Top Reasons for Hair Loss
Did you know that you lose between 50 and 100 hairs per day? This may seem shocking, but your hair follicles consistently replace what’s lost each day. Except when they don’t.
For some people, production begins to falter, and they can no longer keep up with the loss. At this point, hair loss becomes evident.
There are many reasons for hair loss. Fortunately, plastic surgery can address certain types of hair loss.
The Main Reasons for Hair Loss
Millions of Americans experience some sort of hair loss. 25% of women have visible hair loss by the age of 50, and 50% of men experience balding. And while stress is a big reason for hair loss, it’s not the only one. There are a few other major factors that can contribute to visible hair loss.
- Genetics
Genetics is the most common cause of hair loss. Androgenic alopecia is the medical term for male-pattern and female-pattern baldness that affects so many people. And it’s not just among those who are approaching their golden years. Androgenic alopecia starts affecting men in their late teens and 20s and women in their 30s (though most experience it after menopause).
Researchers believe that genetics can affect hormones in such a way as to cause androgenic alopecia. Hormonal changes that come with pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause can also cause temporary or permanent hair loss.
- Mistreatment
Be kind to your hair! Mistreating your scalp or hair can negatively impact the follicles’ ability to produce more hair and lead to long-term hair loss. Styling with excessive heat and harsh chemicals is harsh on the scalp and the hair. Over-manipulating the hair can also cause tugging, which weakens the follicles.
In addition, is you’re mistreating your body with an unhealthy diet, it’s going to impact your hair as well. With the proper nutrients and vitamins, it will lose its strength and vitality.
- Medical Conditions and Treatments
Several medical conditions and/or treatments can cause temporary hair loss. Thyroid issues, for example, can contribute to temporary hair loss.
There’s a condition known as alopecia areata that affects hair follicles in a way that causes small bald patches on the scalp. Scalp infections can cause hair loss, as can the mental disorder trichotillomania that creates the uncontrollable urge to pull out one’s own hair.
Then there are treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation that cause hair loss. Drugs that treat several conditions, including high blood pressure, gout, arthritis, depression, and heart problems, can have hair loss as a side effect.
How Plastic Surgery Can Help
For patients struggling specifically with androgenic alopecia (or even those with early hair loss), a plastic surgeon who offers PRP therapy is a great option. PRP stands for platelet-rich plasma.
It’s believed that PRP injections not only trigger natural hair growth, but they maintain it by increasing blood supply to the hair follicle and increasing the thickness of the hair shaft. The actual process of PRP hair restoration is performed in three steps.
First, you get a standard blood draw from your arm. Next, the tube of blood is placed into a centrifuge to isolate the plasma from the red blood cells. Finally, the plasma is injected directly into your scalp at the level of the hair follicles. The injections are made approximately every half inch over the area where the hair is thinning.
The entire procedure usually takes less than 30 minutes and there is minimal downtime. It’s as easy as that.
Could You Benefit From Plastic Surgery for Hair Restoration?
Depending on your reasons for hair loss, you could find success with PRP hair restoration.
As mentioned above, those who benefit from PRP hair restoration therapy are patients with androgenic alopecia.
If this sounds like you, the best course of action is to set up a consultation with a board-certified surgeon who can determine if PRP is right for you. So contact us today.
