August 15, 2022

It's National Hair Loss Awareness Month- Learn About This Common Problem

National Hair Loss Awareness Month. Male-pattern baldness, alopecia, thinning hair, alarming levels of hair fall. Concept[/caption] August was declared National Hair Loss Awareness Month back in 2001 by the American Academy of Dermatology in an effort to raise awareness of this all too common problem and its treatments. Hair loss is something experienced by millions of people of all genders and ages. Experts estimate that approximately 60 million men, 40 million women, and as many as 2 million children suffer from some degree of hair loss. Many of those suffering from hair loss may not seek proper treatment due to the stigma surrounding hair loss and its treatments. The goal is to break down those barriers and educate sufferers. Read on to learn about the history of hair loss and its many treatments over the years as well as proven modern treatments. Brief History of Hair Loss Treatments For as long as history has been recorded there have been accounts of hair loss treatments, some of which date all the way back to 3000 B.C. with the first record of wigs and hair pieces being used. In ancient Greece Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine mixed up a concoction of opium, horseradish, beetroot, various spices, and pigeon droppings that was applied to the head of a balding person. Needless to say, this remedy was not very effective. In ancient India, it was believed that standing on your head would stimulate hair growth. The ancient Celts had a ritual of stuffing mice into a jar and burying them by fire. It was believed that digging it up a year later would cure baldness. Another not-so-appealing tradition comes from China where animal testes were blended with rosemary and other herbs in safflower oil to massage the scalp. The Most Common Types of Hair Loss and Their Causes The most common type of hair loss is caused by heredity and hormone changes, and that is male and female pattern hair loss. This type of hair loss typically begins with subtle signs in the 20s-30s for men. For women, it can begin in their 30s but is most common after menopause. Telogen effluvium is another common type of hair loss that is brought on by a stressful event or medical problem. With this type, too many hair follicles enter their resting phase at the same time resulting in heavy shedding of hair with little to no new growth. This hair loss typically resolves after the event that triggered it has passed. Hair loss can also be caused by autoimmune reactions. Alopecia totalis is one such type that results in a total loss of hair from the scalp, while alopecia areata results in patchy hair loss. Scalp infections such as ringworm can also result in patches of hair loss. Hair Loss Treatment Options Thankfully hair loss treatment no longer requires smearing strange concoctions on your scalp or standing on your head. Today’s hair loss treatments are proven safe and effective. Which treatment is right for you will depend on the cause and severity of your hair loss. Hair Replacement- If your hair loss is excessive or complete, or if you need fast results, hair replacement may be the best option for you. Modern wigs and hair pieces look completely natural and provide instant results. Wigs come with the added bonus of being able to completely change your hair color or style in just moments whenever you’d like. PRP or Platelet Rich Plasma- There are naturally occurring stem cells and growth factors in your blood that affect hair growth. PRP treatments isolate those compounds and use them to prompt new growth in the hair follicles. Low-Level Laser Light Therapy- LLHT treatments use a low-level laser to transmit light energy into the hair follicles. This invigorates the circulation and rouses resting hair follicles to promote hair growth. Scalp Micropigmentation- This is a minimally invasive treatment that creates the illusion of fuller hair. It utilized needles that are the width of a human hair to deliver a specialized semi-permanent pigment just below the surface of the skin to visually fill in thin spots and make them less noticeable. Medications- When the cause of hair loss is autoimmune, medications such as steroid injections may be needed to stop the body from attacking its own hair follicles. Scalp infections like ringworm must be treated with antifungal medications. Without treatment, the infection can spread causing even more hair loss and can even spread to other parts of the body. Hair Transplant- If you have some thicker areas and some thin or bald areas, a hair transplant will help even things. Hair is removed from the thicker areas and transplanted to the thinner areas to fill them in. This surgical treatment may be combined with other less invasive treatments for even greater effect. Regardless of the cause of your hair loss, there is a treatment that can help restore your hair and give you back your confidence and self-esteem. The hair restoration professionals at Hair Restoration Institute will assess your hair loss and help you determine the best treatments to give you thicker, fuller hair. You can find us at 8030 Old Cedar Ave S Ste 202 in Bloomington, MN, or call 612-588-HAIR (4247) to schedule a private, complimentary consultation with our caring hair loss experts.