Hair Restoration:
What Are My Treatment Options?
Over 50 million Americans, both men, and women are dealing with hair loss at any given moment. A significant percentage of men display symptoms of hair loss by the time they have reached their mid-thirties. If you're noticing hair loss, you know how distressing it can be. Seeing your hair fall out can make you feel depressed and helpless, leading to feelings of embarrassment and self-consciousness. Losing one's hair can even affect job performance and romantic relationships.
At WiserMD, we offer hair restoration assessment and tailored solutions to help you regain your confidence and your hair back. Keep reading to learn more about our hair loss treatments and how they can help you get the results you want.
What Causes Hair Loss?
Hair loss can occur for several reasons. The most common of them are aging, heredity, or an underlying illness. While genetics is a common cause of baldness, there are often other factors at play, and factors like hormonal imbalance, skin conditions, and nutritional deficiencies might also cause hair loss. To determine the exact cause of your hair loss, in-person consultation, and examination with Dr. Wiser are necessary to rule out underlying conditions and ensure that hair restoration treatments will be effective for your specific condition.
A large number of patients seek hair restoration for male pattern baldness, also known as androgenetic alopecia. This form of hair loss occurs due to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) effects on hair follicles, which shortens the growth (anagen) phase of the hair life cycle and causes follicles to shrink and weaken over time in a process called miniaturization. Individuals genetically susceptible to DHT experience a gradual thinning of hair around the temples and crown of the head, creating the distinct pattern of hair loss that we recognize as male pattern baldness. Although typically associated with men, women are not immune to the effects of androgenetic alopecia and can also experience this type of hair loss.
What Are My Treatment Options?
Although genetic hair loss has no definite cure, many treatments are available that can help restore a fuller head of hair. At WiserMD, hair restoration treatment options include Botox, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, and the medication finasteride. Learn more about these treatment options below.
Botox for Hair Restoration
Botox is an injectable treatment containing botulinum toxin, a compound derived from the naturally-occurring Clostridium botulinum bacteria. Used to treat several cosmetic and medical concerns, Botox shows promising results for certain types of hair loss. Scalp injections of Botox help with thinning hair by relaxing scalp muscles and boosting blood flow, which relieves scalp tension that may contribute to hair loss and increases the amount of nutrients that reach hair follicles. This effect can lead to better hair health and density, but this particular treatment seems to help those whose hair follicles still exist.
Treatment with Botox for hair loss is an extremely safe procedure for both men and women. However, it must be repeated at least twice a year to obtain the best results.
PRP Therapy for Hair Loss
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy was initially indicated to treat certain types of slow to heal wounds. Professional athletes helped popularize this treatment as PRP therapy sped up the healing process after an injury and allowed them to return to practice faster than they would have otherwise. Today, PRP therapy has broader applications and in skincare, regenerative treatments, and hair restoration.
In treating hair loss, PRP therapy works by stimulating cell growth and nourishing the hair follicles. PRP is extracted from a patient's blood and spun in a centrifuge to obtain the enriched cells, growth factors, and other bioactive compounds found in plasma that are beneficial when reintroduced back into the scalp. By releasing multiple growth factors that significantly enhance the healing process and stimulate cellular renewal within the hair follicles, PRP injections can reduce hair loss and increase the hair shaft density and diameter. PRP treatments for hair loss can also result in hair growth for those with alopecia areata (patchy hair loss) and androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness).
Finasteride for Male Pattern Baldness
An antiandrogen sold under the brand names Proscar and Propecia, Finasteride, is one of two FDA-approved treatments for hair loss in the United States. Finasteride works by decreasing DHT production by up to 80 percent to slow hair loss. In some cases, finasteride can even stop hair loss, regrow hair, and reverse miniaturization of the hair follicles. Finasteride is most effective in men with male pattern baldness, but more studies are needed to determine its effectiveness in women with hair loss.
Which Treatment is Right for Me?
Depending on your needs, you may find that you benefit from combining one or more treatments for more comprehensive results. Some factors that may influence your treatment decision include your age, sex, and overall medical condition, as well as treatment effectiveness and cost. Still, Dr. Wiser will conduct a full evaluation to determine which treatment (or combination of treatments) will be best for your hair loss.
Contact Us
If you are distressed by thinning hair that negatively affects your appearance, there is something that you can do about it. Please reach out to Dr. Wiser by contacting his office today and scheduling a consultation so that we can help you improve the appearance of your hair.
Dermal Fillers
What is Male Pattern Baldness?
Male pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia) is a genetic condition that causes the gradual miniaturization or shrinking of hair follicles. This condition is associated with a buildup of a male sex hormone called DHT and appears in men around the late 20s to early 30s. As individual hair follicles miniaturize, the hairs that they produce gradually become thinner and eventually fall out, never to be replaced. Male pattern baldness is caused by a combination of genetic and hormonal factors, so if a member of your family has experienced this type of hair loss, you are more likely to as well.
What is Female Pattern Baldness?
Female pattern baldness is a form of androgenetic alopecia that affects women. It is similar to male pattern baldness, but women tend to lose more hair at the top and crown of the head where the hair parts, whereas men experience more hair loss at the top and front of the head, near the temples' hairline. Female pattern baldness is also hereditary but more commonly appears after menopause.
How Do I Know if I'm Losing Too Much Hair?
For men, hair loss that begins near the temples or crown of the head or a receding hairline that forms an "M" shape may indicate male pattern baldness. For women, a widening hair part or thinness at the top of the head may be a sign of female pattern baldness. A visible scalp and gradual thinning are also signs of hair loss. If you're concerned that you're losing too much hair, Dr. Wiser can evaluate your symptoms and determine if what you're experiencing is normal or a sign of hereditary hair loss.
Does Finasteride Have Any Side Effects?
Finasteride is one of the most popular treatments for hair loss in men. Although considered safe to use, finasteride has some reported rare side effects, including reduced libido, erectile dysfunction, and delayed ejaculation. These are reported in less than 1.5 percent of finasteride users; however, these conditions are easily reversible by discontinuing the medication.
What Should I Expect During my PRP Treatment for Hair Loss?
PRP therapy for hair loss begins with a blood draw, during which Dr. Wiser will take between 20 to 60 cc of blood to create the PRP serum. After the nutrient-rich plasma has been separated, we inject the serum into the balding areas of the scalp. The entire procedure takes less than an hour to complete, and most patients can resume normal activities immediately after their treatment. To achieve optimal results, you may need to repeat the procedure every four to six months.
It is essential to realize that PRP therapy is not a cure for hair loss. To maintain your results, you would need multiple treatments over a period of time, but the frequency and number will vary depending on your specific condition.