Mirror, mirror on the wall, how do I grow hair this Fall?

This is THE million-dollar question. Literally, if you could come up with something that guarantees new hair growth, you could name your price.

Like many things in life, it is the magic trifactor. 

1. Improve the health of the hair follicles so that the existing hair is thicker and more robust.
2. Lengthen the growing (versus the dropping) phase of the hair.
3. Stop hair from shedding prematurely.

And then, if your hair follicles are just dormant and not dead already (shiny bald is often an indicator of dead), then hopefully we can create enough good blood flow in the area to get new hair to start emerging too!

The truth is that there are a number of things that help hair to grow and there are a number of things that help to stop hair from falling out prematurely. The reason that this is all so confusing is that everyone is a little different – genetically and in terms of lifestyle and stress-tolerance.

When someone experiences unwanted hair loss, it can become life-changing, especially when we’re constantly in front of some screen that reflects back to them (and the outside world) just how “less-than perfect” they look. Confidence takes a nosedive and sometimes relationships and career opportunities follow. “What you imagine you create, what you create becomes your reality”.

Sadly, the US dermatological society reports that in the US alone, there are 80 million people suffering from unwanted hair loss. Luckily, science is doing its’ job and there are some key insights into how to grow more hair.

The first thing is to try and lengthen the growth phase (anagen phase) of the hair and the second is to try to stop premature dropping of hair in the telogen phase. We all lose hair every day and around 100 hairs a day appears to be the norm. I think that as an individual, you are the best judge of whether the hair loss that you see is in your normal or abnormal range. 

The preferred way to lengthen the growth phase is to apply a topical serum to the scalp (and deliver it as close to the hair follicle (the hair “bulb” that the new hair grows from” as possible. The ingredients that help are things like: Minoxidil, Super Oxide Dismutase, Cucurbitacin B, caffeine, Niacinamide, Riboflavin, Zinc, Biotin, Horsetail, Baicalin, Adenosine, L-Carnitine, Alpha Phosphatidic Acid.

We also need good blood flow to the hair follicle area. Being healthy and active helps. Injections, Micro Needling and Alma TED ultrasound with air pressure delivers the most successful result. InfraRed technology and lasers help too. Possibly the easiest solution is using a little rubber scalp massage brush in the shower or when relaxing in front of TV, to massage the scalp.

Getting the hair to just grow is not enough though. Your skin on the scalp is much thicker than on your face and if your hair is too thin, it won’t be able to push through the scalp to emerge as new hair. There is a need to improve the health of the follicle too so that the hair is healthy and thick enough to make its appearance above. Blood flow helps and so do serums and more particularly ones that are created by companies who focus on human growth factors or use bio-identical ingredients like stem cells.

A little warning here: off if you are using products on the scalp, they can be too heavy and cause the existing hair to break off, if it is too fine. The buildup of product on the scalp can also prevent new hairs from emerging.

There are 2 ingredients in the TED serum that actively help the hair root better: Polypeptides 9 and 11. This is a key differentiator between a TED serum and other serums. Finasteride specifically targets DHT (a molecule derived from testosterone) that causes hair loss. Other serums use derivates from bitter melon, Ginseng, Quercetin, Vitamin E Acetate, and Saw Palmetto. The idea behind using stem cells is that your cells are bolstered by their presence and are revitalized thereby improving your hair follicle health.

What else can you do? Your health is an important component. Hormone problems, vitamin and iron deficiencies especially contribute to hair loss. Supplementation can help but can also overtax your organs, so it is best to check your levels with your primary care giver.

And now that you’re armed with all that information, it’s time to get started. If you start in September, you should see the results by Christmas. Yes, along the way things will begin to look better but the reality is that hair takes time to grow, and most results are noticeable around the 3-to-4-month mark.

Let’s get growing. Book an appointment with Hair Oh yeah for your free consultation. We would love to partner with you on your hair journey.