Hairmax^® Blog

August has been declared National Hair Loss Awareness Month by the American Academy of Dermatology (www.aad.org). This one month long campaign is designed to educate the public about hair loss and its effect on those with the condition. The goal of this program is to raise awareness about hereditary hair loss which affects over 80 million men and women in the United States and millions more around the world. This is an ideal time for men and women with hereditary hair loss to talk to their doctors about the newest tests and treatments available to help them.

A book just came out entitled, Aging Hair edited by Drs. Ralph Treub and Desmond Tobin and the book contains some very interesting information on hair aging. One particular discussion in the book centers around the effects of smoking on hair loss. The authors pose an interesting question as to whether hair loss is simply an aging event and they give a great answer as excerpted below.

We have all been treated from time to time by physicians, so we know what their role is in health care. However, many of us have not been treated by Physician Assistants or Nurse Practitioners, so it may be instructive to learn what the role of each of them is in the health care arena.

We all know that from time in memoriam, people who experienced hair loss have tried all sorts of remedies to regrow their hair. However, what may not be apparent is that so many important, historical figures were bald, and they have left a lasting impression on society. Here are a few of them.

Most hair loss is related to hereditary factors which results in pattern baldness. However, it is also important to realize that the hair follicle is a very complex organ and that many drugs can negatively affect it. While occurrences of drug induced hair loss are relatively rare in the total scheme of things, it is important to find out when you lose hair while taking a drug, if it is causing the hair loss.