Throughout history, people have desperately tried to solve the problem of hair loss. Wigs cover up bald spots, and countless creams, tonics, and medications promise to coax new sprouts to emerge. Some folks even resort to painful surgical procedures to transplant strips of skin with healthy follicles to areas with sparse growth.
At Viva Wellness Medical Group in San Diego, California, we have a better way to restore your signature coif — regenerative medicine.
This innovative medical field has multiple applications, including orthopedic injuries, neuropathy, organ damage, inflammation reduction, and soft-tissue repair. By stimulating your body’s healing response, regenerative medicine triggers cell renewal and accelerates healing.
Dr. Michael Tachuk and our team infuse a form of regenerative medicine into our hair restoration treatment with outstanding results. Here, we explain why you’re losing your hair and what we can do about it.
What causes hair loss?
Some people live long lives with a full head of lush hair, but these are exceptions to the rule because so many factors work against thriving hair. Any combination of reasons can contribute to hair loss. These are the most common reasons you may lose your locks over time:
- Androgenic alopecia, an inherited trait
- Age, hair follicles stop producing hair as they get older
- Alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that attacks hair follicles
- Stress
- Tight hairstyles
- Harmful treatments and products
- Medications
- Hormonal imbalances
- Infections
- Friction
- Skin conditions, such as psoriasis
- Illnesses, such as thyroid disease or STDs
Depending on the underlying cause of your hair loss, you may be able to restore your hair by making some lifestyle changes or addressing the condition that’s to blame. However, some causes of hair loss, like androgenic alopecia, require more advanced treatments, and that’s where we come in.
How regenerative medicine aids hair growth
Regenerative medicine is an umbrella term that encompasses several biotherapeutic treatments, such as stem cell therapy, prolotherapy (for joints), cartilage regeneration, and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy.
Dr. Tachuk uses PRP along with a microneedling treatment to stimulate healing and promote new hair growth.
First, we take a small amount of blood from your arm and spin it in a high-speed centrifuge. The machine separates your blood into individual components so we can create a solution that contains a super concentration of platelets, blood cells that promote clotting and healing.
Next, we treat your scalp with microneedling, a series of tiny punctures that trigger your skin to produce a flood of collagen and elastin. These two proteins go to work immediately and are active over the next few weeks and months, building up healthy skin tissue to support new hair growth.
Finally, we inject your platelet-rich plasma solution into the area. The platelets release growth factors that invigorate shrunken hair follicles and stimulate them to grow hair again.
Although results vary, studies show that microneedling with PRP produces favorable results, even among those who had no success with medications. Many of our patients see increased hair growth and thicker strands after three or four sessions.
To find out if microneedling with PRP may be the answer to your hair loss woes, call Viva Wellness Medical Group for an appointment or book one online.