Androgenic alopecia is the primary cause of hair loss worldwide. Known as male pattern hair loss in men and female pattern hair loss in women, the condition has sparked the age-old hair loss dilemma. Previously, patients would turn to either monoxide or finasteride; however, medical aesthetics in Fair Lawn says both medications have downsides. As time progressed, medical office rental modern treatments have emerged that are not as much of an inconvenience as traditional treatments to cure baldness.
Androgenic alopecia in men and women
Androgenic alopecia is hair loss resulting from two factors: increased testosterone levels and androgen-sensitive follicular units.
Male pattern hair loss
The condition follows a pattern in men, usually a thinning crown and stable growth in the back of the scalp. The secret behind the notorious design of hair loss relies on the androgen-sensitive properties in individual follicular units. Hairs in the crown and hairline tend to be androgen-sensitive and shed prematurely. Whereas hairs in the back are androgen-resistant and stand immune to DHT attacks.
Since the hair in the back is resistant to hair loss, males suffering from hair loss from androgenic alopecia are illegible for hair transplantation. Surgeons label the hair growth regions as stable donor areas from which donor hair will be extracted and relocated to bald spots. Upon relocation, follicular units do not lose their anti-androgen properties and continue to perpetuate growth in previously bare areas.
Female pattern hair loss
The condition is more challenging to treat in women with hair transplants than men. For hair transplants to fit the case, one essential requirement must exist: stable donor regions. Since androgenic alopecia does not take on a particular pattern and is more diffuse in women, women who suffer from androgenic alopecia do not make suitable candidates for hair transplants. However, a recent treatment that goes by the name PRP therapy replaces both finasteride and monoxide.
PRP therapy is short for platelet-rich plasma, a component found in blood and a reservoir of crucial growth factors. To extract PRP from patients, a nurse first draws blood from the patient the standard way and then subjects the tube for centrifugation. The high-speed rotations separate PRP from the remaining components to later be injected into the scalp of patients who suffer from androgenic alopecia.
PRP contains growth factors, proteins that bind to cells and trigger a cascade of signals leading to proliferation and growth. With androgenic alopecia, in particular, growth factor production decreases in follicular units. With the injection, follicular units receive a boost of growth factors.
Contrary to finasteride and monoxide, patients do not have to inject PRP daily. Instead, it is one session per month, and patients may need anywhere from one to eight sessions, depending on the degree of hair loss.
In summary
Androgenic alopecia in men can be treated via hair transplants because the condition follows a particular pattern and meets the surgery requirements. In women, hair loss is more diffuse, making it hard for surgeons to determine stable donor regions. Consequently, women with androgenic alopecia are not suitable candidates for hair transplants. However, PRP therapy is a recent treatment using the patient's cells to combat androgenic alopecia. To know more about hair transplants and PRP therapy, check out the site:
