Hair Loss News

Hair loss in women can be very devastating.   The NBC Today Show takes a look at female hair loss and the various treatment options available.

The month of August has been designated as hair loss awareness month by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).

Every year the AAD runs a public awareness campaign to educate people and to refute the hair loss myths that may delay millions from seeking diagnosis and treatment.

The public education campaign raises awareness about the signs of hereditary hair loss, a condition that affects 80 million American men and women.

True or false?

1) A man will lose his hair only if his grandfather on his mother’s side was bald.
2) Women rarely lose their hair.
3) The likelihood of hair loss varies by racial heritage or ethnicity.

All of these statements are false says the American Academy of Dermatology.

• Read more: August is Hair Loss Awareness Month

ROME — Italian golfer Alessandro Pissilli has been suspended after failing a drug test according to the Italian Olympic Committee.

Pissilli tested positive for the drug Finasteride, the active ingredient in the hair loss drug Propecia and the prostate drug Proscar.

Pissilli, who plays on the Italian pro tour, was suspended by the Italian Golf Federation. He could face a two-year ban if found guilty of a doping violation.

His local golf club in Florence released a statement saying he had informed authorities at the time of the test that he had taken the drug for almost two years to treat a prostate problem.

Finasteride has been at the center of several recent doping cases recently because it can also be used to mask steroid use.

Australian soccer player Stan Lazaridis is also facing disciplinary action after having been tested positive for Finasteride.  In his case it appears he took it for hair loss and not for his prostate.

And they are not alone either, American skeleton slider Zach Lund, and French runner Nordine Gezzar, have also tested positive for Finasteride use in the recent past.

CAMBRIDGE, MA –  Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRIS), a drug development company focused on seeking to develop novel targeted medicines primarily for cancer treatment, has just reported its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2007.

For the second quarter of 2007, Curis reported a net loss of $3,998,000 or ($0.08) per share, as compared to a net loss of $3,924,000 or ($0.08) per share for the same period in the prior year.

The most important news for hair loss sufferers is the following statement contained in their report:

“We currently do not expect to further develop our current Hedgehog agonist compounds for hair growth regulation.”

In May 2007, Procter & Gamble notified Curis of their decision to terminate their September 2005 collaboration agreement for topically applied Hedgehog agonist compounds for hair growth regulation, effective November 9, 2007.

Also in May 2007, Ortho Biotech Products notified Curis of their decision to cease its development efforts on the BMP-7 program and terminate their November 2002 license agreement.

Curis is still pursuing the use of their Hedgehog antagonist for use in cancer treatments however.

“While we are disappointed that two of our collaborations concluded during the second quarter of 2007, we continue to make progress on our core small molecule cancer assets. We are pleased with the progress of our Hedgehog antagonist collaboration, the lead molecule of which is currently in Phase I clinical testing. We have also made significant progress on our targeted cancer programs that we are developing under our Targeted Cancer Drug Development Platform,” said Daniel Passeri, Curis’ President and Chief Executive Officer.

DETROIT — Sophomore Jill Gulick of Grosse Pointe Park is donating her lush, blond, long hair so another child will have hair to cover her/his head.

Through the Wigs 4 Kids program, headquartered in St. Clair Shores, hair donations provide Michigan children dealing with the side effect of cancer, alopecia or other medical conditions, wigs at no cost.

It takes a blending of 10 to 12 ponytails to make each wig and the retail value of these wigs range from $1,500 to $3,000.

Says Wigs 4 Kids founder and CEO Maggie Varney:

“Most people do not realize the difference they can make in the life of a young person.  Hair donors have the power to give not only their hair, but the gift of self-esteem to a child dealing with hair loss.”

Jill had to wait patiently for her hair to be at least 10 inches long before she could donate it to the organization.

“I talked it over with my Mom and Dad and both thought it was a good idea,” said Jill. “I don’t want it too short, but I know it will grow back.”

Wigs 4 Kids is a 501-c-3 nonprofit organization providing custom -fitted age appropriate wigs to children and teens through age 17, both male and female, in the state of Michigan. Wigs 4 Kids is committed to serving the community and promoting healthy living, growth and balance. It is funded solely on the basis of contributions.

For more information on hair donations call 586-772-6656 or visit the web site http://www.wigs4kids.org/.

Now you can give yourself a hi-tech hair loss examination with a digital microscope.  

The Dino-lite Digital Microscope connects to the USB port of your computer and can capture magnified images of your hair and scalp, or anything else.

Unlike traditional microscopes, this hi-tech digital microscope also allows you to photograph and capture the images as stills, real-time video, or even time-lapsed video.   These can be saved and then emailed to your physician, or posted to a website.

The microscopes range from 0-50X magnification to 0-200X magnification depending on the model.   There is also a model that connects to a TV instead of a computer.

Prices vary depending on where you get it, but they range from about $100 for the 50X version to around $250 for the 200X version.

They are available from several websites including these ones:

(USA) http://www.minresco.com/dinolite/dinolite.htm

(Japan) http://www.thanko.jp/dinolite/