Hair loss treatments:
We specialize in non-surgical and surgical hair restoration. During a consultation with your facial cosmetic surgeon we will discuss what your family history of hair loss is like and the rate and areas you are losing hair. We will discuss your medical history to see if there are any controllable reasons for hair loss. We will then discuss what your goals are and then determine what is the best way to achieve your goals. -Medications: Medications that block testosterone, typically have a large side effect profile-Topical vasodilators: These include over the counter topicals like Rogaine. These work by dilating the vessels in the scalp, which allows increased blood flow to the hair follicles. These although effective tend to not be well tolerated because of the daily application of the creams and oils to the hair making the hair look greasy, patients often have a difficult time remembering to apply daily.-Light vasodilators: Light therapy similarly to topicals causes the vessels to dilate and bring more oxygen to the hair follicles. There are multiple options in the market place, including hats, combs and chairs that provide light treatments. In our practice we provide well tolerated and very effective options for hair restoration.
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections:
Almost anyone concerned about hair loss or with active hair loss is a good candidate for PRP injections. PRP injections are similar to fertilizer for your lawn. If we want to have a nice lawn, fertilizer gives us the nutrients and the supplements the grass needs to grow well. We draw your own blood, spin it down into PRP, this contains growth factors to help hair grow and to increase the amount of vessels in the scalp to bring oxygen to the hair follicles. The PRP is then injected throughout the scalp and in areas of concern. This is a simple process with no downtime. We perform this procedure typically under local anesthesia, but we do offer different forms of sedation for patients who have a lot of anxiety. We do a series of three injections spaced 6 weeks apart, then every 6-12 months we do a booster injection. Results will usually start to be seen after the 2nd and 3rd injection and continue to see some improvement up to a year. Hair begins to grow thicker, darker and patients notice less hair in the shower or on their hairbrush. It is important to know what PRP can and cannot do. PRP needs follicles to work on.
PRP does not work in areas of complete baldness, because it does not grow hair out of nothing. Similarly fertilizing a dirt field will not form a nice green lawn. PRP hair restoration works well for men who want to keep the hair they have longer and for women experiencing hair loss as well. PRP can also be used for patients undergoing hair transplant surgery to help the grafts take and to help them grow in stronger. This is similar to seeding a lawn then fertilizing it as the grass begins to grow.