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Hairloss Forum - Hairloss info Category: Health and Medicine > Hairloss Date & country: 26/02/2011, USA Words: 156

Propecia
The first FDA approved pill for hair loss. Propecia contains 1mg of Finasteride which inhibits the enzyme 5-alpha reductase type 2 that converts testosterone into DHT. This lowering of DHT in the body leads to a halting of hair loss and causes regrowth of hair in people suffering from Androgenetic Alopecia.

Proscar
A medication for treating an enlarged prostate (BPH) that contains 5mg of Finasteride, the same ingredient that is in Propecia. Some men use Proscar instead of Propecia since its cheaper when cut into 5 pieces.

Prosthetic
An artificial replacement for an organ or limb.

Pruritus
The medical term for itching, pruritus is common in people suffering from hair loss.

Pseudopelade
A type of scarring alopecia that slowly progresses to irregular areas of hair loss without prior skin disease. It is slowly progressive and shows no evidence of folliculitis or marked inflammation. Pseudopelade is generally regarded as a clinical syndrome that may be the end result of diseases such as lichen planopilaris.

Psoriasis
A skin condition that is characterized by the presence of rounded, silvery scaly patches of skin. These can appear on the scalp, elbows, knees and genital region. Nail changes are common and include pitting and a yellowish discoloration that resembles a fungal infection. Psoriasis may also cause hair loss.

Punch graft
A group of ten to twenty hairs that has been removed from the donor area with the use of a circular punch.

Recipient site
The area of the scalp where the hair grafts are transplanted into.

Rejection
When the body rejects some foreign body or tissue that has been introduced into it.

Retin-A
Derivative of vitamin A, which is required for proper bone development, night vision, and skin integrity. Retin-A has been used extensively to combat aging of the skin and acts as a chemical peel. Some hair loss formulations include Retin-A to increase the absorption of Minoxidil. Excessive Retin-A use can result in hair loss.

Rogaine
The brand name for Minoxidil

Saw palmetto
The botanical name for Saw Palmetto is Serenoa Repens. The plant is also known as Sabal or Permixon in some countries. Saw Palmetto has been used to treat an enlarged prostate in the same way as Proscar and some companies are using it in formulations to treat Androgenetic Alopecia. It is has been studied for the prostate but not for hair loss.

Scalp reduction
A surgical procedure designed to reduce the size of the balding areas in which an ellipse of bald scalp is surgically removed and sutured closed.

Scarring Alopecia
Inflammation of the hair follicles can lead to scarring Alopecia. This form of Alopecia is easy to identify because rough patches on the surface of the scalp made up of small blood vessels and tissue are present. Scarring Alopecia has many different causes such as bacterial, viral and fungal infections.

Scleroderma
A disease of the skin and connective tissue that causes the skin to become hard and can result in hair loss.

Sebaceous glands
Fatty glands found in hair follicles throughout the body that secrete oil into the hair and surrounding skin.

Seborrheic dermatitis
A form of inflammatory skin rash that results from an over activity of the sebaceous glands in the skin. Treatment often includes a mild hydrocortisone-containing cream.

Sebum
A thick greasy substance that is secreted by sebaceous glands that consists of fat and cellular debris.

Selenium
Selenium is an essential micronutrient in the human diet that functions as a component of enzymes involved in antioxidant protection and thyroid hormone metabolism. In combination with vitamin E, it exerts antioxidant effects that help keep the immune system strong. However excessive use of selenium has been linked to skin, hair, and nail abnormalities.

Semodex
Semodex is a product from Nioxin that claims to eliminate demodex folliculorum mites. However there is no evidence that demodex mites are the cause of any type of hair loss and they appear to play a beneficial role in the follicle.

Senescent Alopecia
Hair loss that naturally occurs with age. During the process of aging, both the duration of hair growth and the diameter of the hair follicle decrease.

Shock fallout
The loss of hair that often occurs after hair transplantation. The resulting trauma causes some of the hairs to go into the resting phase and some of the existing hairs are lost. The loss can be permanent or temporary.

Skin Biopsy
A skin biopsy is an analysis done on a small piece of tissue that is removed from the skin with a small punch. The tissue is microscopically examined and is used to help make a diagnosis about a skin or hair problem. A biopsy may help determine proper treatment for a skin condition.

Slit graft
A graft of three to four hairs inserted into a slit made by a scalpel.

SOD
Also known as Superoxide Dismutase, these enzymes destroy free radicals and prevent the resulting cellular damage. Researchers have discovered that SODases also stimulate hair growth.

Spironolactone
Also known as Aldactone, this is potassium sparring diuretic with anti-androgenic effects. It is most commonly used for acne and is also been used to treat Androgenetic Alopecia. Women can take it orally but men need to use it topically because of the potential for feminizing effects when taken orally.

Stretch back
A condition that occurs after a scalp reduction procedure due to the elastic characteristic of the skin. The bald area that could not be eliminated totally during a scalp reduction increases in width three months after the procedure, thus reducing the procedure's effectiveness.

Suture
A synthetic or natural based line that is used to close a wound.

Systemic side effects
Side effects from a drug or treatment that that are experienced throughout the body.

Tacrolimus
Also known as FK506, this is an immuno-suppressive drug that is derived from a soil fungus. Its primary use has been in preventing organ rejection in transplant patient but most recently it has been approved by the FDA for use in certain dermatological conditions like atopic dermatitis. It has been thought that it could grow hair since it acts in a similar way to Cyclosporin, another powerful and ...

Telogen
The resting phase of the life cycle of the hair. This phase lasts for 3-4 months and ends as new hairs (anagen) emerge and push out the old telogen hairs which is was causes shedding to occur.

Telogen Effluvium
Telogen effluvium is an abnormal loss of hair due to alteration of the normal hair cycle. Normally, most of the hairs are in the growth stage and only one hundred hairs per day fall from the scalp. When telogen effluvium occurs, a greater proportion of the hairs enter the resting phase of the cycle and hair shedding is greater than normal.

Temporal recession
Hair loss that occurs in the temple regions where the hair line retreats leaving a V shaped pattern.

Terminal hair
Long coarse hairs that are pigmented, fully developed, and found on the scalp, beard, pubic area, arms and legs.

Testosterone
The male hormone that is released by both the adrenal gland and the testicles and promotes the development of male characteristics. Testosterone is also present in women.

Thymus
The thymus gland is the primary organ involved in lymphocyte (T-cell) differentiation. It is also an endocrine organ that produces thymulin, a hormone also involved in lymphocyte differentiation.

Thymuskin
This product is an extract from calf thymus and is supposed to help in Alopecia Areata by boosting the body's own thymus gland function. According to the company ingestion of thymus extract helps by normalizing the creation of the follicle's autoantigens. There is no solid evidence that it helps Androgenetic Alopecia as the company claims.

Thyroid
A gland in the neck near the voice box responsible for producing thyroid hormone. This hormone regulates the metabolism of the body.

Tinea Capitis
A fungal infection also known as "ringworm", it usually manifests itself as a sharply clearly defined patch of partial hair loss. The fungus invades the hair shaft and causes the hairs to break. Inflammation and scaling may be present. The infection may be transmitted through combs, brushes, and from person to person.

Tissue expansion
A method used to increase the effectiveness of scalp reduction surgery or hair flaps. A balloon-like device is inserted under the scalp several weeks before the procedure and is gradually inflated weekly with saline. The result is new tissue growth that can then be used in the procedure.

Topical
Any solution that is administered by applying it to the surface of the skin. In theory this limits the activity to the area it was applied to and prevents side effects, but in reality certain medications can be absorbed through the skin into the blood stream.

Traction Alopecia
Hair loss that occurs due to a strain put on the hairs. Traction Alopecia is commonly seen with braids, pony tails and other hairstyles which place a constant tension on the hair and the scalp.

Transsection
Damage done to the hair follicle during harvesting of the donor hair or dissection of the grafts when the scalpel accidentally cuts follicles. This results in the loss of the follicle.

Tretinoin
The generic term for Retin-A, a vitamin A derivative.

Trichology
A para-medical degree in England and Australia that is approximately equivalent to a Masters degree. It is conferred through the Institute of Trichologists and its practioners, called Trichologists, treat patients with hair loss. Trichologists are not allowed to prescribe prescription medication and are viewed as quacks in some medical circles as they adopt a holistic approach to treating hair los...

Trichotillomania
An obsessive-compulsive disorder that causes a person to pull their own hair out which can lead to permanent hair loss. The hair loss tends to be localized and the resulting patch is angular in configuration. Treatment usually requires some counseling and/or medication.

Vacuum Attachment
A hairpiece that is made from silicone and causes a vacuum when applied to a person head. This vacuum allows the hairpiece to stay in place and it is the most secure of all hairpieces attachment but is only suitable for people with total hair loss.

Vasodilator
Medication that causes the blood vessels to dilate or expand.

Vellus hair
Fine colorless short hair covering most of the body surface. Vellus hair replaces lanugo shortly after birth and may be transformed into terminal hairs under the influence of androgens. In people with Androgenetic Alopecia vellus hairs replace terminal hairs. Vellus hairs lack a central medulla which accounts for their fine and colorless appearance.

Vertex
The crown area of the scalp.

Vitamin B12
Member of the water soluble B vitamin group, important in the proper function of the nervous system and important in proper carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D is manufactured by the body under the influence of UV rays. In its active form vitamin D is a steroid hormone with some anti-inflammatory properties.

Vitiligo
A skin disorder characterized by smooth, irregular white patches of the skin caused by the loss of the natural pigment. The peak incidence occurs during childhood to mid adult life.

Viviscal
A hair growth product obtained from a marine extract and developed in Finland. Viviscal is a nutritional supplement that has not been proven to prevent hair loss but may be beneficial for hair growth.

Xerosis
This is the medical term for dry, rough, cracking, scaly skin. Treatment involves rehydrating the skin and sealing it with an emollient.

Zinc
A mineral whose deficiency causes hair loss. Zinc applied topically has reportedly been show to inhibit DHT.