Month: January 2015

Scalp Massage and hair growth

There are a myriad of solutions, techniques, and machines that are advertised as the next best thing to regrow hair. Scalp massage is one of the methods promoted on the internet. The link between scalp massage and hair growth has been described in several articles on the internet. Is it really useful? Is it all “hocus pocus”?

Scalp Massage Benefits

Massage in general has been shown to increase blood and lymphatic flow to the skin. Therefore,  scalp massage should also  increase blood flow to the scalp. The increased blood flow results in increased availability of essential nutrients within the blood, thus bathing the dermal papillae of the hair follicle with nourishing molecules. The increased blood flow is also reported to be the method by which  Minoxidil and caffeine help to increase hair growth.

Massaging the scalp has also  been found to lift any skin cells clogging the hair follicles, thus allowing increased and deeper penetration of skin products through the hair follicle. This is important for persons who use hair growth products.  Using products with small sized ingredients that can penetrate the hair follicle will be of even more benefit.

Scalp massage and Hair Growth

Unfortunately, not many studies have been done to examine the direct effects of scalp massage on hair growth. There was one done in Scotland in 1998, examining daily scalp massage with the use of topical essential oils. The group with the essential oils got more hair growth than those without. However, the study group involved patients with Alopecia areata, a rare auto-immune hair disorder that is significantly different from the commonplace Female and Male Pattern Hair Loss. Indeed, the study was more geared towards examining the effects of the essential oils and not the scalp massage. So the question remains, how beneficial is scalp massage for hair growth?

However, if you’re stumped for options, you may consider doing daily massage. Five minutes should suffice. Whatever you do, don’t use your fingernails. Only use the pads of your fingers or fingertips.

 

 

 

 

Hair Loss After Surgery

questiontext

 

Dear Doc,

I have a friend who did surgery  for weight loss a few months ago. She keeps saying that her current hair loss is due to the surgery. Is this really possible?

 

answertext

Sounds like the two of you have been debating the cause of her hair loss. Well, hair loss after surgery is actually not uncommon, especially after major surgery such as bariatric surgery aka gastric bypass surgery. There are several reasons she could be having hair loss after surgery.

First, the anaesthetics which put her too sleep are quite notorious for inducing hair loss. Any significant blood loss during the surgery could also trigger it. The stress the body undergoes from the surgery alone also causes hair loss. Any deficiencies that she may acquire post surgery, such as low iron, and especially after bariatric surgery, low proteins etc, can also trigger hair loss. The fact that she would have experienced rapid weight loss after the surgery is also a contributor. Hair loss often accompanies rapid weight loss.

The hair loss phenomenon she is experiencing is Telogen Effluvium, a diffuse hair loss characterised by excessive shedding of hair.  It usually occurs a few months after a stressful event, such as surgery.  Eventually, after six months it should correct itself, however, if she is worried about her hair loss, she should seek help from a dermatologist to help with controlling the hair loss after surgery. She should also make sure to follow the dietary regimen and vitamin supplements that her doctor would have prescribed for her.