Symposium Highlights: Hair & Scalp Science Breakthroughs
World Congress of Dermatology
Dr John Gray’s Daily Blog
Wednesday morning dawns grey and damp but the spirit is unquenched. Late in last night after mandatory visit to famous tango club (which was excellent) but continued Atkins diet like fare beginning to take its toll.
Today’s highlight is the P&G Beauty Satellite symposium – Hair & Scalp Science Breakthroughs.
A very strong faculty lead by Rod Sinclair who describes the importance to us all of healthy hair. Give thanks that I chose my parents wisely and still have a full head of beautiful hair with only distinguished streaks of grey. Apparently we have, like sheep, a protective f-layer on our hair which helps it look shiny and beautiful – transpires that most of womanhood seems determined to strip this by means of sundry which is why we need conditioners.
Amy McMichael from the USA, describes how hair breakage and fragility are large problem for many African-American ladies. The hair shaft being flatter is more vulnerable to the various hair care practices and abuses the wearer inflicts. A combination of chemical relaxing and straightening (which is rampant in the USA) weakens the hair shaft. In one reported incident 95% of interviewees had hair breakage, before the ever vigilant FDA had the product removed. The habit of tight braiding from childhood and continuous wearing of extensions can lead to irreversible alopecia. P&G Beauty’s conditioners really help!
Ramon Grimalt from Barcelona gives splendid practical guide to scalp disorders – did not know scaly scalp could be so exiting. Good old fashioned dandruff (which was, from memory, epidemic amongst the academics at my medical school) has now assumed a new status. Massive amounts of research now lining it up at the start of the queue of seb.derm and psoriasis – transpires that a fungus called malassezia lurks in the hair infundibulum and gorges on the hormone driven grease until the immune system gets fed up and responds. Probably explains cradle cap – gorging fungi on our babies head until mother’s hormones wear off. That recent study clearly shows that there is no resistance to good old head and shoulders shampoo which I always recommend. As usual, looks like people just don’t stick to using it daily like I do.
Tom Dawson from P&G proudly announces his Appalachian heritage and describes the incredible genomic work he and a host of others have pursued over 5 years to unravel the mysteries of said above fungus. This little critter (his words not mine) which apparently leapt from corn pods on to our scalps back in the dawn of human evolution is so specialised that it can only live in niches on our body where it feeds by vomiting enzymes all over us. It now transpires that these fungi are having sex to keep themselves super fit. Realise that I am inadvertently scratching my head at the thought of it. I continue to be staggered at the quality of research that this company puts into fundamental research. Quite awesome.
Ralf Paus from Germany and who clearly has an IQ off the scale gives amazing dissertation “deep down in the follicle” in his own words. The hair follicle is a unique mini-organ capable of life long cycles of massive growth. Recent work has identified an unbelievably complex localised signalling mechanism between the skin neuro-ectoderm and mesoderm which drives the cyclic organ transformations. Transpires the follicle can manufacture almost all the enzymes we posses including oestrogen and prolactin, ACTH. Bottom line is that this cross talk may revolutionise our approach to the treatment of skin diseases by targeted pharmacological or biophysical manipulation of intracutaneous neruoendrocine regulatory loops. All this would be hard to take in if not for the fact that it is delivered with incredible energy and belief. Were all lecturers this good!
Antonella Tosti from Bologna, a much loved speaker at these events – gives practical guide to the office physician on how to manage the patient with hair loss. Most helpful since these patients are invariably horrendously difficult to manage, with great expectations of a miracle cure and frank disbelief that anything we offer will take a year to show. Much better to become an expert in hair growth inhibition where after 6 weeks the patient thinks you are a genius. Smart alek question from the floor on what hair is for receives standard reply that we really don’t know but those of us lucky enough to hang on to it this far don’t care. Overall – a really excellent session and highlights that if the faculty is really top notch, even only incremental increase in knowledge which can be retained leaves one feeling inspired to learn more.
Attended cocktail reception and then to the President’s dinner sponsored by P&G Beauty. Sumptuous affair amongst the dermatological glitterati, with black tie and posh frocks in profusion (some of the women look beautiful too). Mercifully brief speeches and presentations followed by excellent sing-along opera style show where we all get to sing nessun dorma and o sole mio. Invited to dance Viennese waltz with charming Venetian-masked damsel and impressed by being able to reverse. More dancing and new knee holds out well but come the dawn.
Chau,
John Gray