Hair Foundation Blog

In a new post on Marie Claire, “Healthy Hair Report,” Hair Foundation’s chairman and president Dr. Matt L. Leavitt discussed hair length. The question had been posed on why it grows slowly.

What’s the answer? Genes play a role as well as the gentle handling of your hair.

Leavitt suggested finding your hair’s “inner strength’ by starting your day with protein in your breakfast. He explained, “Hair is made of a protein called keratin, so not having enough in your diet could eventually cause hair to weaken.”

This means hair could prematurely break off. Good sources of protein include eggs, meat, fish, and cheese.

Previously, Dr. Neil Sadick, a member of the Hair Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Council, commented on hair breakage in another blog post.

The Marie Claire post also discussed the Viviscal Hair Growth Program as a treatment. This comes in a protein-heavy pill and is a twice-a-day treatment. Back in August, the Hair Foundation partnered with Viviscal to promote Hair Loss Awareness Month.

In addition, to kick-start inactive follicles, the topical, FDA-approved minoxidil treatments such as like Rogaine has been the standard. But according to Leavitt, “the first set of clinical trials to use the same lash-enhancing ingredients found in Latisse on the scalp have been completed.”

This means the FDA is next.

The piece also addresses the hair challenges of volume and repair. But don’t worry, with some TLC and some good decisions, your hair will be on the road to good health in no time.

In the Fall 2012 issue of Viva Internationale, Hair Foundation Chairman and President Dr. Matt Leavitt has a story on page 19 called, “Women and Hair Loss Solutions.”

Leavitt discusses hair loss for women and said for them as well as men, the most common cause is “androgenetic alopecia.” For women, hormonal imbalances are largely attributable for hair loss, including menopause.

There are different hair loss treatments and many people using ones that can be done at home. There are two FDA-approved ones and this includes the Hair Max Laser Comb and the over-the-counter topical drug which contains Minoxidil, such as Rogaine 2%.

Leavitt is proponent of the Laser Comb and explains some of its benefits in this article.

For additional information about the Hair Max Laser Comb, please see the website, www.hairmax.com or the www.hairfoundation.org for general questions about hair loss.

For many of us, taking care of our hair includes shampooing, conditioning, applying hair products, then blow drying.

Sounds like a lot of work but Dr. Zoe Draelos, a member of the Hair Foundation’s board of trustees, consulting professor of dermatology at Duke University and a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology said via the Los Angeles Times, “People say they have bad hair, and they need to do a lot to it. The opposite is true. The less you handle your hair, the better.”

In the article, Better hair with less care, Draelos is joined by Dr. Matt Leavitt, president of the Hair Foundation and medical director of Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery on sharing basic tips for hair care.

Throughout the day, hair as a strand of dead cells becomes coated from natural oils and dirt. One’s genes play an important role in your hair and whether it’s thick, straight or thin, hair products can you help get the most out of it.

Leavitt believes there’s only two essentials for clean and healthy hair: shampoo and conditioner.

He explains that shampoo, which is actually more of a scalp cleaner than it is one for hair, should match your scalp type: dry, normal or oily. Shampoos for oily scalps include large amounts of lauryl sulfate while products for dry scalps also include a smaller dose of it.

As for conditioners, which helps with the fortifying outer layers to protect hair, give hair its shine and flexibility while getting rid of that pesky static.

It may take awhile to find the ideal product that will work for you but Draelos recommends sticking to your hair type when selecting your products. While a heavy conditioner will work well on thick, kinky hair, not so much for fine, straight hair. You will need to go with a lighter product.

For damaged hair, look for conditioners with either keratin or similar proteins. This will help with split ends and revive damaged hair.

And for consumers looking for a two-in-one product instead of individual shampoo and conditioner, Leavitt says it’s a good alternative

For additional hair tips from Draelos and Leavitt, please read the following.

In a recent Oprah Magazine article, Your Biggest Hair Problems – Solved!, one of the topics discussed was thinning hair. Within the article, the Hair Foundation’s Dr. Jerry Shapiro, a member of the Scientific Advisory Council and an adjunct professor of dermatology at New York University, was quoted in a passage about hair supplements as an alternative to help thinning hair.

Called, The Truth About Hair Growth Supplements, Shapiro said:

“I have never seen a study that proves vitamin supplements work to make hair grow longer or thicker. If you’re losing hair, supplements can help stop or slow the shedding—but only if you have a deficiency in certain vitamins.”

Shapiro further suggested supplements for those whose blood tests have shown they are low in vitamin D, zinc, or iron, according to Oprah.com. He noted that he doesn’t test for deficiency in biotin, a vitamin most commonly found in supplements promoted to help hair growth.  Shapiro added,

“If you were truly biotin deficient—which is extremely rare in this country—you would be too sick to make it into my office.”

In a second section to the story it discusses, Illusions of Thickness. Two products are suggested for thinning hair and one of them, Toppik, is made by a Hair Foundation partner, Spencer Forrest.

And readers on oprah.com rave about two products for concealing thinning hair: Toppik ($22; toppik.com), a shake-on powder made of tiny keratin fibers that cling to your existing hair to fill in sparse patches.

And in one final section for the article, it discusses areas of research for thinning hair. Currently conducting clinical trials by the drug company Allergan, is a topical hair-loss treatment that contains bimatoprost. This is the active ingredient in Latisse, which grows eyelashes.

Allergan is currently seeking FDA approval. The treatment could be available in 2014, according to Oprah.com.

While not cited in this article, a few of the Hair Foundation’s doctors are involved in the clinical trials. They include Hair Foundation Chairman and President Dr. Matt Leavitt, D.O. and Treasurer Dr. Dow B. Stough, IV, MD, FAAD.

Stay tuned for more information about the trials as we will post updates in this blog.

This is a guest post by the Hair Foundation’s contributor, Dr. Alfred Soffer, M.D. Cardiologist, Glenview, IL. He is the former  Editor and Chief of the Archives of Internal Medicine of AMA and Professor of Medicine.  

In this post, Soffer discusses hair loss, false claims and natural alternatives.  

Are you worried about losing your hair? According to claims on a prominent website, this offers no problem. The company’s multicolored, multipage advertisement offers products for concerned individuals struggling with baldness, hair loss, and alopecia.

One of their products is a “hair loss survival kit, travel size.” Don’t leave home without it!

Can we assume that the kit contains either Rogaine (minoxidil) or Propecia (finasteride)? After all, they are currently the only two products in the United States proven to limit hair loss and promote hair growth. They have received FDA  approval as a result of the data obtained in scrupulously controlled clinical trials.

Our assumption is erroneous. The “ hair loss survival kit “ contains only herbal-based shampoos.

For the non-traveler, this distributor of herbal pills recommends saw palmetto and Kava root powder. Their hawking of ineffectual compounds is representative of the staggeringly large number of similar websites. One “doctor  of neuropathy” claims that “my herbal therapy for alopecia is 100% effective.”

Under the heading of “herbal hair loss treatment” another herbalist urges the consumer to “apply red pepper flesh directly to the scalp.”

All of these fanciful claims which appear on the Internet, in magazines, and in the media have one thing in common: they offer compounds which are entirely ineffective for the treatment of hair loss. In a definitive analysis, the National Council Against Health Fraud reported that herbal product vendors benefit from societies with a romanticized view that equates “natural” with “safe.”

Unfortunately the assumption that natural products are safe is false. Herbal remedies are being marketed as “dietary supplements.” As a result, consumers are being denied the most fundamental information and assurances of quality and efficacy.

It is vitally important to determine the reasons for either hair loss or poor hair growth in each individual. The status of health or disease of one’s hair can provide valuable diagnostic clues regarding the presence of pathologic phenomena  elsewhere in the body. Continued  use of  futile remedies as a substitute for clinical evaluation may result in a delay to obtaining the correct  diagnosis and instituting appropriate therapy.

The Hair Foundation’s president and chairman, Dr.Matt Leavitt, D.O. recently emphasized that diabetes can initially appear with the loss of hair. Iron deficiency and a number of other hormonal diseases, along with diabetes, may be manifested initially by hair loss or poor hair growth.

The death of Steve Jobs is a tragic example of the dangers of using futile scientifically-unproven therapy. The diagnosis of pancreatic cancer was made at a time when surgical intervention may have resulted in a full cure. Instead, Jobs insisted on first using acupuncture, colonic irrigation, and “natural” compounds for a period of nine months.

Eventually surgery was performed, but by then it was too late to effect a cure.

This disease has numerous symptoms and brings challenges to those affected by it.

Dr. Matt Leavitt, DO, President and Chair of Hair Foundation explained, “Diabetes compromises blood circulation which can promote hair loss by blocking the blood supply to the follicles. If circulation is poor, the natural hair growth cycle may be interrupted; less hair may be in the growth phase (anagen), with more follicles entering the resting (telogen) phase, for example.”

“Current public scrutiny has alerted the population to the most common symptoms. However, one of the more subtle symptoms of diabetes, hair loss, can often be overlooked,” added Leavitt.

If you are either losing hair in larger than normal quantities and the loss does not appear to either be common pattern hair loss or you are experiencing thinning hair, you should be evaluated by a doctor.

It could be diabetes as this hormone-related disease can initially appear with the loss of hair.

Diabetes can affect your hair’s growth process and after time, it will become visible to you as this disease can cause physical stress including hair loss.

In addition, a change in treatment may also affect your body, even your hair.

Why does diabetes affect hair loss?

Diabetics have less than optimal blood circulation and they are sensitive to skin problems, including slow healing, bruises and small wounds. This can contribute to the body taking longer to heal and to grow lost hair.

This results in noticeable hair loss as your body has difficulty keeping up with the growth process.

Also, diabetics are more susceptible to skin conditions, which may cause hair loss if it’s on the scalp. Bacterial and fungal scalp infections may inhibit the normal growth process of hair.

Diabetes also causes poor blood circulation.

This can affect hair follicles’ ability to function normally. During regular times, hair will grow for two to six years before it goes into a dormant phase. Eventually hair will die and new strands will be created in the follicle and then pushed out.

When blood circulation is poor, follicles will not normally produce a new hair strand. The old strand dies and falls out without any replacement hair. Furthermore, strands are more likely to die and fall out more quickly during times of poor blood circulation to the head.

Hair is not replaced and thinner hair is then created.

Diabetes can also cause physiological and psychological stress and anxiety. These are factors in hair loss, along with dehydration. When these are combined, it’s very hard on your hair.

If you have suffered from hair loss, we reiterate that you get tested if you see diabetic symptoms. It is just one of these many symptoms or even a hormonal disease.

Leavitt said, “Once you have been diagnosed with diabetes, patients should see a dermatologist if they begin to see any hair loss to determine the actual cause. If it is determined by the dermatologist that it is diabetes-related, they should treat their diabetes and monitor any hair loss once they begin medication to see if it stabilizes the condition.”

Treating Hair Loss 

If you have been diagnosed with diabetes and you’ve suffered from hair loss, wait to see if the condition corrects itself once you have been taking diabetes medication.

This may take a few months.

Remember to stay hydrated. Eight glasses (8 oz. each) should be consumed daily, in addition to the other liquids that you drink.

Exercise regularly. This increases blood circulation; your head will benefit from it and your hair follicles will appreciate it. In addition, practice yoga or another form of relaxation to minimize stress and anxiety.

Diabetes is a life-altering disease so it’s very important to follow your doctor’s instructions and recommended treatment.

As a result, you will add good, healthy habits and improved hair health.

Beginning on Wednesday, September 14 through September 18, the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) will hold its 19^th 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.

Beginning this month, the Hair Foundation will be sending out monthly online newsletters. For this post, we’ve included some timely stories as we slowly approach the end of summer. If you are interested in receiving our online newsletter or have story ideas, please contact us at info@hairfoundation.org.

Sun Care for Your Scalp 

While we all put sunscreen on our bodies to protect it from the sun, it’s also important to put it on your scalp. For those with thinning hair or balding heads, you’re more susceptible to sunburn and skin cancer in these overexposed areas than on your body, so protect your head accordingly.

You don’t want to deal with a dry, peeling head after the sun damage is done.

“Remember to always apply sunscreen with at least an SPF15 to the scalp that is exposed to the sun, usually at either the part or the scalp area that is most exposed,” says Paul T. Rose, MD, JD, and Hair Foundation Board Member. “After swimming or sweating, it’s important to reapply frequently as sunscreen easily comes off and leaves the scalp unprotected.”

Here are a few tips:

• Buy new sunscreen every year. It’s tempting to just finish that half-full bottle in your cabinet at the start of another summer, but most sunscreens lose sun protection over time and the product will not protect as needed.
• Look for some of the new dry shampoo, styling and color coverage products that also offer UV protection
• Purchase sunscreens with zinc oxide or titanium oxide. Sunscreens with oxybenzone are toxic and when it soaks into your skin, it is also a contributor to skin cancer
• Always use a product with a SPF. This summer there’s been a trend toward higher SPFs which are now readily available; try to buy the highest coverage possible. SPF 30, will provide protection for most of the day but if you get sunburnt in 10 minutes, SPF 30 will protect you for 300 minutes and with an SPF as low as 15, you’ll be protected from the sun for only 150 minutes
• Just by walking, sitting in a car or a near a window, you are subject to harmful UV rays known as secondary UV exposure
• If you are concerned about your hair looking greasy, try either a light spray sunscreen or a stick version on the exposed skin. Then, use a clarifying shampoo at the end of the day to remove any remaining build-up
• If you get sunburn on your scalp, take an anti-inflammatory like Advil or Aleve and avoid powder-based hair products. Also, try not to wash your hair over the next few days to avoid further dryness and irritation
• Remember, the sun is strongest during the midday between 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. so it’s recommended you reduce your exposure during these hours
• Always wear a hat if possible. It will cover your scalp and protect your face and neck

Summer Hair: Dealing with Heat and Frizz

Combating this summer’s heat wave is hard enough but dealing with the effects on hair is sometimes an even greater challenge. Wearing hair in a ponytail or a hair clip are often the go-to remedies but there’s more you can do for this summer time effect. 

Why do when summer hair frizzies happen? This occurs when dry hair sucks up moisture from the humidity and your shafts swell and kink up all over. Many people will have “bigger” hair from humidity. By hydrating your hair, it can help your hair from acting as a sponge in humid weather.

“Ways to combat summer heat and frizz will depend on your hair texture,” said Dr. Zoe Diana Draelos, Secretary of the Hair Foundation Board of Trustees. “However, there are a lot of simple at-home things you can do and lots of great products on the market that will help.”

Fine and straight hair? This type tends to go flat so style it by lifting sections and then misting your hair with a dry shampoo or a mist shine spray. Before leaving the house spritz on some heat-protective spray to prevent further damage.

Curly hair? It’s the battle of the frizzies and to combat them, try using mousse through wet hair, then air-dry your hair. For dry hair, put on some anti-frizzing styling cream and glide it over your hair to smooth frizzies. Think about washing your hair at night. Apply a styling product on your hair, and then tie it in a knot or loose ponytail.

Coarse or textured hair? The sun can dry your hair, making it dull. To add some life back in your hair, rub a serum over it to get some for shine. Also use a deep conditioner on your hair.

And for all hair types, use a deep condition on your hair every time you wash it and leave it on for five minutes while showering.

Pool Hair? One last summertime effect on your hair that many people think is a myth: chlorine can turn your hair green. It has this effect on blonde hair.

Why does hair turn green? Dr. Matt Leavitt explained, “Oxidized metals in the water binds to the proteins in your hair shaft. They deposit their colors and blonde hair turns a green tint. Regardless of hair type and color, chlorine in swimming pools not only dries out your hair, it can leave hair brittle, especially on colored or highlighted hair.”

To protect your hair from chlorine, wear a swim cap, rinse in non-chlorinated water before and after swimming and use a mild clarifying shampoo and proper conditioner.

Finasteride Task Force

In April, the ISHRS convened the Task Force on Finasteride (Proscar) Adverse Event Controversies to evaluate published data and to inform and update ISHRS members regarding “men with androgenetic alopecia who have claimed to have experienced persistent sexual side effects following the use and subsequent discontinuation of Finasteride.”

At the time, the ISHRS Web site noted that the task force was in the process of gathering information and forming an interdisciplinary panel to discuss the issues. It will keep ISHRS members informed regarding post-marketing adverse events.

Here’s a link to the statement.

According to the May/June Forum newsletter, Hair Foundation Board members, Drs. Ken Washenik, and Dow Stough, have been included on the task force and they have joined a group that is currently evaluating this complex topic.

The newsletter story further notes the task force will consult urology and sexual function experts to evaluate the connection between Finasteride and persistent sexual dysfunc­tion. They will determine if hair restoration specialists need to make changes when counseling and treating patients should a link between the two be found.  

We will continue to update you on this topic.

On Monday, Aug. 15, the Indiana-based specialty pharmaceutical company, ParaPRO, announced its Natroba™ (spinosad) Topical Suspension, 0.9% lice treatment is now available in U.S. pharmacies. This FDA-approved topical product will eliminate head lice infestations without the usual nit combing and according to the company, it is nearly twice as effective as eliminating lice infestations as permethrin 1%, the current market leader.

In a statement by ParaPRO’s president, Bill Culpepper III, he noted the following about Natroba:

“Ever since Natroba™ received FDA approval earlier this year, there has been significant interest from parents and health care professionals all across the country who have requested information about product availability. We believe that based on the high level of interest, there will be strong demand for this new and effective head lice treatment. We are delighted to announce that Natroba™ is now being shipped to pharmacies around the country, just in time for the back-to-school head lice season. In clinical trials, Natroba™ was shown to be nearly twice as effective as the most commonly prescribed head lice medication, permethrin 1%, and in those trials Natroba™ was proven effective without the need for extensive and time-consuming nit combing sessions.”

This is a breakthrough treatment for those affected by head lice as Natroba is a 10-minute treatment that requires just a rinse without the customary nit combing.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are between 6 to 12 million cases of head lice infestations each year, mostly in children 3 to 12 years old. Along with treatments taking 7 to 10 days to get rid of the lice, there are also social costs associated with the treatment of lice. This includes missed time from school for affected children and absences from work for the parents to stay home with their child. Because of the 10-minute Natroba treatment time, these social costs have been eliminated.

“Lice does not have to be a time-consuming, expensive problem,” said Matt L. Leavitt, DO, MD and president, the Hair Foundation Board of Trustees. “Be sure to treat the problem quickly and use a treatment that doesn’t come with harmful side effects.”

In honor of National Hair Loss Awareness Month, it’s been a busy month with hair loss articles from different publications and Web sites. In this article by Huffington Post, a blog that does write hair articles throughout the year, it lists 11 sneaky reasons your hair is falling out; it includes information and quotes from the Hair Foundation’s partners and doctors.

The article begins by citing the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS), one of Hair Foundation’s partners,with the statistic from their 2007 survey that noted “57 percent of respondents (all men) would choose to have hair on their head over a car, a cell phone, a laptop or a television set.

That’s a strong statement!

The second statistic used in the article refers to Dr. Matt Leavitt’s, president, Hair Foundation Board of Trustees, book, Women and Hair Loss: A Physician’s Perspective. He notes in the book that 43 percent of women are at least “somewhat concerned” about hair loss.

Furthermore, “these concerns are not unfounded as there are numerous conditions — both hereditary and otherwise — that can cause your hair to thin or fall out.”

Before listing the sneaky reasons why your hair falls out, there’s basic explanation of hair loss. Dr. Amy McMichael, a member of Hair Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Council and a professor of dermatology at Wake Forest Baptist Health, explained every day hair loss by saying,

It is this cycle that causes what we think of as every day hair loss — most people lose between 50 to 100 hairs each day. And on days when we shampoo, we tend to lose more, says Amy McMichael, M.D., a professor of dermatology at Wake Forest Baptist Health.

So what are the 11 reasons?

• Trichotillomania

• Hair Care

• Tight Hairstyles

• Nutritional Deficiencies

• Major Weight Loss

• Thyroid Disease

• Menopause

• Alopecia Areata

• Trauma/Stress

• Illness

• Medications

Are you surprised by any of these? If you want to learn more about hair loss, please visit our physician videos.