Avoid   Baldness

Instead of worrying whether the family genes will make you bald at some point in life, you can now take a DNA test that will tell you what the odds are of going bald before forty.

The test, created by HairDX, a company based in Irvine, California searches for a genetic variant that is shared by 95 percent of all bald men. If you test positive for the genetic variant, then you have a 60 percent chance of going bald before you turn forty. The DNA test also tells you whether you have a less common variant (85%) of not going bald by that age.

The DNA test, costing $149 involves a simple swab inside the cheek which is sent off to the company and results are sent back in three to four weeks. Released in January, the test is available on the company website and a few doctors’ offices. Andy Goren, President, HairDX says that 99.9% of hair-loss products available in the market are ’scams’ that do not work. The DNA test provides a scientific basis, which will then point you in the direction of the necessary treatment.

However, Angela Christiano, an associate professor of genetics and development at Columbia University doubts the reliability of the DNA test, saying it is hard to pinpoint the cause of hair loss as there are very few genes connected to it. She said that while HairDX analyzes only one genetic variant for baldness, there are other unknown variants that play an important role.

Two studies released by the journal Nature Genetics could help explain why people lose their hair and how they could probably eventually grow it back. The discovery of genes that puts people at a risk of baldness and a stem cell that could replenish hair follicles is potentially exciting for those facing hair loss problems.

One of four Caucasian men are affected by hair loss prior to turning thirty. Drugs such as Rogaine and Propecia aid hair regrowth and sometimes even prevent hair loss, but its success rate is uniform. With the two new studies released, treatments targeting DNA responsible for hair loss holds more promise.

Tim Spector, a researcher in Kings College London’s department of twin research and genetic epidemiology said, “Early prediction before hair loss starts may lead to some interesting therapies that are more effective than treating late-stage hair loss.”
The genes of 578 men in Switzerland with early-onset hair loss were analyzed and compared against 547 others who had no hair-loss problems. These findings were then confirmed against groups from the UK, Iceland and Netherlands, totalling the study of those analyzed to 5,000.

The journal stated that those with hair loss commonly shared the same variations of two genes that increased the likelihood of them suffering from baldness sevenfold.

While the research does point at the genes responsible for hair loss, further in-depth study is necessary to prove the connection between the two. The same genetic variations were also found in women, although nothing statistically significant could be proven, again, calling for further study into the matter.

New research indicates that coffee could be the secret cure for male baldness. The new discovery reveals that caffeine stimulates the growth of tiny follicles in the scalp in men who are starting to lose their hair. This new finding could mean new treatments and procedures for a condition that affects almost 50% of British men by the age of fifty.

A recently conducted survey of five European countries found that British men were unhappier about being bald as opposed to their European counterparts, but, that they were also too embarrassed by their condition to do anything about it. More than 50% of them said that going bald made them feel old and unattractive.

Published in the International Journal of Dermatology, the study states that caffeine works by blocking the effects of a chemical known to damage hair follicles. However, drinking lots of coffee is not the answer. Estimations made by scientists indicate that around 60 cups a day would be needed for significant amounts of caffeine to actually reach follicles in the scalp. Instead, a German cosmetics firm, Alpecin developed a caffeine-rich solution which can be rubbed on the scalp.

Dr Tobias Fischer at the University of Jena in Germany who carried out the research said, “Caffeine is a well-known substance, yet little is known about its effect on human hair follicle growth. However, this study shows it’s a promising candidate for hair growth stimulation.”
Baldness is caused when hair follicles are exposed to too much dihydrotestosterone or DHT. This is produced by the male hormone testosterone. If there is too much DHT in the blood, the follicles shrink and the hair starts to thin and grows for less time than normal.

Poor body image and low self esteem are usually associated with women, especially when portrayed on the media. Men however have it better. TV shows and movies show frumpy, overweight men with beautiful and successful women. However, men are extremely insecure about one thing, and that is baldness. Affected men are known to spend hours in the bathroom fighting it or researching expensive cures on the internet.

Women are not turned on by toupees and spray-on hair. A majority of women actually do not really care if men are bald or not. Some actually find bald men sexy. Baldness exudes an aura of rugged masculinity as opposed to artificially covered up heads. Take a look at Bruce Willis and Vin Diesel. They are both bald and yet, hordes of women lust after them. Therefore, it is important that you stop worrying about your appearance and then the others will also not care much about it at all. Another good example is Larry David. He is not ashamed of being bald, and women like him because he is absolutely funny. If he chose to cower behind a toupee, he would not be so self assured and his comedy would be in his toupee and not his talent.

Coincidentally, there are also men who shave their heads on purpose, because they like being bald. This might be frowned upon by their bald counterparts, but symbolizes a free spirit. Bald heads also means low maintenance. Confidence is key in a matter like this, and wasting time fretting over it could amount to a universal turn off.

The economic case for increasing drug and alcohol rehab for prisoners is strong: studies have shown that in the long term, states can save billions by getting prisoners with addiction problems into treatment programs. Former prisoners who get clean and sober are far less likely to commit crimes in the future, breaking the cycle of recidivism that is currently causing a significant overcrowding problem in America’s jails.

But despite the general acceptance of this theory, the Associated Press reports that many states are being forced to cut back on rehab program funding for their penitentiary systems as a result of budget woes caused by the recession. For example, California recently was forced to essentially stop funding a successful drug and alcohol addiction program for its prisoners that voters approved in 2000.

"It’s easy to talk a good game about more treatment and helping people," said Scott Burns, executive director of the National District Attorneys Association. "But it smashes head on into reality when they don’t put their money where their mouth is."