What to do when you feel your hair thinning

A vibrant, full head of hair symbolizes health and vitality to many of us, which is why we can feel helpless when we begin to notice our hair thinning, or falling out. The important thing to remember is that it’s fairly common, and there’s a lot we can do about it.

There are a few options, says Dr. Justin Rome, founder and Chief Medical Officer of Barber Surgeons Guild. First is to address what you can do to stop more hair loss and second is what can you do to bring back lost hair.

“There are a number of maintenance programs which aim to slow down future hair loss by thickening up the existing hairs,” says Dr. Rome. “Options in these categories include taking a prescription pill called finasteride which works very well but has a slight risk (around 1%) of some sexual side effects,” says Dr. Rome.  

Other options include a good low level laser diode cap which is also quite effective. “These run between $2,000-$3,500 for the most effective ones,” says Dr. Rome.

Then finally there is a clinical option with monthly treatments alternating between PRP injections with micro needling. “The PRP relies on the high concentration of growth factors that circulate in the bloodstream and the micro needling works to bring the scalp blood flow closer to the surface where the metabolically active hair follicles need the energy,” says Dr. Rome.

Of course, there are essential additional measures you can take, which includes a good diet, supplements, and quality products to keep your hair thick and healthy. “BSG’s HCO1 line of haircare products feature Trichoanagenic Factor, a proprietary blend of about 15 bio-active ingredients formulated into each product from shampoo, conditioner, to serum and styling products, to promote the ideal scalp environment for healthy hair growth,” says Dr. Rome.

The serum has the most concentrated formulation of this blend and is used as a leave in product after washing.  

As for lost (vs thinning hair): “Switching gears to restoring lost hair, using the ARTAS robotic transplantation process, you can naturally restore your lost hair by moving one by one a population of thicker hairs from the back of the head to where you need them,” says Dr. Rome. “This one day procedure is essentially painless (after a few numbing injections) and patients may even drive home right after. Another alternative for improved cosmoses without any graft harvesting is to have scalp camouflage performed by a licensed scalp artist,” says Dr. Rome. “At BSG, we perform both the robotic transplantations and the scalp camouflage by our expert staff- often combining these techniques to achieve the best results,” says Dr. Rome.

But don’t panic – stress can cause hair loss too, so you don’t want to make the problem worse!