Ask An Expert: Is It Actually Possible To Regrow Hair
Every guy is at risk of losing his hair, some more quickly than others. It sucks. The follicle itself shrivels up and is rendered incapable of regrowing anything. This type of hair loss is called androgenetic alopecia, often referred to as male pattern baldness. This plays out in two ways: the thinning of each hair and the overall loss of density. But, in certain cases of alopecia, these losses are not truly permanent. At least, not right away. Sometimes, it can be slowed down or delayed.
So there’s hope! If youve been losing hair or if you think youre at risk of hair loss of thinning, then read on for some possible fixes. The insight and advice comes from Dr. Francesco Fusco, MD of Wexler Dermatology in NYC. His main point? You’ve got to be proactive.
Fusco says that theres something called miniaturization happening at the follicular level when a hair falls out. Miniaturization refers to the slow shrinking of the hair follicle and the diminution of the hair within, until eventually the follicle no longer exists, she says. The remaining tiny hair falls out and nothing grows back. She says that this is often genetic and caused by a hormone called dihydrotestosterone , which is a byproduct of testosterone. DHT clings to the follicle and then slowly shrinks it. This most commonly happens at the temples, the crown, and the front of the head.
There are some common solutions and some uncommon ones:
Finasteride To Lower Your Dht Levels
Research shows that the most effective way to prevent male pattern baldness from worsening is to block DHT using medication.
Right now, the only DHT-blocking medication thats approved by the FDA for treating hair loss is finasteride, a prescription treatment that comes in tablet form.
You may have heard of finasteride as Propecia®. Today, its also sold as a generic medication under a variety of different brand names.
Finasteride works by inhibiting the 5-alpha reductase enzyme, which converts testosterone into DHT within your body.
This can stop your receding hairline from getting worse, and in some cases, may also stimulate hair regrowth in the parts of your scalp with thinning hair.
A study published in the journal, Dermatologic Therapy, has shown that finasteride works well as a treatment for male pattern baldness, including some research in which 80 to 90 percent of men experienced improvements in hair growth.
One study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology showed that finasteride helps to improve hair count around the hairline.
On average, it takes around three to four months for finasteride to produce a visible change in your hair and approximately one year for final results.
Can Thinning Hair Grow Back
Thinning hair can grow back depending on what caused it to thin in the first place. Individuals who experience thinning hair due to nutrient deficiencies, stress, pregnancy, and other non-genetic reasons could experience regrowth.
If youre experiencing new hair loss or hair thinning, its best to consult your doctor. Some medical conditions can be associated with thinning hair.
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How Thinning Hair Occurs In Women Vs Men
A healthy scalp has around 80 percent of its hair follicles in the growing stage while the other 20 percent is in the resting stage. Hair thinning and loss occur when that vital growing state either slows down considerably or stops.
What causes hair to thin out for women? Just like our bodies change with age, most women notice some hair thinning as they get older. This is quite natural. Its said that by the age of 50, half of women will complain of hair loss. If a womans thinning hair is related to female-patterned hair loss, then the thinning is believed to be 90 percent genetic and 10 percent hormonal. Youll probably be surprised to learn that female-pattern baldness affects about 30 million American women. You cant change your genetics, but thankfully, you can work on the hormonal aspect .
Thinning hair in women typically occurs slowly all over the entire scalp without a recession of the hair line . If a woman has female-pattern hair loss, it can lead to extreme hair thinning but rarely leads to baldness.
What about thinning hair in men? For men, hair thinning can start as early as puberty and progress for many years to come after that. The thinning usually begins above the temples and travels around the perimeter and top of the head. Ultimately, this can result in a ring of hair often referred to as a horseshoe remaining along the bottom of the scalp. For a lot of men, hair thinning continues until there is no hair left resulting in a completely bald scalp.
Changes That Help Prevent Hair Loss Due To Tight Hairstyles
Anyone who frequently wears a tightly pulled hairstyle can develop hair loss. In fact, theres actually a medical term for this type of hair loss. Its called traction alopecia .
You can reduce your risk of developing this type of hair loss by following these dermatologists tips.
Avoid frequently wearing hairstyles that pull on your hair. Every once in a while, its OK to wear your hair tightly pulled back, but you want to avoid wearing a tightly pulled hairstyle every day. The constant pulling can cause strands of your hair to break or fall out.In time, the continuous pulling can damage your hair follicles. If you damage your hair follicles, your hair cannot grow back, so you develop permanent hair loss.Hairstyles that constantly pull on your hair include:
Avoid wearing hairstyles that pull on your hair
If you often wear your hair tightly pulled back, the first sign of hair loss may be broken hairs around your hairline or thinning hair where your hairstyle pulls tightly.
Loosen up the hairstyle. When you wear your hair pulled back, loosen the hairstyle a bit, especially around your hairline. To reduce the constant pulling, you can:
Loosen up your hairstyle
If your hairstyle feels painful, the style is too tight.
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Why Is My Hair Suddenly Thinning
Suddenly thinning hair could be caused by a variety of reasons, such as a period of extreme stress, pregnancy, discontinuing birth control pill use, hormonal changes, a high fever, or pulling at your hair.
Sudden hair thinning thats persistent or hair falling out in clumps could be the sign of an underlying medical condition. Talk with your doctor if this occurs.
Hair Follicle Miniaturization Under The Microscope
As we mentioned above, the presence of hair follicle miniaturization is one of the easiest ways for doctors to distinguish AGA from other types of hair loss.
In healthy heads, or the heads of those who suffer from other types of hair loss, most hairs are generally similar in diameter . Zooming in at the scalp of someone with AGA, however, reveals a different picture. Between healthy hairs are interspersed hairs that are undergoing various stages of miniaturization. The result is hair strands of distinctly unequal size, i.e. greater hair diameter diversity . You can see how healthy hair compares to miniaturized follicles here.
Miniaturized hairs will be most common in parts of the head that are actively thinning, . Over time, all the remaining hairs in the affected area will miniaturize and eventually disappear. The result is then complete baldness.
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Get Familiar With Prp And Lllt
PRP and LLLT are two next-level methods used to keep hair strong. They stand for Plasma-Rich Platelets and Low-Level Laser Therapy, both of which are worth inquiring about with your doctor.
With PRP, a blood sample is extracted from the patients arm, and then it is placed in a centrifuge to separate the plasma from the blood. Plasma contains certain proteins and growth factors that may help cellular repair and regrowth of hair follicles, Turner says. This is why the plasma is then injected around the head to jumpstart hair follicles and boost hairs growth and strength.
Then there is LLLT. Low-level laser therapy is an emerging method to treat hair loss, as it may stimulate cellular regrowth and improve blood circulation, Turner says.
These technologies, along with other emerging techniques, can evolve quickly. Theyre often quite expensive, too. So, its important to speak with your doctor about effective treatments that work for you.
Consider A Hair Transplant
If the hair is gone, then the only way to fill that hairline back in is a hair transplant. And dont let that scare youtransplants are much more effective these days, as opposed to the plugs of the past. Doctors can now implant hairs uniformly, densely, and at the proper angle of growth. They can also do so without leaving any scar tissue from the donor site . While hair transplants can be expensive in the US, theyre much more cost-friendly if you get them overseas.
And since they take the hairs from the rear of your headhair that is not genetically designed to recede, thin, and fall outthe effects are lasting. Though, be warned: You will need to keep taking other proactive measures, like finasteride and minoxidil, to keep the rest of your hair full and strong.
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A Change In Your Hairline
The most obvious first sign of balding is a noticeable change in your hairline that you can clearly see.
Baldness often begins in the hairline, with the flat or mildly receded hairline you previously had turned into a more obvious M-shaped hairline.
For most people, this begins around the temples and the crown and often starts with thinning hair rather than total hair loss.
If you can compare two photos taken years apart and see that your hairline has receded, its an obvious sign that youre suffering from hair loss.
One important thing to be aware of is that lighting conditions can affect the appearance of your hairline.
Hair may appear thinner in bright downlighting .
This makes it important to compare photos with similar lighting conditions, not one photo taken in natural light and another taken in bright artificial light.
If youre really concerned about hair loss, you can photograph your hairline or the top of your head every few months in the same lighting conditions to see if your hairline is receding.
Over the course of a year or two, you should be able to determine whether or not youre losing hair around your hairline.
If you notice hair loss, its important that you take action as soon as possible to prevent it from getting worse.
Quick Tips To Prevent A Receding Hairline
2. Use herbal hair care products to protect hair from chemicals.
3. Regular exercise.
4. Sound sleep of at least 6 hours in a day.
5. Manage stress levels.
6. Regular oiling and massage of the hair.
7. Protect hair from UV rays and pollution.
8. Clean your hair twice or thrice a week to avoid clogging of hair follicles.
9. Avoid using styling products that produce heat.
10. Skip over-brushing to prevent hair from becoming weak and dull.
The Last Word
Losing hair after a certain age is natural. Ayurveda’s intrinsic and holistic approach can help you prevent a receding hairline. But before that, you need to know your dosha level, to opt for the right hair treatment. At Vedix, we provide a natural hair care regimen made of Ayurvedic herbs, based on your dosha levels.
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Long Term Treatments For Curing Hair Thinning
After knowing your condition, you need not freak out. Instead, think about some solutions to get over or hide thin hair. Long term solutions take too much time to cure the problem but regrow your hair naturally. Some of the natural and long-term treatments are:
For Severe Hair Loss Consider A Hair Transplant
Finally, if you have a severe receding hairline that doesnt seem to improve with finasteride and minoxidil, you may want to consider undergoing a hair transplant.
Hair transplantation is a type of surgical procedure that involves removing hair follicles from the side and back of the head, and then transplanting them into areas with hair loss.
Done by a skilled surgeon, a hair transplant can make your hairline look full, thick and identical to a natural hairline thats unaffected by male pattern baldness.
Although hair transplant surgery is effective, it has a major downside: It aint cheap. If you have an obvious receding hairline and severe hair loss, this type of procedure may come with a minimum price tag of $4,000 or more.
You can learn more about this type of procedure, its advantages and disadvantages, different techniques and more in this guide to hair transplants.
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I’m A Woman And My Hair Is Thinning In The Front At The Bangs
By | Submitted On August 19, 2009
The other day I received an email from someone who said that she had noticed a lot of thinning of the hair in her bang area – so much so that you could see the white of her scalp where her bangs met the top of her head. She asked me what could be causing this and what she should do about it. I’ll tell you what I told her in the following article.
Things That Can Cause Your Hair To Thin In The Front: The first thing that I asked her was if she had noticed any increase in the amount of hair that she had been shedding or losing. As the bangs are often more sparse to begin with, this can be one of the first places that you notice over all thinning or shedding. And, telogen effluvium is a condition that occurs because of changes in your body. In females, common culprits are changing hormones, stress, pregnancy, giving birth, going off of birth control pills, thyroid issues, and other things. Typically, it takes a couple of months between the stress or change on your body until you start to notice more hair coming out. As I said, the bangs are one place where you will start to see the thinning first since this area has less hair to begin with. If you have this condition, you will often know it because you will shed hair all over – not just in the front. And, you will see more clothes on the floor, on your clothes, and in your brush.