Bug/Mosquito Repellant Products 

Woods chips deter ticks from getting into your yard.

Some clothes have repellant built in which repell. Light colors are better.

Vitamin B-1 can be taken for 2 weeks prior to exposure to mosquitoes. It will help you make natural repellant. Studies show that 25-50 mg for adults 3 times a day starting 2 weeks before mosquito season is safe.

A product containing 26% oil of lemon eucalyptus and a product containing 2% soybean are reportedly effective for oil have been for up to 4 hours.Products containingcedar, verbena, pennyroyal, geranium, lavender, pine, cinnamon, rosemary, basil, thyme, allspice, garlic, and peppermint may also be effective.

a product made from coconut, geranium, soybean oils and a compound called BioUD, which is derived from a tomato plant. BioUD and Bite Blocker was tested by the USDA to last up to 8 hours, the same length of time that products that contain 15% DEET last for. It’s an organic product that is sweat proof and waterproof and safe to use on children. See Bite Blocker 

for lemon eucalptus products See Repel.com

another product from plant extract geraniol, repels mosquitoes and other biting pests for about two hours. See Bugband.net 

A repellent which is heat activated and contains cedar, cinnamon, citronella, clove, lemongrass, mint, peppermint, rosemary and thyme oils can be purchased at mosquitomagnet.com/.

Cytrus candles (need to be close by to the candle). One containing soy wax, beeswax, and hemp-seed and citronella oils can be found at wayoutwax.

A patch containing Citronella oil can be found at nobuzzzone.com

A citronella insect coil which creates asmoke barrier that drives mosquitoes, ticks, gnats away, can be used on patios, pools, campsites, beaches, picnic and barbecue areas; Each coil lasts for 5 to 7 hours. This can be purchased at pic-corp 

A solar powered pocket-sized device which emits a barely audible, high frequency wave that repels some mosquito species can be found at gaiam.

Last, the well known product DEET which you can purchase in all stores does work, it repells mosquitoes. But follow label instructions carefully.

Acne vulgaris: afficts more than 50 million pople in the US. P. acnes, a gram-positive bacterium, is strongly associated with acne vulgaris. The inflammatory stage of acne vulgaris is the greatest concern to patients, as the lesions produced may lead to scarring.

1. Treatment: Systemic therapies for acne target P. acnes using antibiotics or target the follicle with retinoids such as isotretinoin.

a. Systemic antibotic treatments have limitations in that they may kill skin bacterial non-specifically impacting the homeostasis of resident dermal microflora. Oral antibiotics also contain the risk of harming intestinal microflora.

b. Istretinoin, 13-cis-retinoic acid, is a vitamin A-derived retinoid that has been widely prescribed for systemic treatment of severe acne. Although it was first approved in the US in 1982 for treating severe acne, it suse has become tighly regulated.

c. Sialidase inhibitors: Adherence of P. acnes to human sebocytes has been shown to be augmented after removal of sialic acids form the cell surface and that acne progression and recurrence can be effectively prevented by antibodies against sialidase of P. acnes.

Acne Scares: 

CO2-Skin Resurfacing:

Sublative™ fractionated bi-polar radio frequency technology places the heat energy effectively into the upper dermis where it can produce a significant increase in both collagen and elastin with minimal epidermal disruption.syneron-and Candela

Ageless Aesthetic Institute (courses in current skin procedures). 

Companies:  DermTech (noninvasive sticker for pealing off skin cells for meloma diagnosis)

The term “skin” refers to the outer protective covering of the body, consisting of the corium and the epidermis, including sweat and sebaceous glands, as well as hair follicle structures. Skin and oral musosae as well are composed to two primary layers, the outer epidermis, which is stratified epithelial tissue mainly composed of multiple layers of keratinocytes and the dermis, which is the layer beneath the epidermis consisting of connective tissue, blood vessel, immune cells, collagen and other components. Like the intestine, the epidermis of skin and oral musoca are self-renewing. The layers of the epidermis reflect the stages along the continuous process of keratinocyte maturation, from the basal layer adjacent the dermis which contains the proliferating stem and progenitor cells, to the outer protective layer of dead, cornified keratinocytes which are being sloughed form the surface. The cell division that occurs in the basal layer of the epidermis provides a continous source of keratinocytes which fully replenish the epidermis at rates that are estimated to be up to several weeks.

The skin, togetehr with the hair, nails and sweat and oil glands, forms the integument. 

Layers of the Skin

Epidermis: refers to the outermost and novascular layer of the skin, derived from the embryonic ectoderm, varying in thickness from 0.07-1.4 mm. The epidermis is a complex epithelial tissue containing keratinocytes that are proliferating, differentiating and desquamating, and is stratified such that morphological functional changes in the keratinocytes occur in an orderly progression. The normal epidermis is maintained in a dynamic steady state as proliferation of keratinocytes continually compensates for the loss of cells which are shed from the surface of the skin. Within the epidermis, proliferation takes place in the basal layer of keratinocytes that are attached to the underlying basement membrane, and cells undergo differentiation as they migrate through the suprabasal layers, finally being shed from the tissue surface as dead, cornified squames. Three subpopulations of basal keratinocytes have been defined by cell kinetic analysis: stem cells, transit-ampliyfing cells, and committed cells.

Skin cells which make up the epidermis include Merkel cells, keratinocytes, melanocytes and Langerhans cells.

Dermal-epidermal Junction (DEJ): is a critical component of the skin and is composed of a netword of structural proteins that provide a firm connection between the basal keratiocytes of the epidermis and the dermis. This structural network is made up of (1) the hemidesmosome-anchoring filament complex; (2) the basement membrane comprising two layers, the lamina lucida and the lamin densa and (3) anchoring fibrils.

Corium or Dermis: refers to the layer of the skin deep to the epidermis, consisting of a dense bed of fascular connective tissue, and containing the nerves and terminal organs of sensation. The hair roots (follicles), and sebaceous and sweat glands are structures which are also embedded in the dermis.

The dermis is a rich matrix of fibroblast cells and fibers such collagen, and it contains macrophages and mast cells. The dermis also habors a dense network fo nevers, blood vessels, and lymphatic vessels. Damage to the epidermis generally does not result in bleeding, whereas damage deep enough to penetrate the dermis results in broken blood vessels. 

Sebaceious (oil) glands and scent glands are associated with the hair follicle. All of these glands have opening on the surface of the skin, so they pass through the epidermis as well. The sebasceous glands secretion, celld sebum, has a low pH, hwicch makes the skin inhospitable to many microorganisms. Sebum is oily due to its high concentraiton of lipids. The lipids can serve as nutrients for normal microbiota, but breakdown of the fatty acids contained in lipids, leads to toxic by products that inhibit the growth of microorgansms not adapted to the skin environment. Lysozyme is an enzyme found in sweat (and tears and saliva) that specifically breaks down peptidoglycan, found in bacterial cell walls. 

Blister fromation, the result of friction trauma or burns, represents a separation between the dermis and epidermis. 

Age Spots: 

As the skin ages, the division rate of skin cells slows down causing an overall reduction in the number of cells and blood vessels that supply nutrients and other necessary building blocks for the skin resulting in a decrease in the thickness of the epidermis. Collagen and elastin fibers in the underlying layers of skin which provide the scaffolding for the surface layers begin to weakn and deteriorate.

Products with retinoids, alpha-hydroxy acids, azaleic acid, hydroquinone, kojic acid, salicylic acid as active agredients have all shown to make the skin appear younger. 

Hydroquinone, an over-the-counter drug that can bleach your skin, may fade dark spots. Retinoids may make your skin tone more even. One study says vitamin C helps fade age spots when you use it for 12 weeks. Kojic acid — a chemical that’s often used as an skin-whitening ingredient in products — can also help with age spots..

Contact Dermatitis

Allergic contact dermatitis is a delayed hypersensitivity reaction in which a foreign substance comes into contact with the skin; skin changes occur with reexposure. Allergic contact dermatitis is caused by a type IV, T cell–mediated, delayed hypersensitivity reaction in which a foreign substance comes into contact with the skin and is linked to skin protein, forming an antigen complex that leads to sensitization. Upon reexposure of the epidermis to the antigen, the sensitized T cells initiate an inflammatory cascade, causing the skin changes associated with allergic contact dermatitis.  

Common substances that cause contact dermatitis include poison ivy, nickel, and fragrances.

Allergic contact dermatitis is a common eczematous skin disease that occurs in sensitized individuals at the site of contact with small chemicals penetrating the skin barrier. The onset of the disease is mostly due to the rapid recruitment of chemical-specific CD8+ T cells, which induce apoptosis of keratinocytes. Additionally, CD4+ Th1 and Th17 contribute to the extension of the inflammatory reaction by releasing pro-inflammatory cytokines that activate keratinocytes and other skin resident cells. The immune reaction is tightly regulated through multiple mechanisms. In particular, T cell population with regulatory function, such as T regulatory cells 1 and CD4+CD25+ T regulatory cells have a critical role in preventing the development of allergic reactions to innocuous chemicals contacting the skin, and in limiting the magnitude of the inflammatory process in already sensitized individuals. Allergic contact dermatitis is a chronic disease, which lasts, in most cases, for the entire life of the affected individual. Thus, prevention and avoidance of contact with the sensitizer are critical factors in the management of affected patients.

The gold standard therapeutic approach for the disease remains the local and/or systemic immunosuppression, aimed to block T cell functions and keratinocyte responsiveness to pro-inflammatory stimuli. Localized acute allergic contact dermatitis lesions are successfully treated with mid- or high-potency topical steroids, such as triamcinolone 0.1% (Kenalog, Aristo- cort) or clobetasol 0.05% (Temovate). 

Eczema:

Eczema is an umbrella term for different kinds of skin inflammation. It is marked by dry, reddened skin that itches or burns. When skin becomes dry and irritated in winter, eczema can flare.  Stay one step ahead by moisturizing frequently with an oil-based ointment that contains sunscreen. Sweating and overheating can also trigger the itch/scratch cycle, so dress in easy-to-peel-off layers. 

Psoriasis:

Psoriasis is more than dry skin. It’s caused when the immune system misfires and speeds up skin cell growth. Dry air, lack of sunlight, and colder weather can make it worse. Follow tips for dry skin: short, lukewarm showers, lots of moisturizer, and humidifiers throughout the house. Ask your dermatologist about phototherapy, which uses ultraviolet light B (UVB) rays to slow the growth of skin cells, and about the best treatments for you.

Particular Regions of the Skin

Face/Body: 

–Washing/Shower: Choose a gentle, super-fatted, fragrance-free soap — bar or liquid — for cleansing. Super-fatted means the soap is loaded with oils. If skin is dry, moisturizers that contain urea, dimethicone, glycerin, lanolin, or mineral oil can be good bets.

Humectants — like urea, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, propylene glycol — absorb water from the air. They are oil-free. Emollients — like baby or mineral oil, plant oils (like jojoba oil), petroleum jelly, lanolin, stearic acid — help replace oils in the skin. Many moisturizers contain a combination. You may want to skip some anti-aging moisturizers in winter. Those that contain retinoids can further irritate already dry, sensitive skin.

–After Shower:

Ointments — like petroleum jelly — have more oil than creams or lotions. That makes them more greasy, too, so they may be best for feet and body. Minimize the greasy feeling by using a very small amount and gently but thoroughly rubbing it into skin. Apply after a warm shower. 

Right after you step out of the tub, pat skin dry and apply moisturizer to retain the water your skin just absorbed. A glycerin– or hyaluronic acid-based moisturizer can increase the amount of water that’s drawn into your skin. Baby oil (mineral oil) is also a good choice, because it prevents water from evaporating from your skin. Don’t stop there: Liberally re-apply moisturizer throughout the day, especially to troublesome dry skin patches.

To get the most out of your moisturizer, exfoliate. Clearing away dead skin cells lets a moisturizer better penetrate dry skin. Exfoliate gently with a moisturizer that contains lactic acid or salicylic acid. Some exfoliants can be irritating, especially in winter, so try them on a small patch of skin first. If your skin is really dry or irritated, ask your doctor before starting a new skin care product or regimen.

If its cold outside and you have the heat on, dry air can mean parched, dry skin. Use a humidifier to restore moisture to the air. You can find inexpensive models at most drug stores. Put one in your bedroom; better yet, invest in two or three and place them strategically around your home to stave off irritated, itchy skin this winter.

Apply sunscreen if you will be outside, even in cold climates. Skiers and other winter athletes are at special risk of sunburn because snow reflects sunlight. In fact, it bounces 80% of the sun’s rays back to us, compared to less than 20% for sand and surf. Even if you’re not hitting the slopes, you still need the protection of a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or more. Apply daily, and reapply at least every two hours if you’re outside.

Feet: Mature skin makes less oil and elastin, which leaves it drier and less supple. Without regular care, your heels may harden, crack, or hurt. Special creams called keratolytics help slough off the tough top layer. Follow up with a pumice stone to remove dead skin. 

Skin Tightening:

Radiofrequency: WebMD

Plants and Cosmetics:

The trend of natural cosmetics production has ushered in an era of plant cell culture technology with mroe than 50 cosmetic products based on extracts of plant cell cultures, the bulk of which are made with plant cell suspension cultures. Plant cell culture cosmetic production is not dependent on appropriate seasonal conditions; thus it requries less time and eerngy. Cosmetic extracts dervied from plant cell cutlures suit the market’s increasingly stringent safety requirements. In addition to being free of pathogens, pollutants and pesticide residues, plant cells generated under aseptic laboratory conditions rarely include any malignant cmopound or potential allergen which would otherwise destroy the majority of the plant extrats obtained. Plant cell suspension cultures are cultivated in single-use wave-mixed bioreactors or renwable stainless stell stired bioreactors in commerical production. (Hasnain, “Plants in vitro propagation with its applicaitons in food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetic industries; current scenario and future approaches” Frontiers in Plant Science 2022)

Applicaitons of palnts/flower extracts in cosmetics are significant which include skin oisturing, whitening or tanning products, sunscreens, radical-scavenging antioxidcants, immune stimulants and skin thickeners. (Hasnain, “Plants in vitro propagation with its applicaitons in food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetic industries; current scenario and future approaches” Frontiers in Plant Science 2022)

Raspberry (Rubus ideaus): has been shown to exhibit extraordianry capacity to hydrate skin when tested on human skin in vivo, indcating taht it has tremendous portential as a skin care agent, particularly for dry and ageing skin. (Hasnain, “Plants in vitro propagation with its applicaitons in food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetic industries; current scenario and future approaches” Frontiers in Plant Science 2022)

Micropigmentation

Cosmetic transdermal hair replication/Scalk Pigmentation (Micropigmentation): is more of a cosmetic procedure where ink is used to make the scalp appear that hair follicals exist where they did not before. 

Advantages and Disadvantages:

Some possible disadvantages of the procedure is that one may be stuck with a buzzed hairstyle because the cosmetic ink will not be able to make you look like you have long hairs. There is also really no information yet on whether the ink might be harful to the scalp or the effect of UV rays on the ink. Inquiry into the type of ink used is suggested (the Material Data Safety Sheet (MSDS) should be provided on the ink used). You may also want to ask what will happen if you loose more hair. Will you need more ink?

Companies:

 American Academy of Micropigmentation    Bosley micropigmentatio .  GoodLookInk .  ArtistryConcepts

How it is performed: 

SMP involved placing a strippled pattern of tattoo dots on the scalp which can create a normal appearing head of hair when no hair exists. (Rassman “Combining follicular unit extraction and scalp-micropigmentaiton for the cosmetic treatment of alopecias) 

Micropigmentation blends the technical components of a tatoo instrument and caefully selected pigments. Multiple sessions are recommended. The number of dots may be higher than 40k points in each session. The sessions are often long, extending up to 8 hours. If the pigment is placed only in the epidermis, the process will fail because the pigment will leak out within a few days after the procedure is done. If the pigment is placed too deep into the dermis, it will fail as it diffuses outside the confines of its original area of placement. (Rassman “Scalp Micropigmentation: a concealer for hair and scalp deformities” March 2015, 8(31))

Safety:

The FDA considers the inks used in tradermal tattoos, including permanent makeup, to be cosmetics. However, the actual practice of tattoing is regulated by local juridsdictions. Little is known about the chemical composition, adsorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of inks.. Little information is available on short-term and long-term safety of the pigments, their carcinogenic potential, how they affect the cells that take up the inks and how the body responds to the interaction of ultraviolet light with the inks. It is known that some tattoos fade or turn color when they are exposed to light and that some pigments migrate from the tattoo site to the body’s lymph nodes. The long-term health singificance of this is unclear. (Rassman “Scalp Micropigmentation: a concealer for hair and scalp deformities” March 2015, 8(31))

Instruction:

jhonjhon

3-D Printing

Companies:  Form labs  Carbon3D

Stereolithography (SLA):

SLA works by concentrating a beam of ultraviolet light onto the surface of a vat filled with liquid phtocurable resin. The UV laser drawns out the 3D model as the light hits the resin one think layer at a time, hardening that slice of the soon to be 3D model. The high resolution 3 D model can eventually be lifted out of the vat. See 3D Systems

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) (material extrusion): 

FDM works by extruding a stream of melted thermoplastic materials to form layers. Each layer stacks on top of and fuses with the previous layer as the material hardens almost instantaneously after leaving the extrusion nozzle. Most FDM printers print with ABS plastic as well as polyactic acid (PLA, a biodegradable polymer. See Stratasys 

With respect to tissue engineering, one print head can be used to depoist a hydrogel or biodegradable thermoplastic such as polycaprolactone while a second print head depoists a cell supsension. 

PolyJet photopolymer (Inkjet bioprinting): 

Inkjet bioprinting works similar to a traditional inkjet printer by depositing ink. A photpolymer liquid is precisely jetted out and then hardened with a UV light. The layers are stacked successively so that various materials and colors are incorporated into single prints. See Stratasys

Inject bioprinting uses the same type of print heads found in 2D inkjet printers mounted on a three-axis gantry. The print heads have ink reservoirs and a very small nozzle thorugh which small droplets are ejected using thermal excitation or a pressure pulse deliverd by a piezelectric component. 

Thermal print heads work by applying a quick heat pulse to a chamber closest to the nozzle, creating a vapor bubble. Pressure from that vapor bubble jects a small droplet of ink. 

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS): 

SLS works similar to SLA, but instead of liquid photopolymer in a vat, there are powdered materials, such as polystyrene, ceramics, glass, nylon, and metals including steel, titanium, aluminum and silver. When the laser hits the powder, the powder is fused at that point (sintered). The lack of any requirement for any support strucutre with SL:S is an advantage over FDM/FFF and SLA. All unsintered powder reamins as is, and becomes a support structure for the object. The lack of necessity for any support strucutre with SLS is an advantage over FDM/FFF and SLA.

Selective Laser Meling (SLM): is similar to SLS but it melts the powder rather than just fusing the powder granules at a lower temerpature.

Syringe extrusion: uses syringe extruders to print almost any type of materials which has a soft viscosity including cement, silicone and clay.

Electronic (“E”)-Ink

E InkE Ink    Think Geek (has a  programmable tattoo system using subdermal implants)  

Applications

Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion (LEAP): is being used by companies like GE and the French company Snecma in the generation of anext generation aircraft engines.

Hearing aids and teeth aligners: Because of its scalability and excellent resolution, sterolithography is used to fabricate nearly all in the ear hearing aids and millions of Invasalign teeth aligners. 

See also Chemistry of Hair explained

Books:  The Science of Hair Care, published in the series “Dermatology” 1986

Companies: BASF SE   Aveda (hair care products) 

Natural hair dyes such as henna and mineral salts are still used, but hair dyeing increasingly involves careful chemical manipulation of the chemistry of hair fibers through bleacing or enyhancement of natural colors.

Hair dyeing compositions are usually sold in the form of aqueous solutions or emulsions, which are as concentrated as possible and contain, in addition to the actual dyes, for example fatty acid alcohols and/or other oily componetns, emulsifers as well as surface active agents and optionally alcohols. 

Classification of Hair Dyes

Temporary Hair dyes (class 1):

These types of dyes generally do not function non-oxidatively. The molecules of the dye arrange theselves on the keratin surface or they penetrate the hair only for a marginal distance. They are too large to completely permeate the hair. The dye layer can thus be removed by washing. 

In general, acidic dyes with only low affinity for hair and which ratehr deposit on the hair surface are used in temperorary hair dyeing compositiosn (Barg (US 2011/0192416)

Semi-permanent hair dyes (class 2): (“colorations”)

Semi-permanent hair dyes can penetrate into the hair, because they contain smaller dye molecules than temperory hair colorations. They generaly have to be renewed after 8-10 washes. 

Dyes in colorations are generally either positively charged and thus bind to negatively charged surface gorups of the hair, or they are small molecules that can penetrate the cuticula. (Barg (US 2011/0192416)

–Cationic dyeing agents: include triphenylmethan dyes such as for example Basic Blue 26, Basic violet 2 (b) aromatic systems substituted with quaternary nitrogen groups sucha s basic yello/red/blue/brown as well as (c) direct dyeing agetns cotnainign a heterocycle having at least one quaternary nitrogen atom such as basic yellow 87, basic organe 31, basic red 51. A particularly preferred cationic direct dyeing agent is distrbuted as Arianors (Barg (US 2011/0192416)

Permanent hair dyes (claim3 ): (“self-oxidizing dyes”)

Permanent hair dyes may not be washed out. These dyes contain a “eveloper” generally an oxidizing chemical and on the other hand an alkaline component as part of the dyeing paste, usually ammonia or ammonia subsitute such as mono-ethanolamine. These compounds render the ahir fiber cuticula permeable for the colorless dye precursors, facilitating the development of the final dyes inside the hair and at the same time bring out a lightening through the influence of the peroxide. As soon as the dyeing paste containing g the alkline ingredient is brought into contact with the devleopers, hydrogen peroxide is deprotonated, diffuses through the cuticula and reaches the interior fo the hair, where the melanin is found. The alkaline peroxide destrosy the melanin and oxidizes the initially collorless precursors of the dye yielding the final dye molecuels, which are too large to exit the hair. Permanent hair dydes have been implicated in the cause of cancer of the bladder (Barg (US 2011/0192416)

Natural Dyes

Natural dyes include henna red, henna neutral, henna black, chamomile blossom, sandalwood, black tea, black alder tree bark, sage, logwood, madder root, catechu, sedre and alkanna root. (Barg (US 2011/0192416)

Radico (sells natural hair dyes; discloses that some of the ingredients even promote hair growth)

Patented Products

Hair Dyes with Hydrophobins:

Hydrophobins are a class of small, cystein rich proteins of about 100-150 amino acids which occur in anture only in flamentous fungi. They are amphiphilic and may form a water insoluble layer on the surface of an object. Their natural functions comprse the coating of fungal spores to prevetn them from sticking to each other, the coating of air hyphae to reduce the surface tension of water thus making the uptake of water easier and possibly transmission of signals between a fungus and its environment. (Barg (US 2011/0192416)

(Barg (US 2011/0192416) discloses the use of hydrophobin for the non-permanent dyeing of keratin, particularly of hair. Berg found that the intensity of non-permanent dyeing against washing out is increased upon use of hydrophbins. 

Gradual Coloring of Hair:

 Combe (just for men dye)    US 4,104,021 (process for dyeing hair in which the depth of shade is gradually increased in successive treatments). 

Links: International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery                 The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery    American Society of Plastic Surgeons  American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery

Commercial Transplant Providers: (note providers are not associated with Ypatent Health –informationl purposes only). 

 Dr. Lam    Ken williams   Tempus Hair Restoration of Florida

Hair Transplantation: 

Hair Transplantation Procedures 

Follicular Unit Extraction:

Hair transplantation with micrografts and minigrafts was described in 1989 and 1991 and now is widely used for treating both male and femail hair pattern baldness. The prcoedure transplants follicular units harvested from the posterio occipital area of the scalp and places them in bald regions.

Hair Transplantation Robotics:  Restoration Robotics  is the manufacturer of the ARTAS robotic system for hair transplantation. 

FUE involves removing 1 follicular grat (1-4 hairs each), 1 at a time with some type of punch directly from the donor area in the back of the head. There are many punch designs and even a robot as discussed above to do this tedious task of coring and removing grafts. (Rassman “Combining follicular unit extraction and scalp-micropigmentaiton for the cosmetic treatment of alopecias)

Advantages:

The surgeon does not require the surgical skills required of a more traditional strip ahir transplant surgery and the process is faster and less labor intensive, often requiring only the surgeon with 1-2 assistants.  (Rassman “Combining follicular unit extraction and scalp-micropigmentaiton for the cosmetic treatment of alopecias)

Disadvantages:

People thing that FUE is a scarless surgery, however, therea re punctate scares measuring aobut 1 mm each for each follicular graft removed limiting the closeness of the hsaved stye that many of today’s male patietns want. (Rassman “Combining follicular unit extraction and scalp-micropigmentaiton for the cosmetic treatment of alopecias) (Rassman “Combining follicular unit extraction and scalp-micropigmentaiton for the cosmetic treatment of alopecias)

Hair Regeneration: 

—Aderans Research has been engaging in very interested clinical trils where hair follical cells are cultivated with a proprietary media and then inserted into the scalp where they regrow hair follicles. 

–PRP-Stem cell Approach:  The use of PRP plus BioD Amniotic Stem Cell ECM (Extracellular Matrix) for the treatment of alopecia areata and androgenetic alopecia (hereditary male or female hair loss) has been reported as very successful for regrowing hair. 

Replicell   (takes follicals out of your scalp and regenerates them before putting them back in. Also patented injector).   See video for explanation  

Medications:

(1) minoxidil 2% and 5% topical solutions have been used and shown to thicken existing hair and, in a limited number of patients, regrow hair follicles in a dose dependent manner (Lee, “An update on hair restoration therapy” Current Opinoin in Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery, 2009, 17: 287-294). Minoxidil foam (which can be used much like a gel) is a convenient way to topically apply the minoxidil. Formulations with minoxidil can be bought in your pharmacy store. ScalpMed also adverstises what they claim is a unique formula containing minoxidil as an active ingredient. 

(2) Finasteride (also known as Propecia): is a type II 5?-reductase inhibitor which was initially approved for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. It has been shown to increase the hair growth rate, thickness and, to a limited degree, hair count when compared with placebo.

(3) Ketaconazole: is an antifungal medication that has alo been shown to promote hair growth. Inui reported that using 2% ketaconaole topical cream shown increased vertex hair growht in 2 of 5 patients.

Molecular Mechanisms: 3 signaling molecules are known to be important for anagen onset: soncie hedgehod (SHH), wingless type (WNT), and signal transducer and activator of transcription.

Hair Fibers & Cosmetics: Toppik (advertised as way to eliminate scalp show through and thinning. Fibers are made of Keratin. Apply over any thinning areas and thousands of color matched hair fibers instantly blend with your existing hair).

Natural Products for Hair Loss: 

Dietary supplements: copper salt, p-aminobenzoic acid, pantothenic acid and vitamin B6. US Pat. No. 6,149.933. Saw Palmetto extract, African Pygeum extract, stinging nettle extract and optionally zinc, vitamin B6 and a green tea extract. US Pat. No. 5,972,345. MAMMALIA PLACENTA prepared form the placenta of a mammal, FRUCTUS LIGUSTRI LUCIDI, SALVIAE MILTIORRHIZE, PEONIA RUBRA, CINNAMOMI CASSIAE, MOUTAN RADICIS, and ALISMATIS PLANTAGO-AQUATICA. US Pat. No. 6,183,749.

cocamidopropyl betaine, Epigallocatechin Gallate, caffeine, Hydrolyzed wheat protein, serenoa serrulate fruit extract, citric acid 

Herbal compositions: a topical formualtion consisting of grape seed, jojoba, lavender, rosemary, and thyme reportedly showed significant imporvement in hair regrowth for alopecia after 7 monhts of daily use.

Olguin: The two basic m ain inredients are castor oil and a special lemon extract. US Patent No. 6,159,475

oxyacanthin or an extract of a plant in which it is present such as berberis, vulgaris or barberry. US Pat. No. 5, 607.693

Treatment for Alopecia

Scarring alopecia, an alopecia where hair destruction occurs early in the course of the diease, takes several forms, e.g., pseduopelade of Broeq, chronic, cutaneous lupus erthematosus, lichen planophilaris, dissecting ellulities, acne keloidalis, central, centrifugal scarring alopecia and fibrosing alopecia. Scarring alopecia includes disorders wehre hair follicles are destroyed by inflammatory processes. 

Antibodies:

Truitt (US2005/0169870) teaches a method of treating alopecia by administering an antibody against CD200 or CD200R. 

Prevention/Treatment for Damaged Hair

Keratin Hair Products: In order to prevent hair from being damaged, efforts have been directed to degradation of the protein structure caused by chemical treatment by incorporating collagen, keratin proteins and similar substances into hair care compositions to form a protective film on teh surface of hair fibers.

Polymer emulsions: hair care products which contain polymer emulsions are described. Such emulsions ensure adsorption of fine particles of the polymer onto hair fibers. US6,123,934 describes using antibodies to hair as carries of a polymer emulsion.

Prevention/Treatment for Hair Loss Due to Anti-Cancer Drugs

Anti-histone H4 antibodies: Hsia (J. Proteomics, 2011 “proteomics demonstration that histone H4 is a colchicine-induced retro-modulator of growth and alkaline phosphatase activity in hair follice dermal papilla culture” disclose that DPCs exposed to sub-toxid dose of colchicine produce histone H4 and is responsible for down-regulating the growth and alakline phosphatase (ALP) activity of DPCs. Hsia also show that adding antibody to histone H4 abolished this growth inhibitory consequence. Colchicine has been investigated as an anti-cancer agent and in the clinical setting leads patients to diffuse hair loss. .

Hair Regrowth Strategies

Repression of Human Hairless protein: 

Thompson (US 6,348,348) describes human hairless gene and protein, and screening methods to identify agents that affect its expression.

Christiano (WO 99/38965) describe isolated nucleic acid encoding human hairless protein and methods for identifying a compound that is capable of enhancing or inhibiting epxression of a human hairless protein and states that “a therapeutic approach using antisense to human hairless can be used to directly interfer with the translation of human hairless protein messenger RNA into protein”.

Christiano (US 8,329,667) describes RNA interference (RNAi) to inhibit mRNA’s involved in hair growth, resulting in inhibition of hair growth.

Small Molecules

SM04554:  Samumed LLC has presented efficacy results form a Phase 2 scalp biopsy suggesting that a topical solution of the compound SM04554 causes follicular neogenesis. 

RGD motif-containing peptides: Um (US 10,463,720) disclsoes a peptide which includes an RGD motife (Arg-Gly-Asp motif) promites the collagen production and is effective in burn ttreamtent, glacoma treatment and hair grwoth promotion as well as skin wrinkle reduction. 

Spermidine: is an aliphatic polyamine. It has been tested and discovered to encourage hair shaft elongation and lnethens hair growth. ((Wikipedia)

Stem Cell Science: 

During emvryonic development, reiprocal interations between epithelial and mesenchymal germ layers stimulate hair follicle morphogenesis. Many researchers have attempted to recapitulate these interactions in vitro using a range of different strategies and approches. Successful hair-follicle regeneration via cotransplantation of epithelial and mesenchymal cell populations in a mixed cell suspension has been possible for the last few decades. While these cells spontaenously organiz themselves at translantation sites and replicate the anatomical features and positions observed to occur in vivo, the efficiency of hair generation has been limited probably due to insuficiency of epithelial mesenchmal interaction. (Kageyama (Biomaterials 154 (1080) 291-300). 

(Kageyama (Biomaterials 154 (1080) 291-300) showed that while epithelial and mesenchymal cell populations initially formed a mixed single aggregate, they subsequently sponteaneously spearated from each otehr inside the aggregate and adopted a compartmentalized, HFG-like morphology during the subsequent 3 days of culture. These self sorted hair folicle germs (ssHFGs) were shown to be capable of efficient hair folicle and shat generation upon intracutaneous translantation into the backs of nude mice. 

A new promising approach is to harvest dermal papilla cells and transplant these cells back onto skin to create new follic als. Promising results in mice have already been obtained in this respect by Dr. Angela M. Christiano, a professor of dermatology and genetics and development at Columbia University Medical Center, and fellow research leader Dr. Colin Jahoda, professor of stem cell sciences at Durham University, in the U.K.

Laser:   Theradome (FDA approved laser cap)

See also chemistry of hair explained

Kemin Technologies

The hair follicle is a dynamic tissue that cycles between an on-state (anagen) and off-state (elogen). There are three major compartments, the hair shaft (medulla, cortex and cuticle), the inner root sheath (cuticle, Husley’s lyaer and Henle’s layer) and most peripheral, the outer root sheath.  At the common base of these compartments are the pluripotential matrix cells that give rise to teh hair shaft and inner root sheath through differentiation. Beneath these matrix cells are a group of mesenchymal-derived cells that form the dermal papilla which play an important role in inducing hair follicle neogenesis. (Bertolino, “Differential Expression of Type I Hair Keratins” J Invest Dertmatol 94: 297-303, 1990).

Hair Saft

The hair shaft consists of an outer cuticle surrounding a central cortex which may contain a central medulla. (Folin, Forensic Science International 83 (1996) 191-199).

Hair consists of : (1) an outer cuticle wrapping and protecting the hair fiber: (2) a cortex (the hair fiber itself): The cortex is composed mainly of 3 different types of proteins: fibrous keratins which constitute filaments, non-fibrous matrix proteins and cell membrane peripheral proteins. (3) a central medulla. 

Cortex: of animals hairs, which represents about 85% of the fiber weight, is made up of microfibrils embedded in a matrix of high-sullphur and high-glycine and tyrosine proteins. Microfibrils are composed of closely packed intermediate filaments (IF) arising from the interaction of type I and Type II keratins. Comparisons of the amino acid sequences of keratins show that the central rod domains, containing about 310 amino acid reisudes, are highly conserved while the N- and C-terminal end domains of Type II deratins exhibit appreciable species specific differences, which can be exploited to produce monoclonal antibodies that react exclusively with the hair fibers from a given animal. For example, Paluzzi (“anti-keratin monoclonal antiboides for identifying animal hair fibers” Textile Research Journal 2004, 74: 458) dislose large difference in the immunoreaction with keratins from cashmere compared with those from wool.

Cuticle: In the hair follicle the uticle develops as a thin layer of cells between the hair shaft cortex and the inner root sheath. Once the cuticle cells begin to differentiate they accumulate cysteine rich, glycine rich keratins in their cytosol (Jenkins, J Invest Dermatol, 1994, 103(3), 310-7).

surface of hair: is composed of the protein Keratin, containing both acidic and basic amino acids. The amino acid composition of keratin is such that at natural pH values, the hair possesses a net negative charge. (US2,067,499).

Hair Follicle (HF): 

The part of the hair base embedded in the skin is called the hair follicle and consists of plural different tissues. It is involved in the differentiation and growth of hairs. HFs regenerate by repetitive hair growth cycles (see below) and produce hair fibers during postnatal life.

Dermal papilla (DP): is envoloped by the dermal sheath in the hair bulb of a hair folicle (HF). The DP consists of specialized mesenchymal Dermal papilla cells (DPC) which control the development of hair folicles via-cell-cell interactions and extracellular molecules. The DP controls the hair growth cycle and directs hair bulb matrix epithelial cells to differentiate to produce hair fiber. Secretion factors of DPs also participate in controlling the HF morphogenesis and regulate the phase transition of hair growth cycle, such as fibroblast growth factor.

Hair Growth Cycle:

Anagen: The first cycle, known as anagen, the follicle is generated and new hair grows. When a new hair cycle is initiated, it is thought that a signal from the dermal papilla stimulates the stem cells, which are thought to reside in the permanent portion of the follicle, to undergo a phase of downward proflieration and genesis of a new bulbous base contianing matrix cells which then surround the dermal papilla. As a new anagen state progresses, these hair matrix cells produce a new hair. Each follicle appears to be under completely asynchronous control, resulting in a continuum of follicles in anagen, catagen, and telegen phases, leaidng to a relatively homeogenous hair distribution.

Catagen: During the second stage, the follicle elongation ceases and the follical regresses because the matrix cells stop proliferating. At this stage, the lower, transient half of the follicle is eliminated due to terminal differentiation and keratinization, and programmed cell death. Also during catagen, although the dermanl papilla remains intact, it undergoes several remodeling events, including degradation of the extracellular matrix that is deposited during analgen. At the close of catagen, the hair is only loosely anchored in a matrix of keratin, with the dermal papilla located just below. The catagen stage occurs at a genetically predetermined time, which is specific for each hair type in a species.

Telogen: is characterized by the follicle entering a quiescent phase, during which the hair is usually shed.

Hair Care:

Protect your hair by shampooing every other day instead of daily. Shampoos and excess shampooing can strip hair of moisture. Use warm water and a mild shampoo with sunscreen. Apply extra conditioner to keep your hair hydrated, shiny, and soft. Don’t overstyle with the blow dryer or flat iron. And protect your hair from the elements by wearing a hat.