Driving with the top down, a stress free swim, simple things that one young Connecticut woman has dreamed of her entire life.

Soon, those dreams may come true.Advertisement

21-year old Shana Manafort's daily ritual is an unpleasant one.

When she was just 6 years old, Shana was diagnosed with a brain tumor...

When given in combination with oral contraceptives, finasteride, an orally administered drug approved for male-patterned baldness, can improve female-pattern hair loss in most women, according to the results of a small study reported in the March issue of the Archives of Dermatology.

At present, the main treatment for female-pattern hair loss is topical minoxidil, which is effective, but tolerability can be an issue, senior author Dr. Antonella Tosti and colleagues, from the University of Bologna in Italy, note. Whether treatment with agents such as finasteride, which show activity against male hormones, might promote hair growth in women has been unclear....

A pill intended to help bald men grow hair also worked in two-thirds of women who tried it in a recent study.

Thirty-seven women with female pattern hair loss took Propecia daily for a year.

Because the drug causes birth defects, the women also took birth control pills.

At the end of the study, photographs and hair-density calculations showed improvement in 23 women, 62 percent of the participants.

Thirteen had not changed, and one had worsened.

In female pattern hair loss, hair gradually thins over the top and front of the head, generally in one of three patterns. The condition occurs most frequently in white women after menopause.

The study was published in the March issue of Archives of Dermatology.

Source:

http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/ ... 0502/-1/LIVES/CAT=Lives08

Across the country, a growing number of men are giving new meaning to the phrase, "bald is beautiful." While some may not have a choice in the matter, these guys are shaving their heads on purpose.
This area is no exception to the trend as teens and men in their 20s in particular are heading to their local barbershop or hair salon to get their heads buzzed.

Some say it all started with basketball great Michael Jordan, who first shaved his head around 1990. Soon, the likes of Damon Wayans, Jesse Ventura and Michael Chiklis joined the club. And don't forget Ving Rhames, Vin Diesel, Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis. These days, the list goes on and on.

By Karen Gardner
North Adams Transcript


more at:

http://www.thetranscript.com/Stories/0,1413,103~9049~2938438,00.html

Although hair loss is primarily genetic, other factors, such as nutrition, health, hormonal imbalances, overcolouring of hair and emotional stress, could also cause hair fall. Here are a few tips to relieve you from your hair loss woes:

Wash your hair at least twice a week. Using warm water and a deep conditioner would help.

Eat a balanced diet. Nutritional deficiencies, eating disorders and excessive amounts of certain vitamins, such as A and E, can cause hair loss.

Plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables cleanse your system and improve your skin and hair texture.

Drink plenty of water. It's vital to keep your body hydrated.

Keep a check on your health. Chronic illness, high fevers and infections can contribute to hair loss.

Stay away from harsh chemicals - permanent hair color and perms are the most damaging - and avoid colouring your hair more than once every six to eight weeks.

more at:

http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=13872246