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Who
are you and why have you set up keratin.com?
I am a research immunologist/dermatologist (imunodermatologist?
- dermatoimmunologist?) and completed my Ph.D. doctorate on the
pathogenesis of alopecia areata in Scotland, UK. I currently work
in Marburg, Germany, and continue my research into alopecia areata,
along with basic hair biology. Consequently, this web site is oriented
towards the laboratory rather than the dermatology clinic.
When I first started wandering around the Internet early in
1995 I was rather disappointed at the lack of information about
alopecia areata and hair biology in general. I thought I would
add my own small contribution. My initial comments covered two
printed pages and were kindly made available by Dan Victor on
his alopecia areata page.
After arranging a small web site for a short period of time
on a Scottish University web server, I moved to Maine, USA, where
I set up a more extensive alopecia areata web site in June 1996.
Although the information was exclusively limited to alopecia areata
I received many email messages concerning other types of hair
loss. It was clear that I had better start reading and learning
about other hair diseases and that a web site covering other aspects
of hair loss would be useful for many individuals.
This web site has evolved in response to questions put to me by
friends, relatives and people contacting me by Email asking for
information. It is essentially a compilation of the replies I gave
to individuals plus other miscellaneous material and is posted here
for a wider audience. The information at this site, is not aimed
at the scientist. Rather, I hope it will be useful to anyone. By
covering such a wide range of topics associated with hair and hair
loss the information lacks detail. I'm sure some scientists would
shudder at the lack of technical features but I hope there is sufficient
depth to satisfy the majority of readers.
What
are the names and dates in the text for?
On some pages the sources for my comments are interspersed throughout
the text. For example you might see "(Ormsby 1948)". This
includes the surname of the first author of the medical journal
article and the date of the article's publication. In part, this
is for my own use for when I review the text in the future. It is
also an indication to you that there is research evidence supporting
my comments and it is an acknowledgment to the original authors.
It also gives a useful idea of the time scale involved in hair
research. Please note that most medical research papers have more
than one author but I am far too lazy to add all their names when
writing the text.
Usually the first author is the individual who did most of the
work, although I have been told that in Japan sometimes the authors
are listed in order of seniority regardless of how much or how little
work they each contributed. In the USA and Europe the authors are
listed first to last in order of how much they contributed to the
paper with one exception. The last named author is usually the senior
investigator and research group leader. So for Europe - USA sourced
research papers the order of importance goes first, last, second,
third fourth etc. I just thought you might like to know.
The details of relevant published medical journal articles (i.e.
the journal in which they appeared, volume number etc.) are provided
on most pages at the very bottom..
Do
you recommend dermatologists?
There is a brief list of dermatologists who have been recommended
by visitors to keratin.com in the diagnosis
and decisions section of keratin.com. However, this is not a
comprehensive list. It would be impossible for me to keep track
of the many thousands of dermatologists around the world. Also,
because I am not a clinical dermatologist I do not have regular
or extensive contact with clinical dermatologists unless they are
directly involved in the kind of research that I do. Consequently,
I can not provide a comprehensive list of good dermatologists.
If you need advice on a good dermatologist in your area ask your
friends and relatives. A personal recommendation from someone you
know and trust is always the best starting point. Otherwise contact
a nonprofit dermatologist organization such as the American Hair
Loss Council (AHLC), The International Society of Hair Restoration
Surgery (ISHRS), and/or American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgeons (ASPRS) or an equivalent body in another country and ask
them to provide details of their members in your area. If you know
what type of condition you have and you know there is a charity/foundation/organization
that deals with it then ask them for any information on dermatologists
and find out if there is a local support group. Support group members
may be able to provide a recommendation based on their personal
experience.
Do
you recommend treatments?
No! I am not a qualified practicing dermatologist. I am a research
scientist and work almost entirely in the laboratory. My colleagues
keep me up to date on the latest clinical developments but this
cannot be described as professional clinical training. Any attempt
on my part to recommend a treatment can leave me open to prosecution,
not just by the person I give the advice to, but also by clinical
dermatologists and their professional organizations.
I describe some of the options for treatment as published in medical
journal literature or described by alternative health practitioners.
However, it is you and you alone that must decide which treatment
option to take, if any. If you need help and advice in what treatment
course to take you should consult with a qualified clinical dermatologist.
Do
you diagnose over the Internet?
No! Despite stating this very clearly on my web sites for several
years some people do not seem to get the message. Maybe people think
they will save themselves some money with a free diagnosis. It is
impossible for me or any one else, including a qualified clinical
dermatologist, to diagnose a disease over the Internet. Any diagnosis
is based on asking many questions, a physical examination, and sometimes
diagnostic tests using blood or skin samples.
It would be very dangerous for me or anyone else to give an Internet
diagnosis as we do not have all the facts in front of us for your
particular case. Any diagnosis must be obtained in a face to face
consultation with a clinical dermatologist. I suggest you avoid
anyone offering a diagnosis over the Internet regardless of their
qualifications.
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