Treatment for Hair Loss

Frequently Asked Questions

• What causes hair loss?
  The most common cause is androgenetic alopecia, in which inherited genes cause follicles to shrink over time. Other causes include hormonal changes, medical conditions, medications, stress, and nutritional deficiencies. The specific cause determines the appropriate treatment approach.
• How does hair loss differ between men and women?
  Men typically experience a receding hairline and a bald spot at the crown. Women usually notice overall thinning or a widening part and rarely develop complete baldness. Female pattern hair loss often begins after menopause. In both men and women, genetic factors affect the hair follicles.
• When should I see a dermatologist about hair loss?
  See a dermatologist at the first signs of increased shedding or thinning. Results are better when treatment begins early because maintaining existing hair is easier than regrowing hair that has been lost. Also seek evaluation for sudden, patchy, or rapid hair loss, which may indicate an underlying condition.
• What treatments are available for hair loss?
  Treatments include over-the-counter topical minoxidil, prescription oral finasteride, mesotherapy with scalp injections of minoxidil or dutasteride, platelet-rich plasma therapy, low-level laser therapy, and hair transplant surgery. Women may also use spironolactone. Treatment usually needs to continue to maintain results.
• Is hair loss reversible?
  It depends on the cause and when treatment begins. Early hereditary hair loss may respond to medications that slow further loss and stimulate regrowth. Once follicles have shrunk significantly, restoration becomes more limited. This is why early treatment is recommended.
• Can hair loss be prevented?
  Hereditary hair loss cannot be fully prevented, but early treatment can slow its progression. General hair-health measures include eating a balanced diet, managing stress, avoiding tight hairstyles that pull on the hair, and promptly treating underlying medical conditions.
• How is the cause of hair loss identified before treatment starts?
  The cause is identified by pattern and by exclusion, with the pattern considered first. Loss at the temples and crown in men, or widening along the part in women, fits androgenetic hair loss. Patchy loss with sharp borders suggests alopecia areata. Diffuse loss across the whole scalp that develops over a few months often follows an illness, pregnancy, a new medication, or rapid weight change, and it frequently recovers once the trigger passes. Redness, scaling, burning, or tenderness points toward an inflammatory or autoimmune process and makes prompt evaluation more important because some of these conditions permanently destroy follicles while active. Bloodwork can assess what the scalp cannot show, with thyroid function and iron stores among the usual checks. Because we have dermatology in house, this evaluation is available within the same practice as treatments that may follow.
• Does PRP therapy regrow hair, and who is a candidate?
  PRP concentrates platelets from your own blood and injects them into the scalp. The growth factors they carry are intended to prolong the growing phase of miniaturizing follicles. Evidence supports thickening hair that is still present considerably more than regrowing hair in areas that have been bare for years, so candidacy is central: thinning areas with visible follicles give PRP something to work with. PRP requires a course of sessions rather than a single treatment, and results fade without maintenance. It is the hair procedure we publish. If an evaluation points toward medication or transplant surgery instead, that can be established before you commit to a course of treatment.