Clue to male baldness discovered

A biological clue to male baldness has been discovered, raising the prospect of a treatment to stop or even reverse thinning hair.

In studies of bald men and laboratory mice, US scientists pinpointed a protein that triggers hair loss.
Drugs that target the pathway are already in development, they report in the journal Science Translational Medicine. The research could lead to a cream to treat baldness.

Most men start to go bald in middle age, with about 80% of men having some hair loss by the age of 70.
The male sex hormone testosterone plays a key role, as do genetic factors. They cause the hair follicles to shrink, eventually becoming so small that they are invisible, leading to the appearance of baldness.
  
Now, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have analysed which genes are switched on when men start to go bald. They found levels of a key protein called prostaglandin D synthase are elevated in the cells of hair follicles located in bald patches on the scalp, but not in hairy areas.

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SOURCE  Helen Briggs Health editor, BBC News website

Pain-free laser that banishes toenail fungus

Doctors are using ‘cold’ laser beams to vaporise nail fungus, a common cause of painful, unsightly toenails. Unlike conventional lasers, which use heat, the new handheld device relies on a special type of intense light to kill the fungus.

The painless therapy — which takes ten minutes to treat each foot — does not harm the surrounding tissue of the toe and nail bed. Furthermore, researchers say that the laser therapy does not have the  side-effects that have been associated with drug therapy.

Nail fungus, or onychomycosis, affects between 3 and 9 per cent of the population. Toenails are four times more likely to be affected than finger nails, and men are more likely to suffer than women.

The problem is also more common with advancing age. The infection, which is similar to athlete’s foot, is caused when tiny spores of fungus infect the skin.

Wearing sweaty trainers or suffering  from hot, perspiring feet provide the perfect breeding ground for the fungal spores. The risk of getting nail fungus is also greater if there is nail damage (people with conditions such as psoriasis and diabetes are particularly vulnerable).

As the fungus spreads deeper into the nail, it may cause discolouration, thickening and the development of crumbling edges. The nail can turn white, black, yellow or green, and even break away from the toe.

The nail bed and surrounding skin can become inflamed and painful, and in extreme cases it can make walking difficult.

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SOURCE Daily Mail

Why Superdrug’s £150 Botox jabs may be too cheap

Would you consider popping into Superdrug for a spot of Botox or laser hair-removal?

Now you can, as the High Street chain rolls out its  in-store Pro Skin clinics, offering anti-wrinkle injections, laser hair-removal and microdermabrasion.

Prices start at £49 for laser hair-removal and rise to £149 for Botox or fillers, with peels for £69 and Dermaroller treatments at £138.

In Harley Street, you’ll pay around £250 for Botox, upwards of £350 for fillers, and £325 for Dermaroller.

Superdrug’s Lisa Pellizzon says they can offer treatments at such a low price because they’ve slashed the mark-up.  At Superdrug prices start at £49 for laser hair-removal and rise to £149 for Botox or fillers

It’s also because, with the exception of Botox and fillers, treatments are carried out by beauticians, not medical personnel.

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SOURCE Daily Mail