...was recently featured in the
Prostate Forum newsletter, Vol. 5 #7. Published December 2000.


The saw palmetto product that has seen the widest clinical and laboratory testing is a european product called Permixon Complex (manufactured by BioMedic). You can order this product at http://www.biomedichair.com/hrlossprods.htm where it is marketed as a product to reverse hair loss in men. Why should this be listed as a product for treating baldness? For one thing, dihydrotestosterone plays a major role in the development of male-pattern baldness. Dihydrotestosterone is made from testerone via the action of an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase. There are two forms of this enzyme, one is found in the prostate gland and the other in skin, including the scalp.

Permixon is reported to be active against both forms of this enzyme. Permixon is a standardized preparation that has been well studied in the laboratory. In fact, most of the recent clinical studies on saw palmetto have been done using Permixon and I think it?s value against BPH is now well documented. The biochemical basis for the activity of Permixon against benign enlargement of the prostate almost certainly includes inhibition of dihydrotestosterone formation within the prostate gland. Interestingly, Permixon inhibits formation of dihydrotestosterone in the prostate gland but not in many other tissues, and it does not alter blood levels of this hormone. However, this is not the whole story; Proscar is very effective in reducing prostatic dihdrotestosterone levels but is relatively ineffective in relieving the symptoms of BPH. The action of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone on the prostate gland is markedly stimulated by the hormone prolactin. Permixon blocks the response of prostate cells to prolactin. Permixon has been reported to inhibit the enzyme 5-lipoxygenase. The products of this enzyme play a very important role in prostate inflammation and edema formation. Dr. Jagat Ghosh, of my laboratory, has shown that the products of this enzyme promote the survival and growth of prostate cancer cells. The increased size of the gland in BPH can arise from an increase in the number of cells lining the prostate ducts, as well as an increase in the number of stromal cells in the space between the ducts. With this background, it is interesting to note that Permixon has been shown to cause the death of both the stromal cells and the cells lining the prostate ducts. This observation has been followed by a study showing that Permixon was able to slow the growth of prostate cancer cells and, at high enough concentrations, even kill these cancer cells. I can find no clinical trial testing Permixon in the treatment of prostate cancer, so it is difficult to know whether this observation is clinically relevant.

What do I recommend? This is a tough question. Consumer Labs doesn?t list Permixon, but this could be because it was not tested or that it was tested and the retail version failed. At the moment, I am inclined to use Permixon, because of the published clinical and laboratory data. The effective dose appears to be two 160 mg capsules a day.

Charles E. Myers Jr. M.D.

At BioMedic, we perform 100% microscopic dissection for all of our transplants and we perform follicular unit transplantation exclusively.

Use of the Microscope enables:
- Over 40% more yield from a donor strip.
- Best graft growth and survival.
- Fullest and most natural look.
- Preservation of the donor supply for future use.

Protect your Investment. We suggest that any patient seeking hair restoration 'demand' that their surgeon uses microscopic dissection. You should not settle for less

It may take a surgical team a year or more to reach the highest levels of surgical competence wit the microscope, however, in using this powerful tool, our clients benefit in several ways:
- Cost reduced
- Time reduced
- Results increased

Q: Can the blood supply of the scalp support a large session?

A: In transplanted grafts and the anatomy of the scalps circulatory system, the issue is one of oxygenation, not blood supply. By their very size, large grafts over 2mm will result in oxygen deprivation to the hair located in the grafts center. This has been proven time and again by observing the phenomenon called donuting (the loss of hair follicles in the center of large grafts). In contrast, oxygen diffuses easily into grafts 1mm or less in size. The blood supply of the scalp is among the richest in the entire body, enabling it to support the growth of large numbers of grafts provided that they are kept very small.


Q: Are lasers really state of the art technology?

A: Lasers are used by some hair transplant doctors to make the recipient site. The laser works by using a beam of very high energy to burn a hole in the skin. But, regardless of how precise the laser, it still works by destroying the tissue i.e. burning a hole. The beauty of Follicular Unit Transplantation is that the tiny follicular unit grafts can fit into very small sites that are made with a needle rather than by an instrument that removes healthy tissue. In Follicular Unit Transplantation, the blood vessel-rich tissue that is to receive the grafts is not destroyed, so growth is maximized.


Q: If I am unhappy with a transplant performed by another doctor, can I have repair work done at Bio-Medic?

A: Yes, The physicians at Bio-Medic have extensive experience in performing all types of repair work. People come from all over the country to fix the unnatural look they received at other institutions.