Sources claim Bradley Cooper is taking Propecia to fight hair loss

Movie goers saw his hair altered into a comical perm style for the critically acclaimed film American Hustle, but in real life Bradley Cooper’s hair is no laughing matter, with reports that the handsome actor has been taking hair loss medication Propecia (Finasteride) in a bid to avert his familial trait of baldness.

The 39-year-old actor came to prominence in TV show Alias before featuring in a supporting role in the 2005 Wedding Crashers. However, in the subsequent 9 years his career has skyrocketed and Cooper has had leading roles in numerous successful films such as The Hangover series, Limitless (2011) and Silver Linings Playbook (2012), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award.

Cooper, dating 21-year-old model Suki Waterhouse, clearly wants to retain his leading man status and is worried about a receding hairline. According to a source who spoke to US website RadarOnline, the actor “is so anxious about his receding hairline that he’s turned to [balding remedy] Propecia. He has a lot of bald guys in his family, so he’s been on Propecia for a couple of years. And to his delight, it seems to be working.”

During filming of last years The Hangover 3, Cooper and the other two male leads, Zack Galifianakis and Ed Helms apparently “had their own dedicated hairstylists, a first for the franchise and something that was demanded by Bradley” due to his hair loss concerns. The source added: “Bradley is determined not to go bald and lose his leading man looks.”

Hair loss medication Propecia has made news in recent years on a few occasions after Manchester  United striker Wayne Rooney was rumoured to be taking it to prevent further hair loss and Canadian popstar Justin Bieber even commenting on Prince William’s diminishing mane, saying the Prince should be taking Propecia.

Rooney and other celebrities such as Calum Best and James Nesbitt have since opted for incredibly expensive hair transplants, but there has inexplicably been a mass silence in regards to any admittance to celebrities taking Propecia.

Spencer Stevenson, the hair loss expert who fronts the specialist talk show The Bald Truth, advises balding men to consider taking Propecia prior to any costly hair transplant procedure.

He says: “Before you even consider a hair transplant, look into going on Propecia or applying Minoxidil (a topical hair-loss treatment contained in Regaine Foam) for at least six months first, to strengthen existing hair and prevent further hair loss.”

Could male hair loss be connected to heart problems?

Men who are losing their hair may be more liable to suffer with heart problems in comparison to those with a fuller head of hair, new research suggests. It seems it is those men suffering with severe hair loss on the top of their heads (vertex baldness) who could be at a higher risk, and not those with hair loss at the front, i.e. a receding hairline.

Researchers in Japan conducted a thorough analysis of six previous studies from Europe and America that examined a possible connection between male baldness and coronary heart disease (CHD). The studies contained information on 36,990 men whose health was tracked for 11 years, and the researchers determined that five of the studies confirmed such a link.

It was discovered that men who had severe baldness on the top of their head were an incredible 48% more likely to develop CHD. Those who only suffered with moderate and mild vertex baldness were 36% and 18% at risk respectively. However, men suffering with both frontal and vertex hair loss were 69% more likely to develop CHD compared to those who had a full head of hair still intact.

Dr Kazuo Hara from the University of Tokyo said: “Cardiovascular risk factors should be reviewed carefully in men with vertex baldness, especially younger men. They should probably be encouraged to improve their cardiovascular risk profile. But interestingly, frontal baldness was not significantly associated with coronary heart disease.”

The explanation between the connection is still uncertain, but researchers believe increased sensitivity to male hormones, insulin resistance and inflammation in blood vessels could be key factors behind the hair loss and heart disease correlation, although further studies need to be carried out in the future to explore the link.

Another interesting aspect between the hair loss and CHD link is the fact Minoxidil (a popular hair loss treatment, contained in Regaine), was first produced to bring down high blood pressure – a severe risk factor of heart disease. Experts believe that Minoxidil works to dilate small blood vessels in the scalp, thus helping to boost blood flow and the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the hair follicles.

Other authors involved in the study said that in their meta-analysis, “vertex baldness was significantly associated with an increased risk of CHD among younger men as well as among all participants, and the association was dependent on the severity of baldness. Vertex baldness is more closely associated with systemic atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) than with frontal baldness.”

However, Doireann Maddock, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, commented on the study, saying: “Although these findings are interesting, men who’ve lost their hair should not be alarmed by this analysis. It’s more important to pay attention to your waistline than your hairline.”

Is Prince Harry losing his hair?

His older brother Prince William was infamously advised to use the hair loss medication Propecia last year by pop sensation Justin Bieber, but now Prince Harry may be following in his sibling’s footsteps and suffering with male pattern baldness, according to a leading hair loss expert.

The 28-year-old prince was photographed in February during a trip to Lesotho in southern Africa on behalf of his charity, Sentebale, and appeared to be sporting noticeably thinner hair and showing plenty of scalp through his famous ginger locks.

After seeing the pictures, Dr Asim Shahmalak, hair loss expert on the Channel 4 show Embarrassing Bodies, says that the younger prince seems to be beginning the process of male pattern baldness.

However, 30-year-old Prince William was more unfortunate than Harry and actually began to lose his hair in his early 20s, with significant hair loss by the time he reached 25.

Of course, hair loss for Harry is unsurprising considering many of his male family members have also lost their hair such as Harry’s father; Prince Charles, his grandfather; Prince Phillip and his uncle; Prince Edward.

“It is clear that Harry is thinning around the crown area,” Dr Shahmalak says. “It is the first signs of the male pattern baldness which has affected both his brother and his father. Around a quarter of men start going bald before the age of 30, so this is hardly a big surprise especially when it runs in the family as it does for the Windsor’s. If Harry’s hair loss progresses in the normal way, I would expect him to have a significant bald patch around his crown by the time he is 40. It will be worse if it also spreads to his hairline as it has with his brother.”

He continued:  “Hair loss can have a devastating impact on a young men like Harry. IIt can shatter their confidence and lead to significant loss of self-esteem. There is a strong family gene on both sides of Harry’s family. He is lucky that it has kicked in a bit later than his brother William – but the signs are not good for Harry. I would strongly urge him to act now.”

The hair loss expert goes on to recommend treatment options that Medical Specialists Pharmacy already has available for suitable patients; Propecia and Minoxidil (contained in Regaine Foam and Regaine Lotion).

Dr Shahmalak added: “The best remedy at this stage is for Harry to start taking Propecia which won’t replace the hair which he has already lost but will help to stop him losing any more. If William had started using the drug at the same age he could have significantly slowed down his hair loss. The other solution would be for Harry to use Minoxidil, the only other clinically proven hair loss medication available. You can buy a mousse which you apply to the thinning areas of the scalp…Their options in covering up their baldness are limited. It would be difficult for Prince William, for instance, to shave his head, which is what a lot of men do to hide their baldness. A royal with a crew cut just doesn’t seem right somehow.”

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.

The bald truth on Velodrome gold

As Team Great Britain’s ‘super Saturday’ came to a close on Saturday night, the nation was left to savour our greatest Olympic day since 1908, with gold medals being picked up Jessica Ennis, Mo Farah and Greg Rutherford during the closing proceedings in the evening.

However, earlier in the day, people around Britain were already seeing their emotions reach fever pitch with the heart-warming tale of female cyclist Joanna Rowsell who bagged gold together with her teammates Laura Trott and Dani King. The Trio managed to beat the United States in front of a jam-packed Velodrome audience captivated by their enthralling 3000m race.

After finishing her emotional lap of honour, Joanna jubilantly roared and showed absolutely no hesitation in pulling off her cycling helmet, to reveal her almost completely bald head due to the hair loss condition Alopecia.

The 23-year-old from Cheam near Sutton, was diagnosed with alopecia at the age of 10 after first losing one of her eyebrows. Months later saw chunks of her hair begin to fall out and then shortly after this Joanna lost her eyelashes. Despite the best attempts of doctors to treat her, she was given the news that her condition was not curable.

The specific cause of alopecia is still open to debate, although many experts are in agreement that it is a disease of the immune system, whereby the immune system attacks the hair follicles. Others agree that the hair loss can also be attributed to stress, and Gail Porter is one celebrity who is suspected to suffer from stress-induced alopecia areata, following the collapse of her marriage to Toploader guitarist Dan Hipgrave in 2005.

Yesterday morning, Joanna spoke to the television show Daybreak regarding her Olympic experiences, and said, “I’ve always had the opinion that you only live once, I’m not going to let having alopecia hold me back. It has been great being a cyclist; it has given me so much more confidence in myself. Being an Olympic medal winner can’t help but give you even more confidence and I think if I can help raise awareness too that will help. I was over the moon to win. The crowd were going crazy and I was just trying to soak up the atmosphere. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity: home games, a gold medal and a world record. I’ve been so excited ever since it was announced that it was going to be in London. The crowd and their support definitely helped spur us on.”

Joanna’s gold medal happened to coincidentally fall on International Alopecia Day, an event which aims to raise awareness of the condition, and her story of success in the Olympics will prove an inspiration to the 8 million women in the UK who are believed to be suffering from some type of hair loss.

One effective treatment for alopecia areata in women is Minoxidil, which is dispensed by Medical Specialists as Regaine treatment for women, containing 2% Minoxidil. When asked, David Bailey, a UK leading 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.”

In addition, women can obtain Florisene from the Medical Specialists Pharmacy chemist shop, at just £13.95 for 90 tablets. Florisene has been developed by one of Britain’s leading hair experts following 10 years of clinical research, and is particularly effective for women between the ages of 18 to 50.

(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.

Ryan Giggs hair reversal.

Ryan Giggs at Manchester Utd is getting on a bit at the age of 36, time is catching up with him & he plays mostly theses day as a sub. But while Giggsy legs are winding down the opposite seems to be happening to his receding hair line.

Ryan has been recently spotted coming out of a well know hair studio, and it is our understanding he has been a bit of a regular there. Over the past few years Ryans hair
Has been moving further down the pitch or shall we say his forehead, but recently it’s seen a bit of a revival.

Sources from the Sun news paper claim that Giggs is taking a combination of Buy Propecia & Regaine also know as Minoxidil.

So far it seems to be work well for Ryan, and more sports stars should come out and admit they have had hair work done.