Understanding Hair Loss: Causes and Treatments

Experiencing hair loss can be a frustrating and confidence-shaking ordeal. Understanding hair loss causes and treatments is vital for finding the right approach to restore your hair’s health and appearance and renew your self-esteem. Luckily, you don’t have to try random treatments blindly, spend hours upon hours researching home remedies, or buy sketchy products promoted by influencers to regrow your lost locks. You can enlist the help of SkinDC and eliminate the guesswork and uncertainty!

What Is Hair Loss?

Hair loss, or alopecia, refers to the thinning or loss of hair from the scalp or other parts of the body—today, though, we’ll focus specifically on hair loss from the scalp. It can range from mild thinning to complete baldness and can be temporary or permanent. Though commonly known as an older man’s issue, hair loss affects both men and women and can occur at any age. It happens when the hair growth cycle is disrupted, or hair follicles are damaged.

What Causes Hair Loss?

There are many causes of hair loss, and it affects everyone differently. Knowing the reason for your hair loss can make it easier to efficiently tackle your hair loss concerns and help you see results much more quickly! Possible hair-stealing culprits include:

Genetic Factors: If your family has a history of hair loss, you might experience it, too. This type, called androgenetic alopecia, often shows up as a receding hairline in men or thinning hair on top for women.
Hormonal Changes: Big shifts like pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, and thyroid issues can mess with your hair. These changes can cause your hair to shed or thin out.
Medical Conditions: Some health problems, like alopecia areata, make your immune system attack your hair follicles, leading to patchy hair loss. Infections like ringworm or diseases such as lupus can also cause hair to fall out.
Medications and Treatments: Certain drugs for cancer, high blood pressure, arthritis, depression, and heart issues can cause hair loss. Chemotherapy is widely known for this side effect because it targets rapidly growing cells, including those in your hair.
Lifestyle Factors: Stress, a poor diet, and bad hair care habits can all make hair loss worse. High stress can push hair follicles into a resting phase, causing more shedding. Not getting enough proteins, vitamins, and minerals can weaken your hair. Plus, over-styling, harsh treatments, bad products, and tight hairstyles can damage your hair, making it break or fall out.

How Does Macro-Imaging Help Diagnose The Cause For Hair Loss?

One of the ways we diagnose your hair loss and prepare a treatment plan is with an exam conducted by a hair loss expert. During your consultation, we evaluate your specific needs and customize a treatment plan just for you using macro-photography!

With high-definition camera equipment, we take detailed up-close photos of your scalp and hair from a few feet away. By doing this regularly, we can keep an eye on changes over time and give us a visual record of your hair’s progress, making it easier to spot any improvements or areas that need more attention.

We also offer a different type of treatment photography called trichoscopy if you want to deep-dive into your hair care. This advanced technique involves taking even closer close-up photos of your scalp and hair using high magnification. These images are then analyzed to measure key parameters that aren’t visible to the naked eye, like average hair diameter, hair counts, and follicle health.

State-of-the-art technology like macro-photography and trichoscopy can take creating an effective, personalized treatment plan for your hair loss to a whole new level, giving you the best shot at excellent results.

Understanding Hair Loss: Causes and Treatments

Hair Loss Treatments At SkinDC

Our treatment process is just as advanced as our diagnosis technology. We aim to deliver effective solutions that promote hair growth and improve hair health. Here’s a closer look at the treatments we provide:

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy

This popular treatment involves drawing a small amount of your blood, processing it to concentrate the platelets, and then injecting the platelet-rich plasma into your scalp. It’s a 100% all-natural and effective way to boost your hair’s health. The growth factors in PRP help stimulate hair follicles, promoting new hair growth and improving the thickness of existing hair.

ARTAS Hair Transplants

For those seeking a more permanent solution, we offer hair transplants using the ARTAS robotic system. This cutting-edge technology ensures precision and efficiency during the transplant process.

The ARTAS robotic system is an advanced, minimally invasive hair restoration procedure that uses robotic precision to select and harvest the best hair follicles from donor areas, usually at the back of the scalp. The system then creates recipient sites in the thinning or bald areas and precisely implants the harvested follicles. This method reduces the risk of human error, increases graft survival rates, and ensures a more natural-looking hairline and density. Recovery time is shorter compared to traditional methods, and patients typically experience less discomfort and faster healing.

Supplements & Medications

Not interested in having your blood drawn or a non-invasive surgical procedure? Don’t worry, we’ve got something for you, too!

We offer FDA-approved medications like Minoxidil and Finasteride to combat hair loss. Minoxidil is applied directly to the scalp and helps stimulate hair growth while slowing down male pattern baldness. Finasteride, taken orally, blocks the hormone responsible for hair thinning. These medications can be very effective when used consistently as part of your treatment plan.

In some cases, we recommend supplements with or in place of medications to support hair health from the inside out. Vitamins and minerals such as biotin, zinc, and iron are crucial for maintaining strong and healthy hair. Our hair care experts can guide you on the best supplements to include in your regimen to complement your overall treatment plan.

Low-Level Light Therapy

Last but certainly not least, SkinDC uses safe, low-level lasers to motivate hair follicles to grow and improve hair density. This non-invasive, painless treatment can be done in the office or at home with portable devices, making it a convenient option for many patients.

Most treatment plants will contain two or more of the above methods to ensure your hair loss is stopped in its tracks and put in reverse as quickly as possible.

Understanding Hair Loss: Causes and Treatments

Turn Hair Loss Into A Win!

At SkinDC in Arlington, VA, we’re dedicated to helping you achieve your hair restoration goals, no matter what treatment avenue you go down. Schedule your consultation with our team today, and let’s create the best treatment plan for your needs together.