HAIR LOSS IN MEN & WOMEN

Hairfall can be the result of heredity, hormonal changes, medical conditions, or a normal part of aging. Anyone can lose hair on their head. There are a few causes of hair fall that includes,

Androgenic alopecia: This refers to hereditary hair loss, like male pattern baldness or female pattern baldness. It’s the most common cause of hair loss, affecting up to 50 percent of people that happens gradually.

Nutritional deficiencies: When essential nutrients may be missing from diets such as iron, copper, zinc, and proteins. The deficiency of vitamin D is another cause of hair loss. To avoid this, make sure to get out and soak up some sun.

Alopecia areata: This is an autoimmune condition that causes your immune system to attack hair follicles, resulting in bald patches that can range from small to large. In some cases, it might lead to total hair loss.

Anagen effluvium: This involves a rapid loss of hair. This usually happens because of radiation treatment or chemotherapy. Hair will usually regrow after the treatment stops.

Telogen effluvium: This is a type of sudden hair loss that results from emotional or physical shock, like a traumatic event, period of extreme stress, or a serious illness. It can also happen because of hormonal changes, like those that happen in:

• Pregnancy
• Childbirth
• Menopause

Hormonal Imbalance: This is usually caused by excessive dihydrotestosterone (DHT) conversion in women. Even though estrogen is the main hormone that women produce, testosterone and other androgens such as DHEA also occur in the female body.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): Women with this syndrome have a hormonal imbalance that creates higher levels of androgens than normal. This often causes hair to grow on the face and body, while the hair on the head grows thinner.

Tinea capitis: This is also called ringworm of the scalp, is a fungal infection that can affect the scalp and hair shaft. It causes small bald patches that are scaly and itchy. Over time, the size of these patches increases.

Traction alopecia: This results from too much pressure and tension on the hair, often from wearing it in tight styles, like braids, ponytails, or buns.

Extreme stress can cause sudden hair loss which could last for several months. Minimizing stress through exercise, meditation yoga and massages will reduce the chances of experiencing hair loss.

The following symptoms can provide some clues that one is experiencing hair fall.

• Loose hair: Check the brush or comb after using it. Is it collecting more hair than usual? If so, this may be a sign of hair loss.
• Bald patches: These can range in size and can grow over time.
• Widening part: When the hair is parted, one might start to notice the part getting wider, which can be a sign of thinning hair.
• Receding hairline: Similarly, if one notices their hairline looking higher than usual, it may be a sign of thinning hair.
• Clogged drains: One might find that the sink or shower drains are clogged with hair.
• Pain or itching: If one has an underlying skin condition causing hair loss, they might also feel pain or experience itching on the scalp.
• Dandruff: If one experiences dandruff, then be sure that there is hair fall.

There are many effective treatments done these days. The dermatologist will do a physical exam to give the right diagnosis and suggest the appropriate treatment.  Treatments for hair loss include medication and surgery.

1. Minoxidil (Rogaine): This is an over-the-counter solution and foam that is used on the scalp to help hair growth in the treatment of male pattern baldness and thinning hair in women. This medication takes time for the hair to regrow. Most people need to use this medication regularly for 4 -6 months to see the benefit. This medication must be used continuously to maintain hair growth.

2. Microneedling: Though this procedure is known for skin treatment, microneedling may also be a method of treatment for hair loss. There’s even evidence that it can help a special type of hair loss known as alopecia areata. It is shown that results are visible between 3-6 months.

• Here a roller with needles is used on the scalp. The size of the needles can range from less than 1 millimeter to a few millimeters in length.
• A topical anesthetic is applied to the scalp about 45 minutes prior to treatment. This helps to reduce any pain one might feel.
• After the scalp microneedling is completed, a topical balm is applied to the area or an injection is given, depending on the diagnosis.
• The procedure time can vary based on the size of the treatment area, but it generally takes less than 10 minutes.
• One needs to follow the aftercare instructions very carefully to prevent infections.

3. PRP: Platelet-Rich Plasma therapy is a three-step medical treatment used for hair loss in which a person’s blood is drawn, processed, and then injected into the scalp. PRP injections are said to trigger natural hair growth and maintain it by increasing blood supply to the hair follicle and increasing the thickness of the hair shaft. The 3 steps that are involved in this treatment are:

• Step 1: The blood is drawn from the arm and put into a centrifuge.
• Step 2: After about 10 minutes in the centrifuge, the blood is separated into three layers:
  • Platelet-poor plasma
  • Platelet-rich plasma
  • Red blood cells
• Step 3: The platelet-rich plasma is drawn up into a syringe and then injected into areas of the scalp that need increased hair growth.

For best results, consistency is key. PRP treatments are typically performed once a month for the first three to four months, and then every three to six months thereafter, depending on the individual patient’s response and results. Following this protocol, anticipated results can first be seen within two to three months.

4. GFC: Growth Factor Concentrate is a procedure that uses one’s own blood with a highly concentrated growth factor preparation that can be injected in the scalp and neck to promote hair growth. This treatment relies on obtaining several growth factors from your blood. These include platelet-derived growth factors, epidermal growth factors, insulin-like growth factors and even vascular endothelial growth factors. The steps involved here are almost similar to PRP.

• Around 16ml of blood is drawn from the arm.
• The blood is then gently mixed by inverting the tube 6-10 times and then allowing them to stand for approximately 30 minutes. This helps to activate platelets.
• Next, it takes around 10 minutes to derive the growth factor by centrifuging it. This helps in separating pure GPs from RBCs, WBCs, and other blood cells present in them.
• The final output will have 7-8 ml of GFC hair treatment that will be injectable.
• It is essential to note that the GFC treatment for hair takes around 3-4 sessions to start showing results. This procedure is most recommended by the dermatologists.

5. Hair Transplant: With the advancement in technology, surgeons are able to transplant healthy hair few a time, unlike the hair plugs which were placed in thinning areas in the 20th century. These improvements in creating the hairline and placing the hairs in the thinning areas also help create natural-looking results. Hair transplants are most commonly performed on the scalp but with the recent technology known as FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) This is a suture less method of hair restoration in which hair follicles are extracted from the back of head under local anesthesia with the help of special micropunches and implanted in the bald area.

HAIR LOSS TREATMENTS AT KLARA SKIN & HAIR CLINIC

We fully evaluate the many reasons for hair loss before deciding on an optimum treatment to halt the process and encourage hair strengthening and growth.

Struggling with hair loss? Don’t just accept it.

Speak to our friendly team at KLARA to discover how we can help you.