| WHICH REMEDY FOR BALDNESS WORKS? | | | | losing hair.[5] Not a proven remedy for |
| | | | baldness. |
| With each remedy for baldness I have split | | | | |
| up into two categories: "drugs" and | | | | Side-effects - none. |
| "natural". Both remedies for baldness are | | | | |
| said to work to a degree. The drugs (creams | | | | Availability - over the counter. |
| and pills) have had various clinical trials | | | | |
| performed on them, but on the downside they | | | | Cost - MRM, Chrysin 500, 30 Caps. |
| are occasionally susceptible to unwanted | | | | $14.99.VITAMIN D |
| side-effects. The natural remedies for | | | | |
| baldness most often have had no clinical | | | | Mechanism - binds to the many vitamin D |
| trials attached, merely word of mouth | | | | receptors in the scalp and hair follicle. |
| recommendations, but normally have fewer | | | | |
| side-effects (at least less unwanted ones) | | | | Effectiveness - shown to dramatically |
| reported. If you are unsure on which type to | | | | stimulate hair follicle growth in "nude" |
| try, it is possible to try both (but please | | | | mice.[6] |
| get advice from a physician before doing | | | | |
| so).ALLOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR BALDNESS | | | | Side-effects - none, unless taken over 50 |
| | | | micrograms per day. |
| Before I start on any allopathic remedies | | | | |
| for baldness, I have to explain the current | | | | Availability - over the counter. |
| thinking in science behind the causes of | | | | |
| losing hair so that the mechanism and | | | | Cost - 400iu (10 micrograms) 60 capsules |
| effectiveness of the drugs are easily | | | | $4.99.VITAMIN B12 |
| understood.Men convert excess testosterone | | | | |
| into a more potent form called DHT by the | | | | Mechanism - deficiency causes hair loss.[7] |
| enzyme 5a reductase. The DHT is highly active | | | | |
| on the hair follicle receptors, readily | | | | Effectiveness - 40% of Americans are |
| latching to them and restricting blood flow | | | | deficient. Not proven to remedy hair loss if |
| to the hair. This causes the hair to become | | | | taken.[8] |
| thin and miniturized creating the "peach | | | | |
| fuzz" look. There is apparantly a greater | | | | Side-effects - None, unless taken over 100 |
| quantity of this enzyme in the scalp of men | | | | mcg daily. |
| who are susceptible to male pattern | | | | |
| baldness.[1]Women, however, have excess of | | | | Availability - over the counter. |
| the enzyme aromatase which converts their | | | | |
| testosterone into a form of active estrogen | | | | Cost - 1000 mcg, Tablets $7.99.BIOTIN |
| called estradiol. The theory is that after | | | | (VITAMIN B7) |
| women hit menopause, their levels of natural | | | | |
| estrogen lowers letting the testosterone be | | | | Mechanism - increases blood flow to the hair |
| converted into DHT which makes them more | | | | follicle.[9] |
| susceptible to losing hair post menopausal. | | | | |
| However, that doesn't explain why post | | | | Effectiveness - it can promote hair growth |
| andropausal men lose hair when they become | | | | in high doses, although not a proven remedy |
| older and their testosterone levels die | | | | for baldness. |
| down.[1]Well, that's the theory, so now lets | | | | |
| look at each remedy for baldness in turn and | | | | Side-effects - none. |
| determine its effectiveness and availability | | | | |
| as of July 2006. Below is a list of each | | | | Availability - over the counter. |
| remedy for baldness:Rogaine (Minoxidol) | | | | |
| | | | Cost - 300mcg tablets $2.99.IRON AND |
| Propecia (Finasteride)ROGAINE | | | | L-LYSINE (for women) |
| | | | |
| Mechanism - unclear. Seems to open potassium | | | | Mechanism - deficiencies in both these |
| availabilty to the hair. | | | | nutrients have been associated with losing |
| | | | hair in women.[10] Interacts with zinc and |
| Effectiveness - average increase of hair per | | | | copper.[11] |
| cm2 was 18.5% after 48 weeks. 1 to 3 months | | | | |
| after stopping, hair condition returns to | | | | Effectiveness - proven effective remedy for |
| pre-treatment levels.Side-effects - Dizziness | | | | baldness for women with losing hair.[10] |
| has been reported. Local irritation, itching, | | | | |
| dryness, and erythema may occur with use of | | | | Side-effects - none unless taken over 250 mg |
| topical minoxidil, most likely caused by the | | | | daily (iron). |
| vehicle formulation of alcohol and propylene | | | | |
| glycol.[2] | | | | Availability - over the counter. |
| | | | |
| Availability - over the counter. | | | | Cost - 100 Tablets $7.29FOLLIGEN (copper |
| | | | peptide) |
| Cost - $10 to $15 per bottle (one | | | | |
| month).PROPECIA | | | | Mechanism - most effective blocker of the |
| | | | production of both types of 5a reductase |
| Mechanism - inhibits the 5a reductase enzyme | | | | enzyme.[12] |
| responsible for DHT production. | | | | |
| | | | Effectiveness - low copper and zinc enzyme |
| Effectiveness - A third study of 326 men | | | | levels caused hair loss in mice.[13] A |
| with mild to moderate frontal hair loss found | | | | topical copper peptide solution created near |
| that after 1 year, finasteride treated men | | | | perfect hair rejuvenation in 6 months in a |
| had statistically significantly higher hair | | | | woman with 10% of her hair at the start.[14] |
| counts on the frontal scalp. Approximately | | | | No studies on the remedy for baldness |
| 50% of treatedmen and 30% of those who took | | | | Folligen itself, but some reports of success |
| placebo thought the appearance of their hair | | | | by women on forums. |
| had improved. Hair regrowth was not reported | | | | |
| in older men taking 5 mg finasteride. | | | | Side-effects - none. |
| | | | |
| Side-effects - A decreased libido, erectile | | | | Availability - over the counter. |
| dysfunction, or a decreased volume of | | | | |
| ejaculate have been reported in less than 2% | | | | Cost - 2 oz tube, $21.95. 2 months.SOY |
| of patients, which in reality is between 0.5% | | | | |
| to 1% when compared with placebo.[2] | | | | Mechanism - promotes the production of the |
| | | | good inactive estrogen. Blocks the receptor |
| Availability - was prescription only. | | | | sites for active estrogen and inhibits 5a |
| Generic version now available. | | | | reductase.[3] |
| | | | |
| Cost - $69.95 for 3 monthsNATURAL REMEDIES | | | | Effectiveness - proven to inhibit the enzyme |
| FOR BALDNESS | | | | 5a reductase.[15] |
| | | | |
| Most natural remedies for baldness also work | | | | Side-effects - none. |
| by blocking DHT, either by inhibiting the | | | | |
| enzyme or blocking the hair follicle | | | | Availability - over the counter. A food |
| receptor, or providing the nutrient for the | | | | substance, not a remedy for baldness. |
| hair follicle receptor which DHT blocks. | | | | |
| There is also an alternative interpretation | | | | Cost - ?ROOIBOS TEA |
| of the "DHT alone causes hair loss " theory. | | | | |
| Some believe that it is too much active | | | | Mechanism - unclear. |
| estrogen-like substances as well as too much | | | | |
| DHT that is to blame for prostate cancer and | | | | Effectiveness - in a 10% lotion called |
| losing hair, and not enough free testosterone | | | | herbasol, 89% had increased speed of hair |
| in the body.[3]This sounds contradictory to | | | | growth. 45% saw an increase in hair growth. |
| the allopathic arguement, and concerning | | | | 78% reported no further hair loss.[2] |
| estrogen it is. Some naturopaths say that it | | | | |
| is all about what blocks the hair follicle | | | | Side-effects - none. |
| receptors. It is these protein receptors | | | | |
| which attract nutrients to the hair. DHT and | | | | Availability - over the counter. A food |
| estrogen-like pollutants both block the | | | | substance, not a remedy for baldness except |
| receptor.[3] Apparently, certain bacteria | | | | as above. |
| which thrive on fat, produce estrogen-like | | | | |
| substances[4], and there is excess of the | | | | Cost - ?I would personally recommend trying |
| aromatase enzyme (which turns testosterone | | | | Beta Sistosterol with a powerful |
| into estrogen) present in fat cells of obese | | | | multi-vitamin and mineral supplement coupled |
| and balding men. Aging, a high fat diet and | | | | with the Folligen solution as a good remedy |
| lack of exercise can create too much estrogen | | | | for |
| and too little testosterone. Even if | | | | baldness.------------------------------------ |
| testosterone is at normal levels, active | | | | --------------------------------------------[ |
| estrogen levels can still be way too high.[3] | | | | 1] Have Scientists Accidentally Discovered |
| Although this doesn't explain why women with | | | | the Answer to hair loss? |
| high estrogen levels don't get male pattern | | | | |
| baldness.Here is a list of each remedy for | | | | Treatments for hair loss. |
| baldness and nutrient:Beta Sistosterol (from | | | | |
| the herb: Saw Palmetol) | | | | Grow Young and Slim |
| | | | |
| Chrysin (from the herb: Passionflower) | | | | Health Loss Education |
| | | | |
| Vitamin D | | | | Chrysin: Is It An Effective Aromatase |
| | | | Inhibitor? |
| Vitamin B12 | | | | |
| | | | Vitamin D3 analogs stimulate hair growth in |
| Biotin (vitamin B7) | | | | nude mice. |
| | | | |
| Iron and L-lysine (for women) | | | | Diet and Nutrition - vitamin B12. |
| | | | |
| Folligen (copper peptide) | | | | Do You Need B-12? |
| | | | |
| Soy | | | | Biotin and Hair Growth |
| | | | |
| Rooibos teaBETA SISTOSTEROL | | | | Nutritional factors and hair loss. |
| | | | |
| Mechanism - blocks DHT from the androgen | | | | Interaction of iron, zinc and copper in the |
| receptors sites found on the hair follicles. | | | | body of animals and humans |
| | | | |
| Effectiveness - untested. Mixed reviews from | | | | Folligen |
| people on health forums. | | | | |
| | | | Age-related cochlear hair cell loss is |
| Side-effects - None, but side-effects of the | | | | enhanced in mice lacking copper/zinc |
| herb Saw Palmetol can be male breast | | | | superoxide dismutase |
| enlargement.[2] | | | | |
| | | | Have Scientists Accidentally Discovered the |
| Availability - over the counter. | | | | Answer to hair loss? |
| | | | |
| Cost - 90 Capsules 400mg $7.95.CHRYSIN | | | | Regulation of Male Sex Hormone Levels by |
| | | | Soy Isoflavones in Rats |
| Mechanism - increases free testosterone by | | | | |
| inhibiting the conversion to estrodiol. | | | | is an independent researcher in the field |
| | | | of common ailments and alternative medicine. |
| Effectiveness - shown to be effective at | | | | This article was taken from the original: |
| stopping aromatase in the petridish, but not | | | | hair loss product. |
| in the body. Not known if it helps with | | | | |