Why Minoxidil is not for everyone

Sarah Campeau    Hair Loss Treatments, Minoxidil    

Topic treatments containing Minoxidil have been extensively used by hair loss patients with relatively good perceived results.

Over the years we have received numerous complaints stating Minoxidil increased the Hair Loss rather than reduce it.  It’s well documented that during the early stages of a Minoxidil based treatment there is a noticeable increase in hair loss that is usually resolved as the treatment progresses; unfortunately it’s not always the case.

We have helped treat numerous cases where patients reported a significant increase in hair loss when the treatment initiated and were unable to stop it even after ceasing the treatment.

To understand why this happens we need to study the mechanism of Minoxidil and its various interactions.  Minoxidil is a vasodilator that presumably improves the amount of nutrients received by the hair follicles to the opening of the Potassium Channels.

While the efficiency of Minoxidil based treatments has been proven scientifically, it’s interaction mechanism is still not very clear, which explains why there are so many reported cases of unresolved complaints regarding the efficiency of the treatment, but even worse, for many people it seems to make their condition worse.

There is one thing that most physicians fail to fully understand about Hair Loss; Hair Growth is a natural cycle that depends on the balance between numerous factors, from nutrition, circulation, general oxygen levels, systemic stress, among many others. Any external factor that gets in the equation has the potential to create a prejudicial imbalance.

Minoxidil treatments contain alcohol, that has numerous negative consequences when applied to the scalp. Besides the fact that it can be extremely toxic, more often than not it originates severe rashes and it dries the scalp to the point that it eventually “fights back” by producing even more oil, creating a persistent inflammation that has the exact has the antagonist desired effect by cluttering the potassium channels impeding the proper absorption of the nutrients.

Everyone is different, Minoxidil can do wonders for patients who do not have an overly sensitive scalp. Unfortunately most people that are losing hair will also have scalp symptoms, from itching to sensitivity, and in some cases even pain.

Our advice is never to start a treatment before doing an evaluation of your condition.

Scalp laxity exercises

admin    Hair Loss Treatments, Natural Hair loss Treatments    

The exercises described bellow are usually performed before a Hair Transplant procedure, but they can do wonders even if you are not having a procedure done. Any hair loss condition is usually accompanied by scalp symptoms and lack of circulation is one of them.

By promoting a healthy flux of blood to the scalp through regular scalp massages, the elasticity of the tissues will improve, having a direct positive effect on the overall circulation and nourishment of the hair follicles.

Note: The video stopped working, we will try to restore it.

Foods That Prevent Hair Loss

Lisa    Natural Hair loss Treatments, Preventative Foods     Preventative Foods

I found a pretty interesting article discussing the different foods that prevent hair loss, so I wanted to share with you. Since hair is made up primarily of protein, it makes sense to eat a protein rich diet, dont you think? The key is the RIGHT types of proteins. So let’s examine.

Foods That Prevent Hair Loss

Fish, eggs and beans

As I mentioned above, protein rich is good for the hair. However, eating a steak every day isn’t going to help you. High-fat diets will result in increased testosterone levels, which has been linked to hair loss — so steaks are not among the foods that prevent hair loss. Stick to leaner proteins such as fish (which has a myriad of health benefits beyond just maintaining your hair), chicken, calf’s liver, brewer’s yeast, low-fat cheese, eggs, almonds, beans, and yogurt. Soy milk and tofu are also smart to add to your diet because they are high in protein and low in bad fats.

Raisins

Iron plays a key role in manufacturing hemoglobin, the part of the blood that carries oxygen to your body’s organs and tissues. When your hemoglobin is at a healthy level, oxygen is properly dispersed. This means your scalp is getting a good flow of blood, which will stimulate and promote hair growth. Adding more iron to your diet doesn’t mean you have to feast on liver day in, day out, but when you’re craving something sweet, remember that dried fruits (like raisins) and cherry juice are packed with iron. Eggs; dates; raisins; dark green, leafy vegetables such as kale; and whole-grain cereals are all high in iron. Vitamin C improves the absorption of iron, so fruits such as oranges, strawberries and lemons should be on your grocery list of foods that prevent hair loss.

Bean sprouts

Silica may not be a word you commonly hear associated with diet (or foods that prevent hair loss, for that matter). If you’re looking to promote hair growth and prevent hair loss, however, silica will need to be on your menu. The body uses silica to help it absorb vitamins and minerals; if you’re not consuming silica, eating your vitamins might not be helping much. Silica can be found in bean sprouts and the skin of cucumbers, red and green peppers, and potatoes. Remember, when you eat these foods raw, as opposed to cooked, you’re getting more nutritional value out of them.

Seafood

Many men who suffer from hair loss are found to have zinc deficiencies. Zinc plays a key role in many of the body’s functions, from cell reproduction to hormonal balance, and all these functions affect hair growth. Perhaps most importantly, zinc manages the glands that attach to your hair follicles. When you’re low on zinc, these follicles become weak, causing strands to break off or fall out. To combat this problem, eat zinc-heavy foods such as red meats, poultry, mussels, shrimp, nuts, and oysters. Excessive amounts of zinc can eventually lead to hair loss, so it’s best to stick to a zinc-heavy diet rather than eat these foods and take a zinc supplement.

Potatoes

It may be tempting to eat fast food, but greasy foods are among the worst culprits for hair loss. If you have a craving for a burger and fries, your best bet is to cook the burger yourself and dice, season and bake some potato wedges (leaving the skins on) to go along with it. Try to limit your intake of excessively cold, spicy and sugary foods as well. These can tax your body, and when your body’s fighting something unhealthy, it’s not functioning at its peak level.

A Balanced Diet

Just as your overall health will benefit from eating a balanced diet, so too should the health of your hair. Once it’s gone, it’s gone, so don’t put foods in your body that speed up hair loss. You may be experiencing a thinning on top already, but you can counteract this (or at least slow it down) by eating from every food group daily — concentrating on foods that are rich in protein, iron, silica, and zinc.

Resources: AskMen.com

Hairloss Treatment Tip: Try BayBerry Oil

Lisa    Natural Hair loss Treatments, Research and latest Discoveries     all natural treatment, bayberry oil

BayBerry is not just a pretty color to decorate with anymore. When it comes to hair loss treatments, many people prefer all natural options to medications. Medications that can sometimes be quite costly.  So let’s examine the bayberry treatment option, shall we?

Bayberry Essential Oil and Jojoba Oil

According to Jennie Harding, author of “The Essential Oils Handbook: All the Oils You Will Ever Need for Health, Vitality and Well-Being,” a mixture of bayberry essential oil and jojoba oil can be used to help stop hair loss. Bayberry has long been thought to have antibacterial properties as well as improving circulation.

What was once used by the Native American Indians by boiling the leaves into a tea to fight infection, can now help with hair loss. It is important to point out that it has not been shown to re grow hair….but to stop the loss of hair.

The tea form is also know to tone up tissue which could essentially strengthen hair follicles and scalp tissues. Hence, putting the cab-bash on hair loss. We have already discussed in detail the benefits of scalp massage,  so utilize the mixture below the next time you feel a tingling for a scalp rub!

The bayberry mixture

To make this mixture, combine ½ tsp. bayberry essential oil and 6 tsp. jojoba oil in a small container and stir to combine. With clean fingertips, gently massage a small amount of the mixture onto the scalp for three or four minutes. Rinse the scalp and hair with lukewarm water and wash your hair with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. This treatment can be used daily as long as it doesn’t cause any irritation, and unused portions can be kept for one month in a cool, dark place.

How about it. Have you experimented with bayberry oil to treat your hair loss? What were your results? Do you have your own mixture you can share?

All Natural Hair Loss Treatment: Video Tip

Lisa    Hair Loss Treatments, Natural Hair loss Treatments     all natural hairl loss treatment, hair loss video

Many people are against medicinal cures or treatments for hair loss. So what are the alternatives? Check out this video below for some all natural hairloss remedies that may suit your fancy.

With ever changing advances in hair loss treatments, it would be wise to check out all of your available options. So watch the video and leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Now this is a scalp massage

admin    Hair Loss Treatments, Natural Hair loss Treatments    

What an exciting time! A fresh new discovery at hand that is turning a lot of heads, so in light of all of these good wonderful vibes, hers is something that will make you smile!

Would love to try one out myself!

Swedish Scalp Massage

admin    Hair Loss Treatments, Natural Hair loss Treatments    

The Swedish Scalp Massage is a wonderful scalp relaxing exercise that can release accumulated tension as well as increase the circulation and blood flow to the follicles. The theory is all about circular motion, that starts from the back of the head progressively to the crown and temporal areas.

New Proposal on the mechanism of Finasteride Part 2

admin    Finasteride, Research and latest Discoveries    

We received a lot of feedback regarding our last video about the mechanism of Finasteride, and decided to post a quick follow up that will clarify many of the suppositions stated on the previous video.

A brief important note: Even if the assumption that Finasteride does not regenerate Vellus hairs the way most people thought it did, the fact that it does prolong the Anagen phase is reason enough to follow the treatment. It has always been known that Finasteride is an efficient treatment for moderate hair loss, where the regeneration of new hairs from “scratch” is not something that is expected.

Revolutionzing how we think Finasteride works

admin    Finasteride, Research and latest Discoveries    

A new study is stating that Finasteride is not clinically converting weaker hairs into stronger thicker hairs, instead, its prolonging the Anagen hairs, in a similar fashion of the Minoxidil process.

If this were to be true, this would completely change the way we are looking into the use of Finasteride as a treatment. It wouldn’t really make it obsolete, but it would certainly mean that its solely a hair preservative system, and that in reality it would not promote new hair growth.

As a matter of fact, the supposition that Finsteride is helpful being the preservation of current hair health has been a subject of a lot of debate and speculation.

Exercises that relax the scalp

admin    Hair Loss Treatments, Natural Hair loss Treatments    

Scalp exercises are essential to increase the circulation and blood flow to the scalp, but also to improve irritation and the conduction of nutrients to the follicles.

One of the main aspects that needs to be considered is the fact that people suffering from Hair loss tend to have very rigid, and contracted scalps. Usually, the rigidity is more noticeable in the areas most affected by hair loss, and the presence of DHT. Scalp exercises really help release tension, and most importantly increase the blood circulation of the affected areas.

There are numerous exercises that can positively affect the scalp, but during this first post that is part of a series of future scalp exercises tutorials that we will be publishing, we will solely focus on relaxation rather then optimization of circulation.

1. Place both hands firmly in the back of the scalp, and without moving the fingers or hands, move the scalp up and down making sure that the entire front, center and back area are being affected by the movement.

2. Place your hands on the left sides of your scalp and contract the scalp towards the middle/center region of the scalp. The movement is up and down but focusing on the middle crown area. This will lift skin of the top of the scalp, separating it from its dominant area. The second movement is down, focusing on the sides and temporal area, contracting the top of the scalp back to its original position.

These exercises, if done frequently, at 2 times a day, 10 minutes per day will greatly reduce the amount of tension that is accumulates in these sensitive, affected areas of the scalp.

Our next tutorial will focus on the optimization of the blood flow to the scalp, when the scalp has already been relived of unnecessary tension.