This section is for the "Follically Challenged".  There are so many conversations and articles on the topic and I want make sure you are getting good information. 

This month's article is from
News - Medical
Life Sciences
 
Low-level laser treatment can
stimulate hair follicles
​and hair growth, expert finds

​A world-renowned hair loss expert from Chula has discovered that low-level laser treatment can stimulate hair follicles and hair growth. Guaranteed by a world-class award, this treatment for thinning hair and hair loss can deliver results in 24 weeks.

Thinning hair, hair loss, and baldness can sabotage the self-confidence and quality of life of people of all genders and ages. Those who suffer these problems struggle to find the right treatments, like changing shampoos, cutting their hair short, taking supplements, avoid using chemicals on the scalp, etc., to no avail. One of the reasons for the failure is not tackling the problem at its root cause, especially in the case of genetic hair thinning, and hair loss.
​
Assoc. Prof. Ratchathorn Panchaprateep, M.D., Head of the Hair and Scalp Center, Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society and lecturer of the Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, in her research on "Proteomic Analysis in Derma Papilla from Male Androgenetic Alopecia after Treatment with Low-Level Laser Therapy" that received an award from the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) proves that the use of low-level laser therapy can stimulate the scalp and hair growth in 24 weeks.

Warning signs of "unusual hair loss"

"Normally, you can lose some hair when shampooing, blow-drying, or combing every day. However, if you encounter unusual hair loss during the day, e.g. during meals or walking around at work, that is another sign of abnormality, and you should see a hair-and-scalp specialist. Men have short hair, and it's hard to notice hair loss during the day. You should pay attention right after you wake up to see if there is any hair on the pillow."

For men, thinning hair, and hereditary hair loss usually starts in the front and recedes into an M-shaped hairline. Some develop a bald patch in the crown that gradually spreads out. For women, thinning tends to start at where the hair parts, and gradually worsen as time passes.

"Hair thinning and genetic hair loss are different from thinning hair caused by an abnormal immune system (Alopecia Areata) that causes round patches of hair loss the size of a 10-baht coin," Assoc. Dr. Ratchathorn, M.D. added.

Cause of thinning hair, hair loss, and baldness

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ratchathorn revealed that, statistically, up to 40 percent of Thai people have thinning hair, hair loss, and baldness problems. The number is on the upward trends every year, with the current environment -; stress, weather conditions, and bad diet. Hair problems and baldness can occur in both females and males, but in the latter, the problem starts at a young age and the conditions are more severe than in females. The main causes of hair and scalp problems are as follows:

1. Genetics – Outstanding genes from the father or mother with thinning hair, or scalp problems;
2. During puberty, the male hormone testosterone will stick to the hair follicles, causing both the follicles and the hair to become thinner, and fall off easily;
3. Environmental factors such as stress, sunlight, malnutrition, vitamin deficiency, etc., can also be the culprit. Nowadays, hereditary hair loss is increasingly found in younger people.

Low-level laser therapy – a new alternative to restore life to your hair

Currently, there are three popular treatments for genetic hair loss: Taking Finasteride medication to stop testosterone from sticking to the hair follicles and to slow down hair loss; applying Minoxidil topically and continuously to the scalp to plump up and thicken the hair, and hair transplant surgery by transplanting the hair from the denser area. This method is suitable for severe and advanced cases. The advantage of this method is that the hair will last a lifetime, and can be permed, dyed, and washed. People with hair transplants can engage in any sports activities with confidence.

Recently, low-level laser therapy -; a new treatment that is effective with fast results became available. There are two types:

1. Laser cap or comb – the accessories that emit red laser light 'Low-level laser therapy (LLLT)' to gently stimulates hair follicle cells. Suitable for those who have thinning hair in the initial to moderate stage, this device is portable and can be used at home. Using this device continuously for 15 minutes a day will strengthen the hair and hair follicles, as well as generate new and thicker hair growth. However, patients should consult the doctor for directions on use, and device type.
2. Low-level laser adapted from the laser used for hair removal. It is a low-energy laser to stimulate the hair follicles all over the scalp.

"This low-level laser therapy is suitable for patients with an early stage of hair loss i.e. with mild to moderate symptoms, but not suitable for those in an advanced stage, or already have baldness. Patients should undergo the therapy continuously at least 5 – 10 times, every two weeks. They will start to see the result after the 5th treatment. Clearer results can be seen after three months. Patients will have new growth of stronger hair," Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ratchathorn said.

This is the first research in Asia to confirm the efficacy of low-level laser therapy for genetic hair loss, making Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ratchathorn the first Thai female doctor to win the highest Platinum Follicle Award 2019 from the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) for her professional excellence and research on hair.
​
"Even though genetic hair loss cannot be cured, the current treatment can extend the hair's life and scalp health. Most important is to keep your body strong with a healthy diet especially protein, get enough sleep and avoid stress," Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ratchathorn concluded.

This section is for the "Follically Challenged".  There are so many conversations and articles on the topic and I want make sure you are getting good information. ​

This month's article is from
Eat This, Not That!
 
One Major Effect of Vitamin D on Hair Loss, New Study Suggests
Dermatologists point to one more possible reason to behold this powerful supplement.

When you think about ways to manage hair loss, some of the medicated or even surgical options might seem risky… not to mention, expensive. If you've considered what to do about balding, a new study could save you some cash and concern: With all the health buzz around Vitamin D these days, dermatologists were interested to see whether the supplement could address hair loss—an issue that currently affects more than 80% of men and 50% of women around age 50, according to NYU Langone Health.
​
Keep reading for more about the possible link between Vitamin D and some cases of hair loss, and don't miss One Surprising Effect Coffee Has on Your Hair, According to a Dermatologist.

In a new study published this week in The Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, a duo of dermatologists in India stated: "Vitamin D is intricately involved in various signaling pathways of growth and differentiation of hair follicles."
​
Recognizing that Vitamin D has been shown to affect the hair cycle, they set out to conduct their own investigation of Vitamin D as "a potential therapeutic modality in hair loss."

​This section is for the "Follically Challenged".  There are so many conversations and articles on the topic and I want make sure you are getting good information. 

This month's article is from
the New York Times
 
What Happened to That Comb-Over?
Many balding men got hair transplants during the pandemic. Now they’re girding themselves for the return-to-office whispers.

​Joining the pandemic boom in cosmetic tuneups, many follicularly challenged men have used their time away from the office to embark on a fresh new look of their own: a hair transplant.

To some, a recarpeted scalp is a way of turning back the clock to a glorious youth. To others, it’s a business move, a way to burnish their image so as to rearm themselves for a return to the corporate trenches.

But to many, it’s … well, a little awkward. Wait, weren’t you the guy with the comb-over?

“Always, the dilemma is, what are people going to say?” said Robert Golden, 51, a tax adviser in Los Angeles who sprang for a hair transplant last winter while working remotely. “Do you tell anybody you’ve done it?”

Men often feel sheepish about undergoing a hair transplant, at least at first, said Fabien Beretta, the executive director of the Beverly Hills Hair Group in Beverly Hills, Calif., where Mr. Golden went for his transplant. “Men are a little more iffy about getting anything cosmetic,” he said. “Women talk about it openly. Guys want to hide it.”

There is nothing objectively embarrassing about a hair transplant. Even so, old stigmas linger. The internet is filled with articles like “Why You Shouldn’t Be Ashamed of Getting a Hair Transplant.”

New hair in general, particularly toupées, have long served as gag material in movies and television shows. “Why don’t you get a pair of white shoes, move down to Miami Beach and get the whole thing over with,” Jerry teased George in the “Seinfeld” episode where the latter bought a new rug.

This may explain why celebrities like Tom Hanks, Jude Law and Matthew McConaughey who appear, uh, “less bald than they used to be,” as Buzzfeed once put it, tend to remain mum about their bushy new manes, leaving tabloids to play the guessing game.

“It’s like one of those old ’80s rom-coms, where the geek suddenly gets this flashy makeover and shows up at the club,” said Mitchell Virzi, 29, one-third of the Los Angeles comedy team called the Virzi Triplets, identical brothers who all got hair transplants in recent months. “For a lot of guys, it can feel awkward, like you’re trying on a new personality.”

Then there are the perception problems of springing for a “luxury” like cosmetic surgery, particularly during troubled times.

Transplants are not cheap, averaging around $7,000 but often rising to $20,000 or more, depending on geography, the type of procedure and the amount of work that needs to be done, said Dr. Akash Chandawarkar, a former plastic surgery chief resident at Johns Hopkins University who is now in Manhattan.

To some guys, that can seem a little, well, vain.

“There’s still that old stigma, where guys aren’t supposed to worry about how they look and spend a lot of money on their appearance,” said Alex Virzi, another of the newly coifed triplets.

That doesn’t seem to be dissuading many balding men.

“It’s the largest demand I have ever seen,” said Dr. Marc Dauer, a hair restoration surgeon who practices in Los Angeles and New York City and has seen about a 30 percent surge in hair transplant procedures, and a 50 percent increase in transplant consultations, during the pandemic.

The Beverly Hills Hair Group has also seen a 25 percent spike in inquiries in recent months, and other cosmetic surgeons interviewed reported a similar surge.

Some of this apparent boom seems attributable to the pandemic itself.

Extended time away from the office gave men the cover they needed to slip away for the procedure, then recover away from prying eyes of co-workers.

There is also “Zoom dysmorphia,” in which people feel the need to “fix” perceived “flaws” in their appearance spotted during endless hours of video conference calls. “On FaceTime, Skype or Zoom, people are looking at themselves more than anyone they’re talking to,” Mr. Beretta said. “It’s like they’re sitting at home all day looking in the mirror.”

Then there is the emotional drain of the last 18 months, which is enough for even people with the fullest heads of hair to find their shower drains clogging with hair. Intense stress, as well as post-viral inflammation from Covid-19, can also cause temporary hair loss known as telogen effluvium.

Whatever the traditional hesitations, the old shame over new hair may be fading, especially in this age of oversharing.

It helps that the post-surgery results are not as stark as they once were. A popular method of hair transplants these days — follicular unit extraction, in which surgeons plant individual follicles from the back of the head onto the top of the head — can take months to start filling in. (“It’s like a Chia Pet,” Mitchell Virzi said.)

For Mr. Golden, the tax adviser, his initial trepidations dissolved quickly once he saw how much his new hair boosted his confidence among friends and even with his wife, he said.

And when he finally returned to the glassy high-rise office a month ago and displayed his new tresses to colleagues, the real shock was how little people cared, or even noticed.

“To be honest, it wasn’t like I walked in and people said, ‘Oh, you got a hair transplant,’” he said. “It was done so well that people didn’t even really notice. They were like, ‘Did you get a haircut? You look younger.’”

This section is for the "Follically Challenged".  There are so many conversations and articles on the topic and I want make sure you are getting good information. ​

Hair Transplantation is a procedure that helps people who experience hair loss and baldness problems that occurs due to various reasons: genetic factors, stress, and hormone disorder.  FUE Hair Transplant method is a process of relocating hair follicles under local anesthesia with special medical devices from the donor area to the balding areas. In this application, hair is extracted one by one and transplanted to the balding area. Hair should be shortened to 1mm prior to the operation. The surgery is conducted under local anesthetics, so the patient will not feel any pain. Micromotor is used to extract hair grafts; the tip of the motor simply pulls the hair root; therefore, the follicle is cut in a cylindrical way along with microscopic tissue. ​

What to consider before the operation?

Hair Transplantation is a serious practice that should be done by professionals specializing in that field as the output of the operation will be seen throughout your life. Hair transplant procedures should take place at a hospital or clinic with surgeons specialized in their field.

What are the advantages?

FUE method is the most commonly used and reliable method for hair transplant. Advantages of FUE hair transplantation are as follows:

• No incision and suture marks at the site of the operation.
• The process is completed in a short time thanks to thin-tipped devices.
• Natural and aesthetic appearance.
• Short healing duration and opportunity to return to normal life instantly.

Who can get a hair transplant?

Hair transplantation surgery can be conducted for the male and female types of hair loss. Male-type hair loss affects the upper part of the head and the temple area; firstly, hair becomes skinny, and then fall out. Over time, this spill may stretch back to the temples.

Female-type hair loss works in a different way; it involves hair weakening, rarity, thinning and loss in the peak and anterior areas of the scalp.

Who can’t get a hair transplant?

Not everyone is eligible for a hair transplant; for example, it is technically impossible for people who do not have any hair in the back of the head - which is also called the donor area. Also, some diseases such as severe heart problems may be dangerous during transplant surgery.

Cases that hair transplantation is recommended

Another criterion necessary for hair transplantation is the type of hair loss. For example, people at the adolescence age are not recommended to have the operation as their hair loss may continue. However, if permanent hair loss occurs in certain areas of the head as a result of accidental damage to the scalp such as severe burns, these people can undergo a hair transplant under a supervision of a doctor. Furthermore, hair transplantation should not be performed for those with certain diseases due to vital risks such as hemophilia (A blood clotting problem), blood pressure, diabetes, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.


Where to have the operation?

This section is for the "Follically Challenged".  There are so many conversations and articles on the topic and I want make sure you are getting good information. 

This month's article

How chronic stress leads to hair loss

Harvard University researchers have identified the biological mechanism by which chronic stress impairs hair follicle stem cells, confirming long-standing observations that stress might lead to hair loss.

In a mouse study published in the journal Nature, the researchers found that a major stress hormone puts hair follicle stem cells into an extended resting phase, without regenerating the follicle or the hair. The researchers identified the specific cell type and molecule responsible for relaying the stress signal to the stem cells, and showed that this pathway can be potentially targeted to restore hair growth.

“My lab is interested in understanding how stress affects stem cell biology and tissue biology, spurred in part by the fact that everyone has a story to share about what happens to their skin and hair when they are stressed. I realized that as a skin stem cell biologist, I could not provide a satisfying answer regarding if stress indeed has an impact — and more importantly, if yes, what are the mechanisms,” said Ya-Chieh Hsu, the Alvin and Esta Star Associate Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard and senior author of the study. “The skin offers a tractable and accessible system to study this important problem in depth, and in this work, we found that stress does actually delay stem-cell activation and fundamentally changes how frequently hair follicle stem cells regenerate tissues.”

​The hair follicle is one of the few mammalian tissues that can undergo rounds of regeneration throughout life, and has become a paradigm that informs much of our fundamental understanding of mammalian stem cell biology. The hair follicle naturally cycles between growth and rest, a process fueled by hair follicle stem cells. During the growth phase, hair follicle stem cells become activated to regenerate the follicle and hair, and hairs grow longer each day. During the resting phase, the stem cells are quiescent and hairs shed more easily. Hair loss can occur if the hairs shed and the stem cells remain quiescent without regenerating new tissue.

The researchers studied a mouse model of chronic stress and found that hair follicle stem cells stayed in a resting phase for a very long time without regenerating tissues. A major stress hormone produced by the adrenal glands, corticosterone, was upregulated by chronic stress; giving mice corticosterone reproduced the stress effect on the stem cells. The equivalent hormone in humans is cortisol, which is also upregulated under stress and is often referred to as the “stress hormone.”

“This result suggests that elevated stress hormones indeed have a negative effect on hair follicle stem cells,” Hsu said. “But the real surprise came when we took out the source of the stress hormones.”

Under normal conditions, hair follicle regeneration slows over time — the resting phase becomes longer as the animals age. But when the researchers removed the stress hormones, the stem cells’ resting phase became extremely short and the mice constantly entered the growth phase to regenerate hair follicles throughout their life, even when they were old.

“So even the baseline level of stress hormone that’s normally circulating in the body is an important regulator of the resting phase. Stress essentially just elevates this preexisting ‘adrenal gland–hair follicle axis,’ making it even more difficult for hair follicle stem cells to enter the growth phase to regenerate new hair follicles,” Hsu said.

After establishing the link between the stress hormone and hair follicle stem cell activity, the researchers looked for the biological mechanism underlying the connection.

“We first asked whether the stress hormone was regulating the stem cells directly and checked by taking out the receptor for corticosterone, but this turned out to be wrong. Instead, we found that the stress hormone actually acts on a cluster of dermal cells underneath the hair follicle, known as the dermal papilla,” said Sekyu Choi, the lead author of the study.

Dermal papilla is known to be critical for activating hair follicle stem cells, but none of the previously identified factors secreted from dermal papilla changed when stress hormone levels were altered. Rather, the stress hormone prevented dermal papilla cells from secreting Gas6, a molecule that the researchers showed can activate the hair follicle stem cells.

“Under both normal and stress conditions, adding Gas6 was sufficient to activate hair follicle stem cells that were in the resting phase and to promote hair growth,” Choi said. “In the future, the Gas6 pathway could be exploited for its potential in activating stem cells to promote hair growth. It will also be very interesting to explore if other stress-related tissue changes are related to the stress hormone’s impact on regulating Gas6.”

These initial findings in mice need to be further studied before they can be safely applied to humans. Harvard’s Office of Technology Development has protected the intellectual property relating to this work and is exploring opportunities for collaboration on its further development and eventual commercialization.

Last year, Hsu’s group discovered how stress affects another type of stem cell in the hair follicle: the melanocyte stem cells that regenerate hair pigment. The researchers found that stress activates the sympathetic nervous system and depletes melanocyte stem cells, leading to premature hair graying. With the new study, the two findings together demonstrate that although stress has detrimental impacts on both hair follicle stem cells and melanocyte stem cells, the mechanisms are different. Stress depletes melanocyte stem cells directly via nerve-derived signals, while stress prevents hair follicle stem cells from making new hairs indirectly via an adrenal-gland-derived stress hormone’s impact on the niche. Because hair follicle stem cells are not depleted, it might be possible to reactivate stem cells under stress with mechanisms such as the Gas6 pathway.

Beyond the potential application of the Gas6 pathway in promoting hair growth, the study’s results have broader implications for stem cell biology.

“When looking for factors that control stem cell behaviors, normally we would look locally in the skin. While there are important local factors, our findings suggest that the major switch for hair follicle stem cell activity is actually far away in the adrenal gland and it works by changing the threshold required for stem cell activation,” Hsu said.

“You can have systemic control of stem cell behavior located in a different organ that plays a really important role, and we are learning more and more examples of these ‘cross-organ interactions.’ Tissue biology is interconnected with body physiology. We still have so much to learn in this area, but we are constantly reminded by our findings that in order to understand stem cells in the skin, we often need to think beyond the skin.”

This work was supported in part by the New York Stem Cell Foundation, Smith Family Foundation Odyssey Award, Pew Charitable Trusts, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard HMS Dean’s Award, American Cancer Society, James and Audrey Foster MGH Research Scholar Award, NARSAD Young Investigator Award, MGH ECOR Fund, New York State Department of Health, and the National Institutes of Health.