HEALTHY HAIR MAKES FOR HAPPY HEADS

People with severe scalp problems may end up in a dermatologist's examination room. Dr. Kenneth Dempsey said most of the patients he treats for scalp troubles have dandruff, which can be cured with common, over-the-counter remedies.

Rogaine, the brand name for Minoxidil, has had good results for some people who are losing their hair. Although nobody is sure exactly how the drug works, some theorize that it increases blood flow to hair follicles, stimulating them.

A full head of hair can make a person feel like a million bucks.

Some people feel that way all the time. But others feel self-conscious about their hair, or lack of it, and spend lots of money to fix the problems they perceive.

Although much depends on genetics, experts say there are steps people can take to keep their heads healthy, especially through the damaging winter season.

Dr. Kenneth Dempsey, a dermatologist, treats people for scalp problems. The most common is dandruff, the layman's term for a mild inflammatory disease of the oil glands on the scalp. It causes those white flakes so often pointed out in television commercials.

The treatment usually is simple. Tegra, T-gel and Denorex are simple, over-the-counter remedies Dempsey recommends. In more severe cases -- such as a secondary infection from excessive scratching -- victims must use prescription drugs to get relief.

Another scalp disorder Dempsey has seen is alopecia areata, which basically means "hair loss without a problem." For no obvious reason, hair falls out in several dime-sized patches. If the patches are close together, the affliction may be obvious.

The problem, Dempsey said, are antibodies that attack the hair matrix -- the hair-producing organ at the base of the hair follicle. These antibodies somehow forbid hair to grow, but topical treatment with high-potency steroids is usually successful.

Most people won't experience major problems with their scalp or hair, Dempsey said. For them, the advice is simple: do nothing in excess.

"There are dermatologists who have spent their lives studying what constitutes proper hair maintenance," Dempsey said. "They have found that the best care is no extraordinary care at all."

That means no excessive combing or brushing. Avoid sunlight and chlorine. Don't use a hot comb or curling iron. Reject chemical treatments.

But the truth is, American society isn't going to put down their perm kits, hot rollers and dye bottles just to have healthy hair. They would rather deal with the harmful effects, stylist Kim Talley said.

Talley, who owns Special Effects, said about 75 percent of her salon clients get some sort of chemical treatment on their hair -- permanent waves, highlights, frosts and everything in between.

"I think a lot of it is that so many women are in the work force," Talley said. "They don't have time to deal with hair that isn't permmed and curls that won't stay in. And they feel color helps them look better. They can make a change and have a different image."

Hair can handle the controlled damage of a perm or coloring as long as it is taken care of in between treatments. Talley recommended good hair-care products and regular trims -- a trim every four to six weeks depending on length.

But all the trims and over-the-counter products in the world won't help people losing their hair. Many men and women opt for wigs or toupees to hide hair loss, but others are using Rogaine, the brand name for the prescription drug Minoxidil.

Jim Crain, a pharmacist with The Medicine Shoppe, said he doesn't sell many bottles of Rogaine. It's expensive -- $35 to $75 a month depending on the size of the treated area -- and the results end when treatment stops. Anyone who starts using it must continue the rest of his life to keep the hair gained, and it may take up to four months for the user to see results.

Crain said he sees a marked difference in people who use the drug. In a pharmacists' reference book, "Drug Facts and Comparisons," it says that it is unknown how Minoxidil works. It may send more blood to the scalp, stimulating hair follicles.

Dempsey, the dermatologist, said people losing their hair could trust Minoxidil because it is a well researched and approved drug. With other hair preparations and baldness cures, he said, let the buyer beware.