Researchers Identify Gene Associated to Hair Loss (Alopecia Areata)

Lee — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:49:55 +0000

On June 30, 2010, Nature Journal, an interdisciplinary journal of science, published an article that unveils the most exciting genetic research on alopecia areata to date. Led by the National Alopecia Areata Foundation Scientific Advisory Council member Dr. Angela Christiano, and using cases from the National Alopecia Areata Registry, a team of investigators from Columbia University Medical Center have found eight genes that contribute to alopecia areata, one of which has a possible role in the onset of the disease.

Alopecia (AL-OH-PEE-SHA) areata (AIR-EE-AH-TAH) is an autoimmune skin disease that may result in total or partial loss of hair.

Which Celebrity Is The Best Advocate for Bald People?

Lee — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 02:18:24 +0000

Who do you think is the most notable bald celebrity?

Read about Zach Lund – an Olympic Skeleton Racer Who Received An Olympic Ban

Lee — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:49:49 +0000

Zach Lund has now shaved his head- the result of both personal choice and of genetics. His baldness was once a source of anxiety for him and it is now a symbol of his determination. Read about him and his experiences in the NY Times link below…. All the best Zach!

- Lee

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/19/sports/olympics/19skeleton.html

TIP FOR THE DAY- If you are losing your hair and decide to shave your head for the first time…..

Lee — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 12:41:25 +0000

1. Prepare to buy plenty of sunblock because your head will burn QUICK!

2. Protect your head- this could mean wearing a hat at the gym so you don’t get banged up from hanging weights or pull-up bars. You also will need a hat if you are doing yard work and have low-lying tree/bush branches….

Cold Night-Time Head

Lee — Thu, 28 May 2009 01:06:15 +0000

Does anyone else sleep better if their head is covered at night? I just started covering my head with a bandana and I get a better night’s sleep. I also wear a hooded sweatshirt in the colder months. I heard that SLUMBERCAP www.slumbercap.com also makes headgear to keep bald heads warm at night…smart idea…

Lotions for after a razor head shave

Lee — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 17:39:55 +0000

I’ve tried many different lotions to use on my head after a do-it-yourself shave. Right now I’m using Neutrogena’s “Razor Defense Post Shave Lotion for Men”. It smells good and works pretty well.

http://www.neutrogena.com/econsumer/ntg/productdetail.browse?segment=men&catId=1&subCatId=4&productId=140&target=/products/face/razor-defense-post-shave-lotion.jsp

“In Praise of Bald Men” – by Nina Malkin (July 2008)

Lee — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 13:03:03 +0000

Think a guy whose hair is going, going, gone isn’t for you? Here are a few reasons why a guy who hasn’t got all his hair is all that-and more! – An article by Nina Malkin

Normally, my husband’s hair is as long as mine. In fact, fans of the animated series Metalocalypse would agree that he bears a striking resemblance to Toki Wartooth (though some of the elderly religious ladies in our neighborhood insist he looks just like Jesus). During summer, however, my guy always does what he’s already done several times before-shave it off, shave it alllllll off. And he’s just as sexy to me bald as with a full head of silky locks. But since some women harbor a bias against baldies, I thought I’d point out a few reasons why a guy who hasn’t got all his hair is really all that-and more.

My sweetie’s got gorgeous blue eyes with lashes an ostrich would envy, and they’re far more noticeable when he’s bald. And in my continual observations of men (I’m married, not blind), I’ve found there’s no better foil for a standout feature than a clean scalp. Be it an aquiline nose, chiseled cheekbones or a powerful jaw, the backdrop of baldness sets it on display.

Hair – as any woman knows from fussing with her own – requires copious grooming, and less maintenance can equal more masculine (sorry, I know it’s a stereotype but one that a lot of women I spoke to voiced!). “I don’t want to be with a man whose gel and mousse routine is more elaborate than mine,” says my friend Amy, who’s never seen her guy with a strand above his eyebrows. Am I guilty of buying my husband his first bottle of conditioner when he struggled with snarls during the early stages of his current great grow-out? Yes. But am I pleased to have more bathroom time to myself during his bald phase? Yup!

He feels fantastic
Have you ever stroked a freshly-shaved head? If so, you know the basis for the adage “Once you go bald, you never go back!” Indeed, fans of bald dudes can have a very strong desire to touch and kiss their partners’ clean-shaven heads. “I’m crazy about the way it feels,” says one woman who wishes to remain anonymous.

He’s thoroughly modern
Baldness has always held a certain futuristic sensibility. There’s something streamlined, sleek and even chic about a hairless head, so in a way, bald is the new hair. As the century turned, Elite model Mick T. (whose vital stats proudly list “bald” under “hair color”) represented the new era on a Newsweek cover, and now that this decade is nearly over, the time for bald has come. If Sex and the City is the arbiter of all things romantic and fashionable, then actor Evan Handler – now reprising his role of Harry Goldenblatt, Charlotte’s hubby, on the big screen – proves it.

He’s either a biker kind of guy
Archetypically, bald guys fall into one of two attractive categories. First up, the cool tough guy. Often personified by athletes, a la Evander Holyfield, Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan and Andre Agassi, such action stars as Jason Statham and Vin Diesel, and (ooh!) let’s not forget my earliest crush, Popeye, these guys push the envelope of hairlessness. He needs to be the ultimate in aerodynamic sleekness and so shaves off what pesky stuff may remain around the perimeter.

Or he’s a sweetie
Flip the archetype script for the triple threat of smart, sensitive and spiritual-the bald fella who’ll translate the gobbledygook of a computer manual for you, compose a sonnet and master the lotus position all in the course of a single date. Think the Dalai Lama; think Buddha. Or to bring it down to earth a tad, think musicians like Moby and American Idol alum Chris Daughtry (who recently hooked up with Ben & Jerry’s to help fight poverty). While I’ve never dated a bona fide prophet or a rock star, I can speak with authority about a former bald boyfriend who enjoyed poetry, checked in regularly with his higher power and easily programmed my VCR (it was the 90s, OK?).

He’s beyond bald
Despite all the paeans above, you may simply believe that bald is not your bag. But before you dismiss every mane-challenged man out there, listen to these wise words from my friend Jenny: “I wouldn’t say I’m attracted to bald guys, but I’ve been attracted to guys who happened to be bald.” In other words, she is drawn to the man in all his glory-the sense of humor and the killer smile and all the other qualities that contribute to the total package. If you ban bald guys as potential loves, you vastly limit your dating options. So keep in mind that hair does not make the man. Take my man, for instance. The reason he hasn’t seen the barber in four years lies in his intention to reach the necessary 10-inch-long tresses required for a donation to Locks of Love, the organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged kids suffering from medical hair loss. That’s the kind of person he is-and that’s why I love him. And there are plenty of other guys out there whose heads may be challenged, follicle-wise, but their hearts are definitely in the right place and then some…

Nina Malkin is the author of An Unlikely Cat Lady: Feral Adventures in the Backyard Jungle.

You can read the online article here: www.match.com/magazine/article2.aspx?articleid=9782

Medical Hair Restoration

Lee — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 01:33:02 +0000

http://www.medicalhairrestoration.com/

Hair transplantation is a method of restoring hair. Micro-surgical hair transplants is an advanced technique used in restoring hair. With this method, the process of hair growth is not altered.

How Hair Transplants Work

The “Donor Area” is the area containing healthy hair follicles on the back and sides of the head which genetically do not shed. Hair transplants are conducted by a surgeon. The process begins with an evaluation of the donor area. This area on the back and sides of the head contains healthy hair follicles that are genetically programmed not to shed. Sufficient donor hair is needed for successful hair transplantation.

A small section of tissue is removed from the donor area and is then dissected under magnification into individual hair follicular units and micro-grafts. After the hair grafts are carefully prepared, they are strategically placed into bald or thinning hair areas. Single-hair follicular units are placed in the frontal hair zone to create a soft, natural looking hairline. More follicular units and micro-grafts are placed behind the hairline, providing density and volume to cover the larger balding areas.

“Locks of Love” Information

Lee — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 15:41:49 +0000

Locks of Love (www.locksoflove.org) is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. This organization meets a unique need for children by using donated human hair to create the highest quality hair prosthetics. Most of the children helped by Locks of Love have lost their hair due to a medical condition called alopecia areata, which has no known cause or cure. The prostheses provide help to restore these young individuals’ self-esteem and confidence, enabling them to face the world and their peers.

B.S. (Union County, NJ) – His Story

Lee — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 23:23:04 +0000

I have been losing my hair since I was 21 years old. At first it was a devastating experience since I was at my sexual peak and supposedly in the prime of my life. As a young adult I felt less attractive than a guy with a thick and full head of hair. I became insecure about my appearance and usually would hide from social situations.
When I turned 27, I decided to invest in a hair piece or a hair replacement system. Even though they never looked real to me, I wore a hair piece for 24 years just to feel better about myself. Over the years they became quite expensive to maintain but I continued to use them as my security blanket.
Finally in June of 2006, I decided to throw away the hairpiece, shave my entire head and grow a goatee. Luckily it was the summertime and I was able to get a nice even tan which made my appearance much better.
At first I was very insecure and it took a couple of months to get used to the extreme look. After a while I started to really dig my re-incarnation and started to become very creative with the new look. Throughout the coming year I would experiment coloring my goatee [white on brown, brown on white, etc]. I bulked up over the summer and was told that I looked like a tough guy and wrestler.
I am so glad that I made this decision and I am sorry that I did not do it sooner.
I find myself shaving my head every other day. At first I used an electric razor but found that using a razor blade got me a much closer shave. The only part of having a shaved head is the cold, brutal winters. I find myself wearing a wool hat most of the winter to keep the heat in. In the summer it is the greatest and most comfortable feeling not to have hair.

That is my story and I hope I can inspire others who are losing their hair to just to take it off and free themselves. A shaved head today is much more acceptable than it was years ago. Today, some of the most sexiest people, actors and athletes have the look. To get the look I use Barbasol shaving cream and Gillette Mach 3 triple razors.

I hope that my story will inspire those of you who are hesitant to make that first move towards freedom. – B.S.