Did you know it’s normal to lose up to 100 hairs/day? 

Did you know that for providers to appreciate hair loss in patients they don’t see everyday, the patient would have had to have lost 50% of their hair? FIFTY percent! 

Most patients with hair loss haven’t lost half of the hairs on their head. But compared to their baseline, it can be significant and distressing. There are treatment options for hair rejuvenation and we recommend being aggressive at Skin Synthesis. 

Let’s talk about the normal hair life cycle. There are three phases in the life cycle for our hair: 1) Anagen phase is the growing phase (every follicle grows for 2-6 years), 2) Catagen phase is the resting phase (lasts months), 3) Telogen phase is when the hair falls out. With alopecia, there is a shorter cycle of hair growth and shorter/thinner strands of hair result with a delay in new hair growth.  

There are a variety of causes of hair loss. The most common cause is androgenetic alopecia (AGA), also known as pattern hair loss. For women, the part widens and thins. For men, the hairline resides or they develop a balding spot on the back of the head. Postpartum women can develop hair loss resulting in clumps of hair falling out in the shower. Hormonal changes and stress are common causes for hair loss or thinning. Many are losing their hair as a result from increased stress. This is called telogen effluvium and it commonly occurs 3-6 months after a major, stressful event. There’s also a variety of medical conditions that can result in alopecia. It’s important to identify what type of hair loss you have to ensure the appropriate medical treatments are recommended. 

In pattern hair loss (AGA) and telogen effluvium, there is an up-regulation of perifollicular 5-alpha reductase which results in a progressive miniaturization of the follicles. Apoptosis (cell death) follows along with a decrease proliferation of epidermal keratinocytes and follicular fibroblasts. Inflammation is also present. These conditions result in a reduced growing phase so follicles fail to reach the scalp surface and compounding the problem there is a prolonged falling out phase so the hair is thin and vellus. 

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO TREAT HAIR LOSS? 

Start by incorporating hair vitamin supplements into your daily lifestyle! We recommend Nutrafol.  

NUTRAFOL CLINICAL BENEFITS:  

• Visibly thicker volume 
• Visibly less shedding 
• Hair that grows faster, stronger, and longer 
• Visibly thicker lashes and brows 
• Reduces feelings of stress 
• Improves sleep 

PLATELET RICH PLASMA:

Platelet rich plasma (PRP) can be injected into the scalp. Our platelets contain alpha granules, growth factors, and proteins which can stimulate hair growth by promoting the telogen shedding phase to anagen growing phase transition. Ideal candidates for PRP must have dormant hair follicles. Individuals with no hair follicles at the target site will not respond to treatment and are not candidates. 

How does it work? PRP can reactivate hair follicles that have become inactive in individuals experiencing premature hair loss or thinning of hair. By injecting PRP into the scalp to target and stimulate dormant hair follicles, many patients can regrow their hair and/or see a thickening of their hair! PRP helps to decrease inflammation associated with hair loss and promotes the creation of new blood flow to nourish follicles.  

This is a minimally invasive procedure with a short recovery that can have a very impactful result for those suffering from hair loss. The best results are obtained when therapy is started early and when there are still active follicles; a PRP treatment series is needed for optimal clinical results. Most individuals see optimal results with a series of 3-4 treatments. 

We recommend treating hair loss with combination therapy. This means incorporating Nutrafol, prescription medications (as applicable), PRP, and red-light therapy. For those with improvement, it’s important to recognize they will need maintenance PRP injections to retain results. 

Things you can do before your PRP hair restoration treatment to improve your clinical outcome: 

❌ Stop drinking alcohol days to a week before and after the procedure.

❌ Avoid herbs (ginger, ginkgo, garlic, green tea) that prolong bleeding time before and after treatment.

❌ Do not work out for 24 hrs after the procedure.  

❌ Stop taking NSAIDs or aspirin before or immediately after. (Tylenol is ok). 

✅ Come well hydrated. Drink plenty of water the days leading to the treatment.

✅ Eat pineapple. It contains Bromelain which helps reduce bleeding and prevents bruising.  

✅ Take Arnica before & after. 

If you are experiencing hair loss or thinning, we recommend you be proactive and schedule a consultation with us at Skin Synthesis to discuss treatment options.