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A study published in the British Journal of Dermatology suggests that subcutaneous placement of testosterone pellets may boost hair regrowth in some women.
This retrospective analysis examined patients who had androgen deficiency. Of the 285 patients studied, seventy-six had some degree of hair loss prior to beginning treatment. At one year on testosterone replacement 63% reported an increase in hair regrowth on the scalp.
A meta-analysis of six studies suggests a moderate linkage between balding at the crown and heart disease. The Japanese research team that investigated the linkage suggested that more investigation be done to target the medical causes of the linkage.
A study of Australian men between the ages of 40 and 69 suggests that men who were mostly bald by the age of 40 were more likely to develop prostate cancer in their 50s or 60s. The Melbourne Collaborative Cohort study of about 10,000 men showed that men who have high levels of testosterone may be more vulnerable to cancerous prostate tumors.
The team of scientists that conducted the long-term study, which was published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, reported that both baldness and prostate cancer are age-related and androgen dependent conditions, so these findings are not surprising. The statement said, “We found that baldness at the age of 40 might be a marker of increased risk of prostate cancer.”
Sometimes an “accident” in the laboratory can lead to a remarkable breakthrough. Penicillin, Botox, Viagra, and Minoxidil — the active ingredient in Rogaine — were all unintended discoveries that led to treatments for a variety of conditions. A similar twist of fate, this time by researchers at UCLA, could lead scientists to a new hair loss treatment.
Synopsis: This publication reviews the major advances in the science of hair loss that have occurred over the past decade. These include advances in the diagnosis of androgenetic alopecia, advances in our understanding of the mechanisms behind genetic hair loss, studies in the efficacy of medical treatment of hereditary baldness, the development and FDA-approval of the lasercomb device for hair restoration, and the development of a screening test for hair loss.
Synopsis: This paper describes a case where severe psychological stress caused a patient’s hair shaft to be altered so that it mimicked an infestation of head lice. The correct diagnosis was made by microscopic examination of the deformed hair shafts.
