It’s normal to lose up to 100 hairs each day and hardly notice since new hair is always growing to replace it. However, if your hair follicles don’t function properly, you lose hair and your body doesn’t replace it. Hair loss is typically the result of:

• Heredity

• Hormonal changes during pregnancy or menopause

• Medical conditions or scalp infections

• Certain medications and supplements

• Stress

• Excessively tight hairstyles

• Age

Sudden hair loss can signal a serious underlying medical condition that requires professional attention. If you’re losing your hair gradually, it’s most likely the result of damaged hair follicles that no longer grow new hair.

Several treatments are available to help combat receding hairlines and male pattern baldness. These include:

• Medications like minoxidil to regrow hair

• Iron supplements or other vitamins

• Hair transplants

• Medicated shampoos

• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections

• Low-level laser therapy

Before beginning any course of treatment, Dr. Colaço conducts a comprehensive medical exam and blood tests to determine the underlying cause of your hair loss. This way, she can recommend the most effective combination of treatments to help regrow your hair and prevent additional hair loss.

PRP injections treat hair loss by triggering your body’s ability to produce new hair. During the procedure, Dr. Colaço uses the platelet-rich plasma from your own blood. This blood component contains a high concentration of growth factors that stimulate your body’s natural ability to heal itself and in the case of hair loss, to grow new hair, thicken existing hair, and/or slow hair shedding.

At your appointment, a member of the ShanthiMD Dermatology medical team draws blood from your arm to use to treat your scalp. Your blood goes into a centrifuge where the PRP separates from the other blood components. Meanwhile, you can opt for a nerve block which will make the rest of the procedure virtually painless. Dr. Colaço then injects the PRP into the areas of your scalp where your hair is receding or has stopped growing.

Three to four monthly treatments are recommended at the beginning and then one treatment every three-six months thereafter for maintenance. Over the next few months, new hair begins to grow from the follicles that were stimulated by the high-concentration of growth factors.