A full and luxurious head of hair has always been a symbol of youth, health and virility. Unfortunately, so many people suffer from the loss of hair – thinning hairlines, bare scalp sections or even complete baldness.
According to Everyday Health, over 80% of men and nearly 50% of women in the US over the age of 50 are suffering from a form of hair loss. Since hair is one of the first things people notice, it’s understandable that there’s an obsession with finding a remedy for restoration. And the great news is that with modern science, we can offer solutions that actually work at our offices in San Ramon, Livermore and Hercules.
A Brief History of Hair Restoration Techniques
Going as far back as 4000 B.C., humans have been obsessed with restoring hair loss. The Ancient Egyptians rubbed their balding heads with a special mixture that included donkey hooves. Thousands of years later, the Romans used a type of berry in a paste they applied onto scalps (rumor has it that’s why they had to come up with those fashionable Caesar comb-overs).
By 1000 A.D., the Celtics had a remedy for baldness that sounds more like a magic spell and by the turn of the 21st Century, British doctors believed baldness was simply prevented by exercise and good hygiene.
Why A New Cure for Hair Loss?
Hair loss is more common than most people realize. When it occurs for men, it typically begins in the mid to late 20s. Women are more likely to lose their hair in their 40s or 50s. It can be devastating to self-confidence and can potentially make a person seem older. And no one likes when it happens to them.
There are lots of methods to reduce hair loss and create hair growth, but nothing as natural and as easy to have administered as microneedling with platelet-rich plasma.
Why Does Hair Loss Occur?
Hair loss can occur for a variety of reasons, almost all of which are out of your control.
Your hair growth cycle may be disrupted by:
- Hormonal changes
- Stress
- Malfunctioning immune system
- Lack of sufficient iron or vitamin D
- Thyroid issues
- Genetics
But opting to have the latest in effective hair restoration techniques used on you is a decision you are in charge of.
What’s Microneedling?
Microneedling is a minimally invasive cosmetic procedure in which your doctor uses tiny needles on the surface of your skin. These miniature needles are applied to your epidermis, helping to stimulate the renewal of skin cells, collagen and elastin.
When they’re used in the areas of thinning hair on your scalp, microneedles are able to create a gateway to your hair follicles for stimulation right at the root of hair strands.
What’s PRP Therapy?
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy uses parts of your blood that have been isolated for the purpose of accelerating the healing of injuries and the growth of other cells. Typical uses include assisting injuries to muscles, tendons and ligaments.
It’s also been proven to help support the reversal of male pattern baldness by applying your PRP to areas of thinning. Learn more about how we use PRP here.
How Do Microneedling and PRP Work for Hair Loss?
When microneedling and PRP therapy are combined, they encourage hair growth since your body’s healing response to the needle pricks acts like an amplifier for the PRP. Microneedles open channels to your hair follicles, allowing your PRP direct access to begin invigorating and strengthening them.
Most hair loss originates from the breakdown of hair follicle structures, making them unable to grow hair as they once did. When PRP is infused right into the follicles, it supplies nutrients to revive them and jumpstart the regenesis process.
Benefits of PRP treatment include:
- Simple, nonsurgical procedure
- No general anesthetics or surgery
- Performed in-office
- Little to no pain or discomfort
- Takes under an hour
- Little to no downtime
- Natural-looking results
This is the most natural treatment available today that heals exanimate hair follicles and supports renewed hair growth. Dr. William Ting and the team here at California Dermatology Care are pleased to offer this solution to patients in Northern California.
How Is PRP for Hair Loss Performed?
PRP procedures are performed in our office, typically in under 60 minutes. First, we draw one to two syringes of your own blood which is placed into a medical centrifuge device. This is what separates the plasma solution from other components of the blood to create your concentrated PRP serum. Our clinic is committed to the ‘Double Spin’ protocol to maximize concentration and increase the efficacy of your treatment.
A local anesthetic can be applied to your scalp to reduce any possible discomfort if desired. Small, surface-level injections are made at half-inch intervals across all treatment areas. Then your PRP serum is added to the areas of hair thinning.
Once your treatment is completed, you can continue with your day as usual with little to no downtime.
Does PRP Therapy Really Work?
Studies have shown that PRP microneedling is an extremely effective treatment for hair loss. A typical hair growth cycle can last anywhere between four to six years. PRP treatments lengthen the active growth stage. During this time, PRP works to repair both the underlying blood vessels in the scalp and hair follicle structures.
By lengthening your hair growth stage, PRP results in more hair, with thicker and denser coverage on your scalp. This will reduce the appearance of thinning and gives you a more youthful look. Within the first few months of consistent treatments, you’ll begin to see visual improvements in hair growth that can continue indefinitely, especially with future maintenance appointments.
Check out our before and after gallery.
Ready to Grow More Hair Again?
Microneedling with PRP treatments are performed here at California Dermatology Care, as a safe and effective solution for hair loss, a difficult thing to experience. But there’s no reason to believe that you have to put up with it anymore.
If you’re interested in learning more about what you can do to prevent and reverse hair loss, please contact California Dermatology Care at 925-328-0255 or visit our contact page to learn how Dr. Ting can help you!
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