The distress of living with female hair loss

Male hair loss can be an upsetting thing to experience as given the choice; very few (if any) would choose to lose any hair from their head. They can no longer style their hair as they used to, as well as feeling undesirable to the opposite of sex and may receive light-hearted jibes from friends about their hair loss – which over time can affect confidence and self-esteem.

However, hair loss is not something experienced solely by men and for many women who suffer with this problem, the stress and emotional aspects involved with this can be much, much worse.  A 1992 study featured in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology contrasted psychological impact of hair loss on both sexes and found that women had a more issues about body image and were less able to accept the fact they had lost some hair.

We live in an age where media places far too much focus on what they deem as ‘beauty’ and there is an ever-growing obsession with celebrity culture, with more and more figures in the public eye resorting to whatever expensive treatment possible to retain a youthful appearance.

Hair loss can have a devastating impact on a woman’s confidence and it can be made worse by the fact some GPs are still failing to recognise female hair loss as a genuine medical problem, ignoring the huge distress endured by the majority of those who are affected, “because you are never going to die from it”, says Iain Sallis, a consultant Trichologist at a top hair clinic.

Elaine Nixon is just one of an estimated 8 million women in the UK alone who have some degree of hair loss. Elaine had such an impressive head of hair during her teenage years that she fashioned different styles for a hairdresser’s. However, when Elaine began to lose her locks by the time she was just 24 years of age, this prompted one particularly unforgettable and hurtful comment from a stranger at a bar who said: “You’re going a bit bald there aren’t you, love?”

“After that I just stopped going out” says Elaine, now 39. “You notice people looking at your hairline, not just in your eyes. It makes you so self-conscious. My confidence was stripped. I saw my GP at the time, but he was useless. I also went to see a cosmetic surgeon. But when I rang back after the initial appointment, the receptionist said ‘Oh yes, the consultant’s said there’s nothing we can do’. I was distraught. My real fear was I’d end up with a wig.”

Elaine’s hair loss was eventually pinpointed to a male hormone treatment she had been prescribed for a congenital deformity of her fallopian tubes, however there are a number of different causes for hair loss, and understanding the varying types of hair loss is important. Elaine sought help from a hair transplant expert for her hair loss, but for the majority of people this option is simple not viable. Operations cost thousands of pounds at a time, and more than one is usually required.
The main types of hair loss are:

. Telogen effluvium: General shedding/thinning of the hair that is normally only a temporary occurrence. It can develop rapidly, usually about 1 to 3 months following major ‘shock’ placed on the body such as stress, childbirth, sudden weight loss, illness, operation, or reaction to a medication. Regular hair growth and thickness is seen after a few months however persistent shedding may be caused by an iron deficiency or underactive thyroid gland.

. Androgenic alopecia: The most common type of hair loss in both men and women, striking in varying severity. The reason for the occurrence of thinning hair is connected to hormones named ‘androgens’ and in particularly; dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This powerful hormone stimulates facial and bodily hair growth but has adverse effects on hair located on the head. It is believed that DHT initiates a process by which hair follicles begin to deteriorate over time and eventually stop producing hair entirely. Women usually experience a thinning of hair from the top of the head and it can get more noticeable after the menopause.

. Alopecia areata: Thought to be an autoimmune disease, it primarily affects teenagers and young adults resulting in round, patchy hair loss areas that may merge into one over time. The hair follicles are not permanently damaged, and in most instances the person will see hair growing back after several months. In a few cases, hair loss may be permanent but treatments to stimulate hair growth sometimes work.

Female hair loss may be helped through a number of different treatments. One of these is Minoxidil, dispensed by Medical Specialists as Regaine treatment for women (containing 2% Minoxidil). Speaking after British cyclist Joanna Rowsell’s Gold during the London Olympics, David Bailey, a leading UK Trichologist said, “2% Minoxidil is likely to give a cosmetically acceptable regrowth in those with patchy alopecia areata, but, using 5% Minoxidil in clinical trials gave an 81% response (1). It would appear that an occlusion of the treated area appears to be necessary to achieve and maintain maximum results.”

Medical Specialists offer a huge range of treatments at low prices for both male and female hair loss, so do not delay and head to the Women’s Health or Men’s Health areas of the website to see which treatment option is most suitable for you.

(1)     Fiedler-Weiss VC. (1987) “Topical minoxidil solution (1% and 5%) in the treatment of alopecia areata..” J Am Acad Dermatol. 16(3 Pt 2):745-8.

Revealed: the everyday pills that could cause you to suffer hair loss!

The reasons behind hair loss can be many and varied. They range from genetic predispositions to hair loss, hormones, nutrition, physical activity, chemicals and stress. However, now according to a report by scientists at the University of Melbourne, drugs for blood pressure, acne, depression and even common painkillers can contribute towards hair loss. On top of this they claim other drugs can turn a brunette into a redhead, or make straight hair curly.

Many medications can result in premature hair loss and most of them list it as a side effect. Chemotherapy is the most obvious medical treatment that causes temporary premature hair loss, but others, such as antidepressants and those used for mood disorders and seizures can also affect hair growth.

Professor Sam Shuster, Emeritus Professor of Dermatology at Newcastle University said, “The cause of hair loss or change is often unknown, but you must always consider the effects of drugs, when drugs do affect the hair.”

In many cases, medications are thought to affect hair by interfering with its growth cycle, which has three distinct stages. In the growing period which lasts between three and five years on the scalp, hair grows by around 1cm a month. That’s followed by a shorter two week stage, known as the intermediate phase, where the hair follicle is prepared for releasing the hair.

In the final three month phase the telogen phase or resting phase, the hair stops growing and eventually falls out. After three months, the follicle starts to grow a new hair. Fortunately this happens randomly all over the scalp, if it didn’t, the hair would be shed in clumps.

Some drugs used for epilepsy and other disorders such as migraines have been linked to hair loss and they may even make hair curly.One of the drugs, sodium valproate, has been reported in various studies to cause hair loss in between 3 and 10 per cent of patients. In one of the latest studies, which involved more than 200 patients at Razi Hospital in Iran, 3.5 per cent of patients given sodium valproate experienced hair loss or curling. Another study found hair loss in 7 per cent of patients receiving divalproex, a combination of sodium valproate and valproic acid.

These drugs can trigger hair to fall out prematurely in the resting phase of the hair growth cycle. This normally lasts three months, with the hair naturally shedding at the end of this time, but for some reason antidepressants seem to make hair fall out at the beginning of this phase instead. Fluoxetine better known as Prozac is the most commonly reported antidepressant to cause hair loss.

Increased hair loss occurs up to one year after the start of medication and stops when therapy ends. Tricyclic antidepressants, which include imipramine, amitriptyline and doxepin, may occasionally cause hair loss, found the Australian study, which is due to be published in the journal Dermatologic Clinics. However, according to Professor Shuster, “Patients with this problem should not panic; this type of hair loss is reversible.”

Hair loss has been reported among women who stop taking the Pill after long term use. One theory is that this is because some oral contraceptives, particularly progesterone based pills, contain compounds called anti-androgens. These lower levels of testosterone and thus lower the risk of hair loss in women, who may be susceptible. But when these women stop taking the Pill, the protection ends.

When asked, leading UK Trichologist David Bailey said, “Women with hair loss who wish to take the pill, should try Dianette as it contains an anti-androgen which can stop this. If they do not wish to take the pill, spironolactone is often prescribed. Women who are already on Dianette should be careful if they wish to come off it. They could switch to Marvelon or Yasmin, or spironolactone it they do not wish to take a hormone based therapy. Either way, they should really discuss it with someone who knows all about hair and these types of treatments.

High blood pressure drugs have also been linked to hair thinning. The Melbourne researchers say two particular beta blockers, metoprolol and propranolol; have been shown to lead to reversible hair loss. Another group of drugs used for blood pressure, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, may also be associated with hair loss. The drugs seem to cause the hair to shed prematurely in the resting phase.

Small studies have linked painkillers to hair loss. A recent report from the New Zealand government described hair loss as a possible complication, affecting less than one in 100 users. A small U.S. study based on a sample of 21 people using ibuprofen found that 15 patients reported thinning or loss of hair. Once the medication is discontinued, hair loss reduces over eight to nine months.

However, Professor Shuster cautions that, “Patients should never stop taking the drugs without consulting their GP. They can be switched to other drugs, if appropriate, or the dose can be reduced. In other cases, patients can be reassured the effects are unlikely to be permanent.”

Professor Shuster said, “When drugs do affect the hair, the change is usually mild and reverses when the drug is stopped. So you may want to tolerate the change, because of the important effect the drug is having in restoring your health.”

So it seems that many everyday pills we take can contribute in some small way to hair loss, however as has already been stated the benefits these drugs offer us often far outweigh the possible side effects. Prescribed medicines should never be stopped without first consulting your GP. Also worth bearing in mind is that the side effects can often be temporary and reversible.

However there are effective treatments available to treat female hair loss such as Dianette, spironolactone, or even Regain lotion for women, and Regaine (minoxidil) foam and lotion and Propecia (finasteride) both of which are clinically proven to treat male hair loss. These can be obtained from Medical Specialists Pharmacy, after an online consultation with one of our doctors.

Hey Jude, don’t make it bald!

After wearing a beanie for nearly three months solid, Jude Law finally chose to remove his headgear, revealing dramatic hair loss. Photographed in Paris whilst attending the Parisian premiere of Sherlock Holmes, Game of Shadows, fans were stunned to see just how far his hairline had receded since it was last seen back in October.

In December, Jude Law famously refused to remove his beanie hat whilst being interviewed on the set of the Graham Norton show. Despite being goaded by Graham Norton, his Sherlock Holmes co star Robert Downey Jr, and the audience, Law kept his hat firmly in place saying, “I’ve been scalped for my new film and I’ve got the most heinous hair cut you have ever seen.” He then went on to say, “You’ll see it in a cinema next year.”

And so it was that a few months later that people did indeed get to see Jude Law without his hat, but rather than a savage haircut, they saw that his receding hairline had worsened dramatically.

Despite the marked loss of hair now visible, Jude Law could have stopped, and potentially reversed, his receding hairline many years ago before it became quite so obvious. With careful use of medications such as Propecia or Regaine, he could quite easily have prevented his hairline from becoming a media story and avoided the need for wearing a procession of strange hats.

Hair loss specialists are all agreed that proactive treatment is the best way to deal with hair loss, and that the earlier expert advice is sought, the better the chances of correcting a receding hairline before it becomes noticeable. Early treatment has the added advantage of being significantly cheaper than the extreme techniques, such as hair transplants.

When asked for his opinion, leading UK Trichologist David Bailey said, “Jude’s frontal hair line has been shrinking over the last five years. I cannot believe that he has not tried some sort of treatment given that he is an actor and in the public limelight. If he hasn’t, then he definitely should think about it. Unfortunately for Jude, this is a sad song, and I don’t think he can make it better.”

Justin Bieber says Prince William should use Propecia to fight his hair loss

Canadian pop superstar Justin Bieber is perhaps not famously renowned for his medical knowledge or hair loss expertise. Despite this, it has not stopped the teen icon from offering his words of wisdom on the rapidly diminishing mane of Prince William and urging him to use the effective hair restoration medication, Propecia.

The 18-year-old ‘Boyfriend’ singer made his jibes about the balding 30-year-old Prince when  speaking to Rollercoaster magazine during a recent promotional trip to the UK in support of his ‘Believe’ album.

Bieber first emerged into the global spotlight back in 2008 after being discovered via his uploaded home videos on YouTube. Part of Bieber’s popularity was somewhat due to his baby-faced good looks, and luxurious flowing locks which he initially had stylised into a bowl-shaped cut upon his breakthrough. However, for the previous two years Bieber has sported a much shorter spiked-up quiff after causing a massive media sensation in 2010 when he decided to get rid of his longer hair.

Whereas Bieber can grow his hair back should he wish to do so, Prince William has been losing his hair an alarming rate in recent years and where hair is concerned, he has evidently taken after his father Prince Charles and uncle Prince Edward who are both suffering with male pattern baldness (MPB).

For the interview in Rollercoaster Magazine, Bieber was quizzed about what he would do if he started to lose his locks to MPB and his hair started to thin like the young Prince’s. Justin said, “I mean, there are things to prevent that nowadays, like Propecia. I don’t know why he doesn’t just get those things, those products. You just take Propecia and your hair grows back. Have you not got it over here?”

In reply to Justin’s question; yes we do have Propecia ‘over here’ and it is obtainable today from Medical Specialists Pharmacy working out from as little as £47.58 per month. The medication Propecia (finasteride) is commonly used to treat male pattern baldness and works by blocking the conversion of testosterone to an androgen thought to cause hair loss. Its effectiveness and popularity are obvious when even a teenage pop star with a full head of hair is aware of its existence!

With Male pattern baldness affecting 6.5 million men in the UK alone, Medical Specialists are committed to doing everything we can to help. Other options as well as Propecia, include Regaine Foam, as seen on television adverts. Obtainable from Medical Specialists Pharmacy from as little as £46.45, this product contains the active ingredient Minoxidil which is clinically proven to help prevent further hereditary hair loss, showing success in 4 out of 5 men. It works by increasing the blood supply to the hair follicles which helps to strengthen existing hair and stimulate secondary hair growth.

There are also emerging over the counter products that have been released in recent times. Alpecin Caffeine C1 Shampoo stimulates hair growth directly at the roots, strengthens weakened hair roots and prevents hereditary hair loss. In just in 2 minutes, the active ingredient travels along the hair shaft directly into the hair follicles. If the shampoo is left on for longer, the caffeine will also penetrate into the scalp.

When leading Trichologist David Bailey was asked about Bieber comments, he said, “Well it would seem obvious from his comments that he knows all about Male Pattern Hair Loss! How does he know whether the Prince is already taking Propecia or not? As the manufacturer clearly states, it works in the majority of men, but not all. Also, not everybody can take Propecia, they have to have it prescribed by a Doctor after a consultation.”

L’Oreal experts develop new treatment for hair loss

Trichologists from Paris have discovered information that could possible pave the way for new methods of treating baldness. Head of hair biology Dr Bruno Bernard and his team at L’Oreal Paris underwent research and found that some hair follicles can become trapped in their resting or ‘sleeping’ state, which then means new hair is not grown and eventually will fall out. Usually hair strands grow for about four years before the follicles become dormant and the strand will fall out. As the follicles remain dormant, stem cells in the skin should begin to kick-start the procedure of growing new hair. However, this process is interrupted and fails to occur for people who are suffering from baldness.

The researchers however may not be able to completely halt the balding process forever; the hair follicles inevitably lose the ability to make new hair. For people who are looking a little thin on top, the future products the team are developing could come in handy and prevent you from having to do a dreaded ‘comb over’, using embarrassing wigs, or hugely expensive hair transplants. Of course, there are already many products available on the market right now that have been shown to effectively combat hair loss in both men and women, such as Propecia, Regaine, Alpecin caffeine shampoo, and Dianette for women – which can also be used for acne, hirsutism and contraceptive purposes.

Dr Bernard says that the company are exploring a treatment that can either be applied to your scalp in a cream or shampoo which may help in hair regrowth. He spoke out on the current developments and said, “Hair follicles exist in two stable states – either an active state or a dormant state. From time to time, they will jump from one state to another. Some of the follicles are just resting in the dormant state and are waiting for the right signal to make new hair. They are in a latency period. If you can reduce this latency period, you will have more hair. We have identified a compound and we are going to make a formulation of it that can be applied to the scalp to wake the follicle up from its sleeping state to the active state.”

David Bailey, a leading UK Trichologist and now retired said, “I can’t see how this treatment can help. There are basically three stages to the hair cycle: Anagen (growing phase), Catagen (resting phase) which lasts about three months, and Telogen (falling out phase). It would seem that this treatment works on shortening the Catagen phase, which is only three months, and would not stop the hair loss process which reduces the Anagen phase.”

At Medical Specialists Pharmacy we are fully aware of the impact both male and female pattern baldness can have on a person. It can be massively detrimental to one’s confidence and self-esteem. Male-pattern baldness is the most common type of hair loss, affecting 6.5 million men in the UK and an estimated 35 million in the U.S. In addition, it is believed there are 8 million women just in the UK who suffer from some degree of hair loss. As mentioned earlier, we offer a huge range of prescription and non-prescription treatments that can slow down the process of thinning hair, promote hair growth and help regain your confidence.

Swedish study unearths possible link between dental plaque and cancer deaths

More evidence to support the need for people to have good dental hygiene has emerged as Swedish scientists claim there may be a possible link between persistent dental plaque, and the risk of dying from cancer. Dental plaque is a pale yellow coloured soft deposit that forms naturally on the surface of teeth. It contains many types of bacteria (germs). Poor dental hygiene has been linked to many numerous health problems in the past, such as erectile dysfunction, which Medical Specialists Pharmacy managing director David Bailey first commented on last year within the ‘In The Press’ section of the website and we reported about again only last month.

The findings of this study have been published in the ‘BMJ Open’ online journal. The authors analysed the lives of nearly 1,400 Swedish adults between the years 1985 to 2009. All subjects were selected at random and all were in their 30s and 40s at the beginning of the study. Participants were asked questions in relation to anything that could increase their chance of getting cancer, such as smoking habits and their level of affluence. In addition, their mouth hygiene was also evaluated over this time period.

After the 24 years had passed, it was noted that 58 of the patients had died and 35 of these deaths were due to cancer. The researchers found that within those who had died, there was a substantially elevated level of dental plaque in comparison to the patients who were still alive. The results were determined via a ‘dental plaque index’ and those who had died were registered between 0.84 to 0.91 on the index and the survivors saw their scores significantly lower, between 0.66 to 0.67.

From the patients who had died during the study period, it was discovered that the average age of death for both sexes was much lower than the normal life expectancy figures. The women’s average age of death was 61 and for men it was 60. Respectively, this is 13 and 8.5 years lower than what would usually be expected and authors say their deaths can be considered premature.

The researchers concluded that dental plaque could be linked to a 79% increased chance of an early death and said, “Our study hypothesis was confirmed by the finding that poor hygiene, as reflected in the amount of dental plaque, was associated with increased cancer mortality.” However, they have argued that is not yet definitely known that dental plaque contributes to cancer and further studies into the connections between dental plaque and cancer will need to be carried out in the near future.