Hair Loss

What causes hair loss?

You may be surprised to learn that hair loss may occur for many possible reasons, including:

• Physical stress (illness and excessive exercise)
• Extreme emotional stress
• Fungal infections (ringworm)
• Hormonal imbalances (low estrogen and progesterone)
• Alopecia areata (an autoimmune disease)
• Traction alopecia (caused by tight braids and ponytails)
• Androgenetic alopecia (inherited hair loss)

Of all the possible causes, the most common in men and women is an inherited condition called androgenetic alopecia. 

Androgenetic alopecia, commonly called male-pattern and female-pattern hair loss, makes your hair follicles overly sensitive to a hormone. As a result, the follicles shrink and eventually stop growing new hair.

Male-pattern baldness causes the classic pattern of a receding hairline and hair loss on the top of the head. Women with androgenetic alopecia typically experience hair thinning over the entire scalp.

Can my hair loss be treated?

The Orlando Dermatology Center team has extensive experience restoring hair growth. Their best piece of advice is to seek an exam and treatment as early as possible because the more hair you lose, the harder it is to treat.

Your provider completes a thorough exam and runs lab tests to identify or rule out an underlying health condition. Your treatment begins by dealing with existing conditions, whether you need stress reduction, a new hairstyle, an antifungal medication, or an advanced medication for alopecia areata.

Treatments that directly treat hair loss include:

Medication

Topical medications like minoxidil stimulate new hair growth in men and women. Your provider may prescribe other medications such as steroids (if inflammation contributes to your hair loss) or finasteride (only for men).

Laser devices

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) boosts blood flow and may stimulate healing in the hair follicle, improving hair density and growth.

Surgical restoration

Though there are several surgical approaches, the team often recommends hair transplantation. They perform hair transplantation by removing healthy hair follicles and implanting them into the balding or thinning areas.

When harvesting healthy hair, your provider may cut a strip of hair and remove each follicle from the strip. Or they may individually remove follicles one by one from your scalp, an approach that creates more natural-looking results in the area where the live hair is harvested.

Call Orlando Dermatology Center today or use online booking to schedule an appointment and learn more about your treatment options for hair loss.