Hair loss and thinning can start at any age, in men or women. Although there are many misconceptions and myths about balding and why we lose our hair that include overuse of hair products, wearing a hat too often, stress, blow drying hair and more, the truth is that 95% of hair loss is an inherited condition from your mother or your father. Hormone conditions and age can also contribute to hair loss.
Coping with balding and sparse hair has been something that our society has been experimenting with for many generations. Popular ways include wearing hats, wigs and toupees, creative hairstyles (such as combing thicker areas of hair over the balding spots), hair transplant surgery and/or topical or oral drugs that promise to stimulate hair growth. Some of these remedies can be costly, while others are less expensive, but none of them really address the "root" of the issue - which is the failing function of the hair follicle.
Normal hair follicle cycles include growth for about 1000 days, "resting" for about 100 days, and shedding. A healthy head of hair sheds an average of 50 to 150 hairs each day, not significant when a typical adult head of hair has over 100,000 hairs on it. As previously mentioned, hair loss is primarily dictated by a person's genes. When hair loss and patterned baldness begins, the hair follicle cycles become abnormal, sometimes referred to as a "miniaturized" follicle, that produces hair that is weak, lacks luster and is thin. As these miniaturized follicles become dominant on the head, the thinning hair no longer adequately covers the head, causing the person to have bald spots. It is at this point that laser hair therapy can be beneficial.
Low level laser hair restoration therapy works by penetrating the scalp about five to six millimeters, stimulating the body's mechanism to repair and heal the miniaturized hair follicles which leads to normalization of cell function and the halting (reversal) of the miniature hair follicles. The laser therapy does not alter the molecular structure of the hair follicle, nor does it have a thermal component that can cause burns or injuries. It is considered a non-surgical therapeutic laser that is certified Class 3A by the FDA.
Various studies have shown that the effects of low level laser light therapy can increase scalp blood flow and micro-circulation by 20-30%, stimulates and accelerates hair growth, stops progression of hair loss, repairs and improves hair shaft quality.
Laser hair restoration works best on people who have thinning hair, not on people who have little or no hair, and the process usually takes six months or more. A typical treatment includes sitting under the laser for two 30-minute sessions per week and, often, routine maintenance after the treatment is completed. Compliance, and patience, are the keys to a successful hair restoration treatment.
Terry J. Perkins MD is a nationally-recognized, double board certified cosmetic surgeon, who specializes in facial cosmetic surgery, skin rejuvenation, and body contouring. Dr. Perkins practices at the Cosmetic Surgery Center Medical Group in Santa Barbara and Oxnard, California and is also the founder of Evolutions Medical Spa in Santa Barbara where he offers hair loss restoration and other non-invasive aesthetic treatments. At Cosmetic Surgery Center, Dr. Perkins offers a wide array of services designed to effectively meet his patients' aesthetic needs and is an expert in performing surgeries that give a natural, rested, "non-operated" look. He has his own state-of-the-art, fully accredited plastic surgery center in Santa Barbara, CA, geared to the safety and comfort of his patients.