Facts About Hair in Movember
Movember is a worldwide campaign to promote men’s health. Every November, men let their moustaches grow to raise money for the research and prevention of prostate cancer and other health problems in men. The Movember Foundation currently coordinates the campaign in 21 countries and passes on the funds collected to the various national research institutions. In the spirit of the event, we thought we would share with you some interesting facts on hair growth and loss.
Caffeine and testosterone
The Department of Dermatology at the University of Lübeck conducted a study to test the correlation of caffeine and testosterone on hair growth.
The male hormone testosterone and, more specifically, its by-product 5a dihydrotestosterone are known to be the actual causes of hair loss. The study shows that caffeine stimulates hair follicle growth and prolongs the growth period.
Ginger: Wonder root not so wonderful?
The Southern Medical University in the Chinese city of Guangzhou carried out a study on the effect of ginger on hair growth. The research team headed by Y. Miao examined the effect of the main active component of the plant, 6-gingerol, on hair shaft elongation. Also, the effect of ginger on human dermal papilla cells was investigated in vitro and on the skin of mice. The surprising result of the study was that 6-gingerol suppressed both the reproduction of dermal papilla cells as well as hair follicle growth.
The 3 lives of hair
During the course of one’s life, the structure of one’s hair can change for a wide variety of reasons. Hormonal or genetic factors, as well as changes in diet or care, can play a role. In general, there are three times in people’s lives when hair modifications are likely. These three stages are puberty, menopause and then once again between one’s mid-sixties and early seventies. During these periods, hair can change and thin out.
How much is too much?
It is entirely natural that we lose a certain amount of our luxurious hair every day. But how much do we lose on average, and when should we start to worry? The literature on the subject often refers to the magic threshold of 100 strands per day.
Plucking helps against hair loss
In a study, researchers plucked out the hair of mice – up to 200 pieces. Following a set pattern on their back, the researchers removed a little more here and a little less there. All of the plucked hairs came from a circular patch no larger than 5mm. Amazingly, within a short period of time, hair began to grow on this exact spot – a lot of hair. Estimates ranged between 450 and 1,300 new hairs on the mice’s backs.
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