MANAGING HAIR LOSS
Why am I losing my hair?
While old age, poor nutrition, bad hair care techniques, medical disorder, medication and severe stress such as anxiety or prolonged illness are known to cause hair loss, the most common cause is hereditary hair loss.

What is hereditary hair loss?
Hereditary hair loss happens when genes and hormones in the body have a shrinking effect on the hair follicles, making them ineffective at growing new hair.

How can I treat hair loss?
There are two clinically proven hair loss treatments; minoxidil (spray) and finasteride (tablet). These medicines are used mainly for treating hereditary hair loss.

To prevent excessive hair loss:
   •  Avoid the use of oily hair products that can cause folliculitis
   •  Avoid hair styles such as tight braids that pull on the hair
   •  Eat a well-balanced diet

MANAGING DANDRUFF
What is dandruff?
Dandruff is a long-term scalp condition characterized by excessive peeling of scalp tissue. The cause is unknown but it may be linked to a fungal infection of the scalp. In patients with dandruff, the scalp turnover rate is about twice that of normal people.

Can I be cured of dandruff?
Although dandruff cannot be treated, it can be controlled. Dandruff is a non-inflammatory disorder with relatively fine scaling and non-prescription products are appropriate treatment to control the condition.

What can I use to control dandruff?
The medicines used to control dandruff include selenium sulphide, zinc pyrithione, coal tar, ketoconazole, ciclopirox shampoos and steroid lotion.
Selenium sulphide, zinc pyrithione and coal tar shampoos reduce the scalp turnover rate in dandruff patients. Massage the shampoo into the scalp and leave on for 5 – 10 minutes before washing it off. The treatment can be done twice weekly.

Note: Selenium sulphide may cause residual odour and oily scalp while coal tar may stain hair.

Ketoconazole and ciclopirox are antifungal shampoos which arrest the fungal growth in dandruff. They are to be massaged into the scalp and left on for 5 – 10 minutes before washing off and used twice weekly as well. These shampoos are available for purchase at pharmacies. A steroid lotion may be necessary if there is accompanying redness and itchiness. However, as dandruff is usually non-inflammatory, referral to a medical practitioner may be necessary when redness of scalp is observed.