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Western statistics says that signs of androgenic (or androgenetic) alopecia have up to 33% of men and 65% of women. Among all types of alopecia, this type of baldness in men is 95% and women 90%. In addition, this type of hair loss is very difficult to be treated, first, because it is associated with hormonal imbalance, secondly - because the hormonal changes are often associated with genetic predisposition (hence the term androgenetic alopecia).
If in men, androgenic alopecia (male-pattern baldness) diagnosed simply because of the characteristic clinical symptoms, in women, rapid diagnosis can be made only if, along with progressive thinning and hair loss there are other signs - for example, excessive hairiness of the body (hirsutism), seborrhea and acne. In other cases, you need microscopic examination of hair follicles and other diagnostic techniques.
The main mechanism of hormonal baldness is associated with exposure to the hair follicles of male hormone testosterone, or rather its most active incarnation - dihydrotestosterone (DHT). In this case, the hair loss is caused by a high content of DHT, or increased sensitivity to DHT of hair follicles in certain areas of the scalp.
Particularly sensitive to DHT follicles are in men on frontal, parietal and occipital part of head, which determines the view of male-pattern baldness. In women, sensitive to DHT receptors on the front of the head are to 40% less than men, that saves them from the bald patches; and there no almost of them on the back of head.
The impact of DHT to androgen receptors reduces the growth phase of sensitive follicles, which they begin to produce thin and weak hair, and, ultimately, atrophy. In this case, both men and women with androgenic alopecia any significant increase in testosterone levels is not observed as well as only its active form - DHT - play the role.
Testosterone is produced both in men and in women, in sex glands and adrenal glands. However, it can be converted to DHT as well as to the female hormones - estrogens, under the action of enzymes. The enzyme 5-alpha reductase converts testosterone to DHT, and enzyme aromatase, by contrast, restores back DHT to testosterone and converts testosterone to estrogen. Therefore, the main direction of the treatment of androgenic alopecia - antiandrogenic therapy - based on the management of these two enzymes - inhibition of 5-alpha-reductase and, conversely, activation of aromatase.
Since the androgenic alopecia is due to genetic factors, it is clear that in the presence of baldness genes complete recovery is problematic. Popular drugs - minoxidil and finasteride - in some cases yield good results, which, however, are not persistent and rapidly regressed after end of course.
In this case, the first results of application of appear in a several months after starting treatment, and the remarkable success achieved only after 10-12 months, but not at all - the best results are obtained by treatment of female alopecia with the minoxidil: success is 40% of cases. However, the removal of the drug restores the original state of the hair.
Male-pattern baldness is more treatable with finasteride - in 60% of cases, in this case, treatment is also long, and the result is unstable. When long-existing smooth bald hair growth is not restored, no matter how stubborn has been treated. In these cases only solution is surgical hair restoration.
However, treatment with finasteride in some cases in men causes sexual problems as impotence, loss of libido and reduced sperm count. Therefore, firstly, many men simply refuse such treatment in favor of cosmetic surgery, and secondly, when taking finasteride is also desirable to take stimulants of potency, for example, L-arginine or yohimbe.
So now the prospects of complete victory over androgenic alopecia are pretty boring, especially for men. Especially because finasteride, for example, in many countries has not even refers to the number of permitted medications. However, there are some data that allow us to hope for the best.
In the long term - there is a discovery made by scientists from the University of Miami. They found that the in organism of balding men, aromatase enzyme found in insufficient quantities. If the level of aromatase is low, the hair follicles die. Dr. Martha Savoy, who heads the group, said that in 5-10 years we can expect to see drugs that have an effect on aromatase.
But right now you can ask for help to nature. There are natural analogues of anti-androgens, which are capable to block 5-alpha reductase and activate aromatase. There are a number of natural products based on extracts of some plants that you can already find on sale. But these means are not referred to as drugs, because no one wants to deal with their clinical trials, therefore they are classified as dietary supplements.
Dietary supplements can be used as an addition to the assigned treatment, or independently, in necessary combinations. That is very important - to make the right combination, so as to conclude a progressive beauticians and dermatologists, in androgenic alopecia satisfactory treatment results can only be given by multi-component systems, combining antiandrogens with immune-protectors, antioxidants and stimulants of hair growth. The majority of pharmaceutical agents solve the problem only partially, and each drug alone does not provide the desired therapeutic effect.
It should also be aware that genetic predisposition alone may not lead to baldness. Trigger the disease may be hormonal imbalance caused by liver disease, thyroid disease, severe stress, urogenital diseases (prostatitis, urethritis).
Therefore, special attention should be send to natural complexes that promote the restoration of hormonal balance. Some of them, which contain components that affect the mechanisms of formation of DHT, I want to tell you.
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