If you’re one of the many who see hair loss or thinning every time you look in the mirror, you may feel powerless. Most hair loss is caused by genetic factors, hormones or amedical condition. In some cases,the cause is unknown.
Read more about how surgical hair loss treatment is a precise medical procedure performed by a hair transplant surgeon.
There has been a lot of publicity in recent times about a possible new treatment for hair loss (of any cause) that is called Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP). This is argued to be a “stimulation” therapy for hair loss. The theory is that the multiple skin growth factors that live inside platelets (the blood cells responsible for clotting) can be utilised to stimulate hair by “cracking open” the platelets after the patient’s own blood has been centrifuged (spun down). These growth factors are then re-injected into the scalp in areas of thinning hair.
The idea has been around for a while but the evidence for hair stimulation has not been strong. We do know that PRP is helpful with wound healing but it is less clear which thinning patients might benefit. One of the problems is that the technique has no stringent set of rules and different centrifuges produce different results. Current research is directed at assessing whether higher concentrations of growth factors produce a stronger stimulating effect on weakened hairs.
Another possible line of research involves combing PRP with an extracellular matrix product that acts as a scaffold to assist the effect of the growth factors. Further research is needed in this area.
At best, current evidence is inconclusive that PRP is as effective as other stimulatory products such as minoxidil or techniques such as low level laser therapy.
Hair transplant surgery restores healthy hair to the upper scalp, says hair loss specialist Dr Russell Knudsen.
Read more about Treating Mens Hair Loss
Introducing a game changer in hair transplant surgery. Dr Russell Knudsen is the first surgeon in the southern hemisphere to offer the Artas Robot for improved results in hair transplant surgery.
More about this Hair Loss Treatment
Are generic prescription drugs as effective for the treatment of hair loss as the original ones?
In recent years generic versions of finasteride and minoxidil have come into the marketplace. Generics appear when the patent period (typically 15 years) expires for the original company that process/markets a new drug. They are often made in the same facility as the original drug but are generally made by a respected manufacturer in a certified facility. It is worth noting that purchasing generics from overseas manufacturers does not always offer this protection.
The attractive feature of generics is their price as it is usually significantly lower. This reflects the fact that they did not do the original research which is very expensive. Generally speaking, the generics are well produced with equivalent effectiveness compared to the original. Compounding chemists also make variations on original products but the addition of other ingredients is not necessarily helpful.
Many minoxidil hair loss treatment lotions add ingredients such as azelaic acid and retinoic acid. There is NO evidence this increases the effectiveness of minoxidil. Indeed, there is NO evidence that any strength of minoxidil greater than 5% adds to effectiveness.
The FSP Hair Loss Program trial that was conducted at the Knudsen Hair Transplantation Clinic in Sydney’s Double Bay. It was supervised by noted hair transplantation surgeon Dr. Russell Knudsen.
Read more about the FSP Hair Loss Program
Currently the only ARTAS System in the southern hemisphere – the cutting edge technology in his machine is set to revolutionise the hair transplant process by providing a more precise and less invasive extraction technique than a human hand working a scalpel.
Read About the Hair Transplant Robot
Much confusion surrounds the difference between topical hair loss products (applied directly to the scalp) and internal products (taken by mouth). They both can be effective in managing hair loss but are NOT equivalent when trying to block the male hormone DHT.
DHT is produced in both hair follicle and the liver. If a topical product is aimed at the scalp hair follicle it will likely be less effective than oral blocking as the liver supplies DHT directly to the follicle via the blood. This is why finasteride needs to be taken orally to give the best effect.
In men with male pattern balding the oral use of blockers (e.g. finasteride) has proven to be far superior to the use of topical stimulants (e.g. minoxidil or laser). That said they can be successfully used together to produce even better results as they act in different areas.
For male pattern balding, effective therapy begins with a medical doctor