Dermatologists Explain What Hair Loss Clinics Can Offer

Independent dermatologists who specialize in treating hair loss believe patients should first get a medical diagnosis to make sure it’s genetic pattern thinning and not temporary shedding from having surgery, a baby, or extreme stress, or that it’s not a gland, hormonal, or immune problem, or even cancer.

‘The other thing we see is infections in the scalp from hair techniques, from weaves, from perms that are done irregularly. I have a number of patients that I’ve seen that have burned their scalp and that has led to hair loss’, explained New Orleans dermatologist Dr. Mary Lupo.

Chemical burns from salon relaxers need prompt treatment by a doctor with injections or the scalp will permanently scar, blocking hair growth. The only cure is hair transplant surgery. The doctors also use a drug called spironolactone for women with pattern thinning.

And they say the prescription medicines a hair loss clinic uses do work. And while they say the laser shows some promise, the hype may be ahead of the science.

‘We really only have two publications so far investigating its use specifically for hair. One of them I published in my fellowship. It was a small study. We had seven patients and we did find that there was some improvement but the results were not necessarily statistically significant. And it wasn’t for all patients. It was just a little bit of an average in the increase in the thicker hairs’, said Dr. Nicole Rogers, a Metairie dermatologist and hair surgeon.

‘I’m cautiously optimistic that with early hair loss of a purely genetic androgenetic alopecia mechanism, that we might see some improvement with this. I do not think it would do anyone any harm’, said Dr. Lupo.

And the doctors say the science is very weak that saw palmetto or any ingredients in shampoos increasing hair growth.

Still a hair loss clinic usually says its products help the laser penetrate better and stands by its results of using several treatments at once.

‘Excellent results. We have “before and after” comparisons. Our nurse takes pictures though a special camera on a microscope and you can see definitely, quite an improvement. Our clients are very happy’, said Dr. Michael Fuhrman of Delmar, New York. His specialty is in family practice and urgent care. He is a hair loss clinic medical director.

In hair loss clinics, the staff has access to doctors and nurses to answer questions. And if pattern baldness is not obvious, they will not make a medical diagnosis.

When asked if he ever recognized a medical condition and sent a client to a doctor, Zito responded, ‘We have. We have before’.

‘It’s for me and it’s, you know, at the end of the day, I’m the one looking in the mirror at myself. My wife does a good job of taking care of herself so the least I can do is give a little bit back to her’, says Brad Boudreaux, a satisfied client of hair loss clinic services.
Finasteride is prescription pills only for men to regrow hair. But Dr. Lupo says there is also one now for women called spironolactone.

Also a hair loss clinic usually has a laser comb that can be used at home.

Black Women May Be Prone to Baldness

Weaves, braiding and chemicals could cause scarring and baldness.

A number of black women in the UK could end up bald or with severe scalp scarring because they wear weaves and braids that are too tight, hair experts have warned.

The warning comes as a recent US study suggests that nearly 30 percent of middle-aged African-American women polled are already affected by severe hair loss—suffering from bald patches and scarring in the centre of their scalps as a result of their too-tight hairstyles.

Although not directly linking it to hair loss in the study, researchers also highlighted concern over the harsh chemicals some black women are using to relax or perm their hair.

“You have to stop and think about what you’re doing with your hair, and you have to look at your children’s hair,” study lead author Dr. Angela Kyei, a dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic, warned in a Businessweek report. “You have to start thinking about what might happen later on.”

UK hair and beauty experts have also warned that black women in this country are at risk of losing their hair.

“It’s possibly more of a problem here,” said Keith Hobbs, senior consultant trichologist at the Institute of Trichologists Clinic in Tooting, South London.

“Hair loss affecting black women in Britain is a closely guarded secret which causes much misery to its many sufferers. It is hard to say how many women are involved because they all cover their hair loss, but over 60 percent of my black patients have some degree of loss, ranging from small patches to complete loss.”

Hobbs, a hair and scalp disorders expert, told The Voice: “Black women in Britain are more at risk of hair and scalp problems than people living in hotter countries where the atmosphere is more humid, because the colder, drier air in Britain makes hair more likely to break.

“The various methods of adding hair and straightening hair traumatise it further. The various traumas that cause this problem include traction including weave-ons, plaits and extensions left on too long. Also scratching and over-massaging hair. Added hair is frequently used on bald patches, making the situation worse.”

He said damage could also result from “heat—Afro-nozzles on hot hair driers and heated tongs, (and) chemical relaxers and bleach, which must never be used together. The risk is obviously worse when the methods are used at home.”

Baldness: Concerns and Treatment Options

There are a variety of reasons for hair loss, but a popular notion is that hair loss is passed down through the maternal side of the family. As seen on The Doctors, a teenager whose father still has a full head of hair expresses concern that he will lose his hair because all the males on his mother’s side are bald.

Millions of American men and women suffer from hair loss and hair thinning but there have been great strides made to restore hair, including hair transplants. This is not the hair transplant of the past however. New technology uses FUE (follicular unit extraction) to remove strategic groupings of the follicular unit and the hair is placed where desired. Hair restoration specialist Dr. Alan Bauman, who has pioneered the administration of FUE in America, says, “The major advantage of any FUE procedure is the lack of a linear scar,” which erases the tell-tale line of demarcation that typical patients who have undergone hair transplants may have.

Early detection of whether you may go bald is also another option for the patient from the show. A genetic test is now available to see if a patient is susceptible to hair loss—a simple cheek swab can determine if someone is predetermined to be bald and if treated early, hair loss treatment such as topical and oral medications are most effective.

Also available is the Finasteride Response Test, which is recommended for patients considering the oral medication finasteride. According to the manufacturer, there are a certain percentages of patients that do not respond to finasteride and the test is important for anyone considering going on the medication.

The topical solution minoxidil is the only FDA-approved topical medication for male and female pattern hair loss. Minoxidil comes in 5 percent solution for men and 2 percent for women.

2 Types of Hair Loss Prevalent in Women

Everyone loses hair. It happens during your morning shower, while you’re blowing it dry, or when you give it a quick brush—and that’s normal. “On average, we lose fifty to a hundred hairs a day,” says Francesca Fusco, MD, a New York City dermatologist who specializes in hair loss. “That’s just hair going through its cycles, and there will be a new one to replace it.” But hair loss may be a sign of a more serious medical condition that needs an evaluation by a dermatologist and possible treatment. Here are types of hair loss mainly experienced by women.

Telogen Effluvium
Telogen effluvium is a phenomenon that occurs after pregnancy, major surgery, drastic weight loss, or extreme stress, in which you shed large amounts of hair every day, usually when shampooing, styling, or brushing. It can also be a side effect of certain medications, such as antidepressants, beta-blockers, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. During telogen effluvium, hair shifts faster than normal from its growing phase into the “resting” phase before moving quickly into the shedding, or telogen, phase.

The Symptoms
Women with telogen effluvium typically notice hair loss 6 weeks to 3 months after a stressful event. At its peak, you may lose handfuls of hair.

The Tests
There are no tests for telogen effluvium, but your doctor may ask you about recent life events and look for small “club- shaped” bulbs on the fallen hair’s roots. The bulbs mean the hair has gone through a complete cycle of growth, suggesting that the cycle may have sped up due to stress.

What You Can Do
In some cases, such as pregnancy or major surgery, you may have to bide your time until the hair loss slows. If medication is the culprit, talk to your doctor about lowering your dosage or switching drugs. If it’s stress-related, do your best to reduce anxiety.

Hereditary Hair Loss
Hair loss that is genetic is known as androgenetic alopecia and, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, is the most common type of hair loss. The gene can be inherited from either your mother’s or father’s side of the family, though you’re more likely to have it if both of your parents had hair loss.

The Symptoms
Women with this trait tend to develop thinning at the hairline behind the bangs, says Pamela Jakubowicz, MD, a dermatologist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. The condition develops slowly and may start as early as your 20s. You may be vulnerable if your mother also has this pattern of thinning. In some cases, the hair loss may be diffuse, meaning it’s spread across the entire scalp.

The Tests
Your dermatologist will examine the pattern of hair loss to determine if it’s hereditary and may order blood work to rule out other causes, Dr. Jakubowicz says. A biopsy of your scalp is sometimes done to see if the hair follicles have been replaced with miniaturized follicles, a surefire sign of hereditary hair loss.

What You Can Do
Slow the hair loss by applying minoxidil to the scalp twice a day. The drug works on both women and men, although women should use a lower-strength formula to prevent unnecessary side effects. Women should not use minoxidil if they are pregnant or nursing. Men may be treated with finasteride, an oral medication.

Hair Loss Solutions for the Balding Man

For many men, when they start to lose their hair, they adopt a resigned attitude to the prospect of going bald—after all, many don’t feel that there is anything that they can do to prevent it, other than shelling out what can be an awful lot of money for a complete hair transplant, which can produce rather poor results. Sadly, many men don’t even realize that there are products available for their condition that are proven and that have a strong track record of success.

There are several hair products that have been approved for use and that have demonstrated levels of safety and efficacy. These include finasteride, which is usually taken 1mg a day. Finasteride works only for male pattern baldness but has a 90% success rate when it comes to either regrowing lost hair or stopping the progression of hair loss.

There are many reasons you may wish to use an online clinic for hair loss treatments such as finasteride. As it is a vanity medication, finasteride is not available on the NHS, and although doctors are usually prepared to write a private prescription for finasteride, men often lack the time to go and see their GP every three months for their medication, often much preferring the convenience of services such as those offered by online clinics.

Looking online for hair loss treatments

If you suffer from hair loss and are interested in hair loss treatments, the internet could well be your savior. This is because the internet offers a great amount of both convenience and choice for those who are seeking hair loss treatments, with a wide range of online clinics operating from which you can conveniently and affordably purchase hair loss products.

The best online clinic offering hair loss treatment will offer hair loss treatments in addition to a high level of expertise in hair loss in general.

8 Remedies for Female Hair Loss and Hair Thinning

Hair fall is a very common problem most women are facing these days. Looking for an effective hair loss remedy? The best suggestion is to start the treatment before the problem gets out of hand. If you wear a hat or helmet regularly, make sure it isn’t pulling at your hair.

1. If you’re suffering from hair loss, it’s probably worth avoiding hats anyway, in order to give your skin a chance to breath.

2. Use artichoke leaves for hair growth. The leaves of this common vegetable make one of the most popular home remedies for hair growth amongst French country people. Simmer at least one dozen artichoke leaves in one cup of water for several hours, strain, and massage directly onto the scalp each night before bed. Store any excess in a labeled jar in the refrigerator.

3. Taking note of hair dressing is most important when it comes to natural remedies for female hair loss. Dress your hair loosely. Steer clear of tight ponytails or any other tight hairstyles. Tight hair dressing has adverse effects on hair growth.

4. Increasing your nutrient intake could also improve your overall health. Many foods are high in calories, but very low in nutritive value. Some researchers believe that the lack of nutrients in foods, these days, is a contributing factor to the hair loss epidemic.

5. Weight-lifting can have an indirect positive impact on your hair; cardiovascular exercise will in most cases be beneficial for your hair. Cardiovascular exercises helps get the blood pumping to your skin. This helps send nutrients to your scalp, where they are used to grow hair.

6. Make a rosemary vinegar rinse to increase hair growth. Rosemary is one of the herbs used most frequently in home remedies for hair growth. It prevents hair from falling out, and increases natural hair growth. Take one teaspoon of dried rosemary in one cup of boiling water for 15-20 minutes. Strain, and then add ¼ cup apple cider vinegar to the liquid. Rinse the hair with this solution each time you shampoo.

7. There are tons of homemade remedies to arrest hair loss. Applying a mixture of olive oil, rosemary, lemon juice and an egg yolk on the scalp is a great way to stimulate hair growth naturally. Applying red henna on the scalp also stimulates hair growth.

8. If you’re doing a lot of exercise, make sure you eat well so that your body has a good supply of nutrients for recovery and for your hair. Excessive exercise can drain the body of B vitamins, so you might consider supplementing with B vitamins if you’re looking a little rundown.

Iodine: Hair Growth Mineral to Combat Hair Loss

It is clear that the micronutrient iodine (as well as iron, magnesium, and zinc) is a key essential element for the normal growth and development in all of the body’s organ and tissue systems.

In fact, iodine in combination with the aforementioned minerals are often considered the best hair growth minerals you can take for healthy hair. And if you are currently experiencing hair loss, it may be a good idea to supplement with these, as hair loss can be one of the most common signs of a deficiency in iodine.

Iodine and Hair Loss

In regard to iodine and hair loss, we need to look at thyroid health. The thyroid gland relies on iodine to make the hormones necessary for the growth of healthy hair, teeth and bones. When we are deficient in this nutrient, the health of our hair can suffer, leading to hair weakness or total hair loss. Taking a safe nascent atomic iodine supplement may boost hair health and growth, and may event prevent or reverse hair loss.

Historically, farmers understood the relationship between iodine and the health of an animal’s coat. In fact, sheep farmers noticed that iodine-poor soils produced iodine-deficient plants, which in turn produced iodine-deficient sheep. And these sheep, consequently, produced the least amount (and poorest quality) of wool. It stands to reason that human beings are just as affected by iodine-poor soil and plants as animals are. And hair loss may be related to this decline.

Simply stated, iodine is a key element for hair strength and growth. While we may get some synthetic iodine in table salt, our body has a hard time assimilating it. Taking a nascent atomic, vegetarian form of iodine may prevent or reverse hair loss. There are even a few studies that support this evidence.

One 2001 study published in the Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology, & Leprology described the use of iodine as a treatment for patients with alopecia (hair loss), and found hair re-growth in a number of patients.

Taking an Iodine Supplement for Hair Loss

Consider supplementing with a high-quality, nascent atomic iodine supplement. This form of nascent atomic iodine provides you with the recommended daily allowance of iodine in a bio-elemental nanocolloidal state. You should also consider adding more iodine foods to your diet.

The Best Defense against Hair Loss

Hair loss is a dreaded event to many people, but unfortunately, if you have the hair loss genes, losing your hair is inevitable. You are not alone as hair loss or pattern baldness affects over 50 million people in the US and many people spend hundreds of dollars on questionable products that claim to effectively treat the condition to no avail. Most annoying is the fact that hair loss is sometimes not taken seriously and is many times the topic of late-night comedy. How many of you have heard the trite advice, “Hair loss? Wear a hat!”

You can easily recognize male- and female-pattern baldness (also known as alopecia or common baldness) as it is the most common form of hair loss in men and women. Individuals with male-pattern baldness usually start to see a receding hairline with the hair at the temple areas. This is followed by hair gradually receding to form an “M” pattern.

As the condition progresses, the hair on the crown of your head begins to thin and eventually this developing bald spot may lead to overall baldness. Over time, hair in a horse-shoe pattern around the sides of the head is all that is left. Female-pattern hair loss usually takes the form of overall thinning rather than receding hair as it does in males. Hair density or the number of follicles per square inch of scalp usually drops by half or more over a period of several years for those with the condition.

In addition to the change in hair pattern, there is also a change in hair appearance. Any remaining hair usually is thinner and grows below the normal rate. The shape of the hair often changes from long, thick, and pigmented hair into fine and unpigmented or vellus hair.

So for you, even though hair loss may be a fact of life, there are some effective treatments to help you fight against it. One such treatment solution is the use of laser combs, a home-use medical device that has been proven to work in clinical studies involving 400 subjects in promoting hair growth and helping to prevent further hair loss.

It is thought that laser phototherapy applied to the scalp directly by a laser comb affects the hair follicle by a process called photo-bio-stimulation, which leads to production of thicker and fuller hair. The nourishing laser light bathes the scalp and the cells of the hair follicles, causing an increase in energy production which helps to stimulate hair growth.

Female hair loss remedy

Hair loss in women is completely dissimilar from men and female hair loss remedy can also be different. There are several causes why women’s hair fall out like vitamin deficiencies, strong medications, crash diets, hormonal imbalances, high elevated stresses, malnutrition, and genetics or hereditary. In middle aged women, they experience hair loss when they get pregnant because the hormones in their body tend to fluctuate suddenly and this certainly causes their hair to fall out from the scalp, although physicians say that it is just normal and it is not something to be afraid of as the lost hairs will be replaced within the normal hair growth cycle.

Older women on the other hand are targeted by hair loss when they go through the natural process of menopause. Hair loss in women is in a diffuse manner which predominantly begins at the top or crown area. Diffuse hair loss is generally caused by hereditary but it can also be caused by underlying medical conditions like anemia, thyroid disease, and lupus.

Hereditary or genetic baldness in women, also called female pattern hair loss can be inherited either from the mother’s or father’s prevent hair lossside of the family. It is basically caused by the action of the 5-alpha reductase enzyme. Women also have the male hormone testosterone in their body but in lesser levels and the 5-alpha reductase enzyme convert the hormone testosterone which turns it into a much stronger hormone dihydrotestosterone or DHT. Female hair loss remedy for hair loss in women that is caused by DHT is typically an inhibitor of the chemical (DHT).

Most reputable hair care experts suggest to their female patients to get a product that has natural ingredients like the saw palmetto extracts. Women with pattern hair loss are also mandated to have a daily intake of the B vitamins, particularly vitamin B6 and Biotin as these two are very essential in both retaining and regrowing the hair. Almost all products we see in pharmacies are containing an herb called saw palmetto. This herbal plant is perceived to work effectively in blocking DHT formation in the scalp and hence a potent anti androgen. Herbal preparations nowadays are highly recognized by well known hair restoration specialists as potent and accurate female hair loss remedy.