Hi Readers Here's Your Hair Loss Newsletter

Seborrhoeic Dermatitis In the last newsletter, I explained how dandruff can sometimes be linked to hair loss. I also mentioned that dihydrotestosterone (DHT) will increase sebum production which might then lead on to seborrhoeic dermatitis - a skin disorder which can cause even more dandruff! So, in this newsletter I'll explain more about seborrhoeic dermatitis, as well as other causes of dandruff, and how to treat it. Seborrhoeic dermatitis is a skin disorder that can affect the scalp, face and trunk. Symptoms include scaly, flaky, itchy, red or inflamed skin as you can see from the picture below. When it affects the scalp it can also cause severe dandruff (usually forming larger, greasier flakes than other types of dandruff). Whilst its cause remains unknown, there are several possible factors that may be involved: genetic, environmental, hormonal and the immune system. However, perhaps the most likely cause is the yeast (or fungus) called malassezia furfur* (which was formerly known as pityrosporum ovale). It's possible that an inflammatory response to this yeast might occur. Research also suggests that, since seborrhoeic dermatitis mostly affects areas where sebaceous glands are abundant (i.e., the scalp), this yeast feeds upon the sebum these glands produce, allowing it to proliferate. This theory is also supported by the fact that anti-fungal agents have proven effective against this condition. This yeast usually exists on your body and scalp all the time without causing any problems. So it may well be that a combination of high sebum levels and inadequate washing is what triggers this condition. Malassezia cannot live in acidic (low pH) conditions. Skin has a slightly acidic pH of 5. But, oils (including sebum) do not have a pH value. So, if your scalp is constantly saturated in sebum, your scalp may be open to the spread of seborrhoeic dermatitis. Shampoos can vary in pH between 4 and 8.5 but anti-dandruff shampoos should be low in pH. * Note that other strains of malassezia (globosa and restricta) have also been linked to seborrhoeic dermatitis. Anti-fungal shampoos The anti-fungal agents these shampoos contain include: Ketoconazole Zinc pyrithione Selenium sulphide Coal tar Salicylic acid Tea-tree oil Salicylic acid will remove dead skin cells and decrease the rate at which they form. Zinc pyrithione kills malassezia furfur. Selenium sulfide and Ketoconazole will each accomplish what salicylic acid and zinc pyrithione achieve combined. Research suggests that Nizoral shampoo (which contains Ketoconazole) Is the most effective anti-fungal shampoo. To find out more about Nizoral shampoo, visit: http://www.top-hair-loss-remedy.com/best-hair-loss-shampoo.html Note: if your email provider does not support html, just copy and paste the links above into your browser address bar. Next issue: Other Causes of Dandruff and How to Treat it See you next week, Paul Taylor P.S. The next newsletter will now be in two weeks time (19 July), not one as is normally the case. This newsletter runs in a continuous sequence. This means that any issue you might have missed will cycle back round again in about 15 weeks. Copyright © Paul Taylor 2011 You are subscribed to Reverse Hair Loss Now. If you wish to remove yourself from this mailing, please click on the following URL... http://top-hair-loss-remedy.com/cgi-bin/mailout/mailmgr.cgi?us=LQ.21143587.25338636.679c9ea61b721ce86a287bb2f38d547b (If the above URL is not a link, copy-and-paste the URL into your Web browser. That will confirm your removal.) To change your e-mail address, please click on the following URL... http://top-hair-loss-remedy.com/cgi-bin/mailout/mailmgr.cgi?ca=LQ.21143587.25338636.679c9ea61b721ce86a287bb2f38d547b (If the above URL is not a link, copy-and-paste the URL into your Web browser. That will confirm your change.)