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Hair Loss News Archives
February 2005
Baldness
a health risk?
'Hair loss remedies... might improve the look but won't reduce the risk to heart disease.'
Philippines Feb2005
BALDNESS, often a subject of jokes
and also popularly considered by some women as a symbol
of virility, appears to have a more serious implication,
as far as health risks are concerned.
In a study on more than 22,000 men ages 40 to 84,
published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the
findings suggest that "men with male pattern baldness
may be at increased risk for heart disease."
"Compared to men with no hair loss, those with severe
vertex baldness (balding at the crown of the head) had a
36 percent increased risk of heart disease; men with
moderate crown balding had a 32 percent increased risk,
while mild balding on the crown carried a 23 percent
increased risk.... Men with frontal baldness had a 9
percent increased risk."
The correlation was especially evident in men with
vertex baldness whose cholesterol level or blood
pressure was high.
Baldness is a non-modifiable health
risk, unlike smoking or eating high fat diet, so hair
loss remedies, like Rogaine or Propecia, might improve
the look but won't reduce the risk to heart disease.
Another health risk related to baldness is the increased
risk for cancer of the prostate, according to the US
National Cancer Institute of the National Institute of
Health Division of Cancer Epidemiology.
Their study on
4,421 men with male pattern baldness (ages 25 to 75)
without history of cancer of prostate, revealed that the
risk for prostatic cancer was significantly elevated
among these men, compared to their peers with abundant
hair.
Physicians now use male pattern baldness as an early
clinical marker or indicator of susceptibility to heart
disease and prostatic cancer.
How common is baldness?
Baldness affects approximately 40 million men and 20
million women in the United States. We could not find
statistics for the Philippines. Male-pattern baldness is
recession of the hairline from the forehead upwards and
back, thinning or fallout from the crown of the head,
leaving a horseshoe-shaped hair mass around the sides
and back of the head. Female-pattern baldness is a
diffuse hair loss throughout the scalp. Even Julius
Caesar, according to legend, used the ceremonial wreath
of laurel leaves as a crown to hide his baldness.
What causes baldness?
About 95 percent of hair loss is caused by a hereditary
condition called androgenetic alopecia. DHT is
dihydrotestosterone comes from a male hormone called
androgen, which circulates in the bloodstream. Androgen
is converted to DHT by an enzyme called 5-alpha
reductase. Those with more reductase activity have more
DHT binding to the hair follicle receptors, which
adversely affects hair follicles, until the follicles
wither away.
Does baldness mean premature aging?
No, there are many bald men who could perhaps look
younger with a set of hair on them, but physiologically,
they are as young or as old as their chronologically
age. Their life span is normal also.
What is the normal rate of hair loss?
Normally, we lose about 100 hairs a day, and they
regenerate, unless a person has a tendency to baldness
or has an illness that affects hair growth.
What medical conditions can cause hair loss?
Severe malnutrition, childbirth, thyroid problems, a
form of lupus, and, more popularly see (even on TV
shows), following chemotherapy for cancer.
Can mental stress lead to hair loss?
Psychological stress has been reported to have caused
hair loss but only at times of extreme emotional trauma.
The medical community doubts the role of emotional
stress as a significant factor in the causation of
baldness. Sudden appearance of spots or areas of
premature gray hair in some people who were under severe
personal stress is not uncommon.
Does wearing hats cause hair loss?
No, this a myth. Wearing hats does not cause hair loss
or baldness. Standing on your head to increase blood
flow to the head will not cure hair loss or baldness.
Scalp massage or brushing won't save you from hair loss.
Rubbing egg yolk or milk, dead flies, or ancient
Egyptian fat mixtures from mountain goats, lions, geese,
serpents, crocodile or hippopotamus on bald areas of the
head will not promote hair growth, in spite of the
popular folklore. Using hair blowers properly will not
cause hair loss either.
Do herbal potions help prevent hair loss?
No, there is no known cream or ointment, lotion or
potion, mousses, gel, volumizers, or shampoo that can
prevent hair loss or baldness, much less cure them. The
US Food and Drug Administration has banned all these
over-the-counter salves in 1989. The only two things
that will surely grow when you use these costly
preparations are your expenses and the bank accounts of
the manufacturers and dealers of these useless products.
What can be done then?
The FDA-approved medication Rogaine (minoxidil-based)
has been claimed to have led to moderate hair regrowth
after four months in 26 percent of men between 18 and
49. An additional 39 percent had some regrowth. In
women, about 20 percent had moderate regrowth among
those 18 and 45 years of age, plus an additional 40
percent with minimal regrowth. Hair (micro or
mini-graft) transplantation and the use of hairpieces
(toupees and wigs) are the two other options.
State-of-the-art hair transplant centers have had great
successes with most natural looking hair growths.
Synthetic hair transplant has been legally banned by the
FDA because of the attendant complications and dangers.
In today's society, baldness is well-accepted and so
with the use of hair pieces or hair transplants.
How about their related health risks?
The prudent way is to minimize all modifiable health
risks, like cigarette smoking, excess alcohol intake,
high-cholesterol, high-fat diet, a sedentary lifestyle,
and unmanaged stress. This strategy for a healthier
lifestyle will also help counter the increased risk for
heart disease and prostate cancer among all individuals,
including those men with male pattern baldness.