Alopecia refers to excessive hair loss from the head or anywhere on the body. This can be caused by several conditions related to age, gender, or ethnicity. Stress worsens certain types of alopecia. Also hair grooming practices, like tight hairstyles, excessive brushing or using the wrong clippers or blades for facial hair, can cause itching, burning and hair loss over time.

First, the hair structure: Hair is made up of the follicle and the shaft. The hair follicle anchors the hair into the scalp, and the bulb at the base of the follicle contains the cells that divide and grow to build the hair shaft. The hair shaft is hair that we see growing out of the follicle.

From the very moment that the hair shaft starts to grow to when it falls out, every hair goes through four distinct phases: anagen, catagen, telogen and exogen.

Growth Phase: Anagen

The growth phase lasts between two and seven years. During the anagen phase, the cells of the bulb are dividing rapidly to build the hair shaft. At any one time, 80% to 90% of hair follicles are in the anagen phase.

Transition Phase: Catagen

The transition phase lasts two to three weeks. The hair stops growing and detaches itself from the blood supply in the bulb but remains in place. It is then called a club hair for the shape of the knob at the end of the shaft.

Resting Phase: Telogen

The club hair rests while a new hair begins to grow beneath it. This new hair will eventually take the place of the club hair. The telogen phase lasts around three months, and 10% to 15% of all hairs are in this phase at any one time.

Shedding Phase: Exogen

The club (resting) hair detaches and falls out to make room for the new hair coming through the follicle. Each follicle goes through the cycle on its own time so you do not have many of them going through the shedding phase at the same time.

There are many potential triggers for hair loss. A dermatologist can distinguish between normal hair shedding and hair loss as well as determine the cause. Keep in mind that the sooner you start treatment, the better the prognosis. Potential causes include:

• Genetics
• Hormonal imbalance
• Stress
• Harsh hair grooming practices
• Vitamin / nutrient deficiency
• Autoimmune conditions
• Underlying medical conditions
• Medications

• Scalp ointments/ solutions
• Oral medications
• Scalp Injections
• Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)
• Laser + Light therapy
• Hair Transplantation

Cutting Edge Technology

Recent advances incorporate cutting edge technology in the treatment of hair loss.  Using your body’s own products or growth factors, hair regrowth is stimulated with no downtime.

Hair Transplantation

Hair transplantation involves moving hair follicles from one area of the scalp to another. First of all, you need a consultation to see if you are a good fit for this procedure. It depends on the cause, size and location of the bald areas.