Orderly way to tackle hairloss

ROOTING

Severe hairloss and baldness require a systematic and scientific approach while curing, writes Bani Anand.

It is something we all dread - losing our lustrous crop of hair. It affects more than half of the men above 30 years of age. It is referred to as male pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia. Though it is genetically passed through the family, there are several other factors that can cause baldness at a younger age. These factors include insulin resistance, smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, stress, nutritional deficiencies and intake of supplements such as those containing whey proteins and anabolic steroids.

In the case of women, the common cause of hair loss is either excessive shedding of resting hair (known as Telogen effluvium) or female pattern hair loss. The common causes of excessive hair shedding in women include nutritional deficiencies especially Iron and Zinc, crash diet and stress. Such excessive shedding also occurs following child birth. Female pattern hair loss is often associated with hormonal disturbances such as those of thyroid and polycystic ovarian syndrome. It is also common in post menopausal women. Other than these common causes, hair loss in women could also be an indicator of systemic diseases or autoimmune disorders.

From grandma’s remedies to prescription medicine to alternative therapy, you might want to try anything and everything that might help. But if you are really keen on making a difference to your receding hairline, then here is a look at the various surgical and non-surgical solutions that you should explore.

An important step in managing hair loss is to identify the cause and treat the cause. As dandruff aggravates already existing hair loss and is often seen in majority of individuals suffering from hair loss, the first step is management of dandruff with ozone treatment and home-based medications. The next would be arresting hair fall, which can be achieved with basic therapy, low intensity laser light treatment and/or growth factor treatment in the form of Anti Hairloss Solution (AHS) or administration of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy.

It is important to retain existing hair especially in individuals suffering from patterned baldness. This could be achieved by laser therapy and basic therapy using a derma roller.
Re-growth of hair could be achieved by PRP and hair transplant using either Strip (FUT) or FUE technique. In individuals who have poor donor area i.e. individuals with higher grades of baldness, body hair transplant is an option that could be explored. Newer advances in hair regrowth techniques include use of A-cell matrix for a near scarless transplant and autologous stem cells administration.

For individuals who want to cover-up the bald patch when on treatment, those who do not want to immediately opt for transplant, or those on chemotherapy and even for children suffering from hair loss, various non-surgical hair restoration options are available, which include toupees, fringes, extension, wigs and hair thickening fibres. The choice of therapy depends on the cause and extent of hair loss/baldness. 

Find out the root cause of hair fall. This is achieved by a detailed clinical evaluation, laboratory work up and scalp biopsy.

Based on the cause and the extent/grade of baldness, treatment options are advised, which range from home-based medications, supplements, in-clinic therapies to advance options consisting of surgical and non-surgical hair restoration. Hairloss, like most other health disorders, is subjective. Discuss with your doctor as to what would be the best option for you.

(The author is a hair and scalp specialist)