If you’re experiencing hair loss, you might have already searched the internet for ways to restore your dead hair follicles. Hair loss can be caused by a lot of things, and the good news is that there are options available for those seeking to restore hair growth. But which treatment will work best for you? We are here to explain why your hairs fall out, the proven treatments to restore your hair, and where to start. If that’s the information you’re looking for, read on.
The Hair Growth Cycle
Hair follicles go through three distinct phases:
Anagen:
- This is the stage when your hair is actively growing. It can last from two to seven years.
- Your hair follicles are busy producing new hair cells, making your hair longer and visible above your skin.
- How long this phase lasts depends on things like your genes, age, and overall health.
Catagen:
- After the active growth phase, your hair moves into a transitional phase called catagen. This phase only lasts a few weeks.
- During catagen, your hair follicles shrink, and their connection to blood vessels weakens. This causes your hair to stop growing and detach from its blood supply.
- Even though the hair follicle is still there, it’s getting ready for the next phase.
Telogen:
- This is the resting period of the hair growth cycle, lasting about three months. Your hair follicles are dormant, and your hair is firmly anchored in place.
- While the old hair stays put, new hair starts forming underneath it, preparing for the next growth phase.
- Eventually, the old hair falls out naturally during activities like washing or brushing, making space for new hair to grow and the cycle to start again.
It’s natural to lose some hair on a daily basis. The average person loses about 150 hair strands every day. These hair strands are usually replaced by new hairs. The problem starts when the rate of hair loss exceeds the rate of hair regrowth. This leads to noticeable thinning or bald patches.
What Causes Hair to Fall Out?
Hair loss can occur when the growth cycle is disrupted, causing follicles to prematurely enter the resting phase (telogen) or become permanently damaged. Several factors can contribute to this disruption, including:
- Genetics: Androgenetic alopecia, commonly known as male or female pattern baldness, is a hereditary condition linked to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the hormone that causes hair follicles to miniaturize, leading to premature hair loss.
- Hormonal Changes: Fluctuations in hormones, such as those experienced during pregnancy, menopause, or certain medical conditions, can disrupt the hair growth cycle and lead to temporary or permanent hair loss.
- Stress: The hair loss condition caused by stress is called telogen effluvium. Hair loss from telogen effluvium is usually temporary. Once the stress is gone, your hair usually grows back on its own without needing treatment.
- Medical Conditions: Certain medical conditions like alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease, can cause the immune system to attack hair follicles, leading to patchy hair loss.
- Medications: Some medications, such as chemotherapy drugs and certain antidepressants, can cause hair loss as a side effect.
- Lifestyle Factors: Poor diet, nutritional deficiencies, smoking, and inadequate sleep can contribute to hair loss by affecting the overall health of hair follicles. For instance, iron deficiency anemia can lead to hair loss.
Related article: What Causes Hair Thinning On One Side?
Scientifically Proven Ways to Regrow Hair
Depending on the cause and severity of hair loss, several options can help stop or manage ongoing baldness and even restore hair growth. Here are the most popular hair loss treatments to consider:
Oral and Topical Medication
- Finasteride: This prescription medication is primarily used to treat male pattern baldness. It works by blocking the conversion of testosterone into a more potent form that can shrink hair follicles.
- Minoxidil: This topical medication is available over-the-counter and approved for both men and women. It works by stimulating blood flow to the scalp and increasing the size of hair follicles, promoting thicker and faster hair growth.
PRP Treatment for Hair Loss
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy involves injecting a concentration of a patient’s own platelets into the scalp. Platelets contain powerful growth factors that can stimulate hair follicle repair and promote new hair growth. While research is ongoing, PRP therapy shows promise as a minimally invasive treatment for hair loss.
Hair Transplant
Hair transplants are surgical procedures that involve transferring healthy hair follicles from a donor area on the scalp, typically the back or sides, to a bald or thinning area. There are two main techniques for hair transplants:
In this minimally invasive procedure, individual hair follicles are extracted in units from the donor area using a specialized punch tool. The extracted follicles are then meticulously transplanted into tiny recipient sites created on the balding area.
The main advantage of this technique is that it doesn’t leave a linear scar on the back of the head. However, FUE may take longer and cost more than FUT to perform because the follicular units have to be extracted individually.
This technique involves removing a strip of scalp from the donor area. The strip is then dissected into individual follicular units containing one to four hairs. These follicular units are then transplanted into the recipient sites.
FUT leaves a linear scar on the back of the head, but this can be easily hidden by the surrounding hair, making it unnoticeable. Although some patients don’t like the idea of having a linear scar on their scalp, FUT hair transplant allows surgeons to harvest a significant number of grafts in one session and is often more cost-efficient than FUE.
Commonly Asked Questions about Hair Transplant
Do I need a hair transplant?
Getting a hair transplant is a personal choice and only a qualified surgeon can tell you whether a hair transplant will give you the best results and what technique. We recommend consulting an experienced hair transplant surgeon.
Which hair transplant method is best for me?
The best hair transplant method depends on a lot of things, including your specific hair loss pattern, the density and quality of your available donor hair, and your aesthetic goals. There are two main hair transplant techniques – FUE and FUT.
Both these methods can deliver remarkably natural-looking results, but only when performed by a qualified hair transplant surgeon with a long history of success like Dr. Keene.
Does a hair transplant leave scars?
Both FUE and FUT hair transplants can leave scars, but the visibility and size of the scars differ. FUT leaves a linear scar along the donor area where the strip of the scalp is removed, which can be concealed by surrounding hair.
On the other hand, FUE leaves tiny, dot-like scars scattered throughout the donor area, which are less noticeable and can often be disguised by surrounding hair.
How much does a hair transplant cost?
The cost of hair transplant can vary widely depending on your provider’s location, your surgeon’s expertise, the technique used (FUE or FUT), the number of grafts needed, and additional services and treatments. A consultation with a hair transplant surgeon will give you a personalized quote.
Related article: Is Hair Transplant Expensive?
Best Hair Transplant Clinic Tucson, AZ
Millions of men and women struggle with hair loss, but it doesn’t have to define you. At Physician’s Hair Institute, we offer personalized hair restoration solutions to help you achieve a thicker, fuller head of hair. Call us to schedule a consultation today. We serve patients in and around Tucson, Scottsdale, Phoenix, Chandler, Glendale, Paradise Valley, Mesa, and the greater Arizona area.
