Friday, March 28, 2008

Hair Loss

Singapore Hair Loss Support Group is Singapore's Hair Loss support group for all hair loss sufferers. Discuss, learn and share. You may want to send your questions, hair loss combat tips or share your story with all of us. Email: acer_apex@yahoo.com.sg now!Personal details not necessary, just your name and your area of residence will do. Thanks!



More and more Singaporean men are losing their ‘crowns of glory’ and this trend may be getting earlier and earlier.

On the streets in these recent years, we may spot a relatively number of young men who are bald or balding. Compare this phenomenon to say ten years ago when this phenomenon is not commonly seen. This balding trend among Singaporean men is sparking an increasing proliferation of hair treatment centres. Hair treatment centres have practically sprung up all over the island with the likes of Beijing 101, Yunnan, Svenson, Bossin, etc.

Causes of hair loss can be hereditary, or caused by stress, drug medications, poor diets, oily scalp etc and these causes manifest into the many forms or types of hair loss such as male pattern baldness, telogen effluvium, alopecia areata, etc.

A normal human loses about 50 to 100 hairs per day and this loss is not alarming. However if more than this number is lost per day, one should seek a doctor before it is too late.

Hair grows from follicles, and if one balds and takes no actions, the follicles will eventually die and there will be no more growth. It will be too late for any action. Note that when I say bald, normally a human will not go totally bald, the follicles at the sides of the human scalp, the parts above the years are programmed for life, and hair grows for life at these particular areas. Balding follows a pattern known as the Norwood chart.

There are three stages of hair growth: anagen (the growing phase), catagen (the intermediate phase) and telogen (the shedding phase). Hair loss occurs when the hair grows and sheds fast. The average life cycle of a hair is 2 to 3 years and each hair growth to fall can last 25 cycles, balding occurs when these cycles are accelerated and completed so fast that the cycles end, the follicles dies off and the hair can never grow back again.

I understand in this post, there are many jargons and technical terms that are used. The internet offers a rich array of resources for which one can research in depth and understand more about hair loss. In this post, I will just roughly summarize what I understand and experience about hair loss from my studies and very own personal experiences.

In the past, I have very thick volumes of hair so much so that I complained about having to go to the barber often as my hair grows so fast. Showering, there would be no hair lost as my hair is so strong.

Following a medical treatment some two years ago from a supposedly reputable clinic and consuming the drug nimigen, I notice hair loss, my hair shed in the dozens on the bed and at the bathtub sinks daily so much so that I stopped taking this drug nimigen and stop the laser treatments. During the consumption of nimigen, my complexion becomes too dry as it is supposed to prevent facial oiliness but it overdoes. Till today, I still do not know the real reason for my hair loss though I believe it has to do significantly with the laser treatment and the consumption of nimigen. On hindsight, I shall not have carried out with the treatment and the consumption of the medicine and this doctor still asked his nurses to force me back to continue with the remaining treatments and at the same time, refuting all my allegations squarely. I spent close to $3K only to lose even more

Anyway that is the past already and nothing can be done to turn back the clock. What I want to share with readers here are my experiences and what I have gone through to combat hair loss and hopefully it can provide some useful glimpses or lessons to those who are currently suffering from hair loss.

Okay for the start, I first stopped all the causes that I believe have contributed to my hair loss and that is to discontinue with the medical treatments and the nimigen consumption. But even with that, two months down the road, the hair loss does not subside, so it was time to take some real actions.

From the internet, I came to learnt of two drugs called Propecia, an oral medication, costing about $95 dollars at that time for 28 pills, to be taken one pill a day; and a topical hair spray called minoxidil (called Regaine, Rogaine, Growell, etc in the market) also at a $95 for one bottle that can last a month.

I went to a doctor and was prescribed Propecia, taking one pill a day for three months, after which I stopped.

Why do I stop? Firstly, there was no improvement and secondly, I began to experience what was mentioned as the side effects of this drug, i.e. I begin to feel less manly, though it was a minor side effect that the drug claimed and that it affect only a small percentage of users. With these two factors, I stopped using this drug and the less- than- manly feeling, which was temporary finally subsided. I did not use Minoxidil, as I also learnt of its side effects too. I want to list down the possible side effects of these two drugs here:

Propecia: Lack of ‘manliness’

Minoxidil: Increase scalp sensitivity, itchiness, dandruff, increase sensitivity to the sun

And the most important drawback of these two scientific proven drugs is that once you stop using these two drugs, whatever new hair that you have grow will fall again! Thus these two drugs are to be used for life! Imagine the cost involved to maintain these newly formed hair: $100 (for each of these treatments per month), this amount translates to $1200 and more per year, and so on ......

So after ending the use of the Propecia, I began to explore natural ways of cure. One method that I thought of was using mild shampoo like Johnson Baby Shampoo, however its mild concentration was not strong enough to clear the oilness of my scalp. My hair loss may be due to oiliness and dandruff as I did notice these symptoms like dandruff on my pillow.

So I decided to explore the help of professionals and there was a vast array of choices from the dermatogists and hair treatment centres.

I went to one such hair treatment centre for a free consultation and these ‘professionals’ scanned my hair, only to reveal many patches of oil and these ‘professionals’ introduced me a package to clear my scalp greasiness. The package cost a bomb and I did not like the pushiness of these professional in introducing these packages to me. Also I have heard many stories of people having spent more than $10,000 on these supposedly good cures only to lose even more hair or having no improvement seen, besides wasting their hard-earned money.!Thus, hair treatment centres scared me off at that point and I decided to consult a top hair dermatologist in Singapore instead.

It was not cheap. First consultation alone cost $80. The dermatologist inspected my hair and said there was nothing wrong. She prescribed me with two shampoo, Nizoral ($25) and a Gentle Shampoo ($21) to be rotated interchangeably daily and a sebum regulator to be applied on the scalp at night after washing ($18).

However, there was still no improvement.

(to be continued)

9 comments :

madhatter said...

Hi may i know which clinic did you get nizoral shampoo or where other places do they carry this brand? Thanks! Pls email me at helethea@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

hi...can you please also tell me where you get nizoral shampoo?
My email is yiting370021@hotmail.com.

thx lots...

Unknown said...

I am 26 year old female, my hair loss started when I was in college. I guess the stress got to me, or may be due to my sinus problem..I had search products for controlling the hair loss..but no good results came..but when i found IHT-9 the herbal hair regrowth shampoo, I start applying this and within few weeks, i am actually getting my hair back. Its really a true herbal shampoo I have ever got. IHT-9 Herbal Hair Regrowth Shampoo, it works..: Get 10% Discount. Enter 7DSVEJ when you make a purchase!

Anonymous said...

Hi, I new to this site, however, I would like to share my experience with all people who have hairloss problem. I currently using this shampoo from Gaiapharm and the result is very encouraging. I use to drop more then 30 strands of hair everytime I wash my hair or my pillow full of hair everytime I woke up. However with this shampoo, everything changes since I started using this hairloss scalp shampoo for 2 weeks onwwards. I bought this shampoo at one of the clinic @ Dawson Place Clinic. Those who are interested might want to give it a shot, after all I believe there is nothing to loose.

Jeff said...

My good friend commented that the scalp at the top of my head is showing up. I have tried many brands of hair tonic, shampoo and even signed up for hair care with my hair dresser . I have spent as much as S$1000 and tried home herbal remedies as well. The problem is I didn’t see much results but money keeps flowing out of my pocket.
I even contemplated in going to a hair treatment center I saw in the TV and newspaper advertisement!. Fortunately, I didn’t else it will cost me tens of thousand dollars!
I started using the Gaiapharm Technology Anti hairloss scalp shampoo in Feb 2008. I noticed my hair stopped dropping very noticeably during hair wash. Fine hair has started to appear already and I am very happy. now I notice my hair is stronger and color more vibrant that I can delay doing my next hair color a bit.

Carol said...

I am 28 years old i have been shedding hair like crazy over the past two year...... i am not sure why this is happening.i got my blood tests. i just want to know i have started searching in internet for hair regrowth products than i found on the is herbal hair shampoo i have seen many good comments for this product,and when i use the herbal hair shampoo now my hair is very good thanks to herbal hair shampoo..

Mr Kung said...

Hey Guys,

Thanks for recommending this Gaiapharm anti hairloss shampoo. I been on it for just a month and my hairloss problem is very much in control, beside that the feel is good after very wash. i will not hesitate to recommend to any of my friend that have hairloss problem. Once again thanks for sharing this shampoo to whoever post it. Really appreciate it.

Mr Kung

Anonymous said...

hows the hairloss now? Any update? I believed the derm is Dr E.T. Went to her and so many derm but sadly, no results

Singapore Short Stories said...

Hi Anonymous,

Yup its the doctor I went but to no result.

You can try to buy the e-books i recommend at my other site: Singapore Hair Loss Support, link at the right side of my blog. Its showing results!

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