Baldness is the most common name for "normal hair loss" (NOT a disease).
Also called “androgenetic (or androgenic) alopecia”, it mainly affects the male sex compared to the female one (about 80% against 50%).
In particular, the androgenic metabolite dihydrotestosterone (DHT) appears to be involved. This is formed in the follicles thanks to an enzyme called type 2 5-alpha-reductase.
The effect of this physiological mechanism is a reduction of the growth time in favor of the involution and rest time.
The result is a progressive thinning of the hair that affects specific areas in men and is more uniform in women.
When the hair is no longer sufficient to cover the scalp, baldness becomes evident and overt.
We remember that, in genetically predisposed subjects, baldness is inevitable. Any kind of treatment has a delaying or time-limited effect.
The published material is intended to allow quick access to general advice, suggestions and remedies that doctors and textbooks usually dispense for the treatment of Baldness; such indications must in no way substitute the opinion of the attending physician or other health specialists in the sector who are treating the patient.
What to do
The remedies for baldness are few and not too effective:
- Pharmacological in nature:
- Minoxidil.
- Finasteride.
- Autotransplantation.
- Alternative thickening techniques.
What NOT to do
We reiterate once again that, in most cases, baldness is hereditary and can hardly be stopped and even less reversed.
On the other hand, the statistical data indicate that there are predisposing factors of a behavioral and environmental nature.
These include:
- Smoking: Smokers show more hair loss than non-smokers. Some studies suggest an aggravation of baldness that reaches an average of 80%. The value increases with the number of cigarettes consumed; from 20 or more, the risk reaches 130%. It is probable that the mechanism involves damage to the blood vessels of the leather scalp or alteration of hormonal metabolism.
- Incomplete, incorrect or unbalanced nutrition: people who introduce an insufficient amount of protein and less than 1000kcal / day are more prone to baldness. Hair growth requires: amino acids, vitamins and minerals. In particular, the following are useful for hair development: biotin (vitamin H), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), iron and zinc.
- Psycho-physical stress: not only can it aggravate, but sometimes it triggers baldness (especially diffuse alopecia). It is certainly a determining factor, as it shortens the growth phase of the hair and promotes inflammation of the hair roots.
What to eat
Diet affects the severity of baldness above all.
In the event that some nutritional principles are missing, hair growth is compromised.
In addition, some foods contain nutrients and nutritional elements that can affect the production of dihydrotestosterone.
Useful foods are those that contain:
- Biotin or vitamin H: especially in meat, fish products, eggs, milk and derivatives. It is present in a little bioavailable form in vegetables, in some fruits and in certain legumes.
- Pantothenic acid or vitamin B5: especially in offal and legumes, in the form of coenzyme A and phosphopanthenine.
- Iron: mainly in meat, fishery products and egg yolk.
- Zinc: especially in meat, fishery products, cereals, legumes and dried fruit.
- Plant sterols: especially in oilseeds or starchy seed germ and in extraction oils. Some examples are: soy, sunflower seeds, some palm trees etc.
What NOT to Eat
There is no list of foods that can harm hair and facilitate baldness.
However, it is unequivocally accepted that they can be counterproductive:
- Alcohol abuse.
- Diets based exclusively on preserved and cooked foods.
- Single-issue diets.
- Exclusively carnivorous diets.
- Vegan diet.
Natural Cures and Remedies
Natural remedies for baldness are less effective than pharmacological ones but have a lower level of side effects. Furthermore, they can be taken as an adjunct to drug therapy. Most are also used for benign prostatic hypertrophy.
In particular, after the interruption of the treatment, hair loss resumes in an identical manner to the initial phase.
The natural products for oral use used against baldness are:
- Serenoa repens: is a South American palm rich in triglycerides, phytosterols, flavonoids and sitosterol derivatives. It appears to have anti-androgenic properties that act directly on dihydrotestosterone receptors and indirectly by inhibiting the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme. The dose is 1-2g / day of crude drug or 320mg / day of titrated and standardized extract. .
- African pigeo: it is a tree of equatorial Africa whose bark is rich in phytosterols, fatty acids, triterpenoids and alcohols. The mechanism of action is of slight inhibition on the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme. The daily dose is 75- 200mg / day of lipidosterolic extract to be taken in divided doses and on a full stomach.
- Pumpkin seeds: these are the seeds contained in the fruits produced by the pumpkin plant. Very rich in lipophilic molecules, they provide a significant amount of betasterols which seem to partially inhibit the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone. The daily dose is 10g of unsalted whole seeds or 500mg / day of extract.
The natural products used against baldness for topical use have three functions: astringent, eudermic and stimulating the microcirculation.
These remedies must necessarily be applied with the massage / friction of the scalp.
They can be divided into:
- Alcoholic solution: a few drops are enough. Examples of ingredients are extracts of: walnut, elm, thyme and burdock.
- Aqueous solution: examples of ingredients to be infused are: soapwort, nettle, rosemary and chilli.
Pharmacological treatment
There are two pharmacological remedies for baldness approved by the "Food and Drug Administration" (FDA):
- Minoxidil: is a topical product. It is more effective in the vertex area (above the nape of the neck). Its mechanism of action is not entirely clear.
- Finasteride: is an oral drug. Counteracts the action of the type 2 5-alpha-reductase enzyme.
Both require at least 3-6 months of application and are more effective when baldness is in an early or intermediate state.
- Sulphate oestrone is a drug used almost exclusively for the treatment of FEMALE androgenic alopecia (in men the suitability of this therapy must be carefully considered). To be used topically, sulphate oestrone acts by prolonging the hair growth phase.
Prevention
Prevention of baldness is unclear and relatively effective.
It might help:
- Keep your stress level low.
- Avoid or stop smoking and / or drinking alcohol.
- Eat in a balanced way, paying attention to the rations of the nutrients we have already talked about (vitamins and minerals).
- Use topical and dietary natural remedies (including supplements) at the first sign of stunting.
Medical treatments
There are 2 medical treatments used as a remedy for baldness:
- Surgical redistribution of hair bulbs: also called autotransplantation, it consists in the removal of hair from other areas (for example the nape of the neck) to insert them where necessary.
- Polymer-based trichological epithesis: it is an alternative thickening technique. It is considered a natural method. It involves the construction of a synthetic prosthesis obtained through a cast of the area to be thickened. This is equipped with real hair, initially from other donors and subsequently integrated with those of the subject.
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