Follicle Follies!

Sure, the ladies love a smooth, shiny, and shaved head they can rub and show their man some love.  On the contrary, the ladies aren’t looking for the same affection.  Women also love thick locks they can run their fingers through after a good long kiss.  Sometimes, neither are really in the cards and the man is left feeling lost, less attractive and without any answers or solutions. For many women, hair loss is real and can have great affect on her self-confidence.  Let’s face it, no one really wants to lose their hair, unfortunately, nature takes its course whether we want it to or not.  Luckily, nature CAN be tweaked a tad, leave that part, to us.

 

Stats on Stats

Studies show that men can start losing their hair as early as 19 years of age, while others may not lose one strand until they cross over the 50-year mark.  Women can start male pattern baldness or come down with Androgenic Alopecia early in their 20’s due to hormonal imbalances.  Women can also permanently lose patches of hair such as eyebrows, eyelashes and even on her head after childbirth due to the rush of certain hormones.  Approximately 35 million men suffer from hair loss a year in America, while 21 million women deal with the issue.

Myth Busters

It’s Momma’s Fault

Momma can be responsible for those beautiful baby blues or your pearly whites, but you can’t blame her for your bald head.   Hair follicles are determined by both sides of the hereditary gene pool, so dad is equally responsible.

If you have a family full of baldies, you can pretty much bet on your follicle fate.  Although, the family tree isn’t always the most accurate picture of what’s the come.

Mom may have great hair and you could very well have lucked out with her locks, all we’re saying is, dad has some DNA in there too.

Stressed Out

Of course, stress is the underlying cause of several negative health issues in today’s world, but one thing it rarely causes is baldness.

People in high stress situations such as a new job or a woman with a new baby can lose hair, but in most cases, actual Alopecia is not brought on by stress.

Hormones can be factor in a new baby situation or possibly in a mid-life Man-shift of testosterone, but that is still a very rare cause of permanent hair loss.

Baseball Caps and Baldness

Be it a baseball cap, fedora, or cowboy hat, none of the above will cause you to lose your hair.  A hat can be on too tight and literally rip your hair out (we guess), but simply wearing a hat won’t wear out your hair follicles.

 Treatment Options

There are several options out there, some can be evasive and costly while others don’t really help much.  The hair loss industry has quadrupled over the last 20 years due to technology and the emotional trauma hair loss can cause.  Before we let you in on Elite’s hair restoration secret…we want to help you weigh all your options with help from our friends at The Baldness Club.

Low-Light Laser Therapy (LLLT)

LLLT is a non-invasive effective hair loss treatment that uses laser light to stimulate cell growth in hair follicles. It works by shifting hair follicles into the growth stage in multiple ways.

This therapy increases the production of ATP and the metabolic process of the cells.

The light works to increase blood flow and nutrients to the hair follicles.  This encourages dormant follicles to reawaken and rejuvenate hair follicles that have started to die.

Primarily, LLLT is used to treat male pattern baldness, various studies have shown that it can slow down or stop hair loss in up to 85% of patients.  Moreover,  up to 55% experienced new hair regrowth.

What it doesn’t do…

• It is not effective at re-growing hair where baldness has existed for many years.
• Also not effective at re-growing hair on completely bald scalps, where hair follicles are dead.
• It is only effective on active follicles or follicles that lay dormant.

For this reason, it is advised to commence Low-Light Laser Therapy as soon as possible, in the earliest stages of hair loss for the best results.

Combining LLLT with other therapies is also shown to increase the effectiveness of each of the treatments alone.

It is a therapy that is expensive, extremely time consuming and necessary to be undertaken for the rest of your life. LLLT will stop working if treatment is discontinued.

Many are not FDA approved.

Hair Transplant

Hair transplantation is surgical treatment for hair loss the removes hair follicles from one part of the scalp to a balding part.

Grafts of skin containing hair follicles resistant to balding, such as the back of the head, are transplanted to areas of the scalp where hair follicles are not resistant to balding.

Hair Transplant Solution

Most hair transplants are performed to treat the most common form of balding, which is male pattern baldness.

Hair transplantation is not a miracle cure for male pattern baldness. That is because the hair follicles transplanted will eventually succumb to the same fate as the previous follicles that were once active in the same location on the scalp. Yes, it will cover your scalp in the interim, but it will not prevent future hair loss and it is recommended for transplant recipients to undertake other forms of hair loss treatment in conjunction with their transplant if they want to slow down the balding process in years to come.

Hair transplants are extremely expensive and as discussed are not a permanent solution so one may want to consider if this type of surgery is worth the expense and the time and effort.

Rogaine (Minoxidil)

Rogaine is a best-selling topical solution for hair loss that does provide a degree of success for some men.

The active compound is called minoxidil and is proven to be effective in up to 50% of men who try it.

Rogaine is popular because it doesn’t have many side effects. It needs to be applied twice a day, morning, and night for as long as you want to restore any hair loss.

Scientists are not exactly sure how minoxidil works but it is suspected that it stimulates hair growth by making hair follicles larger, which may increase blood and nutrient flow to the follicles.

ELITE’S FIX

Elite’s Hair Restoration

Androgenic alopecia is caused by the androgen dihydrotestosterone [DHT]. It is the most common type of hair loss in both men and women. Although most of the time it is invisible, almost all people experience some form of hair loss, and this process usually starts between ages 12-40. By the age of 50, 50% of the population will experience visible hair loss. The preferred treatment for androgenic alopecia is topical minoxidil, but when Minoxidil is combined with Retinoic acid, improved cellular growth, and enhanced collagen synthesis is observed. Fluocinolone reduces skin irritation and suppresses inflammation caused by androgenic alopecia.

Studies show that 80% of men and women who applied Fluocinolone on a regular basis saw regrowth and thicker hair density.

Methyl cobalamin (Vitamin B12)

Methyl cobalamin is an essential water-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in many functions in the body, including:

• DNA synthesis
• Improves Energy levels and concentration.
• Nerve cell health & neurological function
• Red Blood Cell formation
• Immune function
• Helps improve sleep patterns.
• Prevents certain types of Hair loss.

 

Beyond Our Products

Saw Palmetto

Saw palmetto extract is available in tablet, liquid or tea form.

Native Americans ate the berries from the Saw Palmetto palm to ease urinary and reproductive problems among other conditions.

There is evidence to support it is effective at treating an enlarged prostate.

Saw palmetto is thought to be effective by blocking 5-alpha-reductase, an enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT.

DHT is said to be responsible for male pattern baldness.

Combining Saw Palmetto with Elite’s Hair Restoration program is the easiest way to get back the hair you’ve lost.  Or most of it at least!

Tip of the Day

We love helping our patients and we love watching them get results.  But one thing we love more is helping them regain their confidence.  Hair or no hair, you are you and no follicle or lack thereof can change that.  Don’t spend half of your life on crazy hair treatments that take up precious time and money.  Live for the now and try things that are easy on your time and pocketbook.  No matter what, you’re still just as kissable and just as loveable being follically challenged or not.  We’re here to help your follicles flock back to life while allowing you to still live your life.  Cheers to LIVING!