Importance of Diagnosing Hair Loss Early

Hair loss (alopecia) can be an embarrassing or uncomfortable condition to talk about, especially for women. That being said, early diagnosis is essential for treating alopecia effectively. Making an early visit to the doctor and a timely diagnosis a patient’s best option.

Symptoms

Some symptoms of hair loss include hair shedding, hair falling out, hair thinning, or a receding hairline. Symptoms can be caused by genetics or shrinking follicles. Alopecia can be sudden or gradual, and the patient’s skin can be scaly or rash like.

When a patient visits the doctor, hair specialists should show male patients the Norwood Scale illustrations of hair loss and female patients the Ludwig Scale for hair loss in women. The patient's medications will be reviewed and a family history will be taken. It’s important that doctors make patients feel as comfortable as possible when discussing alopecia. A good option is to ask the patient “how is your hair doing?” or “is your hair health good?”. This opens the door for an honest conversation about the patient’s hair health without the doctor coming off as intrusive or presumptuous.

Treatment

Hair loss treatment includes medications, hair transplant surgeries, bio-cellular procedures such as PRP, stress management techniques or other methods like hair pieces and alternative hair styling. Dyes can be used to cover the scalp, hairstyles can make the patient's hair appear more thick, and hairpieces can be attached to the scalp to cover any bald spots. If a patient’s individual case of alopecia isn’t severe, infrequent shampooing or conditioning may be recommended.

Possible Diagnosis

Treating hair loss is not always just about appearance or aesthetics. Symptoms of hair loss may also be symptoms of other more serious conditions such as lupus, diabetes, or rheumatoid arthritis. Lab tests may be ordered to check for a thyroid condition, hormonal imbalances or anemia. Surgery, childbirth or crash diets can also lead to unwanted hair loss. Getting these symptoms checked early can be the difference between treating a simple flare up of a condition or having untreated declining health problems for a long period of time.

Alopecia is a fairly common condition, with about 80 million Americans affected by hereditary hair loss. Early diagnosis is essential for effective treatment, and patients should feel comfortable to come forward and discuss their symptoms with their physicians. Learn more about hair loss and hair restoration methods at NEhair.com and Regenerismedical.com

9 Tips for Summer Hair Care

Almost everyone is aware of the importance of taking care of your skin in the summer time (sales of sunscreen and other sun care products increase exponentially during the summer months), but what about your hair? Between chlorine from the pool, salt water from the ocean and ultraviolet rays from the sun, come September your once beautiful locks can look dull and frayed. Here are some of our best tips for hair care tips for protecting your hair during the hot summer months.

1. Get a haircut

Starting your summer off with a good trim will get rid of any dead strands of hair or split ends. Your hair will grow out faster during the summer months, and starting off June with a fresh, healthy style will help your hair stay healthier longer.

2. Lay off the heat

Give your hair a break and let it breathe during the summer months. This means changing your hair care routine to include less blow drying, less straightening, and less curling whenever possible. Loose braids or ponytails are a great way to keep your hair tame in the heat while letting your hair breathe naturally.

3. Apply hair sunscreen lotion

Hair lotion is a great option to protect your head of hair from intense UV rays. Stylecaster.com recommends Clarins Sunscreen Oil Spray (found at Sephora), Paul Mitchell Sun Shield Conditioning Spray (found online) or Ojon Color Sustain Pro Fade-Fighter.

4. Dip your hair before taking a dip

Before getting in the pool, lake, or ocean be sure to take a shower and drench your hair. This will help your hair repel any chemicals and salt. You should also take a quick shower after being in the water to wash out any toxins before they have a chance to absorb.

5. Use anti-frizz oil

Well-maintained hair shows less frizz then dried out hair. You can fight the frizz with a variety of oils. Sephora’s list of Best Anti-Frizz Treatments include Moroccan Oil, Oil Primer Replenishing Moisture Shampoo or Hair Oil. When you shine and smoothen your hair, you are prepping your locks for long, outdoor summer days.

6. Wear a hat

Men and women alike should pick up one or two baseball caps to bring to the beach or on a nature hike. Protecting your scalp from the sun is a great way to keep your hair clean, fresh, and healthy for longer periods of time.

7. Use a wide tooth comb

Instead of a brush, use a wide-tooth comb when brushing your hair. This method is a less harsh, and is an efficient way to detangle your hair that you can add to your every day hair care regimen.

8. Use stress management techniques

Hair care means taking care of your mind as well. Stress is a major contributor to hair loss and thinning, making stress management essential to maintaining healthy hair. Meditation, coloring, exercise, yoga, massages, or reading are great stress management options and can help you keep your healthy hair all summer long.

9. Drink more water

Water has a multitude of health benefits, one of which is fighting excess summer humidity. Water nourishes your scalp pores and hydrates your hair. Find a water bottle you love at your local Target or Walmart and keep it with you so that you remember to sip.

Protecting your hair during the hot summer months is just as important as shielding your skin from intense sun rays. Learn more about fighting the root causes of hair loss and damage at RegenerisMedical.com or make an appointment today.

6 Crucial Skin Protection Tips for the Summer

Have Fun in The Sun While Using Skin Protection

Summer is officially here, and you know what that means- more time spent having fun outdoors in the sun. While it’s great to get your vitamin D (especially after the long winters here in New England), skin protection protocols are also incredibly important. After all, over 5.4 million cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer are treated in more than 3.3 million people each year in the United States alone. [1] Not only can you be at a higher risk for skin cancer, but it’s also a well-known fact that too much sun exposure can significantly age the skin. [2] To minimize these risks, here are 5 ways you can protect your skin from the sun.

1. Sunscreen/Sunblock

A study from 2011 consisting of 1,621 participants showed that using sunscreen can reduce the chances of developing melanoma by 50-73%. While genetic makeup can play a massive role in determining the likelihood of developing the cancer- sunscreen can significantly help reduce the risk. Aim for sunscreens that provide SPF 30+ with BOTH UVA and UVB protection, and don’t forget to re-apply at least every hour for optimal skin protection (even more frequently if you’ve been swimming or sweating). [3]

2. Hats

Many people often forget to protect their scalps while out and about. Because sunscreen can make hair greasy and uncomfortable- hats are the next best option. Make sure that your hat fuller covers the scalp (that means no visors). In addition to covering your scalp, hats can also add a little more skin protection to the face and neck!

3. Sunglasses

Protecting the eyes is also incredibly important, and often overlooked (no pun intended). The sun’s harmful UVA/UVB rays can cause eye conditions such as macular degeneration, cataracts, pterygium, and even cancer. Choose lenses that cover a large portion of the eye area, with coverage extending around all of the skin around the eyes. Also, it’s important to make sure the lenses offer both UVA/UVB protection- sunglasses at stores will often have stickers on them stating this. If the lenses do not have a tag or sticker on them stating UVA/UVB ray protection, it’s best to look for sunglasses that do. [4]

4. Stay in the Shade

This doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the splendors of the outdoors if you protect your skin- it just simply means that you should seek to be in the shade for the majority of the time. Peak sun exposure hours are generally between the hours of 10 AM—4 PM, with UV rays being the strongest around noontime. So after getting the recommended 15 minutes (10 minutes for fair-skinned people, 20 minutes for those with darker complexions) of sun, start lathering up on sun-lotion, and head for the shade. It will also help to cool your body down! [5]

5. Chapstick with SPF

Not only does chapstick keep the lips hydrated, but using a chapstick with SPF 15 or higher (preferably 20-30 SPF) can offer lip skin protection. Lips can also be subjected to skin cancer, so make sure apply every time your lips start to feel dry. This goes for men, too!

6. Protective Clothing

Although it can get pretty hot outside, protect your skin further by wearing the right clothing. At the risk of sounding obvious- clothes can significantly decrease your chances of developing skin cancer. Be conscientious of areas of the body that can often go forgotten—wear t-shirts that cover the shoulders, and shoes that cover the tops of the feet. Just remember that if you’re not going to cover it with clothing, coat it with lotion!

Have fun in the sun this summer- but just remember to play safe!

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25928283

[2] http://www.who.int/uv/publications/en/primaryteach.pdf

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21135266

[4] https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/sun

[5] http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/heart/articles/2008/06/23/time-in-the-sun-how-much-is-needed-for-vitamin-d

Alopecia Hair Loss: Can PRP Therapy Really Help?

Studies are suggesting that PRP Therapy has the potential to treat alopecia hair loss.

Recently, the practice of using platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy to heal a number of ailments has been becoming increasingly popular. Not only can PRP potentially heal joints, but it can also help prevent aging, improve sexual wellness, and stimulate hair regrowth. Although it may seem overly simplistic that the treatment for alopecia hair loss lies within one’s own body, multiple studies suggest that it is entirely possible.

For example, in a randomized, double-blind, placebo- and active-controlled study from 2013, forty-five patients were randomized to receive either, PRP, triamcinolone acetonide (TrA), or a placebo to treat alopecia areata. Each patient was given three treatments over 1 month intervals. At the end of the study…”PRP was found to increase hair regrowth significantly and to decrease hair dystrophy and burning or itching sensation compared with TrA or placebo. Ki-67 levels, which served as markers for cell proliferation, were significantly higher with PRP. No side-effects were noted during treatment.” [1]

Another study from 2013 investigated “the safety and clinical efficacy of alopecia areata-PRP injections for pattern hair loss.” After harvesting and isolating the PRP from each patient’s own blood, it was injected onto half of the patient’s scalp- the other half of the patient’s scalp received treatment from a placebo. This study also used the method of treating each patient three times over intervals of 1 month. The results found that “the patients presented clinical improvement in the mean number of hairs,” and an “increase of epidermis thickness and of the number of hair follicles two weeks after the last AA-PRP treatment compared to baseline value.” [2]

Lastly, a 2014 study set out to observe the “safety, efficacy and feasibility of PRP injections in treating androgenic alopecia.” This study included eleven patients who were diagnosed with androgenic alopecia and who also had no hair growth success after 6 months of using traditional treatments such as minoxidil or finasteride. Participants received PRP injections into the scalp every two weeks over an eight week period. After three months, the participants were then clinically examined and assessed. The results yielded that “a significant reduction in hair loss was observed between first and fourth injection. Hair count increased from average number of 71 hair follicular units to 93 hair follicular units. Therefore, average mean gain is 22.09 follicular units per cm 2.” Thus, the study concluded that the “PRP injection is a simple, cost effective and feasible treatment option for androgenic alopecia, with high overall patient satisfaction.” [3]

Although it is a fairly new procedure, the results look promising for PRP Therapy to treat alopecia hair loss. It is clear that the healing growth factors within—and the stimulating properties of—PRP have the potential to produce favorable outcomes when it comes to treating alopecia hair loss.

Sources:

[1] http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjd.12397/full

[2] https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2014/760709/abs/

[3] http://www.jcasonline.com/article.asp?issn=0974-2077;year=2014;volume=7;issue=2;spage=107;epage=110;aulast=Khatu

Do Cellular Injections for Knee Pain Leave You With Less Pain Than Total Knee Replacement Surgery?

When It Comes To Knee Pain, Cellular Injections for Knee Pain May Be The Way To Go...

Knee pain and knee osteoarthritis can be unbearable to live with. And–at the risk of sounding obvious–the whole point of seeking treatment is to alleviate this pain. However, with traditional treatments like knee replacement surgery, patients were apt to experience even more pain before they could get better. Luckily, with the recent boom in the regenerative medicine field, there have been revolutionary advancements in treating knee pain by harvesting the body’s own healing abilities. One of these treatments being PRP Stem Cell injections for knee pain. Best of all- these treatments have shown to have better potential at mitigating knee joint pain at a faster rate.

The two most popular regenerative elements that have been making headlines are Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)- which is derived from blood, and Stem Cells- which are most commonly derived from fat or bone tissues. It may come as a surprise to some that these elements are simply taken from the patient’s own body, but one should not be so quick to dismiss the apparent simplicity of these PRP Stem Cell injections for knee pain, or to underestimate the body’s powerful regenerative abilities. In fact, a 2015 study involving 1,114 participants found that “SVF [Stromal Vascular Fraction] cell application revealed at least 50% improvement of hip or knee joint after treatment in 80.6% of patients at 3 months. The Score further improved in time to 12 months of the follow-up to 91.0%”. [1]

Now compare that study to another recent study consisting of 272 participants that looked at the percentage of patients who still had ongoing knee pain 1 year after undergoing knee replacement surgery. The study found that 107 patients–out of all 272 patients who responded–still had chronic pain 1 year post-surgery. That is nearly 40% of patients! Not to mention that on a pain scale rating from 0-10 (0 being no pain, and 10 being unbearable pain), some of these participants still reported their pain being as high as a 5 out of 10. [2]

Although PRP Stem Cell injections for knee pain are a fairly recent practice, they have shown to be less time consuming, less painful, and can eventually save you money in the long run.

Sources:

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25706817

[2] http://www.healio.com/orthopedics/journals/ortho/2016-1-39-1/%7B90c9f37e-7f11-45d6-9a0a-85db1643d31b%7D/risk-assessment-for-chronic-pain-and-patient-satisfaction-after-total-knee-arthroplasty#x01477447-20151228-06-bibr19