I have a question regarding exclamation point hair. Or more specifically thinned proximal shafts (Picture linked at the end). Age:18,Gender:Male

Online sources say that exclamation point happens when you lose hair in patches or in non traditional MPB ways but I am suffering diffuse style MPB (pattern) and the hair that falls off is really thin at the root with a white bulb thick at the top. I also have seborrheic dermatitis. I was prescribed 2% nizoral which then caused me to lose almost 50% of my hair in the span of one year (or maybe it was meant to happen?). Could nizoral cause scalp inflammation that leads to MPB?

The online source of “exclamation point” hair shaft from Am Fam Physician. 2009 Aug 15;80(4):356-362 is describing Alopecia Areata which is a disease process where your body’s immune system “attacks” your own hair causing hair loss.
Male Pattern Balding is a genetically inherited condition where men lose hair in a typical “pattern”.
Seborrheic dermatitis is an inflammatory condition which causes scaly patches on the scalp/skin which may cause hair loss from the inflammatory process.
Nizoral is a shampoo with antifungal properties that is used to TREAT Seborrheic Dermatitis. Some people may have an allergic reaction to this and a rare side effect is hair loss.

All of the above are separate and unrelated causes for hair loss and it is understandable you are searching for a unifying answer.

The simple answer is that Male Pattern Balding is genetic and unrelated to Nizoral, Seborrheic Dermatitis, or Alopecia Areata.

For a more complete answer you need to follow up with your doctor to find out the cause of your hair loss especially if you are having side effects with the medication you were prescribed.

I’ve been taking Propecia for many years (generic over the last year), and my hairline has remained stable ever since. I just noticed a nickel-sized bald spot on my crown. I thought Propecia worked better on the crown than on the hairline, so what gives?

Propecia is a medication for the treatment of genetic male pattern balding also known as androgenic alopecia. It works best for treating the thinning / balding on the top and crown areas of your scalp. It does not work as well for the front hair line. Propecia is not a cure and its response is different in each individual. You may still have thinning or continue to lose hair. The point is that it should slow down the hair loss. There is no cure for genetic balding.

You should see your doctor. A bald spot the size of a nickel could be the result of other causes like alopecia areata. A clearly defined bald spot is not a presentation of genetic male pattern balding so you must be assessed by your doctor.

The drug Ouabain, used to treat heart diseases, appear to be able to prevent prevent virus replication. Julian Hiscox from the University of Liverpool, reported in the Journal of Proteome Research.

I am sure we will hear more about this drug very shortly.

Can you have SMP to patchy areas on your face?

Here is an example of what we did for someone who was missing a patch of hair on the temple. It is known as triangle alopecia. While we generally can treat this with hair transplant surgery, this patient wanted a non-surgical approach using the SMP Scalp MicroPigment technique. He knows that he will need to keep his hair short on the temples to make it look natural (since SMP is not real hair).

Click on the photo for a larger image.

NOTE: This photo was taken immediately after the SMP session so you can see the redness on the scalp. The redness usually subsides in 1 to 2 days. He realized he needs to keep his hair shorter to achieve a blended look.

One gene, three types of cancer

APA
Jun 25, 2013

French scientists have discovered that a BAP1 gene mutation causes a predisposition to kidney cancer. The mutation has been known to play a role in eye cancer (retinoblastoma or uveal melanoma as well as in mesothelioma). The researchers at the Institute Curie’s department of genetics in Paris have published their findings in the “American Journal of Human Genetics”.

For the study, the scientists analyzed data from a family with a history of many unexplained cases of cancer. One family member who developed multiple instances of cancer was observed over an extended period of time; however, no change in genetic predisposition for that particular tumour was found.

The BAP1 mutation was only discovered after examining the genome. An analysis of kidney tumours confirmed the findings. The malignant cells contained only the mutated version of the gene.

In a cooperation with two other research teams, the scientists found 11 families with the BAP1 mutation. They were able to ascertain that six families showed an unusually high number of cases of kidney cancer. Of the nine persons to have developed kidney cancer, genetic analysis of four family members’ tumours showed the BAP1 gene to be inactive in malignant cells.

One day we will have identified the genes that cause a variety of cancers. We already have done this from Breast, Ovarian and Cervical cancers. Discoveries of genes that produce certain types of leukemia have treatments based upon genes that cause the disease. Today, we are seeing discoveries like this one and our future will hold the possibility that we can diagnose and treat these diseases early in their course and save lives. One day we will supply a drop of blood and hundreds of disease markers will be analyzed. That day is getting closer and closer.

“Regular use of aspirin may lower the risk of pancreatic cancer by nearly 50%, according to a new study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Prevention”. Such a simple step to take for our entire readership, just one baby aspirin a day not only reduces the risk of pancreatic cancer, but heart disease as well. I give this advice to my friends and family always when asked about the things we can do. My speech includes daily exercise and diet that is not reach in sugars or fats as well

People with a rare genetic mutation in the gene encoding apolipoprotein C3 (APOC3) not only have lower plasma triglyceride levels, they also have a decreased risk of developing coronary heart disease (CHD), researchers report in two independent studies published online June 18, 2014, in the New England Journal of Medicine [1,2]. This could eventually lead to the development of new drugs that mimic this genetic effect, although that potential therapy is far away.

Snippet from the article:

So You Think You Can Dance has done it again in Season 11 with another unforgettable dancer and audition courtesy of Franchesca Bass.

The 18-year-old dancer from Indiana was born with Alopecia Areata which made her stand out automatically in appearance but even more with her dancing. She took her condition and used it to her advantage by creating a character for her performance. She called herself an alien who was afraid to be around others. And holy crap, did she deliver. Her alien side came alive and got her a ticket straight through to Vegas.

Read the rest — ‘SYTYCD’s Stunning Franchesca Bass Doesn’t Let Her Condition Weigh Her Down

Check out the video of her dancing on YouTube or at the link above. This teen was empowered by her alopecia totalis or alopecia universalis, and used it in her dance routine to make it to the next round of this reality TV show.

Snippet:

Question: I may have to have chemotherapy. Will I go bald?

Answer: Hair loss is not certain with chemotherapy. Whether you lose hair depends upon the medication and dose your doctor prescribes.

Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment that uses drugs to kill malignant cells, bacteria, viruses and fungi. Chemotherapy drugs are used to treat cancer, bone marrow diseases, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. The drugs can be given by injection or taken orally. There are also topical creams.

Chemotherapy drugs attack rapidly growing cancer cells. They also attack other rapidly growing cells in your body such as those in your hair roots. Each patient reacts differently to these drugs. Some newer chemotherapy drugs may cause fewer side effects.

Read the rest — Does Chemotherapy Always Cause Hair Loss?

This is a pretty good write-up about chemo and hair loss.

Snippet from the article:

For more than a century, doctors have dreamed of using the body’s own defenses to keep cancer in check, but most efforts either did nothing or over-revved the immune system causing terrible side effects or even death.

A half dozen experimental trials presented at the ongoing American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Chicago show that researchers are finally making significant progress in both melanoma where therapies began, as well as in other cancers.

Read the rest at USA Today — Immune therapies improve treatment of cancers

Cancer can put the “brakes” on the immune system, and a skin cancer treatment called Yervoy was the first to take these brakes off. There’s now “several new papers looking at lifting two different brakes that seem to be more effective with fewer side effects.”

Immunotherapy appears to help treat those with bladder, genitourinary, head and neck cancers, and malignant brain tumors, as well as melanoma and lung cancer.