Non Surgical Hair Treatments Can Work
If you are facing early hair loss, hair regrowth treatments can be the answer. Seeking expert advice is the first step. Request a consultation with Dr. Ken Williams today.
Hair Loss can be Stressful and Frustrating
The change in a patient’s appearance can be the source of great concern, emotional distress, and even depression or anxiety disorders. The “youthful appearance ” dramatically impacts a human being’s personal mental or emotional health.
Hair transplantation may not be the appropriate first step for younger patients with early hair loss. Current practice standards encourage a conservative approach and to delay hair transplantation with medical stabilization as the initial therapy.
What Can You Do If You’re Not Ready For Hair Transplantation?
Young patients concerned about early hair loss will usually be offered alternative options for cosmetic improvement.
Medical management is a proven method to increase hair density. Dr. Williams examines all patients and advises on the best options for retaining cosmetic appearance and hair density while awaiting hair transplantation.
Medical stabilization with DHT inhibitors such as Finasteride, Minoxidil, regenerative procedures, or laser systems often provide greater hair density. Once the hair loss stabilizes or an increased hair density with medical stabilization is realized, then hair transplant surgery may be considered.
What issues affect the decision for early hair transplantation?
Patients with a strong family history of hair loss-are at an early age are at high risk for experiencing moderate to severe hair loss in their lifetime. Hair transplantation at an early age may have negative effects such as donor depletion, i.e., the hair at the back of the head that is used for transplantation.
The greatest risk for younger patients who undergo hair transplantation is progressive miniaturization of the hair follicles and hair loss over decades.
Hair loss that begins at an early age is not always predictive of how much hair will eventually be lost over decades, or the eventual Norwood pattern of hair loss. Hair transplantation when a patient is young eventually depletes the donor region early when the greatest extent of hair loss has not been reached.
Hair transplantation before an appreciation of how much donor demand and donor supply is available typically causes an unnatural appearance decades later. Hair transplantation in patients with unstable hair density may result in an unnatural appearance.
Medical Treatments for Hair Loss
Hair loss may be slowed or even new hair growth stimulated by medical hair loss treatments. Two treatments approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are finasteride (Propecia®) and minoxidil (Rogaine®). Minoxidil is topically applied and is available without a prescription. Finasteride is a prescribed drug taken orally in pill form. The medical treatments may be used separately or in combination, as recommended by the physician hair restoration specialist.
Medical treatment may retard the rate of hair loss and preserve an acceptable appearance until the physician determines hair transplantation can be undertaken. Medical treatment is typically continued as a complement to hair transplantation. It is important to recall that hair loss is progressive and hair transplantation procedures may have to be continued for some years to keep pace with continuous hair loss.
Actual Patient 26 y/o male medical stabilization with Finasteride and Minoxidil
Cosmetic Cover Up or Camouflage Products
A number of non-prescription products offer “camouflage” for thinning hair. They are applied to the scalp and/or hair to give the appearance of “fullness” to thinning scalp hair. Some are applied directly to the scalp to disguise the appearance of bald scalp under thinning hair. Some are fibers that attach to hair to “bulk up” the appearance of thinning hair. All camouflage products are offered in a variety of colors to match natural hair color.
Camouflage agents may be, for some young men, an acceptable short-term solution to improved cosmetic appearance while they wait for hair transplantation.
Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP)
Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP) is an outpatient procedure that imparts greater density with medical grade inks that are put into the dermis of the scalp. This is a simple procedure that can be performed with a laser or needle based SMP device. The body digests the medical pigment over a few years, and the hair density is less. In order to maintain the appearance of greater hair density, the procedure will need to be repeated.
Ready to see which Non Surgical Procedure is Right for you?
Speak with Dr. Ken Williams Today