Clue to male baldness discovered

By Helen BriggsHealth editor, BBC News website 
Half of men have thinning hair by 50 
A biological clue to male baldness has been discovered, raising the prospect of a treatment to stop or even reverse thinning hair.

In studies of bald men and laboratory mice, US scientists pinpointed a protein that triggers hair loss.

Drugs that target the pathway are already in development, they report in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

The research could lead to a cream to treat baldness.

Most men start to go bald in middle age, with about 80% of men having some hair loss by the age of 70.

The male sex hormone testosterone plays a key role, as do genetic factors. They cause the hair follicles to shrink, eventually becoming so small that they are invisible, leading to the appearance of baldness. Reverse balding?

Now, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have analysed which genes are switched on when men start to go bald.

They found levels of a key protein called prostaglandin D synthase are elevated in the cells of hair follicles located in bald patches on the scalp, but not in hairy areas.

Mice bred to have high levels of the protein went completely bald, while transplanted human hairs stopped growing when given the protein.

Prof George Cotsarelis, of the department of dermatology, who led the research, said: "Essentially we showed that prostaglandin protein was elevated in the bald scalp of men and that it inhibited hair growth. So we identified a target for treating male-pattern baldness.

"The next step would be to screen for compounds that affect this receptor and to also find out whether blocking that receptor would reverse balding or just prevent balding - a question that would take a while to figure out."

The inhibition of hair growth is triggered when the protein binds to a receptor on the cells of hair follicles, said Prof Cotsarelis.

Several known drugs that target this pathway have already been identified, he added, including some that are in clinical trials.

The researchers say there is potential for developing a treatment that can be applied to the scalp to prevent baldness and possibly help hair regrow.

gotquestions  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17457098

Alopecia – Women Deserve Better Care

We are seeing more and more alopecia women who approach us because they are tired of gluing hairpieces to their heads. This practice started many years ago and was first used on men with male pattern baldness. The hair piece is glued directly onto the scalp with an adhesive that can only be removed by a technician. The average wear time before removal is 6 weeks. I know exactly how they feel because I also wore glued on wigs in the past. I felt trapped in something I was unable to remove. After a few months, no matter how often I washed the hair it still had an offensive odor. The most distasteful and even medically harmful side effect was the dermatitis I developed on my skin. I had to seek medical attention from my dermatologist to help with the resulting infection. This type of hair replacement is not an alopecia treatment but a cover up. Many other hair replacement options give you security without the harmful effects of glue. Because an alopecia cure is not in sight I recommend doing your homework and reach out for alopecia support before making a decision. As a result of this awful experience I introduced the vacuum hairpiece into the American market. No tape or glue is needed to keep this hairpiece on the head. You can even swim. Alopecia women deserve a better solution than a glued on hairpiece. There is no skin irritation associated with vacuum wigs, and they leave you with a more secure feeling. There are better options available. Peggy Knight was diagnosed with Alopecia Areata, a condition that promotes hair loss and has no known cause or cure, at the age of 14. Over the last 4 decades she has transformed herself from a scared misunderstood little girl into a triumphant and confidant woman. Peggy Knight understands every emotion and fear that is associated with hair loss and has nearly completed her book with in depth details about coping and over coming the fear and rejection associated with hair loss. http://skin-care.hot-trend-now.com/alopecia-women-deserve-better-care/

The Role of the Sun in Skin Care

Many people believe that the sun is a good contributor to ensuring good skin, but always be wary that the role of the sun in skin care can only be limited in ways that it actually can do more harm than good when one is not guided accordingly. Vitamin D from the sun can be helpful for many, but it can only be left to that since we all know that we actually need to protect our skin from the sun’s harmful rays, especially from prolonged ultraviolet radiation. Here are some tips to make good use of sun exposure and avoid the dangers of getting too much of it. Always make it a point to wear sunscreen formulated with a sun protection factor (SPF) of no less than 15, regardless if the weather is cloudy or not wanting to spend a lot of time outdoors, since this will help keep your body filter out ultraviolet rays that can be reflected on the earths surface. Make sure to also reapply sunscreen every 2 to 3 hours if you plan to go swimming or get involved in sports activities. Same goes even for sunscreen that is labeled waterproof. It is always better to be safe than sorry. Also look for sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays, especially those labeled with broad spectrum protection or UVA protection for formulation with an SPF of 15 or greater. Select a sunscreen that is labeled nonacnegenic or noncomedogenic to help keep pores clear and also prevents the skin from having pimples or acne. If possible, stay away from the sun between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM, which are the times of the day when the sun happens to be the hottest. If staying indoors is unavoidable during these times, make sure to reapply sunscreen frequently and take indoor breaks every so often if you can. One good tip in knowing when it is safer to be under the sun is when your shadow is longer than you are tall, but continue to wear sunscreen just to be safe. Take note to apply more sunscreen with higher SPF when around reflective surfaces like ice, snow or water, since it intensifies the heat, as well as the ultraviolet radiation of the sun. Some medications, like prescription acne treatments or birth control pills can increase a persons sensitivity to the sun, so make sure to ask your doctor if you are taking any or both of these treatments, as well as increasing the SPF of the sunscreen to use when exposed to the sun. If you want the glow of a tan, try to fake it with self-tanners or salon tanning treatments to avoid the risk of getting harmful ultraviolet radiation. You may also want to avoid tanning beds, although manufacturers claim that tanning beds are free of UVB rays, they still use ultraviolet radiation that could also be harmful to the skin. Never ever consider applying sunscreen on your exposed skin to be wasteful, since the cost of getting skin disease costs much more than several tubes of sunscreen. Always make sure to give careful attention to children and do not hesitate to apply sunscreen on them, even double the frequency as you do on yourself. Children have more sensitive skin than adults and need it more than we do. To avoid the risk of getting over exposed you may resort to going on a healthy diet that includes vitamin supplements, especially vitamin D and can be sourced from foods like dairy products, fish, oysters or fortified cereals. Lastly, make sure to always go to a dermatologist whenever you feel something wrong in your skin, since skin cancer is very treatable when discovered early. So make the most of the information provided in this article and understand the role of the sun in skin care. http://skin-care.hot-trend-now.com/the-role-of-the-sun-in-skin-care/