Non-Surgical Hair Restoration Techniques

Hair loss is something that can be damaging to mental health and overall self-confidence in body image. You wouldn’t think that something as trivial as weakening hair follicles could cause so much upset and desperation, but the truth is that for lots of us, our hair is our pride and joy, and it can be really tough to take when you start noticing things aren’t as you wish them to be.

Hair growth can be temporary or permanent depending on the cause. The cause and the time period will have a psychological impact. The extent of the hair loss will also impact how the sufferer decides to view and tackle the issue. Small patches of thinning hair are a different matter to a condition that will lead to permanent baldness. As will be the solutions the sufferer will seek.

Common Causes of Hair Loss

There are quite a number of reasons for hair loss – some permanent, others reversible.

• Hereditary hair loss
• Alopecia areata
• Scarring alopecia
• Frictional alopecia
• A side effect of cancer treatment
• Illness
• Hormonal imbalance (Insufficient DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) – a male sex hormone responsible in part for hair growth)
• Scalp infection
• Scalp psoriasis
• Trichotillomania (stress-related pulling hair out)
• Thyroid disease
• Sexually transmitted infection
• Insufficient biotin, iron, protein, or zinc
• Hair Care products/hairstyle
• Poison (arsenic, mercury, lithium, thallium, warfarin)

Hair Loss Treatment Options

Medical science has progressed so much that sticking on an unsuitable and obvious wig is no longer the only option. Even this has progressed and now many excellent, indiscernible wigs are available but there are also many different options for all types of hair loss.

The most well-known type of treatment for hair loss is a hair transplant. A successful hair transplant is an option that is going to provide the best and most long-lasting results with an immediate impact. However, not everyone needs or wants a surgical procedure.

There are plenty of other non-surgical treatment options that encourage natural hair regrowth and healthy hair that might be more suitable and successful enough to retain or restore your self-esteem.

With all of this in mind, here is a guide to some of the most popular hair restoration treatments that do not involve hair transplant surgery.

A Suitable Hairstyle

Don’t rule this out as an option as a non-surgical hair loss treatment. Barbers and hairdressers are skilled craftsmen and can produce styles that will hide or lessen the effects of a receding hairline, male pattern baldness, thinning hair, and patchy growth.

Choosing a hairstyle can also be part of your overall treatment plan, being able to be changed and evolve as the results of other treatments begin to show themselves.

Medications

Among the popular non-surgical hair replacement options are medications. These may be prescribed by a GP but are also available over the counter. The two most common and effective treatments are minoxidil and finasteride, and importantly, they are currently the only two hair loss medications that are FDA approved.

• Minoxidil

Also known by the brand name Rogaine, minoxidil was originally created as a treatment for ulcers back in the 1950s, and then later used as a treatment for an enlarged prostate. One of the major side effects that the drug had while treating those other ailments was a notable reversal of hair loss in men! As a result, the drug was rebranded as a leading non-surgical hair replacement option and it remains popular to this day.

Though the exact reason for minoxidil’s growth factors is still something of a mystery, experts believe it to be down to the dilation of blood vessels and help with DHT sensitivity.

• Finasteride

Unlike Rogaine, Finasteride was made with the explicit purpose of treating the main cause of male-pattern baldness, thinning, and alopecia (DHT imbalance) and it was first approved in the 1990s under the brand name Propecia.

Something that should be noted about Finasteride is that it has the power to block DHT altogether, and this can have a major impact on sexual function in males.

Low-Level Laser Therapy

Also known as LLLT, this is a relatively new treatment that works by stimulating stem cells and follicles. This is another hair loss treatment that is something of a mystery regarding the exact reasons for its effectiveness, but experts speculate that the laser therapy acts directly on the mitochondria to alter the metabolism of topical hair cells.

Though it sounds very ‘high tech’, LLLT is actually something that can be performed at home with the simple use of a specially designed laser comb or helmet that the user can wear or use on a regular basis to stimulate their follicles to achieve hair growth.

Microneedling

Microneedling has been around as a treatment in the world of health and cosmetic beauty for a while to successfully treat skin issues like wrinkling and scarring.

More recently, microneedling has been used on the scalp to fight against hair loss. The treatment involves the intentional infliction of tiny needle ‘wounds’ with a specialized tool, and what happens is that it promotes the affected areas of skin and/or hair follicles to have to enter into a natural repair cycle that has the power to boost hair growth.

Essentially, the inflammation caused by the micro-wounds forces the body to start a process of new cell growth, which could very well include new hair.

Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy

PRP therapy is a suitable non-surgical option for people with thinning areas or are in the early stages of hair loss and who don’t have scalp infections, blood disorders, or diseases that could interfere with the procedure.

PRP therapy is a form of regenerative medication that promotes body healing and has been proven to be very effective for hair restoration. It uses platelets obtained from the blood of the patient that is injected into the scalp. Hair growth is stimulated by the growth factors and different proteins present in the platelets.

Scalp Tension Reduction Devices

For some people, it isn’t a medical condition or DHT/androgen sensitivity that causes their hair thinning and hair loss, but rather too much tension in their scalp.

Scalp tension happens when the muscles in the scalp are constricted for an ongoing and extended period of time, leading to both mental and physical stress. When constricted for too long, the scalp tissue will become inflamed.

When your body senses that your scalp is in trouble, it triggers the release of hormones to the affected areas to reverse the effects, and one of these hormones is the aforementioned DHT. DHT has the power to wreak havoc on hair follicles.

This is often the cause of male pattern baldness, and also in women who insist on overly restrictive and tight ponytail hairstyles every day for years.

Scalp tension reduction devices work by massaging the scalp to help loosen the tissue around the muscles, which in turn will reduce inflammation helping DHT hormone levels to get back into balance. A scalp device should typically be worn for 10 minutes every day and some people swear the same effects can be achieved with a manual scalp massage.

Scalp Micropigmentation

Technically a skin tattoo, this hair loss treatment is the application (by injection) of ink to the scalp. Colors and shades are chosen to match existing hair color and the result is the illusion of a closely shaven (buzz cut) hairstyle. It can add density to a thinning crown.

This treatment does not address the issues of hair loss but instead masks the issue and provides the illusion of a new hairline.

A Healthy, Balanced Diet

The least surgical or medical of all the treatment options for hair loss is simply a good, healthy, balanced diet!

A ‘proper’ diet is the ideal way to get your body into a more natural state of being, and this can lead to experiencing positive changes such as hair growth and hair thickening.

Your hair follicles are just like any type of bodily tissue in the sense that they need two main things to survive, and those are oxygen and nutrients. These are primarily delivered by your blood and this is why diet can be super important in boosting those nutritious effects.

To give your hair the best chance of growing and being healthy without surgical intervention, you should be following a diet that features lots of the following:

• Leafy greens
• Lean meats
• Nuts and seeds
• Seasonal fruits
• Whole grains

No intense eating regime or strict diet is needed, just a bigger focus on these simple ingredients that can have a huge impact on every aspect of your health, hair very much included!

Alongside a healthy balanced diet, you might consider supplements that are recommended for healthy hair such as those that contain biotin. There are also shampoos – usually containing caffeine – that have been shown to improve hair loss or reduce hair loss from activities like brushing and combing.

Which Hair Loss Treatment is Right For You?

There is no single recommendation. The solution that is right for you depends on how advanced your hair loss is, the rate of loss, and the cause. It also depends on how much it is affecting your well-being and how much effort you wish to put into the problem.

Talk to your GP or a specialist hair clinic to get the best advice,

Z Center for Cosmetic Health provides non-invasive cosmetic treatments in Sherman Oaks, CA. Board-certified surgeon Dr. Zadeh is qualified in hair restoration techniques and uses and recommends two products to produce thicker, more vibrant, and luscious-looking hair.

Pepfactor Scalp

Offering visible change as early as just eight weeks, Pepfactor Scalp is used in conjunction with a minimally-invasive procedure known as micro-infusion. In this technique, the Pepfactor serum is massaged into an area of the scalp that has been micro-needled.

Pepfactor Scalp includes copper peptide, antioxidants, and special proprietary growth factors developed by doctors and scientists. The cocktail of ingredients stimulates the production of collagen which promotes scalp and hair health and encourages hair growth.

Benefits of Pepfactor Scalp include:

• Non-surgical procedure
• Minimal discomfort
• Healthier and more voluminous-looking hair
• Affordable and effective
• Visible results in 8-12 weeks

The usual process is 6-8 treatments over 6 months with ongoing maintenance thereafter.

ExCell Exosomes Regenerative Complex

​This is a serum designed to be applied directly to the scalp to promote hair growth. It can also be used with micro-needling.

The active ingredients in the ExCell serum include 2.5 Billion lyophilized exosomes derived from stem cells, growth factors, peptides, coenzymes, minerals, amino acids, and vitamins.

The exosomes in the formula enable hair follicles in the telogen phase (resting) to move into the anagen phase (growth phase). They also prolong the growth phase enabling hair follicles to grow thicker and healthier.

It is a suitable treatment for all skin types and sensitive scalps because it is hypoallergenic, paraben-free, and steroid free.

Interested in Non-surgical Hair Restoration? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Zadeh today to determine which treatment options are best for you!