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The hair growth cycle is ongoing, and on an average day, 90% of your hair is in the resting phase while the other 10% is either growing or shedding. Balding occurs when the hair sheds, and no hair re-grows to replace it. Hair is made of keratin, the same material that makes up your nails and the outer layer of your skin. Hair is really a dead structure while the follicular bulb is the growing center.  Because the actual strand of hair is not alive, hot curlers, chemical processing, hard plastic combs can cause damage and lead to split ends and fracturing of the shafts.

The hair growth cycle begins with the anagen or growth phase. During this phase cells in the root of the hair divide to add to the hair shaft. Depending on your genetics, the growth phase can last anywhere from 2 to 6 years. As the anagen phase comes to an end, an unknown signal tells the hair to enter the next stage. The hair grows about a fourth of an inch each month, and though it is technically dead, a healthy hair care regimen can keep it looking beautiful while it’s in the anagen phase.

The catagen stage follows the anagen phase and is made up of a 2-3 week transitional period in which the hair is no longer growing. During this stage, a club hair is formed. A club hair occurs when the section of the hair follicle attaches to the hair shaft, cutting the follicle off from its blood supply and the cells that produce new hair. This club hair leads to the next stage of the hair growth and shedding cycle.

The final stage of the hair growth and shedding cycle is the telogen or resting phase. During this two to four month phase, the hair begins to shed at normal levels, and the anagen phase begins again producing new hair.

The average person sheds around 100 telogen-stage hairs a day between brushing the hair, showering, and other activities. High-stress and trauma like high fevers, nutritional deficiencies, pneumonia, and accidents can cause hair to shed in higher than normal amounts. Patterned baldness (androgenetic alopecia) occurs when hair production slows and beings to produce weak, shorter hairs, eventually ceasing to grow completely in some areas.

Men and women often lose hair for different reasons and should be properly diagnosed before beginning any hair restoration treatment. Depending on the cause of your hair loss, there are both surgical and non-surgical treatment options including hair restoration surgery and medications like Propecia®, Rogaine®, and Proscar®.

For more information on hair loss causes and hair restoration, contact the Griffin Center of Hair Restoration and Research. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter for more hair regrowth news and updates.

Each person goes through the hair growth and shedding cycle. In the anagen phase also known as the growth phase of the hair follicle, new hair cells are produced. The catagen phase is where the hair is no longer growing but the follicle is shrinking. The final stage, the telogen phase, occurs when the hair is in a resting state, no longer growing, but on the verge of shedding. The hair stays in this resting state for about three months when it begins to shed, and the anagen phase begins gradually. Therefore, the average patient loses about 100 hairs per day. At the end of the telogen phase, the hair cycle of growth begins again, and if you could watch the follicular opening you would see a new hair emerge in a couple of weeks.

Though each individual’s hair growth and shedding cycle schedules will vary slightly, the researchers found that the women studied had the highest percentage of hair in the telogen stage at the end of summer. This means that after a period of time, these women will have some hair loss since the resting phase is always followed by a shedding. During this time, the patient may feel that his or her hair is thinning with the natural loss of hair that is occurring. The same sort of hair-loss phasing happens, though with a lower percentage of hair, in the spring as well. Researchers speculate that this extra amount of lost hair may be brought about by evolution, since the body seems to hold on to hair during the warmer months to protect the scalp from the summer sun.

For those people who experience hair loss with no growth to follow it, The Griffin Center of Hair Restoration and Research offers both non-surgical and surgical treatment and prevention options for women’s hair loss. Most commonly this hair loss is the result of female patterned hair loss, and the minuturization of hairs which eventually do not return.  This process can be slowed and even in some cases reversed with treatment.

Contact us for more information on hair loss or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Edmond Griffin, hair restoration specialist. You can also connect with us on Twitter and Facebook for daily news and updates.

To answer your first question—While there are many causes for hair loss in men besides genetics, a majority of men facing hair loss have male pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia). Just as with women’s hair loss, men can also lose hair because of hormones, stress, and certain medications, among other causes. Men with pattern baldness are usually optimal candidates for hair restoration surgery because they have an adequate donor region for harvesting follicular grafts. Women’s expectations are generally much higher than men’s. Men approach hair transplant surgery wanting more hair, while women usually want a return to full thickness. Thinning hair is not acceptable for them, and oftentimes more than one session may be necessary.

Another reason you hear about more men undergoing hair restoration surgery is that there is a stronger social stigma tied to women discussing hair loss conditions. Remember the attention placed on Lady Gaga when she discussed using Rogaine® in interviews? While the pop superstar took advantage of topic treatments, it is becoming more acceptable for women to seek medical hair loss treatments beyond Rogaine®.

Also, women’s hair restoration surgery is more complex than men’s, and doctors are even sometimes reluctant to perform surgery on women because of the frequency of temporary hair loss amongst female patients. When female patients consider hair transplant surgery, the surgeon must diagnose the reason for loss making sure that it is not just a temporary loss where the hair will regrow with other medical treatments. For example, if hair loss is caused by scarring related to trauma or surgery, the transplanted hair may not grow in its new home.

I have been researching hair loss and hair restoration for 35 years.  Therefore, after a thorough consultation which may include a scalp biopsy to confirm diagnosis, I am usually able to pinpoint the cause of a patient’s hair loss and suggest a suitable treatment plan, which may include surgery, hair loss prevention medication, or other therapies to regrow hair.

Now, for the second question—There are multiple variables that could prevent both men and women from having hair transplant surgery.  In addition to an inadequate donor region or a larger than normal recipient area, hair loss caused by high fevers, trauma, or hormone fluctuation, such as women who lose hair during pregnancy, is often temporary. Likewise, men and women who lose their hair because of certain medications, especially after chemotherapy, can experience temporary hair loss. Usually once medications are discontinued the hair loss stops and hair recovers. Patients with temporary hair loss are not candidates for hair transplant surgery. However, these patients often need to seek the care of a hair restoration specialist to determine the cause of hair loss.

I have performed hundreds of hair restorations on women, and they have been equally as successful and grow as well as my male hair transplant procedures, as you can see in my women’s hair restoration before and after gallery. The “pattern” of female pattern hair loss is different from male pattern hair loss. Women, luckily, do not go totally bald like men.  Men bald from the front backwards and lose hair in the temporal regions (around and above the ears) whereas only 12% of women lose hair near the ears. Women are most likely to begin balding near the front of the head and on the crown, leaving a rim of good hair around the head. Because men and women bald differently, I use specialized techniques to separate the donor and treatment regions during female hair transplant surgery to accommodate the distinct challenges presented by this procedure.

If you are a women experiencing hair loss and considering hair restoration, you need to first determine the cause of your hair loss. Schedule a consultation to learn more and to find out if you might be a candidate for surgery. Be sure to connect with us on Facebook.

If you’ve read our blog series on female hair loss treatment and female hair loss prevention, you know that the causes of hair loss are numerous.  Just as skin conditions like rosacea and acne can flare with environmental and emotional triggers, so can hair loss.  While identifying the cause of your hair loss is an important part of determining an appropriate treatment, it’s also important to realize that there are two types of treatment for most hair loss:  restorative and preventative.

More recent reports regarding the pop diva’s hair loss condition speculate that she has begun using Rogaine® (minoxidil) to prevent further loss. While the exact cause of hair loss cannot be diagnosed without a proper hair restoration consultation, it would seem that stress related hair loss might be the culprit of Gaga’s condition.  Besides topical minoxidil treatment, oral Propecia may also prove an effective treatment for female hair loss patients who do not plan to become pregnant as exposure to the drug, even handling it, has been linked to increased birth defects.

As far as restorative options, follicular unit grafting or hair transplant surgery during which a strip of donor follicles is harvested and transplanted into the bald or thinning area of the scalp is possible for female patients depending on the cause of hair loss.  It’s important to remember, however, that hair loss patients must maintain an adequately sized donor region from which donor follicles can be harvested to produce successful, lasting results.  It’s also important to remember that hair transplant surgery is a better option for those hair loss patients that have androgenetic alopecia or female pattern baldness as other environmental causes could still impact hair growth post-surgery.

To learn more about female hair loss treatment contact The Griffin Center of Hair Restoration and Research’s Founder, Dr. Edmond Griffin or our female hair loss specialist, Dermatologist Ashley Curtis to schedule an appointment.  To stay up-to-date on the latest hair loss treatment news, connect with the Griffin Center on Facebook or Twitter.

Photography by:  Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com

Q.) How do I know if I’m a good candidate for hair transplant surgery?

A.) Most men and women who have androgenetic alopecia, better known as male or female patterned baldness, are appropriate candidates for hair restoration surgery.  A patient whose hair loss condition is a result of scarring caused by an accident or surgery may also be suitable candidates for hair restoration. The main requirement of hair loss candidates is having an adequate donor region from which Dr. Griffin can harvest hair grafts to restore balding areas.

Q.) What is follicular unit hair transplantation?

A.) A follicular unit hair transplantation procedure involves harvesting a donor site, or strip of skin, taken from the back of the scalp. Once the donor site is harvested, Dr. Griffin and his well equipped team dissect the individual follicular units and transplant the harvested hairs into tiny, custom-sized incisions to cover balding regions. This technique produces a very natural-looking result, as the hair grows in its original groups (follicular grafts) in recipient areas.

Q.) Will my hair continue to fall out after hair restoration surgery?

A.) The answer to this question is dependent upon the type of hair loss you’re experiencing. We typically recommend that patients with genetic patterned balding who are candidates for hair restoration remain on a hair loss prevention program even after their surgery. Androgenetic alopecia occurs in a pattern, which is why it’s referred to as patterned baldness. During hair restoration surgery, hair is harvested from donor regions where patterned hair loss does not occur. Although the hair is transplanted to an area where hair loss has occurred, the genetic makeup of the donor hair does not change, so the newly transplanted hairs will not fall out. However, the hair left in the balding regions that’s not newly transplanted may continue to fall out if a patient does not address prevention.

Q.) What kind of results can I anticipate from my hair restoration surgery?

A.) As stated in the last question, although visible improvement will occur, it’s important to continue preventative measures even after your hair restoration surgery and maintain realistic expectations. Be mindful that the hairline may not be as low as it once was and hair may not be as thick.

Q.) Will my hair transplant surgery result in a full head of hair?

A.) While sufficient coverage of balding regions is attainable, adolescent thickness may never be fully restored. We do recommend a hair loss prevention program to preserve areas that were not treated with surgery.

Q.) Is it possible to prevent hair loss?

A.) Yes, in fact, the most important step in slowing the progression of hair loss is prevention. One of the most frustrating aspects of hair loss is that there are so many treatments that promise to prevent and regrow lost hair, but a majority of these products have never been really carefully studied, much less proven. The two main, proven hair loss medications are oral Propecia® (finasteride) and topical Rogaine® (minoxidil). Finasteride can now be prescribed in a topical solution with the hopes of avoiding any side effects of the oral medication. While hair regrowth is possible with the products, results are highly variable.  Most patients use the products to prevent further androgenetic hair loss.  It is important that all patients receiving hair transplantations are on a preventative program.  In our experience the combination of both of the above medications results in the halting of hair loss between 80-90% of all patients.

Q.) If I discontinue my hair loss prevention medication, will it make my hair begin to fall out more rapidly or will all that I have gained be lost in a short time?

A.) No, but your hair loss will start occurring at the same rate it was before you began your medication.  This is a common misconception about hair loss prevention medication. We have had many patients postpone their preventative programs and their hair begins to fall out at the same rate as before. When they begin prevention again, they do not have to start back at square one.

Q.) When should I start a hair loss prevention routine?

A.) Every hair loss case is unique, so without a proper consultation this is a difficult question to answer. In general, as soon as you are suspicious that you have androgenic balding (male or female patterned baldness), you should begin prevention.  Some of my patients who expect to lose their hair due to genetic predisposition (patterned baldness) start hair loss prevention before they actually start noticing hair loss. Others start their hair loss prevention once their hair loss condition begins to bother them.

Q.) When will I start seeing results after I begin my hair loss prevention regimen?

A.)The hair loss prevention medications that I prescribe or suggest cannot promise overnight success, and patients should be leery of those products that do because of the time required in the natural hair growth cycle. Once you’ve started a hair loss prevention regimen, you will begin to notice a decrease in the amount and rate of your hair loss as early as 6 weeks.  Therefore, you will begin to notice less hair on the pillowcase or after a shampoo by then, but it may take longer to see more fullness and regrowth. With consistent, daily usage of medications like Rogaine® and finasteride patients typically begin more hair on their scalp within 10 and 18 months.

Q.) Can I discontinue my hair loss prevention medication after my hair transplant surgery?

A.) Hair restoration surgery is performed by taking hair from a donor site and transplanting it into a balding area. I suggest that my hair transplant surgery patients continue using hair loss prevention medications to prevent further hair loss.

If you have started experiencing hair loss and are interested in hair loss prevention, schedule a consultation at The Griffin Center of Hair Restoration and Research. Also, be sure to connect with us on Facebook.