That's Fit

Pizza is something that's typically reserved for my "reward day" (see earlier post). This is probably a good thing, since I'm just about the last person you want to have around when you order pizza. Why? Because I never eat the crust. Never have, probably never will. The crust is the best part, what's wrong with you? is typically what I hear from my buddies, but still I remain an anti-crust pizza eater.

Strangely, I never thought that my almost Seinfeldian aversion to pizza crust could potentially have an effect on my hair.

Researchers from the University of Munster in Germany found that diet plays a significant role in hair-retention, and that crusts contain eight times more antioxidants than the rest of the pizza or loaf of bread. Couple this with a separate study highlighted in Men's Health, where it was discovered that antioxidant intake is vital to ensuring proper circulation to the scalp and the production of malanin -- the hormone that makes hair richer and thicker, and it becomes abundantly clear that there is, in fact, something wrong with not eating the crust.

If looking cool is the reason why you started smoking, consider some new information to come out of National Taiwan University in Taipei.

According to a study on the relationship between smoking and hair loss, researchers found that smoking damages hair follicles and interferes with blood and hormone circulation on your dome. And, as if that wasn't bad enough, smoking also boosts the production of oestrogen, stunting the growth of your precious locks.

Very few people can effectively pull off bald, so your chances of being cool (which was your original goal for smoking in the first place, remember?) are much higher with hair. Just yet another reason why you may want to put out the cigarettes for good.

As if losing your hair wasn't punishment enough for a guy, it turns out that it may signal additional health risks.

Research from the Harvard Medical School revealed that men with frontal baldness have a nine percent greater chance of developing heart disease than their full-follicled friends (or foes, if you're Lex Luthor). What's more, the study also suggests that men whose crowns are completely bald have a 36 percent greater risk. Researchers posit that this baldness/heart disease link is due to the greater amount of androgen receptors the follicularly challenged possesses, contributing to the collection of fatty deposits in the arteries.

Fortunately, much of this risk can be cut by following a sensible diet and performing at least three, 30-minute workouts per week. As for dealing with your hair loss ... well, bald is very in these days.

Zinc is more than just a way to use a 'z' in scrabble -- it's an essential nutrient that your body needs, both to heal wounds and injuries and help your body break down carbohydrates. How do you know if you're getting enough? Here are some signs that you're not, according to Everyday Health:

• Wounds, lesions and infections are difficult to heal.
  
• Your appetite is decreased.
  
• You experience an abnormal sense of taste and smell.
  
• You have difficulty seeing in the dark
• You experience abnormal hair loss.
  

Think you might be low on zinc? Load up on protein sources like red meat, turkey, seafood and legumes, as well as veggies like spinach and peas. Whole wheat bread, yogurt and milk are also good sources.

Losing your hair? Or, do you face a different problem: do you have too much of it? Either way, you may be interested to learn that there is a new treatment for each issue on the horizon.

Two new gene studies revealed that mutations of a gene known as P2RY5 could be responsible for a hereditary hair loss condition called hypotrichosis, as well as the development of what researchers described as "wooly, coarse, lusterless, dry, and tightly curled" hair.

By researching this gene further, scientists are hopeful that new treatment methods can soon be made available.

Both studies appear in the February 24, 2008 issue of Nature Genetics.

The relationship we all have with our own hair is the ultimate in love/hate for most of us, and although you may be blaming those bad hair days on harsh winter weather, humidity, or styling products gone wrong, have you considered that it may be your health that's really the problem? You can't have healthy hair if you don't have a healthy body, so if you're dealing with hair that's dull, dry, frizzy, flaky, or falling out, it's worth a closer look to make sure it's not due to something bigger than just using the wrong shampoo. From genetics to your current nutritional state, learning to read your hair can tell you a lot about your overall health.

Here are some common hair issues and what they could possibly mean:

Going gray
Going gray is a genetic issue, so you're pretty much stuck with whatever you get in that department. Some people start noticing stray grays as early as their 20s while other lucky ducks keep all their color until retirement.

It takes a special kind of head to look good bald. Michael Jordan pulls it off, as do Vin Diesel, Bruce Willis, and Michael Chiklis. But for many guys, myself included, we know that our pates look much better with hair, which is why we dread the mere idea of losing any. Thankfully, German scientists may have recently uncovered a potential link between the amino acid L-Carnitine with hair growth.

According to the study, which was conducted at the University of Hamburg and results of which were published in the journal Experimental Dermatology, carnitine stimulated hair growth by increasing energy supply in the hair follicles. "Our findings suggest that l-carnitine stimulates human scalp hair growth by up regulation of proliferation and down regulation of apoptosis in follicular keratinocytes in vitro," stated K. Foitzik, lead researcher on the study.

There is still a great deal of research to be conducted on this potential carnitine/hair loss connection, but the researchers seem confident that this is a solid link. Who knows -- maybe in a few years, baldness will be a thing of the past.

When I was 19, I started to notice a little bit of hair loss. I'll admit it, I freaked. Fortunately, the trend didn't continue, and several years later I'm still sporting a pretty decent coif. What I didn't realize at the time, and what I didn't realize until I recently came across a study from the Institute of Endocrinology in Prague, is that young men with thinning hair are at a greater risk of diabetes.

After analyzing the blood of several men, the researchers discovered that men who began losing their hair before the age of 30 were more likely to be insulin resistant -- increasing their risk of diabetes. The results of the study also suggested that as hair growth hormone decreased, insulin resistance increased.

So, if you happen to be a guy under the age of 30, and you're waking up on a pillow that looks more like a shedding cat slept on it than a human, then you may want to have a fasting blood glucose test done. Levels above 100 milligrams per deciliter signal trouble.

You've heard of hair-replacement surgery to cure baldness, but what about a scalp transplant? In your wildest dreams? Maybe ... if you're a hair restoration specialist.

Because transplants require a lifetime of anti-rejection drugs, the idea of a transplant to cure something as cosmetic as baldness was never even considered. Transplant experts say, however, that they've created an anti-rejection regimen that lasts only a week in lab animals. The science is exciting for burn and trauma victims, but hair restoration specialists admit that they're watching the development with interest.

Consumers spend $1.2 billion a year on surgeries to replace their missing hair, and specialists say that for some, balding is truly a traumatic experience. I doubt we'll see scalp transplants in the near future, but you never know. What do you think?

If your daughter likes to wear her hair in tightly-pulled braids, she may be at risk for permanent hair loss.

A new study finds that the tight buns you often see on ballet dancers, or more popular, mainstream styles like corn rows may lead to "traction alopecia" -- or hair loss that's caused by excessive and repeated pulling on a person's scalp. Researchers found that 1 in 20 children suffered hair loss from this condition -- and, amongst those who use chemical straighteners, that number jumps to 1 in 5.

According to this article in the Times Online, diseases like traction alopecia are "thought to affect people of African decent particularly." But it's important to note that, regardless of your hair type, by pulling, scraping, and treating your hair, you may be doing permanent damage.

The HairMax LaserComb is a means of at-home hair loss treatment, and it's designed to help restore hair growth by delivering a very specific wavelength of light to the scalp that will stimulate the hair follicles. That's all well and good but what makes me laugh is the fact that it's marketed to people who "don't want to pay for hair restoration surgery but who also don't have high expectations."

Ha! Who is that going to be? The HairMax LaserComb costs $545 -- who is going to spend that kind of money and not have high expectations?

On the bright side, though, it is nice to see some work being done as far as home treatment options for hair thinning and hair loss. The technology has to start somewhere!

Balding is pretty much exclusively thought of as a man's problem, so much so that the phrase "pattern baldness" doesn't seem to sound right without the word "male" in front of it. But women can suffer from it also due to age-related issues, genetics, or even hormonal changes. Many of the treatments often used for men can also be adapted to work for women very well, such as prescriptions to restore hair growth (like minoxidil), hair transplants and/or hair plugs, hair pieces and weaves, or simply a new hairstyle (no comb-overs, please).

Although it's not as common for women, it's not a completely uncommon issue either. Talk to your doctor and pursue treatment options if you notice excessive hair thinning and loss, there are things you can do!

Stress is such a terrible thing not only because it sneaks up on us and is sometimes hard to pinpoint (and get rid of), but also because it affects every area of our health in one way or another -- none of it good.

Hair loss is a common side-effect of stress, but it isn't always obvious right away. Thinning hair usually happens as a result of long term chronic stresses caused by work, relationships, finances, etc., and is most commonly noticed in the shower or overnight when hair is found on the pillow. And with long-term stressors in your life not only will your hair potentially get thinner, but it will likely appear dull and lifeless also.

Happily, though, it's generally not a permanent situation and as soon as changes are made and stress is relieved your hair will get healthier, shinier, and thicker once again. Your body will always let you know when there's a problem, so make sure you're listening!

Men in my family have a reputation for going gray early, so at holidays and families reunions, you'll commonly hear: "I don't care what color it is, as long as it isn't falling out!"

But we're only half joking. The truth is, we're all just a little afraid that our egos couldn't stand up to a thinning head of hair.

We're not alone. In fact, hair loss is a very common problem, and it can often have a negative impact on a person's self confidence. So why does it happen?

Most often, people see their hair gradually thinning as they age. This is normal, and happens not just on the head, but on all parts of the body. Genetics are one possible cause, but exposure to chemicals, or poisons -- even some medical treatments -- can also affect hair loss. Those with an unhealthy diet, or sedentary lifestyle are also more at risk of losing their hair than more people who eat healthy and get more exercise.

But at the end of the day -- whatever the cause -- it's important to remember that it's just hair, and it happens to almost everyone eventually. Just take it as a sign that you're looking more dignified with age.

Are you a tea drinker? There are many people I know that have given up coffee for tea and even the antioxidant-laden green tea variety. Did you know that spearmint tea, though, may help your body take a "hormonal shift" which will help women curb unwanted hair?

A study from Turkey shows that spearmint may become an alternative to hormonal treatments for women who grow too much hair in all the wrong places -- a condition called hirsutism.

In the Turkish study, the hormonal shift the women experienced after drinking spearmint tea might reduce hirsutism according to the research.