womens hair loss
Causes of Alopecia Areata Related Hair-loss: Is It Genetic?
Alopecia is the medical term that is used most often to convey any type of hair-loss. There are numerous types and causes of each respective type of alopecia. Alopecia areata most commonly refers to hair-loss in men, women, and children whose symptoms are perfectly round, smooth, bald patches on the scalp or body. These symptoms sometimes, but very rarely, present themselves along with other auto-immune disorders such as: thyroiditis, diabetes, and vitiligo.
While not previously attributed directly to genetics, a July study released by Columbia University and published in The New York Times links 8 genes to the hair-loss condition alopecia areata. According to the study’s report, one of the genes, ULBP3, was found in high concentrations within the hair follicles of the study’s alopecia areata patient participants and is thought to be the “messenger” gene that signaled the body to assail its hair and signal its fall-out.
While scientist can’t yet attribute all of alopecia areata’s symptoms to actions of these genes, they are hopeful that the study has revealed a promising discovery about the condition that may facilitate development of future medical treatment options for hair-loss: the alopecia areata related genes behave much like the genetic messengers involved in other auto-immune conditions such as type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.
Therefore, dermatologists and hair-restoration specialists like Dr. Edmond Griffin may soon be able to better treat the historically unpredictable condition and its symptoms more effectively. If you’re interested in learning more about hair-loss or the treatment of hair loss visit The Griffin Center for Hair-Loss Restoration and Research’s website, subscribe to their blog, or become a fan on Facebook.
Natural (Alopecia) Hair-loss Treatments
Board Certified Dermatologist and Hair Restoration Specialist Dr. Edmond Griffin has dedicated the bulk of his career to researching and advancing the field of hair replacement. As is detailed on his website, the causes of hair-loss in men, women, and even children are numerous and include: genetic predisposition, trauma , reaction to a medication, severe illness, stress, and reaction to hormone fluctuation. Alopecia (another name for hair-loss), regardless of its cause, can be stressful for patients.
In an effort to maintain his position at the forefront of hair-loss treatment, Dr. Griffin not only researches traditional surgical hair replacement methods such as follicular unit transplantation, but also less traditional means like botanical therapies. Popular for centuries in many Eastern hemisphere countries, herbal hair-loss applications are showing promise, and growing in popularity among Western hemisphere physicians and patients. In fact, a recently published study in the Journal of Drugs In Dermatology revealed several potential topical, plant-based treatments for Androgenetic Alopecia (Alopecia developed from genetic and environmental factors), Alopecia Areata (Hair-loss resulting from auto immune disorders), and chemotherapy-induced Alopecia.
Procyanidin B-2 (flavonoids found in the skins of young apples) proved a promising treatment for Androgenetic Alopecia patients while garlic and onion were among the study’s hopeful Alopecia Areata treatments. The extensive study also revealed that, with daily topical application, the caffeine and volatile oils in green tea helped regrow the hair of patients whose Alopecia was induced with the start of chemotherapy. While the described treatments showed a good bit of promise, the study’s coordinators were particular to note that each treatments long-term potential could not be adequately measured until larger, well-controlled scientific studies could be completed.
Recently, Dr. Griffin has developed a completely herbal topical treatment for patients with hair-loss. This combination formula, produced by reputable compounding pharmacies, has proven successful in trials of female patients who didn’t have any luck with other prescription treatments.
Dr. Griffin also stresses that these potential treatments are just that, potential, and individuals should first utilize the time-tested Propecia®-based therapies to aid in stabilizing hair-loss and promoting hair re-growth. If you are interested in pursuing a hair-replacement procedure, call Dr. Griffin’s office or visit his website today. You can also stay up-to-date on the latest advancements in the field of hair restoration by subscribing to his blog.
Dr. Edmond Griffin featured on CNN as Women’s Hair Loss Expert
If you are familiar with CNN, you are familiar with their “Health Minute” segment, a 60-second long televised segment highlighting an important health issue of the day. This week’s segment was titled, “Treating Women’s Hair Loss.” When looking for a renowned hair loss specialist to provide information on the topic, CNN turned to Dr. Griffin, founder of The Griffin Center for Hair Loss and Restoration and Dermatology Associates of Atlanta.
The segment featured a patient of Dr. Griffin’s, Judy Butler, a real estate broker that was troubled by her excessive hair loss. Concerned about her appearance and frustrated with her progressive hair thinning, Butler even considered scalp prosthesis before she decided to consult with Dr. Griffin.
“What might be very acceptable to men – not acceptable to women,” said Dr. Griffin, when reflecting on Judy’s situation. “Even a slight amount of loss is not acceptable.”
Dr. Griffin says that many women experience hair loss before menopause, but when that hair loss becomes excessive; it is considered a medical condition, known as alopecia. While the root cause of women’s hair loss is often genetic, it can be caused by many factors including a thyroid problem, anemia, reaction to medications, or an autoimmune problem that often requires blood tests or biopsies to diagnose. According to Dr. Griffin, for each cause of hair loss, there is a different treatment approach that can include everything from oral medications, topical creams, and surgery involving follicular grafting techniques.
For Judy, the recommended treatment was oral medications and topical creams; and she is thankfully experiencing hair growth. However, as the CNN video states, each patient has to be individual diagnosed in order to recommend a treatment plan. If you are a woman experiencing hair loss, contact The Griffin Center to schedule a consultation with Dr. Griffin and discover the best treatment option for you.
Click here to view CNN Health Minute:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/health/2010/01/06/hm.women.and.hair.loss.cnn
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