Tag Archives: female hair loss

Sun Damaged Hair

Did you know the sun can damage your hair similar to how it can damage your skin? It’s true. Those pesky UVA and UVB rays harm the outside layer of the hair strand known as the cuticle. Symptoms of sun damaged hair include dry brittle strands, split ends, frizziness, thinning, and discoloration.
When the sun shines on our hair it acts similarly to bleach. Anyone who’s familiar with the hair dye process knows that dyes and bleaches lift up our cuticle and break up the proteins to change the color. The sun’s rays can similarly damage our hair’s cuticle and proteins.
Those most at risk for sun damaged hair are going to be those with fine, curly, and light colored hair. This is because this type of hair lacks natural barriers like thickness, oils, and pigment.
Important things to keep in mind: hot styling tools, chlorine, and artificially lightened hair will make your hair more prone to sun damage. These things damage the cuticle and proteins of your hair as well. Doubling up on them and the sun can mean trouble for your locks.
So… short of missing out on all the fun, how do we enjoy the sun but also protect our precious heads of hair? Luckily, we have options.

  • Apply a hair product with SPF
    • Many hair products now contain SPF. Try switching to a shampoo that contains SPF as well as a sun styling spray. These work similar to sun block.
  • Avoid peak sun times
    • The sun is harshest from 10am-2pm everyday. Avoiding the harsh rays during this time will protect your skin and hair.
  • Wear a hat
    • One of the simplest ways to protect your hair – cover it up!
  • Rinse hair with plain water after going in the pool or ocean
    • Don’t let the chlorine and salt sit on your strands. This can prolong the damaging effects.

Using the sauna to promote hair growth

Saunas offer many health benefits such as flushing toxins, boosting the immune system, and aiding in recovery post-work out. But did you know they can also stimulate and promote faster hair growth?
An additional benefit of saunas is that they increase blood flow to the skin. Increased blood flow to the skin also means to the hair follicles. Blood is known as a transporter, meaning it carries nutrients we need such as oxygen and minerals. When there is more blood flowing to our skin and hair providing the nutrients our bodies are craving, we see an increase in hair growth.
One downside saunas may have on our hair has to do with the heat. Extremely hot environments can cause our hair to lose moisture. This means the hair can feel brittle and dry and we can see an increase in breakage. If you are going to use to sauna regularly to stimulate hair growth, you will also want to make sure you’re taking care to retain your hair’s moisture.
To prevent damage to your hair as a result of loss of moisture, consider applying a deep conditioner prior to entering the sauna. The conditioner acts a barrier to the heat while also giving your hair a deep conditioning treatment. When you’re finished with your sauna session, simply rinse out the conditioner.
While saunas may be a great natural way to stimulate hair growth, they are not a miracle cure for hair loss. When we experience progressing or sustained hair loss, our follicles actually die off. Unfortunately, there is not yet a cure to revive dead follicles. When our hair loss gets to this more advanced stage, our options turn to surgical and nonsurgical methods of hair restoration, such as PRP therapy and laser therapy.
If you are experiencing hair loss and would like to learn more about the surgical and nonsurgical options available to you, give us a call. We have over ten years of experience in advanced hair restoration techniques.

Natural ways to prevent hair loss

While there are many medical methods to prevent hair loss thanks to advancements in hair restoration, there are also natural ways you can prevent hair loss in your everyday life.
Some of the biggest contributors to hair loss besides genetics and age are stress, environment, products, and diet.
Reducing stress in your everyday life can help reduce and prevent hair loss. Meditation, walking, yoga, and daily exercise can lower cortisol levels and in turn prevent hair loss.
The environment you create for your hair and the products you use on it contribute to the health of your hair. Tight hair styles that pull on the hair can harm the hair follicle. Additionally, hair ties can cause damage and breakage. Further, excessive use of hot tools like curling irons and straighteners can damage your hair.
A healthy diet with lots of water contributes to overall health and well-being. A healthy diet that provides the nutrients and vitamins your body craves will not only prevent hair loss but prevent other ailments as well and just plain make you feel better.
While improving stress levels and maintaining a healthy diet will help you prevent hair loss as well as promote a healthy life, tightening up these areas of your health won’t do much to reverse hair loss. If you are experiencing hair loss at a rate you’re uncomfortable with, you may need to utilize some more advanced medical treatments to restore your hair. There are many nonsurgical methods such as PRP therapy, laser therapy, and shampoos and medications.
If you would like to learn more about reversing your hair loss and re-growing your hair, give us a call. Here at Modena we specialize in the medical management of hair loss.

PRP – Who benefits from it?

Platelet Rich Plasma or PRP Therapy has been gaining popularity recently. For those who are unfamiliar with the therapy, Platelet Rich Plasma is derived from your own blood. This plasma contains growth factors and healing agents. Using a small amount of blood, the doctor separates the platelets and activates them. These platelets are then injected into the scalp and get to work decreasing inflammation and promoting healing and hair growth.
We know PRP is an effective treatment for hair loss, but who is it most effective on? The great thing about PRP Therapy is that it is effective on both men and women. Unlike certain prescription medications that are reserved only for men, PRP does not discriminate. We have seen amazing results on both our male and female patients. PRP also works on people of all ages. Some of you may have seen Dr. Yazdan on the Doctors TV show performing PRP on an eight year old patient with trauma scarring.
While PRP Therapy can be used in conjunction with hair transplant surgery, it is also a great solo tool for those who may not be ideal surgery candidates. You are an ideal PRP candidate if you are experiencing ANY thinning or hair loss, even if just a small amount. PRP decreases inflammation around thinning hair follicles which leads to thicker and denser hair. In addition, it prevents the dying off of follicles, which means PRP can actually save your hair and stop hair loss in its tracks, thus making it an ideal treatment for anyone who is just beginning to notice hair loss and thinning.
So, what can you expect after starting your PRP Therapy at Modena Hair Institute? Results begin to be visible after about three weeks and gradually increase over the following months. Dr. Yazdan recommends patients do at least four sessions to see desirable results. You can also increase results at home by utilizing dermal rolling.
Dr. Yazdan believes the best defense in fighting hair loss is preventing it. So start fighting back against your hair loss and give us a call, today!

Are women good candidates for hair transplant surgery?

Women can experience hair loss similar to men. It is often genetic and known as female pattern baldness or FPB. This often occurs during hormonal changes, like during menopause.
The difference between male and female hair loss is that women’s hair loss appears differently. Men often experience receding hair lines and balding of the crown. Women often experience diffuse thinning, meaning, the hair becomes very thin throughout the entire scalp. This can make it difficult to transplant hair follicles. If all the hair follicles (including in the donor area) are thinning and becoming weak, they are not going to be strong enough to sustain transplantation.
There is another type of hair loss that women commonly experience. It is known as traction alopecia. This is a fancy term to describe hair loss as a result of tension. This tension can be caused by braids, weaves, and hair ties. The constant tension created by pulling on the hair causes strong new hairs to not grow back. Unfortunately, this damage is permanent. But the good news is, hair transplant surgeries are effective on this type of hair loss.
If you are a woman experiencing diffuse thinning hair loss, you may not be the best candidate for surgery. Thankfully, here at Modena Hair Center, Dr. Yazdan is skilled in utilizing alternative methods of hair growth, specifically for women experiencing hair loss. We have seen fantastic results with PRP therapy and laser therapy on our female patients. If you would like to learn more about how to reverse your hair loss, give us a call today.