Fantasia Salon / Spa and Wig Specialists

We’ve talked about the fact that various medications can cause hair loss.  Many prescription drugs can have dramatic effects regarding hair loss, particularly if nothing is done to counteract this side effect.  And sadly, in many cases, people are not told of this side effect on the front end.

Can we be specific with regard to which medications can cause hair loss?  Yes -  we can.  Here is a list of what the drugs would be taken for as well as the name of the drug.

• Acne - Accutane
• Blood - Anticoagulants - Panwarfin, Sofarin, Coumadin, Heparin
• Cholesterol Lowering - Atronids, Lopid
• Convulsion/Epilepsy - Anticonvulsants - Tridore
• Antidepressants - Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, anafranil, Janimine, Tofranil, adapin, sinequan, Surmontil, Pamelor, Ventyl, Elavin, Endep, Norpramin, Pertofane, Vivactil, Asendin, Haldol
• Diet - Amphetamines
• Fungus - Antifungals
• Glaucoma - Timoptic eye drops, Ocudose, XC
• Gout - Allopurinol
• Heart Beta blockers - Tenormin, Lopresser, Corgard, Inderal
• Hormonal Conditions - Birth control pills, Progesterone, Estrogen, Male Androgenic hormones and all forms of testosterone, anabolic steriods, Prednisone and other steroids.
• Inflammation - Arthritis drugs, NSAIDS such as Naprosyn, Anaprox, Indocin, Clinoril
• Anti-inflammatory drugs such as  - Methotrexatem, Rheumatrex, Folex
• Parkinson’s Disease - Levadopa
• Thyroid disorders - Most all of the drugs prescribed for this
• Ulcers - Both prescription and OTC, Tagamet, Zantac, Pepcid

I would suspect, if you take the time to google it, you may find many more culprits that I have not mentioned.  If you are taking any of these medications and are noticing that your hair is beginning to thin, now you know why.  Perhaps you could consider alternatives to the medications or talk to your doctor about an alternative medication which would not cause hair loss.

Knowledge is power, at least now you know what is contributing to the problem.

Hair loss symptoms are an important indication to determine which kind of hair loss a person is suffering from and whether the hair loss problem is temporary or permanent.  The cause of hair loss is also an important factor behind the symptoms of hair loss.

One of the most common hair loss symptoms visible in women is the loss of the thickness of their hair.  They are usually found complaining that their hairs are no longer as thick as they once were.  There can be various reasons behind their thinning of hair which include hereditary reasons, age related factors, poor diet, stress, side effects of medications and so on. The first step towards solving your problem of thinning hair is to identify the reason behind it.  Consulting a hair expert will go a long way toward solving your problem.

Other common hair loss symptoms that people notice are the loss of a lot of hair while combing or washing hair.  Or, lots of hairs may be seen on clothes.  There is a certain amount of normal hair loss but if clumps of hair start falling out it is a cause for concern and a person needs to contact a professional as soon as possible.  Both cases of thinning hair or hair loss while combing are usually signs of temporary loss which can be treated if one acts in a timely fashion.

Permanent hair loss symptoms include problems like androgenetic alopecia and scarring  alopecia.  In the case of androgenetic alopecia, also known as male pattern baldness, the initial symptoms of hair loss are the loss of hair at the temples and the top of the head..  This kind of hair loss is generally caused due to genetic reasons and could result in partial baldness or even complete baldness.  Androgenetic alopeica in females is also caused by the same reasons but unlike in men, women rarely face the problem of complete baldness.  Usually for women, its the thinning of the hair at the crown, front and sides of the hairline.  They rarely lose hair at the front hairline.

Another hair loss problem which can cause permanent hair loss is called Cicatricial alopecia.  Symptoms are usually patchy hair loss along with itching,  and scars on some parts of the hair.  In the case of permanent hair loss, there is not much a person can do.  doctors usually advise various types of hair transplants as the only way to solve this problem.  If you are looking for a non-invasive solution to the problem, contact us at Fantasia Salon, we can help you identify a solution that will work for you.

An abundance of hair is universally considered alluring in women.  A healthy appearance is advantageous when it comes to finding a partner.  A healthy head of hair is part of a healthy appearance.

Our ancestors sought to procreate with the most healthy possible mate, with a head full of lustrous hair  - or bright eyes and a bushy tail, would have been a fair indication of reproductive viability.  Females with abundant hair tended to be selected as mates and give birth to offspring who went on to develop a similarly healthy appearance.  So,  until the present day hair is still rated by men as a prime factor in sexual attraction.

This is probably why balding in women can have such a catastrophic effect on their self-esteem.  Baldness is more of a social stigma for women than it it for men.  This is why it is rare for a woman to simply accept hair loss and appear in public with her head exposed.  She is far more likely than a man to look for a solution.

These days there are a wealth of products and techniques for the purpose of achieving the desired effect of a healthy head of hair.  For those who lead active lifestyles and are in need of hair replacement, there are wigs that you can sleep and swim in.  Cyberhair is the “invention” that allows this to happen.  Fantasia Salon carries a full inventory of Cyberhair wigs.

If thinning hair is the issue, there are Micro Links which are tied into your own hair and increase the volume by 400%.  Unless you tell them, no one need know they are there.  Again, this allows you to lead an active lifestyle.

Depending on tastes and budget, the solutions are almost limitless.  There are products to disguise the fact that a woman is losing her hair, treatments which inhibit further thinning such as Hair Loss Support, or, nutrients for the hair and scalp.

For the most effective prevention, expert opinion and analysis should be sought at the earliest possible sign of the symptoms of hair loss.  Whatever the ultimate choice of the solution, in today’s modern world a woman’s self-esteem does not need to suffer because of hair loss.

If you or a loved one are in need of a solution for thinning hair or hair loss, one of the Hair Replacement Specialist at Fantasia would love to help you.  Call today for your free consultation.

You are probably aware that diabetes can cause a lot of symptoms. But, are you aware that hair loss is one of them?

Hair loss will normally begin at the onset of diabetes and gradually gets worse as the disease progresses. It is normal to shed some hair daily, but when the shedding rate exceeds the rate of re-growth, you will begin to notice thinning hair or bald patches.

Hair has a growth cycle. A normal hair growth cycle will last for 2-6 years. The growth stage of the cycle is known as the antigen stage. Each hair on your head grows at a rate of approximately one half inch per month. Ninety percent of all the hair on your head is in the growth stage at one time. The other ten percent of your hair is in what is known as the telogen or resting phase. The resting phase will last for 2-3 months and then that hair is shed.

Being a diabetic increases your chance of hair loss. Diabetics are more prone to get skin infections and other fungal infections that can affect the scalp. Stress from the disease can also cause hair loss. Certain medicines that you may be taking for diabetes or other conditions can also cause your hair to fall out.

Getting your diabetes under control should be the first step that you take. Hair loss may stop after your blood sugar is under control and your body is able to function normally. Some hair loss may require medical treatment. For example, if your hair loss is caused by a fungal infection, medication would be needed to get rid of the infection.

One of the solutions offered at Fantasia for thinning hair, is MicroPoint Links. MicroPoint Links increase the volume of your hair by 400% so it would be a great solution for hair loss caused from diabetes or other conditions. It is non-surgical and non-invasive which is really a good benefit for someone who is diabetic.

It is vital that you maintain good blood sugar levels, follow a good diet and exercise. If you do the right things you may be able to stop the hair loss in it’s tracks. Again, if you need a solution for thinning hair, the Hair Replacement Specialists at Fantasia would love to help you find a solution.

According to the experts, here are the main causes of hair loss in women:

• Iron-deficiency or anemia
• Thyroid problems
• Lupus and other diseases which affect connective tissues
• Diseases from reproductive system such as ovarian tumors
• Post-menopausal stage
• Post-partum stage
• Over-stressed conditions and other extreme emotional problems
• General anesthesia (some people develop adverse reactions to this)
• Surgical procedures which damage the scalp
• Eating problems including bulimia and anorexia
• Unhealthy diet (deficiencies in zinc, essential fatty acids as well as other important vitamins and minerals.)
• Malabsorption of essential vitamins and minerals by the body
• Hypervitaminosis A (rare)
• Heredity

Also, according to the experts, there are certain medications which may cause moderate to severe hair loss:

• Anti-inflammatory medications such as Prednisone
• Street drugs such as methamphethamine and cocaine
• Some drugs used to lower blood cholesterol and lipid levels
• Some drugs used for seizure treatments
• Drugs used as blood thinners or anti-coagulant such as Heparin and Warfin.
• High doses of Vitamin A
• Drugs used in chemotherapy for cancer patients
• Medications used to alter moods and treat depression such as Prozac Tri-cyclics Elavin, Lithium, etc.)
  Some drusgs used to normalize blood pressure levels , particularly the B-blockers
• Oral medications particularly those which are high in Progestins
• Some diet pills

If you or a loved on has suffered with hair loss or thinning hair due to any of the above mentioned reasons, one of the Hair Replacement Specialist at Fantasia would love to work with you to find the ideal solution for you. Call us today to schedule your free consultation!

Surprisingly, many people ignore the effect of hair loss when it comes to their work success. For example, consider networking to promote business opportunities. Schmoozing at events, being a social butterfly at parties or passing out business cards is associated with a person’s first impression. At an initial meeting, a bald head or a beautiful full hair style will be a lasting impression associated with a man or a woman.

In women, in particular, hair loss, baldness or thinning hair is not looked at as attractive. Several researchers found that consideration for a job promotion is adversely affected due to today’s social norm that hair is beautiful. Today “old” is taboo and hair loss for females is typically equated with old.

Personal appearance gives a clear message to measure success. Ask yourself, “is what I want to accomplish reflected in the way I look?” A youth and beauty oriented society unfortunately does not look favorably on bald or thinning hair. Have you ever noticed the drug company sales reps? Most are young looking, well dressed and well groomed. The reps reflect the companies products or services. You will rarely find a bald rep representing a major drug comnpany or a thin haired woman talking about her companies drug portfolio.

With your goals outlined, determine what you are willing to work on to gain success. Focus on areas that need updating like clothing, a weight problem or how your hair looks. Make a real effort to look updated and in style to reflect youthfulness and market trends. Reflect a connection to today’s youthful oriented society and if needed, have a minor or major cosmetic redo. Exercise to trim your body, get a hair piece to fill in your hair loss area. Today, use of plastic surgeries and hair transplants is on the rise. There are wonderful non-surgical alternatives for your hair loss issues. A hair style makeover will do wonders for your morale as well as your look.

Exercise, meditate, and relax! Each of these will contribute to less stress and less wrinkles!

A “youth” look is key in today’s business world. Your age may still show the years but making personal appearance changes helps you make your journey in the business world more competitive with those around you. As you make shifts in your personal strategy, you enter the realm of progress, not business as usual.

A sharp personal appearance results in something far more significant than just being hired or promoted. It’s all about a more youthful and vibrant “you”!

We know there are various reasons for thinning hair and we’ve talked about lots of them from illness and medications (chemotherapy) to genetics, inheriting your hair loss from a parent. Often hair thins because it is fine-textured to begin with, or because too many harsh chemicals have been used on it so it breaks easily. Here are some hair-care tips to help protect hair, prevent further hair loss and add volume to your existing hair.

Coloring. If your hair loss is heredity, you very likely have healthy hair overall. Therefore, your hair can benefit from permanent or semi-permanent color to give body and volume to hair. Medications can weaken harm causing it to break or fall out. Semi-permanent color is good in this case because it does not contain ammonia or peroxide. It will not damage hair but will give it body and volume.

If your hair is fine-textured, semi-permanent or permanent color is fine, as long as it is professionally applied. Colored hair can easily get over-processed, which damages it causing further hair loss.

Use volumizing products. We talked about this one before. Many over the counter volume-building products contain paraffin, which is beeswax. Beeswax is not good for the hair because it can build up and make the hair break.

However, volumizing products sold in salons can help. They won’t weigh hair down, and they won’t damage it. Mousse, for example, can be applied a the root area for support. Then, begin, blow-drying the root area, applying tension with a brush to build volume. Use a light finishing spray to hold it.

Shampoo and condition your hair when dirty. To protect your hair, the best practice is to shampoo only when the hair is dirty. Because fine hair gets dirty faster, people with fine-textured hair need to shampoo more frequently - even though fine hair breaks more easily. For that reason, fine-textured hair benefits from a good shampoo and volume-building conditioner.

Find a style that suits fine hair. Blow dryers should not be a problem even if your hair is fine. However be careful about putting high heat directly onto hair. Flat irons and curling irons can cause damage and breakage. Because they contain very strong chemicals, curl-relaxing products are a no-no for fine hair.

Perms. Perms can help give volume to fine-textured hair. But the hair must be healthy- not dry or brittle. Only a gentle body-wave is advised because tighter waves can damage the hair. Because the chemicals in perms are harsh, it should only be used as a last resort for fine-haired people. Make sure you have a professional hair stylist give you a perm so that your hair does not get damaged.

It is possible to add volume to your existing hair by trying some of these things. Find a good stylist to help you with this so you can flaunt your thin hair!

Have you ever wondered who to thank for your thinning hair or hair loss? Well, if you are male, you can thank your forefathers. Our genes carry the outline of our lives and these dictate the kind of physical and mental attributes we might have as we grow.

On the other hand, there are outside factors that contribute to men’s hair loss which may not be included in the genetics. Just because there are those males in your family tree that have receding hairlines is not a guarantee that you will as well. A lot of it will depend on the strength of your hair genes.

Stress plays a huge part in some men with regard to losing their hair. Those who are stressed out tend to be dismissive of their health and they may lack the necessary nutrients to keep up their locks. In male and female hair loss, severe stress can be a key component.

As you well know, there are other health conditions which can contribute to permanent and temporary hair loss. There are conditions which affect our hormones. Women typically suffer more from hair loss due to menopause factors.

Of course we know about temporary hair loss from chemotherapy and other medical issues and medications. Unfortunately, most people are not told when prescribed blood pressure medication, for example, that one of the side effects is hair loss. Only after the problem arises and they go back to the list of side effects or, back to the doctor only to find that yes, hair loss is one of the side effects. And, even then, they sometimes hear, oh well, hair loss is not as bad for you as high blood pressure. Maybe so, but could there be some alternatives for dealing with the high blood pressure which would not cause hair loss? Yes, there are natural alternatives available.

Unfortunately, some hair loss is permanent. At Fantasia, we have wonderful solutions for that. If you or a loved one are seeking a solution, please call so one of our hair loss specialist can help you find the best solution for you.

Obviously hair loss is unpleasant, for anyone, male or female. We focus on female hair loss because we are confronted with it daily but we also deal with men’s hair loss at Fantasia. We have Hair Replacement Specialist who deal with both male and female hair loss.

With men, typically the hair at the temples begins to recede and the crown area begins to thin. Eventually, a horse shoe pattern around the sides of the head appears.

Moderate to extensive hair loss occurs, particularly on the crown of the head. Along with that, the hairline begins to recede. Approximately 95% of hair loss in men is attributed to androgenic alopecia, also known as male pattern baldness. There are three factors contributing to this condition: the male hormone testosterone; heredity; and age.

With men, there is generally a progression to their hair loss: the hair becomes thinner, does not grow very long and the bald spot at the crown widens.

Finally, the thinning crown and the receding points may meet, forming the horse shoe pattern mentioned above, with hair growing only around the sides of the head.

Men’s hair loss can begin as early as age 20 and becomes more noticable from the ages of 35-40. For some men, they take it in stride. Others are very self-consious and probably need to do something about their hair loss as it affects their quality of life.

There are non-surgical options hair replacement options for men as well as the women. MicroPoint links are popular with both male and female because they allow people to go on living life as normal. Hair Support System is also important to condition the scalp and take care of the hair you have. Integrations are another option popular with the men.

If you or a loved one have hair loss or thinning hair, talk to a Hair Replacement Specialist at Fantasia and find out more about your options. I’ve read about something refered to as the Northwood Scale; which allows you to map out the various stages of male pattern baldness. There are eight stages, the eighth is the last and the most severe.

So men, you have a decision to make. Will you keep everything as is is or will you call to find out about your options? If self confidence is an issue, just know that there are good solutions for you.

Most of the time, we take very little notice of our hair and nails. Except maybe during adolescence when we are trying to “find” our-self, our style, etc. As long as things are normal for us, we just don’t really notice.

Pretty much, on this website we focus on hair loss and thinning hair for women (as well as men and children.) Today we will take a look at the opposite side of the spectrum.

Have you ever heard of hirsutism? This is the term for the growth of coarse hair on women but - in a male pattern. In women, there is a wide variation of normal hairiness. For instance, some hairs on the upper lip, around the nipples and on the lower legs are common enough to be normal. Particularly this is true after menopause. On the other hand, a heavy beard or growth on the chest is clearly abnormal. There is no easily identifiable point to distinguish between what is normal and what is abnormal.

The problem is made even more difficult by the consideration variation between different racial groups. Many Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean women have dark hair on their face and limbs. Typically this is not the case with North American women.

If you have concerns about excessive hairiness, you have to decide whether on not to consult your doctor. The huge majority of excessively hairy women have no underlying “disease.” It’s just a part of their development and may run in their family history. If, on the other hand, the hirsutism comes on very suddenly, your doctor might want to do some blood test. You must decide if you wish to have treatment for your excess hair growth.

What are some common treatments? Shaving would be one. Today there are shavers marketed especially for women so it’s become a more accepted practice. Waxing is a great way to go especially for large areas of the body such as the legs. It is a great salon treatment and should be done every couple of months. The hair is removed by the root and possibly for a few individuals it could eventually be permanent. However, waxing can be painful but many feel the end result is worth the pain. Bleaching hairs makes them less obvious and this is a method of choice by many women.

There are creams that loosen hair, thus enabling it to be pulled out. You should know however, these creams can irritate the skin, are very foul smelling, and are quite frankly, very toxic! It is for these reasons that these creams are not widely used.

Electrolysis is also somewhat popular but is expensive. A fine needle is pushed down the side of the hair shaft and a tiny electric current is passed which is converted to heat and destroys the root. Very few hairs regrow. Electrolysis treatments are painful and most people can only tolerate a fifteen minute session. In that amount of time, between 50 and 100 hairs can be treated.

As with many other conditions, there are drugs which will reduce hair growth. However, the treatments will go on indefinitely and there are side effects so this is one condition you will probably want to deal with in a more “natural” fashion, as discussed above.