Baldness

No one yet knows all the factors that cause some people to get bald and others not. It IS known that there is a genetic factor. It also is known that there are specific things anyone can do to upregulate that baldness susceptibility gene and others one can do to downregulate it.

For example, it is well known that long standing stress can promote hair loss. One of the reasons for that is the fact that muscle tension of the scalp muscles tend to shut off the circulation to the scalp just as your knuckles turn white when you make a fist--and for the same reasons. Less nutrition to the hair follicles certainly would bring on baldness sooner than it would ordinarily happen without that muscle tension. SO, the regular practice of Skilled Relaxation would help this factor. I have had patients prematurely balding that had all of their hair come back by doing SR alone.

Next, it is known that free radical pathology promotes aging. Theree are few 10 year olds who are balding but many 30 year olds. SO, aging has something to do with it. High doses of antioxidents help retard aging (at least 4 grams of esterified vitamin C a day and 1000 units of natural mixed tocopherols vitamin E would go a long way to help that. Actually, we are still a long way from understanding how a wholefoods diet helps retard aging but it does. SO a healthy wholefoods diet would be a good thing for anyone experiencing premature hair loss.

Smokers get bald early perhaps because of the free radicals it produces.

Since exercise makes SR and diet work better, one might consider that as well. However, marathoners tend to lose their hair earlier. SO, resonable exercise should be added but stop short of compulsive overexercising. Until the hair loss ceases, I would recommend a good food supplement as well.

Walt Stoll, M.D.

Articles

Sites

Baldness archives from the 'Ask Dr. Stoll' BBS

There have been a few posts to the Ask Dr Stoll Bulletin Board (BB) regarding Baldness. Many of them have been archived here

• MPB Research - offers unbiased information about hair growth research, treatments, and drugs.
  hair loss, balding, male pattern baldness, propecia, proscar, nizoral, minoxodil>American Hair Loss Council - non-profit organization that provides the public with non-biased information on treatments and options for hair loss.
• Hair Loss Foundation - dedicated to researching treatments for hair loss and verifying product claims for hair growth.
  Propecia, hair loss, hairloss, finasteride, DHT, balding, Proscar, Rogaine, Minoxidil
• Hair Loss Information Center
• Hair Replacement Surgery - information from the Plastic Surgery Information Service.
• Hairloss Information Center - provides men & women with a clearinghouse for important info about thinning hair, baldness & alopecia.
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• Locks of Love - not-for-profit organization provides hair prosthetics for children who have developed long-term medical hair loss. Service is free or on a sliding scale to children whose parents or guardians can prove financial hardship.
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• Regrowth Hair Loss Network - reference and guide for hair loss discussing treatments, transplants, hair systems and more.
  Propecia, hair loss, hairloss, finasteride, DHT, balding, Proscar, Rogaine, Minoxidil