Prevent Hair Damage and Hair Loss: Cosmetic Ingredients for Scalp Care



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There are millions who battle some form of hair loss, spending upwards of $3.5 million annually on treatment solutions that oftentimes are ineffective. Though hair loss is commonly due to genetics, it can also stem from unhealthy or aged scalp conditions. Research recently conducted by Rhonda Allison — founder and CEO of Rhonda Allison cosmetics — found many of the cosmetic ingredients used to maintain skin health produce the same rejuvenating benefits when applied to the scalp and hair.

The scalp ages much like the rest of the body’s skin. It loses tone and elasticity, and cell production declines. As the scalp ages, the hair weakens. It is part of the life cycle of the hair follicle, but that lifespan can be extended when the same methods and ingredients for skin care are applied to the scalp.

‘Through research, we now know that many of the ingredients traditionally used in aesthetic treatments also have the power to inhibit the progression of hair damage and loss’, Allison said. ‘Using cosmetic-grade peptides, amino acids, antioxidants, and organic stem cell technology, we can stimulate the mitochondria, support keratin, fight free radicals, and maintain a healthy hair cycle’.

In healthy conditions, hair strands go through three stages – the anagen (active growth) phase, catagen (transition/end of active growth) stage, and the telogen (resting) phase. The hair falls out and is usually replaced by new hair. The cycle continues like clockwork, but as the scalp ages or is affected by a disorder or disease, the cycle can be disrupted.

Factors that can disrupt the cycle and trigger hair loss:

·         disease and illness

·         stress

·         thyroid diseases and hormones

·         nutritional deficiencies

·         medications and surgery

‘Nutrition inside and out is vital to correcting and avoiding disruptions’, Allison said. ‘Internally healthy hair thrives on micronutrients including vitamin B, amino acids and proteins. Externally the hair and scalp need a system of preventative and corrective care that includes cleansing, strengthening, building and restoring’.

Some ingredients that can actively inhibit the progression of hair damage and loss include the following:

·         peptides and amino acids – like extracts from the bark of Indian Kino Tree (Pterocarpus marsupium), they improve hair density, increase the number of follicles, prevent scalp disorders, and stimulate the cells that improve root anchoring and strength;

·         antioxidants – thioctic is a powerful dual antioxidant that maintains protection of extra-cellular proteins, fights free radicals and limits lipid oxidative degradation;

·         vitamin B – an example is inositol, which is part of a complex that stimulates protein biosynthesis and cell vitality, proliferates cell growth and increases energy production;

·         enzymes and proteins – ingredients like Panthenyl Ethyl Ether, Milk Protein and Lactose can stimulate protein biosynthesis and cell vitality, increase energy production in scalp tissue, and anchor hair to the root. Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein also works to slow hair loss and encourage nutrient assimilation to help hair growth.

‘While these ingredients are vital, it’s important to take into consideration ingredient levels and how they are being combined’, Allison said. ‘Just as with skin care formulas, be sure to look beyond ingredient listings and learn what levels are being used and what, if any, research supports the formulation’.

Q and A: 5-ARIs Induce High-Grade Prostate Cancer

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States informed the public of new safety information for drugs called 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs). Men who take these drugs may have an increased risk of being diagnosed with a more serious form of prostate cancer (high-grade prostate cancer). The Warnings and Precautions section of the labels for all FDA-approved 5-ARIs has been revised to include information about this risk.

Q1. What should men do if they are currently taking 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs)?

A. Men who are currently taking 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs) should consult a healthcare professional to discuss the risks and benefits of these medications. Men should not stop taking their medication unless directed to do so by a healthcare professional.

Q2. How should men taking 5-ARIs be screened for prostate cancer?

A. There is no universally accepted screening test for prostate cancer, including high-grade prostate cancer. The most commonly used screening method is prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood testing combined with a digital (finger) rectal exam.

A PSA test checks for elevated serum PSA levels, which may indicate the presence of prostate cancer. A digital rectal exam involves a healthcare professional inserting a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum to feel for enlargement, hardness or growths.

It is important to note that 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs) decrease serum PSA levels by approximately 50%. Any confirmed increase in PSA in men taking 5-ARIs, even if the value is within the normal range for men not taking 5-ARIs, should be evaluated by a healthcare professional. Men taking 5-ARIs should discuss the need for prostate cancer screening with a healthcare professional.

Q3. Are there other medications to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or male pattern baldness?

A. Yes. Another class of medications called alpha-blockers is approved to treat the symptoms of BPH. Medications in the alpha-blocker class include tamsulosin (Flomax), doxazosin (Cardura), terazosin (Hytrin), alfuzosin (Uroxatral), and silodosin (Rapaflo). However, 5-ARIs are the only medications that have been shown to reduce the risk of urinary retention or surgery related to an enlarged prostate.

Minoxidil is a topical product that is available over the counter in various formulations to treat male pattern hair loss.

Sporting Baldness

Soccer star Wayne Rooney might not seem like the most vain man we have ever met, but he must be sensitive about his thinning hair.

The Manchester United player, who is distinctly having a receding hairline than most 25-year-olds, has admitted that he has undergone a hair transplant.

He made the admission via Twitter after he was spotted visiting a specialist hair loss clinic in London’s famous Harley Street.

He tweeted: ‘Just to confirm to all my followers, I have had a hair transplant. I was going bald at 25, why not. I’m delighted with the result.

‘It’s still a bit bruised and swollen. When it dies down, you will be the first to see it. Anyone recommend any good hair gel? Ha-ha’.

The Sun had quoted a source as saying: ‘Wayne booked in for a two-day treatment. He’ll look five years younger.

‘Wayne has been thinking about treatment for some time. He asked to meet a model who had the procedure and was so impressed he booked in for a two-day treatment. Doctors have told him to expect significant improvement’.

Rooney is claimed to have previously tried pills and lotions with no luck, so is now thought to have resorted to follicle transplants.

Hair follicle transplantation involves the removal of a part of the scalp—like the back and sides of the head—containing active hair follicles and placing it on a balding area of the head. Hair transplantation is deemed to be a very expensive yet effective means of obtaining hair regrowth. This is usually the last resort for balding persons, including Hollywood stars, sports celebrities, and famous businessmen.

Aside from the high cost, hair transplants—though considered to be a minor surgery—still entail risks such as excessive bleeding and getting a ‘doll’s hair’ look. This hair restoration procedure, however, has proven to be successful for many.

The Science of Temporal Hair Loss

Most people these days are aware their parents are the cause for genetic baldness and fortunately all those old snake oil cure-alls are disappearing. Most ‘cures’ that were peddled were for vasodilators (opening blood capillaries), while at the same time creating heat. The principal being that when the ‘tonic’ would heat the scalp, blood vessels would open to disperse this heat and in so doing would feed hairs, but it wasn’t until transplanting hairs came along that it was realized your own body shut down the blood to the bald scalp where the hair roots no longer needed the strong sub-epidermal capillary supply.

When hormones are more readily able to enter the cells in the follicles and the hair roots where they will combine with enzymes, they are able to stimulate a chemical messenger that can then trigger the ageing factors of the DNA. This consequence of ageing of the hair follicle cells will result in hair follicles reducing in size, and as a result a decreased hair root cell activity.

These two actions also decrease the available blood supply at the hair roots. The sub-epidermal area can carry three quarters of the scalp blood (and is always the first area affected as the scalp tightens). When the hair follicles start to die, they will increasingly draw the blood from the dermal area. Consequently, the decreased requirement for sub-epidermal blood results in calcification of the capillaries, which obviously results in less blood available, slower healing, less hair and receding hair loss.

Follicle length also determines the length of the growth phase for that particular hair—shorter follicles produce shorter hairs like those found on the arms and face of a child. In the adolescent male, the facial and main trunk hairs which are genetically designed to grow are stimulated by the production of testosterone to produce deeper follicles resulting in stronger hair in those areas.

How to Achieve Faster Regrowth after Hair Transplantation

Instead of waiting 9 months or more for a hair transplant to grow in, hair transplant patients may have a way to achieve faster regrowth. Dr. Larry Shapiro found a nutritional supplement that can result in complete growth in 6 month for 89 percent of patients. The supplement contains nutrients specifically chosen for their positive effects on hair, in a whey protein concentrate base.

South Florida hair transplant doctor Larry Shapiro presented a paper demonstrating how a nutritional supplement containing whey protein concentrate and other nutrients can make transplanted hair grow in more quickly, giving hair transplant patients faster results. This new research is based on the theory that increased anabolic metabolism can affect regeneration of the hair follicle.

A hair transplant involves removing healthy hair follicles and placing them in balding areas of the scalp. The presentation examined how hair loss can be connected to lifestyle products, specifically an anabolic that elevates testosterone and DHT. These products include growth hormones, steroids, weight gainers, creatine, and whey protein isolate.

Research on how whey protein isolate could possibly contribute to hair loss was presented. Whey protein isolate is the most common source of protein in workout products.

Dr. L. Shapiro’s goal was to create a workout supplement that does not cause hair loss. He researched whey protein production and questioned whether processing whey protein concentrate into whey protein isolate could increase testosterone when ingested. Increased testosterone might contribute to hair loss in men who have the gene for male pattern balding.

As a substitute for whey protein isolate, the doctor used whey protein concentrate as the base for a nutritional supplement that would not contribute to hair loss. He researched minerals, traditional herbs, and vitamins that may enhance the hair. The result was his enhanced whey protein concentrate formulation.

Dr. L. Shapiro noticed when his patients took the nutritional supplement after a hair transplant, their transplanted hair grew in more quickly than he expected. Typically, there is a dormancy phase and hair transplant patients need to allow time for the hair to grow in—usually nine months or more.

‘This is a huge breakthrough in the field of hair transplantation’, said Dr. Larry Shapiro. ‘Patients want faster results! Using the supplement results in faster regrowth. No one else has explored this aspect of hair transplantation’.

A user study of 115 hair transplant subjects was conducted. Dr. Shapiro gave them the supplement to take twice daily after their hair transplant. The subjects then experienced ‘significant’ growth 12 weeks after their hair transplant. However, the control group had no significant growth at that time period. A follow-up study of 52 of these subjects showed most patients (89 percent) had complete growth 6 months after their hair transplant, while the controls took 9 months to have complete growth.

Hair transplant doctors from Australia, Brazil, Finland, Germany, Norway, Poland, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, and Turkey have recognized the significance of the nutritional supplement for accelerating follicular restoration after a hair transplant. Dr. Shapiro has offered to train these doctors to become AFR (accelerated follicular restoration) physicians so their hair transplant patients can have faster results.

Dr. Larry Shapiro is a dermatologist who specializes in hair loss treatment. He has been in practice since 1989 in the same South Florida locations and has performed over 11,000 hair transplant procedures. Dr. L. Shapiro was the first to do a ‘strip incision’ and the first doctor in the Southern U.S. to specialize in micro-mini grafts.