Hair Loss Treatments That Actually Work for Women & Men! | Dr. Shereene Idriss

Summary

Dr. Shireen, a knowledgeable physician, addresses the psychological impact of hair loss and offers a comprehensive guide on hair loss solutions in her YouTube channel's 'Pillow Talk Durham' segment. She emphasizes the importance of identifying the root cause of hair loss, which could be due to medical conditions, nutritional deficiencies, hormonal changes, stress, or genetic predispositions like androgenetic alopecia. Dr. Shireen discusses various treatments, including over-the-counter options like minoxidil (Rogaine) and ketoconazole shampoo, prescription medications such as finasteride (Propecia) and spironolactone, and supplements like neutrophins. She also highlights the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, microneedling, and the emerging exosome therapy. Dr. Shireen advises viewers to be consistent with treatments and consult with a dermatologist for personalized guidance, reassuring them that they have options to combat hair loss.

Takeaways

• 📅 National Hair Loss Awareness Month is in August, which focuses on understanding and addressing hair loss solutions.
• 💔 Hair loss can be extremely psychologically distressing, and it's important to consider the emotional toll it takes on individuals.
• 🧬 Not all hair loss is the same; it's crucial to rule out medical causes before attributing it to genetic predispositions like androgenetic alopecia.
• 🚫 Female pattern and male pattern hair loss are lifelong issues with no cure, so identifying and treating root causes can be more beneficial.
• 🧬 Androgenetic alopecia, the most common form of hair loss, has a genetic predisposition and affects hair loss patterns differently in men and women.
• 🩺 Medical conditions like thyroid disorders, iron deficiency, and scalp infections can contribute to hair loss and should be checked through blood tests.
• 🤰 Hormonal changes such as postpartum, menopause, and birth control use can lead to hair loss.
• 🤯 Stress and trauma can cause telogen effluvium, a reversible condition where hair falls out dramatically but grows back once stress is resolved.
• 💊 Medications like anticoagulants, beta blockers, and antidepressants can have hair loss as a side effect.
• 🌱 Over-the-counter treatments like minoxidil (Rogaine) can promote hair growth and slow down hair loss when applied topically.
• ⚖️ Nizoral shampoo, containing ketoconazole, can help with hair loss by reducing inflammation and potentially blocking DHT, which contributes to hair miniaturization.

Q & A

What is the psychological impact of hair loss?

Hair loss can be extremely distressing and psychologically tolling, affecting a person's well-being.

Why is it important to rule out medical causes before assuming androgenetic alopecia?

It's crucial because androgenetic alopecia is a lifelong issue with no cure, whereas other medical causes may be treatable, allowing for a resolution without ongoing concern.

What is the typical pattern of hair loss in female pattern hair loss?

In female pattern hair loss, there is a more diffuse loss, with prominence on the top of the scalp, leading to gradual thinning and baldness.

Why is a thyroid panel test important when assessing hair loss?

A thyroid panel is important to rule out thyroid disorders that may be contributing to hair loss, as these are treatable medical conditions.

What is alopecia areata and how does it present?

Alopecia areata is a medical condition where hair loss occurs in small, round patches. If the entire scalp is affected, it's known as alopecia totalis, and when the entire body is affected, it's called alopecia universalis.

How can stress and trauma affect hair growth?

Stress and trauma can lead to a condition called telogen effluvium, where hair falls out diffusely and dramatically. This is usually reversible once the stress is resolved.

What is the role of minoxidil (Rogaine) in treating hair loss?

Minoxidil is an over-the-counter treatment that promotes hair growth and slows down hair loss by dilating blood vessels, promoting blood flow to the hair follicles, and extending the growth phase of hair.

Why is it suggested to use a higher percentage of minoxidil for women experiencing hair loss?

The five percent minoxidil is recommended over the three percent typically marketed to women because it's been shown to be more effective, despite outdated regulations and marketing suggesting otherwise.

What is the role of ketoconazole (Nizoral shampoo) in addressing hair loss?

Ketoconazole is an anti-fungal medication that can help decrease scalp inflammation, kill the fungus that causes dandruff, and may block DHT, potentially making hair appear fuller and thicker.

How effective is rosemary oil in treating hair loss?

Rosemary oil has been shown to be as effective as minoxidil in promoting hair growth, but it requires twice daily application for at least six months to see the full effect.

What are the potential side effects of finasteride (Propecia)?

Finasteride can potentially cause a decrease in libido and erectile dysfunction in both men and women. It's also not recommended for women who are or may become pregnant due to hormonal interference.

What is the significance of PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy in treating hair loss?

PRP therapy is a regenerative treatment that uses growth factors from a patient's own blood to prolong the growth phase of hair, increase the thickness of existing hair strands, and stimulate dormant hair follicles.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Introduction to Hair Loss Awareness and Psychological Impact

Dr. Shireen, the host, introduces the topic of hair loss, emphasizing its psychological toll. She shares her personal experiences with hair loss due to stress from COVID-19 and postpartum periods. The video aims to explore solutions for hair loss, encouraging viewers to subscribe and engage with the channel. Hair loss is highlighted as a complex issue with various causes, not just genetic patterns like androgenetic alopecia. The importance of ruling out medical causes before assuming a genetic predisposition is stressed, as some forms of hair loss are treatable and reversible.

05:02

🧐 Identifying and Treating Hair Loss: Medical and Lifestyle Factors

The video delves into common forms of hair loss, such as androgenetic alopecia, and the role of genetics. It discusses medical conditions, scalp infections, autoimmune diseases, hormonal changes, and stress as potential causes. The role of nutrition, medications, and hairstyles in hair loss is also covered. Dr. Shireen stresses the importance of identifying the underlying cause of hair loss before seeking treatment, as some causes may be more easily addressed than others.

10:03

💊 Over-the-Counter and Prescription Treatments for Hair Loss

The focus shifts to treatments for genetic predisposition hair loss, specifically androgenetic alopecia. Dr. Shireen discusses over-the-counter treatments like minoxidil (Rogaine) and nizoral shampoo, as well as the use of rosemary oil. Prescription treatments including finasteride (Propecia), spironolactone, and the topical application of finasteride are also mentioned. The potential side effects and considerations for each treatment are outlined, emphasizing the need for caution and consultation with healthcare providers.

15:03

🧪 Advanced Treatments: PRP, Microneedling, and Exosome Therapy

Dr. Shireen talks about advanced in-office treatments for hair loss, including PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy, which has shown significant results for her husband. She explains the process and benefits of PRP, including its ability to prolong the hair growth phase and stimulate dormant follicles. Microneedling and the use of retinol to improve scalp blood flow and cellular turnover are also discussed. Lastly, she introduces exosome therapy, a new and promising treatment derived from stem cells, though noting the need for further regulation and research in this area.

Keywords

💡Hair Loss

Hair loss, also known as alopecia, is the subject of the video. It refers to the falling out of hair from the scalp or other body parts. In the context of the video, it is discussed as a common concern with various causes, including genetic predispositions, medical conditions, hormonal changes, and stress. The video aims to provide solutions and treatments for hair loss, emphasizing the importance of understanding its psychological impact and underlying causes.

💡Androgenetic Alopecia

Androgenetic alopecia, also referred to as male or female pattern hair loss, is a hereditary condition that leads to hair loss. It is characterized by a receding hairline in men and diffuse thinning on the top of the scalp in women. The video discusses this as one of the primary types of hair loss and emphasizes the importance of ruling out other medical causes before attributing hair loss to this genetic predisposition.

💡Telogen Effluvium

Telogen effluvium is a type of hair loss that occurs due to severe stress, either physical or mental. It is characterized by diffuse and dramatic hair shedding a few months after the stressor. The video mentions this condition as one of the forms of hair loss that Dr. Shireen experienced post-COVID and highlights that it is reversible once the stress is resolved.

💡Nutritional Deficiencies

Nutritional deficiencies are a contributing factor to hair loss. The video mentions deficiencies in iron, zinc, certain vitamins, and biotin as potential causes. The script discusses how biotin, despite its popularity as a supplement, is only helpful if there is a true deficiency, illustrating the importance of understanding the root cause of hair loss.

💡Minoxidil

Minoxidil, marketed as Rogaine, is an over-the-counter topical treatment for hair loss. It is mentioned as the number one best over-the-counter treatment in the video. It works by dilating blood vessels, promoting blood flow to hair follicles, and extending the growth phase of hair. The video advises using the five percent strength for women, despite common misconceptions, to achieve better results.

💡Ketoconazole

Ketoconazole, known as Nizoral shampoo, is an anti-fungal medication that also has applications in treating hair loss. The video suggests it as an adjunct treatment that can decrease scalp inflammation and potentially block dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which contributes to hair miniaturization and loss.

💡Rosemary Oil

Rosemary oil is a natural oil that has gained popularity as a hair loss treatment. The video discusses its use as an adjunct treatment that can improve blood circulation, block DHT, and act as an anti-inflammatory. It is noted to be effective when used twice daily for at least six months.

💡Finasteride

Finasteride, also known as Propecia, is a prescription medication that is used to treat hair loss. It works by blocking DHT, which helps in preventing hair miniaturization and maintaining a healthy hair cycle. The video mentions it as an effective treatment, especially for the crown and mid-scalp areas, but cautions about its potential side effects on libido and sexual function.

💡Spiroonolactone

Spironolactone is a blood pressure medication that has been shown to have anti-androgen effects, which can benefit women with hormonal acne and potentially with hair loss. The video discusses its use as an oral medication that can decrease androgen production but warns against its use in women who are trying to get pregnant.

💡PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma)

PRP is a treatment where blood is taken from the patient, processed to separate the platelet-rich plasma, and then either applied topically or injected into the scalp. The video highlights PRP as a low-risk, in-office treatment that is rich in growth factors and can prolong the growth phase of hair, increase hair thickness, and stimulate dormant hair follicles.

💡Exosome Therapy

Exosome therapy is a regenerative medical approach that uses small extracellular vesicles derived from stem cells to promote hair growth and health. The video mentions it as a very new and promising treatment, but also notes that there is currently little regulation around it, which raises questions about the sourcing and processing of exosomes.

Highlights

Hair loss can be extremely psychologically distressing, and it's important to understand the different types and causes before seeking treatment.

Female pattern hair loss tends to be more diffuse, especially on the top of the scalp, whereas male pattern hair loss typically occurs along the temples and back of the scalp.

Medical conditions, such as thyroid disorders and iron deficiency, should be ruled out as potential causes of hair loss.

Alopecia areata presents as bald patches on the scalp, which can progress to alopecia totalis if the entire scalp is affected.

Stress and trauma can lead to telogen effluvium, a condition where hair falls out diffusely and dramatically, but is reversible once the stress is resolved.

Nutritional deficiencies, including iron, zinc, and certain vitamins, can contribute to hair loss.

Certain medications, like anticoagulants, beta blockers, and antidepressants, can have hair loss as a side effect.

Traction alopecia can result from hairstyles that cause constant tension on the hair, such as tight braids or ponytails.

Minoxidil, known as Rogaine, is the best over-the-counter treatment for hair loss, promoting growth and slowing down hair loss.

Women can use a higher strength of minoxidil (5%) despite some products being incorrectly marketed for men only.

Nizoral shampoo, containing ketoconazole, can help with hair loss by reducing inflammation and potentially blocking DHT.

Rosemary oil has gained popularity for hair loss treatment, shown to be as effective as minoxidil when used twice daily for at least six months.

Finasteride, known as Propecia, is a prescription medication that blocks DHT and can be used orally or topically, with caution for those planning to conceive.

Spirolactone, an oral blood pressure medication, has anti-androgen effects and may show promising benefits for hair, particularly in women.

PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy involves injecting or applying a patient's own platelet-rich plasma to stimulate hair growth and improve hair health.

Microneedling can be used in conjunction with PRP to stimulate hair follicles, but caution is advised to prevent hair breakage in those with existing hair.

Exosome therapy is a new and promising approach derived from stem cells, which are used to promote hair growth and health, though it requires further regulation and research.

Supplements like Neutrophone can help with hormonal imbalance, inflammation, oxidative stress, and nutritional deficiencies, but consistency is key for six months.

Prenatal vitamins can be an alternative to expensive supplements, providing necessary vitamins and supporting hair health.

Transcripts

good morning little nerds I'm Dr Shireen

Idris and welcome to my YouTube channel

where every Saturday morning we do a

pillow talk Durham and given that it is

August it is National hair loss

Awareness Month today we are going to be

focusing on hair loss Solutions before I

jump in make sure to subscribe to my

channel like this video and comment on

what it is you want to learn about next

because we cover everything everything

every Saturday morning at 10 A.M so hair

loss is extremely extremely extremely

psychologically

tolling is that even a word it can take

a toll on you psychologically and being

somebody who actually

not only experienced hair loss during

covid because of the stress that it took

on my body but also experienced hair

loss postpartum especially with my

daughter and then after my son I am

somebody who's very attuned to the

psychological implications of hair loss

because it can be very distressing

extremely distressing but it is very

important to understand that not all

hair loss is created equal and before

you decide that you have female pattern

or male pattern hair loss also known as

androgenetic alopecia which does have

genetic predispositions it is so

important that you rule out any medical

causes that may be contributing to your

hair loss because female pattern and

meal pattern hair loss is a lifelong

issue there is no cure for it and

everything you're going to be doing is

going to be a Band-Aid so if you can

find an isolate a root cause right

it's kind of counterintuitive but it

might be better for you because then you

can treat the problem and move on

without having to constantly worry about

it so when you're talking about hair

loss the most common form of hair loss

is female pattern or male pattern hair

loss this is known as androgenetic

alopecia there is a genetic

predisposition to this men tend to lose

their hair along their temples and the

back of their scalps the women tend to

lose it more diffusely but more

prominently on the top of their scalps

we see a gradual thinning and baldness

that occurs and it is quite frankly not

fun to deal with medical conditions can

definitely lead to hair loss as well and

when somebody comes in with female

pattern hair loss in my office or even

meal pattern I first and foremost run a

bunch of blood tests one of which

includes a thyroid panel because you

want to make sure that there's no

thyroid disorders happening under the

surface that may be contributing to your

hair loss you also want to make sure

that the person is not iron deficient

and you want to make sure that the

person doesn't have an actual sort of

underlying medical condition other

medical conditions that can affect that

are quite visible are alopecia areata

which appear like bald patches on the

scalp when your whole scalp is affected

it is known as alopecia totalis and when

your whole body is affected and you have

zero hair all over your body it is known

as alopecia universalis which leads me

to other types of autoimmune conditions

can also affect your hair as well as

even infections scalp infections can

lead to hair loss dandruff is a scalp

infection that can make your hair loss

worse and even skin conditions

autoimmune ones like psoriasis can cause

and contribute more hair loss hormonal

changes that are fluctuating over the

course of your life can cause hair loss

like I had postpartum when you go

through menopause even birth control

pills that causes certain hormonal

fluctuations can lead to hair loss

stress and Trauma are not to be

underestimated and that is the second

form of hair loss that I experienced

post covid anytime your body undergoes

severe stress whether physical or mental

a few months after that you can get a

condition known as telogen effluvium

where hair Falls diffusely and

dramatically the good news is it is

reversible and once the stress is

resolved your hair grows back

nutritional deficiencies I hinted at

that when I said iron deficiencies but

also zinc deficiencies and certain

vitamins and even if you are biotin

deficient you can have hair loss now

biotin has been way overblown in terms

of marketing as a supplement that can

help you with hair growth and it is

really not that super helpful unless you

are really truly biotin deficient

medications anticoagulants beta blockers

for your heart and your blood pressure

anticoagulants and antidepressants can

all have side effects of hair loss as

can certain hairstyles hairstyles and

behavioral patterns are leading cause of

hair loss if you are somebody who pulls

your hair a lot either you do a lot of

braids or you wear tight ponytails and

you're constantly doing that motion you

can get what is known as traction

alopecia and if you have if you use very

frequently hot styling tools or you do

chemical treatments to your hair you can

get a lot of breakage and hair thinning

over time age I mean everything kind of

goes south as you get wiser other than

our wisdom but age can also lead to hair

thinning just because we're not making

hair as efficiently and as much as we

used to and obviously radiation

chemotherapy you can get something known

as anagen effluvium and this results

once you're hopefully done and past the

chemo so it is super essential that you

identify the underlying cause now

we're going to focus on genetic

predisposition androgenetic alopecia for

this part of the video

because more often than not that is the

issue that is going on as somebody who

has had two types of hair loss one was

postpartum one was post covet and I do

think I have a little bit of that female

pattern predisposition hair loss okay

I'm given my genetic predispositions I

am someone as a physician who strongly

believes that once you've ruled out

everything else throw the kitchen sink

at your scalp get your hair stimulated

get those follicles going and give

yourself the best chance to keep that

hair on your head if you are that

distressed by it so I'm going to give

you guys a lot of options you can

literally do all of them if you're the

right candidate and then once your hair

has shown signs that it is growing and

getting stimulated and looking healthier

you can pair back so starting with

over the counter number one best

over-the-counter treatment for hair loss

is minoxidil which is also known as

Rogaine it has been shown to promote

hair growth and slow down hair loss and

it was originally developed as an oral

pill for blood pressure and they noticed

people were actually growing their hair

when they were on this blood pressure

medication and so they thought why not

make it topical where people can apply

it topically on their scalp so it's

interesting that it had an oral

component and became a topical

medication it is also now available over

the counter at anywhere from three to

five percent if you are a woman losing

hair go on Rogaine but pick the men's

strength go for the five percent because

more often than not you're gonna see

that minoxidil is targeting women at

three percent and they're gonna say on

their thing women should not use like

this one says do not use if you are a

woman this is wrong and this should get

deleted the reason they probably did

that is because they didn't do their

studies on women at the time and so they

were stuck within the constraints of

regulations but you can absolutely use

it all right you can absolutely use the

five percent you'll be wasting your time

effort energy and very much so your

money if you're buying the three percent

because of the pink tax associated with

it how does it work it dilates your

blood vessels it helps to promote blood

flow to your hair it nourishes the hair

follicles and it extends the antigen

phase of your hair the growth phase of

your hair so the hair in the growth

phase stays longer on your head and it

stimulates hair growth so that is how it

works when you stop it your hair will

fall off again why it's so important for

you to know what the root cause is it

has been described in certain

populations that when people use Rogaine

they can get increased hair growth on

their face I've seen it happen make sure

to put it on your scalp wash your hands

really well and if you're very nervous

about this maybe wear a bandana or even

a cap to go to sleep because you're

going to use it at night

number two is and believe it or not

nizeral shampoo which is known as

Ketoconazole is a great adjunct for you

to be using if you are losing your hair

and you do not know why Ketoconazole is

an anti-fungal medication it is

available prescription at two percent

over the counter it is available at one

percent and using this is a great

adjunct if you're losing your hair

because it helps by decreasing any sort

of inflammation on your scalp it it

kills any kind of fungus the malesthesia

fungus which causes dandruff which may

contribute to hair loss so it kills that

and it has been shown this is a little

bit iffy but it has been shown to

basically block

dihydrotestosterone also known as DHT

which is in your hair and which leads to

your hair staying small and short the

miniaturization of your hair that is one

of the leading causes of female and male

pattern hair loss we're not 100 sure

about that but we think that's how it

works and it also makes your hair appear

Fuller by making it appear thicker

because it increases the diameter of

your hair so that is very interesting

and an easy one for you to add on number

three and more recently this has had a

huge craze and Revival on Tick Tock

rosemary oil is having a basically a

place in the Limelight rosemary oil is a

nice adjunct to use it has been shown to

be as effective as minoxidil however you

have to use it twice a day not just once

a day for at least six months to see

full effect so you have to understand

that you need to use much more of it and

in the same way it helps to improve

blood circulation block DHT it is an

anti-inflammatory and has great

antioxidant properties so people are

very excited by rosemary oil at least of

recently it's been used for years in

various different cultures but if you

are losing your hair in your distress

take everything you can get and really

try to help promote your hair to help

yourself number four

is a prescription you can only get this

as a prescription it is known as

finasteride finasteride is also known as

Propecia and this has typically been

given to guys in an oral tablet it

blocks DHT so it blocks the

miniaturization of your hair and it

allows to normalize your hair cycle so

your hair is much healthier and actually

keeping in its growth phase and it

actually is very effective for the crown

of the scalp as well as the mid scalp

for a long time we were telling women

not to use this women of childbearing

age who are looking to get pregnant or

are pregnant should not be on this

because you can affect the development

of a baby boy and you can even affect

potentially development of your baby

girl because you're playing with your

sexual hormones

if however you do not want a baby and

you are done with having babies a

thousand percent and or you are a

menopausal or postmenopausal knock

yourself out you can actually go on it

orally as well the biggest side effects

for both men and women are going to be

libido

which can truly really happen actually

had patients who've complained about

this it is very hard to reverse so I

personally do not give finasteride

orally anymore I give it topically we'll

get into that in a second you can have

erectile dysfunction and it could really

also even affect women it is available

also topically so like minoxidil Rogaine

which was a blood pressure medication

that became more of a topical treatment

for hair finasteride is also available

topically and we believe there's going

to be obviously much less systemic

absorption because it's localized to the

area that you're treating there is still

potentially a chance that it can be

systemically absorbed so all of those

side effects that I mentioned are

possibilities but they are much less

likely to happen but it still holds true

if you're trying to carry a baby or you

want to get pregnant or you are pregnant

I would just avoid finasteride topically

until you're done with that phase of

your life it works topically by blocking

five Alpha reductase which makes

dihydrotestosterone and honestly I think

anybody man or woman who's not looking

to have a baby should be on this

topically as an adjunct to Minoxidil it

works really well together okay so these

this is finasteride topical this is

minoxidil topical spironolactone is

another prescription medication this one

is oral it is a blood pressure

medication as well that has been shown

to have

anti-androgen effects it blocks the

testosterone receptor on your hair

follicles

so basically women especially women who

are on spironolactone benefits from this

very much so when they have hormonal

acne but it has been shown maybe to have

promising benefits for hair as well it

does decrease your Androgen production

overall in your body so you have to be

careful again if you're trying to get

pregnant you are not allowed to be on

this they most recently came out with a

spironolactone cream also known as wind

Levy I have been giving it to some

patients to see what it does for them

especially those who are extremely

distrust so those are truly the Roundup

of topical over-the-counter and

prescription options that you guys have

at your disposal in terms of supplements

are they helpful are they not again

throw the kitchen sink at it if there's

no underlying medical issue neutral and

this is not sponsored is something I

take myself it is a natural solution to

promote hair growth patients swear by

that's why I have it in my practice

because of patients telling me how much

they love it the reality is this yes how

much of that is Placebo versus reality

as long as they're seeing results and

they're feeling better Placebo is a very

strong thing the company itself has

shown results through their own studies

but don't underestimate Placebo in

helping yourself especially when it

comes to hair but just to give you guys

a breakdown of what neutrophone is it

helps with hormonal imbalance

inflammation oxidative stress and

obviously nutritional deficiencies

because it's a multivitamin so if you're

going to take neutrophil be careful I'm

taking a multivitamin as well because

you don't want to overdose on vitamin A

or vitamin D or whatever it is this

trick to this is being very consistent

with it over six months which sucks

because it's expensive that is the

reality and you're not going to grow

hair Elsewhere on your body that doesn't

happen when I tell my patients who don't

want to pay for neutrophil is you could

take prenatal vitamins you don't have in

prenatal vitamins the soft palmetto

extract the perfume in the ashwagandha

the Marine collagen and all of those

other goodies but you're going to get

all the vitamins that you need in a

prenatal vitamin and men can take

prenatal vitamins as well okay they're

not just for women they're not just for

women who are looking to be pregnant or

who are pregnant and you can continue

this even after pregnancy so those are

all of the over-the-counter oral um and

topical available options to you guys

last is in-office treatments and my

husband is somebody who has recently

been losing hair

he has a meal pattern hair loss it is

very much genetically and it runs very

much genetically in his family and it

was bothering him and he was considering

a hair transplant but he's also the

worst patient that I didn't want to deal

with the aftermath of that so I said

before we go down that road we are going

to try everything at our disposal for

you

so I had put him on topical minoxidil

for a while and his hair looked like

this and this is the before picture and

it wasn't great he wasn't very somebody

who's very good to adhering to something

even taking pills is something he's not

good at so I said let's take a step back

let's do PRP we're going to do four

sessions of PRP one month apart normal I

tell patients do three sessions because

he has access to the kitchen for free I

said let's just do four and let's stop

and see and see where you're at in a few

months so I started him on PRP in

January and this is his picture in April

his hair has grown immensely

additionally I think because he was now

motivated I put him on oral minoxidil as

well but I will say that in the last few

weeks he's told me he feels like it's

slightly thinning because it's been now

four months since his last PRP so we are

going to redo a PRP for him as well so

PRP is known as platelet-rich plasma

it's when we take your blood from your

arm we spin it and we separate your

blood from the platelet-rich plasma and

that platelet-rich plasma is then either

applied topically or injected into your

scalp you can apply it topically through

microneedling or you can inject it I

much prefer just to inject it because

microneedling when you have any sort of

hair is I don't want to be contributing

to your hair breakage at all if you're

completely bald we can also micro needle

and apply it topically after injecting

PRP is rich in growth factors it has a

bunch of growth factors but it's not a

home run for everyone it is kind of a

up in the air situation so that is why I

tell patients if you're not very much

financially constricted and you are able

to take this risk do three treatments

stop and see at five to six months after

the first treatment where you're at

while doing everything else because that

is how you're going to know if it works

for you if you just keep doing it all

the time you're never going to know so

three treatments one month apart is what

you need to know if you are actually

going to respond to it not necessarily

everybody responds but when you do it

works amazing and the pictures prove it

right here it helps to prolong the

growth phase of your hair cycle it

increases the thickness of existing hair

strands and it stimulates dormant or

sleepy hair follicles so that is what I

think about PRP I think it is a

wonderful adjunct it is low risk just

definitely make sure you're going to

something reputable you do not need to

buy yourself an infection or get

yourself an unwanted problem

but if it works you have your own

fertilizer in your body that you can use

once or or twice or three times a year

as often or as little as you see fit I

mentioned microneedling I don't like it

when people have some hair on their head

because I don't want to cause hair

breakage but if you're bald you can

definitely micro needle at home or in

the office at home you have to make sure

you're cleaning your tools very well and

you could do it before applying anything

that I talked about the one thing I did

not talk about was retinol you can use

retinol as well retinol is not going to

stimulate your hair growth but what it

is going to do is going to stimulate the

blood flow to your scalp with your

cellular turnover of your skin maybe

potentially making the other products

work better for you plus it regulates

your sebim and people

hair also have too much oil on their

scalp so it can maybe help with that

last and this is one that is very very

new is exosome therapy and this is a

regenerative medical approach where

exosomes are small extracellular

vesicles derived from stem cells that

are used to promote hair growth and hair

Health how do they get it they get it

from stem cells such as your bone marrow

or adipose tissue and that is processed

in a laboratory where the exosomes

themselves are collected and purified

then that application is either applied

topically or injected and used through

microneedling it stimulates growth

factors and it has very very promising

results but this is an ongoing area of

research there is very little to no

regulations around it so the big

question mark If you see it is where are

they getting their exosomes from

promising option I think there's a lot

of merits around it I just think it

needs to be streamlined in a way that is

really regulated and it is not there yet

regarding your hair loss journey and

your hair regrowth Journey know that

you're not alone I actually saved my

hair this morning and I forgot to show

you guys this was in the shower

um after washing my hair it's normal to

lose hair on a daily basis but if you're

really super thinning and everything

know that you have options to help you

help yourself and I hope this video has

provided you guys some guidance and you

feel more informed and when in doubt go

find a board-certified dermatologist who

can help you help yourself throughout

this journey have a beautiful Saturday I

will see you guys next week

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