BACKGROUND: The development of a safe and convenient agent that can promote hair growth in patients with androgenetic alopecia remains challenging. OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate the efficacy of a newly developed hair tonic containing a human umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cell (hUCB-MSC)-derived conditioned medium in promoting hair growth. METHODS: This double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study investigated the efficacy of a hair tonic containing an hUCB-MSC-derived conditioned medium in 30 patients with patterned hair loss. Treatment efficacy was determined using phototrichograms to evaluate the density, diameter, and hair growth rate at baseline levels and after 4, 8, and 16 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: The hair density in the group treated with the hair tonic significantly increased from 125.2 to 134.6 hairs/cm2 (p<0.05). In this same group, the thickness of hair also increased from 0.083 to 0.110 mm (p<0.05). Additionally, the hair growth rate increased from 0.285 to 0.338 mm/day (p<0.05). No severe adverse reactions were reported. CONCLUSION: A hair tonic containing an hUCB-MSC-derived conditioned medium could be a new effective alternative to treat patients with androgenetic alopecia.
Alopecia ; Clinical Study ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; Fetal Blood ; Hair Preparations ; Hair ; Humans ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; Treatment Outcome ; Umbilical Cord

BACKGROUND: Cosmetics are one of the common causes of contact dermatitis and many new cosmetic products are being introduced rapidly into our market. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to investigate the as is patch test result by several factors including age, cosmetic product and atopic diseases, and to compare as is patch result with those of standard and cosmetic patch tests. METHODS: The records of 240 patients were reviewed who had been patch tested with their own cosmetics and toiletries with a clinical impression of cosmetic contact dermatitis at the patch clinic of Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital in the period of 1991-1995. RESULTS: Of the 95 patients who were tested with European standard series 54 (56.8%) showed a positive reaction and nickel sulfate was the most common allergen. Eighteen (38.3%) of the 47 patients tested with a cosmetic series revealed a positive reaction and imidazolidinyl urea and dodecyl gallate were the most common allergens. In as is patch test, 99 (41.3%) of the 240 patients showed a positive reaction to 248 (7.3%) of the 3403 cosmetics. Common cosmetic products showing positive reactions were skin care products (26.2%), face make-ups (19.8%), and hair preparations (16.9%). There was no statistically significant difference in the positive reaction rate between atopy and non-atopy patients. The positive correlation rate of as is test with standard and cosmetic series was relatively low. CONCLUSION: Commercial standard patch test series including cosmetic series are not enough to detect causative allergen in cosmetic contact dermatitis. As is patch test should be encouraged to detect new allergens, because many cosmetic ingredients are developed and introduced in market.
Allergens ; Dermatitis, Contact* ; Hair Preparations ; Humans ; Nickel ; Patch Tests* ; Skin Care ; Urea

OBJECTIVES: Hairdressers in Korea perform various tasks and are exposed to health risk factors such as chemical substances or prolonged duration of wet work. The objective of this study is to provide descriptive statistics on the demographics and work characteristics of hairdressers in Korea and to identify work-related risk factors for dermatologic symptoms in hairdressers. METHODS: 1,054 hairdressers were selected and analyzed for this study. Independent variables were exposure to chemical substances, the training status of the hairdressers, and the main tasks required of them, and the dependent variable was the incidence of dermatologic symptoms. The relationships between work characteristics and dermatologic symptoms were evaluated by estimating odds ratios using multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Among the 1,054 study subjects, 212 hairdressers (20.1%) complained of dermatologic symptoms, and the symptoms were more prevalent in younger, unmarried or highly educated hairdressers. The main tasks that comprise the majority of the wet work were strictly determined by training status, since 96.5% of staff hairdressers identified washing as their main task, while only 1.5% and 2.0% of master and designer hairdressers, respectively, identified this as their main task. Multiple logistic regressions was performed to estimate odds ratios. While exposure to hairdressing chemicals showed no significant effect on the odds ratio for the incidence of dermatologic symptoms, higher odds ratios of dermatologic symptoms were shown in staff hairdressers (2.70, 95% CI: 1.32 - 5.51) and in hairdressers who perform washing as their main task (2.03, 95% CI: 1.22 - 3.37), after adjusting for general and work characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the training status and main tasks of hairdressers are closely related to each other and that the training status and main tasks of hairdressers are related to the incidence of dermatologic symptoms. This suggests that in the future, regulations on working conditions and health management guidelines for hairdressers should be established.
Demography ; Dermatitis, Occupational ; Eczema ; Hair Preparations ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Occupational Health ; Odds Ratio ; Risk Factors ; Single Person ; Social Control, Formal

Poisoning due to potassium bromate, cold wave neutralizer for permanent waving solution in hair styling, is rarely encountered and only few cases are as a cause of acute renal failure reported in medical literature. Recently, we saw a 18 year-old-female patient, hair stylist, who was admitted to Severance Hospital due to acute renal failure after accidental ingestion of potassium bromate. This is the first known case of acute renal failure due to potassium bromate poisoning in Korea.
Adolescent ; Bromates/poisoning* ; Bromine/poisoning* ; Female ; Hair Preparations/poisoning* ; Human ; Kidney Failure, Acute/chemically induced* ; Kidney Failure, Acute/diagnosis ; Korea ; Potassium/poisoning

Total of 7, 495 children including 3, 908 boys and 3, 587 girls from a kindergarten and 15 primary schools were examined for head lice infestation (HLI). The overall prevalence of HLI in this study was found to be 5.8%. Head lice were much more commonly detected in girls than in boys with prevalence of 11.2% and 0.9%, respectively. Sixty-nine children with HLI were treated with 1% lindane shampoo alone (group 1), and 45 children with HLI were treated with 1% lindane shampoo and oral trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (group 2), and follow-up visits were conducted 2 and 4 weeks later. The children who still had HLI 2 weeks after the primary treatment were treated again. At the 2-week follow-up visit, the treatment success rates of groups 1 and 2 were 76.8% and 86.7%, respectively, and at the 4-week follow-up visit, the rates were 91.3% and 97.8%, respectively. No statistically significant synergistic effect was observed for the combination of a 1% lindane shampoo and oral trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole.
Animals ; Anti-Infective Agents/therapeutic use ; Child ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; *Hair Preparations ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Lice Infestations/*drug therapy/*epidemiology ; Lindane/*therapeutic use ; Male ; *Pediculus ; Prevalence ; Students ; Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole Combination/*therapeutic use

No abstract available.
Dermatitis, Contact* ; Hair Dyes* ; Hair*

BACKGROUND: Hair graying is considered as a part of normal ageing process. Nonetheless, this process raises a significant cosmetic concern, especially among ethnic Korean elderly whose baseline hair color is black. For this reason, Korean elderly dye their hair with frequency despite the risk of dermatologic problems such as allergic contact dermatitis. OBJECTIVE: In this study, the authors investigate the prevalence and pattern of hair dyeing and its relation with scalp diseases in Korea. METHODS: Six hundred twenty subjects (330 men and 290 women) with graying hair were given a questionnaire survery and underwent a physical examination. RESULTS: Of the 620 total, 272 subjects (43.9%) dyed their hair. Hair dyeing was significantly more frequent among women than among men (p<0.001). Subjects from 50 to 69 years of age showed higher prevalence of hair dyeing when compared to either younger or older groups. Subjective self-assessment of the extent of hair graying was associated with increased prevalence of hair dyeing, that is, individuals who feel graying has advanced by more than 20% of the overall hair were much more likely to dye their hair (p<0.001). Hair dyeing did not correlate with either alopecia or scalp disease. CONCLUSION: Our survey has found that the prevalence of hair dyeing is higher among Korean women than men. People in their fifties and sixties and people with more than 20% extent of grayness were more likely to dye their hair than otherwise. Hair dyeing was not associated with any increase in the prevalence of scalp diseases.
Aged ; Alopecia ; Female ; Hair Color ; Hair Dyes ; Hair* ; Humans ; Male ; Prevalence ; Scalp ; Self-Assessment ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Gray hair naturally develops in the process of human aging. Many people with gray hair periodically dye their hair. Hair dyeing products are widely used and they can cause adverse effects. Therefore, the user's knowledge and recognition about hair dyeing and related side effects are important. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to lay the foundation for understanding, preventing and treating side effects caused by hair coloring products. METHODS: We conducted a questionnaire survey for adult males and females aged over 20 who had gray hair. A total of 500 subjects were included in this study and statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS: Large numbers of the people who had experience with hair dye (233 out of 319 people, 73.0%) did not know about the exact brand name of the hair dye product that they were using. Of 319 hair dye users, 23.8% (76 out of 319) people stated that they experienced side effects. Despite the occurrence of side effects from hair dyeing products, it seems they did not realize the seriousness of the side effects or the need for treatment. CONCLUSION: It is advisable to introduce a system that enables users to become aware of the ingredients and side effects of hair coloring products and give opportunities for users to become aware of the side effects of hair coloring through education, publicity and publication of an informational booklet.
Adult ; Aged ; Aging ; Androsterone ; Female ; Hair ; Hair Color ; Hair Dyes ; Humans ; Male ; Pamphlets ; Publications ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: This study was carried out to investigate the prevalence and symptoms related to hair dyeing among university freshmen. METHODS: The authors conducted a questionnaire survey among 1, 499 university freshmen from Mar 11 to 15, 2002. RESULTS: The study group contained 710 females and 789 males. Up until 2002, 62.7% of the subjects had experienced hair dyeing, and this was significantly higher in females (66.2%, p< 0.05). The period of first experience of hair dyeing was in high school for 361 cases (38.4%), after high school for 345 cases (36.7%) and before high school for 234 cases (24.9%). The major reasons of hair dyeing were 'to improve their appearance' in 466 cases (49.6%), and 'to follow the hair dyeing fashion' in 169 cases (18.0%). The prevalence of hair dyeing in 2002 was 47.8%, and again was significantly higher in females (53.7%, p< 0.05). The major symptoms related to hair dyeing were 'cleaved and nonelastic hair' in 498 cases (69.6%), and 'thin and easily breakable hair' in 353 cases (49.3%). Of those, 361 cases (50.4%) appealed to three or more symptoms related to hair dyeing. Through multiple logistic regression, factors significantly associated with symptoms related to hair dyeing were found to be female (OR=2.14, 95% CI; 1.61-2.83), use of hair dryer (OR=1.36, 95% CI; 1.004-1.854), a frequency of hair dyeing of three or more (OR=1.48, 95% CI; 1.04-2.09), and a duration of processing hair dyeing of over 60 minutes (OR=2.18, 95% CI; 1.50-3.18). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence and experience of hair dyeing were generally high among university freshmen. Therefore, more extensive epidemiological studies on the symptoms related to hair dyeing should be conducted.
Epidemiologic Studies ; Female ; Hair Dyes ; Hair* ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Prevalence

BACKGROUND: Para-phenylenediamine (PPD) is the primary patch test screening agent for hair dye contact allergy (HDCA). However, no recent studies have been published that describe the results of reactions to patch tests using PPD and hair dyes in Korea. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the results of the patch tests to PPD using the thin-layer rapid use epicutaneous (TRUE) Test system in patients with HDCA and to investigate patients' awareness that hair dyes contains allergens, which cause the development of HDCA. METHODS: Eighty-four patients with suspected HDCA (32 men and 52 women) underwent patch testing using the TRUE Test system and their own hair dyes. The patients' demographic data, behavior associated with hair dyeing, and clinical manifestations of HDCA were examined retrospectively. RESULTS: Positive patch-test reactions to hair dyes occurred in 53.6% of patients who used hair dyes, and they were diagnosed with HDCA. Although there was a significant correlation between HDCA and PPD sensitization (p=0.001), only 40% of the patients with HDCA showed positive reactions to PPD. Of the 45 patients diagnosed with HDCA, only 7 (15.6%) were aware that their hair dyes contained allergens that caused HDCA. CONCLUSION: This study's findings show that PPD is an effective HDCA marker. However, we propose that investigations on hair dye components other than PPD should be conducted to develop and validate additional predictive HDCA markers.
Allergens ; Hair Dyes ; Hair* ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Korea ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Patch Tests* ; Retrospective Studies