Hair Loss Prevention- Why Do Castrated Men Never Go Bald?

Note-This content only presents overviews of hair lossprevention research for educational purposes and does notreplace medical advice from a professional physician.

The best start to preventing hair loss is understanding thebasics of hair: what it is, how it grows, what systemmalfunctions can cause it to stop growing.

Most common hair loss comes under what has been commonlyknown as Male Pattern Baldness (MPB). Although referred toas MPB, females suffer a similar syndrome, so it is moreproperly called androgenetic alopecia. Although hair lossis not life or health threatening, it can cause seriousproblems with a personâ??s psyche and self-confidence. Therehas been no absolute cure found for hair loss, and manyfactors of hair loss are hereditary, however there areseveral preventative measures one can take to maintainhealthy hair and scalp.

Although both men and women can suffer significant hairloss, over 50% of men will suffer with Male PatternBaldness (MPB), also known as androgenetic alopecia, atsome point in their lives. The reason behind hair loss is agenetically inherited sensitivity to Dihydrotestosterone(DHT) and 5-alpha-reductase. The enzyme 5-alpha-reductaseconverts testosterone, a male hormone, to DHT, thesubstance identified as the end-cause for hair loss.

Hair loss has been noticed and studied throughout the ages,and some interesting discoveries were made in ancienttimes. For one it was noticed that eunuchs: those maleswithout genitals-never went bald. Men who were castrated asa result of accidents in battle also never went bald. Thiswas the first indication that testosterone had something todo with hair loss. It has also been found that the morerecessive the hair gene, the more propensity towardbaldness one has.

Some common myths have arisen concerning hair loss. Becauseof medical advancements many of these myths are beingaddressed and corrected. For starters, althoughandrogenetic alopecia or pattern baldness is genetic andtherefore can be hereditary, it is not passed down throughonly your motherâ??s side of the family. Either side of thefamily can pass down the genetic disposition towardbaldness. Also, contrary to old family tales, wearing hatsdoes not cause baldness either.

Beyond the genetic propensity of certain people toward hairloss, there seems to be various dietary triggers thatactivate the process, a notion that is promising since thiscan be controlled.

The effects of high-fat diets and the increase of DHT(Dihydrotestosterone), a chemical produced by the bodyfound to cause hair loss, is not conclusive at this time.However, there does seem to be a connection; as societiesthat consumed relatively low-fat diets such as pre-WorldWar II Japan experienced almost no pattern baldness,whereas in post-World War II Japan there is an increase inpattern baldness as their society consumes a higher fatdiet. In fact, Asian and African men in their nativecountries traditionally suffer very little Male PatternBaldness (MPB). Although when the same peoples come toNorth America, they begin to develop MPB.

Because people of all races and ethnicities tend to developMPB or androgenetic alopecia, yet do not exhibit thesetendencies before moving to America, changes in diet may bea leading contributing factor. Diets high in fat doincrease testosterone, which is the main component in DHT.More research needs to be done on this topic to reachconclusive evidence, although it certainly could not hurtto lower oneâ??s fat intake.

There are a number of foods and substances to avoid andlimit the intake of. Substances such as alcohol, caffeine,sugar and nicotine can deplete the body of nutrients andraise adrenal levels, which will cause a chain reaction ofproducing more androgen and causing hair loss. High levelsof saturated fat and cholesterol rich foods are also linkedto increased DHT levels and their consumption should belimited. Additionally, common table salt has been linked tohair loss. And the average diet provides the recommendedamount of sodium intake; therefore, salt should never beadded to food. However, when using salt for seasoningduring cooking, be sure to use salt with Iodine being thatit is a nutrient that is vital to hair growth as well,unless you are a regular consumer of seafood, whichcontains high levels of Iodine.

Although hair loss can be caused by many other variables,lack of proper nutrition will assuredly cause hair loss inmany people. Fortunately, adopting a proper diet thatincludes the proper nutrients can reverse hair loss causedby malnutrition. One thing for certain, regardless ofwhether your hair loss was caused by malnutrition or not,adopting a healthier diet will help the function of otherareas of the body.

There are some methods that have been used that preventhair loss on some people, in addition to the dietaryimprovements, there are some naturopathic remedysuggestions. Massage and aromatherapy have been used withsome success. In minor cases of temporary hair loss, hairgrowth can be stimulated by massage, since blood and oxygenflow to the scalp must be healthy in order for hair togrow. A blend of six drops each of lavender and bayessential oils in a base of four ounces of either almond,soybean or sesame oil massaged into the scalp and allowedto sit for 20 minutes has been used by aroma therapists tostimulate the scalp. Once the mixture is in the scalp for20 minutes, wash your hair and scalp with your normalshampoo mixed with three drops of bay essential oil.Massaging the scalp in general for a couple of minutes aday can stimulate blood flow to the hair follicles and inmild cases stimulate some hair growth. Of course, one mustbe careful to be gentle when massaging and not tug at thehair or use the fingernails when massaging the scalp. Ifone is concerned about fingernails getting in the way dueto extra long fingernails, there are several options. Oneis a flat-handed massage, which while not as effective asthe finger massage can provide some circulatory benefitsand results.

There are several electric massagers on the market thathave an attachment for scalp massaging as well. An orientalmethod called Qi Gong (pronounced Chi Kung) has been usedto increase circulation to the scalp and face also. Thefingers should be placed at the center of the skull baseand then begin to tap approximately 30 times. Work your wayoutward toward the ears continuing to tap gently. Afterreaching the ears go back to the center of the skull alittle higher up and work your way around to the earregion. Keep going up about eight levels, each timerepeating the process.

There is a definite connection between the prostate andhair loss for men, and therefore a connection betweenbreakthroughs in BPH treatments developed and theireffectiveness in restoring hair growth. There have beensome herbalists that have experimented with the herb SawPalmetto in order to block the production of DHT intreating BPH. Although most studies of Saw Palmetto havebeen for the treatment of prostatic disease, more recentstudies have been conducted on its effectiveness intreating loss. The herb has been found to work in fightingbenign prostatic disease by lowering levels of DHT, whichis a known cause of androgenetic alopecia. Studies haveshown Saw Palmetto extract is an effective anti-androgenand therefore there is promise for its effectiveness as aneffective treatment for hair loss prevention.

Rosemary and sage are two herbs that have shown benefittraditionally when used externally. It is suggested that topromote a clean scalp, stimulation of the hair root, andthickening hair one should boil together in water rosemary,sage, peach leaf, nettle and burdock. Then strain the looseherbs from the liquid and use the liquid to wash the hairdaily. Also recommended is steeping one ounce of groundrosemary, two ounces of ground sage, and a half ounce ofground nettles in one pint of ethyl alcohol for a week,straining the solution and adding one ounce of castor oiland one ounce of water to the liquid. This is said to makea great hair lotion to apply at night before bed or justbefore shampooing.

Hair is a living protein, and as with any living part ofour bodies we must be sure to maintain proper health tooptimize our chances of maintaining a healthy head of hair.Proper nutrition is vital to maintaining healthy hair,since the hair is a living and growing part of the bodyâ??ssystem. Viewing it in this manner can help us to treat ourbodies different and raise expectations through propercare. A healthy balanced diet, occasionally with the helpof vitamin and mineral supplements and exercise are all keycomponents to a healthy regimen of maintaining healthyhair.

There is an obvious link to hair loss and prostatic healthand this only increases the pace of hair loss discoveries.Most treatments for prostatic diseases such as benignprostatic hyperplasia (BPH) also have the pleasant sideaffect of growing hair on the heads of those taking it.With the pace of research and discoveries today, there is agreat deal of optimism in the field of hair loss preventionand treatment. Hair is an important part of our dress andappearance, therefore a large part of our self-esteem. Itis likely that there are answers for your situationpresently or coming in the near future.

Remember, the restoration of hair growth is not anovernight process. The process takes time regardless of themethod chosen. Be patient and follow as much of the advicegiven by professionals as possible. Keep in mind that thebody is a system, and it is the abuse of this system byfood intake and environmental causes that lead to mostcommon hair loss.

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