Causes of hair loss and treatment options for younger patients

Currently in the USA, approximately 50 million men and women are affected by some type of hair loss. One of the most distressing forms of hair loss is Hereditary Androgenic Alopecia, also known as male pattern hair loss (MPHL). The symptoms of this genetically predetermined disorder include physical changes in the hair, including loss of normal vigor and elasticity. Eventually, the hair can become thin and brittle and begin to fall out. In a genetically prone man, the presence of the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is necessary for this problem to occur.


Some of the less common causes of hair loss that are reversible with treatment, include: thyroid disease, iron deficiency, high fever, surgery or general anesthesia, “crash diets,” stress and certain medications. There are also certain dermatologic scalp disorders that can result in temporary or permanent hair loss, such as lupus, lichen planopilaris, and alopecia areata.


In general patients younger than 23 years old suffering from hair loss, hair transplantation is not an option. Most hair transplant specialist prefer to wait until a more definite diagnosis is established. Some doctors recommend doing miniturization studies to establish the cause of hair loss as MPHL, however these studies are not definite. Since in some cases hair loss is not permanent, one needs to be patient and not jump into conclusion. At this point, it is to patients' advantage to visit a hair restoration specialist to begin some sort of preventive medical regiment. Sometimes, as a result of using theses regiments you can decrease degree of future hair loss and patients may even get some hair back. In a few years, if hair loss is genetic and patient continues to lose hair and a more definite diagnosis is established, hair transplantation is a treatment option.


Dr. Mike Meshkin, a hair transplant specialist based in Los Angeles and Orange County offers many advises to his clients to start hair loss prevention when they notice thinning at the initial stages. It is important to keep hair healthy by eating the right food and proper vitamins for support. If hair loss is genetic, then hair transplant can be an option to restore the hair that is lost and medical treatment is used to prevent future hair loss.


To find out more about your hair loss, visit one of Dr. Meshkin's hair transplant and hair restoration clinics in Los Angeles or in Irvine locations. Dr. Meshkin will use the latest techniques to find out the cause of your hair loss and give the best hair restoration recommendations customized to your needs and concerns. You can also visit www.meshkinmedical.com to find out about the nutritional needs that may be a factor in hair loss.



If you are suffering from hair loss or hair thinning you can contact us at (949) 219-0027 to schedule for a free consultation or visit our website at www.MeshkinMedical.com.

What are the different aspects to hair transplant procedure?

What are the different aspects when choosing best hair transplant technique?

 There are two procedural aspects to hair transplantation. One is the harvesting of the grafts from the donor area and the other is the design, distribution and placement of the units into the recipient area. These are two different aspects. FUT and FUE only refer to the harvesting technique from the donor area and have nothing to do with the recipient area aspect of transplantation. The recipient areas technique is based mostly on the surgical, experience and artistic skills of the physician.

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​ Basically, in Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT), the hair for relocation is obtained by surgically excising a strip of hair bearing skin from the donor region of the scalp. The skin edges of this wound are then sutured closed. Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is a revival of the old punch technique obtaining donor hair with a small circular cutting instrument. These punches are used to harvest follicular units one at a time from the donor area. Each harvest or extraction creates a small circular scar. The difference is with the strip you get a continuous linear scar, whereas with punches you get discontinuous, round circular scars. You get a better Yield with FUT technique because one can see the follicles when excising the strip whereas in FUE it's a blind extraction from the skin. Due to the blind extraction, there may be damage to the hair follicle and also collateral damage to the surrounding hairs. Therefore, it is likely that when hair is transplanted to the recipient area in case of FUE technique some of the hairs be damaged and therefore either not growin or grow thinner. Also if the hair is not harvested from any where but the safe donor zone, the chances are those hair will be lost in the near future and are not permanent. These pros and cons should be discussed in detail before making a decision as to which harvesting technique is best for the patient before the procedure.

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​On the other hand for the recipient area design and technique, a good specialized hair transplant doctor should know how to distribute the units, where to place the hair line, which needles to use, how to angle the needles, and the orientation of the incisions in the recipient area. These are just a few things to consider when making the incisions in the recipient area. These options should be customized to meet patients needs. Therefore, it is very important to chose an experienced doctor both for harvesting of the grafts and also for design and placement of grafts to the recipient area and discuss the options in detail to make sure it meets your concerns and expectations.

Dr. Mike Meshkin, a hair transplant specialist based in Los Angeles and Orange County offers many advises to his clients to start hair loss prevention when they notice thinning at the initial stages. It is important to keep hair healthy by eating the right food and proper vitamins for support. If hair loss is genetic, then hair transplant can be an option to restore the hair that is lost and medical treatment is used to prevent future hair loss.

To find out more about your hair loss, visit one of Dr. Meshkin's hair transplant and hair restoration clinics in Los Angeles or in Irvine locations. Dr. Meshkin will use the latest techniques to find out the cause of your hair loss and give the best hair restoration recommendations customized to your needs and concerns. You can also visit www.meshkinmedical.com to find out about the nutritional needs that may be a factor in hair loss.

If you are suffering from hair loss or hair thinning you can contact us at (949) 219-0027 to schedule for a free consultation or visit our website at www.MeshkinMedical.com.