June 29, 2005:
London: Men have been trying to turn back the tide of receding hairlines for more than 5 000 years, with varying degrees of success.
The Egyptians advocated a potion of iron, alabaster, onions and honey that had to be swallowed after reciting an invocation to the sun god, while Julius Caesar favoured applying a paste of ground horses' teeth and deer marrow to the head.
If only they'd listened to Hippocrates. The father of modern medicine hit the nail on the head 2 500 years ago when he observed that eunuchs do not go bald. Yet it took scientists until the first half of the 20th century to pinpoint why.
The most common form of hair loss, male pattern baldness, is caused by an enzyme that converts the male sex hormone testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT damages the hair follicles, causing them to stop growing and leaving men with a receding hairline.
Male pattern hair loss is usually inherited, and a man's genetic make-up means that hairs on certain areas of the head will contain receptors for DHT, while others will not. Those hairs with DHT receptors are the ones that will be damaged by the hormone, causing baldness. Generally, the "receptor" hairs are on the front, top and crown of the head, which is why most men go bald there but retain growth elsewhere.
Even Hippocrates realised that castration may be too high a price to pay for a full head of hair, and instead recommended a putrid mixture of cumin, pigeon droppings, horseradish and beetroot as a cure for baldness. However, the concoction proved disastrous. Hippocrates became ever balder, so much so that, even now, extreme cases of hair loss are referred to as "Hippocratic baldness".
One in two men in Britain suffers hair loss before the age of 50, with only Germany having a higher rate of baldness among European countries. But whereas six out of 10 German men opt for treatment, 90% of Britons suffer in silence.
Experts say that, even in Britain, more men are prepared to pay thousands of pounds for a better head of hair. The Belgravia Centre in London is Europe's largest hair-loss clinic and sees more than 1 000 people a week.
Its owner, Michael Harris, says: "I think there is huge demand out there for help in treating hair loss, and attitudes are beginning to change.
"It can be devastating for a young man to lose his hair. The problem is that there are so many small clinics and shops offering all kinds of lotions and potions that they claim can cure baldness, when in fact there are really only two treatments that are clinically proven."
These are minoxidil, marketed by Pfizer under the brand name Regaine, and finasteride, sold as Propecia.
Regaine is a solution that needs to be rubbed into the head twice a day for at least four months. It works by increasing the supply of blood and nutrients to the follicles, producing thicker, more visible hair. Two-thirds of the men who use it see some improvement in their hair growth after four months, and the benefits peak after about a year.
Regrowth can be as much as 25% of existing hair, and a new, stronger version called Regaine Extra can produce even better results. Despite the success, it does have a down side. Once started, treatment with Regaine has to continue for the effects to remain. Regrown hair will start to disappear a few months after the treatment stops and the balding process begins all over again.
Propecia is a pill, available on private prescription in the UK. Made by Merck, it works by blocking the action of an enzyme in the body called type II 5-alpha reductase, the enzyme responsible for converting testosterone into DHT.
Propecia stops hair loss in 80% of the men who take it once a day, and leads to new growth in 30% of cases. But the drug can have unpleasant side effects, including loss of sex drive and temporary impotence. As with Regaine, it has to be taken continuously for the benefits to remain.
The Belgravia Centre recommends that men try a combination of both Propecia and Regaine to get the best results. Most other drugs and lotions, says Harris, have no proven clinical effect and may be a waste of money.
Another option is a hair transplant. Pioneered by a Japanese dermatologist in 1939, the early attempts at transplanting hair resulted in a rather artificial "rug" effect, but the latest techniques mean it can be impossible to tell who has had surgery.
http://www.capetimes.co.za/index.php?fS ... Id=2604107
:study:
London: Men have been trying to turn back the tide of receding hairlines for more than 5 000 years, with varying degrees of success.
The Egyptians advocated a potion of iron, alabaster, onions and honey that had to be swallowed after reciting an invocation to the sun god, while Julius Caesar favoured applying a paste of ground horses' teeth and deer marrow to the head.
If only they'd listened to Hippocrates. The father of modern medicine hit the nail on the head 2 500 years ago when he observed that eunuchs do not go bald. Yet it took scientists until the first half of the 20th century to pinpoint why.
The most common form of hair loss, male pattern baldness, is caused by an enzyme that converts the male sex hormone testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT damages the hair follicles, causing them to stop growing and leaving men with a receding hairline.
Male pattern hair loss is usually inherited, and a man's genetic make-up means that hairs on certain areas of the head will contain receptors for DHT, while others will not. Those hairs with DHT receptors are the ones that will be damaged by the hormone, causing baldness. Generally, the "receptor" hairs are on the front, top and crown of the head, which is why most men go bald there but retain growth elsewhere.
Even Hippocrates realised that castration may be too high a price to pay for a full head of hair, and instead recommended a putrid mixture of cumin, pigeon droppings, horseradish and beetroot as a cure for baldness. However, the concoction proved disastrous. Hippocrates became ever balder, so much so that, even now, extreme cases of hair loss are referred to as "Hippocratic baldness".
One in two men in Britain suffers hair loss before the age of 50, with only Germany having a higher rate of baldness among European countries. But whereas six out of 10 German men opt for treatment, 90% of Britons suffer in silence.
Experts say that, even in Britain, more men are prepared to pay thousands of pounds for a better head of hair. The Belgravia Centre in London is Europe's largest hair-loss clinic and sees more than 1 000 people a week.
Its owner, Michael Harris, says: "I think there is huge demand out there for help in treating hair loss, and attitudes are beginning to change.
"It can be devastating for a young man to lose his hair. The problem is that there are so many small clinics and shops offering all kinds of lotions and potions that they claim can cure baldness, when in fact there are really only two treatments that are clinically proven."
These are minoxidil, marketed by Pfizer under the brand name Regaine, and finasteride, sold as Propecia.
Regaine is a solution that needs to be rubbed into the head twice a day for at least four months. It works by increasing the supply of blood and nutrients to the follicles, producing thicker, more visible hair. Two-thirds of the men who use it see some improvement in their hair growth after four months, and the benefits peak after about a year.
Regrowth can be as much as 25% of existing hair, and a new, stronger version called Regaine Extra can produce even better results. Despite the success, it does have a down side. Once started, treatment with Regaine has to continue for the effects to remain. Regrown hair will start to disappear a few months after the treatment stops and the balding process begins all over again.
Propecia is a pill, available on private prescription in the UK. Made by Merck, it works by blocking the action of an enzyme in the body called type II 5-alpha reductase, the enzyme responsible for converting testosterone into DHT.
Propecia stops hair loss in 80% of the men who take it once a day, and leads to new growth in 30% of cases. But the drug can have unpleasant side effects, including loss of sex drive and temporary impotence. As with Regaine, it has to be taken continuously for the benefits to remain.
The Belgravia Centre recommends that men try a combination of both Propecia and Regaine to get the best results. Most other drugs and lotions, says Harris, have no proven clinical effect and may be a waste of money.
Another option is a hair transplant. Pioneered by a Japanese dermatologist in 1939, the early attempts at transplanting hair resulted in a rather artificial "rug" effect, but the latest techniques mean it can be impossible to tell who has had surgery.
http://www.capetimes.co.za/index.php?fS ... Id=2604107
:study: