If you’re suffering from thinning hair or a receding hairline, you’re not alone; approximately 35 million men and 21 million women experience hair loss in the U.S., whether from changes in hormones, genetics, stress, aging, or a combination of these factors. Thankfully, there are now a variety of hair loss treatments men and women can choose from, ranging from pills and topicals to hair transplant surgery and PRP therapy. In today’s post, the PureLee Redefined team explains 4 things you should know if you’re considering hair restoration.
1. Hair loss treatments can be preventative or corrective
Hair loss treatments can be grouped into either “preventative” or “corrective” measures:
Preventative measures
Preventative measures are those that are intended to prevent further hair loss, and in some cases, encourage new hair growth. They work best for those who are still in their early stages of hair loss:
- Dutasteride/Finasteride is designed to slow down, stop or reverse hair loss by reducing levels of a hormone called dihydrotestosterone, or DHT.
- Minoxidil widens the blood vessels in your scalp to increase blood flow to hair follicles.
- Microneedling stimulates your hair follicles to encourage new hair growth.
- Mesotherapy with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell conditioned media. This is designed to drive and keep hair follicles in the active growth phase. The medial also contains twelve bio-identical growth factors and cytokines, each with proven efficacy in stimulating the hair follicle.
- Platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP) injections nourish and fortify your hair follicles, stimulating hair regrowth. PRP therapy is often combined with microneedling to both stimulate collagen production in the scalp and regenerate hair follicles.
- IV Vitamin Infusions which include vitamins, minerals, and biotin to provide nutritional support for hair growth. Learn more about IV Vitamin Infusions on our page here.
- Red Light Therapy or Near Infrared Light at specific wavelengths increase nitrous oxide which increases blood flow and nutrient to the follicles.
Corrective measures
Corrective measures consist of hair transplant procedures designed to drastically increase the amount of hair you have. These are recommended for individuals with more advanced hair loss:
- FUE hair transplant individually transplants hair follicles into other parts of your scalp with the help of technology.
2. Hair restoration will take multiple treatments
Whether you’re undergoing preventative or corrective hair restoration measures, or both, you will need multiple treatments. The exact number of treatments you will need will depend on 1) the extent of your hair loss, 2) your hair regrowth treatment(s), and 3) your provider’s recommendations. We recommend a series of 5 treatments to start.
For example, finasteride/dutasteride, Minoxidil/Rogaine, and low-level light therapy are all meant to be used on a daily basis, indefinitely. PRP + microneedling therapy typically involves 3-5 treatments in a 4-6 week period, with maintenance treatments every 4-6 months. FUT and FUE hair transplant surgeries, on the other hand, both require multiple treatments, but once optimal hair regrowth is achieved, non-surgical methods can be used to maintain your results.
Most hair restoration treatments take about 3-4 months to see initial results, and up to a year or more for full results.
3. Hair regrowth doesn’t happen overnight
They say good things come to those who wait, and this is definitely true for hair restoration. Finasteride/dutasteride, Minoxidil/Rogaine, low-level light therapy, and PRP + microneedling treatments all take about 5 months to see initial results, with full results taking shape around the 1-year mark. After their first year of treatments, most patients say their results continue to improve with time.
One of our lovely patients Josh kindly shares his Hair Restoration journey in this video:
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4. Hair loss treatments can be pricey
As can be expected, maintaining your hair restoration treatments can get expensive. However, considering that these treatments are working to stop and even reverse your hair loss, most patients agree they are completely worth the investment. After all, many people consider hair to be a central aspect of their identity and their perceived attractiveness. According to a 2005 study titled “The Psychosocial Impact of Hair Loss Among Men,” over 70% of male subjects reported hair to be an important feature of their image, and 62% agreed that hair loss could affect their self-esteem.
While hair restoration treatments can get expensive, most patients agree they are completely worth the investment.
5. Hair restoration treatments require aftercare
Your aftercare instructions will be based on your specific hair restoration treatment(s). We often recommend our PRP therapy patients use a pH-balanced shampoo for the first 3 days after their treatment, and a hair-thickening shampoo after that (look for one containing saw palmetto, as this ingredient is thought to target DHT). PRP hair restoration patients can also enhance their treatments with Finasteride/Dutasteride, Minoxidil/Rogaine, and even an at-home hair restoration kit, such as AnteAge Home Hair System.
Patients undergoing hair transplant surgery, or other preventative hair loss measures such as low-level light therapy, finasteride, and/or Rogaine, can benefit from following up their treatments with regular microneedling + PRP therapy to increase their hair growth and heal any scalp damage. Additionally, we often add an AnteAGE MD Growth Factor Solution to our PRP + microneedling hair loss treatments at our Colorado Springs medical spa.
What should patients avoid after PRP hair loss treatments?
PRP patients should avoid using hair products and wetting their hair for at least 12 hours after their treatment, and avoid saunas, steam rooms, vigorous exercise, sun exposure, and swimming for at least 2 days after treatment. They should also avoid alcohol, caffeine, and smoking for at least 3 days after treatment.
Restore your hair with PureLee Redefined
At PureLee Redefined medical spa in Colorado Springs, we help our hair loss patients restore their confidence with microneedling + PRP therapy. This effective combination has been shown to promote collagen within the scalp, prevent hair loss, and encourage new hair growth, all without surgery or downtime. Find out how you can look and feel your best with PRP + microneedling hair restoration by contacting us online or by calling (719) 452-8541.
