Sunday, October 12, 2008

Treating Hairloss

Hair loss is incredibly common. But how many people are affected with it and why does it occur? Hair loss and a receding hairline are just one of the signs that age is starting to take a toll on our bodies. For men, there is a very good chance that it's only a matter of time before you start to notice that your hairline is receding. For a fifth of men, androgenetic alopecia or male pattern baldness as it commonly know as, starts as they reach puberty. They will probably have extensive hairloss by the age of 30 or even younger. For them, male pattern baldness is extremely rapid and extensive. For a further 60% of men, the hair loss process is more gradual, and starts later on in life. Regardless of the time frame however, near total baldness across the majority of the head areas affects most of the male adult population. Female Hair Loss Hairloss for men is more socially acceptable. Women on the other hand, often face a more traumatic experience from unexpected hair loss. While early adolescence and the 20s are potential problem times for women susceptible to generic hair loss, menopause is an equally critical time. Hair Growth The rate of hair growth is 3mm per week (faster than any other part of the body except bone marrow). This process of hair loss and hair regrowth is continuous and natural - it is only when daily hair loss greatly exceeds this rate that an unnatural condition may be present. The human head has an average of around 100,000 hair follicles, which can each produce about 20 hairs in a lifetime Does Hair Colour Make a Difference? People with red hair have 25% fewer scalp hairs than those with brown hair; whilst blonds have over a quarter more scalp hairs than brunettes. This fact may account for the belief that men with red hair are more likely to go bald than anyone else. Normally, this would be an ample amount of hair for one person, if it weren't for many factors, including particularly D.H.T. or Dihyrotestosterone. DHT - A Factor in Male Hair Loss This is a powerful hormone in our bodies, which can adversely affect the hair on our head. It is very important for a person to have proper nutrition to maintain hair. When DHT reaches the hair follicles and dermal papilla, it tends to prevent proteins, vitamins and minerals from providing the necessary nourishment to sustain life in the hair of these follicles. Due to this, the hair follicles tend to reproduce at a slower rate and this in turn either shortens the growing phase of the hair follicles or lengthens its resting stage. This can result in a shrinking of the hair follicle, which makes hair growth more difficult and makes hair more vulnerable to falling out. Other Hair Loss Factors In addition to the chemical effects of D.H.T. other factors can affect the growth of hair. Stress, poor nutrition and of course old age also affect adversely an individuals ability to reproduce hair at fast enough rates. Hair Loss Treatment, Prevention and Hair Loss Products If you want to reverse or prevent hair loss, what can be done? - There are a lot of treatments available from creams to Hair Transplants - many are quite costly, and all achieve mixed results. It is essential that you do your research into all of the alternatives that are available on the market. Remember always that new / improved treatments are constantly being developed. This means that even if you have had no success in the past a solution that works for you may become available at any time.

- By: Christopher Evans

Alcohol Use, Abuse, Dependence, and Addiction

There are many types of alcohol consumption ranging from the healthy to the deadly. Some people of the prohibitionist persuasion will ague that any use is destructive, but neither medical research nor personal experience supports that conclusion. Unhappily, most "screening" protocols are heavily weighted towards a diagnosis of addiction justifying punitive treatment approaches and "abstinence only" outcomes. In reality, many different degrees of alcohol use exist, and the following thumbnail guide can be helpful in deciding what category is appropriate, and in predicating various – as well as usual - outcomes. Healthy alcohol consumption has been found to be approximately two drinks of distilled spirits, two bottles of beer, or one half bottle of wine per day for an adult man, and half that for an adult women. These amounts confer the most health benefits without any associated detrimental effects. Obviously, not everyone consumes these set amounts, nor do most people who drink necessarily always stop at one or two. Certain social settings may find one consuming more over the duration of an event, for example, but the average should remain within the recommended parameters. People who clearly fall into this category may, unfortunately, still find themselves in need of help. Particularly in child custody disputes, but in other legal matters as well, unfounded accusations are frequently hurled and difficult to refute. As John Donne noted, "Two things will be believed of any man whatsoever, and one is that he has taken to drink." Alcohol abuse is defined as consumption which consistently exceeds the recommended levels and/or is done in isolation rather than socially. Frequent contributing factors include loneliness, exhaustion, and a paucity of peers or activities. At this stage, remediation is common enough to be the norm, with a return to healthy use the usual outcome. Counseling may expedite the process and help with the underlying causes. Clients who find themselves at this level can usually benefit from a process of assessment, skill building through Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and the adoption of non-alcohol related activities. As in more serious conditions to follow, the key lies in the creation of a life with reduced alcohol use that is more satisfactory than the current one. An onerous life, or a continued focus on alcohol, will nearly guarantee a return to misuse. Alcohol dependence occurs after long periods of excessive use leading to social, physical, and emotional dependence. Drinking becomes a primary coping mechanism across multiple categories; for example, socially, recreationally, vocationally, and spiritually. Symptoms may include physical withdrawal following cessation, depression, increased isolation, significant weight gain, decreased liver function, and possible legal, financial, and/or employment problems. As multiple problems need attention, counseling can help with the reorganization, prioritization, and systematic accomplishment of necessary changes. While a return to moderate or healthy use is normal, a period of abstinence, possibly one to two years, is recommended. Many people who do this never return to drinking at all, having successfully modified their lives in satisfactory ways. Alcohol addiction, or alcoholism, results when a person's physical, emotional, and psychological being is permeated by alcohol and its consumption. Distinct withdrawal symptoms – physical (i.e. tremors, seizures) and psychological ones (i.e. blackouts) – are present and alcohol related disintegration in several areas of life (i.e. financial, legal, vocational, marital, recreational, social, medical) is present. While approximately a third of diagnosed alcoholics return to moderate drinking, this is not generally recommended. At this stage both medical and counseling help is usually necessary given the physical, social, emotional, and psychological aspects. Recovery prospects are uncertain at best and outcomes vary. As always, motivation, spousal support, and a belief in personal efficacy, as opposed to "powerlessness," are the primary factors in success. In general, alcohol problems of all magnitude are remarkable for both their persistence over time (being stabile rather than progressive) and their frequent spontaneous remission. While some individuals do follow a path from use to abuse to dependence to addiction, and death, they are the exception, not the rule.

- By: Mary Ellen Barnes, Ph.D.
Mary Ellen Barnes, Ph.D., is a therapist with offices in Rolling Hills Estates who approaches all clients as unique individuals capable of overcoming difficulties through the development and redirection. Mary Ellen can be contacted through her profile here: