DermHelpCentral

Laser Hair Removal Risks

Caveat Emptor - If you are considering Laser Hair Removal read on.

Image from NYT article

This NY Times article is good for consumers.  It seems like many poorly trained individuals are performing laser hair removal (LHR) so there are some real risks.  This goes for many cosmetic procedures as well.

The bigger question, here, is whether LHR is better than electrolysis is not addressed. It is sad that medicine has devolved into a subspecialty of cosmetics.

We will try to obtain a comment from an electrologist to attach here.

Trichotillomania

There was a good article in the NY Times by a woman with trichotillomania.  It describes the anguish some of these people suffer and it hints at adverse events that may have triggered her disorder.

"The voice my suffering has taken through the years is not a voice filled with words, it is rather my trichotillomania, my O.C.D., the eating disorders I survived in high school, rising from attempted suicide with resilience as I realized on the floor of my room — I deserve better."

For more, see:

Surviving the Pain at the Roots by Alexandra Heather Foss.

Hair Extensions

There was an article in the May 29, 2012 NY Times on a a new company that markets hair from Cambodian women to the world-wide market.  Arjuni is a small player in the world stage, yet yet the article was a good overview of this subject.

See: "In Cambodia, a Start-Up Combines Web Sales Skills and Hair Extensions."

Bad Hair Day?

"Dr. Regina Benjamin, the United States Surgeon General has a new message for American women: It’s O.K. to have a bad hair day.  'Often times you get women saying, ‘I can’t exercise today because I don’t want to sweat my hair back or get my hair wet,’” she said in an interview. “When you’re starting to exercise, you look for reasons not to, and sometimes the hair is one of those reasons.'"

"When researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina sampled 103 black women from the area, they found that about a third exercised less because they were concerned it would jeopardize their hair. Of those women, 88 percent did not meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for physical activity, which is 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week, or about 20 minutes a day.

"Dr. Amy McMichael, a professor of dermatology who led the study, said she had noticed over the years that some of her overweight patients would mention their hair when explaining why the gym was off-limits."

For more see: NY Times, "Health Over Hair"

‘Going Natural’ -- Pointers for Black Hair

The NY Times "Skin Deep" section has some informative articles on the broad area of cosmetic dermatology.  The June 9, 2011 edition had a useful piece on 'Going Natural' with black hair.  It has helpful pointers and lists a number of blogs and web sites.

"'Going natural' is the term used by many African-American women who decide to stop chemically processing, or relaxing, their hair. It’s a move that can be fraught with confusion, missteps and sometimes pain, as the 2009 Chris Rock documentary "Good Hair" attested." Rock's film is entertaining and educational and well-worth watching.

There are many problems associated with "relaxing" black hair and other common grooming practices, not to mention the significant expense which can run to 1000s of dollars per year.  The Times article and Chris Rock's film are good introductions to this area.

Hair Loss in Women

This is a good article from the NY Times (January 2009) which mostly deals with the hereditary form of alopecia.  It is a good introduction to the topic.

When Hair Loss Strikes, A Doctor is a Girl's Best Friend.   . 

Black Hair, Good Hair

Here's an informative overview of "Black Hair" for women.  It makes some good points and is a great introduction to this topic.  Important for dermatologists and the public to read.  The article refers to a new documentary produced by Chris Rock called "Good Hair."

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