Stem Cell Clinic

Want Longer, Thicker Hair? The Hair Whisperer Has The Answers – British Vogue

It was a friend with a particularly bounteous mane who first mentioned his name: Ricardo Vila Nova. She had been to see the Hair Whisperer in his sleek little salon in a corner of Harrods, and compared the feeling afterwards to scalp freedom. Freeing my own head from itchy, flaky torment was something that really appealed to me. Could this be the person who would make my scalp sing again?

Vila Nova, who is as glossy of hair and warm of manner as you could hope, began with an in-depth analysis. After plucking two of my strands, his state-of-the-art microscopical scanner revealed their construction. Its almost like an MRI, he explains. You can see the hairs genetic constitution, along with the factors that have contributed to any degeneration, whether thats hormones, nutrition, inflammation, medication or toxins. Once hes identified what is impacting the hair, a bespoke treatment plan is conjured up to tackle the root cause (pun intended).

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For me, the issue was inflammation, which, according to the scan, was sitting below my epidermis, causing itchiness, dermatitis and occasional shedding. No surprise really, given my scalp is prone to flaring up when Im stressed, eating badly or generally run-down. If inflammation continues to build up lets say youve overindulged or you take medication that could upset liver function it penetrates to a deeper level of the skin, which is when the hair starts suffering, Vila Nova explains. Thats when more serious issues, such as hair loss (which Harvard Health Publishing estimates affects around a third of all women at some point in their lives), can come into play.

If you are genetically predisposed towards a skin condition, such as eczema, dermatitis or psoriasis, youll likely know its pretty much impossible to remove the issue completely. But what you can do is manage it, keeping it dormant while boosting scalp and hair resilience, achieved by way of a 360-degree approach. Putting a balanced lifestyle a healthy diet, exercise and as little stress as possible, all of which are important to the side, the programme Vila Nova prescribes consists of multi-step treatments.

There will be scalp reparation, washing, steaming and rehydration or reconstruction, he says. Just a few of the rigorous treatments that follow include a deeply relaxing head massage, scalp microneedling (where a dermaroller is used to create micro-channels in the scalp, allowing any subsequent treatment serum to penetrate deeply) and steaming to help soften and hydrate.

Afterwards, Im instantly converted. My scalp has never looked or felt so clean. I leave swinging a bag filled with my three-step home routine (comprising a shampoo, protein mask and scalp treatment) to be used once a week between monthly appointments.

Vila Novas fastidiousness is no surprise given that his background is in skincare he worked as an aesthetic facialist in the 90s. He became one of the first to bring the same principles applied to looking after the skin into haircare. All you had back then was shampoo to clean the surface of the scalp and masks. If you wanted to help the scalp or enable hair to regenerate or recover, it would be medication and steroids.

Amanda Gorman On Natural Hair, Winged Eyeliner And How She Gets Into The Writing Zone

Hannah Coates

Youll remember American poet and activist, Amanda Gorman, from President Joe Bidens inauguration in 2021. Resplendent in a yellow coat and ruby red Prada hairband, she gave a moving reading of her poem, The Hill We Climb, as the eyes of the world looked on. Two years later, Gorman has now been unveiled as Este Lauders first global changemaker. Here, she talks to acting senior beauty and wellness editor, Hannah Coates, about her writing process, hair accessories and the wellbeing workout she loves.

While the scalp doesnt need certain ingredients common in facials, like retinol or vitamin C, it does need hydrolipids, hydration, collagen and protein plus a balanced pH to make it strong and healthy, all of which is incorporated into Vila Novas luxurious treatments. Nowadays, with more than 20 years under his belt, he also embraces a number of hi-tech tools in his clinic, such as PRP (or platelet-rich plasma injections, where blood is taken from the patient, run through a machine to separate the platelets and then re-injected), which he says is excellent for treating alopecia, healing and boosting regrowth. With injectable technology, the response is much faster its not instant and it takes time, but you do notice a longer-lasting effect in terms of how the hair and scalp feels, how strong it is, how it recovers, he says.

PRP is also his secret weapon against postpartum hair loss, a common issue among his clientele. During pregnancy, your own growth factors rise naturally in the blood, and growth factor is the main ingredient in PRP, he explains. Even a laboratory couldnt create the same amount of growth factors as a pregnant woman. Once the baby has been delivered, the growth factors decrease and thats when hair starts falling. I give my clients a one-month window, maximum, after birth to collect their growth factors we reuse them, and then extend the pregnancy effects on the hair.

However significant your concerns are, what used to be a serious, medical experience at the trichologist is now something to look forward to. Optimal health of the body, the mind, and yes, the scalp too is the goal, and Vila Nova notes that his clients, who fly in from all over the world to see him, are those who want to make their hair stronger, double in quantity and enjoy a super comfortable scalp.

As for me, thanks to a thorough diagnosis and a clear understanding of whats going on up there, so far its made it much easier not to despair when the itchiness and flaking gets out of control. Not only will I know when its time to get some rest, eat better or address my stress levels, Ill also know its time to call Ricardo for more scalp therapy. Like I said, Im a convert.

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Want Longer, Thicker Hair? The Hair Whisperer Has The Answers - British Vogue

What is ‘male pattern baldness’? – Livescience.com

Androgenetic alopecia, also known as male pattern baldness (MPB), is the most common cause of hair loss in men. It begins as a receding hairline or bald spot on the top of the head, progressing over time to the sides and rear of the head. The factors that drive this type of hair loss can also cause hair thinning, where hairs grow smaller in diameter, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (opens in new tab) (AAD).

Male pattern baldness affects males of all ages. Two-thirds of American men will experience some degree of hair loss due to MPB by age 35, and approximately 25% of men begin the process before they reach age 21, according to the American Hair Loss Association (opens in new tab) (AHLA).

People may lose their hair for many reasons, including serious diseases, reactions to certain medications, and in rare cases, extremely stressful events, but most hair loss in men can be ascribed to genetic and hormonal factors. However, the exact mechanisms behind male pattern baldness aren't fully understood, and it is likely to have more than one cause.

People with MPB tend to carry genes that make their hair follicles highly sensitive to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a byproduct of testosterone, according to AHLA (opens in new tab). An enzyme called Type 2 5-alpha-reductase converts a small percentage of the body's testosterone into DHT; this enzyme can be found in various body parts, as well as in hair follicles. Hair follicles around the temples, mid-anterior scalp and hairline appear to be most sensitive to DHT, and in general, balding scalp may have a higher concentration of DHT than non-balding scalp, according to a 2020 study published in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology (opens in new tab).

DHT binds to androgen receptors on hair follicles, causing the follicles to shrink and their life spans to shorten. Eventually, these hair follicles stop producing hair.

Hair follicles in balding scalp may carry more androgen receptors (opens in new tab) than those in non-balding scalp. In addition, certain genetic variations in the androgen receptor (AR) gene may make hair follicles more susceptible to the effects of DHT (opens in new tab), which in turn increases the risk of MPB. The age at which MPB starts may also be determined by genetic variations (opens in new tab) in the AR gene.

In a 2017 study published in the journal Nature Communications (opens in new tab), scientists analyzed genetic profiles of 10,846 participants and found that, in addition to genes involved in the hair growth cycle, androgenetic alopecia may also be linked to genes involved in the sleep-wake cycle and the formation of fat cells within the body.

Changes in the activity of stem cells may also play a role in male pattern baldness. For example, a 2020 study in mice suggests that hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) in aging skin show different gene activity (opens in new tab) than those in young skin, and this may be linked to declines in hair growth. In addition, stem cells derived from fat tissue in the scalp tend to secrete more inflammatory proteins in balding areas than in non-balding areas, according to a 2022 study published in the journal Experimental Dermatology (opens in new tab). Such inflammatory markers have been linked to impaired activity in genes involved in hair growth (opens in new tab).

Researchers have also found that disrupted functioning of testosterone receptors (opens in new tab) in the scalp may lead to the degeneration of blood vessels that nourish hair follicles. This can result in a reduction in supply of oxygen and nutrients necessary for hair growth.

Hair loss can often be treated with a variety of at-home treatments, including over-the-counter and prescribed medications, according to AAD (opens in new tab).

Over-the-counter minoxidil (brand name Rogaine) can help during the early stages of hair loss. Many people see some regrowth when using this medication, but it may take about six to 12 months to see results. Minoxidil appears to be particularly effective when used along with another treatment, such as microneedling, a type of treatment that uses small needles to cause tiny punctures in the skin, AAD said.

Microneedling may stimulate hair follicle growth (opens in new tab) and allow topical treatments, such as steroid creams, to reach deeper layers of the scalp. Available evidence suggests that this strategy is safe and effective for MPB, but more large, gold-standard clinical trials are "strongly recommended to provide more definitive evidence," according to a 2022 review published in the journal Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (opens in new tab).

Prescription medication, such as finasteride (brand name Propecia) can also stimulate hair growth, according to AAD. However, this medication carries a risk of side effects that minoxidil doesn't, such as decreased libido and changes in cognition, including brain fog, according to a 2012 review published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine (opens in new tab).

Other procedures to regrow hair involve injections of corticosteroids into the bald areas, hair transplants and platelet-rich plasma treatment, a procedure that involves injecting blood plasma into the area with hair loss, AAD said. Platelet-rich plasma treatment, in particular, is considered a safe and effective alternative to hair loss medications, because it carries a low risk of serious side effects (opens in new tab).

In addition, there are surgical treatments available for hair loss, including hair transplants and scalp reductions, which involve removing balding tissue from the scalp, according to Stanford Medicine (opens in new tab).

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What is 'male pattern baldness'? - Livescience.com

Could a drug made for lung patients help older women have babies? – The Irish News

Egg-freezing 'packages', paid leave for fertility appointments and discounts for IVF: these are among the perks being offered by banks, law firms, supermarkets and other employers as a way to retain and recruit female employees.

But while this support will put fertility treatment within the reach of many more women, it won't necessarily increase their odds of motherhood.

As with natural conception, with IVF (in vitro fertilisation, where an egg is fertilised by sperm in a lab) a reduction in the number and quality of eggs means success rates fall with age.

A woman under 35 has a one-in-three chance of having a baby per round of IVF using her own eggs; by her mid-40s, the odds of success are 4 per cent.

Infertility not being able to conceive despite having regular unprotected sex for a year affects one in seven UK couples.

The emotional rollercoaster of infertility treatment was eloquently highlighted recently by actress Jennifer Aniston, who described spending years "throwing everything" at trying to become a mother.

The 54-year-old said in November last year: "It was a challenging road. I was going through IVF, drinking Chinese teas, you name it." She added that, for her, "the ship has sailed".

But scientists continue to tease out the secrets of women's reproductive health from rejuvenating ageing ovaries to preventing miscarriages to make motherhood more achievable for millions.

Here, we look at some of the most promising options.

One reason a woman's fertility falls with age is that her ovaries release eggs less regularly, starting in her 30s when she still has thousands of eggs left. Tackling this is "one of the biggest challenges in reproductive medicine", says Professor Rebecca Robker, a biomedical scientist at the University of Adelaide.

She recently led a study showing that pirfenidone, a drug used to treat lung fibrosis (where a stiffening of the lung tissue makes it difficult to breathe) can more than double the number of eggs produced by ageing ovaries.

In experiments on 12-month-old mice (equivalent to 35 years in humans), Professor Robker found ovaries become stiffer with age (they had more fibrosis). But when mice were given pirfenidone, it softened the ovaries, making them produce more eggs than untreated mice, the journal Science Advances reported last year.

Researchers believe fibrosis 'traps' eggs in the ovaries, preventing their growth and release and pirfenidone gives them room to expand and break free.

Professor Robker said: "We might anticipate that an anti-fibrosis treatment would provide a woman of advanced reproductive age a greater chance of producing any eggs, as well as a chance of producing more than one."

She hopes to start clinical trials of these drugs in future.

Could an injection of a woman's own blood make later-in-life motherhood easier to achieve?

Doctors at Lubeck University, Germany, are investigating whether platelet-rich plasma (PRP) blood processed to be extra-rich in platelets, which are cells involved in clotting and blood vessel repair can 'wake up' resting eggs in women in their late 30s and early 40s.

"Age-related infertility is one of the most pressing problems in reproductive medicine," says Georg Griesinger, a professor of reproductive medicine, leading the trial. "As IVF doctors, we frequently encounter older patients who only produce one or two oocytes [eggs] or none. The only option for these women is to use oocytes from a donor, but many want to have a child that is genetically theirs."

PRP is already used in other areas of medicine, including orthopaedics it's thought that proteins released by the platelets speed up healing of damaged tendons. Now, doctors are studying whether these proteins can also activate immature eggs, coaxing them into maturing so more eggs can be collected before IVF.

Early studies of the technique in Greece have been promising, with women who have gone through the menopause becoming pregnant after treatment.

In a new trial, 140 women will have a teaspoonful of PRP or a placebo injected into their ovaries. The number of eggs they then produce will be counted, with the first results due next year.

If the treatment is effective, it is simple enough for widespread use and could cost less than 900 a patient, says Professor Griesinger.

"Platelet-rich plasma isn't without promise," adds Grace Dugdale, a reproductive biologist and founder of preconception website Balance Fertility. "However, the results so far are mixed and there are also potential safety concerns, including whether it might increase the risk of cancer."

A new drug aims to overcome one of the main IVF hurdles: implantation failure.

In IVF, the egg is fertilised in the lab, creating an embryo, then transferred to the woman's womb.

The embryo needs to implant in the womb lining (endometrium) to continue growing. But in more than half of IVF cycles the embryo doesn't implant properly, so the woman either doesn't become pregnant or quickly miscarries. Currently, there are no drugs to improve implantation.

A new treatment from Spanish biotech company Oxolife aims to boost implantation rates by improving the structure of the endometrium and its blood supply, providing the embryo with oxygen and nutrients. In animal trials the drug, OXO-001, increased implantation rates by up to 15 per cent, according to unpublished results.

A small-scale trial on women showed the tablets were safe; they are now being trialled on 350 women undergoing IVF. The women will take either OXO-001 or placebo tablets daily before and after embryo transfer, with pregnancy rates compared.

The first results are due next month: 75 babies have already been born to women taking part in the trial, although it's not yet known how many of these took the active drug.

The company website states OXO-001 "acts directly on the endometrium to enhance and improve the embryo implantation process", although the exact mechanism is undisclosed.

"The endometrium is like a nest that receives the embryo and if that nest isn't well prepared, implantation will not take place," says Dr Agnes Arbat, a doctor and clinical pharmacologist and Oxolife's CEO. "Clinicians tell us they'd be more than happy with a 3 per cent increase in implantation rates. Based on the data we have, we're hoping for 5-7 per cent."

Grace Dugdale says: "Implantation failure is an issue in IVF there are definitely times when a good embryo inexplicably fails to implant. There are lots of causes and, while we don't know exactly how this drug works, new treatments are definitely needed."

Doctors are increasingly interested in the role of the vaginal microbiome the delicate balance of 'good' and 'bad' bacteria in the vagina in fertility. The theory is that if 'bad' bacteria overgrow, they can travel to the womb, hampering implantation chances.

A 2016 study in Denmark of IVF patients found women whose vaginal microbiomes were 'out of balance' (where harmful bacteria start to outnumber the beneficial ones) had just a 9 per cent chance of getting pregnant, compared to 44 per cent of those with normal microbiomes. (An imbalanced vaginal microbiome is very common, occurring in 20 per cent of the general population and 30 per cent of IVF patients, often without symptoms.)

Now researchers at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark are testing whether a probiotic powder packed with 'good' bacteria can boost a woman's chances of becoming a mother. Almost 350 women with an abnormal vaginal microbiome have received the treatment with preliminary results due in weeks.

Professor Glenn Gibson, a microbiologist at Reading University, says: "This research on the vaginal microbiome is being well carried out and its results could have large implications for IVF and resulting pregnancy rates."

The ability to grow large quantities of a woman's eggs in the lab could lead to a kinder form of IVF, say Edinburgh University scientists. An early IVF step is egg stimulation (a woman injects herself daily with fertility hormones for ten to 12 days to increase the number of eggs she produces).

Side-effects include breast tenderness, bloating, nausea and mood swings, and a risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), which causes the ovaries to swell painfully.

Up to a third of women undergoing IVF have mild OHSS; one in 100 develop moderate or severe OHSS, which is potentially fatal. The hormone injections are also expensive potentially adding 1,000 to the bill for an IVF cycle. Courses may need to be repeated. The new approach could bypass this.

"Women are born with a large store of immature eggs," says researcher Evelyn Telfer, a professor of reproductive biology at Edinburgh.

"They ovulate only 0.1 per cent of them; the other 99.9 per cent degenerate and die. We're working on a way of preserving these immature eggs and growing them outside the body."

In 2018, Edinburgh researchers became the first in the world to grow human eggs to maturity in the lab thanks to a discovery that a certain level of tension in ovarian tissue helps keep eggs in their immature state; relaxing the tissue kick-starts development. They have now started studies in sheep to check if the offspring from lab-grown eggs are healthy.

Successful animal studies could mean the first women could be treated in five to 10 years. In future, instead of undergoing the stress and expense of multiple rounds of hormone injections to produce eggs for IVF, women could have a sliver of one of their ovaries removed through keyhole surgery.

The immature eggs would then be triggered into growing in the lab, with one small piece of tissue potentially yielding thousands of eggs more than enough for their IVF needs.

Sarah Norcross, director of the fertility charity Progress Educational Trust, says: "Although this is some way off, the principle of being able to generate greater numbers of eggs is really exciting.

"Anything that reduces the grim regimen of hormone injections that women have to go through as part of IVF would be welcomed by a lot of them."

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Could a drug made for lung patients help older women have babies? - The Irish News