Doctors on Hair Loss & Hair Transplant surgery.

Do you recommend Zinc to treat hair loss

is a Zinc whitish metal that acts as an essential nutrient in humans. Its deficiency leads to a number of biochemical and physiological problems; it is required for hundreds of different biochemical reactions, so not having enough can affect many different systems in the body. Zinc helps the immune system stay strong so we can fight infection; it helps with growth and healing, and keeps our senses of smell and taste intact!

Some of the causes of zinc deficiency include chromic alcoholism, malnutrition, malabsorption (problems absorbing nutrients from the gut), vegetarianism (because plants provide much less zinc than animal products like meats), high intake of iron, and diarrhea. Dietary sources of zinc include meats, some seafood, dairy products, and nuts; people with meat/seafood in their diets absorb more zinc than people with largely plant proteins. Oysters have the highest zinc content of any food. Since zinc is known to have an effect on sexual function and fertility, perhaps this is where the age-old reputation oysters have as an aphrodisiac!

Supplementation of zinc may be necessary in some people prone to low zinc levels. Some people believe that in modern times our foods are so low in nutrients, that supplementing is always needed (although this is not the opinion of the scientific community as a whole). The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of zinc is around 10 mg per day for healthy adults. The upper limit considered safe is 40 mg per day for healthy adults. High intake of zinc (150 to 450 mg per day or more) may cause a number of health problems. Among these are low levels of copper, depressed immune system function with increased susceptibility to infection, retarded growth in children, loss of appetite, sexual dysfunction with erectile dysfunction in males, hair loss, diarrhea, delayed wound healing, slowed mental function, and altered taste and smell.

What scientific evidence is there for treating problems with zinc? There is strong evidence for using it to treat children in developing countries that have severe diarrhea, for treatment of stomach ulcers, and in the blood disease sickle cell anemia. There is good, but less strong evidence for the following:

• Acne

• ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)

• Down’s syndrome associated problems

• Fungus infections of the scalp

• Herpes virus infections

• High cholesterol

• Immune system boosting

• Plaque on teeth and gingivitis of the gums

Wilson’s disease, which causes abnormally high copper levels (remember how we said that too much zinc lowered copper levels in the body?)

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Tags: causes of zinc deficiency, hair loss, hair loss treatments, healing, iron, sources of zinc, zinc

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My mother had esophageal band surgery a couple of years ago due to her excessive weight problem. Following this she has noted progressive hair loss and a change in her personality. I’ve read that band surgery and stomach stapling can cause hair loss. Is this true?

Bariatric (Weight Loss) Surgery: Metabolic, nutritional, psychological and physiological Consequences Bariatric or weight loss surgeries have become commonplace in the USA and in other countries, in part due to an ever increasing incidence of obesity in the context of a societal standard of beauty that emphasizes a thin, shapely physique. Lobbying by various organizations, as well as medical studies detailing the present and future consequences of untreated obesity, has led to insurance coverage for these surgeries, which were previously deemed “cosmetic”. This article will detail some of the physical and mental aspects of the often rapid weight loss which occurs after bariatric surgery.
The bariatric surgery community utilizes a number of procedures to promote rapid and hopefully permanent weight loss. Some of the earlier methods have been abandoned or modified due to unacceptable morbidity in the post-operative period, both immediate and long-term. Currently used techniques most often decrease absorption of calories or promote early satiety (feeling of fullness), or some combination of the two.

Unfortunately, the decreased absorption of calories is accompanied by decreased absorption of macro- and micro-nutrients. This often leads to nutritional deficiencies of varying degrees of severity. Sometimes these deficiencies may go undetected for some time, until they have had a profound effect on the patient. Many of these deficiencies can be very difficult to treat (refractory) once established. They may cause significant derangement in the patient’s physical, mental and emotional health.

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Tags: anxieties, bariatric surgery, calcium, caloric, calories, cosmetic surgery, depression, emotional distress, endocrine system, hair follicles, hair loss, hyperparathyroidism, iron, magnesium, medical therapy, metabolic, nutritional, obesity, patients, physiological, protein, psychological, psychotherapy, surgery, vitamin, weight loss, zinc

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Now that there is a genetic test to predict your hair loss, is it possible to simply wipe out this gene and thus put a halt to hair loss?

The genetic test is a test for a marker on the X chromosome that predicts hair loss. We do not know if this gene has anything to do with the cause of hair loss. Hair loss is multifactorial. This is probably why you see a few people who respond favorably to certain topical or oral medications while others don’t seem to respond at all. It is more probable that hair loss results from the interaction of multiple genes. It remain unknown what would happen should we alter a single gene. The consequences might actually be negative.

Tags: future, genes, hair loss, hair loss pattern, hair loss solutions, predict, x-chromosome

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I see on your website that you offer a Hairdx test, what is it and how is it helpful to prevent hair loss?

Hairdx is a genetic marker test to determine your risk for hair loss and to determine whether you might not loose your hair. The test evaluates a specific marker on the X chromosome. As you know, the X chromosome arises from the mother of the male. The marker is on the androgen receptor gene located on the X chromosome. Men who carry this gene variant are at a 60% risk of loosing their hair by age 40. Men with the less common genetic variant have a greater than 85% probability of not going bald before age 40. Ninety-five percent of bald men have the high risk androgen receptor variant.

It is known, however that androgenetic hair loss is polygenic in inheritance. One receives genes from both the mother and the father and it is felt that hair loss is not sex linked. This means that you can receive the risk for hair loss from either the mother or the father, but the specifics are still poorly understood. To date there are 4 major genes that determine your risk for hair loss, age of onset, eventual hair loss pattern, and rate of hair loss progression.

This test is only a prediction of future hair loss. It does not rule in or rule out the probability of future hair loss entirely. If you test positive, you should be evaluated for other signs of hair loss. These include miniaturization of the hair follicles and loss of hair shaft pigment. If you show signs at any point after testing positive for the marker, you might want to consider medical therapy such as Propecia or Minoxidil. You might also want to begin using Haircycle shampoo and conditioner to prolong the anagen duration, which is known to slow down the rate of hair loss progression. Instituting medical therapy at an earlier stage in life may limit the rate of your progression and the ultimate degree of loss you will suffer from.

We are happy to send a test kit to you if you like. The cost of the test is 149.00. This is the first diagnostic test to help you determine if hair loss may be in your future.

Tags: genes, hair follicles, hair loss, hair loss pattern, hairdx, medical therapy, minoxidil, pigment, Propecia, x-chromosome

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What are the common used hair transplant techniques and how are they different from CIT?

Hair transplant surgery can be done using several different techniques, including old-style plugs, strip harvest, The Cole Isolation technique (CIT), and body hair transplantation (BHT). Plug harvesting is only mentioned for historical reasons; it is a very poor technique and should not be used in the modern era. Strip harvest using only two incisions became popular during the 1990’s, and is still widely used today. CIT is very new, having been used only the past 5 or 6 years, but is beginning to challenge strip surgery in some areas as a procedure with much less scarring. BHT is used mostly for adding hair to scalp hair surgeries, and in patients who have had much of their scalp donor hair removed. Scalp hair is always better, and BHT is seen as a complement to scalp hair.
Hair grows on the scalp in separate units, which are known as follicular groups or follicular units. They contain 1, 2, 3, 4, or rarely 5 or more hairs. During the CIT procedure, a special tool is used to take these hair groups out one at a time. The advantage is that no long incision or wound is made in the scalp, and therefore no long scar results. Also, there is very little pain after the surgery, and the hair grafts come out ready to place in the balding areas, with no trimming needed. Sometimes there are tiny white dots left where the hair s were taken out; these are very small and if the hair is more than ¼ inch long or so, the dots are invisible.
These hair grafts are then placed into tiny slits or holes made by the surgeon into the balding or thinning hair areas; in about 3 or 4 months the first of the “new” hairs begin to sprout and by the end of a year, the full result of the transplant will be seen!

Tags: balding, bht, cit, follicular groups, Grafts, hair transplant surgeon, hair transplant surgery, incisions, patients, plugs, scalp, scarring, slits, strip, the cole isolation technique, thinning hair

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