Hair Foundation Blog

At the recent annual American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Conference, Dr.  Zoe Diana Draelos, MD, FAAD and one of the Hair Foundation’s Board of Trustees, was named by the organization as Vice President. She will hold the position for a year.

Draelos will also assume the same role with the American Academy of Dermatology Association.

Congratulations Dr. Draelos!

In addition to her new role with AAD, Draelos is also conducting a clinical research study for dandruff with her dermatological consulting service. It will review subjects between the ages of 18-75. Participants cannot be pregnant or nursing.

If you are interested in participating, here are some additional details.

Along with Dr. Draelos’ work with dandruff, the Hair Foundation’s partner, Procter&Gamble, makes one of the leading over the counter shampoos to combat dandruff, Head & Shoulders.

According to the product’s website, the shampoo also “removes flakes, fights dryness, calms itching, relieves irritation, reduces redness, control oiliness, and gives beautiful hair.”

If you have questions about dandruff or any other scalp conditions, please feel free to send us an email to info@hairfoundation.org.

While we can read numerous tips for hair care , many of us will still be guilty of committing hair care sins.

In the article, How to sort the seven sins of beauty, two of them include the hair sins of over-washing your hair and not trimming split ends. Both of these bad habits are hard to break but if you do, you’ll see some good results.

Hair Sin #1: Over washing your hair

Regardless of regularly washing and conditioning your hair, it may still not look healthy. It could be dry, flat or dull. Believe it or not, that could occur from washing your hair too much.

According to Tony Bou Khalil, senior stylist at Toni & Guy, “Washing your hair too often strips your locks of their natural oils, which results in dry, damaged tresses.” The stylist added that frequent hair washing particularly takes a beating on dry hair, which should remain unwashed as long as bearable to get natural oils to soak in.

As we age, our hair will naturally lose its shine and life. Over washing your hair doesn’t help this natural progression as it contributes to a rise in hair loss from chemically drying scalps and making hair more likely to break.

Remedy

Wash your hair daily if it’s oily but for other hair types, you can stretch it out for a week. This may bother you so either use mild shampoos, a dry shampoo, or talcum powder on your roots if you’re a blond to soak up oil.

Hair Sin #2: Living with Split Ends

We could all probably visit the hair salon more often than we do and one repercussion of it is split ends.

Kahlil explained, “Split ends are like a disease for your hair. They continue to work their way up the strand of the hair, becoming ever more apparent and noticeable.”

Split ends are a sign of dry, damaged hair from coloring your hair, using heated stylers too frequently and roughly brushing your hair. From these harsh actions, hair loses its top layer of moisture and then breaks, showing the hair’s inner layers.

Besides looking unattractive, split ends may impede a desired hairstyle such as blunt hair cut or stick straight hair.

Remedy

If you see split ends, go get your hair cut. By waiting, you could end up with a bigger hair cut than initially needed. There is no remedy for split ends but taking care of your hair can help prevent them.

Ways to do this is lightly combing your hair and using extra caution on wet hair. Air drying your hair is an option and if you really need to use the blow dryer, be sure to add a heat-protective product on your hair before drying it.

If you have more questions about hair care and these deadly sins, please visit our online videos or send us an email at info@hairfoundation.org.

As we enter the holiday season, there’s lots of parties and family gatherings to attend. One of the easiest and not too expensive ways to get ready is with holiday hair. This could be a new hair cut, a blowout or adding curls to your straight hair.

We took a look around the Web and found the following sites with helpful holiday hair ideas. After a closer look, we also saw that some of our partners’ products have been included with some of the hair styles.

Take a look at these sites for ideas:

From Allure magazine, here’s 31 holiday party hair ideas.

The website Monsters and Critics has an article on holiday hair that mentions the Hair Foundation’s partner, Bosley, new USA Bosley Professional Strength products.

InStyle suggests 10 holiday hair styles and includes a list of 2011′s Best Hair Products. This could help with some gift ideas.

Cosmopolitan put together a presentation of 10 hot party hair ideas.

Essence has festive holiday hairstyles.

Elle highlights holiday hair with celebrities.

Woman’s Day has four hassle-free holiday hair ideas that only take 10 minutes.

Huffington Post has holiday hair ideas with photos.

Real Beauty includes holiday hairstyles for different ages. It also includes a top 10 list of 2011 best beauty products.

Here’s a shopping list of our partners’ products:

Proctor and Gamble: Fekkai Sheet Hold Hairspray, Pantene Pro-V shampoo and conditioner, Pantene Nature Fusion Moisture Balance, Pantene Pro-V Beautiful Lengths Shampoo and Conditioner, Pantene Pro-V Medium-Thick Anti-Humidity Hairspray and Pantene Pro-V Normal-Thick Split End Repair Keratin Protection Créme.

Bosley: USA Bosley Professional Strength products – shampoos and conditioners

To learn more about hair care, check out this Hair Foundation blog by Dr. Zoe Diana Draelos and our videos.

In a recent Maria Claire article, Botox For Your Hair?, it explores remedies for aging scalps and hair. The article includes a reference to the Hair Foundation’s partner, HairMax Lasercomb.

It begins by explaining one of our aging hair challenges: the production of less keratin.

According to Christyn Nawrot, a national educator for Phyto, “As hair ages, we produce less keratin — the protein that renders it strong and healthy — because our bodies can’t absorb essential minerals and vitamins as effectively.”

Without either adequate or high-quality keratin, our hair will become porous, prone to breakage and thinning. To help with this natural challenge, here’s six things you can do.

Strengthen your hair: Heat styling your hair is the greatest contributor to your hair’s aging and keratin depletion. The heat takes moisture from hair and makes it more difficult for minerals to develop, keeping free radicals away. Instead of using the usual conditioner after shampooing, use new products from Pureology, Redken, and Phyto to copy the hair’s lack of keratin.

Look for products with keravis, Keralink and botanical keratin.

Minimize stress: Just as stress affects your skin with breakouts, it also wreaks havoc on your hair. Toning down stress will help hair. Try yoga or meditation; however, with a serious condition, speak with your physician about treatments that will help your hair problems.

You Are What You Eat: Eating for fuel and good health is important for your body just as it is for hair. Practice a balanced diet with protein, iron, zinc and antioxidant-rich foods including berries and leafy green vegetables.

Eating on a regular basis will also have a positive effect on hair.

Scalps Need Love Too: The way you treat your face should also extend to your scalp. After conditioning it, the health of your hair will improve. The article recommends Philip Kingsley’s Scalp Tonic and Nioxin’s three-part systems to help rejuvenate hair, rebalance pH and rebuild the scalp.

Dove, Sally Hershberger, Kevin Murphy and Ojo also have serums with ingredients that will nourish your scalp.

Plump Up Your Hair: Just as faces lose their fullness and elasticity as we age, Intra-Cylane can help strands of hair increase its density. Another option is to have your hair stylist give you a hair color that will add depth to your hair shaft. It is also important to have soft colors around your face.

You may also want to alter your hairstyle as face shapes change as we age.

Losing Your Hair: Men and women lose hair as they get older. If you find either a large amount on your pillow or in the shower, you may want to contact your physician. If the problem involves a lot of hair loss, there is minoxidyl (Rogaine) and the HairMax LaserComb.

To learn more about hair loss and anti-aging, please check out the Hair Foundation’s website and our physician videos.
 

In the two-part series, the Hair Foundation discusses supplements as a hair loss treatment alternative. This first part looks at supplement claims and hair loss treatments and supplements.

Part II will be included in the online November newsletter. 

“Natural” May Not Always Mean “Safe”

For almost every malady–from memory loss to weight gain–a supplement or herbal remedy promises a cure. Many of us try them, with the belief that because they’re natural, they are safe and effective.

However, before you begin taking supplements, you may want to do some research and even consult with your doctor, according to Paul T. Rose, MD, JD, and member of the Hair Foundation Board of Trustees.

This could include reading articles from reputable sources, speaking with your doctor or other health care professionals or visiting health food stores and asking questions.

“Just because something is natural doesn’t mean it’s good for you,” said Rose. “Potassium is a natural product that we need to survive but too much of it can be lethal.”

Rose urges caution when taking supplement, especially because many of them are untested when it comes to providing any actual benefits.

Hair Loss Treatments and Supplements

Currently there are only two products in the United States proven to limit hair loss and promote hair growth: Propecia® (Finasteride) and Rogaine® (Minoxidil). They have completed rigorous testing and clinical trials to earn FDA approval.

The supplement palmetto is advertised and sold as a hair loss treatment without providing any evidence of its effectiveness. Supplements may show some effectiveness in a test tube; Rose noted that an individual would need to consume enormous quantities to achieve similar results.

Supplements may be useful for a particular vitamin deficiency or a trace element. If a person experiences hair loss from an iron-deficiency, iron supplements can help restore their health and associated hair loss.

“Certain supplements may be helpful, but you have to diagnose the problem first,” Rose said.

Contact Us

Want to receive more information and stories from the Hair Foundation? Please send us your email at info@hairfoundation.org and we’ll add you to our contact list.

Many of have a relationship with our hairdresser that goes beyond our monthly haircut, styling or color. Some of us think of them as our personal stylist, confidante, therapist or even a friend that we socialize with occasionally.

Now there may be a new role from your hairdresser: a cancer screener.

In a new survey of 203 Houston, Texas hair salons, it found that over a third of hair stylists check at least half of their clients for scalp moles. And about a third said they looked at more than half of clients’ necks. Most have referred them to doctors and the mole may have been determined to be cancerous.

The survey also discovered that 50 percent of the hairdressers were interested in learning more about cancer in effort to further the reach of doctors screening for the disease, according to findings in the Archives of Dermatology.

The team conducted the survey in January 2010.

Alan Geller, from Harvard’s School of Public Health who led the study, explained that more than 80 percent of common skin cancers occur on our scalps, necks and faces. Melanomas, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, can be “disproportionately fatal” on the scalp. Geller noted that a thorough head and hair exam isn’t usually standard procedure when visiting the doctor.

In response to the survey and the hairdresser’s willingness to learn more about this, Geller said they’d like to train as many hair professionals as possible.

Their start will begin with Geller and his team working with the Melanoma Foundation of New England. They plan to create a statewide program to train Massachusetts hair professionals to recognize potential signs of skin cancer.

This should go live in late 2011.

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.

After her recent visit to Bronner Bros. International Hair Show in Atlanta, Surgeon General Dr. Regina M.Benjamin commented about one of her pet causes: too many women, particularly African American women, forgo exercise because they’re worried it will ruin their hair.

Does this sound familiar?

Benjamin, who has struggled with this issue herself, said that she constantly hears:

 “I don’t want to sweat my hair back or I don’t want to mess up my hairstyle.  It cost me too much to get my hair done this week.”

She further explained that African Americans spend a little bit more time on their hair and an alternative would be nice since their type of hair isn’t “wash and wear” like other races and ethnic groups.

Benjamin expressed concern that hair is a barrier to exercise for a group that that sees almost 50 percent of black women over the age of 20 as either overweight or obese as compared to the obesity numbers of white women (33 percent) and Hispanic women (43 percent).

In a recent study at the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina, researchers reviewed 103 local black women and discovered that almost one third exercised less because they were concerned it would affect their hair. Furthermore, 88 percent of the sample did not meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for physical activity.

This guideline encompasses 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week, equal to approximately 20 minutes of exercise per day.

Dr. Amy McMichael, a professor of dermatology  and a member of the Hair Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Council, led the study. She noted that throughout the year, some of her overweight patients mentioned that because of their hair, they would not go to the gym.

McMichael said:

“Being an African-American woman myself,” she said, “I have to go through those same trials and tribulations when I exercise, so I started to realize that this is probably a barrier for many women.”

Benjamin recommended people speak with their hairstylists and barbers about this concern because these hair professionals have a positive effect on clients overcoming their concerns about “messing up” their hair during exercise. Many can suggest hair products or more natural hairstyles that should not deter excercising.

To read more about Benjamin’s thoughts on this topic, please read this interesting CNN article.

If you have questions about hair care, please contact one of our specialists at info@hairfoundation.org.

In this recent Dermatology Times article, the Hair Foundation’s Board of Trustees Secretary, Dr. Zoe Diana Draelos answered commonly asked hair questions. Today’s post answers questions about hair-styling products and acne, changes in hair at menopause, and thinning eyebrows.

Q. Do the newer hair-styling products cause acne?

A. Acne induced by hairstyling products was popularized by the concept of pomade acne.

Pomades are products used by persons with kinky hair to add shine, confer water resistant properties following hair straightening and moisturize the hair shafts. The ingredient in pomades responsible for acne was olive oil. The newer pomade formulations have replaced olive oil with dimethicone and cyclomethicone, which are noncomedogenic and nonacnegenic.

I am not aware of any modern haircare products that produce acne, but the older pomade formulations are still on the ethnic care market. Pomade acne has been decreased, but certainly not eliminated.

Q. Can hair change in both appearance and shape at menopause?

A. Hair can definitely change in appearance and shape at menopause. Hair growth is under hormonal control, and hormone status changes at menopause.

With the reduction in endogenous estrogen secretion, androgenetic alopecia is a frequent concern at menopause. While hormone replacement can possibly minimize further hair loss, I do not believe that it can reliably stimulate regrowth.

Some women on oral hormone replacement who are continuing to experience rapid hair loss may achieve better results when switched to an estrogen patch. Topical minoxidil is another option.

In addition to change in growth rate, hair appearance can also change. Straight hair can become curly, and curly hair can become straight. It is more common for straight hair to become curly. This is due to a change in the shape of the hair shaft. With menopause, the hair cross-sectional shape may become more irregular, resulting in curly hair.

Q. How can thinning eye-brows be cosmetically addressed?

A. Thinning eyebrows are a common concern among mature women with challenging treatment options. The most effective way to prevent thin or absent eyebrows with age is to prevent the problem earlier in life.

The most common cause of eyebrow loss in maturity is overplucking of the eyebrows during youth.

It might be worthwhile for the dermatologist to counsel young women who are plucking their eyebrows to a thin line that this might not be a good practice. Each time a hair is plucked, there is a chance of permanent follicular damage and no regrowth. Over years of plucking, the incidence of hair loss from traumatic plucking increases. Since eyebrows thin with age, as does all body hair growth, it is important not to hasten the process by overplucking during youth.

Another common cause of eyebrow loss is scratching of the eyebrows from seborrheic dermatitis. This problem can be diagnosed by examining the eyebrow hairs for irregular breakage and the obvious presence of erythema and yellowish skin scale characteristic of seborrheic dermatitis. Treating the seborrheic dermatitis with a combination of desonide cream and ketoconazole cream twice daily for one week should control the problem, which can be better maintained by the use of over-the-counter ketoconazole shampoo.

Finally, severe eyebrow loss can be managed cosmetically. Eyebrow pencil, which is a wax crayon, can be artistically applied in between existing eyebrow hairs and the hairs can be held in place to camouflage areas of thinning with an eyebrow gel.

Eyebrow gels are available as a clear or pigmented fixative to keep the hairs in place for a pleasing line above the eye. Hair spray can also be used, if a commercial fixative is too expensive.

Eyebrows can also be tattooed on the skin, a common practice in the Middle East. Some persons might find this attractive, while others prefer a more natural appearance. Unfortunately, eyebrow transplantation is not a reliably successful procedure.

Hair Foundation post about thinning eyebrows

In addition, the Hair Foundation wrote the previous blog, LATISSE May Thicken Brows, Thinning Hair .  In this post, it includes a story about a 27-year-old bride who you used LATISSE on her thinning brows before her wedding and couldn’t be more pleased by the results.

To learn more about hair loss, please visit the Hair Foundation’s new physician videos.

Photo by Girlishh

In a study released in the June 11 issue of Cell, scientists have identified the proteins that cause gray hair, leading many to wonder if an eventual cure is on the horizon.

According to Mayumi Ito, PhD, the study’s lead researcher and assistant professor of dermatology at NYU’s Langone Medical Center, the study disclosed that one specific molecular pathway is necessary in the regulation of melanocyte stem cells — the Wnt pathway. When this pathway is activated, melanocytes can produce pigments that color hair. When not activated, melanocytes lose the ability to produce color, resulting in gray hair.

The study looked at hair follicle stem cells and pigment-producing melanocytes in mice. Researchers successfully turned black-haired mice to gray after inhibiting the Wnt pathway; they are hopeful the reversed process will happen soon.

Ito further explained that the study’s findings are relevant for people because “mouse and human hair follicles are very similar in the way they function.” Furthermore, by knowing the Wnt pathway, it is important in regulating pigment-producing cells. This could provide a new target in therapies for color loss and restoration, explained Ito.