Hair Loss Treatment

Eddie Sebastia was aiming to improve his appearance, not interfere with his sex life, when he took Propecia or Proscar.

The drugs, which contain finasteride, were prescribed for male pattern hair loss, the Polk County man said in a lawsuit filed in circuit court. Instead, he contends, it led to erectile dysfunction, decreased libido, testicular pain and related emotional issues, including depression and anxiety.

Male pattern hair loss is a common condition in which men have gradual thinning of the hair on the scalp, leading to a receding hairline or balding on the top of the head, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Sebastia and his wife, Lisa, are suing Merck & Co. Inc., a global pharmaceutical company, and Merck, Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary that distributes both drugs.

Similar lawsuits have been filed by other men nationwide, with some law firms advertising their interest in class-action lawsuits. Some online websites warn of possible long-lasting or permanent side effects.
A Merck spokesman, however, responding to other lawsuits about Propecia, is quoted in the Philadelphia Inquirer as saying Merck is prepared to ‘vigorously defend’ against them.

Propecia is marketed for male pattern hair loss. It’s a lower dose of finasteride than Proscar, which Merck markets for treating prostate gland enlargement. Finasteride is deemed to effectively treat alopecia or hair loss by inhibiting the buildup of DHT (dihydrotestosterone) in the scalp. DHT is responsible for blocking the absorption of nutrients by the hair follicles, hence causing hair to thin, excessively shed, or cease to grow. Although it has proven to be successful in regrowing hair, finasteride has repeatedly received reports of its harmful side effects.

Sebastia said his doctor told him, when he took Proscar, to divide the Proscar tablet containing 5 mg of finasteride into separate daily doses. The other drug, Propecia, has 1 mg of finasteride.

Some black women often subject themselves to risky hairstyle practices to either follow the fashion, give in to societal pressure or because of low self-worth linked with images on television, which often tell black girls that they are more beautiful if they have a more Caucasian look.

Eryca Freemantle, one of the leading makeup and skin care consultants in the industry, shares, “Research has made us aware that the problem with WOC [women of colour] sometimes goes very deep; much deeper than just wanting to have long hair, thicker hair. Sometimes it’s the pressure of society.

“In the UK, we do not have many role models in society that represent WOC, and if we do, they tend to be wearing hair extensions, weaves, wigs, and the like.

“There are only a few, actually maybe two or three in the media that look like me. Based on that, some WOC take extensions and weaves a little over the top, whereas many wear them because it just makes life a lot easier.

“Commercials and the media reflect white women to be beautiful and superior to WOC. Of course there is going to be a deep-rooted complex for some WOC seeing this. There are no TV commercials promoting shampoos, soaps, or skin products specifically for WOC, so on the surface alone, some WOC are going to want to be like their white counterparts,” she said.

“Braiding the hair over the course of history does not cause damage to the hair or scalp. However, what you will find is that part of the root of the problem is, I have been told, that the tighter the braids, the more it pulls on the skin, the more this can make the nose look straighter.”

She added that too many black women have grown up seeing white girls or girls with lighter skin tones receive better treatment—even if it is getting to play the princess in the local school play.

“At a very young age, the black girls (are being subconsciously told) that they were not worthy of being the main character in their class plays, and the boys were made to understand unconsciously that black girls were not that pretty.

“At this time, the lighter-skinned girls walked like they were goddesses because it was obvious that they were the symbol of beauty. This was the time our girls wished for white dolls for Christmas, as if they were wishing that they could play Snow White some day.

“Some say beauty is just skin deep, but it is actually an economical and political factor. We should maintain our hair and our natural given beauty by being a little gentler on ourselves.

“No need to use such harsh products and chemicals. Only we can make the difference in the beauty industry for ourselves.”

Thinning hair can cause fear and anxiety in women as they feel helpless about how to stop their strands from falling out excessively. Then to make matters more complicated, there are so many hair regrowth products to choose from.

The most valuable home remedy for hair loss is using seeds of lime and black pepper. Ground it together and then make it into a fine paste. Apply this paste on the balding or thinning patches. This might itch but at the same time it stimulates hair growth and promotes the hair follicles to grow firm hair shafts.

Indian gooseberry or amla is an herb which has been used since old times for curing hair-related problems and also for having good and healthy hair growth. Many natural remedies can be prepared using amla, like boiling pieces of dried amla with coconut oil till amla pieces turn black. This mixture can be used for reducing hair loss.

Amla and lemon juice can be mixed in equal quantities for washing hair which can remove even the toughest dandruff off the scalp and reduce this problem.

Sage and rosemary are good hair loss remedies when used together. You can boil together peach leaf, nettle, rosemary, sage and burdock in water. Strain the loose herbs and wash your hair with the liquid.

Just by taking zinc, studies have shown that it slows down the causes in the body which contribute to hair loss. When zinc is taken with vitamin B6, it produces very good results, as was tested in a clinical study with bald men and women. It slowed down hair loss by up to 90 percent. Vitamin B6 is most powerful when it is taken daily in a dose of 100 mg. If you take more than 500 mg per day, the vitamin b6 can cause damage to the nerves. And too much zinc will make you ill so don’t believe that more is always best.

The leaves of the tree margosa will be beneficial in treating hair loss. It must be used as a decoction. This will stop hair from falling and will stabilize them into their roots. It also kills the hair parasites.

One healthy hair care tip is not to comb wet hair. Do not pull or rub your hair for any reasons. Use small clips to tie them. Protecting them from the sun and pollution is another important task which you can do by using sunscreen and scarfs. It is also advisable to prefer cotton headgear.

A secret home remedy for healthy hair is drinking half a liter of lettuce, spinach, carrot and alfalfa juice in equal proportions daily. This mixture is natural and very effective as a natural supplement.

Some hairstyles, including tight braids and weaves, may increase the risk of developing an irreversible form of scarring hair loss, according to a new study in the Archives of Dermatology.
Seen predominately in African-American women, this type of hair loss, central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia, centers on the vertex (crown) of the scalp and spreads peripherally.

“Any style that causes too much tension and traction on the hair, such as braiding with artificial hair weaved in, can possibly lead to scarring hair loss,” says study author Angela Kyei, MD, a dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio.

“You can’t bring the hair back, so you should see a dermatologist who specializes in hair loss and let them evaluate your scalp.”

In the study, 326 African-American women answered questionnaires about their hair-grooming methods, health status, and other demographic information. Dermatologists then performed a scalp examination to grade hair loss.

Nearly 60 percent of the women showed signs of advanced central hair loss with scarring. The women were also more likely to have type-2 diabetes and bacterial scalp infections, and sport hairstyles associated with traction, including braids and weaves, the study showed.

The increase in the number of women with type-2 diabetes and traction alopecia dovetails with the theory that it may also be influenced by metabolic problems.

Hair Loss in African-American Women

“It is harder to manage tightly curled hair and is often not socially acceptable to wear hair in its natural form for these women,” Kyei says. So some women turn to braids and weaves, and because these hairstyles can be costly, they are sometimes worn for extended periods.

“But hair loss is permanent, meaning that we can inject steroids or creams but it won’t bring your hair back, so it’s very important to seek help with dermatologists early on,” she says.

The study “is 100 percent true,” says Yael Halaas, MD, a facial plastic surgeon in New York City who specializes in hair restoration. “This type of hair loss starts from the center and spreads out,” she says. “It is an epidemic among African-American women with a history of tight braids and weaves.”

Often the only treatment option is a hair transplant, she says. This can be problematic if the hair loss is extensive and has jeopardized donor sites.

“Avoid tight braids and weaves at all cost,” she says. “They will do damage.”

“Their hair has a lot of curl, which means it provides good coverage for thinning areas, so they are slower to take action because they don’t realize how much thinning they are getting,” Halaas says.

Neil Sadick, MD, a New York City–based dermatologist and clinical professor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College, says this type of hair loss is a growing problem in African-American women.

“These hair-grooming practices can lead to excessive trauma to the hair shaft of predisposed individuals [and] interfere with hair integrity and are major culprits in causing this cosmetically debilitating scarring hair loss,” he says.

“It can be best tempered by dermatologists by educating the patient to the deleterious effects of their current hairstyling practices and discontinuing excessive heat and chemical treatments to their hair,” he says.