Archive for September, 2011
19th Annual ISHRS Scientific Meeting Begins September 14, Hair Foundation Presentations
Beginning on Wednesday, September 14 through September 18, the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) will hold its 19th Annual Meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. This year’s theme is New Vistas & Trusted Techniques in Hair Transplantation.
New and established hair restoration surgeons, surgical assistants and hair restoration surgery office personnel will be attending.
During the busy four days, there will be a number of different presentations as well as video surgeries in HD, panel discussions, debates, workshops, lunch symposiums, scientific poster presentations, live patient view and lots more!
This year, two of the Hair Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Council Members are sitting on the 2011 Annual Scientific Meeting Committee: David Perez-Meza, MD, Basic Course Chair and Nina Otberg, MD, Live Patient Viewing Co-Chair.
The Hair Foundation’s Board of Trustees and members of its Scientific Advisory Council Members will be in attendance and involved through the conference presentations.
Here’s a partial listing of their participation.
New Vistas in Hair Transplantation: Dr. Ken Washenik will present, Update on Cell Therapy and Biotech Research and SAC member, Dr. Neil S. Sadick will present, Embryonic-like Secreted Proteins Enhance Follicular Unit Viability and Improve Donor Site Healing and Advances in Hair Biology, The Role of Inflammation and Immunity in Pathogenesis of Androgenetic Alopecia
Challenging and Atypical HT Cases: Dr. William Parsley will present Poor Production and Breakfast with Experts, Tissue Storage Solutions
Emerging Issues and Treatments: Dr. Russell Knudsen will present Is FUE Really a Repair Technique or Smallcase Technique Rather Than a 1st Option for MPB.
Breakfast with Experts: Dr. Matt Leavitt will present Female Hair Loss and Treatment and under Scientific Free Papers, 15 Years of Experience With the Use of Crosshatching Surgical Technique to Improve Naturalness of Hair Transplantation and Dr. E. Antonio Mangubat will present Flaps and Expanders and Dr. William Parsley will present Lighting and Polarized Lights
Mangubat will also make a presentation on the Hair Foundation.
To see additional presentations, please see the following preliminary schedule. If you would like more information about these presentations and the Hair Foundation doctors, please contact us at info@hairfoundation.org.
Please visit the Hair Foundation blog for upcoming posts from the meeting.
To learn more about the Hair Foundation’s physician experts and their expertise, please visit our physician videos.
Stem Cell Study Could be Key for Baldness
In a recent Yale study, researchers have found that signals from stem cells within skin’s fatty layer may spur hair growth in mice, promoting a possible new treatment for baldness in men and women.
According to the study’s senior author Valerie Horsley, an assistant professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology at Yale University, she noted in a recent press release, “If we can get these fat cells in the skin to talk to the dormant stem cells at the base of the hair follicles, we might be able to get hair to grow again.”
For men battling male pattern baldness, stem cells remain in their hair follicle roots; however, they lose the ability to stimulate hair growth. These stem cells need signals from within the skin for hair to grow but where to find the signals has been a mystery.
According to the Yale study, researchers discovered that after hair dies, the layer of fat in the scalp that comprises most of the skin’s thickness shrinks; however, as hair growth begins, this fat layer will expand.
In this study using mice, researchers found their hair regeneration required a type of stem cell involved in the creation of new skin fat cells and that these cells produced the molecules required to produce hair growth. Once these imperfect mice received injections of stem cells from healthy mice, hair follicles began to grow.
Previously, studies on men have with bald parts of their scalp have disclosed they have the same number of hair stem cells as hairy areas. With these injections, scientists found that an 86 percent kick start in hair growth. However, the question now is whether or not these stem cell injections can work on humans and stimulate hair growth.
Additional studies will need to take place and it could take quite some time to determine its effect on humans but this is good news for those suffering with baldness.
The report was recently disclosed in the September issue of the journal, Cell.
If you are interested in learning more about hair loss, please visit the Hair Foundation’s new physician videos. The series includes a video on hair loss.
September is National Head Lice Prevention Month
After we celebrated National Hair Loss Awareness Month in August, it’s time to turn the calendar and recognize September as Head Lice Prevention Month. The non-profit group, the National Pediculosis Association (NPA), has been the annual sponsor for Lice Prevention Month since 1985. In response to its organizational mission, it initiated Comb First! ” to assist communities in managing head lice by teaching parents how to screen regularly, detect infestations early, remove all the lice and nits (lice eggs) with an effective combing tool, and most importantly protect children” according to its recent press release.
There’s been a lot of press lately about head lice and according to the Mayo Clinic, head lice are the second most communicable disease among school children after the common cold. Additional facts about head lice includes:
- An estimated 6 to 12 million head lice infestations occur each year in the United States in children 3 to 11 years old.
- Infestations are most common among preschool children, those in day care and those in elementary, as well as their family members
- Due to hair shaft shape, Caucasian and Hispanic populations are more likely to get head lice than African-Americans.
- Some studies suggest that girls get head lice more often than boys, possibly because they have more frequent head-to-head contact with others.
- Personal hygiene or cleanliness in the home or school has nothing to do with getting head lice.
- Costs associated with head lice infestations are estimated to be as high as $1 billion per year in the United States alone.
As you can see it’s a common and pervasive problem. Treatment has typically taken seven to 10 days with nit combing and topical chemical products. In addition to an uncomfortable child missing school, parents have also been affected by missing work and staying home with their children during this time period.
In August, a new prescription treatment came to market, called Natroba. This was created by the specialty pharmaceutical company, ParaPro and it may be a game changer for those suffering from head lice. The treatment enables the discontinuance of the customary and tedious nit combing by adults on children’s heads. Its topical product applied to affected heads can rid the lice for most people after one 10-minute treatment.
No more missed school or work days.
To learn more about Natroba, the Hair Foundation wrote about it in August. If you have specific questions about lice, please feel to contact one of our hair care specialists at info@hairfoundation.org.
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