JP2010200971A - Method for predicting/estimating abnormal hair loss, precaution/prevention method for abnormal hair loss, and method for evaluating abnormal hair loss preventive agent - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a means of simply predicting/estimating hair loss where a substantially conical matter adheres to the hair root with good reliability, and to provide a method for predicting/estimating abnormal hair loss utilizing the means, a precaution/prevention method for abnormal hair loss, and a method for evaluating abnormal hair loss preventive agent. <P>SOLUTION: In this method, the degree and area of erythema appearing on the scalp is evaluated in numerical terms to calculate a erythema score, which is used to predict hair loss whether there is a development where a substantially conical matter adheres to the hair root appears, or to estimate whether the appearing hair loss mainly includes abnormal hair loss. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an abnormal hair loss prediction / estimation method, an abnormal hair loss prevention / prevention method, and an abnormal hair loss prevention agent evaluation method. More specifically, the present invention relates to an abnormal hair loss prediction / estimation method that easily predicts or estimates abnormal hair loss based on observation of the scalp, in which hair loss occurs when a substance having a substantially conical shape is attached to the hair root, and prediction based on this method. Alternatively, an abnormal hair loss prevention / prevention method in which an anti-hair loss agent effective against the estimated specific abnormal hair loss is applied under a suitable pharmaceutical composition, and a rational and simple abnormality applying the abnormal hair loss prediction / estimation method described above The present invention relates to a method for evaluating a hair loss inhibitor.

  In the present invention, “hair” simply means hair unless otherwise specified.

  Human hair finally undergoes hair loss through a growth phase, a regression phase, and a resting phase according to the hair cycle. In a normal state, about 100 hairs per day are naturally removed. In addition to such normal hair loss, abnormal hair loss has been known in which abnormalities have occurred in the hair cycle due to some factor, and hair loss proceeds further.

  Abnormal hair loss includes androgenetic hair loss mainly caused by the male hormone testosterone, seborrheic hair loss caused by abnormal sebum secretion, nervous hair loss that occurs when the balance of the independent nerves is disrupted by strong stress, and dry dandruff A typical example is dwarf hair removal based on the blockage of pores due to the above.

  In response to the various abnormal hair loss described above, many hair nourishing / hair-growth agents aimed at suppressing hair loss or promoting hair growth have been proposed and marketed. These hair nourishing / hair-growth agents are aimed mainly at promoting hair growth by keeping the scalp clean or stimulating blood circulation of the scalp by stimulating blood circulation of the scalp.

  Listed below are some patent documents related to typical prior art. The inventions disclosed in these patent documents all relate to an evaluation method for the purpose of promoting general hair growth or suppressing hair loss. Moreover, although all patent documents include invention of the evaluation method (screening method), such as a hair restorer, the alcoholic composition containing the evaluation object component is used as a sample used for screening.

Japanese Patent No. 3227400. This Patent Document 1 discloses an invention of a method for evaluating a hair growth agent by applying the hair growth agent to a mouse. The effects to be evaluated are the early induction of hair growth period and the extension of the growth period, and the change in skin color due to melanin granules is adopted as an index for determining the effect.

JP 2005-308730 A. This Patent Document 2 discloses an invention of a scalp inspection method for determining the ease of scalp removal or thinning using the expression state of matrix metalloproteinase 11 in the scalp as an index, and a method for screening a hair-growth agent by that method. .

JP-A-2005-304491. In this patent document 3, a method for predicting hair loss and hair thinning based on the expression level of a gene group whose expression is enhanced in a growth stage hair follicle as an index, and a screening method for a hair growth agent or the like by the method The invention is disclosed.

  As seen in the above-mentioned Patent Literature 1 to Patent Literature 3, the hair nourishing / hair restoring agent is expected for reasons of formulation of the active ingredient, a refreshing feeling when applied to the scalp, an alcohol bactericidal effect, etc. Generally, an alcohol-based preparation is used.

  However, against "hair loss with hair of a substantially conical shape attached to the hair root" (severe or typical is "hair loss"), which is said to be caused by dryness of the scalp. As a problem before the effect of the active ingredient contained in the hair nourishing / hair-growing agent, the application of the alcohol-based preparation itself promotes the drying of the scalp and may worsen the hair loss. Here, the “substantially conical substance attached to the hair root” is an unknown substance derived from the skin tissue, and it can be estimated that it is an unkeratinized substance, but it may not be.

  In the present specification, hereinafter, “hair having a substantially cone-shaped substance attached to the hair root” is referred to as “cone-shaped substance-attached hair”, and “hair removal of a hair having a substantially cone-shaped substance attached to the hair root” is referred to as “ It may be called “cone-shaped substance-attached hair loss”.

  In consideration of the above points, it is necessary to know in advance what kind of hair loss the abnormal hair loss is when taking preventive or preventive measures for abnormal hair loss. Even when screening for active ingredients for hair restoration, hair growth prevention and hair loss prevention, there is a possibility that the evaluation of the active ingredients against conical-shaped substance-attached hair loss, including dwarf hair removal, may not be rationally evaluated in the evaluation under the application of alcohol-based preparations. is there.

  When trying to investigate the main cause of abnormal hair loss for the above reasons, the usual idea is to use the common technical knowledge that the shape of the hair root differs depending on the cause of hair loss. For example, unlike the hair root of hair that has been normally depilated as shown in FIG. 1, as shown in FIG. 2, an unusual substance derived from skin tissue, which is presumed to be an unkeratinized substance, has a substantially fine cone shape at the hair root. It is known that if abnormal hair loss of a typical shape occurs predominantly, it is presumed that it is dwarf hair loss or its mild or preliminary stage. Therefore, it is conceivable to collect all the hair that has been removed and to observe the shape of the roots of these hairs to determine what cause of hair loss is dominant as a whole. However, such a method is a difficult task requiring a great deal of labor.

  Therefore, the present invention presents a means for easily predicting / estimating conical-shaped substance-attached hair loss with good reliability, and an abnormal hair loss prediction / estimation method rationally constructed using this means, It is a technical problem to be solved to provide a method for preventing / preventing abnormal hair loss and a method for evaluating an abnormal hair loss inhibitor.

  The inventor of the present application has gradually increased the number of people who have skin troubles of the scalp in the process of investigating the relationship between the skin condition of the scalp and hair loss, and at the same time, the number of people who suffer from hair loss has increased. I knew that As a result of further research, the present inventors completed the present invention by ascertaining that there is a correlation between the degree of erythema on the scalp and the proportion of conical substance-attached hair during total hair loss.

(First invention)
The configuration of the first invention of the present application for solving the above problem is to calculate the erythema score by quantifying the degree of erythema expressed on the scalp, and hair having a substantially conical substance attached to the hair root based on this erythema score An abnormal hair loss prediction / estimation method that predicts the presence or absence of hair loss of hair, or estimates whether the hair loss that has already occurred is mainly hair with a substantially conical substance attached to the hair root is there.

  Here, the “erythema” of the scalp is a state in which the skin color of the scalp is always reddish compared to the normal part, or a state in which redness is easily caused by a physical stimulus enough to lightly press. It means that it is. In the first invention, the knowledge that there is a positive correlation between the degree of erythema on the scalp and the proportion of conical substance-attached hair during total hair removal is used. As will be described later in Examples, since this correlation is reliable, it provides a means for easily predicting conical substance-attached hair loss with good reliability. Therefore, if the degree of erythema on the scalp (the degree of erythema) is quantified and a quantitative and objective erythema score is calculated, the presence or absence of cone-shaped substance-attached hair loss can be predicted based on this erythema score, It is possible to easily estimate whether the hair loss that has already occurred is mainly conical-shaped substance-attached hair.

  In addition, in the conventional well-known techniques including the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 to Patent Document 3, there is no description that considers application of an alcohol-based preparation, and the correlation between the degree of erythema expression and conical substance-attached hair loss is clearly indicated. There is also no suggestion.

(Second invention)
The configuration of the second invention of the present application for solving the above problem is that the method for calculating the erythema score according to the first invention divides the scalp into a plurality of areas, and the degree of erythema is divided into two or three stages for each area. It is an abnormal hair loss prediction / estimation method that ranks as described above, evaluates the score, and uses the total score of these scores as the erythema score.

  The calculation method of the erythema score is not limited as long as it is a numerical value of the degree of erythema expressed on the scalp, but the calculation method defined in the second invention can be preferably exemplified.

  In the second aspect of the invention, “dividing the scalp into a plurality of areas” means that the entire area of the scalp, which is roughly hemispherical, is divided into three areas in the front-rear direction such as the frontal, middle, and occipital areas. It is divided into three areas in the left-right direction such as right head, middle head and left head. In that case, the scalp is divided into a total of nine areas. “Evaluate the score by ranking the degree of erythema to 2 or 3 levels”, for example, rank it into 2 levels, “No erythema” and “Accept erythema”. , Meaning the score evaluation so that the latter is 2 points. When ranking in three or more levels, for example, “no erythema” is scored as one point, and “erythema is recognized” is classified from light erythema to dark erythema according to the strength of erythema color. Can be divided into 3 ranks of 2 to 4 points, or 4 ranks of 2 to 5 points. As another method, when the total area of the area is set to 10, the evaluation points of all the areas that are evaluated in 11 stages of 0 to 10 according to the ratio of the area occupied by erythema can be totaled. In the method for calculating the erythema score exemplified above, the higher the score, the stronger the estimation of conical substance-attached hair loss.

(Third invention)
The configuration of the third invention of the present application for solving the above problems is based on the erythema score described in the first invention or the second invention, and it is predicted that hair loss occurs in a hair with a substantially conical substance attached to the hair root, Alternatively, when it is estimated that the hair loss that has already occurred is mainly composed of hair having a substantially conical substance attached to the hair root, the hair removal having a substantially conical substance attached to the hair root has an inhibitory effect on hair loss. This is a method for preventing / preventing abnormal hair loss, in which a low-alcohol preparation containing an recognized active ingredient is applied to the scalp.

  In the third invention, the presence or absence of the occurrence of conical substance-attached hair loss is predicted based on a reliable erythema score, or whether or not the already-developed hair loss is mainly composed of cone-shaped substance attached hair is estimated. However, depending on the result, when the alcohol-based preparation itself may deteriorate hair loss, a low-alcohol-based preparation is applied. be able to.

(Fourth invention)
The configuration of the fourth invention of the present application for solving the above-mentioned problem is an evaluation method for screening an active ingredient having an inhibitory effect on hair loss of hair having a substantially conical substance attached to the hair root, and is subject to evaluation Preparation of a low-alcohol-based preparation containing a substance, applying it to the scalp of a person with erythema, and evaluating the target substance by improving the erythema score described in the first or second invention, preventing abnormal hair loss It is an agent evaluation method.

  In the fourth aspect of the invention, in screening for a conical-shaped substance adhesion hair loss inhibitor that cannot be reasonably evaluated under the application of an alcohol-based preparation, a person who has erythema observed by preparing a low-alcohol-type preparation containing the substance to be evaluated Since it is applied to the scalp and evaluated based on a reliable erythema score, a reasonable and reliable simple evaluation is possible.

  According to the present invention, a means for easily predicting / estimating conical-shaped substance-attached hair loss is provided with good reliability, and abnormal hair loss prediction / estimation rationally configured using this means is provided. A method, a method for preventing / preventing abnormal hair loss, and a method for evaluating an abnormal hair loss inhibitor are provided.

It is an enlarged photograph which shows the hair root of the hair which carried out normal hair removal. It is an enlarged photograph which shows the abnormal hair loss which the substance of the substantially thin cone shape adhered to the hair root part. It is a figure which shows the positive correlation between an erythema score and the ratio of cone-shaped substance adhesion hair.

  Next, modes for carrying out the present invention will be described including the best mode.

[Erythema score]
In the present invention, the erythema score is a value obtained by quantifying the degree of erythema expressed on the scalp for quantitative and objective evaluation. It has been found that there is a reliable positive correlation between the erythema score and the proportion of conical shaped substance-attached hair during total hair loss. The calculation method of the erythema score is not limited as long as the degree of erythema expressed on the scalp is digitized, but for example, the calculation method of the second invention is preferably exemplified.

  That is, it is possible to divide the scalp into a plurality of areas, rank the degree of erythema into two or three or more levels for each area, evaluate the score, and make the total score of these scores the erythema score. That is, the erythema score is a score used for judgment as the whole scalp. In scoring, a higher score may be used as the degree of scalp erythema increases, or a lower score may be used as the degree of scalp erythema increases.

  The method of drawing the scalp area and the number of area divisions are not limited, but even if the number of area divisions is, for example, 2 or 3 divisions, the degree of erythema described below is set to 50 levels, for example. Thus, it is possible to ensure reliability by subdividing.

  The degree of erythema for each area is scored in at least two stages, ie, “no erythema is recognized” and “accepts erythema”, and is scored preferably, but is ranked in three or more stages and scored. . When ranking in three or more levels, the intensity of erythema color may also be an object of evaluation. The presence / absence of erythema, the area of erythema occupying the area, and the intensity of the color may be evaluated by sensory evaluation by visual observation, but may be performed by an appropriate mechanical measurement means.

  Regarding the recognition of erythema in the above evaluation, it may be recognized based on “(a) the skin color of the scalp is always reddish” or “(b) It may be recognized on the basis that “redness is easily caused by physical stimulation”. Furthermore, in the recognition of erythema, the same weighting may be applied to the above (a) and (b), or the ranking that weights the recognition by (a) more than the recognition by (b). It can also be introduced.

[Abnormal hair loss prediction / estimation method]
The abnormal hair loss prediction / estimation method according to the present invention predicts the presence or absence of cone-shaped substance-attached hair loss based on the above-mentioned erythema score, or the hair loss that has already occurred is mainly composed of cone-shaped substance-attached hair This is a method for estimating whether or not.

  In this abnormal hair loss prediction / estimation method, the boundary value of the erythema score indicating how much the erythema score is to predict or estimate cone-shaped substance-attached hair loss depends on the specific calculation method of the erythema score, It cannot be defined uniformly.

[Method of preventing / preventing abnormal hair loss]
The method for preventing / preventing abnormal hair loss according to the present invention is a method of performing (1) below based on the erythema score described above. Furthermore, the following measure (2) can be performed.
(1) When conical-shaped substance-attached hair loss is predicted based on the erythema score, or when it is estimated that the already-developed hair loss is mainly composed of conical-shaped substance-attached hair A low-alcohol preparation containing an active ingredient that is effective in suppressing hair loss is applied to the scalp.
(2) When the occurrence of conical-shaped substance-attached hair loss is not predicted based on the erythema score, or when it is estimated that the already-developed hair loss is not mainly composed of conical-shaped substance-attached hair, An alcoholic or low alcoholic formulation containing the active ingredient is applied to the scalp.

  Here, the kind of "active ingredient with which the inhibitory effect of conical-shaped substance adhesion hair loss" is recognized is not limited. Many general hair nourishing and hair-growing agents are commercially available, and some of them may contain an effective ingredient for conical substance-attached hair removal. Ingredients effective for various types of abnormal hair loss such as male pattern hair loss, seborrheic hair loss, neurological hair loss and sputum hair loss are not necessarily the same. Examples of active ingredients for conical substance-attached hair removal include plant extracts and yeast extracts.

  The alcohol-based preparation refers to a preparation containing 10% by mass or more of a monovalent lower alcohol having 1 to 3 carbon atoms in the preparation. On the other hand, a low-alcohol formulation is one that does not satisfy the requirements of the above-mentioned “alcohol formulation”, that is, a non-alcohol that does not contain a monovalent lower alcohol having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, or a carbon number. Even if it contains 1-3 monohydric lower alcohols, the content is less than 10% by mass.

[Abnormal hair loss prevention agent evaluation method]
The method for evaluating an abnormal hair loss inhibitor according to the present invention is an evaluation method for screening an active ingredient in which a conical-shaped substance-adhesion inhibitory effect is observed, and prepares a low-alcohol preparation containing the substance to be evaluated. Then, the method is applied to the scalp of a person who has erythema, and the target substance is evaluated based on whether or not the erythema score improves with the application.

  Examples of the present invention will be described below together with comparative examples. The technical scope of the present invention is not limited by the following examples and comparative examples.

(Test A)
First, in order to select appropriate subjects, 82 healthy men aged 20 to 39 years were used as test candidates, and their scalp was observed. The scalp was observed after waiting 30 minutes in a room with a constant temperature and humidity condition of 25 ° C. and 50% RH. Divide the whole head into 2 areas in the front and back and 8 areas in the left and right, and the area in the area is 10, the ratio of the area occupied by erythema is “0” when “the area occupied by erythema is zero” To “10” when “erythema occupies the entire area” was visually evaluated as 11 grades from 0 to 10, and the area was ranked. Since the rank total of all 8 areas was used as the erythema score, the test candidate's erythema score was evaluated in 81 levels from 0 to 80.

  Next, the results of the erythema score were divided into 10 groups as shown in Table 1, and divided into 9 groups, Group I to Group IX. Next, as shown in the “subject” column and “erythema score group” column of Table 2, 18 subjects A to R were selected from each group so that the age distribution was not biased. In addition, since there were no appropriate persons in groups V and VII, subjects could not be selected from these groups.

Next, the hair loss of the selected subjects A to R was collected. When each subject performs hair washing once a day, a gauze is provided at the drain, and all the hair to be removed at the time of washing is collected, and this operation is repeated for 3 days, and a total of several hundred hair removals per person can be collected. It was. This hair removal hair is observed with a microscope and the hair root is observed. For normal hair removal, hair removal with hair having a substantially cone-shaped substance attached to the hair root (cone-shaped substance attachment hair removal), abnormal hair removal other than cone-shaped substance attachment hair removal Classified.

  The determination of normal hair removal was based on whether the root of hair was substantially hemispherical as shown in FIG. The cone-shaped substance-attached hair was shaped as shown in FIG. 2 and the length of the substantially fine cone-shaped substance attached to the end of the hair root was 20 μm or more. Although the hair classified as other than the above two types was treated as abnormal hair loss other than the above, only about 1 to 2% of this type of hair was confirmed for all subjects.

  In Table 2, the total number of hair removal hairs is shown for each subject, and the breakdown includes the number of hair removal hairs that were normal hair roots, the number of hairs attached to a cone-shaped substance, and the number of other abnormal hair removal hairs. Indicates. Further, the ratio of the number of conical-shaped substance-attached hairs in the total number of hair removal hairs of each subject was calculated as a percentage, and the whole number after the decimal point was rounded off.

As a result of comparing the above-mentioned percentage of each subject with the scalp erythema score, as shown in FIG. 3, there was a positive correlation between the scalp erythema score and the above-mentioned percentage (percentage of conical-shaped substance-attached hair) for all subjects. Statistical calculation was performed using One-Way ANOVA using StatView 5.0. As a result, p = 0.0459, and since p <0.05, it was determined that there was a statistically significant difference.
(Test B)
For the subjects M and Q belonging to groups VI and IX of the erythema score in the test A, the lotion for scalp of Example 1 prepared according to the formulation described in Table 3 is applied once a day for one month. After that, the erythema score and the proportion of conical-shaped substance-attached hair in the total hair loss were calculated in the same manner as in Test A. On the other hand, for the subject N of group VI, the lotion for scalp of Comparative Example 1 was applied in the same manner as described above, and the erythema score and the proportion of conical substance-attached hair in the total hair loss were calculated. The results are shown in the column “After application of lotion” in Table 4. The column “Before application of lotion” is a transcription of Table 2.

As can be seen from Table 4, the erythema score of subjects M and Q to which the scalp lotion of Example 1 was applied and the proportion of conical-shaped substance-attached hair in the total hair loss decreased, respectively, in the “Erythema score group” section. As shown, the grouping category also moved to the younger numbered group (the group with the lower erythema score). On the other hand, for subject N, the erythema score and the ratio of the conical-shaped substance-attached hair in the total hair loss were not improved as compared to before application of the lotion.

Claims (4)

The degree of erythema expressed on the scalp is quantified to calculate the erythema score, and based on this erythema score, the presence or absence of hair loss is predicted or already expressed on the hair root with a substantially conical substance attached to the hair root. An abnormal hair loss prediction / estimation method characterized in that it is estimated whether or not the hair loss is mainly hair having a substantially conical substance attached to the hair root. The calculation method of the erythema score divides the scalp into a plurality of areas, ranks the degree of erythema in each of the two or more stages, and evaluates the score. The total score of these scores is the erythema score. The abnormal hair loss prediction / estimation method according to claim 1, wherein: 3. Based on the erythema score according to claim 1 or claim 2, the appearance of hair loss is predicted when hair having a substantially conical shape is attached to the hair root, or the hair loss that has already occurred is a material having a substantially conical shape at the hair root. If the hair is presumed to be mainly composed of hair, a low-alcohol preparation containing an active ingredient that has an inhibitory effect on hair loss with a substantially conical substance attached to the hair root is applied to the scalp. An abnormal hair loss prevention / prevention method characterized by applying. An evaluation method for screening an active ingredient having an inhibitory effect on hair loss with hair having a substantially conical shape attached to a hair root, and preparing a low-alcohol-based preparation containing the target substance to evaluate erythema An abnormal hair loss prevention agent evaluation method, which is applied to a recognized human scalp and evaluates the target substance by improving the erythema score according to claim 1 or 2.