hair loss and acne treatments
hair loss and baldness treatments
hair loss hair care thinning hair, baldness, balding hair going bald
Merck is also trying to capture the hair loss market with their new entry, Propecia (finasteride). Finasteride has been available since the early 1990s as a treatment for prostate problems. Finasteride is a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor. It is believed that the hair follicles of men with male pattern baldness have an increased amount of the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase. Hence, the inhibition of this enzyme may slow those enzymatic events that result in hair loss. In a study conducted by Castro-Magana and colleagues, 22 subjects with male-pattern baldness were treated with finasteride 10 mg once daily for 2 years. The subjects were evaluated every 3 months. Finasteride treatment resulted in an improvement in the male pattern baldness and prostatic shrinkage that was associated with an increase in serum testosterone levels and a decrease in dihydrotestosterone levels. In another study conducted by Dallob and associates, the effects of finasteride 5 mg/day vs placebo over a 28-day period were studied in men who were undergoing hair transplantation. In 8 patients who were treated with finasteride, there was a decrease in the dihydrotestosterone level and an increase in scalp testosterone levels in 66% of the patients. Furthermore, the dihydrotestosterone levels in patients who were treated with finasteride were similar to those of patients with normal hair growth. However, there was no significant change in the dihydrotestosterone or the testosterone levels of patients who received placebo. Recently, a group of scientists discovered a gene responsible for alopecia universalis, a condition characterized by the absence of eyebrows, eyelashes and body hair, and gradual loss of hair on the top of the head. This gene, which they named "hairless" was discovered in a Pakistani family affected by this rare condition. The gene was isolated to chromosome 8 and later discovered by Angela Christano using gene cloning techniques. Researchers believe the discovery of this gene may serve as a foundation for successful identification of other related genes responsible for the control of hair growth and loss. If the other genes are identified, further genetic-based advances in the treatment of hair loss may be possible.
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hair loss and acne treatments