Hair Loss News

DETROIT — Sophomore Jill Gulick of Grosse Pointe Park is donating her lush, blond, long hair so another child will have hair to cover her/his head.

Through the Wigs 4 Kids program, headquartered in St. Clair Shores, hair donations provide Michigan children dealing with the side effect of cancer, alopecia or other medical conditions, wigs at no cost.

It takes a blending of 10 to 12 ponytails to make each wig and the retail value of these wigs range from $1,500 to $3,000.

Says Wigs 4 Kids founder and CEO Maggie Varney:

“Most people do not realize the difference they can make in the life of a young person.  Hair donors have the power to give not only their hair, but the gift of self-esteem to a child dealing with hair loss.”

Jill had to wait patiently for her hair to be at least 10 inches long before she could donate it to the organization.

“I talked it over with my Mom and Dad and both thought it was a good idea,” said Jill. “I don’t want it too short, but I know it will grow back.”

Wigs 4 Kids is a 501-c-3 nonprofit organization providing custom -fitted age appropriate wigs to children and teens through age 17, both male and female, in the state of Michigan. Wigs 4 Kids is committed to serving the community and promoting healthy living, growth and balance. It is funded solely on the basis of contributions.

For more information on hair donations call 586-772-6656 or visit the web site http://www.wigs4kids.org/.

Now you can give yourself a hi-tech hair loss examination with a digital microscope.  

The Dino-lite Digital Microscope connects to the USB port of your computer and can capture magnified images of your hair and scalp, or anything else.

Unlike traditional microscopes, this hi-tech digital microscope also allows you to photograph and capture the images as stills, real-time video, or even time-lapsed video.   These can be saved and then emailed to your physician, or posted to a website.

The microscopes range from 0-50X magnification to 0-200X magnification depending on the model.   There is also a model that connects to a TV instead of a computer.

Prices vary depending on where you get it, but they range from about $100 for the 50X version to around $250 for the 200X version.

They are available from several websites including these ones:

(USA) http://www.minresco.com/dinolite/dinolite.htm

(Japan) http://www.thanko.jp/dinolite/

This TV segment shows how a hair transplant is performed.   You can also see a step-by-step explanation here of how hair transplants work, as well as other information about hair transplant doctors.

While society has traditionally regarded hair loss as a problem associated with men, losing your ‘crowning glory’ also can be devastating to women and teens.  Over 40 million women are affected each year and are always looking for a way to stop their hair loss.

Lifes2good, a leading European natural healthcare company, is promoting a new product they claim will help women with hair loss.

The product called Nourkrin(TM) is a unique marine-based food supplement that is 100% natural and contains:

– Marine based extract of proteins and polysaccharides.
– Silica, an important mineral for reducing hair loss and maintaining strong healthy hair.
– Horsetail extract, the organic form of silica that increases the strength of the hair and revitalizes lifeless hair.
– IGG Protein aids in the digestion of the product.

Stress, poor diet, the Pill, HRTs, childbirth, cancer treatment, and menopause are blamed for a national problem that’s ruining the lives of over 40 million women who experience thinning hair and hair loss.

“Hair loss is a much bigger issue to women. Up to 60 % of women will lose hair some time in their life, it affects women’s self esteem, and they can become depressed,” says Dr. David Kingsley, the world’s only trichologist (hair/scalp expert) named as a member of the prestigious AAD. He recently authored the book, The Hair Loss Cure: a Self-Help Guide, operates two hair loss clinics in the U.S. and treats thousands of women. He uses Nourkrin(TM) in his therapies with amazing success rates. “Not all hair loss is genetic or permanent. In many cases, hair loss is a temporary issue and will eventually grow back.”

The company claims in a survey of 1,000 Nourkrin users, 62.5% saw an improvement in their hair after only two months.

A 30-day supply retails for $79.95 and is available at Vitamin World Stores, www.help4hair.com or by calling 1.888.577.7277.

Newswise — The number of cosmetic procedures performed in shopping malls, spas and walk-in clinics has risen dramatically in the past several years. Unfortunately, patients who choose to have these procedures performed in such locations may be forgoing safety for convenience of location and bargain prices. The American Academy of Dermatology (Academy) urges patients to select a board-certified physician for cosmetic surgery. The Academy recommends patients do their homework and consider a doctor’s training and credentials before they decide if a particular physician is the right choice for them.

Arielle N.B. Kauvar, MD, FAAD, clinical associate professor of dermatology at New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, knows the risks involved when a cosmetic procedure is not performed by a qualified physician.

“Today, many non-physicians are performing various cosmetic procedures outside their scope of training in spas, shopping malls and walk-in clinics,” explains Dr. Kauvar. “While these locations may offer convenience, the limited training and supervision of the person performing the procedure, and the equipment available to handle complications or medical emergencies, can jeopardize the health and appearance of the patient.”

Some people may have medical problems or take medications that may increase the risks of side effects. Non-physicians may not be knowledgeable about these conditions.

In a 2007 survey by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS), 56 percent of dermatologic surgeons indicated that there had been an increase in the number of patients they had treated as the result of complications caused by a non-physician performing a cosmetic procedure. Burns, scarring and skin discoloration were some of the most common complications experienced by patients who had procedures performed by non-physicians.

“I have seen many cases of cosmetic procedures gone wrong. These procedures were performed by non-physicians without appropriate physician supervision,” said Dr. Kauvar. “In addition, staff members were not adequately trained in the procedure or knowledgeable about the risks and complications.”

• Read more: Questions to Ask for Safe and Succesful Cosmetic Surgery

Auriga Laboratories, Inc. is launching a new topical lotion designed to alleviate itchy skin called Xyralid™ LP Lotion.

Xyralid™ LP Lotion is indicated for the anti-inflammatory anesthetic relief of pruritus (itching) and pruritic eczemas, abrasions, minor burns, insect bites, pain and soreness due to pruritus ani, pruritus vulvae, and similar conditions of the skin and mucous membranes.

The lotion will be sold as a kit that also contains Clere™, a soap free cleanser.

Xyralid™ LP Lotion contains (lidocaine HCl 3%/hydrocortisone acetate 0.5%) and should not be used for tuberculous or fungal lesions of skin vaccinia, varicella and acute herpes simplex and in persons who have shown hypersensitivity to any of its components. Lidocaine is contraindicated in patients with a known history of hypersensitivity to local anesthetics of the amide type.

Scalp itch is quite common in people who are losing their hair and this product may provide some relief.

Contact your local physician or dermatologist for further information or visit their website at: http://www.aurigalabs.com.

Wouldn’t it be convenient to only have to get a shot once a month and not have to remember to take Propecia every day?

That’s a possibility in the future according to this recent study.  It appears researchers in China are testing whether it’s possible to create a time-release form of finasteride, the active ingredient in Propecia.

The idea behind time-release medication is that it’s encapsulated in such a way that the drug releases into the body in a controlled fashion over an extended period of time, thereby eliminating the need to take a tablet every day.

In this test the finasteride was encapsulated in a propylene carbonate maleate plastic.    When placed into a lab testing solution, the drug was found to release continuously for a period of 5-6 weeks.

This is just an early test, but since there are already time-release drugs for birth control, it’s quite possible that in the future this type of drug delivery method will be available to users of Propecia.
 

Preparation of novel polymeric microspheres for controlled release of finasteride.

Int J Pharm. 2007 May 13.
Peng D, Huang K, Liu Y, Liu S.
College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China.

The utility of the novel polycarbonate, poly(propylene carbonate maleate) (PPCM) to encapsulate and control the release of finasteride, via microspheres, was investigated. The PPCM microspheres loaded with finasteride were elaborated by a simple oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion-solvent evaporation method. Various manufacturing parameters, including the concentration of polymer in dichloromethane (DCM) and the polymer:finasteride ratios were altered to optimize process variables during the microspheres production. The effects of these changes on the characteristics of the microspheres were examined. The structure and morphology were characterized by wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WXRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the mean diameter of microspheres was approximately 2mum, and had both smooth and spherical surfaces. Greater encapsulation efficiency was obtained by increasing the ratios of polymer:finasteride and the concentration of PPCM in DCM. In vitro drug release of these microcapsules was performed in a pH 7.4 phosphate-buffered solution. The release profiles of finasteride from PPCM microcapsules were found to be biphasic with a burst release followed by a gradual release phase. A prolonged in vitro drug release profile was observed. After an initial burst, a continuous drug release was observed for up to 5-6 weeks.
 

PMID: 17580108