Excerpt from the interview: Julie Chen: Dr. Bernstein, I want to go through all the options that are available for women, but what is the difference between female and male hair loss option-wise. What can we do to treat it? Dr. Bernstein: The main difference medically is that women have hair loss often from hormonal changes and it's due to an imbalance between progesterones and estrogens. That equilibrium can be reestablished with medication. Often birth control pills can do that.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, who were investigating the biological causes of androgenetic alopecia or common genetic hair loss, have discovered that levels of a certain inhibitor protein, called Prostaglandin D2 (PD2), are elevated in bald areas on the scalp. This discovery could be an important breakthrough in developing a medical hair loss treatment that regulates the production of the protein, or one that blocks it from attaching to its receptor protein.
Q: I know that I am going to be bald because my father is bald and I am losing my hair just like him. What actually causes this kind of hair loss? -- J.P., Paradise Valley, Arizona A: Although there are many different causes, the overwhelming number of people that have hair loss have what is referred to as "patterned hair loss" or "androgenetic alopecia." In men, it is due to a hormone called DHT, which is a by-product of testosterone produced by the action of the enzyme 5-alpha reductase. This enzyme is inhibited by the hair loss medication Propecia. See the causes of hair loss in men page on the Bernstein Medical - Center for Hair Restoration website for more information. In women, the mechanism is a little bit more complex as another enzyme, aromatase, is involved in the metabolic pathway. See the causes of hair loss in women page on the Bernstein Medical - Center for Hair Restoration website for more information. We know that the inheritance comes from both the mother's and father's side, although the actual genes causing hair loss in men and women have not yet been identified. Statistically, the inheritance from the maternal side…
Q: Dr. Bernstein, a lot of older women are taking testosterone to restore libido, but are they going to suffer hair loss as a consequence? A: They can. In women there is a delicate balance between the androgens, i.e. testosterone and estrogens. Estrogen is protective to some degree against hair loss in women, which is why most women don't experience such severe hair loss as do men. When a woman takes testosterone supplements it upsets that balance and can cause hair loss. However, hair loss in post-menopausal women is usually due to age related changes. Typically, the hair decreases in size in a genetically determined progression that seems not to be directly related to changes in the levels of hormones. For more information, please see the Causes of Hair Loss in Women page on the Bernstein Medical - Center for Hair Restoration website.
Hair Loss & Replacement For Dummies, written by internationally renowned hair transplant pioneers Dr. Robert M. Bernstein and Dr. William R. Rassman and published in 2008, is one of the best hair loss and hair transplant resources available for the layperson. Now it is also one of the best resources for the layperson… who owns a Kindle wireless reading device.
Hair transplantation for women is in vogue. In more ways than one. Dr. Bernstein was featured in an article in the 'Beauty' section of the October 2012 issue of British Vogue. After describing a visit to Bernstein Medical - Center for Hair Restoration in New York City and giving readers a primer on hair transplant surgery, the article turns to Dr. Bernstein to describe the surge in popularity of the treatment of hair loss in women.
As the taboo of women’s hair loss gradually dissipates, more women than ever are seeking treatment for hair loss caused by stress, pregnancy, genetics, and a variety of other medical conditions and behavioral causes. Dr. Bernstein is quoted in an article in the New York Post identifying the upward trend of women seeking hair loss treatments.
Dr. Christine Shaver, head of Bernstein Medical’s Manhattan office, has seen complex and varied causes of female hair loss over her career as a dermatologic surgeon. She recently spoke to SheFinds.com about whether women can use minoxidil, a hair loss treatment that is more often recommended for men with genetic thinning. While men and women […]
A double-blind scientific study published in the May 2012 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology has found that latanoprost, a drug that mimics naturally-derived compound molecules called prostaglandins, significantly increases hair density on the scalp after 24 weeks of treatment in young men with mild hair loss.
Q: I'm currently 24 years old. Ever since turning 20, my hair on top began to thin little by little. I have noticeable thinning on the top part of my scalp and on my crown, but have no recession at the temples. My hairline looks amazingly young and hair on the donor areas seems quite thick. Am I in the early stages of male patterned baldness? I cannot place myself in the Norwood scale since my thinning doesn't seem to follow the classic pattern. I just started on Propecia. Should I be considering a hair transplant? -- B.R., Landover, MD A: From the description, it sounds like you have typical Diffuse Patterned Hair Loss or Diffuse Patterned Alopecia (DPA). In this condition, the top of the scalp thins evenly, the donor area remains stable, and the hairline is preserved for a considerable period of time. Please see: Classification of Hair Loss in Men for more information. Propecia would be the best treatment at the outset. When the hair loss becomes more significant, patients with DPA are generally good candidates for surgical hair restoration. It is important, however, that your donor area is checked for miniaturization to be sure that it…