What Is Hair Loss?
We usually shed anything up to 100 strands of hair a day. But if the count is significantly more, you are experiencing hair loss. You may also notice bald patches on your head or feel a significant reduction in your hair volume. Hair loss can affect your eyebrows and beard too. In many people, it steals away confidence and causes chronic stress, which further adds to hair loss.
What Causes Hair Loss?
There can be many causes of hair loss. Below we have mentioned some of the most commonly observed ones:
- Genetic predisposition
- Advanced age
- Alopecia areata (an autoimmune disease)
- Hormonal imbalance because of pregnancy, PCOS, or illness
- Poor diet, lacking in iron, zinc, and biotin
- Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption
- Overuse of hair products
- Use of harsh hair products
- Unmanaged dandruff, psoriasis, eczema, etc.
- Straining hairstyles
- Scalp infection or injury
- Side-effects of other medication, like cancer treatment
How Is Hair Loss Treated?
The nature of treatment for hair loss depends on the root cause of it. In most cases, supplements and a good diet can complement the treatment. Oral medicines and topical medicines go hand in hand to address hair loss problems. Let’s understand a few more aggressive treatment options below for a permanent solution to severe hair loss.
- PRP Treatment: In plasma-rich protein therapy, plasma is extracted from your own blood and injected into your hair follicles which boosts their growth. It is a minimally invasive procedure but is less permanent than the alternatives. You can start seeing better volume from 3 months on. The results typically last for 12 months, post which you may need to go for a follow-up session.
- Hair Restoration Treatment: This method is commonly known as hair transplantation. In this surgical procedure, hair follicles are extracted from one area of the body and transplanted where more volume is desired. It is done under local anesthesia but you can easily resume normal activities in 24-48 hours. It gives permanent results while requiring no special care in the long term. Within 6-12 months of the procedure, you can expect to see more hair in the transplanted area.
- Stem Cell Therapy: In this new age treatment, stem cells are harvested from below the fat layer of your skin and injected into hair follicles. They can also be taken from healthy hair follicles without damaging the existing ones. Stem cells help repair and restore tissues. So, when injected into hair follicles, they can restore damaged ones and strengthen weak roots. It is much less invasive than hair transplantation and gives equally natural-looking tresses in 4-6 months.
If you have a treatment that feels more comfortable for your lifestyle and choices, discuss it with your trichologist to check your eligibility and devise a tailored plan.