Hair Restoration Blog

In every organization there are leaders with great levels of knowledge and expertise. Often times those leaders get bogged down with the demands of their organizations which makes it difficult for them to personally connect with the people who they are trying to help. At US Hair Restoration, Dr. Parsa Mohebi wants to connect with all who are interested in the art and science of hair restoration.

Since the world of Hair Transplantation continues to expand each year, many have questions they feel are not being answered. Dr. Mohebi is continuing his webinar series for this very reason, where he will make himself available to those who have questions about hair loss or other related topics.

This next webinar will be happening live on April 10th at 6PM.  There is limited space so the quicker a spot is reserved, the better. To reserve a spot for our webinar, send us an email at webinar@ushairrestoration.com and we will send a confirmation reply.

Hair stem cell research is one of the most promising areas for hair restoration in the future.  Currently there are many advanced techniques for hair transplantation; however a long journey remains in order to provide hair loss sufferers with an unlimited source of hair, and stem cells might be an answer to this need.  In the past we have reported in our blogs of the newest advances in hair restoration through stem cell research from our own research and that of other centers.

A new article published in the Journal of Dermatology Science in February of 2012 sheds fresh light on the subject.   Authors, Dr. Chen and Dr. Chuong from Taiwan reported on the type of environment hair stem cells require in order to produce new hair.  Hair Stem cell circulation has been thought to be regulated by signals from the micro-environment which is close to them in skin tissue named the “stem cell niche”.

The authors proposed recent studies which reveal that there can be multiple layers of environmental controls. These environmental controls were reviewed using the paradigm of hair stem cells. This is because in order to properly observe and analyze hair growth, it is easier to see their regeneration pattern characteristic that occurs on a regular basis in different phases.

The duration of hair growth determines the actual length of hair fibers. We now know the generation of a new anagen hair is a result of the interaction between the two different stem cells in each hair follicle.  Hair stem cells located in the bulge of the follicle interact with signals from the dermal papilla to produce a new hair.

The activation of hair stem cells has been shown to be modulated by molecules secreted from the intra-dermal fatty tissue as well as other hormonal signals, immune reactions, neural activities, and the aging process. The general physiological status of individuals is further influenced by cyclic rhythms and changing growth periods. The interactive networks of these environmental factors provide new understanding on how stem cell homeostasis is regulated.

The authors also discuss the environments which are involved in order to make new hair.  My hope is that as we become more aware of the circumstances involved in hair growth and development, we can develop more practical ways to use advanced stem cell technology for hair restoration.  The optimal solution for hair restoration might not be through the multiplication of hair stem cells, however increased knowledge on the environment which hair follicles grow can lead to procedures that reactivate the existing hair stem cells that are progressing toward miniaturization and eventual baldness.  Many physicians believe balding does not permanently affect hair follicles; rather the bald follicles keep their potential to be reactivated and grow healthy hair. This is of course, as long as the right environment is provided for the hair follicles to grow.

Recently a patient contacted us here at US Hair Restoration wanting to know about shampoo and the effects it can have on hair loss. Here are the questions and answers in the order they were presented:

1) What kind of shampoo helps me the most and where do I buy it?

Although choosing the right shampoo can keep hair clean and add shine, shampoo cannot replace hair loss for individuals suffering from patterned baldness in either men or women.

2) Which shampoos should I avoid all together?

As we discussed before, most shampoos only affect the hair shafts which are not the life component of hairs. Because of this fact, there is very little damage shampoos can cause.  Of course there are some chemicals which can damage hair shafts, which is a good reason to stay away from shampoos containing those bad chemicals.  However, most shampoos generally found in every day stores do not have those ingredients.  My regular saying to my patients is: “Do not stress too much about the shampoos”.

3) How often should I shampoo and use conditioners? Is conditioner a good thing? How about scalp cleanser? Or any other product you deem necessary for damaged hair. I have been using a product called “Biotin 24″, for last ten years, it is supposed to be all natural ingredients!

If your hair is oily you can wash your hair every day with shampoo.  Even more than once a day is okay if your hair is not dry.  Washing more than that may make your scalp dry and should be avoided, but if you do not have dry or sensitive skin, washing your hair once a day won’t affect you.  Scalp cleansers are mostly for removing the secretions of sebaceous glands and make the scalp dry.  Regular shampoos which have a certain amount of cleansers and the shampoos that are used for oily scalps might have more concentrations of those.

Cleansers don’t affect the health of your hair.  You may find in some advertisements which claim cleansers open the scalp pores and help oxygenation of hair follicles. This is not true.  Hair follicles don’t obtain their nutrition or oxygen from outside.  There are many shampoos like what you mentioned with different ingredients.  These generally do not affect the growth of hair. For example it is stated that this certain shampoo has 22 amino acids to help improve the tensile strength of the hair.  The reality is that the necessary amino acids for hair follicles should be absorbed from blood stream and not from the surface of the skin.

4) Should I wash my hair as little as possible (I usually go to gym and exercise which makes me sweat, consequently I sometimes wash my hair twice a day) or should I keep my hair very short, to avoid it from falling off.

There is not a perfect regimen for washing your hair.  Washing too little cannot damage your hair and washing every day cannot hurt the growth of the grafts either.  As stated before, excessive washing may remove the necessary scalp moisture and oils that may lead to scalp dryness.  That is more problematic, but only if you have an already dry scalp to start with.

The anticipation is finally coming to a close! Beginning Thursday March 16th, US Hair Restoration will have a consultation office in Bakersfield, California. The idea to go there came as a result of many of our patients traveling from Bakersfield to Los Angeles to see Dr. Mohebi. Since the cost of travel is a strain for many due to the price of gasoline, our goal is to add convenience to these individuals seeking answers for their hair loss needs.

Bakersfield is the ninth largest metropolitan city in California, and a main hub for commerce through Central California’s San Joaquin Valley. At US Hair Restoration, we are excited about this new venture which will add convenience to those coming from Bakersfield, Fresno, and surrounding cities and towns throughout the San Joaquin Valley.

For questions or to make a hair transplant consultation appointment for our Bakersfield office, please call us locally at (661) 524-0410 or call toll-free at (888) 302-8747.

When attempting to determine a person’s level of hair miniaturization and future patterns of balding, a miniaturization study is critical. This method reveals the rate of hair thinning in comparison with the surrounding normal healthy hair. The hair found on the back and sides of the head in most cases lasts a lifetime since these hairs are not affected by the hormone DHT, which is what is normally responsible for thinning.  The thickness of these hairs is used to determine the proper size for the hairs on a person’s head.

When hair loss is active, it is due to the fact the hair follicles are going through a growth cycle and resting intervals where the hairs progressively get thinner. Eventually the hairs will become so fine they are undetectable to the naked eye. It is when a hair shaft loses its original thickness and continues thinning that miniaturization occurs.

At any particular time, hair can go through a cycling phase. This is when a hair shaft falls and another begins to grow from the same follicle only after a few weeks of the resting period. Since this cycle is not synchronized, only a small percentage of hairs will be put into the resting phase during any particular cycle. It is uncommon for this cycle to surpass 20% of the given hair shafts in any area.

Healthy scalp hair in permanent zone with zero-to-minimal miniaturization

When doing a microscopic evaluation, the percentage of miniaturized hairs are determined by area. This is to say, when looking at a particular area on the head (top, crown, corners, etc.) the amount of thinning can be estimated when seen under the microscope. Anything seen to be above the 20% miniaturization rate is considered abnormal and needs to be further evaluated and treated.

When a microscopic evaluation is performed, the pattern of hair loss will show the surgeon which areas the patient will eventually lose their hair, in order to take preventative measures to avoid future hair loss.

There are many other reasons for acute and extreme hair loss such as emotional trauma, seasons of high stress levels, or pregnancy (for women), which only last for a time and the hair eventually restores itself. These situations can be seen by repeating the study a few months after the events which caused the hair loss, have ended.