Hair grows everywhere on our body
except on the palms of our hands and the
soles of our feet. An average human adult is
the proud owner of approximately 150,000
hairs on his or her head, but also loses up
to 100 of them per day.
Many individuals suffer from hair loss
(alopecia), especially females. One of the
conditions leading to thinning hair is
known as hereditary hypotrichosis simplex.
The responsible gene, APCDD1, has
been identified and causes hair follicles
to shrink[1].
Victims of genetic hairlessness also
frequently face the absence of eyelashes and
eyebrows.There are sincere indications that
the number of people condemned to
genetic baldness is limited to less than a
hundred individuals worldwide;
nevertheless this is scant comfort for those
with an unwanted naked skull.
Virtually all individuals will face sooner
or later involutional alopecia (old age hair
loss) and that can only be delayed by
providing the hair follicles with a frequent
shot of essential nutrients: B vitamins and
some metal ions. A low-protein diet or
severely calorie-restricted diet frequently
causes temporary hair loss. Alopecia areata
(spot baldness) and alopecia universalis
(total body hair fall-out, including
eyebrows and eyelashes) are autoimmune
disorders for which no general treatment
is available.
With alopecia areata hair loss is
observed, resulting in smooth, round
patches about the size of a coin or larger.
It can (rarely) result in complete loss of
scalp and body hair.This disease may affect
children or adults of any age.The cause of
alopecia areata is unknown. Having said
that, the affected victims are generally in
excellent health. In most cases, the hair
regrows without intervention.
Alopecia areata may also be observed in
pregnant women; during pregnancy the
hair grows with increased intensity
(pregnant women frequently have beautiful
hair). But after delivery, many hairs swiftly
enter a dormant stage.Within two to three
months, some women will notice large
amounts of hair coming out in their
brushes and combs.This can last up to
half a year, but resolves completely in
most cases. In a number of cases,
sulfasalazine or anthralin
(1,8-dihydroxyanthron)
September 2016 SPC 75
offer an effective treatment for alopecia
areata, but superior results are obtained using
azelaic acid, without the unwanted side
effects of sulfasalazine and/or anthralin[2].
Male pattern hair loss (MPHL, androgenic
alopecia) develops under the influence of
FIGURE 1
Sulfasalazine
Noni fruit, also known as
the Indian mulberry, is
reported to exhibit 5-α-
reductase inhibition
properties
azelaic acidingredients
Putting a hold
on hair lossElzbieta Brand-Garnys and Dr Hans Brand propose azelaic acid as a
potent 5-α-reductase inhibitor that is suitable for cosmetic compositions
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