February 2016 -

February QoM

questiontext \

I heard that if I have Male Pattern Hair Loss and if I start using Rogaine (Minoxidil), I will have to use it forever? Is that true, and why?

answertext

Yes this is true. The main reason for this is that there is no cure for Pattern Hair Loss. The underlying cause is a genetic disorder, and as such would require gene therapy, which does not exist. The medical therapies that exist, including Minoxidil, only reverse the effects of the genes and not the gene itself. Therefore, if you do not continue using the Minoxidil, you will lose the benefits of keeping the regrown hair.

ATHD Investigates Texture Manageability Systems

Texture Manageability or Texture Management or Texture Smoothing Systems are the latest hair straightening products now being marketed to women with highly textured hair. There has been an explosion on the market but most don’t understand how they work and what exactly they are used for.

beautifultextures

What are Texture Manageability Systems?

These consist of a 2 or 3 step hair modification system that is used to straighten hair in a semi-permanent fashion. In essence, they are similar to Brazilian Keratin Treatments, BUT they don’t last as long. The systems usually include a dual chelating and clarifying shampoo and a treatment product. Some include a deep conditioner which is used before the treatment product.

Here’s a reminder of how Brazilian Keratin treatments work:

http://askthehairdoc.com/january-qom-is-brazilian-keratin-treatment-safe/

So how do they work?

The active ingredient in Texture Manageability Systems used to straighten the hair is glyoxyolol carbocysteine, also called oxoacetamide carbocysteine. This reacts with the side chains of the keratin molecule in a similar fashion to what formaldehyde does in Keratin Treatments.

Below is the molecular representation of the active ingredient:

1268868-51-4

It does produce some amount of formaldehyde but apparently at a much lower concentration than regular Brazilian Keratin Treatments. Of course, the levels of formaldehyde would be of importance considering the controversy of mislabeled “formaldehyde-free” Keratin Treatments were being found to actually have some other aldehyde at high concentrations. I was able to find one study that compared a typical Brazilian Keratin Treatment to a typical Texture Management System. The results showed that there was significantly lower amounts of formaldehyde and aldehyde released, which is great for both the hair stylist and the client. See the study here:

http://www.midwestscc.org/blog2/wp-content/uploads/presentations/Teamworks2012NonFormaldehydeSmoothing.pdf

What’s the Procedure?

hqdefault

The same thing is done as with the regular formaldehyde containing Brazilian Keratin Treatment:

Wash hair with stripping, chelating and clarifying shampoo.
Towel dry hair
Apply treatment product in small sections throughout the hair
Allow product to set in the hair for 20 minutes
Blow-dry hair, then flatiron at ~230 deg C
Maintain style using sulphate free products, usually included in the kit.

The Verdict?

There are many Texture Manageability Systems that are now available on the market. Most are marketed for at-home use. These include systems from African Pride, Dark & Lovely, Beautiful Textures and ORS. The only in-salon product I’ve come across is the Avlon Texture Release. There are lots of persons in hair forums and Youtube who have described their experiences with the system.

I, myself, have tried it. I didn’t necessarily want my hair to stay straight for weeks so I didn’t follow up with the maintenance products. I had however gone to a hairdresser, which in my opinion should be the best way to apply these products, as people can inadvertently damage their hair since it requires a lot of manipulation with the blow dryer and flatiron. I was quite pleased that my hair did not revert within 2 hours of straightening and it washed it out really well thereafter. This was my hair after the procedure:

1512479_10153014481911894_2761770197269915449_n

One positive is that it can be used on both natural as well as hair that is relaxed or transitioning. Another positive is that it can be done within a relatively short period of time compared to older Keratin Treatments. There is definitely no offensive formaldehyde smell when it is activated through heat, and I believe that it may very well be less of a problem than traditional Keratin Treatments.

It unfortunately needs to be maintained like a relaxer in the sense that you have to re-do it every 6-8 weeks. Most are sold as kits, and so if you don’t know that there are other sulphate free shampoos and conditioners that you can use to help maintain the style, you will end up buying several kits to get the maintenance products. This is a serious disadvantage if you have long hair like mine. Just like the Keratin Treatments, your hair should not be dyed on the same day you do the original treatment.

Here’s another blogger’s perspective:

http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2014/06/beautiful-textures-texture-manageablity.html

Have you tried it as yet? What do you think about it?

Telogen Effluvium

25101725_m

What is Telogen Effluvium?

Telogen Effluvium is a type of non-scarring hair loss. It is also called “Resting Phase Hair Loss”. Normally, most persons have 90% of the hairs on their head in the Anagen or “growing” phase. That stands to mean that ~10% are in Telogen, the “resting” phase. This is the phase that the hair goes into before it is shed. The new hair that will replace it grows upwards, pushing the hair out allowing for easy extraction when combing, brushing or washing your hair. The shed hair would of course have the white tip at the root.

How does Telogen Effluvium present?

Telogen Effluvium usually starts 3-4 months after the incident that triggers it. It can be Acute or Chronic. Acute cases usually last 6 months. Anything longer than that indicates some chronicity and usually hints at a persistent problem triggering the hair loss.

In general, most persons lose 50-100 hairs per day, but in Telogen Effluvium, the numbers can rise significantly. This excessive shedding is what alarms persons, as they feel that they cannot control the amount of hair that is lost. Persons usually complain of a significant amount of hair being lost when they wash their hair. Some notice their hair showing up in random places like the floor, car seat, clothes, pillow etc. Or others may notice that when they do comb their hair, an insane amount seems to come out.

12946547_m

Though it causes diffuse thinning all over the scalp, persons may notice that certain areas seem thinner. Women may notice that their hair seems thinned out especially the temples, top or crown of their scalp. Their pony tail seems thinner or their “buns” are smaller than usual. Men often notice thinning in the temples.

What causes Telogen Effluvium?

There are several causes of Telogen Effluvium:

Significant stressful life events: death, divorce, bankruptcy/debt.
Rapid weight loss
Medication- both vitamins (high amounts of Vitamin A), drugs e.g. certain anti-hypertensives, anaesthetics etc.
Major surgery
Anaemia- mainly Iron deficiency
Poor diet- anorexia nervosa, fad diets, malnutrition
Significant illness – e.g. chronic diarrhoea
Post pregnancy

So how do you treat Telogen Effluvium?

Most persons experiencing Telogen Effluvium will notice that it will spontaneously resolve. However, those who have Chronic Telogen Effluvium, will need to be investigated to find out the exact cause, and have that cause corrected. Additionally, certain products like Minoxidil (Rogaine) will help the hairs to stay in the anagen stage longer, thus prolonging the hair on the head and decrease shedding over time. Once the Telogen Effluvium is resolved, the individual will not need to continue using the Minoxidil.