Hair loss affects individuals across all ages and backgrounds, often deeply impacting self-image and confidence. Approximately 66% of men experience pattern baldness by age 35, while 40% of women face thinning hair by age 40. Understanding the types of hair loss, their causes, and the most effective treatments can help individuals regain their hair and confidence.
At Dermapure, we specialize in offering personalized solutions that blend medical expertise with advanced aesthetic treatments. From the early signs of hair thinning to more significant loss, our approach ensures you’re equipped with the knowledge and options to make informed decisions about restoring healthy hair.
The Hair Growth Cycle
Hair grows in a continuous cycle consisting of three distinct phases, each playing a vital role in maintaining healthy hair:
- Anagen Phase: This is the active growth stage, lasting 2 to 7 years depending on genetics and health. During this time, hair grows approximately 1 cm per month, totaling 12-15 cm annually. The longer the anagen phase, the longer your hair can grow.
- Catagen Phase: This is a short, transitional stage lasting about 2-3 weeks, during which hair follicles shrink and detach from their blood supply, preparing for the next phase.
- Telogen Phase: Known as the resting phase, this stage lasts 3-4 months. During this time, hair remains in place before naturally shedding to make way for new growth.
Disruptions to this cycle, caused by factors like stress, medical conditions, or hormonal changes, can push hair prematurely into the telogen phase, leading to excessive hair loss or diffuse thinning. Understanding this cycle is essential for identifying the type of hair loss and finding the most effective treatments to restore balance and promote hair regrowth.
Common Types of Hair Loss
- Androgenetic Alopecia: A hereditary condition and the most common type of hair loss, affecting both men and women. This condition is caused by sensitivity to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone that shortens the hair growth cycle and shrinks hair follicles. In men, it typically leads to receding hairlines and vertex thinning. In women, it often presents as diffuse hair loss or female pattern hair loss, characterized by a widening part line and reduced hair density. Treatments like topical minoxidil, oral finasteride, and PRP therapy can slow the rate of hair loss, stimulate hair regrowth, and improve scalp health.
- Alopecia Areata: An autoimmune disease that causes patchy hair loss on the scalp, beard, or body as the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles. Though unpredictable, it can be managed with corticosteroids, PRP therapy, and topical treatments to encourage hair regrowth. Addressing this underlying condition is crucial for reducing symptoms and promoting recovery.
- Telogen Effluvium: A temporary condition where stress, nutritional deficiencies (e.g., low levels of biotin or iron), or medications push hair prematurely into the telogen phase of the hair growth cycle, causing diffuse thinning. Restoring balance by addressing these underlying conditions and incorporating nutraceutical supplements can help hair return to its natural anagen phase.
- Traction Alopecia: Caused by prolonged tension on strands of hair due to tight hairstyles like braids or ponytails, this condition damages hair follicles, leading to thinning, scarring, and potentially permanent loss. Early intervention, such as loosening hairstyles, addressing scalp irritation, and applying topical treatments, can prevent irreversible damage.
- Anagen Effluvium: This rapid hair loss occurs during the active anagen phase, often as a side effect of cancer treatments like chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Scalp cooling caps can protect hair follicles, while nutritional support with proteins and vitamins can encourage hair regrowth once treatment is completed.
What Causes Hair Loss?
Hair loss can result from a variety of factors, often involving disruptions to the hair growth cycle or damage to the hair follicles. Common causes include:
- Genetics: Androgenic alopecia, also known as male pattern baldness or female pattern hair loss, is the most common type of hair loss. It is hereditary and linked to family history, often involving sensitivity to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which shrinks follicles and shortens the anagen phase of growth.
- Hormonal Imbalances: Conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or thyroid disorders can disrupt the hair growth cycle, often resulting in thinning hair or diffuse hair loss. Hormonal changes during pregnancy or menopause can also accelerate shedding.
- Stress: Chronic stress triggers telogen effluvium, a condition where strands of hair prematurely enter the telogen phase (resting phase), leading to noticeable shedding. Emotional or physical stress, surgery, or major life events are common triggers.
- Nutritional Deficiencies: A lack of essential nutrients like biotin, zinc, iron, or vitamin D weakens the structure of hair follicles, slowing growth and increasing the risk of breakage. Maintaining a nutrient-rich diet supports healthy strands of hair and prevents excessive hair loss.
- Medications: Certain drugs, such as chemotherapy agents, antidepressants, and treatments for blood pressure, can lead to anagen effluvium or diffuse hair loss by targeting rapidly dividing cells, including those in the hair follicles.
Diagnosis at Dermapure
At Dermapure, we focus on accurately diagnosing the type of hair loss and its underlying causes to provide the most effective treatment. Our process includes:
- Initial Consultation: We review your medical history, family history of hereditary hair loss (such as androgenetic alopecia), and lifestyle factors like stress, diet, and hair care practices. This helps identify triggers for pattern hair loss, traction alopecia, or diffuse thinning.
- Scalp Examination: A detailed evaluation of your hair follicles helps detect scalp irritation, infections like tinea capitis, or inflammation from conditions like alopecia areata or cicatricial alopecia. We assess patterns such as vertex thinning, patchy hair loss, and overall rate of hair loss to gauge severity and progression.
- Diagnostic Testing: Advanced tests may include blood work to measure DHT, thyroid levels, and nutrients like biotin, iron, and vitamin D, which are vital for supporting the anagen phase and healthy hair. In rare cases, a scalp biopsy or hair strand analysis may confirm conditions like scarring alopecia or anagen effluvium.
- Photography and Progress Monitoring: High-quality photographs document your hair density and strands of hair, establishing a baseline to track improvements in hair regrowth and the effectiveness of your treatment for hair loss over time.
- Personalized Treatment Plan: Based on your diagnosis, we create a tailored plan using topical minoxidil, PRP therapy, laser therapy, or nutraceutical supplements, ensuring your treatment is customized to restore healthy hair and confidence effectively.
Aesthetic Medical Treatments for Hair Loss
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy for Hair Loss
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy is a cutting-edge treatment that leverages the body’s natural healing abilities to address hair thinning and androgenetic alopecia. The process involves drawing a small sample of blood, which is processed to isolate concentrated platelets rich in growth factors. These platelets are then injected into the scalp, where they promote tissue regeneration, enhance blood flow to the hair follicles, and stimulate the anagen phase of the hair growth cycle.
Patients frequently experience thicker, healthier hair and decreased shedding after completing a series of sessions. This minimally invasive treatment is a safe and effective option for managing hereditary hair loss, patchy hair loss, and other forms of diffuse thinning, making it a popular choice for individuals seeking to restore healthy hair and improve scalp health.
Exosome Therapy for Hair Restoration
Exosome therapy is an advanced regenerative treatment that enhances cell communication and stimulates hair follicle activity by delivering a high concentration of bioactive molecules, including growth factors, nucleic acids, and exosomal proteins. Unlike PRP, which depends on the patient’s platelet quality, exosomes offer a consistent and potent solution, regardless of individual health factors.
When applied after microneedling or other scalp treatments, MSC-derived exosomes help reactivate dormant follicles, extend the anagen phase, and improve overall scalp health. Their anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties also aid in reducing oxidative stress and optimizing tissue repair, making exosomes a powerful cell-free alternative or complement to PRP for hair restoration.
Scalp Treatment: HydraFacial Keravive
HydraFacial Keravive is an advanced scalp therapy designed to optimize the scalp’s environment, a crucial factor for supporting healthy hair regrowth. This innovative treatment combines multiple steps to cleanse, nourish, and rejuvenate the scalp:
- Cleansing and Exfoliation: Removes dead skin cells, excess oil, and impurities that can clog hair follicles, inhibiting growth.
- Hydration: Delivers a blend of customized nutrients and hydrating serums directly to the scalp to nourish strands of hair and improve overall scalp health.
The results include enhanced circulation, reduced scalp irritation, and visibly healthier hair. HydraFacial Keravive is suitable for all hair types and effectively addresses concerns such as dryness, flakiness, and diffuse thinning, promoting long-term hair regrowth and vitality.
Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT): Fotona HaiRestart
Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) is a non-invasive and effective solution for managing hair loss. The Fotona HaiRestart treatment utilizes advanced laser technology to target and stimulate dormant hair follicles, enhancing overall scalp health and promoting hair regrowth. Key benefits of this treatment include:
- Reactivating the Anagen Phase: Encourages the active growth stage of the hair growth cycle, leading to new hair development.
- Improved Scalp Circulation: Increases blood flow to the scalp, delivering essential nutrients to the follicles.
- Boosting Collagen Production: Strengthens the scalp and supports the growth of thicker, stronger strands of hair.
This painless treatment is highly effective for conditions like pattern baldness, androgenetic alopecia, and traction alopecia. Patients often notice significant improvements in hair density and scalp vitality with regular sessions. Fotona HaiRestartMD works synergistically with at-home care and other aesthetic medical treatments, providing targeted support for individuals experiencing excessive hair loss or seeking to optimize scalp health and hair regrowth.
A Dermapure Signature Treatment Plan
At Dermapure, we combine the most advanced aesthetic medical treatments into a comprehensive plan tailored to address your specific type of hair loss and scalp health. Our signature approach integrates the benefits of PRP therapy, HydraFacial Keravive, Low-Level Laser Therapy (Fotona HaiRestartMD), and DE|RIVE to deliver results.
This synergistic treatment plan targets hair follicles at every stage of the hair growth cycle, enhancing scalp circulation, stimulating the anagen phase, and supporting long-term hair regrowth. By combining therapies, we ensure maximum effectiveness for managing conditions like androgenetic alopecia, female pattern baldness, diffuse thinning, and traction alopecia.
Our experts will guide you through a customized regimen designed to promote thicker, healthier hair, reduce excessive hair loss, and restore confidence with a personalized solution tailored to your needs. Contact Dermapure to start your journey toward optimal scalp health and hair restoration today!
