Hair Growth RestorationSchaumburg, IL

Understanding Hair Loss

While some types of hair loss are permanent, others are temporary. Hair loss can result from hormonal changes, genetics, medical conditions, or aging. Fortunately, there are treatments available to help regrow hair on a bald spot or thicken hair growth where thinning has occurred.

Hair regrowth depends on the type of follicles that a patient has. Follicles that have closed, scarred, disappeared, or not generated new hair in years will not be able to grow new hair. However, if the hair follicle is still intact, it may be possible to regrow the hair or improve thinner existing hair’s health.

Male Pattern Baldness

Anyone can lose their hair, but it is more common in men than women. Male pattern baldness, otherwise known as androgenetic alopecia, is a progressive condition that will result in permanent hair loss along the hairline or the scalp’s crown when left untreated. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, more than 50% of all men over the age of 50 experience some extent of male pattern baldness.

Typically, male pattern baldness has a hereditary cause. The hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) weakens the hairs’ growth cycle and gradually causes the hair follicle to shrink over time, producing thinner and shorter hair strands. Eventually, the growth cycle will end, the remaining small hairs will fall out, and no new hairs will grow back. Although patients cannot control their genetic makeup, it is possible to treat the effects of male pattern baldness prompt treatment.

Female Pattern Baldness

Androgenetic alopecia in women, also known as female pattern baldness, causes women to lose their hair in a different pattern than men. This condition causes the hair’s growing phase to slow down and shrinks hair follicles, resulting in finer hair that easily breaks. Women with female pattern baldness experience receding hair at the temples and can lose hair from all over their heads, starting at the part line.

Women are less likely to experience balding but may experience much thinning throughout the scalp. There are three types of female pattern baldness:

• Type I: thinning starts occurring around the hair part
• Type II: thinning increases and the hair part widens
• Type III: thinning occurs throughout the scalp with a see-through area at the top

Other Treatments

Oral and topical medications can help slow or reverse mild hair loss by improving hair growth and fullness in hair follicles that are not entirely dormant. Some oral medications can inhibit enzymes that lead to hair loss. Vitamins and minerals are also associated with hair growth, including iron, zinc, and vitamins A, B, C, D, and E.

Topical medications can also help stimulate hair growth by activating potassium channels in the follicle. This follicle activation causes growth factors and lipids involved in controlling inflammation and dealing with an injury, promoting hair growth. Other topical medications stimulate blood circulation to hair follicles, which fattens the hair shaft and strengthens the follicle. Patients should schedule a consultation to find the best treatment option for their needs.