Hair Loss Treatment

Thinning hair or hair loss can be a very stressful experience. As your hair loss becomes more noticeable, you may lose confidence in your appearance. Fortunately, the physicians at ICON Dermatology & Aesthetics have several treatments, medications and hair products to help you.

Causes of Hair Loss

Hair loss, also called alopecia, is a common occurrence that happens to all of us at some point in our lives. If you comb, wash, or dry your hair and some strands fall out, that’s your hair’s natural shedding process. On average, we shed about 50 to 100 strands of hair a day. With healthy growth, we barely notice these since the hair is growing at its expected rate.

However, if your hair is not growing as it should, you will notice thinning hair or a receding hairline. Some people lose larger clumps of hair. If this is consistently happening and making you conscious of your hair loss, you may have an underlying reason.

According to an American Hair Loss Association research study, about one-half of men over the age of 50, 40% of women beyond age 40 and 25% of women in their 20s are suffering from hair thinning/hair loss.  

Common Types of Hair Loss

  • Androgenetic alopecia

    This is the most common type of gradual hair loss, which is genetically linked. You may hear the terms male-pattern baldness or female-pattern hair loss.

  •  Telogen Effluvium

    Telogen effluvium is a common cause of temporary hair loss due to the excessive shedding of resting or telogen hair after some shock to the system. Telogen effluvium is commonly due to factors like stress, pregnancy, surgery, and significant illness and vitamin deficiencies.  New hair typically continues to grow.

  •  Anagen Effluvium

    This type of hair shedding is due to interruption of active or anagen hair growth by drugs, toxins or inflammation.

  •  Scarring Alopecia

    Inflammation or underlying health conditions destroy the hair follicles. This term covers a range of conditions, including CCCA, which has been associated with tight hairstyles or harsh hair treatments/products.

  •  Alopecia Areata

    The immune system attacks the hair follicles, resulting in significant hair loss or baldness. In some cases, the condition can affect eyebrows and body hair.

 

Hair Loss Treatment Options 

Medical Therapy

Prescription oral and topical medications can be of significant benefit to combat hair loss.  The risks and benefits of each medication will be thoroughly reviewed at your appointment.

In-Office Treatment

ICON offers two in-office treatments to help stimulate hair growth and help maintain the hair you have.

Oral Supplements

The dermatologists at ICON believe strongly in the benefit of the oral supplement, Nutrafol, for hair loss. Studies have shown Nutrafol to be one of the most effective hair growth supplements as it targets key factors that can shorten the growth phase, delay new growth, and cause new hair to grow thinner.

Other Products

Our dermatologists have carefully selected non-prescription shampoos and serums to help you with your hair concerns.

HairSanity was developed by our own Dr. Rebecca Kazin. Using the concept that HairSanity is skincare for the scalp, Dr. Kazin created products that are best in class for addressing scalp and flaking issues AND at the same time give her patients hair that was soft, manageable, color stable with a luxurious look and feel. 

KeraFactor Scalp Shampoo & Conditioner exfoliate and stimulate the scalp using a unique combination of conditioners and growth factors designed to enhance scalp circulation and reinvigorate the scalp and hair. These lead to hair that appears fuller, has more body, and is healthier. For optimal results, we recommend using this in conjunction with the KeraFactor Scalp Stimulating Serum which contains the proprietary KeraFactor Peptide Complex (KFP™).  KFP is unique in that it contains 7 Polypeptides that include both specifically selected growth factors and skin proteins to help with hair and scalp health. This patented complex helps to "turn on" weak or resting hair follicles and improve scalp circulation and nutrients to produce thicker, longer healthy-looking hair.

Other Things You Can Do To Help Your Hair

Our KeraFactor Treatment is an effective treatment for those suffering from thinning hair. As mentioned above, our board-certified dermatologists will often use this treatment as part of a holistic plan to give you the best results. Some of the other recommendations include:

  • Minoxidil, also known as Rogaine. It can slow hair loss and stimulate hair growth. You can get minoxidil in topical formulations and may be compounded with other topical hair growth agents like spironolactone, metformin or finasteride.

  • Finasteride or Propecia is a prescription oral medication. It helps improve hair growth but must be taken indefinitely to see results.

  • Other forms of medicine including spironolactone or corticosteroids.

  • Nutrafol supplements

Lifestyle changes can help with your hair’s overall health. Start with assessing your diet, water intake, and vitamins. Deficiencies of iron and zinc can contribute to hair loss, so take a supplement under the guidance of your doctor.

Schedule an Appointment for Hair Loss Treatment

If you have concerns about hair loss or the health of your hair, we recommend you schedule an appointment with our board-certified dermatologists by calling us at 301-810-3600. Our dermatologists perform a thorough history and examination to help determine the cause of your hair loss. Sometimes, a history and clinical evaluation is all that is needed to determine the cause. However, a scalp biopsy may also be indicated. This is a simple in-office procedure utilizing local anesthetic only.  Lab tests/bloodwork may also be recommended. Once the cause of hair loss is elucidated, an appropriate treatment protocol can be designed especially for you.