What treatments are available for hair loss?
/Treatments available for hair loss
When experiencing a sudden onset of a hair shedding, or a noticeably thinner crown, panic sets in , and you immediately reach for all the lotions and potions that are advertised on the internet, on the shelves of every chemist and many more.
It’s become a massive business as the issue of hair thinning and hair loss has increased over recent years.
First and foremost, ensure you seek advice from a qualified Trichologist; this is an individual who has studied the science appertaining to hair and scalp disorders.
GPs knowledge is not as in-depth as a Trichologist, so may not be able to give you the time or advice that essential to help with such distressing matters.
The institute of Trichologist web site will give you the names of the members who are qualified and experienced in your area or near you.
After your consultation and diagnose you will be advised on what treatment is available and a follow up appointment to measure your progress.
So what are your options? what treatments are available ?
It really does depend on the underlying issues you are experiencing and blood tests results are also a key indicator to underlying medical issues that can contribute to your hair loss issues.
However for male and female pattern hair loss, the most important step is to stabilise the hair recession / loss from progressing.
Minoxidil , which is a topical lotion ,will assist in maintaining the hair growth cycle in its growing phase, hence reducing the risk of miniaturisation of hair follicles in the resting phase.
This treatment is a topical application to the areas of hair loss, generally frontal margin, vertex, and crown.
Applied 2x daily over a period of up to 12 months before any noticeable improvement can be seen,
Quite often the patient will complain they can see no improvement, this is a good sign, as it also indicates you have not seen any further progression, meaning we have stabilised the hair growth cycle in a growing phase.
Other treatments available are finasteride; this is an oral medication, which you would need a consultation with your GP, as there are side effects that need to be taken into consideration.
Finasteride blocks the conversion by a 5a reductase enzyme from testosterone to Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) not allowing the androgens to cause male and female pattern loss.
Plasma replacement procedure or PRP , is a treatment with many features and benefits , not just for healthier hair growth but also acute and chronic tendon ruptures, rotator cuff, muscle tear sub cranial syndrome to name but a few.
To summarise this complex procedure, your own blood is taken and placed into cartridges that are then placed into a centrifuge, this is run at 1500 rpm for 5 minutes .Once the procedure has been followed your blood is injected into the scalp on the areas of hair loss.
This requires a course of injections before any benefits are seen, and is quite often used in conjunction with hair transplant surgery.
The HairMax Laserband 41 is a FDA-approved medical device to treat both men and women with hair loss. HairMax devices have been proven to be successful at treating men and women at seven clinical trials.
The HairMax Laserband 41 is a hands free device that features FLEX-FIT to comfortably fit all head sizes. This device features 41 medical grade lasers that provide nourishing laser energy to each of your hair follicles.
Hairmax lazer band can also be used in conjunction with PRP, Minoxidil , Finasteride and hair transplant surgery,
Prior to embarking on any hair treatments always ensure you have seen a reputable qualified Trichologist, or dermatologist.
To summarise
A treatment plan can involve more than one pathway of treatment.
Most treatments will take a minimum of up to 12 months before you notice any stability.
So be patient and always follow the instructions and advice of the professionals.
Take pictures at each stage so progress can be measured.
All the treatments recommended are available on the following web site.
click on trichology, click on lifestyle pharmacy
Trisha Buller MIT SRSH
April 2018
