Thursday, February 11, 2010

Regaine or Minoxidil - Is there any difference between them?

Regaine is the first medication in the history approved by FDA for treating male pattern hair loss. By now it has been approved and is available as a cure for male pattern baldness worldwide. Its main active ingredient is minoxidil, a vasodilator that was originally used in the form of an oral drug Loniten to treat high blood pressure. Minoxidil is a hair-growth stimulant but its exact working is still not known. As Loniten has long come off patent, generic minoxidil is widely available in drugstores at a very reasonable price and in most countries it does not require a doctor’s prescription.

Both Regaine and generic minoxidil solutions come in concentrations of 2% for women and 5% for men but many experimental, generic products use concentrations of up to 20%. Minoxidil is frequently blamed for causing various negative side effects. Since it has become the most commonly-used drug for treating baldness, its side effects are very well documented and they happen to be often exaggerated. In less than one percent of patients they include an irregulRegaine For Womenar or fast heart beat, very low blood pressure, blurred vision, swelling face and ankles, numbness in the hands, etc. These symptoms are directly related to minoxidil being a vasodilator. In addition, minoxidil can cause increased hair growth on the face and other parts of the body. This is due to its ability to stimulate hair growth. But some side effects that minoxidil is often blamed for are not caused by minoxidil itself. They include inflammation, itchiness and redness of the scalp, dandruff and allergic reactions. These side effects can be attributed to the vehicles used in the solution, such as propylene glycol and isopropyl alcohol (propanol). Many hair loss sufferers have discontinued their minoxidil treatment because of scalp problems, although minoxidil rarely causes such negative reactions.

Furthermore, many generic, hair loss products contain supplementary ingredients that are supposed to enhance their overall efficacy, such as azelaic acid, retinoic acid, herbal extracts, etc. These substances, especially the herbal extracts, are known to be allergenic to many people. It is advisable to try several different minoxidil-based products, for instance, those that do not contain propylene glycol, in order to test their tolerability for your scalp. A more expensive product, e.g. the original formulation - Regaine solution - is not necessarily a better option than a less expensive generic mixture. However, Regaine foam, though quite expensive, is typically very well tolerated. Anti-dandruff shampoos, e.g. Nizoral, can, in the majority of patients, be employed successfully to treat scalp inflammations, itchiness and dandruff caused by the use of minoxidil-based topical products.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Head Lice - Is Your Child Suffering With Them Eating Their Scalp

Have you ever seen your child rubbing his/her scalp quite often? Or else possibly you've heard of an infestation of head lice at their school? You can probably discover if your son/daughter has head lice by putting into practice some easy evaluation at home.

The simplest way to notice head lice is by noticing their eggs on your child's hair. Lice eggs are also sometimes known as nits. Head lice will lay these eggs on your child's hair shaft close to the scalp. This is why a head check requires looking at your child's scalp. Before the baby lice hatch, nits look clear, tan, yellow or brown. Once the louse has hatched, the part that is left will remain glued to your child's hair shaft. This is the simplest thing to observe, as they are whitish, and resembles like dandruff. The main difference between dandruff and head lice eggs is dandruff is easily shaken from the hair shaft, while lice eggs are fused to the shaft.

Sometimes you will be able to easily identify head lice, especially if your child's hair is short. A lot of parents understand that their little ones are infected when they see the lice climbing through their children's hair.
Lyclear Repellent
Of course, Head scratching is an additional indication of head lice infestation. In saying that not all children find head lice to be irritating. Also, scratching their scalp might be an indication of other troubles, such as dandruff. The itching from nits is usually compared to a tickle, or the feeling of something crawling on the scalp.

Children who have thin-skinned scalps, and spend a lot of time scraping there head due to the head lice will regularly develop a rash on their scalp. Head lice rash will appear as a red bump on the base of the scalp. It might sometimes turn into a more serious infection that needs antibiotics.

If you think your child may be suffering from head lice, part their hair and observe the bottom of the hair strands for the nits. Pay more attention to the areas of scalp around the ears and neck. If you find it a struggle to focus up close, you might want to try a magnifying glass. It is also advised to do the lice checking in bright light.

If you find nothing, but the scratching does not go away, it is recommended to see the doctor. Conversely, if there is constant scratching, and you've heard of an infestation at school, you probably can be sure that the cause is head lice.

To cure head lice you can buy Lyclear, an effective treatment for head lice from any leading Pharmacy Online. Make sure you follow the application guidelines, because improper use will not kill all of the lice. You will also need to thoroughly comb your child's hair with a fine tooth comb to remove any nits that are not eliminated.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Propecia – Hair Loss Treatment

Propecia is good news for those who face the potentially embarrassing problem of balding. Propecia is a prescription only pill which is used for the treatment of male pattern hair loss, typically on the top and middle front of the head. The pill is for use by men only and comes as a great relief to many. If you are in the market for Propecia it is always advised to make sure that you consult your doctor before you use them. It is also advised that you should take Propecia only as directed by your doctor. In the same way, you should not stop the use of Propecia prior to consulting your doctor. Just in case you have any liver diseases do inform your doctor before you take this medicine.

Propecia increases hair growth on the scalp and prevents further hair loss in men. Men with mild to moderate, but not complete hair loss, can benefit from using Propecia. Propecia is for use in men only. The active ingredient in Propecia Tablets is Finasteride. In the scalp, Propecia specifically lowers the levels of DHT, a major cause of male pattern hair loss. In this way, Propecia helps to reverse the balding process, leading to an increased hair growth and prevention of further hair loss in men.

Women who are already pregnant or those who may become pregnant, it is highly advised that they should not handle broken Propecia tablets since the medication could be absorbed through the skin. It is known to cause birth defects in a developing male baby. In case your daily dose of the medicine gets skipped, it is advised to take it as soon as possible. And just in case it is already time for the next dose, you can skip the missed dose and go back to your regular schedule.

You should not be taking two doses at a time. Possible side effects include allergic reactions like closing of throat, swelling of lips, face or tongue or difficulty in breathing. You can continue to take Propecia and notify your doctor if you experience any side effects like low sex drive, decreased volume of ejaculate, difficulty in getting or maintaining an erection or breast tenderness. Some other side effects not mentioned here may also be possible. It is always preferable that you talk to your doctor as soon you feel that some side effect is bothering you. You should also seek immediate medical attention if a Propecia overdose is suspected. Make sure you talk to your doctor before you buy Propecia from an online pharmacy or any other local drugstore.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Hair loss in females

Hair loss is not a common problem in females. Main reason for hair loss in females is the over stressed life style which they live throughout the day.
A big number of females are living a stress life and suffer unwanted hair fall out. One among the ten adults across the UK is enduring hair loss or pre-mature baldness due to stress.
Females have started facing the problem of hair fall more than males, with over 74% saying that they live a stressed life in comparison to 59% of males.
The married female’s generations who have been trying to maintain all - work, home, relationship and raise children - are the worst hit. These Females pay the price for long hours at work and home with stress-related illnesses.
Many of the survey report says that females who are between the age group of 35 and 45 are the most likely to suffer from stress-related conditions, and almost 12 percent of females say stress makes their hair fall out compared to just eight per cent of males.
Alopecia Areata, where random bald patches on the head occur, is normally a result of stress which can turn into alopecia totalis, complete baldness, like that television presenter Gail Porter has suffered. Gail lost all her hair due to stress after the breakdown of her marriage.
One of the survey reports says that the most common cause of stress is tight work schedule, while one third of respondents naming that as the most stressful aspect of their life. Around 41 percent says that stress makes them smoke or drink more and a whopping 81 percent says that they argue more with their friends and family when stressed.
One in two women says that they can’t sleep at night and a whopping 72 percent says that they turn to comfort eating to ease their stress.

Hair Loss in male

For many of males around the world, hair loss is something like going into hell. They think that it will make them to stand as the faces aging process in front of others. If hair loss has become a problem for you then, you are not the only one; if you will simply walk down the street you will find many others like you. Around 25% of male start losing hair before they reach the age of 30 and two thirds before the 60. Sometimes male can begin losing hair in their teen age too and can reach their early twenties with very less hair left on the crown of their head.
Androgenetic alopecia is known as male pattern baldness which has a defined pattern of hair loss. It starts with a slight decrease of hairs at the front hairline and is followed by thinning on the crown of the head. The hair above the ears and at the nape of the neck always remains unaffected with this. The hair follicles are genetically predisposed to be oversensitive to the DHT and become smaller and smaller with time, leading to the eventual male hair loss.
Alopecia Areata is an extremely common condition of male kin balding which affects 1% to 2% of the population at some point of time in their lives. Most affected with this are children and young adults, it can affect people of all age group. Problem of hair loss is sudden and manifests itself in small, smooth-skinned patches that are likely to gradually increase with time. The exact cause for hair loss is still unknown. If the hair loss continues until all the scalp hair is lost this is known as alopecia totalis or alopecia Universalist if all the body hair is lost as well.
Hair loss can also be the result from a dry, damaged and itchy scalp problem. Inflammation of the scalp produces superoxide, which causes hair shedding and leads to diffuse hair loss.

What is Hair Loss

Hair loss
Hair growth in humans is always unstable which means while some of the hair grows that time remaining hairs remains in resting stage. For a person who is not losing his hairs, about 90% of the hairs on his head are in a 2-7 years growing phase. The remaining 10% are in a phase of experiencing a 2-4 month resting phase. As one hair sheds, a new one replaces it. This is a process which repeats itself over and over again for many years in most of the people.
Problem of hair loss occurs when this continues process becomes skewed. Instead of the increment in re-growth rate of hairs faster than the shed rate, it decreases, thus, in result to this shedding exceeds the rate of re-growth.
DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) is a kind of hormone. Presence of this hormone is directly linked with hair loss. DHT hormone is formed when testosterone and 5-alpha-reductase merge. This excess of DHT leads to follicles that grow back shorter and thinner. After some time, this DHT imbalance leads to baldness.
Reason behind DHT imbalance is believed to be caused by genetics or an underlying medical condition.
Some of the reasons behind hair loss are:
1. Improper Nutrition supply in body
2. Different Medications
3. Hair damaging products
4. Heavy medical treatments
5. Scalp Disease or Infection
6. Disease
Most of these can be treatable with a variety of products that are available at various shops according to prescription. It is advised to consult the doctor to help diagnose the problem.