of further hair loss and the cosmetic effect of that. This can leave transplanted hairs in place while the rest of the hairline continues to recede away from them. The choice, at that point, can be between further surgery for some or finally embracing the condition and shaving their head.  The problem is that further transplantation may not be a surgical option, and shaving down might expose the donor scars. 

Unlimited Grafts

Attempts have been made before to increase the number of grafts that can be relocated. Some have even tried using artificial hair to boost the region, with mixed results. The ambition has always been to be able to treat the bald area with as many grafts as needed to return the patient to a full head of hair. To take them back to their pre-hair loss state, or even better.  But that has, until now maybe, always been a pipe dream. 

New Hope

 A team working at Columbia University’s Irving Center have come up with a novel way of producing hair follicles in the laboratory. It is a combination of a few spheres of science, coming together to create a stunningly simple solution to the problem of high volume hair transplants. One which might do away with the need for a donor area, and the associated scarring, forever. 

The team, led by Dr. Angelo Christiano, are using a 3D printer to produce a highly specialised mould. Into the surface of the mould are imprinted microscopic wells into which the team place neonatal skin cells. What they have created, up till this point, is essentially a plant pot ready to be seeded. The seeds arrived in the form of hair follicles donated by volunteers working at the lab. Nutrients came in the shape of a cocktail of growth factors. 

Three weeks later the team had grown some of the most robust hair follicles ever to have been produced outwith the human body. Their work was published in the scientific journal, Nature. 

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The ability to produce virtually unlimited amounts of follicles would be a genuine advance. Replacing the process of surgically excising follicles to move them, with one where we simply need to have hairs plucked would be a giant stride. The need to end up with scars is completely removed. At the same time, the surgeon is able to place many more healthy hairs into the region suffering from hair loss.

Their work also has possibilities for use as a testing environment for other hair loss cures. We wish them every success and will continue to watch their progress. Please click here to see the published study in on the Nature Research website. 

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.

Obesity has been linked to the most common form of hair loss, accounting for over 90% of all cases. Is the link real and what can be done about it? We look closer. 

Obesity

Labelled a western pandemic, obesity is becoming the scourge of health systems. Across the developed world, conditions associated with obesity are causing real problems. Diabetes is on the rise, an issue that develops as the body develops a resistance to insulin, more on that later though. This is a direct result of a diet high in fats and sugar. The rise in average body weight became exponential in the late 20th Century as food and drink producers found ways to combine sugar and fat in ever more enticing ways. 

Obesity-Related Hair Loss

This form of hair loss is far from proven but there is enormous circumstantial evidence to make the link. Studies have noted that high BMI (body mass index) correlated with male pattern baldness to indicate that the link existed. That sort of anecdotal evidence is supported by medical theory. This suggests that the close relationship between insulin and IGF-1 with peptide hormones could lead to trouble. They could combine to produce increased amounts of the type of testosterone that leads to pattern baldness. 

Top Tip

The issue of obesity and its treatment is among the most vexed questions of our age. It plays into discussions around public health and what responsibilities the major food producers should take. While the advice on reducing weight can be bewildering at times, there are simple changes we can all make. A healthier diet probably top of the list. Small changes can make a difference, one such might be curcumin. The theory around curcumin goes that it makes good fat cells out of bad ones, a kind of spicy evangelist for your system. If so, then it can promote the breakdown of fat and maybe even reduce cholesterol. 

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Research into the efficacy of curcumin clearly has a long way to go. As does the research into the link between obesity and hair loss. In truth, both have pretty compelling arguments to make them worthy of serious consideration. 

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.

CBD for hair loss is a relatively new idea, borne of success using it as a treatment for other challenging conditions. Can it help with hair loss?

CBD

Cannabidiol, known colloquially as CBD, is just one of the hundreds of components in the marijuana plant. It does not, by itself, produce any sort of high according to the World Health Organisation. 

CBD has exploded in popularity in recent times. Studies had shown it to be remarkably effective, and safe, for treating certain challenging conditions. Only recently, the FDA approved a CBD based treatment for a childhood seizure syndrome. One which had previously proved resistant to anti-seizure drugs. 

Its use expanded to address anxiety and insomnia. Another area where studies had indicated CBD could help sufferers both get to sleep and stay there. A couple of the studies on CBD really stand out, involving its use for pain. One showed, on animals, how, when rubbed into the skin, it was capable of reducing the pain and inflammation of arthritis. Another showed the actual mechanism by which CBD achieves this. There are very few options for a doctor treating inflammatory or neuropathic pain. 

For Hair Loss

CBD has also been found to be effective in helping with the inflammation for some skin conditions. Eczema and psoriasis patients have been helped with topical CBD. So it seems a logical conclusion that there might be something there to support its use as a massage treatment for the scalp. The thin skin at the top of our head is prone to the environment, making it a challenge to stay on top of hygiene. Using CBD as a type of medicated massage oil might make a lot of sense. It can help with those environmental concerns and it is made of the fatty acids and minerals that hair needs to grow.

As a topical treatment, it is considered safe. Known problems can be associated with taking it internally. 

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The jury is out on CBD for now. No study results have been published so there is no way of even knowing what the correct dosage might be. That would be established in the first phase trials. The absence of these trials is an issue.  So is the fact that it is treated as a supplement. As such, there are no standards or regulations covering its production. A case of buyer beware. 

If you want to learn more about CBD please visit the Harvard Medical School report by clicking here. 

Much has been written about the potential of CBD to cure everything from schizophrenia to cancer. Its popularity among celebrities runs from Snoop Dogg to Gwyneth Paltrow. While there is clearly promise we remain some distance from a reliable treatment we know works. 

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.

The Mediterranean diet emerges from the kind of foods eaten in countries situated along the Mediterranean Sea. These include France, Greece, Southern Italy, and Spain. The diet consists of whole foods such as beans, fish, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. These foods provide the body with carbohydrates (for energy), protein (for muscle growth), healthy fats […]

The post Mediterranean Diet 101: Benefits, Drawbacks, Myths and More appeared first on Top 10 Home Remedies.

In a surprise move, the Canadian health authority, Health Canada, has ordered nearly 40 clinics to suspend treatments based on stem cell and PRP technology, including for hair loss. We look closer.

Health Canada

In May Health Canada published a position paper outlining their stance on autologous cell therapies. These are treatments which see the patients own cells, after being treated, injected back into the same patient. In the paper, they made it clear that, in their opinion, there was little evidence to show that they are effective and that there is the potential for risk. The risks were associated with the dangers of cross-contamination and dangerous immune reactions.  They were referring to a previously published paper from the New England Journal of Medicine that gave examples of some of these cell-based therapies which had led to serious problems, including three who went blind in 2015 following stem cell injections at a Florida clinic where they were being treated for vision. 

Health Canada is now describing these treatments as drugs, meaning they would need to be supported by clinical research proving efficacy and safety. 

LightTouch MedSpa

One of the clinics targeted by Health Canada was LightTouch, with five clinics in the Toronto area. Their COO, Justin Boutillier, was understandably upset. He told Canada’s Globe and Mail website that the clinic mainly used the injections for skin tightening and hair loss. Mr. Boutillier went on to express frustration that while cell-based therapies are being targetted, other cosmetic procedures like lasers are allowed to carry on. “They haven’t provided any examples of how it’s unsafe or why it’s unsafe,” he added. 

Meanwhile, at Toronto PRP and Stem Cell, medical director Adrian Le pointed out that he has received the letter and stopped stem cell treatments, but that he is allowed to continue PRP for some conditions, including osteoarthritis. Mr. Le said that while he understood some regulatory action was required he was concerned about what it means for the future of these treatments. 

The Argument Against

Some powerful voices have pitched in with their support for the action taken by Health Canada. Michael Rudnicki, scientific director of the Stem Cell Network, who fund and support stem cell researchers, said “It’s a step in the right direction, but they really need to step up their enforcement. The public really has been misinformed by these clinics and by this advertising.”

Meanwhile, Time Caulfield, Canada Research Chair in health law and policy at University of Alberta, said: “We know that there are an increasing number of clinics across North America that are selling these unproven therapies, I think it’s really important to emphasise this stuff is unproven.”

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The rapid rise of clinics offering these treatments has been nothing short of stunning. There is something so elegant about the science, as described in the advertising, behind these new treatments that they are compelling. If you are unfortunate enough to find yourself with a condition for which they are offered as a solution it is easy to see how you might find yourself in the therapists’ clinic and keen to hand over your cash.

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The fact that they have not simply banned all versions of these treatments points, surely, to some level of efficacy and safety. But the dramatic letter from Health Canada, along with the opinions expressed by the likes of Tim Caulfield and Michael Rudnicki, should give us all pause for thought. 

Conversely, the whining complaint from Boutillier that Health Canada has failed to provide examples of how and why it is unsafe seems to miss the point completely, possibly deliberately in the absence of serious defence. This is a man who, by his own account, can not distinguish between the dangers of using a laser and injecting treated cells back into a patient. It is not that there are examples of why it is unsafe, though those do seem to be a matter of record, it is the absence of clinical research to prove that they are safe. 

We wait to see how this unfolds and which, if any, other countries look to follow suit. 

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.

 Trichotillomania is a disorder that sees sufferers pull out their own hair or eyebrows. Easy to diagnose but incredibly challenging to treat, the problem does now have a weapon with which it can be taken on.

Trichotillomania

More commonly known as Trich, this condition affects around 3% of the population in the USA. Make no mistake, that is a lot of people. Typically, sufferers are compelled to pull at hairs, usually in patches on the scalp but also from the eyebrows and eyelashes. 

There is no defined cause. genes may play a part but it is generally thought to be a response to some sort of anxiety. Most common in young children between the ages of 9 and 13 it could be that anything from a very wide range of potential factors could be the trigger. From parental divorce or abuse to pressures at school and plain old boredom. The only therapy available until recently had been a combination of medication and help with behaviour. 

New Kid On The Block

Enter HabitAware. A sufferer herself, HabitAware co-founder Aneela Idnani, had hidden her trich from husband, Sameer Kumar, for two decades until one day he saw her without eyebrows. During one of the conversations that followed in the weeks after Aneela had said to her husband that she wished she had something that alerted me when she was pulling at her hair. 

The pair teamed up with a couple of techs to start their business in 2016. Their flagship product is a smart bracelet they have called Keen, it takes 30 seconds for the user to train the software to recognise the movements that are made when exhibiting the unwanted behaviour. When it sees that movement again it vibrates to turn the moment into a conscious one, as opposed to the previously unconscious act of pulling at the hair. 

Keen 

Beyond trich, Keen can be repurposed to help people with other repetitive habits like nail-biting and thumb-sucking. Aneela herself has experienced great success with her bracelet, declaring herself 99% pull free and has completely regrown her eyebrows. 

Among several awards for her product, Time Magazine named Keen one of the best inventions of 2018.

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Congratulations to Aneela and her husband for bringing something important to the market. The age of the victims of trich means they are often going through school, a particularly difficult time to go through patches of baldness… increasing the likelihood of getting bullied and making the problem worse. 

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.

Aclaris, who we have been following for nearly a decade, recently announced results at the midpoint of a year-long trial for a potential new hair loss product.  We look closer. 

A New Hope

Back in 2010, we reported that Aclaris had successfully applied for, and received, a patent which covered their use of a particular JAK inhibitor, tofacitinib. At the time, we recognised the strength of their research and their partners as strong foundations for a successful journey. While we might not have expected to wait this long for a truly positive update, we understand that these things take time.

ATI-502

The latest treatment to go to testing is named ATI-502. Like the original, tofacitinib, it is a JAK Inhibitor, one of a family of enzymes that are used to control signalling and affect the bodies processes. ATI-502 is designed to block the immune response which might otherwise see it attack hair follicles… a process that underpins the most common form of hair loss, androgenetic alopecia, of the sort we inherit from our parents. 

Trial Results

While these are only preliminary results, reported at the midway stage of a year-long trial, they are most definitely encouraging. 

Two dozen patients were recruited for the trial with 23 completing the six months of treatment. This involved applying the treatment to their scalps twice a day, every day. Of the 23 subjects, 20, 14 men and 6 women, were reported to have shown measurable improvements in hair density. An additional male and female subject also reported that they experienced increased hair growth not noted by the researchers. 

No less important than the efficacy of the treatment are the side-effects. These are a real concern for both of the existing FDA approved drugs available today. Both come with unwelcome side effects, and one is not even available for women on that basis.  So it is highly relevant that the researchers found no issues at all during their study.

HIS Hair Clinic

The update from Aclaris must be welcomed by hair loss sufferers the world over, but especially by women. The fact that there is just the one available, approved, treatment for them at the moment is a situation that desperately needs addressing. Aclaris, for their part, are already looking ahead to 2020 and production of an improved version of ATI-502, capable of delivering higher concentrations of this topical treatment. We will continue to monitor their work and report back with progress. 

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 a welcome piece of analysis, a team of researchers in California have gathered the data on over 20 complementary therapies to assess their efficacy for treating hair loss. We take a closer look.

Alternative Therapies

There is no shortage of suggested alternative therapies for hair loss, many have been around for a long time, some for centuries and some for millennia. Men have been looking for a cure for as long as men have been suffering from the condition. 

Over time, some have developed a reputation that sees them used in conjunction with the two FDA approved medications, minoxidil and finasteride… both of which can come with some unwanted side effects. 

So the fact that there are well-established alternatives seems here to stay, and people will continue to use all manner of concoctions to try to save their receding locks, driven in ever greater numbers by the freely available advice found on the internet.  

Sorting Wheat From Chaff

Our thanks should go out to a team from the University of California, Irvine, which has been working hard to identify the alternative therapies with promise, from the total nonsense. 

They started out by gathering all the available data from previous research on over 20 remedies. Their study included a great variety from standard vitamin supplements and garlic gel, to acupuncture and aromatherapy. 

Let’s pause for a moment here to set expectations. While the team were able to say that some of these therapies had little or no evidence to suggest they worked, in other cases they were only able to say that “further investigation is needed…”  Though we are talking scientists here, and they rarely pin their mast without definitive large scale double blind studies. 

Results

Among the studied treatments, just a handful were singled out for praise… and further investigation. 

Early results suggested vitamin D could help, though studies were inconsistent and either too small or lacking in controls to be definitive. Caffeine, zinc, onion juice, melatonin, saw palmetto, pumpkin seed oil, and marine proteins were all credited with having potential. Most of these will be familiar to anyone who has done some online research, with the possible exception of marine proteins… these are supplements produced using extracts from sharks and molluscs. 

Those marine proteins were credited with producing “significant results” in one trial. Pumpkin seed oil was described as a “promising treatment” for the top of the head and in one trial, onion juice led to “full hair regrowth.”

HIS Hair Clinic

The researchers set out to aid doctors everywhere by clearing up which of the alternative therapies for hair loss actually delivered benefits. They point out that users should be aware that these treatments may cause new problems, contact dermatitis which in turn might actually lead to more hair loss. 

Starting out with a long list of possibles, the team managed to boil it down to a much smaller number which held promise. No doubt there will be some who remain faithful to their chosen strategy, whether that be rubbing in turmeric or visiting an acupuncturist. But the science suggests otherwise. 

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.

While recent advances have yielded an 80% cure rate for pediatric cancer overall, high-risk sarcoma survival rates have not changed in the past 20 years.

For more than 30 years, CureSearch has played a vital role in pushing forward research breakthroughs in pediatric oncology. During Sarcoma Awareness Month, we’re proud to highlight a CureSearch-funded research project that led to an active l clinical trial, delivering a promising new treatment for Ewing sarcoma, the second-most common bone cancer in children. This trial offers hope for the more than 250 children in the U.S. who are diagnosed each year and those already in treatment.

In 2013, a multi-disciplinary team at the University of Utah’s Huntsman Cancer Institute received a $1.73 million grant from CureSearch to test a novel, targeted treatment for Ewing sarcoma, intended. The team, led by Mary Beckerle, PhD, was successful in identifying a new treatment to disrupt the growth and spread of the cancer, and provided evidence of effectiveness and safety for clinical testing.

“CureSearch provided exactly the kind of support and encouragement that enabled us to shift to team science, with clarity of purpose and the goal of advancing our science to the clinic.” – Dr. Beckerle

The success of Dr. Beckerle’s team provided the foundation for a phase 1 clinical trial that launched in 2018 and will enroll up to 50 Ewing sarcoma patients. This trial is currently recruiting pediatric and young adolescent patients with relapsed or refractory Ewing sarcoma at clinical sites across the nation, including Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, Moffitt Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and MD Anderson Cancer Center.

The study is scheduled to be completed in August of 2020. Detailed trial info can be found here.

Learn more about Dr. Beckerle’s CureSearch-funded project here. The project was supported in part by generous contributions from the Nick Currey Fund and the Kiewit Corporation.

At CureSearch, we are dedicated to accelerating the development of new, less-toxic childhood cancer treatments. Our goal is to save children, adolescents and young adults NOW and enable them to live long, healthy lives. Join us.

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The South Korean pop superstar known as “Ken” from boy band VIXX, has been speaking candidly about his hair loss and coping methods. We take a closer look. 

VIXX

VIXX came together on a South Korean TV talent show. They are one of the new breeds of massive acts coming out of Asia. One of which is likely to be appearing in a stadium near you soon. You might miss that completely if you are not in their social media world… but you can be sure their adoring fans will make sure it is a sellout. Their concerts are a blend of music and performance which combine to tell a story. They are a creative blend then, somewhere between Queen and a gang of Butlins Redcoats, all about entertainment but in a style their fans grandparents would not be offended by.     

Lee Jae-hwan was 20 years old in 2012 when he won his place in the six-piece boy band the show created. These days he is simply known as “Ken.”  In his spare time since he has branched out into acting, appearing in television shows, and musicals, where his vocal talents are allowed to shine. A lack of experience as a dancer was identified when he was selected for VIXX, but such was the quality of his voice that the plan was to put him on an intensive 5-month course and get him up to speed. 

In a candid interview,he spoke to tv show Video Star about the challenges he has had to overcome, including his fight against hair loss.

Struggles

To begin with, Ken’s only serious problem was the dancing. He was a long way behind the other boys in the band and one in particular, Leo, gave him an extremely hard time about it. When asked if he ever considered quitting he replied, “There were times like that, Leo is known as the strict teacher among the VIXX members”. 

He was also asked about his hair loss, something he has confessed to and been willing to discuss in the past. He started by saying that his hair loss was apparently stress related, and adding that he has recovered now. 

He offered some personal advice for other sufferers. Take medicine early he says by which we presume he means one of the two FDA medicated treatments available.  He goes on to warn “You should take medicine before the problem gets serious. it makes your hair thicker, but if you take it after your hair falls out, it becomes useless because there is no more hair.”  On a final note, e added, “…you shouldn’t get too stressed,” and highlighting the need to look out for the small joys in life. 

HIS Hair Clinic

There was a point in the interview where Ken confessed to still using spray concealer. He says he uses it when appearing in musicals to stop the harsh lights exposing areas of hair loss. So maybe his claims of being fully recovered are a little exaggerated, nevertheless, e applaud his candour at taking the problem by the horns. Both addressing, through treatment, the problem and discussing it in public. 

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. 

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