Shedding Hair
Shedding is a natural process for all living things. People and animals physically shed hair and skin. People trying (successfully) to lose weight shed pounds. Those hoping to make life changes shed unwanted aspects of their lives, such as unnecessary personal belongings, bad influences, or relationships with other people. Shedding, whether physical, emotional, or otherwise, is essentially a process in which you get rid of something that has served its purpose and is no longer useful to you.
When it comes to your hair, shedding naturally occurs at the end of the hair follicle growth cycle. Hairs on your head go through this cycle and naturally fall out, or shed, to make room for new hair. All people shed their hair, even those who are not experiencing male pattern baldness or female pattern baldness. However, shedding can still be alarming or frustrating, especially if the hair you shed does not grow back.
Baldness is caused by hair follicles that do not produce new hair after old hair is shed. However, according to MedicinePlus, the hair follicle remains alive, even when it stops producing hair. In other words, it is possible for an inactive hair follicle to produce hair again, even after baldness.
Enter FDA-approved hair regrowth treatment Avacor Physician's Formulation®, which is clinically proven to revitalize hair follicles in as little as two months. Once a hair follicle is revitalized, it can begin naturally producing hair again.
However, you still might experience shedding when you begin using Avacor Physician's Formulation. Do not be alarmed, as shedding is quite common, especially at the beginning of treatment. In fact, shedding after you start to use the product is a positive sign that the product is beginning to work.
The reason? At the beginning of the hair follicle growth cycle, new hairs need room to grow, so they push dead hairs out of the way as they sprout upwards. However, older hairs can still remain on your head if new ones do not begin to grow. The older hair might not naturally shed, and is not pushed out by new hair, because the hair growth cycle is essentially paused. When you revitalize the hair follicle using Avacor Physician's Formulation, the growth cycle resumes, shedding all dead hairs that have not yet fallen off on their own. If you notice shedding at the beginning of your treatment, just continue to use the product as directed.
You might also notice occasional shedding throughout your treatment. This is because shedding happens naturally, to everyone. Shedding is, in fact, a sign that hair follicles are actively eliminating old hairs as they produce new ones. Do not be concerned with the shedding; instead, pay attention to whether your hair follicles are producing new hairs to replace the ones that have been shed.
Lastly, it is important to be patient, especially at the beginning of treatment. Avacor Physician's Formulation is clinically proven to revitalize hair growth, but growing a full head of hair takes time. You will not wake up the next morning with a full head of hair, but if you stay the course and use the product as directed, you will be rewarded with rejuvenated hair follicles, and natural, new hair on your head.
Update on Brazilian Hair Straightening – Members of Congress Urge FDA Action
An Associated Press article1 published today on numerous news sites is further raising public awareness about the potential problems with formaldehyde (methylene glycol) in keratin hair smoothing treatments.
Many government agencies in the U.S. and abroad have received adverse event reports from consumers about health issues with these products, notably including hair loss.2,3
Just two days ago, an Oregon woman who broke out in boils and lost her hair after receiving a Brazilian Blowout treatment filed a lawsuit against both the product's manufacturer and the owner of the salon where the treatment was performed.4
In response to these reports, several Members of Congress have signed a letter5 to the Commissioner of Food and Drugs expressing their concern about the safety of workers and consumers.
Citing reports to the FDA of “adverse reactions and injuries (including hair loss...),” the letter urged the administration to regulate the formaldehyde content and labeling of keratin hair treatments and to take action against manufacturers who misbrand their products as “Formaldehyde Free.”
The article quotes the letter's author, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., as saying: “It came to my attention that people were getting very sick, that there was hair fall, there were respiratory issues, there were all kinds of problems with Brazilian Blowout.”
The FDA is currently “still evaluating the data” on methylene glycol-containing hair straightening products.
Despite formaldehyde being classified as a known carcinogen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,6 an FDA spokeswoman told the article’s author:
“The use of formaldehyde in hair straighteners is not prohibited, and there are no limits on the level in our regulations.”
Keep checking back here on the Avacor® Hair Regrowth Blog for follow-up on the reports of hair loss, updates on the FDA's response, and any actions the administration takes to regulate formaldehyde exposure from keratin-based hair straightening products.
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1. “Call for Regulation of Hair-Smoothing Products.” Associated Press, via NY Times website. July 8, 2011. (Accessed July 8, 2011)
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/07/08/business/AP-US-Brazilian-Blowout.html
2. “Several Professional Hair Smoothing Solutions Contain Excess Levels of Formaldehyde.” Health Canada. April 12, 2011. (Accessed July 8, 2011)
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/_2011/2011_56-eng.php
3. “‘Keratin-Based’ Hair Smoothing Products and the Presence of Formaldehyde.” Oregon OSHA and CROET/OHSU. October 29, 2010. (Accessed July 8, 2011)
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/_2011/2011_56-eng.php
4. Terry, Lynne. “Bend woman files lawsuit against manufacturer of Brazilian Blowout.” The Oregonian. July 6, 2011. (Accessed July 8, 2011)
http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2011/07/bend_woman_files_lawsuit_again.html
5. Reps. Jan Schakowsky, Ed Markey, Tammy Baldwin, Earl Blumenauer, John Conyers, Nita Lowey, Jim Moran, Barbara Lee, Judy Chu, Ted Deutch. “Letter to FDA on Dangerous Chemicals in Brazilian Blowout Hair Treatments.” May 6, 2011. (Accessed July 8, 2011)
http://schakowsky.house.gov/images/stories/Letter_to_FDA_on_Dangerous_Chemicals_in_Brazilian_Blowout_Hair_Treatments.pdf
6. “Formaldehyde - Substance Profile” from the 12th Report on Carcinogens, National Toxicology Program, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. June 10, 2011.
http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/roc/twelfth/profiles/Formaldehyde.pdf
Welcome to Avacor’s new blog!
Hello everyone! It's a great day for those of you who are experiencing hair loss and looking for more information! We at Avacor are launching this blog to provide you with all the latest scientific news on hair regrowth and the various treatments available to you today.
Our goal is to serve as your trusted resource for understanding the causes of hair loss and learning about your options for taking control of your hair in the future. Even if you are using another treatment for regrowing your hair, we invite you to visit this blog regularly and participate in the learning process.
We know how dense and confusing scientific and medical literature can be. We are here to make information more accessible and help you find answers to any questions you might have.
Furthermore, we are excited to announce the formation of the Avacor® Medical Advisory Board. This group of distinguished physicians, scientists, and advocates will help make sure you receive the best quality information and understand the benefits and limitations of currently available treatment options.
So stay tuned for more information and feel free to contact us any time!
