Whether it is genetic, due to stress, or any medical condition – hair loss is a prime concern for many men and women these days. Various new techniques have cropped up in the market which can combat the condition with ease. Platelet-Rich Plasma or PRP, is the latest treatment to hit the hair loss market and is showing impressive results.
What is PRP?
PRP therapy, also known as Platelet-Rich Plasma therapy is a procedure that involves drawing out one’s own blood and centrifuging it so that the plasma with platelets collects in the tube. This plasma rich in platelets and growth factors is very useful in tissue regeneration and healing.  It is then injected on the scalp or rubbed on the scalp after performing a dermaroller treatment in the areas which suffer from hair loss.
Who should opt for PRP?
People who have thinning hair, and those with androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness – hair loss at the top of the scalp and a receding hairline particularly along the temples), women with male pattern alopecia can all benefit from it.
The treatment requires about eight sittings, each two weeks apart for best results. Along with it, one may have to take medications like minoxidil and propecia. Your doctor may also alternate between stem cell therapy and PRP as combination treatments have shown to provide good results.
Expected results
Patients will soon see a fuzz of hair after the fourth sitting. The treatment not only promotes hair growth but also strengthens hair follicles. It is quite a safe procedure without any side-effects. Since it involves drawing out blood and multiple needle pricks, it may seem uncomfortable and scary but a numbing cream is used prior to the procedure to reduce the discomfort.
Who can’t opt for PRP?
Though PRP treatment yields great results for people suffering from hair loss, it’s not for everyone.  People who have lost all hair cannot undergo this treatment as it does not help grow new hair on a bald patch. It can only make the existing thinning hair thicker by strengthening the hair follicles.
This information is brought to you courtesy of Dr. Mark Bishara and The Paragon Plastic Surgery & Med Spa
 

Low dose laser therapy for hair loss

What is low dose laser therapy?

Low level laser therapy is a safe form of light treatment (a type of ) under investigation for a variety of health indications. It is being used to treat the genetic forms of hair loss common in men and women, androgenetic alopecia or pattern balding.
Low level laser therapy is also called red light therapy, cold laser, soft laser, biostimulation and photobiomodulation.

Low level laser therapy for pattern balding

Laser therapy used for hair loss treatment depends on devices that emit a light that can penetrate the scalp. Low level laser therapy (LLLT) uses devices with diodes that emit red light (wavelength 630-670 nanometers

Who are the best candidates for low level laser therapy for hair loss?

Low level laser therapy is intended for men and women with thinning hair or pattern baldness caused by a hereditary condition.

How is laser hair therapy supposed to work?

The hair growth cycle consists of three phases: growth (anagen phase), resting (telogen phase) and shedding (catagen phase). Hair loss in androgenetic alopecia depends on a testosterone derivative in the skin, dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Low level laser therapy is believed to increase blood flow in the scalp and stimulate metabolism in catagen or telogen follicles, resulting in the production of anagen hair. In theory:

  • The photons of light act on cytochrome C oxidase leading to the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This is converted to cyclic AMP in the hair follicle cells, releasing energy and stimulating metabolic processes necessary for hair growth.
  • Release of nitric oxide from cells leads to increased vascularisation to the scalp distributing nutrients and oxygen to the hair roots.
  • Excessive build-up of DHT is prevented.

What is the clinical evidence to show laser hair therapy is effective?

Physicians have varying views on whether or not low level laser therapy is effective. While some physicians reject its use entirely, others believe that low level laser therapy can provide benefit for some men and women suffering from androgenic alopecia (genetic baldness). It has also been suggested that it may assist a hair transplant patient’s postoperative wound healing process and expedite hair growth.
Benefits of laser therapy for hair loss

  • Low level laser thereapy can be used in both men and women
  • No adverse effects have been reported
  • It is clean and painless
  • Low level laser hair therapy is relatively inexpensive
  • It requires minimal time commitment
  • Some low level laser therapy devices are portable
  • Hair growth may occur on the top of the head/crown and along the hairline of forehead

Improvement is reported in at least some users after 12 to 26 weeks of use, with reduced hair fall and noticeable hair growth.

How is low level laser hair therapy administered ?

Two to three times weekly treatments are typically recommended, and consist of a 8 to 15-minute exposure of the scalp to light-emitting diodes under a head cap.
Scalp treatment and massages that promote blood circulation may be used additionally as part of the program.
Proprietors of low level laser therapy services speak about the importance of regularity, which includes frequent appointments (twice a week, more or less) over a long duration (typically one year).
Please call the office of Dr. Bishara at The Paragon Plastic Surgery & Med Spa for more information on LLLT at (817) 473-2120 or visit our website and www.MarkBisharaMD.com


Please also visit our website to learn more about ARTAS Robotic Hair Transplants System at www.MarkBisharaMD.com or call our office at (817) 473-2120

FASTER HAIR GROWTH

Light in its various forms has been used for healing from the time of the ancient Egyptian and Greek civilizations. The negative effects of the absence of light on the human body are well documented (e.g., seasonal affective disorder, also called SAD; lack of vitamin D production; rickets, etc.). Therapy using LASER, an acronym for “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation,” is based on the beneficial use of light for healing.
Recent advances in laser therapy devices and more research into the appropriate dosages have dramatically improved the results of this therapy.
Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) is the use of red and near-infrared monochromatic light to enhance the body’s natural healing processes. The light source is placed in contact with the skin, allowing the light energy (photons) to penetrate tissue where it interacts to increase circulation and help restore normal cellular function. LLLT does not break the skin as do surgical lasers.

Pattern balding

Androgenetic alopecia can affect up to 70% of men (male pattern balding) and 40% of women (female pattern balding) at some point in their lifetime. While men typically present with a distinctive alopecia pattern involving hairline recession and vertex balding, women normally exhibit a diffuse hair thinning over the top of their scalps. For both men and women, losing their hair is a frustrating experience.
The current treatment standard for pattern balding is therapy with minoxidil and finasteride, with hair transplantation as a surgical option. However, low level laser treatment for hair loss is now also promoted as a safe alternative or additional treatment.

Benefits of laser therapy for hair loss

  • Low level laser thereapy can be used in both men and women
  • No adverse effects have been reported
  • It is painless
  • Low level laser hair therapy is relatively inexpensive
  • It requires minimal time commitment
  • Hair growth may occur on the top of the head/crown and along the hairline of forehead

Improvement is reported in at least some users after 12 to 26 weeks of use, with reduced hair fall and noticeable hair growth.
Learn More at:  MarkBisharaMD.com or call us at (817) 473-2120
 

The ARTAS System is a 21st-century technological innovation that was introduced into the hair treatment field in 2011 to treat male pattern baldness, or androgenetic alopecia. The system is sophisticated, utilizing computer assistance to harvest hair follicles during the actual process of hair replacement. ARTAS incorporates a number of elements in its operation, including an image-guided robotic arm and special imaging technologies that co-ordinate together for the purpose of implementing the “follicular unit extraction (FUE)” technique upon the recipient of the system.

Follicular Unit Extraction

FUE is a minimally invasive technique used in hair restoration procedures to extract individual follicular units from the scalp in preparation for transplantation. Hair restoration or transplantation is used to treat hair loss, a condition that affects 50 million men and 30 million women in the United States. The system, which was developed by Restoration Robotics, features an image-guided robotic arm, small dissection punches and an interactive computer interface.

Benefits

Overall, the ARTAS System enables Dr. Bishara to harvest follicles using FUE more rapidly and with significantly lower transection rates than with traditional methods. Transection rates using ARTAS are reported at 8%, as compared with 20-30% with manual FUE. The ARTAS procedure can be done in half the surgery time compared to manual FUE. A peer reviewed manuscript by showed yield rates over 95%. The system harvests follicular units in a random fashion so that there is no scaring. Patients receiving the ARTAS procedure can return to normal activities in one to two days, compared to weeks or months for strip harvesting procedures.