|
Articles About the Kevis
Hair Rejuvenation Program
Following are some selected articles in magazines,
newspapers, periodicals, and on the Internet about Kevis Hair
Rejuvenation products.
Kevis Physician's Formula
An Adjunctive Hair Maintenance Option
By Joseph Greco, PhD, PAC, Venice, Florida
The following article is reprinted from the
March-April 1996 issue of
Hair Transplant Forum International.
While attending the first international meeting of
the Italian Hair Restoration Society in Rome last year, I was
introduced to an Italian hair product called Kevis. After
discussions with European dermatologists, I was surprised to learn
that it had been on the European market for eight years and exceeded
$300 million dollars in sales there in 1994. It is produced by
Farmaka S.r.L. of Grandate, Italy, and is marketed as a product that
"retards hair loss." Farmaka has a European and a U.S. patent
for a DHT-blocker that is included in the Kevis P.F. formula.
According to clinical studies, Kevis lotion is
composed of mucopolysaccharides and glycoproteins, associated with
substances that favor their bioavailability. Kevis Physician's
Formula (P.F.) contains HUCP (hyaluronic acid), glycoproteins and
amino acids that have hydrating and anti-inflammatory action;
thioglycoran -- natural mucopolysaccharide acids; thurfyl
nicotinate -- a cutaneous vasodilator; sodium pantothenate;
and biotin.
There are numerous European studies evaluating the
product. One study by Privat in France reported that "Kevis
location can be considered to have an anti-falling-out [effect], and
in certain cases, regrowth in the course of its use with subjects
showing androgenetic alopecia."
It appears Kevis has good tolerability, and the
side-effect profile is very low, with some minor complaints of mild
erythema and puritis. In fact, one study that included 50
post-partum females concludes that "Kevis positively influences the
post-partum telogen effluvium trend." And in Europe, more than
60 percent of Kevis sales are to women.
My understanding is that Kevis P.F. is now available
in the United States without a prescription from dispensing
physicians only. We became interested in this product as an
adjunctive treatment option in our clinics. Although most of
our patients want hair restoration surgery, all of our patients want
to maintain the hair they have. I also found this product to
be a treatment option for those individuals who were not ready for
surgery. And it is a way to remain in contact with the patient
and simultaneously provide them with another viable hair maintenance
program.
In addition, the Kevis shampoo reportedly acts
synergistically by forming a polymer sheath on the hair's structure,
resulting in a smoother, thicker hair shaft. We include a
complimentary bottle with each hair transplant for our patients.
Finally, this product is obviously not a substitute
for natural hair replacement surgery, but it has been an adjunctive
hair maintenance option that our patients appreciate.
References
1. Privat, Y. A Double-blind, placebo-controlled
study with Kevis lotion. Trends in Human Hair Growth and
Alopecia Research, edited by D. Van Neste, J.M. Lachapelle and J.L.
Antoine, 1989, pp. 231-245, Kluwer Academic Publishers.
2. Dallera, F., et. al. Double-blind study versus
placebo in the treatment of post-partum telogen effluvium. La
Medicina Estetica, Year 12, No. 3, 1988, pp. 127-129.
Repo Mane
A Man's Guide to Cutting His Hair
Loss
By Lee Frank
I heard about minoxidil, the only stuff approved by
the Food and Drug Administration to fight hair loss, way back when
it was just a blood pressure medication. Once a month I would
turn my kitchen into a clandestine laboratory. Using a mortar
and pestle, I crushed the tablets and added propylene glycol,
distilled water, and isopropyl alcohol. I shook it and
filtered it through a huge funnel. Then I applied it to my
hair and scalp two times a day, hoping to be rewarded with a
beautiful head of hair. It didn't work. After months of
treatment, my hair was as thin as ever. As you've probably
figured out, I don't want to lose my hair. No guy does.
Well, that's not entirely true; completely
shaved is in right now and that's always an option, particularly if
you play for the NBA. But you may want to explore some other
choices before you start lathering up your scalp. But even the
alternatives can be overwhelming. The race is on like never
before to sell you sprays, lotions, creams, injections, diets,
drugs, weaves, hairpieces, transplants, and surgeries that promise
everything from halting hair loss to regrowing a full mane.
Well, listen up: Most of it's snake oil, but there are some
legitimate ways to help save your hair.
You've got two types of hair loss to worry about --
genetically programmed male pattern baldness, and sudden loss caused
by non-genetic forces. The horseshoe-shaped crown that
characterizes male pattern baldness is the type that makes 35
million American men shudder most. "Genes for hair color,
texture, and loss are inherited," says David Orentreich, MD, a
dermatologist at the Orentreich Medical Group in New York City.
When the right genes are present, he says, dihydrotestosterone
(DHT), a male hormone converted from testosterone, can trigger a
shutdown of the hair manufacturing process. The follicles will
remain, but they won't produce hair.
Derailing one of Mother Nature's plans takes a lot more than a
can of powdery spray paint.
Grow No Hair Fast! Except for castration (at
least as this goes to press), I've tried almost everything else.
Here's what happened:
Hair In A Can: Before a date, I spray
some on my thinning hair. Then I foolishly choose a restaurant
where the lights are so bright you could land a 747. I feel
like a total fraud. I'm afraid if things really go well, my
date will end up kissing me and stroking my hair -- and asking me
why her hands look as if she's been gardening. Fortunately,
things don't go that well.
Polysorbate: I rub this oily gunk in my
hair. It's an ingredient in some salad dressings, and my hair
does develop the texture of a Caesar salad. Months go by with
no new hair. I may as well be rubbing pepper onto my head.
Cayenne Pepper: So I do, as recommended in
the book Life Extension (Warner Books). I grab some from my
seldom used spice rack. The pepper is old and clumped, but I
figure it can't be that bad for my hair. So I pour it on and
rub it in. Standing there with pepper on my head, I wonder why
the pepper would get chunky. I check the container again and
realize the clumps are mealworms. I then do the best imitation
of Carl Lewis sprinting to the shower. There's no scientific
evidence that cayenne pepper nourishes hair, but I can vouch that it
nourishes mealworms.
Option One: Medicines and Miracle Cures
According to Duke University researchers, castration
is one thing that's 100 percent effective in stopping male pattern
baldness. We'll assume that isn't an option for you.
Otherwise, there's minoxidil. Upjohn's Rogaine, with a 2
percent minoxidil solution, is the only product on the market that
contains the drug. According to Arnold Klein, an associate
professor of dermatology at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles and a
member of the Men's Fitness Advisory Board, Rogaine does work, but
it's difficult to tell exactly how well.
"Less than one-third of men who use Rogaine have
significant hair growth, but the exact figures really depend on who
did the study and how they define significant hair growth," he says.
"It does grow hair, there is no question... but it may be less than
10 percent who see meaningful results. If it worked great for
everybody, the whole world would be using it." Klein adds that
the success rate of minoxidil rises when it's used with Retin-A.
This is not yet an approved combination, however.
Since there's a huge demand for hair-restoring
solutions, other big drug companies are doing extensive research,
too. Some possible cures have turned up, but they have some
brutal side effects, including breast growth and impotence.
The following treatments offer the most hope, even
if they're years away from FDA approval:
Cyoctol: Pharmaceutical company Squibb
is still in the preliminary research stages of this compound.
The drug binds to the hair follicle and protects it from the effects
of DHT.
Diazoxide: A drug used to treat
hyperglycemia (abnormally high blood sugar); when taken
orally, it causes hair to grow all over the body. Full FDA
trials are currently underway.
Tricomin: A possible cure being tested
in France by ProCyte, a biopharmaceutical company. It triggers
the body's tissue repair mechanism, and ProCyte researchers hope to
transfer the benefits to hair.
Werewolves: Researchers at Houston's
Baylor College of Medicine report that they are close to isolating
the gene responsible for hypertrichosis, a rare disease (only about
50 cases have been reported since the Middle Ages) that causes
excessive hair growth. Some believe that this is where
werewolf stories originated. The researchers hope discovery of
the gene will lead to a better understanding of what causes
baldness, as well as new treatments.
Regarding the rest, don't be hypnotized by
advertising hype, and don't consider buying that secret formula with
the money-back guarantee. These companies know that a very
small percentage of customers ever bother to request a refund.
And even if you do, who knows if they'll still be around? Here
are some of the latest crazes and why they don't work.
Nutritional Supplements: Biotin,
vitamin C, inositol, PABA and L-cysteine are rumored to reverse male
pattern baldness. However, Orentreich says, a poor diet has
nothing to do with it. In fact, baldness rates are nearly the
same in affluent countries as they are in poor ones.
Polysorbate: A big-selling
over-the-counter hair restorer that doesn't work. The two
cancer researchers at the University of Helsinki, Finland, who
developed it insist they never claimed it was a baldness cure.
Circulation Enhancers: Ecrinal,
Folicure, Foltene, Nutriol, Vivagen, and Viprostol are designed to
increase blood flow to the scalp, promoting hair growth.
They're not harmful, but increasing blood flow hasn't been proven to
stop what's biologically programmed to happen.
Option Two: Covering Up
Hair weaving, one of the few options that doesn't
involve drugs or surgery, has been around for a long time.
Black subcultures have done it for hundreds of years, says Sy
Spalding, president and client of the Hair Club for Men, one of the
first to specialize in men's hair weaving. Now the technique
is one of the most popular options for balding men. A nylon
mesh is attached to the scalp, and the hair that remains on the
sides of the head is woven into it. New hair is added by
weaving it into the mesh, giving the illusion that the hair is
growing from your scalp. Because the hair on the sides
continues to grow, monthly adjustment is necessary. The
average weave lasts a year and a half. The cost is around
$2,000, and adjustments cost $65 per visit.
Bonding: A polymer glue is used to attach
artificial hair to your remaining strands (you must have some left),
and monthly adjustment is necessary as it grows. Average cost:
$600 to $1,000 a year.
Hair Additions: These used to be called
toupees, and a good one can actually look natural. The attach
to the scalp with double-sided tape or surgical adhesive. More
permanent attachment solutions include stainless steel sutures, or
removing skin from behind your ears and grafting it onto your scalp
to form small loops onto which you hook the addition. Off-the
shelf models cost up to $700, while custom additions can run $2,000.
Another solution, the wig, is essential if you want to pursue a
career in English common law, but not very practical if you have an
active lifestyle.
Hair-In-A-Can: Called GLH (Great
Looking Hair), it's a powdery spray that you can use to cover up a
bald spot. However, it looks and feels more like powdery
buildup than hair. Price: $4.
Option three: Surgery
Hair transplantation is the simplest and most
popular surgical method of hair restoration. A small circle of
hair-bearing skin, about one sixteenth of an inch in diameter, is
taken from the patient's hair-growing scalp and then grafted onto a
similar-size bald area. Minigrafts of three to six hairs and
micrografts of one to two hairs are also available to make the
hairline look more natural. It takes a few months to complete
the procedure. Average cost: $15 to $150 per graft, $250 to
$2,500.
The following are some other surgical options.
Scalp reduction: A surgeon removes a portion
of the bald area of the scalp, then stretches the hair-bearing scalp
so that it can be sutured closed. Not everyone has an elastic
scalp, though, so this procedure doesn't work for some men.
The downside is that hair on each side of the incision tends to grow
in a different direction, which exposes the central scar.
Extra styling is needed to make the hair look natural. Average
cost: $1,800 to $2,800.
Flaps: The most extensive -- and expensive
-- surgical procedure. Banana-shaped flaps are incised along
the sides of the scalp but left attached just in front of the ears.
The flaps are rotated to cover the area on top of the head where
balding skin has been removed, then grafted into place. The
hair from the flaps will grow in a different direction from your
original hairline. Again, your new hair will require a lot of
styling. Average cost: $10,000 to $18,000.
If you're interested in any of these remedies,
choose carefully. The American Medical Association can provide
a list of board-certified dermatologists, as well as general and
plastic surgeons who specialize in hair restoration. When
narrowing your choice of doctors, look at before-and-after
photographs of previous patients and, if possible, talk to them
about their experiences.
Preventing fallout: Hair loss not
caused by male pattern baldness is often temporary and preventable.
Certain antibiotics and anticonvulsants, beta-blockers, cocaine,
anabolic steroids, prolonged high fever, tranquilizers, stress,
surgery, and constant hair pulling (traction alopecia) can all cause
short-term hair loss. But once you recover, finish your
prescription or stop using steroids or cocaine, your hair will grow
back.
A man with a normal, healthy head of hair will lose
from 75 to 100 hairs daily. That number can rise if you're not
careful. Think about it: Losing a dozen extra hairs a
day over the course of a lifetime can uncover a lot of scalp.
Here are a few precautions:
If your hair is brittle and breaks easily, use a
shampoo without alcohol, which dries and damages hair. Use a
conditioner after shampooing. It makes your hair easier to
comb through and, therefore, less likely to be ripped out. Use
wide-tooth combs. Stiff nylon brushes and fine tooth combs can
rip out hair, especially if it's curly or wet. Hold your hair
dryer more than six inches from your head and keep it moving to
avoid heat damage.
A New York City resident, author and comedian Lee
Frank has written for MTV, Playboy and Men's
Fitness Magazine and will be sharing his informative humor with
ViewZone. Thinning writer Lee Frank has found that the
best way to save his hair is in a shoe box!
Update:
Kevis, Ecrinal, Folicure, Foltene, Nutriol,
Vivagen: All these products are based on two principles,
increasing blood circulation with niacin, in the form of nicotinate,
an irritant. The products contain mucopolysaccarides which,
according to the scuttlebutt, is the next big thing in hair
nutrition. Additionally, Kevis contains HUCP, a compound
cloned from actual human umbilical cords.
"Twenty five years ago, I used to go to a Park
Avenue doctor and get female hormones shot into my head," says Brian
Reichenberg, general manager of Kevis of Beverly Hills. "I
quit when I found out I might grow breasts." According to
Reichenberg, his product has received a U.S. patent for blocking the
male hormone responsible for balding. Reichenberg points out
that in Italy, Kevis is already sold in pharmacies as a baldness
cure.
I try Kevis and have tremendous results. I
can't tell if I am growing new hair, but the hair I already have
appears thicker, fuller, and healthier. I'm not the only one
who thinks this: a New York hair specialist who prescribed a
Rogaine and Retin-A mixture I tried sees my photo in a magazine and
accuses me of wearing a hairpiece!
Study Discovers Castration Cures Male Pattern
Baldness
By Mary Sirota
Calif. Press Bureau Staff Writer
Beverly Hills Today
Researchers at Duke University discovered that castration at age
16 will cure male pattern baldness. But while castration may
be a cure, it is not commercially acceptable.
High quantities of a mutant form of the male sex hormone (DHT)
build up in areas of the scalp where hair loss appears. The
culprit: DHT, which researchers describe as "testosterone times
ten." Men and women who are follically impaired have been
found to have a larger number of DHT receptor sites in their hair
follicles than those who retain their hair.
Each hair follicle produces hair in phases. There is a
growing phase which lasts for 2-6 years, and a resting phase which
lasts for about 3 months. The hair is then shed and the
follicle begins pushing a new hair to the surface.
DHT appears to cause follicles to enter their resting phase
faster and excessive hair loss ensues. Each successive
growing/shedding cycle results in the production of finer and finer
(less thick) hairs being produced by the affected follicles.
Once DHT binds to large numbers of hair follicles of the scalp, the
follicles are gradually shut down and eventually become dormant.
The United States patent office has recently granted a U.S.
patent (#5,340,579) to the Kevis Hair improvement program.
Imported from Italy, the Kevis of Beverly Hills hair program
contains HUCP, which is found in human sperm. Just like sperm
penetrates the egg, Kevis penetrates into the hair follicle and
seals the receptors, thus blocking the activity of DHT.
Brian Reichenberg, general manager Kevis of Beverly Hills, says
"Kevis is like a condom for hair follicles; it protects the
receptors in the hair follicle from the male hormones. This
way you can practice safe hair..."
Reichenberg says, "My grandfather, father, and younger brother
went prematurely bald. I was headed for the Yul Brenner/Kojak
look, too. But after using the Kevis of Beverly Hills hair
program, I have a sexy, full head of hair without using plugs, rugs,
drugs, or spray-on hair products."
More Kevis information can be found on the pages
below:
About Hair Loss
Articles on Kevis Hair
Rejuvenation
Testimonials from
Clients
Great News For Women!
U.S. Patent
Clinical Research for
Physicians
The NaturoDoc Hair Comeback Program
|
