The instant I noticed my first grey hair was a sort of milestone for me. I did not think much of it, yanking its root off my scalp. Then I discovered more and more new ones over months. Everyone ages. Whether we choose to camouflage these signs of aging is up to ourselves, but there is no denying that like wrinkles or a sagging jawline, our hair also inevitably ages.
Apart from going gray (because cells stop producing pigment), if you notice a thinning ponytail, or more hair in the comb, your hair is probably thinning. While it is normal to lose up to 100 strands of hair daily, hair loss can present quite visibly on the scalp, with certain patterns of hair loss. Hair miniaturization occurs – hair follicles become smaller and the resulting hair becomes more fine so much so that it can barely be seen. In women, female pattern hair loss usually presents as a general thinning of hair , usually first noticed at the hair parting line and then followed by an increasing general hair loss at the top of the head. On the contrary, male pattern hair loss usually presents with a receding hair line, and thinning at the crown, progressing to baldness.
There isn’t really a cure-pill for hair loss, but there are supplements such as Viviscal that might help. Taken twice daily for at least 3 months before moving to once a day, Viviscal’s proprietary ingredient is isolated from Inuits’ fish and protein-rich diet inn the 1980s, known for their great hair and skin.
Laser phototherapy such as Revage 360 stimulates the scalp with painless energy, energizing hair follicles by increasing blood circulation to starving hair follicles, providing much-needed nutrients and oxygen for growth of stronger hair. You should have this 30 minute treatment once or twice a week ideally, for 3 months to see an effect.
If hair miniaturization or thinning is more pronounced, try Kera-Clone, a novel technique of stimulating hair growth in areas of thinning using one’s own follicular units. While this is a promising treatment for especially those where hair supplements or biostimulation lasers have failed, it is not recommended for areas which have already gone bald. Patients may continue with Revage 360 following Kera-clone for best results.
These treatments are by no means cheap, but they are definitely a lot less pricey than a hair transplant!