Balding/Hair Loss Protocol

Balding/Hair Loss Recommended Products
DR PROCTOR'S NATURAL HAIR REGROWTH
DR PROCTOR'S NATURAL HAIR REGROWTH SHAMPOO

Balding is usually a result of genetic factors, aging, local skin conditions, diseases, and the taking of certain medicines. Balding is always symmetrical in both male- and female-pattern baldness. If hair loss is nonsymmetrical, for example, hair loss on only one side of the head, more than likely there is another reason for the hair loss, and a biopsy may have to be performed.

Male-Pattern Balding
Male-pattern balding, the most common type of balding in men, is controlled by a single dominant autosomal gene. This type of balding usually starts at the temples and then will gradually recede to form an "M" shape on the head. The hair on the top of the head will start to thin out. Over time, the male is left with a horseshoe-shaped pattern of hair around his head. Some males will have only a receding hairline or bald spots on the crowns of their heads. The hair that remains in the balding areas starts out as long, thick, and pigmented and changes into fine, unpigmented sprouts that grow at a slower rate. If a man begins losing his hair during his mid-teen years, there is a good chance he will become completely bald on top of his head.

Androgenic alopecia (AGA) is another factor that can cause male-pattern baldness. Androgenic alopecia is caused by three factors: advanced age, an inherited tendency to bald early, and an overabundance of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a highly active form of testosterone within the hair follicle. DHT influences male behavior, from the sex drive to aggression. Testosterone converts to DHT by 5-alpha-reductase, an enzyme produced in the prostate, various adrenal glands, and the scalp. What appears to happen is that DHT (and perhaps other androgenic hormones) causes the immune system to react to the hair follicles in the affected areas as foreign bodies. This is suggested by the presence of hair-follicle antibodies, as well as by the infiltration of immune system cells around the hair follicles of balding men (as well as women).

Female-Pattern Baldness
Female-pattern baldness is caused by aging, genetic susceptibility, and levels of endocrine hormones known as androgens. This type of balding usually begins around the age of 30 and becomes more noticeable at age 40, and can be more evident after menopause. Female-pattern baldness usually causes the hair to thin out all over the head, but it rarely progresses to total or near baldness as it does in men. This type of hair loss is permanent.

Females may also suffer hair loss because of temporary shedding, known as telogen effluvium; breaking of the hair due to styling treatments and twisting or pulling of the hair; alopecia areata, an immune disorder temporarily causing patchy areas of total hair loss; oral medications; and certain skin diseases.

Toxic Baldness
Toxic baldness occurs in males, as well as females. Hair may fall out for as long as 3-4 months before it grows back. Many cancer chemotherapy medications, as well as certain cholesterol-lowering drugs, Parkinson's medications, ulcer drugs, anticoagulants, antiarthritics, drugs derived from vitamin A, anticonvulsants for epilepsy, antidepressants, beta-blocker drugs for high blood pressure, antithyroid agents, blood thinners, and anabolic steroids, can cause baldness. When a doctor prescribes any drug, he should be asked if it causes hair loss. If he does not know, have him look it up in the Physicians' Desk Reference, which lists the side effects of all prescription drugs. A pharmacist can also be asked for this information.

Alopecia Areata, Universalis, and Totalis
Sudden hair loss in a certain area, such as the scalp or beard, is called alopecia areata and is sometimes caused by an autoimmune illness. Alopecia universalis is a condition in which all body hair may be lost. The total loss of all body hair, including eyebrows, eyelashes, facial and body hair, and hair on top of the head, is known as alopecia totalis. Unless hair loss is widespread, new hair may grow back within a few months, but with no color.

Trichotillomania and Scarring Alopecia
Trichotillomania, also known as hair pulling, is found primarily in children, although it can prevail throughout a person's lifetime. Children with trichotillomania have an abnormal desire to pull out their hair, chronically scratch, or brush their hair for no apparent reason.

Scarring alopecia describes skin that is scarred because of burns, x-ray therapy, skin cancer, or a severe injury that results in hair loss.

Treatment

A doctor may need to perform a biopsy to determine what type of baldness a person is experiencing. The biopsy will ascertain whether the follicles are normal. There are four conventional choices a person has in regard to treating hair loss: begin to take better care of the scalp, use products such as minoxidil (Rogaine) and/or Proscar, get a hair transplant or a scalp reduction, or have the hair replaced nonsurgically. More aggressive approaches to treating hair loss are discussed later in this protocol.

Successful prevention and treatment of accelerated hair loss necessitates dealing with some, if not all, of the factors involved in the process, except for the genetic component of baldness, which is still in the research phase.

Because the male hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is involved in premature hair loss, scientists have experimented with a wide variety of antiandrogens in an attempt to prevent or reverse the process. Among the antiandrogens that have been used to treat hair loss are progesterone, spironolactone (Aldactone), flutamide (Eulexin), finasteride (Proscar), cimetidine (Tagamet), serenoa repens (Permixon), and cyproterone acetate (Androcur/Diane). Of these antiandrogens, the most effective has proven to be oral finasteride (Propecia and Proscar).

In the hair-loss process, it is the immune reaction caused by male hormones, such as DHT (the balding hormone), that plays, perhaps, the most significant role. Stimulated by androgens, the immune system targets hair follicles in genetically susceptible areas, causing the premature loss of hair that is characteristic of male-pattern baldness.

Among the most potent hair-growth stimulators are topical oxygen radical scavengers, such as the superoxide dismutases (SODs), enzymes that play a critical role in countering excessive free-radical activity throughout the body.

SODs not only inhibit oxygen radicals but may also inhibit the localized immune response implicated in so much hair loss and may offset some of the damage and inflammation already incurred. Unless the immunologic factors involved in the hair-loss process are dealt with effectively, the potential for significant hair regrowth may be very limited.

There are many available agents (such as Rogaine) that can stimulate some degree of hair growth in some people, but they cannot by themselves produce the kind of health and cosmetic benefits that balding people desire. What's needed is a multi-modal approach that combines antiandrogens with autoimmune protective agents, oxygen free-radical inhibitors, and other hair-growth stimulators to halt hair loss and generate hair regrowth to a degree well beyond the abilities of single compounds.

Finasteride (Propecia)
Propecia is the FDA-approved drug for treating hair loss. It comes in a 1-mg pill form and is available by prescription only for men for around $45-50 a month. Originally developed by Merck Pharmaceuticals for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (prostate enlargement), finasteride is also sold under the name Proscar in a 5-mg pill form. At first, finasteride was thought to be useless as a treatment for androgenic alopecia because it primarily affects the Type 2 of the DHT-inducing enzyme 5-alpha-reductase. However, doses of finasteride as low as 0.2 mg a day have been shown to maximally decrease both scalp skin and serum DHT levels (Drake et al. 1999). Additional clinical trials of finasteride have confirmed its beneficial effects in AGA in males, but not in females.

Finasteride can produce visible hair growth in most men with mild to moderate alopecia, but more importantly, it can stop hair loss in a majority of patients. A 5-year study found finasteride, 1 mg a day over 5 years, was well-tolerated, led to durable improvements in scalp hair growth, and slowed the further progression of hair loss that occurred without treatment (FMPHLSG 2002). The most common side effect of finasteride is decreased sexual desire or lowered amount of ejaculate in less than 2% of men, although almost as many men who received the placebo experienced these side effects as well.

Future Treatments
Dutasteride (GG745) is a drug similar to Propecia/finasteride in that it blocks the enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT. Unlike finasteride, Dutasteride blocks both of the enzymes that create DHT instead of just one, so it may be a more potent treatment for hair loss (Bramson et al. 1997). Dutasteride was given preliminary approval for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia on November 20, 2001.

Azulfidine (sulfasalazine) is an anti-inflammatory sulfa drug used to treat autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease. Researchers have found that it may be an effective treatment for some people with alopecia areata. Of 30 patients tested, Azulfidine led to a complete reversal of the condition in seven (23%). Others had some hair regrowth, but for the majority of test subjects (more than half), the medication had no effect (Ellis et al. 2002).

Dr. Proctor's Hair Regrowth Formulas
Dr. Peter Proctor is the only hair-treatment practitioner in the world who has developed unique, patented, multi-ingredient hair formulas that address all the known factors in the balding process. He is the author of more than 30 scientific articles and book chapters and holds several broad patents for hair-loss treatment.

Dr. Proctor offers both prescription and nonprescription hair-treatment formulas that vary both in potency and cost. However, even the least potent of Dr. Proctor's formulas has been shown to be superior to Rogaine, the only FDA-approved hair-treatment product on the market.

The least expensive of Dr. Proctor's hair growth formulas is sold under the name Dr. Proctor's Hair Regrowth Shampoo. This formula includes an abundant supply of the most potent natural hair growth stimulator available, 3-carboxylic acid pyridine-N-oxide (NANO), which is known as "natural" minoxidil.

Dr. Proctor's Hair Regrowth Shampoo has worked effectively for many people who did not respond to Rogaine. It may be all that is needed if only small to moderate hair loss is experienced or if the primary need is for a prophylactic program that will prevent hair loss in the future. Dr. Proctor's Hair Regrowth Shampoo should be used whenever the hair is washed (at least 3 times a week) and can be used just like any other shampoo.

The second formula developed by Dr. Proctor, which is sold under the name Dr. Proctor's Advanced Hair Regrowth Formula, includes a potent dose of "natural" minoxidil (NANO) combined with the following natural hair protection and hair growth agents: EDRF enhancers, SODs, and various free-radical scavengers. Zinc sulfate and copper peptides are the antiandrogens that enhance the production of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) in the formula.

This multiagent natural formula is the most potent natural hair-growth formula available. It includes every type of natural hair treatment agent available to counter the DHT, autoimmune, and inflammatory effects that are at the root of hair loss and baldness. Dr. Proctor's Advanced Hair Regrowth Formula is a liquid that is applied to the scalp.

Dr. Proctor's Advanced Hair Regrowth Formula should be applied 8-10 drops once or twice a day to the thinning areas. Its side effects include contact dermatitis (an itchy, scaly rash at the site of application).

For serious hair-loss problems, Dr. Proctor has developed a multidrug prescription formula that contains all the known drugs that are effective when applied topically. The name of this product is Dr. Proctor's European Prescription Hair Regrowth Formula, and it contains an array of natural hair-growth protectors combined with several drugs compounded into a cream base. Natural agents in Dr. Proctor's European Prescription Hair Regrowth Formula include topical antiandrogens, which increase EDRF levels, and oxygen free-radical scavengers. These agents are combined with the following drugs: minoxidil, phenytoin (Dilantin), tretinoin (Retin-A), and spironolactone.

The protocol for using Dr. Proctor's European Prescription Hair Regrowth Formula is as follows: apply 1/10 tsp (a dab on the end of your finger) once a day for 8-12 months, and then apply every other day for maintenance.

Summary

Balding is in most cases a cosmetic problem and is usually the result of genetic influences, aging, skin conditions, or the ingesting of certain medications. The most common form of balding is male- and female-pattern baldness. At this time there is no known cure for baldness, and there are limited choices on how to cope with it. Oral prescription drugs, such as Propecia, and over-the-counter preparations, such as minoxidil, have shown benefit and are available in pharmacies.

Dr. Peter Proctor has developed unique, patented multi-ingredient hair formulas that address all the known factors in the balding process. These include Dr. Proctor's Hair Regrowth Shampoo (use like any shampoo), Dr. Proctor's Advanced Hair Regrowth Formula (8-10 drops applied once or twice a day to the thinning areas), and/or Dr. Proctor's European Prescription Hair Regrowth Formula (1/10 tsp--a dab on the end of your finger--applied once a day for 8-12 months, and then applied every other day for maintenance).

It is possible that there may be new drugs approved in the future that could be more effective than existing therapies. Most hair-growth drugs prevent hair from falling out better than they regrow hair on a balding scalp. Therefore, taking aggressive steps today to maintain healthy hair could enable one to benefit from better medications in the future.

For more information

Contact the National Alopecia Areata Foundation, P.O. Box 150760, San Rafael, CA 94915, (415) 456-4644; the American Hair Loss Council, 401 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, (312) 321-5158.

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease