(DHT) is produced from the male hormone testosterone by the enzyme 5-alpha reductase. DHT is the androgen thought to be most responsible for the type of hair loss also known as male pattern baldness. DHT has a very high affinity for the androgen receptor and is estimated to be five to ten times more potent than testosterone. Other androgens that may be significant in pattern loss include DHEA (especially in women). All of these fall into hormonal pathways that can potentially result in elevation of DHT downstream via various enzymes. It is possible that certain DHT metabolites may play a role in male pattern hair loss as well.

A typical session of between 1,500 to 3,000 grafts normally involves a full day of surgery on an out patient basis. Most patients will arrive in the morning and will have their procedure completed by late afternoon

At least 2-3 months, though usually significantly longer. Many do not notice any apparent improvements until well after a year. Best results are often seen after the two-year mark. This is because hair follicles undergo a relatively long dormancy period in between hair growth cycles (usually about 3 months). In addition, hair only grows about 1/2 inch per month in non-thinning areas and usually considerably slower in thinning areas. Since it generally takes several cycles of growth/fallout/regrowth, with the hair getting thicker and longer each time, it can take a great deal of time to see noticeable improvement. Note that best regrowth results are seen with hair that was lost within the last five years and in areas of the scalp in which there is still some fine hair.

Sometimes stress can play a role in diffuse loss. Stress-induced loss ordinarily regrows within a year of eliminating the cause. In the absence of any prolonged emotional or physical trauma that has noticeably affected your overall health, stress is not likely the cause. Crash dieting, medical conditions, certain medications, pregnancy, and other major life changes can initiate stress-shedding however. In some cases extreme emotional tension for prolonged periods of time can have an effect as well.

Some people divide them with a pill splitter (available at any pharmacy), some crush and dissolve them in alcohol (such as Everclear, whiskey or others), and some crush and encapsulate them along with a filler to remove the air from the capsule.

Superoxide dismutase. This is an enzyme produced by the body to neutralize the superoxide radical. Superoxide is a messenger of inflammation and is involved in the body's autoimmune response. It exists in a yin-yang relationship with nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a vasodilator that appears to be important for hair growth, while superoxide is a vasoconstrictor that may be part of the signaling mechanism that tells hair to stop growing. Superoxide can also interact with nitric oxide to form a highly destructive free radical called peroxynitrite, which causes protein and lipid oxidation. A few hair loss products contain copper peptides, which are SOD mimetics; i.e., mimic the effects of the body's SOD enzyme. SOD-containing products have been noted a number of times by researchers to stimulate hair growth and block hair loss in mice. Recent study data on Tricomin, a copper peptide SOD, indicates increased hair growth in MPB. Among other beneficial things, SODs appear to help spare growth-stimulating nitric oxide, reduce damaging inflammation, and help reverse fibrosis (follicular scarring). There are a few patents for SODs as hair growth stimulators and even one for an SOD inhibitor that blocks hair growth by increasing superoxide.

Unless you're experiencing incredible irritation and redness, acute inflammation, or are undergoing an extremely toxic medical treatment, this week's hair loss has nothing to do with what you've been doing the last few days. The hair fallout you see this week is actually of hair that ended its growth cycle many weeks ago. Thus today's loss is a picture of the state of your scalp from at least 2 - 4 weeks (and probably more like 6 -12 weeks) ago. This hair was already in the loss phase, in other words, before you even started your recent treatment. Thus, short of mechanically pulling hair out prematurely or undergoing a course of chemo or radiation, this week's falling hair is completely uninfluenced by what you're doing this week. Any loss you're seeing now is coincidental to other events. Similarly, what you're doing treatment-wise today won't be reflected in your hair fallout until several weeks from now.

Sometimes, as a percentage of the active ingredients gets absorbed into the scalp and left behind after rinsing. For instance, seborrheic dermatitis ("seb derm," a bad case of dandruff) is now thought to play a minor role in pattern loss. In the trials, researchers had test subjects use T/Gel shampoo (one of the many treatments for seb derm) as a means of leveling the field and cutting out this factor as a variable in determining results. Also, 2% prescription strength Nizoral shampoo used 2 - 4 times weekly was shown in one study to produce hair growth results comparable to 2% minoxidil used once daily in a small group of group of test subjects. It was also shown in a larger group to increase the number of hairs in the anagen (growth) phase and to increase average hair shaft diameter. There are almost certainly other shampoos that can positively influence hair growth, as medication can reach the hair follicle fairly easily when the scalp is in a well-hydrated state. Water is a superb penetration enhancer that is, in fact, added liberally to many medicated penetrating creams.

All treatments that work on the crown also work to some degree in the front--just not as well. Treatments are generally more effective the further back you go. Confusion arises because of the way some studies were conducted. With Rogaine (minoxidil), for instance, studies only measured vertex balding; i.e., the traditional bald spot. Accordingly, the only hair growth results that the manufacturer is allowed to claim by the FDA is to say it will grow hair in the crown. However this does not mean that you should not use it on all areas of your hair loss as it most likely will have a positive result regardless of where its applied

When the effects of androgens in the body are lessened, e.g. through lowering DHT or by systemic hormone receptor blockade, the body seeks equilibrium through a process called upregulation. This can take the form of increased hormone production and/or increased tissue sensitivity to the remaining hormones. The reason side effects usually gradually disappear with is probably due to such upregulation. In a small percentage of individuals, it may be that this process overshoots the mark, resulting in significant hyperandrogenicity. This is marked by such signs as greatly increased facial oil, increased pimples, and greatly elevated libido. It's possible that in certain cases such hyperandrogenicity overcomes the hair-protective effect of, say, though this does not appear to be the case for the vast majority of people.

Yes. In fact, you will have enhanced absorption after shampooing, as a well-hydrated scalp is more permeable and will better absorb topical hair loss agents. Just be sure to towel dry the hair first to remove standing water. The only precaution is to be attentive to signs of excessive absorption, such as a racing heart.

Everyone loses some hair every day. Losing up to 100 hairs a day is normal and does not mean you are going bald. The scalp has some 100,000 hair follicles, most of which are producing hair at any moment in time.