Stop Hair Loss With Hair Growth Tips

Let me tell you right away. there is no need to lose all your hair or any of it. If you follow these hair growth tips you can put a halt to hair loss. Right now.

If you follow these tips your hair will grow back. It does not matter if you are a man who has started to go bald, desperate to avoid a life sentence of no hair. It does not matter if you are a woman who is going thin on top.

Keep this in mind though. You have to take action to stop going bald. It is no good looking in the mirror trying to will your hair back. Numerous factors determine if you keep your hair. Hormones, diet, lifestyle and environmental factors, including increased stress, for example at work.

Hair growth tips will work for everyone.

The good news is this. You can decrease the chances of losing your hair.

Diet

You will grow your hair back by changing your diet and looking after your hair. It is made from protein and by changing to a healthier diet and drinking plenty of water you will see quick changes.

Let me tell you a little secret.

If you add the following to your diet you will see an astonishing difference in your hair -

omega 3 acids

Fruit and vegetables

Hair pills or supplements

This is the biggest single action you can take to prevent baldness. You should take hair supplements if you are not sure you are getting the right vitamins in your diet, or the right proteins for your hair. Let me tell you right now this is probably one of the best hair growth tips I can give you.

Massage

Massaging your scalp on a daily basis will assist blood flow in your scalp and improve circulation. This will stimulate your hair to grow.

Smoking

Smoking is the single biggest way to damage your hair. Studies have shown smoking can restrict blood flow and circulation to your scalp and will damage your hair. Cut back on cigarettes.

Alcohol

Various tests and studies have shown alcohol to indirectly influence hair loss. Reduce alcohol consumption where you can.

You will see the results right before your eyes

The fact is you have to take action, or nothing will happen at all. Except you will lose your  hair.

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Hair Growth and Hair Loss Phases

Well my friend, there are a lot of reasons for your hair loss. There are certain ailments that trigger hair loss as well as a selection of medications that you may have been taking. But with natural hair loss, the culprit is usually genetics. So you may opt to take a look (take a good look) at your parents and uncles, your line of ancestry if possible.

If thinning is in the blood, then be prepared to say ‘sayonara’ and ‘goodbye’ to your hair as you age. But before you curse the daylights out of genetics, let us first give some unbiased thought to the hair growth and hair loss phases. You should know what you are up against to be able to have chance of possibly preventing such occurrence, right?

Phase One:

Anagen, the growing stage. Each strand of hair is produced in the interior of a hair bulb rooted deeply in the hair follicle. On most individuals, these follicles are active up until they hit the bucket (of course!). Anyway, the hair growth structure in the Anagen is approximately one centimeter for every month. Unfortunately, this is but a phase, a stage in one’s life that will inevitably come to a gradual stop. Again, genetics—the overwhelming perpetrator—dictates the span of time the hair gets to stay in the Anagen stage. This could run anywhere from three to seven years.

Phase Two:

Catagen, the transitory stage. This phase indicates the end of active hair growth. Typically, Catagen lasts between two to four weeks. It may have brought the growing stage into a halt but the hair still receives nourishment.

Phase Three:

Telogen, the shedding stage. This is the last phase in the cycle, which lasts until the fully formed hair is shed. In this process, the hair sheds due to the fact that the next Anagen is about to commence. See here, as your hair sheds, a new one is growing in its place.

Hair loss is but a natural process; a continuous course that should be trekked to grow new ones.

Then there is the common baldness. This is where the hair slowly thins over time. And more often than not, it strikes the male populace particularly the members with a genetic predisposition to such. This is instigated by a condition identified as androgenic alopecia; and men who experienced premature baldness have the tendency to produce high dihydrotesterone (DHT). DHT is a sex hormone that brings about follicular miniaturization, which decreases the width of the hair shaft that renders the hair fragile, and in turn easy to shed and to shake off.

Common baldness comes in many types depending on the severity and where the actual shedding takes place. There is the Alopecia Areata characterized by some hair loss, which occurs gradually. Another is Alopecia Totalis, as the name suggests, total or complete hair loss. The abovementioned types deal with the hairs atop one’s head.

The next deals with the hair that envelops the whole body – Alopecia Universalis. Have you ever seen a person devoid of hair from head to toe? If you have, he may be suffering from Alopecia Universalis.

If you are shedding at an alarming rate with a considerable amount, go visit your local physician. Hair loss may be linked to genetics but excessive shedding may be a symptom of a disease.

Using Vitamins for Faster Hair Growth

Our hair is one of our most important assets. That is why it is so important we properly care for it. In addition, to shampoos and conditioners, hair vitamins can be used to make hair grow healthier and longer.

Your hair one of the fastest growing tissues on your body. It is made up of keratin, a fibrous protein occurring in the outer layer of the skin. There are three layers that constitute a hair strand, namely, the inner layer, middle layer and cuticle. The inner layer or medulla may only be present in thick hairs. Wherein middle layer or cortex determines the color, texture, and strength of hair strands. The protective layer of the cortex is the cuticle.

The roots are where the hair grows from. These tissues are enclosed in follicles and there’s a layer of skin below the roots called dermal papilla that is supplied by blood carrying essential nutrients for the growing hair. It is no myth when you hear that the roots are the only part of hair that is alive. In fact the hair strands are actually dead tissues. Thus, these strands cannot heal itself from damages caused by perming or bleaching. That is why it a must to take care of the scalp to maintain healthy hair and prevent hair loss.

Stages of Hair Growth

Hair grows in three stages: the anagen, catagen and telogen. During the anagen phase, hair is growing actively. This lasts for about 5 years and usually it lasts longer for women compared to men. The second is the catagen stage wherein the hair follicles waste away and fall out. However, this phase is only temporary lasting for about 3 weeks. The third is telogen stage where the hair is resting. This stage can last for 12 weeks. If your anagen stage is short, your hair growth will be limited. Supplements with MSM can be used to lengthen your hair growth phase which leads to faster hair growth.

It is natural that people lose hair to some shedding. The average person loses about 100 strands a day due to natural shedding. So losing hair everyday is not alarming unless more than half of your hair is lost.

Dealing with Hair Loss

Men are not the only who suffer hair loss as women may also experience such if they don’t take care of their beloved hairs. To reduce hair loss due to breakage and shedding, protein and moisture treatments need to be used. This will strengthen the hair while keeping it supple. Supplements with biotin, folic acid, MSM, etc. can also make hair grow faster. Hair Vitamins can be beneficial to getting faster hair growth.

Hair Growth Products: What?s the Story With Propecia?

Hello again my congregation of beautiful balding men. So we meet again. Well to all those that read my last (and my first!) article, thank-you. For you new readers, sit back enjoy and hopefully learn something. Well we’re back talking about hair growth products, and today we are going to specifically talk about one product. In fact most articles from here on out will be covering my experiences with individual hair growth products. Well today we’ll be talking about that wonderful wonder drug known as propecia.

A very good friend of mine has been taking propecia on and off for about two years (I’m using him for an example, as I have only been on it for a couple of months). He’s also the one that convinced me to take it, being the pharmacist he is I listened to him. The transformation was quite astonishing I must say. He was extremely thinning, and not only did propecia stop his hair loss, it re-grew a huge amount of hair as well. All sounds great right? Well, let me tell you about a little side effect that affected the poor guy (thank god I haven’t noticed anything like this yet). His little soldier retired from the army, or at least took an extended leave of absence, or gone AWOL. Ok enough bad jokes; you know what I was getting at here. He had extreme difficulty getting an erection. Is this rare? No. Does it happen to everyone? No. Now I heard what he had to say, but couldn’t stop looking at his beautiful new hair. The hair won me over and I started taking propecia, which I think is the greatest hair growth product out there (other than surgeries and transplants and what not). Well I’ve started noticing a difference for sure, and no side effects! Ok that was my mini story to keep your attention. Did it work? Well your still reading this are you not. Now on to what propecia is and does.

Now we all know about that little evil hormone, DHT. If you won’t you can look around for my other article, as I talk about exactly what it does and what it is, I won’t be going in to that here. The article is call “Understanding Hair Growth Products, Understand Hair loss” if you’re interested. Finasteride, propecia’s generic chemical name, sends out a chemical that interacts with the process of hair loss. It gets in the way and messes up this process by balancing out the chemicals and the enzymes that cause the excess of DHT (which if your following along is what makes your hair fall out). Now the problem that my friend experienced is because the hormone that Finasteride (again propecia, stay with me people) releases to stop DHT in excess can cause impotency. Without going into crazy details, DHT’s process involves testosterone. Testosterone is involved in make stuff (ahem) and I’m sure you can connect the dots from there. If you can’t then well hair loss might not be your biggest problem. Now I could get more technical, but there’s no point really. You know how the process works now, even if you don’t know all the fancy names of everything involved.

Now this is an IMPORTANT PART, so listen up it is lecture time. Ok first of, remember that propecia is not a cure, it is simply a hair growth product. If you stop taking propecia, you will lose the hair you gained and you will be back on the path to baldom. Also it takes on average about 3 months for men to start seeing results, and remember not everyone sees results. Also, propecia is targeting the top of your head and the anterior mid scalp area. Now people have reported success but there is still not enough info to say with certainty that propecia helps receding hairlines at the temples. Okay now the most IMPORTANT item on the list. NO WOMAN SHOULD EVER TAKE PROPECIA. It’s made for men. It is designed to mess with male hormones. If a woman is PREGNANT, even handling a broken capsule can be dangerous. Abnormalities in baby’s male sex organs can occur, a condition known as hypospadiad. If you think propecia is for you and have a wife that is pregnant, be cautious. If she comes into contact with a broken capsule then it would be best to see a doctor reasonably quickly just to be safe. Wow that felt like a disclaimer all right!

So there it is. While not giving the product my complete endorsement for everyone, I do use it. But again, it may affect you differently. I found something that works for me, and by trying different products I’m sure you can find a hair growth product for you. I hope after reading this article your either curious or turned off. If curious then research a bit more on your own, if not then stay tuned my next article will be coming shortly!

Hair Growth Treatments That Stop Hair Loss and Help You Grow New Hair

For those who are suffering from hair loss and seeking a solution, confusion may set in when presented with the many different products on the market that are designated for this particular condition. However, there is hope for those who are interested in hair growth treatments, but do not know how to go about choosing one that will work. The simple answer to the dilemma is to educate oneself about the top products on the market to find the one that will result in hair growth.

For example, there is a product called Provillus that receives positive reviews in many areas. Provillus is a two step system that is designed to promote hair loss naturally for both men and women. In fact, Provillus has a product for men, as well as a product for women as they recognize that men and women are different. Both hair growth treatments use the FDA approved ingredient, Minoxidil. Provillus offers a money back guarantee, if not satisfied.

Another one of the more popular hair growth treatments that is available is Hair Genesis. Unlike Provillus, Hair Genesis does not use the drug monoxidil in its products. Instead, Hair Genesis hair growth treatments are based on natural, botanical compounds which result in the growth of healthy hair. Hair Genesis guarantees its products by offering the consumer his or her money back, if not satisfied.

Nisim is another one of the natural hair growth treatments that are available on the market. It’s active ingredients are herbal based. All of their products are backed by a 100 percent money back guarantee.

Procerin is a clinically proven hair loss supplement that is designed for men. It has all natural ingredients and it offers a 90 day risk free money back guarantee for those who wish are not satisfied. Procerin states that eighty eight percent of its users are satisfied with the product.

When considering hair growth treatments, there are many different products to choose from. It is important to invest some time into research to compare and contrast the different products that are available to you. All natural supplements are available, as well as those that use FDA approved drugs. It is simply a matter a personal preference regarding how you want to approach your hair loss.

How To Promote Quick Hair Growth

Every person loves a full, thick head of hair. It is perceived as a indication of good health and vitality.

When someone is experiencing hair loss or thinning hair, they often look for ways to recover the thickness and health of their hair and they look for products and tips to help in stimulating hair re-growth.

If you could find a set of instructions that would show you a product that stimulates the follicles and results in hair becoming healthier and thicker, this would be the solution to the problem of how to stimulate hair growth.

You have probably seen shampoos and conditioners as well as creams and potions that claim they can improve the growth of hair, or re-grow hair where it is now thinning.

Hair itself is an outgrowth of keratin tissue from the skin. The living part of each hair strand is beneath the surface of the scalp and is the place where hair is created.

The strands you see waving in the breeze on your head is in fact dead keratin tissue. By the time the hair is visible to us, it’s too late to affect its health. There is a method that can help in stimulating the follicle to give healthier hair.

Supplements taken as you would take a vitamin will act on the body from the inside to stimulate the follicle to grow more and stronger hair. The instructions for this are straightforward and a few tips on careful hair care would be in order as well. If you take a few easy steps, you can find out how to stimulate hair growth.

One of the tips you need is to protect the hair you have. Brush and comb with care especially when your hair is wet. Wet hair breaks and tears more easily than dry.

You may wish to get instructions on how to comb conditioners through your hair to moisturize it and keep the breakage to a minimum. The supplements that are stimulating to the hair follicle to improve growth rate and hair health may also do good to your skin and nails.

People who are looking for how to stimulate hair growth will be pleased to find out that a few easy steps in taking care of the hair and learning the right ways to supplement their diets can have amazing results.

Our research has found these best fast hair growth products. They were chosen due to their proven results and customer satisfaction. These are one of the most efficient rapid hair growth systems available for men and women.

Does Moon Really Influences Hair Growth? Truth Behind the Superstition

Once I was surfing through the web and found a very interesting article about all popular superstitions that deal with hair. One of them especially sparked my interest. The author said that, despite of common belief, in no way possible can moon influence hair growth, because it simply cannot be, and that all this is granny’s tales.

Well, of course, many of the scientists may lead you into long and dull calculations about how this influences that, and whether this influence is generally possible. But let’s look closer at this concept.

When I was at the high school, my teacher of physics showed us simple formula how one physical body influences other physical body. Of course, she was speaking about the planets and really huge bodies. But I can give you three reasons why this law is true for all existing physical bodies, no matter how small, tiny, or minuscule they are.

Reason #1: Everything in the World Is Interconnected

General science speaks that every part of the Universe is guided by some laws of existence, and that world is divided into parts that we see and that we can’t see. Moreover, every one of us knows that something small creates big.

In other words, all of us are made of particles that we can’t see, and the big world is made of small things the same way.

Now let’s think about this: if everything is guided by laws, and big world and small one are interconnected, then this leads to a conclusion that we are connected to the world, too and influenced by the general laws of its existence.

Reason one is proved.

Reason #2: Big Influences Small

Returning to my sweet teacher of physics, let’s look closer at the laws of the mutual influence.

Who said that we are not influenced by the planet, OR planets? For example, there are weather sensitive people, whose state of health depends on sunny or rainy weather and atmospheric pressure. People are small and the planet is huge, planet influences people, big influences small.

So, why does something that is generally and physically possible seem so impossible to the self-oriented humans?

Let’s assume reason two is proved, too.

Reason #3: Stars Are Not Simply Dots in the Sky

This reason is my final argument for those who know that world goes round, but are not likely to believe it.

There is an astronomy and astrology. Each of these sciences deals with stars. One predicts the future, second studies movements of the planets. First science isn’t regarded by some of us as a science at all, second uses so many gadgets and technical devices, that almost all of us believe it. Of course, tabloid horoscopes do not add faith in the truthfulness of the predictions.

But do you know that ancient Arabs made long and complicated calculations that were written in separate huge books to get the right future forecast for the single person? These calculations usually took several weeks to finish; they required not only the exact date of your birth, but also exact day, hour, minute, even second of birth of your parents, some of the relatives, even strangers.

Moreover, they took into account positions of the planets, the Sun, the Moon, the Earth itself. And these positions were calculated in the same way as they are calculated now by modern scientists, who use fast computers and latest gadgets.

So, as you see, once astrology was rather exact, complicated and demanding science that was later abused and misled.

Now we read horoscopes just for fun, and don’t know their true history and nature. To say more, astronomy takes its origin from the astrology, because first star charts and observations were brought from Arabian countries.

But I won’t say that stars influence our future. What I really want to say is that stars influence our health and state of mood by the magnetic and physical interconnection with the Earth, which, in its turn, influences us directly.

So, even if you do not believe that stars influence you, they do influence every part of the world you live in, and these parts, in their turn, have a certain impact on you.

Reason three is proved.

When it comes to the growth or fading of the Moon and its influence on hair growth, the existence of such is explained by firm and solid law of nature.

The Moon and the Earth are bound by the mutual attraction. High and low tides of the Ocean exist because the Moon approaches and moves away from the Earth in a six-hour cycle. The growth-fading lunar cycle has eight stages, and this cycle influences the Earth in the same way as the six-hour cycle does.

Moreover, the Moon rotates around its axis, as well as around the Earth, along oval orbit, so there are points when the Moon is closer to the Earth and when the Moon is further from the Earth. It all moves us into complicated eight-staged ellipse lunar cycle.

Lunar cycle leads to the minor changes in the atmospheric pressure and the power of the Earth gravity. In its turn this affects animal and human health and behavior. For example, doctors report an increase in epileptic seizures and bleeding ulcers at the time of the full moon.

Gravity is one of the Earth’s strongest forces, so you can’t ignore the Moon.

If we now think more about certain similarities between natural world and human organism, we will see that plants and herbs grow better or worse according to the lunar cycle. Moreover, it is a common practice when coffee trader view chart of the winter full moon to plan their coffee sales. The connection between the full moon and plant growth is so well established that it affects investment patterns.

Hair growth is affected by the Moon in the same way, as anything else on the planet. When the gravity changes, state of your health changes, too. With the lower gravity, even if the change is so small that you don’t feel it, your hair grows slower. It happens in the beginning of the moon cycle and in the middle, on the full moon.

During the new moon and the old moon, the gravity is bigger, and the hair grows faster. Thus, the perfect time for visiting your stylist is on the 3-11th days of the moon cycle, as well as on17-24th days. Your hair will grow faster during these days.

Even if you do not believe all of the said, you can’t deny the influence of gravity on human organism. Thus, there really are certain connections and influences of the Moon on the hair growth.

There are only few reminding to those who expect miracles:

• Changes in Earth’s gravity are very small, so you shouldn’t expect fantastic results.

• If your stylist has a “heavy” hand and your hair doesn’t grow back in two weeks after hair cut, you shouldn’t expect a miraculous hair growth, too.

• If your hair is in unhealthy condition, it will use any opportunity to revive itself first, and only then it will grow longer.

• My last reminding is that if you used to have short haircut, and now you’ve decided to grow your hair long, it will take time, doesn’t matter when you cut your hair, and who cuts it. Our hair grows only up to 5-7 mm per month, and this is a proven scientific fact.

So, whether or not you believe that the Moon and hair growth are connected, you would agree that as long as you live on the planet, you will feel, consciously or subconsciously, all changes and influences made by our planet and its counterparts.

Easy Natural Tips for Effective Hair Growth

These days increasing numbers of people are suffering from the grave problem of hair loss. It is not only men but women too who experience balding patches, though the patterns in both the biological sexes differ strikingly. In general, the causes that are common for both men and women for causing inefficient hair growth include stress, hormonal changes, hereditary reasons, side effects of prescription medicines, skin disease Alopecia Areata, Trichotillomania, inadequate nutrition, frequent hair styling and treatments and Iopecia Areata.

In men, hormonal changes take place when there is an imbalance of testosterone. Decreased testosterone levels tend to cause receding hair lines in men. In women, the imbalance of hormones takes place when they consume birth control pills, have undergone parturition or have just experienced their menopause. When hair growth is on decline, then the concerned individual, be it man or woman, can feel really low in self esteem, and can feel embarrassed about themselves in public. Their morale is always on the downscale and they feel dejected and pessimistic.

These days there are various remedies available for treating hair loss and to promote effective hair growth. Not only are there various surgical methods like hair transplants and hair weaving but there are various pills, creams, oils and potions that are also easily accessible to have that great mane restored. While most of these ways are temporary and may cause some side effects, hair transplant surgery is a permanent and very effective method. The only drawback of this surgery is that it comes to be quite expensive for the individual who may have to spend much in order to restore hair growth. It is the natural methods for hair growth that are absolutely safe and bear no side effects, and are really effectual.

Some of the really beneficial hair growth tips that can help the individuals suffering from hair loss are the following:

Never comb or brush your hair excessively as it leads of increased breakage of hair strands.

Do not pull the hair in very tight pony tails as it puts the stress on the hair roots and thereby weakens them.

It is very crucial that you wash your hair at regular intervals and keep them clean. In fact, keep your brushes and combs clean as well. Massaging the hair roots once in a while is a good idea as it increases the blood circulation and thereby promotes hair growth.

If you have dandruff, make sure you get it treated right way from a specialist. Dandruff increases the dryness on the scalp thereby reducing the natural moisture leading to rough and weak hair.

Use only quality products on your hair. Also, try to use products that cater to your specific hair type.

It is important that you do not experiment much with your hair as frequent blow drying, curling and straightening makes the hair weak.

Last but not the least, it is crucial to have a proper balanced diet to promote great hair growth and have a shining and voluminous mane.

 

Natural hair growth- simple diet tips to grow long hair

Natural hair growth is the way to go, this is better than chemical hair loss treatments that come with a host of side effects are just temporary

A multi-vitamin is crucial for stopping hair loss and encouraging natural hair growth

Biotin is necessary for natural hair growth and so is fenugreek. it is said that hair loss and a lack of natural hair growth is due to vitamin A and B deficiency , so take lots of B supplements. Vitamin B5 is known to contain pantothenic acid and B3 (niacin that is vital for natural hair growth). Vitamin B6 is equally important to the growth of long hair

Make sure that you also take a multi mineral vitamin that contains zinc, sulfur, magnesium and biotin.

Here is an interesting hair growth fact about vitamin B, in one study rats that were denied magnesium begun to lose hair and when a diet low in biotin were given to rats they too lost hair. So this proves that biotin is crucial for natural hair growth

When these very rats were given vitamin B, the rats gained all their hair back

In short for long hair growth you need ample amounts of vitamin B and A. you should take natural sources of primrose oil, flaxseed oil and salmon oil

Finally there is vitamin E which also will stimulate natural hair growth

It will stimulate the oxygen intake in the body and it will also improve the blood circulation to your scalp and allow your hair to grow

Understand that for natural hair growth there has to be proper blood circulation, hair growth is then enhanced. Another Vitamin, vitamin C will help the normal functioning of capillaries that are designed to carry blood to the scalp.

Finally be sure to massage your scalp with good hair oil like Mira hair oil, herbal hair oils will promote hair growth. A good head and hair massage will also promote natural hair growth.

Use these tips and get your hair growing fast

What Is Delayed Growth Following A Hair Transplant?

The asynchronous cyclical nature of human follicular activity contrasts sharply with the synchronized “molting” pattern seen in other mammalian species. In the process of molting, animals shed their hair in a synchronized, seasonal pattern to adapt to the changing climate. This shedding of hair is controlled by mediators released by the hypothalamus, pineal, and anterior pituitary.

Humans differ from other mammals in that their growth cycle is almost totally asynchronous, and this pattern is established shortly after birth. Human hair has a growth cycle of approximately three years. Since human hair grows approximately 1/2 inch per month, it would reach a length of about 18 inches before it is shed. Therefore, in the average person, hair length is limited to approximately 1 1/2 feet. There is, of course, significant normal variation with hair cycles varying in each individual and from person to person. At the extreme end of the bell curve, continuous patterns of growth may be seen (Angora). In a given period of time about 13% of hair is in the resting (telogen) stage, which lasts about three to four months. For example, if the average person had 100,000 hairs on his head, approximately 90 should be shed each day, and 90 would begin to re-grow.

Generally, following a transplant, all of the transplanted hair is shed in an effluvium and enters a resting phase. If all the hair was to simultaneously begin a new anagen cycle, the asynchronous normal growth pattern in man would be effectively converted to the synchronous growing/molting pattern of animals, and much of the new hair would fall out during the next normal telogen three years later. This obviously doesn’?t happen to any significant degree.

To prevent this from happening and to keep our hair cycle “human,” there are at least two possible mechanisms at work. In the first, each hair might resume its growth cycle at the point where it was interrupted, thus continuing the previous totally asynchronous pattern of growth. In the second possibility, each hair would begin a totally new 3 year cycle. In this case, if all the hair was to begin growing simultaneously, this new hair would fall out at approximately the same time three years later. In the second scenario, in order for nature to restore its normal asynchronous pattern, it would have to delay the onset of growth in a portion of the follicles. In theory, to be totally asynchronous, new crops of transplanted hair would continue to appear over an extended period of time, possibly up to three years.

It is unclear which of these two physiologic mechanisms best explains the natural course of events, but it is likely that both are at work. In the first, abundant new hair growth would be seen at 3 to 4 months with each follicle resuming its original cycle. In the second scenario, hair would gradually reappear over an extended period of time with each follicle at the beginning of a full new cycle. It is noted that in some patients substantial hair growth is delayed significantly past the usual “three to four months,” with some new growth occurring as late as a year or more after surgery. It is possible that in this subset of patients, the second natural mechanism is at work.

We wonder if this phenomenon of delayed growth is unique to the newer techniques or has always been present and is only now being recognized. With 4mm grafts, containing an average of 20 hairs, a delay in the growth of some of the hair would largely go unnoticed. With the use of smaller grafts, such as mini-grafts, but especially with micro-grafts and follicular implants, any delay would be immediately apparent. In fact, it has been the experience of these authors that the appearance of the large grafts often worsen with time as the full complement of hairs in each graft become visible.

If delayed growth is indeed a new phenomenon unique to the implantation of very small grafts, it is possible that the growth cycle of the hair in these grafts may react differently to the trauma of transplantation than those in the larger grafts. In other words, the desiccation, temperature change, and mechanical trauma to which small grafts might be more subject actually cause a delay in growth in situations where there was not quite enough injury to completely destroy the follicle. Thus, small degrees of trauma may either induce the second physiologic mechanism to occur, or may cause a more pathologic delay in growth. Of course, with increasing trauma, poor growth or no growth would be the result and this “point of no return” must be elucidated in carefully controlled studies. An additional type of trauma that may contribute to delayed growth has been recently reported by doctors Cooley and Vogel. They suggest that when the dermal papillae is lost during graft preparation and handling, it must regenerate from the fibrous root sheath before the hair will re-grow, and this regeneration can often take several months. The role that this important mechanism plays in the delay that we see clinically must also be determined.

Our guess is that “delayed” growth has always been part of the transplant process, representing a normal physiologic shift in the growth cycle on one hand and a reaction to sub-lethal injury on the other; with the very small grafts making both of these changes more obvious. What percentage each represents and how much of “delayed growth” will turn out to be no growth at all still needs to be determined. But before we panic about “perceived no growth” and before we set our patients up for unrealistic expectations about how soon their growth may occur, we should work to have a better understanding of all the biologic factors that impact our surgery.

REFERENCES

1. Ebling FJ, Hale PA: The control of the mammalian molt. Mem Soc Endocrinol 18:215, 1970

2. Pecoraro V et al: Cycle of the scalp hair of the new born child. J Invest Dermatol 43:145, 1964

3. Cooley J, Vogel J. Loss of the dermal papilla during graft dissection and placement: Another cause of x-factor? Hair Transplant Forum Int 1997; 7:20-21.

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