What does the future have in store for your hair?Â
Dr. Christine Shaver was recently interviewed by Allure magazine about the future of hair loss. Here are some of the main topics she spoke about.
Why can female hair loss be harder to treat than male hair loss?
Dr. Shaver: Treating female hair loss with the same medications we use for men can prove to be tricky. There are safety concerns for women for the use of finasteride, particularly if they have a history of breast cancer, are pregnant or nursing; or wish to become pregnant. Hair transplants may be more challenging in women, as thinning hair on women is typically diffuse, making it harder to find a sufficient donor area.
What are the most effective treatments you have right now to treat hair loss for both men and women?
Medical options for treatment of genetic hair loss are mainly finasteride pills, topical minoxidil and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) scalp injections. Finasteride is an oral medication that can effectively block DHT production in men and help prevent further thinning but is not FDA-approved for use in women. Minoxidil and PRP can be used safely in both sexes. Minoxidil is a topical agent that is applied once or twice daily to the scalp and helps keep the hair in the anagen phase (growth phase) of the hair cycle, leading to thicker and longer hair. It is now being used orally (in low doses) for the same purpose. PRP is an office treatment where blood is drawn and then platelets are separated and injected back into the scalp in the regions of thinning.
Any hair restoration technologies you predict will improve in the future?
Dr. Shaver: In the future, the hair transplant industry will likely begin to use the technology of hair cloning which will allow more people, even those with a limited donor supply of hair, to become good candidates for hair restoration.
Updated: 2024-08-20 | Published: 2021-10-08
