Much has been made of the abilities of Inositol. Credited with helping everything from panic attacks to PCOS it is suggested it might have an even more exciting future. We ask, can Inositol help with hair loss.

Inositol – Arriving With A Bang

Inositol is a type of blood sugar that is mostly produced in the kidneys. All of us are producing it at the rate of around 2g a day. It performs a few important jobs, responding to hormones, growth factors, and neurotransmitters.  This is all familiar ground to us in the hair loss world. JAK inhibitors, one of the great hopes of the hair loss industry currently making its way through trials, work on the same signal system. So it is entirely reasonable that we ask, can Isotinol help with hair loss?

Its first use outside of the human body came in the 1930’s. Professor Edward Barlow demonstrated a method for extracting large amounts of Inositol from the phytic acid in waste corn. He proposed using it in its nitrate form as a more stable alternative to nitroglycerin. To this day it can still be found in modern explosives, where it is used to gelatinise nitrocellulose for use in bombs and rocket propellant. 

Applications For Inositol

As a medical treatment, Inositol has already found a couple of important uses. It is considered safe and effective for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). It works by increasing insulin sensitivity which, in turn, can improve ovarian function. It seems to work for around 70% of patients treated… a remarkably high proportion, and with a high safety rating. They have not given up on the other 30% either and work is being done to investigate why the treatment is failing them. 

It has also been found to be effective for preterm babies at risk of infant respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). 

Can Inositol Help With Hair Loss?

The evidence from the results of treating PCOS patients has led some to think so. Its ability to reduce testosterone levels and balance hormone levels do suggest there might be something there. But that remains a long way from being a treatment. As this point, there has been simply no research done to investigate. In any sort of trial, the efficacy could be confirmed or refuted. If successful, more work would need to be done to identify optimal dosage and frequency. Then a full-blown double-blind trial with lots of real people to prove to the FDA it deserves its place on the market. 

HIS Hair Clinic

People are taking supplements to boost their own 2g a day production rate. They are taking them for a variety of reasons, no doubt due to some of the hyperbole written around Inositol. It doesn’t help that it is found in its highest concentrations in the brain. So some might take the view that if it does not help them grow hair it might make them smarter. 

You can boost your intake of Inositol by adding more nuts grains and fruits to your diet. Be warned that many of the foods high in Inositol are also packed with Phytates. Which can reduce your ability to absorb iron and other important minerals… important to processes including hair growth.

If you are going to try supplements then there is a list of side effects associated with taking Inositol in significant quantities, measured at 12g or more. They include nausea, gas, insomnia, dizziness, and headaches. 

For us, for now, the jury remains out and the evidence seems very thin. Its benefits to PCOS sufferers and pre term infants are wonderful. It is also being examined for its ability to help people with panic attacks, and in large doses for people with depression. This important work is in its early stages and no results have been published yet. To learn more about its uses visit the WebMD page on Inositol here. 

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.

A throwaway line by the host of BBC’s flagship football show, aimed at his two bald co-hosts, has triggered a reaction with Gary Lineker trolled for hair loss ‘joke.’

Gary Lineker 

The former Leicester and England striker is these days to be found presenting football shows on TV. Not just for the BBC either. He stirred controversy when the BBC published the salaries of its top earners and Gary’s name featured large at the top of the list. As did the fact that he was registered with them as a ‘freelancer.’ It meant that as well as lucratively hosting Match of the Day every Saturday evening during the season, he pops up all over the world doing the same job for a host of sports channels. Having enjoyed a successful spell during his playing career in Spain, with Barcelona, he speaks fluent Spanish too.  So don’t go thinking a football fan can avoid him easily.   

The show he presents, Match of the Day, is the longest-running show of its kind anywhere in the world. Not so much a show as an institution. The outcry when the BBC carelessly, albeit briefly, lost the rights to a commercial channel was huge. And rectified the next time the bidding came round.

Hair Loss Joke

Lineker provoked a wave of criticism when, last weekend, he introduced the show promising lots of action. Enough, he said, to make your hair stand on end… unless you are Danny Murphy or Alan Shearer. Shearer and Murphy, his bald co-hosts, looked toward the floor and shook their heads in unison. It is not the first time he has made bald jokes aimed in their direction. Nor indeed is it the first time he has courted trouble, his personal Twitter account has been used to spout many of his personal opinions. The stand-out was the trouble he created by announcing that Brexit should be subject to another referendum. BBC rules prevent employees from declaring their personal thoughts on such matters. On this occasion, the BBC decided Gary Linker, as a freelancer and as a sports host, was not subject to these rules when using his own account. The decision got some acidic responses from other BBC sports presenters who felt Lineker had crossed a line. An accusation Lineker himself denies emphatically. 

The bald joke prompted complaints to the BBC. Many trolled Linker using their own Twitter accounts. The BBC for their part has been tight-lipped in response, refusing to even confirm that bald jokes would not feature again in the future. One commented, “I can take a joke, but have you not noticed that bald blokes are literally the only people left in society that can be **** on with impunity.”  A fair point we thought, even with the expletive deleted. Another made a more personal point, “I started going bald at 14, totally destroyed my confidence.”

HIS Hair Clinic

Lineker will not change his style, it has bought him far too much success to change now. But for us, the BBC has a duty of care to the watching public, and that includes the next generation of young teens who will endure hair loss at a seriously challenging time of life. It is about the kind of world we want to live in. If you are the parent of a young hair loss sufferer, Alopecia. org, the hair loss charity, offer a download full of useful advice and tips. See it by clicking here.

Match of the Day is compelling TV and has been for 50 years because the core content is the superbly competitive English Premier League. The show itself would benefit from a makeover. Get rid of the stale presenters and disinterested pundits, they add little in terms of entertainment and absolutely nothing in regards to informed opinion or insights. 

As for Lineker’s bald joke, it was a poor one. Made worse by being told on live TV and aimed at his co-workers. What other parts of the body can be the subject of such public mocking? Whatever the niceties of Mr. Lineker’s contract with the BBC, his employers should have the authority to demand it stops. 

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 has successfully completed Phase 2 trials of their JAK inhibitor-based treatment for alopecia areata. In the detail of their notes is the tease that JAK Inhibitors bring the promise of hair growth. 

Janus Kinane (JAK) Inhibitors 

The use of JAK inhibitors in medicine is a wonderful example of how 21st C research is starting to change how we approach health. So here is our attempt to offer a ‘simple’ explanation of exactly how JAKs work. 

A few vital bodily processes are underpinned by a communication system called the JAK-STAT pathway. This system uses chemical signals to send messages to proteins, which in turn activate genes to perform certain tasks. These include cell division and immunity. JAK inhibitors can be used to disrupt these signals and treat a range of conditions. 

Of course, this has to be done very carefully, if things go wrong the results might be disastrous. Disruptions to that JAK-STAT pathway are responsible for issues with immunity and the growth of cancers. Not to forget hair loss, of the sort that most of us will experience in our lives, some sooner than others. 

Great progress has been made with JAK’s in just the last few years. We are now able to target them very specifically and reduce, almost to zero, the danger of side effects. Beyond their possible use in the fight against hair loss, they are already approved for use for a small number of conditions. Beyond that, they are under consideration for use in the fight against a host of skin and autoimmune diseases. 

Success In Phase 2 Trial

The news of this successful Phase 2 trial came hot on the heels of some less great news regarding the trial results for another of the Aclaris hopefuls. Another version of the treatment had failed to treat alopecia areata. The successful version, ATI 501, was an oral drug that produced positive results while showing no side effects.  

The news came as no great surprise. Aclaris have done an effective job of flagging their milestones as they worked through all the stages, including this one. Who can forget their impressive hairy mice picture? Many will have no doubt thought that mice are not humans and there is a big step still to take. While that may be true, that was human skin growing implanted hair follicles on the backs of those mice. 

Hair Growth Promise

One of the lead researchers on the project had mentioned one unexpected observation in her notes. Patients treated for alopecia areata with the topical version had been seen to accelerate hair growth outside the targetted area but where the medicine had been applied. 

She was impressed enough to set up a company to develop a hair growth product, aimed primarily at women judging by her comments to the press. 

HIS Hair Clinic

Aclaris is currently seeking a partner to take their JAK inhibitor program forward. We sincerely hope their results encourage someone to step up soon. In the meantime, we will just have to keep an eye out for that hair growth product. 

To see the full Aclaris announcement click here. 

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.

With an ever-expanding list of options when it comes to treating hair loss, we ask that most common of questions: Which is the best treatment for androgenetic alopecia?

Androgenetic Alopecia

Even before the days of Hippocrates in 400BC, the Greek physician to whom all modern doctors swear an oath, men have searched for a cure to hair loss. When that great Greek doctor noticed that eunuchs did not lose their hair he became an early investigator into the world of genetics. He was not the first to believe he could achieve a reversal of fortune and regrow hair. He was certainly not the last. These days any sense that we are closing on a true cure for hair loss is tempered by reality. While there is much that can be done to help, the old question still remains. Which is the best treatment for androgenetic alopecia?

We take a look at the range of options available from the FDA approved to some of the more leading-edge treatments based on the latest science and research.

Traditional Hair Loss Treatments

Plan A for most, when confronted with hair loss, is to style their hair differently. This can be an effective remedy until the loss progresses too far to be easily disguised. At some point during that journey many will, having consulted with an expert, decide to take one of the FDA approved hair loss medicines. Finasteride and Rogaine offer topical and oral remedies that work for some and can stop the advance for years. But if your hair loss proves resistant, and you are not prepared to become a bald person just yet, then your choices are between the traditional and the modern.

When it comes to traditional… For centuries men and women have resorted to covering hair loss with a wig. Its modern equivalent has come a long way, made of materials that have elevated them considerably from the versions of just a few decades ago. They remain an option and are popular with women, for whom the wearing of a wig is typically far more socially acceptable.  If you don’t want to live with some of the limitations that come with wearing a hair system, then maybe a transplant is the answer. Transplantation, like wigs, has come a long way.  Make sure you do full due diligence on your surgeon, you will want to be confident about your prognosis.

Modern Hair Loss Techniques

This is where it is easy to become bewildered by the range available today. The situation is not helped by a forest of misinformation that clouds the difference between a genuine option and something that is either going to be snake oil or simply ineffective in your case.

There have been a series of exciting developments in just the last few years, many of which are making a difference for hair loss sufferers. Laser therapy has evolved to become something we can do in the comfort of our own home. Platelet Rich Therapy has come out of an improved understanding of the processes involved in the production of healthy follicles. As have some exciting new medications, like JAK inhibitors, currently working their way through clinical trials. There are even more at a pre-trial stage, publishing early results of small scale tests on animals that have produced amazing outcomes. 

HIS Hair Clinic

The question of which is the best treatment for androgenetic alopecia will be around till we find the magic pill. Until then, identifying the best treatment is a question of creating the right solution for you. Each case presents different challenges, a consultation with an expert will help avoid those treatments deemed unlikely to help while highlighting those most likely to be efficacious. 

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.

Police in the UK got an unexpected reaction to a plea for help when they released a wanted picture. Leading to thousands of hair loss trolls given police warning. We look closer. 

Wanted Image Featured Hair Loss

Police in Wales, on the Gwent force, regularly post images of men and women that they are seeking to bring into custody. Sometimes in connection with an ongoing situation but also because they have breached conditions of a prison release. This was the case with Jermaine Taylor who had been serving a three-year term for supply of cocaine. It was just your common and garden variety headshot but the police could have had no idea what was to follow.

Anyone looking at that image would find it hard not have their eyes drawn straight to Taylor’s hair. If he had done nothing to style it he would present as a Norwood scale 5/6.

Hair Loss Shaming

Unfortunately for Taylor, or least for his chances of remaining at large, he decided to ‘do something’, as a hairdresser might say, with his hair. His approach to extensive hair loss was individual, to say the least. He grew what hair he had to a length of around 4 inches then combed it into a vertical shape. It gives the appearance, front on as in a mugshot, of his having a pair of hairy, wide, flat-topped horns.

The highly unusual approach to hair loss management got a huge reaction. 90,000 people replied to the request for information. Not one of them with anything helpful. Instead, the police page was loaded with attempts at humour. “He was last seen in town, police are combing the area,” was one, “Push his release date back further than his hairline that should teach him” was another. “He’s vanished into thin hair” said yet another. 

Hair Loss Trolls Given Police Warning

Gwent police did not see the funny side. Still unable to track down their fugitive, they posted again to the page. This time it was to warn anyone against stepping over the line saying “If you say something that about someone which is grossly offensive or is of an indecent, obscene or menacing character, then you could be investigated by the police.”

This prompted more mirth from posters. “Can’t work out what’s thinner, “This guy’s hair or Gwent police’s skin.” was one comment, “You already lost one criminal. Keep ya hair on” offered someone else, equally unhelpful. 

HIS Hair Clinic

It was a remarkably 21st-century event, which ended up covering a lot of ground. Starting out with an everyday moment, the posting of a wanted picture exploding into a social media storm. The reaction of the men in uniform sadly out of step with the community they are trying to talk to. Then there is the instant celebrity status for Taylor. No doubt should Gwent police ever catch up with him there will be a queue of eager talent scouts waiting to sign him up for the next reality TV show.

Of course, should he just want to go to ground, then maybe Scalp Micropigmentation might offer him a degree of blending in that he is currently struggling to achieve. 

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.

Cameron Diaz, the award-winning actress, disappeared from public life 5 years ago. She has just given her first interview since then, reminding us why we fell in love with her. Here are our top 3 reasons why Cameron Diaz is still a superstar.

Cameron Diaz

Today Cameron Diaz is nearing 50, reflecting no doubt on a life well played. She joined the Elite model agency at the age of 16 and toured the world. From there she seamlessly transitioned to actress and made her mark in Hollywood, on her way to becoming Hollywood royalty and collecting awards for her critically acclaimed talent. 5 years ago she took the decision to step down and leave Hollywood in her mirrors, Well, not completely, she does still live in Beverley Hills. But these days, according to her first interview in years, given to Instyle magazine, she revels in the freedom of having nothing to pitch, sell or hawk. Of living out of the glare of public life and needing to offer no clues as to what she does with her time.

Here are our three top reasons for saying that Cameron Diaz is a superstar: 

She Married A Short Bald Bloke From A Rock Band

It might not be everybody’s choice as the outstanding reason for declaring Cameron a superstar, and it is not just because we see the world through a hair loss lens. This supermodel turned Hollywood beauty chose to marry outside of convention. Benji Madden might be in a rock band but he is far from the typical choice for acting royalty. Short and overweight, not to mention balding with a tattooed scalp, there can be little doubt they married for love. They have enjoyed 5 years together which surely testify to Cameron’s ability to separate aesthetics from personality 

A True Acting Talent

Cameron debuted in The Mask back in 1994. Her career would peak with a brilliant performance in There’s Something About Mary, for which she won a Golden Globe. Bad Teacher in 2011 saw her receive the second biggest cheque in Hollywood female history, only outstripped 6 years later by the ridiculously wealthy Sandra Bullock. 

She Walked Away

Statistically, it happens so rarely that it might be considered an aberration. Such is the allure of Hollywood, the fame and power, that once in its grip nobody walks away through their own choice. Other than Cameron, we can only think of one other actor who similarly walked away at their peak. Daniel Day-Lewis notoriously hated the environment and couldn’t wait to hang up his boots and retire. But with Cameron you get the impression, having made huge amounts of money and given up half of her life, she just wanted to try something different.

HIS Hair Clinic

There is no doubt about it, Cameron Diaz is still a superstar. She brought that quirky and energetic charisma to the screen and it made her very wealthy indeed. But when it comes to key life decisions she really cannot be faulted. Marrying for love and possessing the self-confidence and whatever else it takes to walk away from Hollywood at the same time, impressive. Still, our first thought, when she comes to mind, is an image of Benji. Her short, slightly overweight, balding, and obviously great, husband. To read her full interview please click here to visit the Instyl 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.

Shaun Ryder, frontman for the Happy Mondays, now bears a striking resemblance, by his own admission, to Uncle Fester. Hair loss was the first sign of trouble but far from the end. We look closer.

Happy Mondays Heyday

In the eighties, Britpop, briefly, took over the world. Manchester unleased its own wall of sound with acts like the Stone Roses and Oasis. For Mancunians, the heart of this revolution was a club called the Hacienda. And at the heart of the Hacienda was another local band, the Happy Mondays. Their story of that time would later feature in a film titled “24-hour party people.”  The title sums up the bands’ hedonistic approach to life, and nobody encapsulated the approach better than their larger than life frontman, Shaun Ryder.

Hair Loss An Early Sign Of More Serious Problems

Today, Shaun Ryder, now 56, is still touring with the Mondays. Though these days, he says, he is straight back to the hotel room where he grabs the slippers and watches the news. The drugs of his youth replaced by even more prescribed by medics to stay on top of his health issues.

Shaun claims that he started this year with a full head of hair and a beard, before losing all of it, and all the hair from his body, in an indecently short space of time. He was checked for an immune deficiency but came up clear. Stress was a suspect but Ryder is dismissive of the idea, He does not believe that he came through 14 years of court battles with former managers, during which he lost everything, only to succumb to stress at this stage of life. Where he claims, he is as happy and enjoying the least stressful time he has ever known.

His hair loss was never diagnosed, just labelled as Alopecia Universalis. It may well be linked to the fact that he has not produced testosterone for over a decade, something for which he took pills though now swears by a gel. He was told that he still had follicles, and attempts were made to revive them. Unfortunately for Shaun, those attempts never achieved anything beyond a rash. 

HIS Hair Clinic

Alopecia Universalis is about as challenging a condition as there is when it comes to hair loss, you can learn more about it by clicking here. Losing hair from unusual places, like eyebrows, is distressing. Losing it from private places that other people do not even see is damaging to self-confidence. It points to the seriousness of Ryder’s other health issues, he claims to be taking more pills now than he ever did, that he seems to have taken it in his stride. We send our sincere best wishes for the upcoming tour, you can find more details on that by clicking here. 

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 the summer draws to an end and with back to school just around the corner, consider encouraging the kids in your life to spin their creative energy into something fun and charitable, such as creating their very own DIY fundraiser!

CureSearch Gold is a DIY fundraising program that allows anyone to come up with his or her own idea for a fundraiser. The options are endless: a bake sale, car washor yard sale can bring out a child’s inner entrepreneur, all for a good cause. If your child is more of an athlete, gather friends and organize a soccer tournament or swim meet. If Fortnite and Minecraft are all the rage in your household, have your child host a video game tournament with friends. Do you know of a child that has a knack for performing? They can organize a talent show to show off their skills to friends and family. Even the little ones can get involved–it could be something as simple as selling or auctioning homemade arts and crafts. The options are limitless, just like a child’s imagination.

Contributing to a great cause can also lead to forming great friendships. Kids can join together to participate in CureSearch events by forming a team for a CureSearch Walk and showing their support for children affected by cancer and the importance of driving impactful children’s cancer research.

Consider talking to a child in your life about planning or participating in a CureSearch Gold DIY fundraiser that is appealing for them while teaching a valuable lesson on charitable service. All funds raised support CureSearch’s mission to accelerate critical children’s cancer research.

Questions? Email jennifer.murphy@curesearch.org for help planning your CureSearch Gold fundraiser.

The post Kids can get involved with CureSearch appeared first on CureSearch for Children's Cancer.

Contact: Megan Forcey
Director of Advertising & E-commerce, Busy Bee
Phone: (352) 339-9721 | Megan.Forcey@BusyBee.rocks

Tessa Gatz
Director of Communications, CureSearch for Children’s Cancer
Phone: (240) 235-2204 | tessa.gatz@curesearch.org

Busy Bee And CureSearch Partner To Support
Children’s Cancer Research

Travel plaza purchases can help fund new, less-toxic treatment options for kids

Bethesda, MD – August 1, 2019 – Johnson & Johnson, Inc is proud to launch a partnership with CureSearch for Children’s Cancer, raising funds in 18 Busy Bee Travel Centers throughout Florida and Southern Georgia from August through October 2019. The award-winning travel plaza company will launch a multi-faceted promotion and invite customers to “round up” their gas, food and beverage purchases to donate to CureSearch.

“Busy Bee is thrilled to start our new philanthropic partnership with CureSearch. We look forward to growing this new relationship and believe that CureSearch provides a vital resource for children and families going through cancer,” said Busy Bee President Elizabeth Waring.

In addition to the “round up” promotion, Busy Bee will also feature two special beverage promotion days, with select product sales benefitting CureSearch’s mission to end children’s cancer. On August 9, proceeds from all coffee and small fountain drinks sales, including those sold at their franchised Burger King, Dunkin Donuts and Subway, will be donated to CureSearch. A second beverage promotion is planned for September 29, celebrating National Coffee Day and honoring Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Busy Bee and to have the opportunity to share our critical mission with their employees and customers. Cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease in children, and yet only four treatments have been developed specifically for kids since 1980,” said Tiffani Copeland, Vice President, Campaign Development & Communications. “The funds raised through this partnership will help to accelerate the development of new, better treatments for children, and we’re grateful for Busy Bee’s incredible support.”

Each day, 43 children are diagnosed with cancer. For those who survive, as many as 85% will develop one or more chronic health conditions as a result of toxic, outdated treatments. For more than 30 years, CureSearch has been a leader in field, funding innovative research and providing resources to families across the country.

###

About CureSearch for Children’s Cancer

CureSearch for Children’s Cancer, a national nonprofit organization based in Bethesda, MD, works to end childhood cancer by driving targeted and innovative research with measurable results in an accelerated time frame. CureSearch focuses on advancing the strongest research out of the laboratory and into clinical trials and development, where better, less-toxic treatments can quickly help children.

For more information, visit curesearch.org, follow CureSearch on Twitter @curesearch or join the conversation on Facebook at www.facebook.com/curesearch.

About Busy Bee / Johnson & Johnson, Inc.

Johnson & Johnson, Inc. owns and operates convenience stores in Florida and Georgia under the trademark name Busy Bee. Johnson & Johnson, Inc. sells branded and un-branded fuel under the Shell, Marathon and Busy Bee names. In addition, Johnson & Johnson, Inc. is a franchisee of Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, Hardee’s and Subway.

The post Busy Bee And CureSearch Partner To Support Children’s Cancer Research appeared first on CureSearch for Children's Cancer.