Hair loss plagues almost all middle aged women. The key is to start early. Try to identify the causes. Be consistent.
Hair loss causes
The causes of hair loss or hair thinning are many. Most of us have multiple contributors. I have listed some of the major ones here.
- Hormone changes wreak havoc on women’s scalps. Aging, perimenopause, menopause, polycystic ovary disease, and pregnancy. Why? There are fluctuations with hormone levels, like DHT, estrogen, cortisol, and progesterone.
- Androgenic Alopecia / Genetics. Hair loss tends to run in families for both men and women, with inheritance from either parent. This is called Androgenic Alopecia or AGA. Specific genes make hair follicles more sensitive to hormones like DHT which causes follicular miniaturization. This is why hair follicles shrink and make finer, shorter hairs.
- GLP weight loss. It is thought this is mostly seen when there is rapid weight loss.
- Thyroid issues
- Diabetes
- Nutrition especially deficiencies in Vitamin D, iron, zinc, biotin (Vitamin B7), Vitamin B12, and Vitamin A, which affect hair follicle health and growth cycles.
- Cancer, Chronic illness
- Infection, particularly Covid infection even if not severe has been shown to cause hair loss 3- 6 months after infection.
- Stress. Chronic stress or a single very stressful event can cause hair loss. With a stressful even, the hair loss happens sharply 3-6 months after the event.
- Aging
<h3id=”what-treatments-do-we-have-for-hair-loss-at-dr.-greenberg’s-office”>What treatments do we have for hair loss at Dr. Greenberg’s office
We do not do testing at our office, but we have recommendations for who can help with hormone or thyroid issues. And sadly we cannot fix aging, menopause, or stress- all common for our Bay Area patients. But we do have a few treatments which are very effective.
- Biohackr Hair Grow Supplement. I helped develop this oral supplement, which is a synergistic blend of vitamins, amino acids, and minerals known to help the hair strand quality, scalp health, hair follicle metabolic activity, stress related hair loss, and androgenic alopecia. The proprietary blend includes turmeric, resveratrol, ashwagandha, holy basil, saw palmetto, biotin, and vitamins.
- Microneedling with Age Zero Exosomes and Minoxidil. I LOVE this treatment. When researching the studies on how to help hair grow, I was moved by the supporting scientific studies. Read more below.
Microneedling with Age Zero Exosomes and Minoxidil
I think this will be a gold standard of hair restoration in the future. All three components have been shown to improve the hair independently. It has been shown to help with hair follicle growth, stimulating growth factors and new blood vessel formation. I really like that this does not need to be done daily. With the barrage of things we Silicon Valley women are asked to do every day- take vitamins, exercise, work, pick up the kids, make dinner, do red light therapy mask, floss your teeth- I love the idea of something that you do a few times and then it is done.
We purposefully picked our method.
We do plain microneedling. It is medical grade, adjustable depth, sharp sterile needles. Our microneedling does not have RF (radiofrequency) on purpose, as we do not want the heat energy at the follicle base. We want to preserve the fat under the scalp skin. We believe in the healing properties and importance of fat.
We use Age Zero exosomes by Resilielle. We researched exosomes at length before picking a brand. “Exosome” is a broad term, and they are not all equal. The most effective exosomes are young (ours are Age Zero from Wharton’s Jelly), they are animal based (not plant based), and they are not lyophilized (which damages the exosome integrity).
Microneedling Program at Lauren Greenberg MD:
- Microneedling is done by our nurse, Meghan Douglass RN. She is well versed in microneedling, having done this for years, and has great attention to detail. During the procedure Age Zero exosomes and 5% Minoxidil are applied to take advantage of the microchannels opened by the microneedling.
- Prior to the procedure you prep your scalp and apply numbing medication
- The procedure takes about an hour.
- You may have some redness or scalp sensitivity after for about a day.
- We recommend this is done as a series of three, with yearly maintenance.
- You can absolutely combine this with other hair restoration methods, like our hair supplement, oral or topical Minoxidil, or Finasteride.
Before and After of one microneedling with exosome treatment
This photo is 5 weeks after a single treatment. Notice how the hair part is narrower. We could see fine new hair growth, particularly in the temple area and crown of the head.
The information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider for any questions regarding your health or medical condition.
