men and hair

as one ages, we often tend to give less attention to our outlook. it seems that life has this strange effect on us. we start to ignore little details like the extra pound, the new wrinkle and the thinning hair. i am a firm believer of slowing down the aging process with proper diet, exercise and of course, a body-care regime. for this post, i am going to talk about a problem that affects about 70% of men: baldness

Chord Overstreet

more than 95% of hair thinning in men is male pattern baldness. male pattern baldness is characterized by hair receding from the lateral sides of the forehead (known as a 'receding hairline') and/or a thinning crown (balding to the area known as the ‘vertex’). both become more pronounced until they eventually meet, leaving a horseshoe-shaped ring of hair around the back of the head. a rough rule of thumb is that the incidence of baldness in males corresponds to chronological age. for example, male pattern baldness  affects roughly 40 million men in the united states. approximately 25% of men begin balding by age 30; two-thirds begin balding by age 60.

Prince William

Vince Vaughn

there is a 4 in 7 chance of receiving the baldness gene. onset of hair loss sometimes begins as early as the end of puberty and is mostly genetically determined. it was previously believed that baldness was inherited from the maternal grandfather. while there is some basis for this belief, both parents contribute to their offspring's likelihood of hair loss. 

well, know how we lose our hair is not most important. the question is if one can prevent and reverse hair loss.

Robert Pattinson

medication: in the united states, there are only two drug-based treatments that have been approved by the u.s. food and drug administration (fda) and one product that has been cleared by the fda for the treatment of male or female pattern hair loss. the two fda approved treatments are finasteride (marketed for hair loss as propecia) and minoxidil.

there is currently no way to instigate permanent re-growth of hair that has been lost through genetic or hormonal causes. however, it is widely regarded that with early detection, professional consultation and specialist products, the effects of hair thinning can be reduced or delayed. if the cause is reversible, such as an underlying medical condition, it is possible to stop hair thinning by treating the deficiency. there are also several measures sufferers can take to give hair a thicker appearance and to create an optimum scalp environment for new hair to grow and thrive.

a variety of medications have been proven to slow hair thinning, help grow new hair or enlarge existing hairs to create better coverage. most require long-term use as, if stopped, hair loss returns. some treatments are topical and activated by being sprayed or rubbed into the scalp, while others are taken in pill form. one of the most popular medications, corticosteroids, are either injected into the scalp, taken in pill form or applied in an ointment and are used especially to treat patchy hair loss.

stress reduction: stress reduction can be helpful in slowing hair loss. in 2011, researchers from the university of california and the u.s. veterans administration found that mice who had been genetically engineered to produce excessive levels of corticotropin-releasing hormone, lost hair from their backs. the high amounts of corticotropin-releasing hormone created a chronic stress condition in the mice. after treatment with astressin-b, a stress blocker, the mice had regrown the hair they had lost, four months later.

surgical treatments: hair transplant surgery was developed during the 1950s. it is usually carried out under local anaesthetic. a surgeon will move healthy hair from the back and sides of the head to areas of thinning, helping to restore a natural look. the procedure can take between four and eight hours and additional sessions can be carried out to make hair even thicker. transplanted hair falls out within a few weeks but regrows permanently within months. 

treating the scalp: as an extension of facial skin, effective cleansing and moisturizing of the scalp can help keep follicles open and create an optimum environment for healthy hair to grow and mature, preventing miniaturization and controlling thinning. certain products on the market are specially designed to remove the styling build-up, environmental pollutants and excess sebum that block follicles and inhibit hair growth, and nourish the scalp skin and hair to reduce breakage and promote health.

here's to your crown of glory!

fash'on... BAM!

hair i am...

so we started the content posts of the week with hair removal and i will wrap up the week with the topic of hair. instead of hair removal, it's to help us understand the various hair treatments and the side effects. this is a topic applicable to not just the women but the men as well though most of the procedures are usually done by the ladies.

image from ehow

hair colouring is the practice of changing the colour of hair. the main reason for this practice are cosmetic, e.g. to cover gray hair, to change to a colour regarded as more fashionable or desirable, and to restore the original hair colour after it has been discoloured by hairdressing processes or sun bleaching. today, hair colouring is immensely popular, with over seventy-five percent of american women dyeing their hair. hair colouring involves the use of chemicals capable of removing, replacing and/or covering up pigments naturally found inside the hair shaft. use of these chemicals can result in a range of adverse effects, including temporary skin irritation and allergy, hair breakage, skin discolouration and unexpected hair colour results.

Avril Lavigne

side effects of various products result in loss of hair and in extreme cases balding. if consumed by the body by means of inhalation or digestion certain hair dye brands have shown evidence of causing constipation and other dangerous disruptions within human organs. additionally, there is ongoing discussion regarding more serious health consequences of hair colour usage, including lead poisoning. 

Hair Relaxing: before and after

next, hair relaxing, or lanthionization, is when the relaxer is applied to the roots of the hair and remains in place for a 'cooking' interval, during which it alters the hair's texture by a process of controlled damage to the protein structure. the hair can be significantly weakened by the physical overlap of excessive applications or by a single excessive one, leading to brittleness, breakage, or even widespread alopecia. when the chemicals in hair relaxers comes in contact with the scalp skin, it may cause burns and irritation on the scalp surface. if there is severe chemical burns, then red, itchy skin rash may appear on the scalp. 

Relaxers link to fibroids

in hair relaxing treatment, the chemical solution is allowed to sit on the hair for about half an hour. during this time, the chemicals strip off the natural oils and moisture from the hair. they also destroy the natural proteins of the hair. at the end, you find that your hair have become extremely dry. such harmful effects can be avoided if the treatment is followed by deep conditioning of the hair. hot oil treatments and application of hair masks are also proved to be highly beneficial for hydrating the hair.

hair weaves

finally, hair weave is a very general term used to describe human or artificial hair typically utilized for the integration with one’s natural hair. weaves can alter one's appearance for long or short periods of time by adding further hair to one's natural hair or by covering the natural hair all together with human or synthetic hairpieces. however, hair extensions and weavings can also lead to further hair loss or thinning. when the weave is done too tightly it can pull on existing hair and lead to premature shedding. weaving can also damage hair follicles causing breakage at the point of attachment.

Naomi Campbell: too much weaving?

fash'on... BAM!