The Hair Doc, Author at

QOM- April

questiontext

Dear Doc,

I was diagnosed with Lichen Planopilaris over a year ago. I have been getting scalp injections with cortisone shots and taking my pills to stop it from spreading. So far it seems ok. Can I ever get a hair transplant in the future?

Distressed male

answertext

Dear Distressed Male,

Lichen Planopilaris is a form of scarring alopecia which means that your body is attacking your hair follicle and replacing it with scar tissue. This disease can be seen only in the scalp or be associated with the form more predominant in the skin (Lichen Planus).

The problem with this disease is that there is no guarantee that it would ever go into remission or be “burnt out”. A hair transplant surgeon may only attempt to do restoration if your disease has been inactive for at least one year off of medication. However, there is no guarantee that the grafts will take. What is even worse is the possibility for the surgery itself to reactivate the disease. This is not uncommon.

I do hope that your disease can be controlled. This is quite a frustrating disease.

Properties of Hair- Part 2

Though it may not be that obvious, water is an important component of hair. Its presence helps with the elasticity or pliability of hair. The water content of hair is between 15-35%. The high variability is due to the hairtype and health of the hair fibre. Hair that is damaged is less likely to hold onto water. ‘

Water has the potential to increase not only the weight of the hair fibre but also the diameter. This is referred to as the swelling potential of hair. It can increase to nearly 14% in diameter, but less than 2% in length. Other reagents such as sodium lauryl sulfate, formic acid, and thioglycolic acid have a greater effect on the swelling potential of hair, hence the reason for these products to potentially damage hair.

The more the hair absorbs is the more damaged the hair, indicating that the hair shaft is more porous. This is what is termed as “porosity”. Hair that absorbs more water has decreased tensile strength i.e. it easily breaks. The porosity of the hair shaft is about 20%, allowing a weight increase of 12–18% when soaked in water. The absorption rate is very rapid, with 75% of the maximum absorbable water entering the hair shaft within 4 minutes.

However, as quickly as the hair absorbs water, it can quickly lose it. Those with quite porous hair can attest to this. Water has been shown to stay in the hair shaft better if attached to some highly osmotic molecule like sorbitol, or some other hygroscopic (water-loving) substance such as glycerin. These molecules allow water from the atmosphere to stay longer in contact with the hair shaft. This increases the moisture content of the hair shaft and thus allows the hair to not only feel better but to look better as well.

References

Syed AN, Ayoub H. Correlating Porosity and Tensile Strength of Chemically Modified Hair. Cosmet Toil 2002; 117: 57-64.

Draelos MD, Zoe Diana (2007-04-17). Hair Care (Kindle Locations 331-334). Informa Healthcare. Kindle Edition.

Egawa, M., Hagihara, M. and Yanai, M. (2013), Near-infrared imaging of water in human hair. Skin Research and Technology, 19: 35–41

Question of the Month -March

questiontext

Hi Doc,

I have food allergies to wheat. I’m diligent with buying gluten free foods. Lately I’ve been noticing that my scalp has been burning/itching when I use products with wheat in them? Should I be avoiding these as well? Am I being ridiculous?

answertext

Hi Gluten-Free,

Your world may be becoming a bit more complicated. There has been some evidence that persons with food allergies such as wheat, egg, or oat, are also allergic to the proteins in topical form i.e. skin product, hair product. These persons however had Atopic Eczema which is commonly seen with persons who have food allergies. You did not mention that you had Atopic eczema, but the possibility for you to become allergic topically to wheat proteins, is not improbable.

Even without these food allergies, there is a chance for regular persons, who do not have food allergies, to develop what we call a Contact Dermatitis (Eczema) to these proteins. Sadly, these hydrolysed wheat proteins are everywhere. They are popular as they have been found to help soothe irritated skin and helping to restore elasticity to the hair shaft.

So what will that mean for you?

You may have to try avoiding all hair and skin products with wheat proteins and see if that makes a difference. Ideally you should have what is called an allergy testing by an allergist or a dermatologist who has special interest in allergy testing.

References

Varjonen, E., Petman, L. and Mäkinen-Kiljunen, S. (2000), Immediate contact allergy from hydrolyzed wheat in a cosmetic cream. Allergy, 55: 294–296.

Varjonen, E., Vainio, E. and Kalimo, K. (2000), Antigliadin IgE – indicator of wheat allergy in atopic dermatitis. Allergy, 55: 386–391.

Mailhol, C., Lauwers-Cances, V., Rancé, F., Paul, C. and Giordano-Labadie, F. (2009), Prevalence and risk factors for allergic contact dermatitis to topical treatment in atopic dermatitis: a study in 641 children. Allergy, 64: 801–806

ATHD Investigates – Organic and Natural products

Is your product truly organic? Lately the buzz words in the cosmetic field are “organic” and “natural”. The focus on such terms stem from the food industry. The discerning customer has become more insistent on the quality of the ingredients used in his/her hair products. The internet is inundated with articles discussing all things good, bad and terrible about particular ingredients such as mineral oil, sodium lauryl sulphate, formaldehyde and parabens. And judging from the mystery ingredients used in the food industry in certain countries, it is understandable why customers have become quite suspicious of the cosmetics they have been using.

So what does an organic or natural label mean? To be honest, not much. There is no formal definition of these terms in the cosmetic industry and little legal protection of the terms especially in the United States (except California). Europe has a slightly better track record with respect to standards set for these terms. Asia seems to follow the European standards. There is no worldwide consensus on what the actual definitions of these terms mean. There are however, private standards allowed but those vary widely.

Customers think they are getting the best but unless the company is truly committed to their beliefs, they may be purchasing mere gimmickry and no true substance. Indeed, some would be considered more “naturally inspired” and have lots of chemical modifications of natural ingredients. Are those products really worth the price that the company is asking for?

So what does that mean for you? You will probably have to rely on the track record of the company. However, standards are becoming more regulated, so hopefully in the near future when a company states that the product is “natural” or “organic”, it had met the minimum standard for which it can receive that label.

Question of the Month- February

questiontext

Hi Doc,

My dad is pretty bald. Will I be as bald as him?

Concerned Teen

answertext

Dear Concerned Teen,

You may not necessarily become as bald as your dad. The exact mechanism of inheritance for balding/thinning is not entirely known. However, it is generally believed that persons inherit several genes and the number and type determines how bald a person gets. For the most part, persons who have a father who is balding is more likely to start balding before age 30. Also, if the person’s father is really bald, the chances of becoming bald like his dad is pretty high. However, you might have inherited your mom’s non balding genes. I do hope that there is no thinning on your mother’s side of the family. But don’t despair new technologies are being worked on to tackle hair loss. These will be available in the near future.