Scientists find key to hair loss. Partly.

No doubt you've seen the headlines:

Gene linked to early baldness -

"A family with a rare form of inherited baldness has helped scientists find a gene which plays a crucial role in normal hair growth. Researchers believe it could lead to treatments to boost hair growth in a broad range of conditions causing hair loss..."


Scientists find genetic keys to inherited hair loss -

"News Researchers have found the genetic basis of two distinct forms of inherited hair loss, opening a broad path to treatments for thinning locks, according to a pair of studies released Sunday..."

So, what's going on? Is this the holy grail we've been waiting for someone to find?

Well, the first thing to note is that the condition investigated by the researchers - Hypotrichosis simplex - is rare, it's not the cause of most people's hair loss. Secondly, these are very early days. Any information which might be useful in forming a broad based hair loss solution for the consumer needs to be fed into the usual process of testing and development - a process which takes years.

However, there are grounds for optimism. Crucially, scientists now know something which they didn't before, and that something might be very important indeed, namely a receptor which plays a role in hair growth.

Needless to say, this is something I'll be following closely.

What is Progesterone? (Part one)

Progesterone has been shown to have DHT inhibiting effects and is thus used by both men and women, often in the form of topical applications, to combat hair loss. Progesterone creams provide a transdermal method by which levels of the progesterone hormone can be increased at a desired location of the body. Hair loss is not the primary reason for the use of progesterone creams. While applied topically, some of the progesterone absorbed in this way will find its way into the body in general, so there may be systemic implications to its use. Progesterone can also be taken in pill form to increase broader systemic efficacy.

Topical progesterone is available as capsules, vaginal creams and suppositories. The medication is applied by women to sensitive areas of the body such as the breast, abdomen, inner thighs and the palms of the hands. Men who use progesterone creams can apply it to areas such as inner forearm, chest, neck or scrotum. Because of possible side effects for the health of the thin areas of skin through which the progesterone is absorbed, it is recommended that the site of application is changed periodically. This has obvious implications for those intending to apply progesterone creams regularly to the same parts of their scalp.

Progesterone creams are not FDA approved for use against hair loss in men or women, and if you are considering using one for such purposes you should consult a well-informed doctor before commencing use. This is especially important for women of all ages, men or women already taking medication to address hormonal imbalances in their bodies, or women who are or think they may become pregnant.

More next time!

Happy New Year!

A very happy New Year to all readers and all the best for 2008!

I'm looking forward to getting back in the saddle this month after the usual craziness of December. Hope everyone enjoyed themselves...see you soon in the forums!

Merry Christmas!

A very merry Christmas to all!

Hope you have a great time over the festive period.

Drive carefully, stay safe and see you after Boxing Day...

What is Dutasteride? (part two)

Dutasteride is a dual DHT inhibitor, meaning that it acts on both type I and type II of the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase. Results have shown that its use can lead to a 93% reduction in the conversion of testosterone into DHT in the body, much higher than the inhibiting ability of Finasteride. It is possible that executives at GlaxoSmithKline were uneasy about the fact that because their DHT inhibitor was more powerful than Finasteride, despite the fact that this led to increased benefits as far as hair loss were concerned, the drug might be too strong for a nervous market in which Finasteride was already underperforming.

Although not confirmed, the final phase of Dutasteride testing may once again be underway. In the meantime it has begun to be prescribed off-label for some men hoping that its powers to inhibit DHT will help them retain or grow back more of their hair than Finasteride is capable of achieving for them. Because its side effects may be more severe and neither the dosage nor the long term impact of the drug for the purposes of hair loss have been approved by the FDA however, there are many reasons to be wary about the use of Dutasteride in this way.

Still, this could be the next systemic drug to be approved by the FDA to treat hair loss. If you are impatient and willing to take the risk, a 0.5 mg soft gel will currently cost you $2-3 per dose with a prescription. Beware however that it is not possible to easily divide a soft gel capsule into smaller quantities the way Finasteride users have been able to cut up larger doses of Proscar originally intended to treat BPH. Also, considering the fact that studies have shown that Dutasteride remains in the body for up to 240 hours (as opposed to 6-8 for Finasteride) after being taken, and that in some cases DHT was at only 25% of its normal levels up to a year after ceasing to take the drug, you might want to think seriously about those uncharted side effects. As with Finasteride, Dutasteride should never be handled by women who are pregnant or may become pregnant.

What is Dutasteride? (part one)

Dutasteride is a so-called second generation dihydrotestosterone (DHT) inhibitor produced by the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline. Like Finasteride (Propecia), it was developed to treat the enlargement of the prostate gland in men known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). As was the case during Merck's Finasteride testing back in the 1990s, Dutasteride's beneficial effects on hair loss became apparent during GlaxoSmithKline's clinical trials of the drug as a treatment for BPH. Dutasteride was granted FDA approval as a drug to treat BPH and appeared on the market in 2003 branded as Avodart. For the purposes of treating BPH, the recommended dose is a 0.5 mg soft gel capsule once daily. It is important to note that at this stage, Dutasteride has not been approved by the FDA for the purposes of treating hair loss. If this ever occurs, like Finasteride it will only be approved for use by men.

In a repeat of the history of Finasteride's development as a hair loss drug, GlaxoSmithKline set about conducting trials into the use of Dutasteride, their own DHT inhibitor, for the same purposes. However, the company shelved their plans for a drug to rival Finasteride in the market for hair loss treatments after phase 2 trials of Dutasteride had been completed. It is not clear why they didn't go through with a final phase of testing the drug in preparation for its approval as a hair loss treatment but it has been speculated that market forces were responsible. The company had been going through a number of mergers which may have had an impact on continuity in decision making among their various divisions. In addition to this, Finasteride, while already established on the market as an effective hair loss treatment, had not been meeting Wall Street's profit expectations. This may have been due to negative publicity surrounding the potential side effects of the drug as far as sex drive and sexual performance were concerned...

More tomorrow.

Hair loss forums

I've been spending a little while surfing around looking at other hair loss web sites and I've found two really busy forums which everyone should check out:

Hair Loss Talk and Hair Loss Help

I've registered at both and am looking forward to meeting the regulars, I hope they're friendly!

PS I'll add a link to these site here on the blog but also over in the links section of my main site, if anyone has any other recommendations for great hair loss sites to link to please let me know!

The big bald question: Which hat to wear while jogging?

It's that time of year again, the time when summer is long gone, the long winter nights are threatening to creep in and the urge to stay snuggled up at home until next spring is strong. Nothing wrong with that, of course, except staying at home tends to mean not going to the gym and I can already feel my waistline making room for this year's Christmas dinner.

The solution, naturally, is to go jogging, and that's exactly what I'm going to do (as often as possible between now and when the leaves start to grow back on the trees). The problem caused by this solution is that I'm even more self aware of being bald when I'm running than when I'm just walking around trying to mind my own business. No doubt Richard Dawkins would say that's because people have developed to pay attention to moving objects, I'd say it's because they like to point and laugh at shiny things. Anyway, the way round this is obviously to wear a hat, but which one? Having a had a quick look in the cupboard my choices are as follows:

- A fluffy thing with ear flaps which tie together under your chin, the kind of thing Sherlock Holmes would wear if he worked on a Russian trawler.

- A round thing which belongs to my girlfriend and appears to be made of leather. I don't really know how to describe it better but the important point is it's too small for me so I'd have to run with one hand held to my head to stop it blowing away.

- A motorcycle helmet.

Now, perhaps I'm being picky but none of the above really strikes me as suitable for use while huffing and puffing round the block. I may just have to wait until it gets dark and go out then.

Then again, I've always fancied being a famous detective...

What is Crinagen? (part two)

Unlike other topical scalp solutions Crinagen is not sold with associated shampoos and conditioners. Typical of his medically sound methodology, Dr. Razack explains this simply by stating that they are unnecessary as there are already effective options on the market. For use with Crinagen he recommends an anti-inflammatory shampoo such as Nizoral or T-Gel.

In addition to Crinagen, Raztec Enterprises later developed Natrecia, a herbal supplement specifically blended to combat hair loss. Natrecia can be used by men and women with minimal side effects, and is intended to be taken as a pill once daily.

A 30 day supply (1 bottle) of Crinagen costs $19.95, though it's worth buying more because the price per bottle reduces if you buy 2 or 4 bottles at a time. A 30 day supply of Natrecia is also $19.95 and there are similar advantages to buying more bottles in one go. Shipping in the US is free.

Neither Crinagen nor Natrecia is FDA approved, because like Revivogen, their exclusively natural lists of ingredients mean that they do not require such regulation. Crinagen was developed before the comparable product Revivogen appeared on the market and while it has many loyal customers, it now exists in the shadow of the latter product in terms of market share. It is possible that this has more to do with marketing than anything else though, as Dr. Razack's product web site is heavy on the science and relatively light on marketing. In fact, with it's triple action approach to inhibiting DHT production, stimulating blood flow in the scalp and suppressing immune system reactions within the follicles themselves, Crinagen combats hair loss on more levels than its newer but more slickly marketed rival. All this may be about to change however, as the Raztec Enterprises web site is currently being revamped for a relaunch in the near future.

What is Crinagen? (part one)

Crinagen was developed by Dr. Nasser Razack after he began to experience hair loss as a college student in his mid 20s. His realization that there were few credible treatment options available at the time led to exhaustive medical research into its causes and possible treatments on his part. In 1997 he published "Conquering Hair Loss, A Complete Medical Guide To Hair Loss Assessment, Prevention and Restoration", a comprehensive book setting out the results of his research in great detail. At the same time, his company Raztec Enterprises released Crinagen onto the market as an all natural topical spray designed to be applied to the scalp to prevent hair loss and aid regrowth.

Currently an interventional neuroradiologist at the Bayfront Medical Center in Florida, Dr. Nasser Razack's approach to the problem of hair loss has always been meticulously scientific. Crinagen only contains ingredients and compounds that have been medically proven to be effective in treating hair loss, and Dr. Razack's review of the medical literature is as thorough as it gets. The basic ingredients of Crinagen have remained the same since it was first produced, though a number of new versions have been released over time. Each new version introduced minor changes to the product, but Dr. Razack is slow to make changes to the formula for Crinagen because he prefers to wait for conclusive medical evidence before deciding to include a new ingredient. The current version was released in October 2001 and is the 4th to be released.

Because it is a topical and completely natural product like Revivogen, Crinagen can be used by men and women alike and has no systemic or hormonal side effects. In addition to being a DHT inhibitor, Crinagen works to increase the flow of blood to the follicles of the scalp. It also suppresses immune system reactions that can cause inflammations of the scalp which in turn compound the damage caused to follicles by DHT. Crinagen has been proven to reduce DHT production in the scalp by up to 98%. Its ingredients not only combat hair loss, but also combine in ways that enable Crinagen to work simultaneously on a number of fronts at once. Some of its most powerful ingredients are Azelaic acid, Vitamin B6, Zinc acetate, Niacin, Saw Palmetto, Ginkgo Biloba and Proanthocyanidins from grape seed extract.

More tomorrow...