Confession #8: Hair Today. Gone Tomorrow.

I love a good birthday card. Maxine cards are my favorites — you know, the little old lady with the purple hair. I even have some Maxine slippers with purple hair that my sister-in-law gave me when I turned 40. My kids think they are hilarious. 

Well, I found another hilarious birthday card at the Beehive the other day. I just have to share it with you. It’s not a Maxine card, but it shares the same sarcastic view of life-as-an-aging-woman. “These aren’t chin hairs…they’re stray eyebrows!” is the comment on the front of the card. Those words are decoratively written on a sign held by an obviously-more-mature-but-trying-to-look-younger lady wearing a sash that says “Miss Optimistic.” Inside the card are the words “Happy Birthday to an ageless beauty.”

What is ageless beauty? And how about those stray eyebrows? I’ll save the ageless beauty column for a rainy day, but sister, we are going to talk about those stray eyebrows.

One of the most difficult parts of growing older is hair. And hair is one of those outside garnishments which envelopes the self-esteem of every self-respecting, card-carrying Southern woman! You know, we already have the challenges of heat and humidity around here. But there are also internal challenges that wreak havoc on our pursuit of a “good hair day”.

Did you know that hormones, the body’s communication system, can greatly affect your hair? Two years ago, I was suffering from a great amount of hair loss due to an undiscovered thyroid issue. Handfuls of hair, I’m telling you! Clean out my hairbrush every day kind of hair loss. And to make matters worse, I was growing hair in places I didn’t want it — my ears, my face, my chin, etc.! That was due to an elevated testosterone level. After having my hormones tested and discovering how out-of-whack my hormone levels were, I tried bioidentical hormones, achieved a better hormone balance and the hair started staying on my head instead of jumping off my head and into my hairbrush! Plus, the random hair growth in unwanted places decreased dramatically!

So why am I bringing up a subject we’d rather not talk about? Especially in the holiday/New Year issue of The Minute Magazine? Well, here’s my answer. ‘Tis the season! We’ve got to look good for our holiday parties. And then there’s that whole issue of “New Year/New You” for 2010. With holidays and New Year resolutions approaching, there’s no time like the present to talk about hair!

Hair Tip #1: Hormone Balance

It doesn’t matter what you do, if you don’t solve your body’s mysteries, you will just have to continually deal with this problem. So let’s start with hormone testing. If your doctor doesn’t test hormones, then find one who does. And make sure that you are retested on a periodic basis. Hormones can become unbalanced again due to stress or other events in your body. So this is a constant monitoring process. You and your doctor should have an ongoing dialogue about your hormone levels. And moms, this can affect your teenagers, too. As their hormones fluctuate, hair growth can result. Hormone testing can  be beneficial for teenagers, too.

Hair Tip #2: Waxing

Waxing is a method of semi-permanent hair removal which removes the hair from the root cause. Almost any area of the body can be waxed, including eyebrows, face, bikini area, legs, arms, back, abdomen and feet. New hairs will not grow back in the waxed area for two to eight weeks. I’ve used this method of hair removal since I was a teenager for my brows and lip. It works well, is relatively inexpensive, and available at most salons.

Hair Tip #3: Waxing with Epilar Treatment

This treatment begins with waxing, followed by application of an inhibitor gel and an activator gel. This treatment works on all skin and hair types and can be used on all body parts. The procedure targets hair follicles left empty after waxing, specifically hairs that are active and in the growth phase. Epilar application will also increase the intervals for depilation and leave skin smooth and soft between treatments. I haven’t personally tried this, but I know it is very effective for women who might have a lot of hair on their cheeks and would just prefer to have smoother skin.

Hair Tip #4: Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)

FDA approved for permanent hair reduction, intense pulsed light is fast and very effective in eliminating large areas of unwanted hair. Light is absorbed by the pigment in the hair and converted to heat in the follicle. The heat damages the follicle and disables it from growing new hair. IPL is excellent for areas such as the lip, under arms, or even the bikini area. This treatment lasts only 10 to 15 minutes, works best on darker hair, and is usually recommended in a series of four to six treatments. I have had IPL treatments under my arms. And yes, I rarely have to shave there anymore. This is truly one of my small joys in life! No more itchy, scratchy, five-o’clock shadow in my pits!

Hair Tip #5: Electrolysis

FDA approved for permanent hair removal, electrolysis is a procedure in which individual follicles are destroyed with chemical or heat energy. The hair is then removed with tweezers. Once the follicle is destroyed, it can never reproduce hair. Electrolysis can only be performed by a Licensed Electrologist. Electrolysis works on all hair and skin colors and is great for small areas that can’t be treated with IPL like ears, eyebrows, and for white-blonde, red or gray hair. Many factors influence hair growth, so the number of sessions needed to remove hair permanently from an area will vary. Treatments typically occur once a week and last 15 minutes to one hour. Electrolysis is on my list of things to do. I’d like to never again see a hair on my big toe again! Can anyone relate to that? This is also great for those “stray eyebrow hairs” that show up on your chin!

Whew! That’s it. Five tips for hair! And none of them involved cutting, highlighting, styling, weaving, extensions, horse shampoo, or other strange products. While this conversation has been geared towards my lady friends, it applies to our men as well. The ear hair that you would like to see disappear from your honey’s ears (this will help him actually hear the honey-do list you so lovingly give him) can be permanently gone, not to mention the nose hair. I do recommend that you LOVINGLY and DELICATELY talk to your honey about getting his coiffure in order PRIOR to the company’s Christmas party! After all, guys are as sensitive about their hair as we girls are. They just use fewer products — hair gels, straighteners, hairspray, to name a few. This is the moment when you can educate your man about hair removal. And after you make your own appointment, make him an appointment, too!

So if you, like me, would like to reduce or eliminate the hair issues in your life, then join me on the appointment calendar at my favorite two places for hair reduction and removal: Seasons Medical Aesthetics and It’s Permanent. You can find Seasons Medical Aesthetics & Spa in Ruston at 411 E. Vaughn Ave., Suite 201. You can find Seasons Medical Aesthetics in association with It’s Permanent in Monroe at 1033 N. 6th Street. And to make an appointment or get more information about any of these procedures, contact our Ruston office at 318-255-3223 or in Monroe at 318-340-1778. In the meantime, girls, let’s put our best hair (and hair removed) forward!

Menopause is not a disease

“First do no harm.” This is from the Hippocratic Oath that every physician takes prior to graduating from medical school.

“First do no harm.” Here’s what that means for me: First, work with the body to prevent disease.

Often, we see patients after they already have a disease. At that point, we begin treatment and intervention—which typically involves introducing a drug not normally present in the body. This is why drug companies have to do so much testing to measure the effects/side effects of any new drug. When I prescribe treatment and intervention, I’m always weighing the benefits of a drug versus the risks associated with that drug. Medical training does a great job of helping doctors understand how to treat disease.

But PMS, perimenopause, and menopause and all the symptoms that go along with them aren’t the result of a disease. They are the result of hormone imbalances. Having imbalanced hormones is not the same as having a disease—and doctors should not treat a hormone imbalance as if they are treating disease.

Instead of medicating with synthetic drugs, doctors can seek to rebalance the patient’s hormones.

Bio-identical hormones represent the essence of this approach. (Dr. Dixie Mills has some good thoughts about Bio-identical hormones at Women to Women.) There is no rocket science or voodoo behind Bio-identical hormones as some may suggest. In fact, if you look at the scientific literature, the support is all for Bio-identical hormones. The rest of the world is way ahead of the US on this one.

Then why are so many physicians still focused on the disease model, instead of the health and prevention model? I can’t answer that question. But I can treat my patients differently—using methods supported by scientific literature as being more healthy and effective.

Bio-identical hormones merely represent understanding how the body works and working within the body’s framework. It makes a lot of sense. Patients receive hormones that are structurally and functionally identical to those produced in your body.

Hormone imbalance is not a disease. But doctors can treat the imbalance with Bio-identical hormones to give you better health and help prevent future disease.

Why you should be concerned about estrogen dominance

October is breast cancer awareness month!

Last week, in a post about three ways to help prevent breast cancer, I talked a little bit about estrogen dominance. You’re probably wondering what it is and why it matters.  I’ll do my best to explain this as thoroughly as I can without getting too technical.

What is it?

Estrogen dominance occurs when you stop ovulating. During the first half of a woman’s cycle, estrogen stimulates growth of her uterine lining. Half way through the cycle, ovulation occurs. At this point progesterone production dominates-which limits further estrogen growth.  Without ovulation, progesterone does not balance the estrogen produced in the first half of the cycle. Instead, a woman’s body continues to produce estrogen resulting in estrogen dominance.

When does this occur?

Estrogen dominance can occurs for several reasons.  First is when young teenagers start their periods. They often have irregular periods for the first two to three years because of lack of ovulation. Second is during perimenopause (the transition to menopause). During perimenopause, a woman again stops ovulating and stops producing progesterone to balance estrogen. Finally, estrogen dominance occurs in women who have polycystic ovarian syndrome. This syndrome is a collection of hormonal symptoms that have at their root cause, lack of ovulation and thus estrogen dominance.

Why is this important?

Estrogen dominance during the perimenopause puts women at a greater risk for weight gain and breast cancer. High levels of estrogen can lead to constant stimulation for growth. This means all estrogen is encouraging all cells to grow-normal cells and abnormal cancerous cells in the breast.

What can we do about estrogen dominance?

During perimenopause, the simple addition of bio-identical progesterone can balance the estrogen. This corrects estrogen dominance, helps women lose weight, and reduces the incidence of breast cancer.

(Special thanks to MesserWoland for providing copyright permission of the pink ribbon through Wikipedia.)

What symptoms indicate hormone imbalance?

The symptoms of low estrogen include…

• hot flashes
• night sweats
• vaginal dryness
• urinary frequency
• depressed feeling
• sleeping difficulty
• no interest in sex
• no periods

The symptoms of low testosterone include…

• fatigue
• lack of drive
• lack of initiative
• less assertive
• decline in sense of well being
• general depressed moods
• irritable
• lack of self-confidence
• difficulty in setting goals
• decline in mental sharpness
• no stamina/endurance
• loss of muscle mass, strength, or tone
• increased body fat around waist
• elevated cholesterol
• decreased libido
• decreased sexual ability
• sleep apnea

The symptoms of low thyroid include…

• general fatigue or afternoon fatigue
• elevated cholesterol
• difficulty losing weight
• cold hands and feet
• sensitivity to cold
• difficulty thinking clearly
• difficulty concentrating
• poor short term memory
• depressed moods
• hair loss
• constipation
• dry, itchy skin
• fluid retention
• recurrent headaches
• restless sleep
• tingling or numbness in hands and feet
• decreased sweating
• infertility or recurrent miscarriages
• recurrent infections
• muscles aches
• joint pain
• thinning of eyebrows and eyelashes
• enlargement of tongue and teeth indentations
• decreased body hair
• hoarse voice
• slow heart rate
• low blood pressure
• low body temperature
• sleep apnea

The symptoms of high estrogen/low progesterone include…

• premenstrual breast tenderness
• premenstrual mood swings
• premenstrual fluid retention and/or weight gain
• migraine headaches
• severe menstrual cramps
• heavy periods with clotting
• irregular menstrual cycles
• uterine fibroids
• fibrocystic breasts
• endometriosis
• history of infertility
• history of miscarriages
• joint pain
• muscle pain
• decreased libido
• anxiety and/or panic attacks

What are bioidentical hormones?

One of the most frequent questions we here is: “Hey! What is the difference between bioidentical hormones and synthetic hormones like premarin, prempro, premphase, and provera?”

I’m glad you asked! Synthetic hormones include conjugated equine (that’s horse in English) estrogens and progestins. (My wife is not a horse, and I’m pretty sure you aren’t either!)

The key difference between bioidentical and synthetic hormones is molecular structure. In an effort to fully replicate the function of the hormones produced by your body and to minimize the side effects, the molecular structure of the hormones must be identical to those produced in your body.

Synthetic hormones are similar but not identical. These structural differences lead to metabolism by-products that increase the frequency and intensity of unwanted side effects.

Bioidentical hormones are structurally and chemically identical to the hormones your body produces.

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You may have heard that there are not many studies about bioidentical hormones. Certainly, there have not been as many studies of bioidentical hormones as synthetic hormones. But, here’s why.

Pharmaceutical companies fund research for synthetic hormones through profitable patents and mass production. Bioidentical hormones cannot be patented, and thus there are limited funds for research. There are some European studies of bioidentical hormones, but they are small in number and limited in scope.

Related articles by Zemanta and Seasons

• Bioidentical hormones: What does the scientific evidence say?
• The Bioidentical Hormone Debate (www.postgradmed.com)
• Abstract: Are Bioidentical Hormones (Estradiol, Estriol, and Progesterone) Safer or More Efficacious than Commonly Used Synthetic Versions in Hormone Replacement Therapy? (holtorfmed.com)
• Study: Hormone therapy caused breast cancer for thousands (cnn.com)