Hairsite admin

Can you do some research on

Biotin

MSM

Horsetail

and post the results

also nutrition and hair…what foods to avoid, ie they cause excess fallout, what foods to eat, that help healthy hair

I am posting one of the articles I have found. I will post more articles after doing some more research -

Nutritional factors and hair loss

Clinical and Experimental Dermatology
Volume 27 Issue 5 Page 396-404, July 2002

Summary

The literature reveals what little is known about nutritional factors and hair loss. What we do know emanates from studies in protein-energy malnutrition, starvation, and eating disorders. In otherwise healthy individuals, nutritional factors appear to play a role in subjects with persistent increased hair shedding.

Hård, 40 years ago, demonstrated the importance of iron supplements in nonanaemic, iron-deficient women with hair loss. Serum ferritin concentrations provide a good assessment of an individual’s iron status. Rushton et al. first published data showing that serum ferritin concentrations were a factor in female hair loss and, 10 years later, Kantor et al. confirmed this association. What level of serum ferritin to employ in subjects with increased hair shedding is yet to be definitively established but 70 µg/L, with a normal erythrocyte sedimentation rate (< 10 mm/h), is recommended.

The role of the essential amino acid, l-lysine in hair loss also appears to be important. Double-blind data confirmed the findings of an open study in women with increased hair shedding, where a significant proportion responded to l-lysine and iron therapy.

There is no evidence to support the popular view that low serum zinc concentrations cause hair loss. Excessive intakes of nutritional supplements may actually cause hair loss and are not recommended in the absence of a proven deficiency. While nutritional factors affect the hair directly, one should not forget that they also affect the skin.

In the management of subjects with hair loss, eliminating scaling problems is important as is good hair care advice and the need to explain fully the hair cycle. Many individuals reduced their shampooing frequency due to fear of losing more hair but this increases the amount seen in subsequent shampoos fuelling their fear of going bald and adversely affecting their quality of life.

MSM
Sulfur in human nutrition and applications in medicine

Altern Med Rev. 2002 Feb;7(1):22-44

Because the role of elemental sulfur in human nutrition has not been studied extensively, it is the purpose of this article to emphasize the importance of this element in humans and discuss the therapeutic applications of sulfur compounds in medicine.

Sulfur is the sixth most abundant macromineral in breast milk and the third most abundant mineral based on percentage of total body weight. The sulfur-containing amino acids (SAAs) are methionine, cysteine, cystine, homocysteine, homocystine, and taurine. Dietary SAA analysis and protein supplementation may be indicated for vegan athletes, children, or patients with HIV, because of an increased risk for SAA deficiency in these groups.

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), a volatile component in the sulfur cycle, is another source of sulfur found in the human diet. Increases in serum sulfate may explain some of the therapeutic effects of MSM, DMSO, and glucosamine sulfate. Organic sulfur, as SAAs, can be used to increase synthesis of S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), glutathione (GSH), taurine, and N-acetylcysteine (NAC).

MSM may be effective for the treatment of allergy, pain syndromes, athletic injuries, and bladder disorders. Other sulfur compounds such as SAMe, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), taurine, glucosamine or chondroitin sulfate, and reduced glutathione may also have clinical applications in the treatment of a number of conditions such as depression, fibromyalgia, arthritis, interstitial cystitis, athletic injuries, congestive heart failure, diabetes, cancer, and AIDS. Dosages, mechanisms of action, and rationales for use are discussed.

The low toxicological profiles of these sulfur compounds, combined with promising therapeutic effects, warrant continued human clinical trails.

I dont know how far the following source is reliable -

L-Carnitine–L-tartrate promotes human hair growth in vitro

Experimental Dermatology
Volume 16 Issue 11 Page 936-945, November 2007

Abstract:
The trimethylated amino acid l-carnitine plays a key role in the intramitochondrial transport of fatty acids for β-oxidation and thus serves important functions in energy metabolism. Here, we have tested the hypothesis that l-carnitine, a frequently employed dietary supplement, may also stimulate hair growth by increasing energy supply to the massively proliferating and energy-consuming anagen hair matrix.

Hair follicles (HFs) in the anagen VI stage of the hair cycle were cultured in the presence of 0.5–50 μm of l-carnitine–l-tartrate (CT) for 9 days. At day 9, HFs treated with 5 μm or 0.5 μm of CT showed a moderate, but significant stimulation of hair shaft elongation compared with vehicle-treated controls (P < 0.05).

Also, CT prolonged the duration of anagen VI, down regulated apoptosis (as measured by TUNEL assay) and up regulated proliferation (as measured by Ki67 immunohistology) of hair matrix keratinocytes (P < 0.5). By immunohistology, intrafollicular immunoreactivity for TGFβ2, a key catagen-promoting growth factor, in the dermal papilla and TGF-β II receptor protein in the outer root sheath and dermal papilla was down regulated.

As shown by caspase activity assay, caspase 3 and 7, which are known to initiate apoptosis, are down regulated at day 2 and day 4 after treatment of HFs with CT compared with vehicle-treated control indicating that CT has an immediate protective effect on HFs to undergo programmed cell death.

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.

They further encourage one to explore topical and nutraceutical administration of l-carnitine as a well-tolerated, relatively safe adjuvant treatment in the management of androgenetic alopecia and other forms of hair loss.

Methylsulfonylmethane (msm) Study

June 6, 2006

Hair and Nail Growth Study Concludes:

“Hair and nail growth, hair brilliance and nail lustre are significantly improved by supplementing MSM in the diet”

A recent double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study performed by Ronald M. Lawrence, M.D., Ph.D., showed that 100% of the subjects taking MSM (Methyl-sulfonyl-methane), a nutritional supplement that provides biologically active sulfur, showed increased hair growth compared to a group on placebo. Only one subject on placebo showed an increase in hair length.

Hair Brilliance
In addition, 30% of the subjects on MSM showed improvement in hair brilliance, while none of the subjects on placebo showed such an improvement.

Study participants Impressed
?All subjects supplementing with MSM were impressed with the changes in the health and appearance of their hair,? said Dr. Lawrence. ?The cosmetologists literally could differentiate which participants were on MSM by the appearance of the hair, alone, after six weeks.?

Nail length and thickness
A second double-blind, placebo-controlled, pilot trial, conducted simultaneously, showed that 50% of the subjects on MSM showed increased nail length, thickness and lustre compared to the group on placebo.
Approximately 10% of those on placebo showed increased nail length growth. None of the subjects on placebo showed an increase in nail thickness.

Efficacy Study Confirms Benefits
Cathleen London, M.D., a Boston-based family practitioner, said ?I have been prescribing MSM for my patients experiencing pain from arthritis and fibromyalgia, and they kept saying how great their hair and nails looked. It?s good to see an efficacy study confirm that there are benefits in this area.?

Study Conclusion
Based on the results of the trials, Dr. Lawrence concluded:
?Oral supplementation with MSM is a valuable addition to hair and nail growth. Hair and nail health was significantly improved in a short term of six weeks. If the trials were continued for eight to sixteen weeks, I feel the results would have been even better for those on MSM.?

Hair Growth - Study Details
The hair trial involved a total of 21 patients ? 5 women and 16 men. Data was collected by certified cosmetologists under the direction of Dr. Lawrence.
The trial parameters included hair length, brilliance, and diameter of the individual hair shafts using industry standard measurement scales.

Nail Growth Study Details
The nail trial involved a total of 11 subjects ? 10 women and 1 man. Again, data was collected by certified cosmetologists.
Trial parameters included nail length, thickness, lustre and general appearance using industry standard measurement scales.