Hair Thinning

Hair Thinning

The medical term for partial or complete hair loss is alopecia. Hair loss is a common problem that affects up to 50% of men and women throughout their lives, often causing emotional distress. The scalp and beard areas are the most commonly affected and, in certain cases, eye lashes, eye brows, and the body may be affected. 

There are three phases of hair growth: anagen, catagen, and telogen. Hair thinning is often categorized into one of these phases.  

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• The anagen phase is when hair is actively growing. The majority of the hair on your scalp is in this phase.  This phase lasts about 3–6 years.  

• The catagen phase is a transition period where hair follicles shrink and hair growth slows. This phase lasts about 2 weeks. Only 5% of your scalp hair is in this phase.

• The telogen stage is the resting stage. This stage lasts about 3 months and during this time, hair begins to fall out. It is common to lose an average of 100 hairs a day. When hair falls out, a new hair starts to grow in the same hair follicle, and the growing cycle begins again.

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Types of Hair Loss and Thinning

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• Androgenetic alopecia is the most common type of hair loss. In androgenetic alopecia, the growth (anagen) cycle shortens and thinner hair follicles are formed. There is a strong genetic component to this type of hair loss.

• Alopecia areata is a type of hair loss that is caused when the immune system attacks hair follicles. 

• Telogen effluvium occurs when large numbers of hairs enter the resting phase (telogen), which causes shedding and thinning. There are many causes for this type of hair loss including mental stress, surgery, illness, malnutrition, medications, childbirth, and fluctuations in hormones.

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There are also other causes of hair loss including endocrine, medication-induced, genetic, and other etiologies.  If you are uncertain as to what is causing your hair loss, we recommend you visit with a medical dermatologist prior to undergoing treatments.

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Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is used to treat hair loss and is typically safe and well-tolerated. PRP is derived from your own blood, which is placed it in a special tube and spun in a centrifuge. This process separates whole blood into its components including red blood cells, platelets, and plasma. The PRP contains high concentrations of growth factors which can stimulate cell division and migration, healing, and reduced inflammation in the tissue.

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What to Expect

The procedure typically includes three treatment sessions, separated by about 4-6 weeks. Maintenance procedures may be scheduled approximately 3 months after your last procedure. 

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Day before the procedure: 

• Increase your intake of fluids starting the day before your procedure by simply drinking two glasses of water in the morning, two glasses at lunch, and two glasses at dinner, in addition to your normal intake of water. 

Day of the procedure:

• Shower the morning of your treatment and wash your hair thoroughly using your regular shampoo.

• Do not apply sprays, gels, or any other styling products to your hair.

• Please eat a normal breakfast or lunch the day of your PRP session.

• Hydrate: Drink plenty of water at least 2 hours before your session.

Immediately following treatment:

• It is normal to experience bruising, redness, itching, swelling and/or soreness that may last from 2–5 days following your treatment. If you experience any pain or discomfort you may take Tylenol as directed.  

• You may have a bruise at the blood draw site.

• You may notice a tingling sensation while the cells are being activated.

The procedure takes about 30 minutes. A series of three treatments is performed about 4–6 weeks apart and maintenance treatments are performed approximately once every six months subsequently.

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