1. What is the PRP treatment?

PRP is platelet rich plasma. Blood is made from approximately 93% red blood cells (RBC), 1% white blood cells (WBC), 6% platelets, and plasma. To create PRP, a blood sample is taken from a patient and then processed to remove everything but the plasma and platelets. PRP has been studied in many areas to promote wound healing because the constituents of plasma are the major players in wound healing. Several case reports have indicated that using PRP in patients with hair loss can reverse some of the loss. Unfortunately it is a treatment that has a long way to go before it is in wide usage.


2. Do hair transplants work for women?

Hair transplants do work for women but to a lesser degree than with men. Female hair loss patterns and causes are much different than in men. Women are more likely to have a medical cause of hair loss, such as thyroid disorders or polycystic ovary disease, than men. In these cases, the medical disorder must be treated before any transplant undertaken. Even in women with androgenic alopecia, the hair loss patterns are more diffuse and thus do not guarantee that donor hair will not fall out when transplanted.


3. What is the differences between hair loss in women and in men?

As mentioned above, hair loss in women is more commonly due to medical conditions. The most common cause of female hair loss is still androgenic alopecia but hair loss due to thyroid disease and endocrine abnormality is much more common in women. In addition, the hair loss pattern in female androgenic alopecia is more diffuse than in male androgenic alopecia.


4. What are the new surgical techniques available for women?

Surgical options for women are the same as those for men. Local excision of bald areas is undertaken for those with a discrete area of baldness, possibly due to trauma. In more extensive hair loss, follicular unit grafting or even flap surgery is possible given an adequate and stable donor area.


5. Do you recommend any medical treatment or other non surgical therapies for women suffering from hair loss?

There are many other treatments female patients can use to battle hair loss. Low level laser therapy shows promise in slow hair loss though no large studies have been done to date. The good news is that it won' t hurt. Women can also use topical minoxidil 2.5% for hair loss. For some women, the prescription medication spironolactone is beneficial. Though normally used as a diuretic, the medication has been used as an off label indication for female hair loss. Monitoring of a patient' s potassium level is necessary.


6. How do you diagnose hair loss in women?

Diagnosis of the cause for female hair loss, as in male hair loss, is dependent on a complete history and physical examination. In some women, blood tests or even a scalp biopsy may be necessary to directly pin point the cause for hair loss. A good starting point is to visit your family physician or a dermatologist.


7. What are the classifications of women's hair loss

Hair loss of any kind is divided into localized or diffuse and scarring versus non-scarring. Diffuse non-scarring alopecia in women is often hereditary and is classified according to the Ludwig hair loss classification. In the Ludwig classification, hair loss is divided into three classes - class I, II, and III. In all three stages, hair loss exists on the front and top of the scalp with some preservation of the frontal hair line. In each classification the back and sides may or may not be involved. It is those patients with preservation of hair in the back and sides that are candidates for surgical restoration.