11/01/2025
Hair Loss…
How many types are there, which one do you have and what really works
Oh, how unfair the number of things we need to worry about as we get older…. hair should not be one of them. It grows in our nose in our ears on our chins and falls out of our head.
Hair loss is a widespread concern, affecting both men’s and women’s quality of life. Hair loss can have many different causes, and some are easy to fix if you can identify the true cause.
Hair loss can happen due to many variables, such as genetic factors or predisposition, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, skin problems, hair growth disorders, poor diet, hormonal problems, certain internal diseases, drug use, stress and depression, cosmetic factors, childbirth, and the chemotherapy process. They are classified into Cicatricial Alopecia that is permanent in that the hair follicle is destroyed and replaced by scar tissue (burns would be an example). The other is Non-Cicatricial which are reversible if you know the cause.
Overwhelmingly the majority cause of hair loss in men and women is due to androgenic alopecia. Wait, if you’re a woman why do you need to worry about androgenic alopecia?? Yes, sadly, women have their girly problems to deal with as well as “man” problems too. Believe it or not, while women make more estrogen and progesterone than men, we produce quite a bit of testosterone too. When you compare total quantities, women make more Testosterone than Estrogen. Testosterone in men and women can convert to Di-hydro-testosterone which is very potent anabolic steroid via an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase which for whatever unfair reason causes scalp hair to fall out. It does this by causing miniaturization of the follicle (hair follicle shrinks) the hair gets thin…then eventually falls out.
Good news….really I promise, there are meds to reverse this! The are two medications Finasteride and Dutasteride and block the conversion of testosterone to DHT. Easy peasy sort of…in men this can occasionally cause some sexual side effects. If this is the case switching to a topical compound may be beneficial. In women, sneakily progesterone will sometimes convert to DHT as well…if this is the case only Dutasteride will work. For women I would just do Dutasteride just in case. Minoxidil is also another medication that can stop miniaturization of the follicle so that is a good adjunct to the above mentioned and they can be compounded into a combo pill or topical serum. Then there is good old Saw Palmetto, that also blocks DHT conversion but not as strong as the above mentioned.
So what if you just need a vitamin or something you say…what about biotin? Very weak evidence and rarely to single vitamins in isolation help. However, hair skin and nails are all linked. If you think it’s a vitamin deficiency looks at your skin and nails do you look older than your age? Are your nails weak and brittle? Ok maybe you need a better diet. What if its hypothyroid…? Look at your eyebrows…are they thin or absent on the lateral aspect? Are you cold all the time, puffy, constipated? Maybe it is hypothyroid…again fixable but not likely.
What is it is autoimmune…? Well, if you already have an autoimmune condition that will increase your likelihood you have another. So, if you have Hashimoto’s, lupus, psoriasis it could be autoimmune. Good news again there is treatment that is successful but different from above mentioned. It involves microinjections of steroids into the scalp a few times a year. This is something I offer as well.
Soooo what about PRP for hair? Research say yes! Buuuuuut you need to fix the underlying problem or waste of time and money!
I can help you with your hair loss concerns but you need to schedule consult so we can dial in the cause and plan the right treatment. The treatments will work but it is a process, hair takes time to see results so patience is part of the prescription.
Please reach out to me directly if you would like to get started
480-861-0338 C
You can also call the office to schedule at 480-419 -6996
With love,
Stefanie PhD, ENP-C, FNP-C, NREMT, FAARM
